Mercedes fails 'customer care' test over COMAND online system - again | Auto Expert John Cadogan

How much is your silence worth? Could Mercedes-Benz buy yours for $500? Or would you leak evidence of their frankly grubby behaviour to someone such as me? In this report, let’s see what’s behind door number two.

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Philip Lakic made a mistake in 2017. He bought a Mercedes-Benz A-Class. No - I don’t know why either. It’s kinda like getting hitched on the spur of the moment, in Las Vegas.

This story is like a fling with Tiffany from the office. Everything was new and exciting for a little while, and then Three-pronged suppository Death Star management turned off their outdated Windows-based connectivity tech, which they had talked up heavily in the brochure, calling it COMMAND Online.

“I thought you might be interested in an update from Mercedes-Benz Australia Pacific RE COMAND Online MB Apps failures. I submitted a letter of demand for a fix or a refund, which was not met (surprise), but did get back this pitiful letter of offer from MBAuP, which I rejected.” - Philip Lakic

I cannot be the only person here seeing the massive disconnect between the company’s position publicly, and the one taking place under the table, metaphorically. And let’s not forget that Mr Lakic’s A-Class is only three years old. It’s hardly a relic.

I am also - frankly - gobsmacked that Daimler and Microsoft (two of the world’s biggest corporations) were unwilling to get together and come up with a wireless browsing system that would endure for - I dunno - 10 years of operation.

I’m further gobsmacked that their disregard for current owners is so profound that they simply couldn’t be arsed coming up with a patch for this problem.

Last word here to Mr Lakic:

"I will now start pursuing a course of action through the ACCC and if that fails, I'll have to start lining some lawyer's pockets. I truly expected more from Mercedes-Benz as our family bought three AMG vehicles which were collectively worth approximately $300k when bought new."

"I had to experience that Mercedes-Benz customer service feeling for myself, before I truly realised how shit Mercedes-Benz really are. In the end you were right. I wish you weren't, but you are. I should have bought a BMW. I hope that your YouTube channel serves to educate more people on the practices of brands within the Australian Car industry."

I did not elicit that commentary from Mr Lakic - it just lobbed without warning in my inbox, as these things often do. I did not go trawling for endorsement, nor did I seek brand-trashing experiences upon which to get my rocks off.

I do not recommend Mercedes-Benz, and Mr Lakic’s unsolicited experience is emblematic of why.

Buying Mercedes-Benz is like entering into a dysfunctional relationship with a profound power imbalance. It seems to me that Mercedes-Benz customers - at least in Australia - care somewhat more about the brand than the brand fundamentally cares about them.