Ted Flynn

Hello,

They called me to say the TeleAid service provider is no more and being replaced by a new service called "MBrace".

No money issues as I got a refund from the old and paid for the new.

But, they said my car needs to go in for a change in that area.

Anybody done this already?

Notice any difference in service and the like?

JTReeves

Ted,

I changed over. There is a discussion thread here that says that the only real change is that the car calls a different service provider than the one who currently provides the service. That service is still in business. The claim by the new company is not true, i.e., the old company hasn't gone out of business and is still providing the service.

The only advantage is that you can get the new service for a one-time fee vs. having to pay a slightly lower rate yearly for the old service.

I haven't had occasion to use it. However, it is the same service BMW has been using. I would expect them to know how to do their job properly.

The need to go to the dealer is based on the requirement to change the phone number stored in the car so that it calls the new company and to register the car with the new company so they have the same access to your data as the old company had.

The company's registrar says the changeover is immediate upon the dealer making the software update (changing the phone number in the car's file & notifying the company of your VIN and possibly a database code number). It takes at least 24 hours or more for the change to be effective.

JR

Ted Flynn

Okay, thanks.

I assume this too will run the "SOS" feature as well.

tears

i almost switched to mBrace, but i found out the people who do Teleaid also do BMW, Toyota and Lexus.

a friend of mine who just bought a E350 told me he called mBrace several time; they never have been able to help him. he said he pushed the SOS button and the mBrace people were not able to even identify what state he was calling from.

stick with what you know.

Ted Flynn

Do I have to switch over?

lkchris

Well, there's an iPhone app that interfaces with your mBrace. Use your phone to unlock your doors. That's different.

R KLASSE

This is the only feature I see as useful IMO, for everything else I will use my smart phone.

davidbho

sounds nice, but the older cars, you can only unlock and can not lock...

I've had to unlock the car once in my 4 years of ownership (via calling them from a remote area, wife was near the car). Tele-aid has always been good.

I got a notice, 'free change over, your tele-aid service may be effected' called them...it was a scam, they just want you to buy their service, the rep was rude, and just cared about a sale. They even offered to lower the lifetime amount to like 199...

I didn't like them, didn't like the business they were running, and despite saving a few bucks in the long run, keeping tele-aid.

Ted Flynn

So I can keep Tele-Aid?

davidbho

push the button on your car to call them...they'll say no problem.

Ask the shady new company, they'll say it's no longer supported by mercedes...BS code for 'our company signed a big deal with MB to get their new business, and we'll do all the shady things we can to get the old customers...'

Ted Flynn

Cool - thanks man

smiley47

I renewed Teleaid a couple of months ago. They offered 2 years for $240 which is what they used to charge for one year. Obviously they're reacting to MBRACE and trying to hang on to customers.