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TMC for 211

glojo

Hardcore MB Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
14,652
Location
Torquay
Car
S211 Sprinter 213CDI, & the new T-class
Hi,
I am at present writing to Mercedes-Benz about the lack of TMC signal on the COMAND fitted to the 211 range.

The button is there. It works perfectly in Europe, but 'No signal received' in the UK. I am led to believe this is down to Mercedes-Benz not contributing to the UK based provider.

Is this correct?
Has anyone else complained?
Any advice or tips?

Just been reading old threads. Sorry if this is a bit of duplication, but any advice is still welcome and definitely letters of complaint to Mercedes-Benz UK

Regards,
John
 
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TMC is licensed by ITIS Holdings in the UK, and the license for transmission is held with Classic FM. The license to recieve (ie, to get the codes onto the navigation DVD) should be obtained by the providers of the navigation information. I am not sure that this is Mercedes Benz - although obviously they should be able to influence them !

Good luck, and count me in for a 2nd of the message. In fact if you did a generic template and posted it here, then perhaps we could all download it, and send it ourselves. The masses revolt so to speak !

Clarky.

Ps. To Clarify, the TMC decoder is already in your Nav system (it works in Europe right?). However you need the codes which come on the DVD to be able to translate the UK broadcast to mean something.
 
saorbust said:
Good luck, and count me in for a 2nd of the message. In fact if you did a generic template and posted it here, then perhaps we could all download it, and send it ourselves. The masses revolt so to speak !

Ps. To Clarify, the TMC decoder is already in your Nav system (it works in Europe right?). However you need the codes which come on the DVD to be able to translate the UK broadcast to mean something.

To thick to work out how to attach a template, but this is briefly what I wrote and if my grammar is acceptable, please feel free to copy it.

Yes TMC works abroad.

Regards,
John

Managing Director
DaimlerChrysler UK Ltd
Tongwell,
Milton Keynes,
Buckinghamshire
MK15 8BA

Reference vehicle reg. no.

Dear Sir,
I am writing to complain about the lack of TMC on the DVD COMAND system fitted to the new E-class 211 range.

TMC.
Traffic Management is fitted on the COMAND option but the system has not been activated by Mercedes-Benz UK (it certainly has been activated in Europe)

The excuse given is that Mercedes-Benz UK has not found a suitable provider. This unfortunately means that they consider ITIS Holdings the largest supplier of this service in the UK to be ‘unsuitable’ even though they supply BMW, Ford, Land Rover, Lexus, Nissan Renault, Saab, Subaru, Toyota and Vauxhall. I consider my E-class to be at least comparable to any of these and I would love to have TMC activated PLEASE.


Yours truly,
 
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Hi

I've just been told by a friend who would know, that 'good progress' is being made in this department (ie, TMC on the DVD system) right now. I'll post more updates when I know.

Clarky.

PS. Don't ask any q's !
 
saorbust said:
Hi

I've just been told by a friend who would know, that 'good progress' is being made in this department (ie, TMC on the DVD system) right now. I'll post more updates when I know.

Clarky.

PS. Don't ask any q's !

:D :) Why NOT????? :) (joke)

Thanks very much and I for one look forward to your next 'instalment'.

Regards,
John
 
I wrote and e-mailed just over 4 weeks ago but not had any acknowledgment yet. Maybe I will try again when I get back off hol's.
 
Ady said:
I wrote and e-mailed just over 4 weeks ago but not had any acknowledgment yet. Maybe I will try again when I get back off hol's.

E-mail is a convenient method of communication, BUT the postal method is far more formal, and generates a 'paper trail' I first received a standard reply from Mercedes-Benz UK which was really more of an acknowledgement. Then a formal letter outlining there plan of investigation. The latest is a telephone call from the Customer Relations Department of my dealership who have now received a copy of my letter, and have been asked for their comment.

Regards,
John
S211 :)
 
Hi John,

How long was it before you got the first reply?

It has been over 4 weeks since I wrote the letter but I have not had any reply yet. I sent the e-mail just over a week ago just to try all angles.
I will definitely try again and I will make sure I use the address you posted earlier.
 
Ady said:
Hi John,

How long was it before you got the first reply?

It has been over 4 weeks since I wrote the letter but I have not had any reply yet. I sent the e-mail just over a week ago just to try all angles.
I will definitely try again and I will make sure I use the address you posted earlier.

I think it was approximately 10 days.

By sheer coincidence I have just received a letter from the dealer, as a follow-up to the telephone call they had with me yesterday.

I also complained about there being two DVD upgrades since February (my vehicle was delivered with version II of the DVD in the beginning of February, Version III came out the end of February and now we are into version IV in the beginning of October???)

The last paragraph of the dealers letter states.
"I have responded to Daimler Chrysler UK with your views but we are unable to make any further progress at the moment but hope that a decision will be made in the not to distant future that will provide you with TMC"

This letter will go back to Mercedes-Benz UK and they in turn will get back to me. I have always got on very well with the dealer and I emphasised to them that my complaint is NOT with them, it is solely with Mercedes-BenzUK.

If MB want to upgrade the DVD, why not just sit on the information for 12 months and have a 12 monthly upgrade, with perhaps a subscribtion fee??? (definitely NOT £313 plus VAT though)

Regarding TMC MB have quite simply got to put their hands in their pockets and pay up.

Regards,
John
 
If MB want to upgrade the DVD, why not just sit on the information for 12 months and have a 12 monthly upgrade, with perhaps a subscribtion fee??? (definitely NOT £313 plus VAT though)

I agree the price is steep after all we paid a lot for the system in the first place and the updates normally only adds a few new roads. The cost of producing the DVD’s and packaging can only be a couple of pounds. Lexus were the same so that never got updated in the three years I had one. I can only assume the manufactures don't really want to sell them but feel obliged to offer.
However, if they get around to providing TMC then I will be very tempted.
 
glojo said:
I am at present writing to Mercedes-Benz about the lack of TMC signal on the COMAND fitted to the 211 range.

Fired my letter off yesterday.
 
hunter said:
Fired my letter off yesterday.


Thanks,
Also for 'Ady's information. The 'boss' has sorted out my correspondance and Mercedes-Benz 'Customer Service' received my letter on the 24th September. I then received a reply 2 days later.

I then got a more 'official' letter from Mercedes-BenzUK on the 7th October which is really their Customer Charter which outlines the way my letter is going to be dealt with.

On the 11th October I got a call from my dealer, and we obviously agreed that this is not an issue which has anything to do with them. Today the 12th of October I received a letter from the dealer as per my previous message. (a copy of this letter also goes to Mercedes-BenzUK)

According to the charter the next stage is for MB to again get in contact with me to check that I am happy with what has happened. :(

The charter then states:
Stage 2
If this fails to resolve matters to your satisfaction please notify us in writing and the complaint will be escalated internally.


This is what I want. I want the complaint to escalate internally, but I am also personally taking it forward on two issues.

Am I being to pedantic. (if members feel I am please say so, better to accept constructive advice rather than continue on a silly quest) Should I just shut up and accept multiple DVD upgrades per year, at a cost in excess of £300. (I would certainly NOT spend this amount on any software upgrade). In any future correspondance I was planning on recommending a subscription service where for the first 12 months upgrades were free, and thereafter a fee of £30 - £40 per year for a once yearly upgrade.

I will however continue with the main theme of this thread and that is about the lack of TMC signal.



End of rant :rolleyes:
Thanks everyone
Regards to you all,
John
 
Hi John! Nice to meet you here!

One week ago, I was contacted by my "personal" rep. I was told that some major software updates were available. I had it carried out today (took nearly 2 hrs.), and to my big surprise, I also go the latest version of the Navigation DVD (4.0) for free. (I had it already :) ). It could be that this is included for cars outside UK, Germany and France since it's actually adds more languages to the COMAND (also Danish and Swedish (not Norwegian :( ).
 
Oslo said:
Hi John! Nice to meet you here!

One week ago, I was contacted by my "personal" rep. I was told that some major software updates were available. I had it carried out today (took nearly 2 hrs.), and to my big surprise, I also go the latest version of the Navigation DVD (4.0) for free. (I had it already :) ). It could be that this is included for cars outside UK, Germany and France since it's actually adds more languages to the COMAND (also Danish and Swedish (not Norwegian :( ).

:D Hi Oslo,
You ALWAYS know how to kick a man when he's down. ;) What are the 'major' software updates that your car had.

I suppose you will be throwing your 'old' copy of version 4.0 away????

Take care,

Regards,
John

I'm off to e-mail someone in Norway :D
 
glojo said:
:D Hi Oslo,
You ALWAYS know how to kick a man when he's down. ;) What are the 'major' software updates that your car had.

I suppose you will be throwing your 'old' copy of version 4.0 away????

Take care,

Regards,
John

I'm off to e-mail someone in Norway :D

Send me an e-mail with your address, and I send it to you (for free of course!). When it comes to the update, I was told that both AGW (Audio Gateway) and ZGW (Central Gateway) had been updated. Since they talked about update and not upgrade, I suppose it’s merely some fixes. It could be psychological, but I think that the lag was somehow reduced. I just had a 15 min. drive afterwards, so I need to take a longer trip to investigate any other differences.
 
Oslo said:
Send me an e-mail with your address, and I send it to you (for free of course!).


What can I say????

THANK YOU very much.

You can use my pool anytime you want (still ninety degree's :) )

Take care,
John
 

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