Tele-aid `00-`04 nix in `08
 

Any of you with Mercedes Tele-Aid in your car read at mbusa.com that tele-aid is going from analog to digital.
2000 model year cars cannot be retrofitted with the digital upgrade, most 2001 to 2004 cars will be upgradeable at the dealer.
Anyone know the cost for this?

Tele-Aid
 

Speaking as one who has Tele-Aid in my '01 C320 which was standard equipment, I notice with disgust that MB has made it an expensive option.

Since the annual fee is about $275 with zero talk time, I've decided that when I am able to place an order for a W204, Tele-Aid won't be on it. I have had no occasion to use it in the 4.5 years I've owned the car and I think my cell phone is a good substitute.

If my unit has to be converted to a digital unit to continue working, MB better damn well be paying for as a subscriber. I can't wait to hear from them.

I did not renew after the first year, and they cared less. They might answer MB but it is a contractor(phone center) out of Dallas. If yoy have been a steady customer they might give an update at reduced cost but dont bet on it. They do nothing for people who cant get cell phones activated or re activated.

For me Tele-Aid is important does thing's my cell phone can't
GM's Onstar is similarly priced, I think.
GM dosen't offer Onstar for free does it?

I hope that any upgrade the dealer needs to perform to get it to digital is simple and dosen't require pulling parts of the car apart.
I also hope the upgrade is very reasonably priced.

Hope someone at Mercedes is reading this.

I think GM has got their Onstar program together, they offer certain features at low cost and others at additional. I would pay to get road-aid or crash notification but with MB you only get one version, and pay for airtime. Gm also offers cell type conversation without an additional phone.
I spoke to Tel-aid about such offers, and was told "if you like your cell-phone you dont need road aid"
They are not MB!, the phone is programmed for speed dial, if you want Road-Side the call is transferred to MB in New Jersey