New angle on the subject of Sat Nav V5

[Dr Claire]

I took delivery of my E320 on 23 December last. This was in direct replacement for the 2 yr old E270 that had spent 33.5 days in the workshop in the past 12 months. Basically DC gave me a new car.
I learn that dealers are getting the V5 software disk (bug free). Brentford had two instock on Saturday and Macclesfield have them too.
I went back to my dealer today and asked for a free software upgrade to V5 and he said pay the £257 that it cost.
I feel this is unreasonable as the car is less than a month and done only 600 miles. Has anyone managed to get a free upgrade. I would love to get examples of where this has occured so I can beat up on DC
Claire

 

[jberks]

i'd beat up on them anyway. Given that you can buy a full satnav system incuding hardware and software for that kind of money, £257 for what is just a software update is obscene overpriced and confirms my decision not to but a command equipped car as the correct one. Factor in that you haven't had it for a month yet and they are well out of order. It's possible that the dealer has no option as they are charged (though they could give a substantial discount I suspect), but DCUK could certainly sort this out.

It reminds me of when I wanted to upgrade my HP PDA software. The download price was $35 which I considered reasonable. As soon as I put in that I lived in the UK, it suddenly went up to £65. I sent them a mail explaining that I wasn't prepared to be ripped off (why should I pay over 3 times as much as a US customer?), so they'd lost the sale and I would be purchasing an illegal copy instead. Cost me £10 off ebay and works perfectly!

I would imagine that V5 copies will be popping up on Ebay any time now!

 

[DC_insider]

It's possible that the dealer has no option as they are charged (though they could give a substantial discount I suspect), but DCUK could certainly sort this out.

Indeed, if the dealer were to supply the disc at cost it will still be £200.

Remember that the dealer has no control over what version of the disc comes with the car.

If you want it for free then you need to speak to DCUK.

 

[Rory]

Indeed, if the dealer were to supply the disc at cost it will still be £200.

Remember that the dealer has no control over what version of the disc comes with the car.

If you want it for free then you need to speak to DCUK.

But this is what dealers are for - they should recognise our complaints and go to DCUK and sort them out.

Otherwise we might as well all buy our cars from Germany, on the Internet or from Car Supermarkets.

 

[thebog]

Same problem here - I took delivery of my SLK 350 on the 20th December. I asked about version 5 of the DVD...they said I'd have to buy it. I spoke to DCUK, who would only say that on the date my car was built version 4.1 was the latest version and if I want to upgrade I'd have to pay for it.

 

[Bolide]

Hang on a second...

Hang on a second. I know that MB-bashing is a popular sport but be reasonable here

If you bought a washing machine with a 1000 rpm spin speed and on January 1st the manufacturer released one with 1100 rpm, would you demand an upgrade?

If you bought a horse with 3 legs and discovered they were also available with 4, would you demand a free leg upgrade?

To give a bit of perspective, look at the computer industry. You buy a Mac with OS 10.3 and 10.4 comes out 3 months later. You have no right to a free upgrade so you buy it. But, if you bought the computer within 3 weeks (say) of the new version you get a complimentary upgrade

If you want to kick MB, do it over this issue, not because you feel they should give you something for nothing


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Rory]

thebog: Where you led to believe that UK TMC would work when you got your car?

 

[SLinKyjoe]

if you were under the assumption that TMC was acitive when you collected your car! and this only applies to after Sept 2005 when it was meant to be, then DCUK will get your dealer to send you a courtesy cipy (FOC). but only if you were not informed that it wasnt available at the time of purchase.

as for the original purchase. as they have agrrede to buy back your car and supply you woith one 2 years newer, i cant see that it is unreasonable that your car, which is equipt with the latest v4.1, should be upgraded free.

that said, in the interests of good customer service, then i would expect themk to supply it. give DCUK an email expressiing your views on what good customer service should do, considering they have managed to sort the car for a new one. they will want to have you saying nice things about Mercedes.

the dealer deosnt want you near them i should think.

I got my dealer to supply V5 free by emailing DCUK.

 

[Dr Claire]

Software manufacturers will upgrade FOC if a new revision of software is released shortly after purchase of the old version. MS and Symantec being personal examples. Lets not use sight of the fact that this is not a new product but a revision of software to allow the exsisting firmware ie TMC to work. I am not after something for nothing. The dealer would have known that the software was coming when the car was purchased. Lets also not loose sight of the fact that between purchase of the car and release of the revision of software ony two weeks elapsed. Also how come the engine management and braking software has new revisions loaded every time I go in for a service. The last one took 6 hours to load. This is a no charge item.

 

[thebog]

When I ordered the car I was told that the COMAND would display traffic issues and that the SatNav would route round them. TMC itself was not mentioned. However when I recounted this to my dealer and DCUK they asked for evidence of this conversation which I don't have and the sales person does not recall.

Nick, I fully appreciate what you are saying about the software industry and my experience (I am in the computing industry myself) on a number of occasions is that if you buy ver 3 of some product and it is upgraded to say verion 1.4 within a window of time (maybe 1 or 2 months), you will receive a voucher for a discount on the new version. Some software houses I know of will warn customers that new versions are on the way. When I ordered my car it was obvious that MB would have known about the new version, in fact on its manufacture date I know of at least 2 people who had purchased version 5 from dealers in Germany.

 

[Rory]

They really ought (in my opinion) to give people 1 upgrade free. It obviously takes some time for the factory to change over and for next rev of disk to filter through in production cars - so people taking delivery for the next few mths could well still get the old disks.
I had sat nav in a Peugeot a few yrs ago, and that came with a voucher for 1 free update.

It's just incredible to me that someone like 'thebog' can spend, what £40K?, on a new SLK350 and DCUK don't believe what he says and won't give him a disk which would cost them next to nothing (the licence fee for TMC is surely already be built into the cost of COMAND).

 

[Sanny]

I'm with Dr Claire on this one. The fact that MB replaced the existing E class with a new one is neither here nor there.

The car was replaced because MB has supplied a product that was not fit for purpose. The question here should have been "this car will not be roadworthy for around 9-10% of the time each year, do you STILL want to spend £35-45K on it". If your answer is no, then MB have a duty to replace it.

On the subject of Sat Nav revisions, we can argue the toss about how long after you purchase a car you can claim a free upgrade, but it does seem to be pretty much a case of customer service and common sense.

From past experience, everyone would feel better about the whole thing, if the dealer had said "you are a valued customer and we will contact MBUK to get a free upgrade for you". If MBUK say no, the dealer can say, "sorry but I tried", however it is unlikely that MBUK are going to risk upsetting a customer with a new car for a relatively small sum of money. Then again...

I would call MB customer service and highlight the problem. I would also point out that given your past experience with their product, the least they could do would be to offer a free upgrade NEXT time the car goes for a service. Follow this up in writing.

 

[Dr Claire]

Sanny
Thanks. Glad to know I am not being a ****
Claire

 

[SJMaxson]

What about CD systems?

I presume that previous posts have been talking about a DVD COMAND upgrade.

What about older CD based systems. My COMAND doesn't recognise some roads built in the last three or four years (six years in one local case).

Is there an upgrade CD in the offing, do we know?

 

[SLinKyjoe]

the TMC UK update version of the DVD is for COMAND systems on some cars. i ma not sure exactly which but it upgrades all relevant software and the map to the lastest spec of map the use. currently 2004 map from some company.

The argument above has to be solved using reason. if you feel it is unreasonable to be given a new car to replace your old one and the, not yet realesed, sat nav disk is not installed and the dealer wont do it free of charge, then you need to contact DCUK direct and see whether they will , in the interests of good customer relations.


we are waiting for the result?

nobody should worry about complaining and nor should anyone come on here and think they are being dumb or daft for making the complaint. this forum offers help, not questions your mentality! i hope you get somewhere as it will signify that MB are looking more at customer serivce.

But if you were just hoping it had it, and you were not under the impression it had and didnt, then you are not really going to be happy. then again, mayb they will suprise us.

I thought my car would have it, it didnt, i got on to DCUK and i will be getting it, when availbale, FOC! so they do know how to do it, and they do do it!

 

[Dr Claire]

The latest news is that the dealer and DC have refused point blank to give me a disk. Their arguement is that the car was made in 2005 and the 4.1 was current when the car was made. They certainly have lost any small amount of goodwill thay may have earned. Gave me a new car. Yes they did but why? Only cos the old one was so dog awful unrelaible with 33.5 days off the road in 2005.
I checked with the Russians and my car was delivered on the 9 May 2005 and delivered to me on the 23 December. Its been sitting in a field for 6 months. I wish I knew about the Russians before I took delivery.
This is positively the last MB I ever buy!
Claire

 

[mercmonkey]

**wonders if these DVDs can be copied? (for backup purposes obviously )

 

[Sanny]

Try writing to Dermot Kelly, the Head Honcho at DCUK. Again from past experience, making a pain of yourself does sometimes get results. This was the advice given to me by a senior DC manager 12 months ago.

Highlight the awful experience with MB in the past and how let down you currently feel.

Eventually even the soon to be sacked accountants will make a goodwill gesture to get rid of you, so that they can focus on their redundancy packages.

Not that I am cynical or anything.

 

[Dr Claire]

Love the humour - Thanks, it makes me feel better already
Claire

 

[DC_insider]

Try writing to Dermot Kelly, the Head Honcho at DCUK.

Dermot Kelly is not the "Head Honcho" at DCUK.