mobile life con ...or is it

[Dieselman]

I'm just wondering if any of you know the answer to this, if not no worries i will ask MBUK when i am back in work.

In the T&C's posted by hawk, number 3 pop's out at me.

What do they class as changes that could be anything from a supercharger to carbon trim in place of silver, as for the parts that you install without approval does that include MB parts if so anybody who has ever changed the trim or hell even somebody who has had COMAND retrofitted could possibly fall short of the rules should MB need to find a get out.

I doubt hey would be bothered about anything like trim or wheels as long as it wasn't connected to the breakdown, but lets say the car was fitted with aftermarket supercharger and then broke down due to blown head gasket or pistons then I would expect them to reject the claim.

 

[DansSlk]

Thats kinda what i'm expecting to be honest but just thinking back over the claims i know about MB never make it easy.

 

[glojo]

I was always under the impression that once you opt out of the Mobilo scheme then that was it... game over. I was very surprised to read that it was possible to opt back into the scheme by simply getting the car serviced by a Mercedes-Benz main dealer. It appears to good to be true and what is to stop anyone from buying a car that has not seen a workshop for years and just putting a mickey mouse type stamp in the book at all the relevant intervals? It is no good saying the car needs to be serviced by a reputable independent because who defines this and who checks the authenticity of the history? Mercedes-Benz have a database and make it perfectly clear that we are liable to pay any costs if it transpires the vehicle is not covered, but how does that apply if we go down the route that is suggested? I have wrote to Mercedes-Benz UK to clarify this as it is a very important point that flies in the face of what has been the accepted practise.

Regards
John

 

[DansSlk]

Thats what i thought John (remember we discussed it in the other thread) then Malcolm posted that link with a MB response that mentioned it, so i am very interested in all of this and will be on the blower to them myself when I'm back in work

 

[hawk20]

As some of you may remember, I went into some detail about MobiloLife some time back and corresponded at a high level with Mercedes to get the details correct. This became a 'sticky' for some while.

The thread being referred to above that says that you can leave MobiloLife, get serviced elsewhere and return any time you like by just having one service at an MB dealer is: -

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=34665

I am as incredulous as anyone that a Mercedes employee has stated this to be the position. I have been told the complete opposite in the past and have posted in that thread to raise the possibility that the employee might be wrong.

 

[hawk20]

On the MB website it says that MobiloLife is valid for two years initially. It then says and I quote exactly: -
”* Following this initial 2 year period please note that MobiloLife is valid until the next service is due, for a maximum of thirty years. (Servicing after the second year has to be carried out by an authorised Mercedes-Benz Repairer.) “

NOTE THAT IT SAYS that after the first two years servicing MUST be carried out by an authorised MB repairer.

On the other forum there is also confusion about the rust warranty in MobiloLife. Can you go to an ‘indie’ for some years and then return for one service, get Mobilo renewed, and get any rust sorted. People are assuming from a customer service answer that this can be done. I doubt it and think the answer is ambiguous.

It says: -
"The warranty against rusting through from the inside is valid for an initial period of 2 years from the date of first registration. Thereafter, this warranty is renewed every time a service is carried out at a Mercedes-Benz Service Center and is valid until the next service is due, up to a maximum of 30 years.

I hope that the above information is of benefit to you and should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely
Rebecca Lemmens
Customer Service"

Please note that this is consistent with what I have posted above from MB. During the first two years while under the factory guarantee you can service outside the MB network (because Europe won't let them make the guarantee conditional on servicing at an MB dealer). The third year is an MB UK guarantee -a sort of bonus given in the UK but not in mainland Europe (where they only get a two year guarantee).

As I understand it, Mobilo is not subject to the European ruling and so can have conditions. So Mercedes return as in the past to the rule that you must service after year two with an MB dealer to keep the MobiloLife intact.

Note the ambiguity: she says the warranty against rusting is renewed every time a service is carried out at an MB dealer up to 30 years. And in my view that is true; it is renewed every time so long as you keep a complete MB service record after the first two years. SHE DOES NOT SAY IT IS RENEWED EVEN IF THERE IS A GAP WHEN SERVICING WAS CARRIED OUT ELSEWHERE.

 

[mark.t]

Is Mobilo a con?
I doubt it because we are not charged for the package.

Regards
John

hi john thats not what i said ....the heading was "mobilo life con" i did not say the mobilo was a con ....now I have all the information the service manager was just tying it on ....trying to get extra money out of my father for non standard service items , my father is non to happy about this and is considering his options ....the car has had a A service, B service and the latest A service each with a MOT the car has only done 14.500 miles, it still had 6.380 mile to go for this service but the 12 months was up first ...after speaking with DCUK they confirmed that all is needed is a service stamp to fulfil the mobilo contract, and keep the benefits .... this is a dealer (service manager) who will go out on a limb to try and drum up some extra revenue ..... after all I have posted a thread recently about how slack the workshops are ... and how more reliable the 04 onwards cars are, so much so they consequently have to think of ingenious ways in which to squeeze that extra bit of cash out of the customer, this is just a heads up on possibly what to expect on anyones next Mercedes Benz service.

 

[Rory]

On the other forum there is also confusion about the rust warranty in MobiloLife. Can you go to an ‘indie’ for some years and then return for one service, get Mobilo renewed, and get any rust sorted. People are assuming from a customer service answer that this can be done. I doubt it and think the answer is ambiguous.

Mobilo is irrelevant to most of the rust repairs as it's not rust from the inside out, it's under the surface of the paint so it's being done as goodwill.

 

[glojo]

I am as incredulous as anyone that a Mercedes employee has stated this to be the position. I have been told the complete opposite in the past and have posted in that thread to raise the possibility that the employee might be wrong.

Unless the information is an official Mercedes-Benz release then should we trust it, or should we treat it as a 'bloke on t'Internet says?'

I 100% agree with Rory about corrosion issues and I used to think that Mercedes-Benz was monopolising rust issues on modern cars...... They are not, but by crikey they have a disgraceful reputation for a certain series of vehicles during a certain time span. Hats off to the way they are dealing with most complaints.

Hi Mark,
I was answering the question being asked by the title of the thread:

Mobilo life.. Con or is it?

If we ask is Mr 'X' of Mercedes dealership 'Y' a con merchant then we would need to hear both sides of an event before offering an opinion.

I have issues with the wording, "all is needed is a service stamp to fulfil the mobilo contract" If we assume that Service 'Z' is the cheapest, and only needs an oil, plus filter change, then we see that service 'W' is tghe most expensive and that is what is due, then is it acceptable to demand the car only has service 'Z'? i am NOT suggesting this is the case regarding your situation, it is merely me throwing my thoughts into the boiling cauldron. If I were a service manager I would offer to carry out the cheap service, but no way would I stamp the booklet. If we don't like the prices being charged we have the option of voting with our feet.
Mobilo is a perk that is offered as a carrot to try and keep customers inside the Mercedes bubble. I was going to say 'trap' but we are all adults and are capable of deciding where to spend our hard earned shackles.

Regards
John

John

 

[mark.t]

the Moblio bubble could be about to burst and see them loosing more money through servicing

a few answers to questions. "Mobilo life con".... or is it....£350.00 for spark plugs , air filter ....well they tried it on and failed ....

is it worth keeping ...No ...recovery starts a £28 with green flag

Mercedes warranty....3 years parts labour ...standard on most cars some get even more

paintwork warranty (stone chips are not covered)...well there are lots of members who have had paintwork/rust carried out under warranty or goodwill , me included and my car is March 98....so just missed out on the mobilo cover anyway

if you have any chips ...bangs ...or knocks its easier to pay company like chips away to deal with these ... not through £££££££ Mercedes Benz .

car incident accident repair some member insurance companies use non MB approved body shops ...Moblio gone ...

Mobilo life con...or is it ..... yes I think it is if you have to pay for a B ££££££service and then £££.. C service ...D service and only in real terms get a oil change again but pay £££££££....competitive in servicing costs? but expensive on repairs/ and other consumables .... lack of work in MB garages = £££££ less for them >> drum up revenue
.
delivering fuel to you under mobilo if you run out is a eyebrow raiser in the booklet...but once the bill £££££arrives is it worth it.

I'm afraid people who defend the mobilo contract are in fact caught up in the Mercedes Benz ££££££ trap... set up not a carrot but a invisible fence to keep some owners in-house and extort extra cash out of them.... if you loose moblio life i personally don't think it would change a dot on the value of a car on trade in or sale .... Moblio life con ...or is it , i now know what i think.

 

[hawk20]

the Moblio bubble could be about to burst and see them loosing more money through servicing

a few answers to questions. "Mobilo life con".... or is it....£350.00 for spark plugs , air filter ....well they tried it on and failed ....

is it worth keeping ...No ...recovery starts a £28 with green flag .

Hardly a fair comparison. The AA for a man and wife (or any couple) charge £150 for full cover in UK and if you want European cover as i do for holidays, day trips etc -which is included with MobiloLife) they want another £100. The A service even on my S class 320cdi was only £235 after 15,000 miles and that included only £100 for labour. The B service after 30,000 miles was £444 and of that only £200 was labour. So to get free UK and euro breakdown cover thrown in is good value IMO.

If you loose moblio life i personally don't think it would change a dot on the value of a car on trade in or sale .... Moblio life con ...or is it , i now know what i think.

That is a view but personally I would never buy without full MBSH and there are plenty of other people who feel the same.

 

[dan1w]

Just to update you on this, I finally received a response to Mercedes customer service that reads:

"The registration date of your vehicle indicates that Mobilolife coverage is valid for the first 4 years from the vehicles first registration date unconditionaly, and from the 5th year onwards must be serviced by a recognised Authorised Mercedes-Benz Dealership who must also carry out any additional work needed to sustain validation of Mobilolife.Any interruption in the service history will invalidate the Mobilolife.
Please find attached a Brochure of Mobilolife/98.

Rusting from the inside out is meant when bodywork corrosion forms from the inside of panels, which progresses outwards."

So unfortunately, the service assistant misinformed me.

Interestingly, for my car (1999) the initial term is 4 years not requiring MBSH instead of the 2 that I had thought, not that that makes a difference but it may well for some where perhaps the original owner in years 3 and 4 didn't use MB for servicing.

This response is also contrary to what I've read before on this forum about the ability to opt back into mobilolife by completing a service at a dealership, regardless of previous history. After re-reading the post (mentioned above) that gives that impression, I think it has been mis-interpretated.

It states:
"Your interpretation is correct, if your vehicle has been serviced at a Mercedes-Benz authorised/approved dealership on the last service then you have instantly reinstated the MobiloLife package regardless of your first two services. Thereafter, MobiloLife is renewed every time a service is carried out at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre and is valid until the next service is due."

The key words are 'first two services', or in other words a maximum of 4 years non MB history before you have to get it serviced by MB to maintain mobilo. I do not believe they mean you can have a 10 year old car, get it serviced at MB and then suddenly have mobilo cover. Or maybe it was just me that was misinterpreting that?

Obviously, the email I received can only be taken to apply to 1998(post late Oct)/1999 cars, I do not know at which point after that the terms changed

 

[Rory]

This response is also contrary to what I've read before on this forum about the ability to opt back into mobilolife by completing a service at a dealership, regardless of previous history. After re-reading the post (mentioned above) that gives that impression, I think it has been mis-interpretated.

It states:
"Your interpretation is correct, if your vehicle has been serviced at a Mercedes-Benz authorised/approved dealership on the last service then you have instantly reinstated the MobiloLife package regardless of your first two services. Thereafter, MobiloLife is renewed every time a service is carried out at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre and is valid until the next service is due."

The key words are 'first two services', or in other words a maximum of 4 years non MB history before you have to get it serviced by MB to maintain mobilo. I do not believe they mean you can have a 10 year old car, get it serviced at MB and then suddenly have mobilo cover. Or maybe it was just me that was misinterpreting that?

You might be right - who really knows? MB seem to revel in confusion.

The thing is, that answer you quoted was in response to a specific question, which could have been something like:
"I bought a used MB and had my first two services at an independant workshop. However its last service was at an MB dealer. Have I restored Mobilio?"

 

[compress ignite]

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MBUK is emptying your pockets,wallets and purses.AND THEN, asking for
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This means that every dealership must have "On Call" a Certified Technician
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2.a If your battery is really,really dead and you wish to purchase a new
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[glojo]

MBUK is emptying your pockets,wallets and purses.AND THEN, asking for
letters of apology from Y'all for disturbing the orderly flow of THEIR money
from your bank accounts!.

I was querying how long this offer lasted for but here we go:

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Roadside Assistance repairs could involve charges for services and parts. Depending on the circumstances, an outside service may provide Roadside Assistance repairs at the discretion of Mercedes-Benz USA LLC.
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[Rory]

The whole car buying experience, pricing, warranty, service etc, is way better in the US than it is here. Bizzarely, even residuals are higher there than in the UK.

 

[glojo]

The whole car buying experience, pricing, warranty, service etc, is way better in the US than it is here. Bizzarely, even residuals are higher there than in the UK.

Are residual higher because there new price is lower? Warranty wise they do not have our Mobilo and I'm not singing the praises of Mobilo. There does appear to be some pro's regarding this US option. My experience tells me that the grass is always greener elsewhere, but when we get 'elsewhere' the grass tends to need close examination.

John

 

[Rory]

Are residual higher because there new price is lower?

I meant in $$ not percentages.

UK residuals must be about the worst in the world - we're *extremely* sensitive to the age of a car. I reckon if we did away with the new reg identifiers every 6mths car sales in the UK would plummet.

The US also benefits from amazing lease deals (the higher residuals help make those possible) and much better spec than we get. The entry level C Class, for example, is C300 Sport at $32K.
How about leasing an E350 (4Matic ) for $629/mth?

Warranty wise they do not have our Mobilo and I'm not singing the praises of Mobilo.

Well, they have the emergency cover mentioned earlier. If you're referring to the rust warranty, I'm sure MB would treat any claims at least as well as in the UK. If they didn't, they'd be on the wrong end of a class-action in short order.

 

[crockers]

In Massachusetts - once you have registered your car you are assigned a number plate (or vanity plate if you so require and want to pay for it)...This plate stays with you for ever so no-one has any idea of the age of the car...

My sister agreed to buy a car at 10 am and we were driving it away by 12.....

 

[glojo]

Well, they have the emergency cover mentioned earlier. If you're referring to the rust warranty, I'm sure MB would treat any claims at least as well as in the UK. If they didn't, they'd be on the wrong end of a class-action in short order.

I've read some terrible stories relating to corrosion issues regarding the 210 in the US but our residuals do see to take a hammering. Does anyone know how they compare with the Japanese market.

John