$150 Charge for Data Cards! A lot of Us Object. Let's Team Up!

[Cole]

Hi Fellow Pagpdaphiles.

You may already know about this.
The Classic Center just confirmed to me that MB Germany is now charging $150 for a data card. Personally, all I need for a pagoda is a copy of the data card itself, no translation or anything else, as I can do the translation from data on this site myself. And I think this should continue to be free. Do you agree?

The person at the Classic Center suggested writing a letter to the MB Museum in Germany. I tried finding a direct email address for the right party to contact on this. Email, as opposed to letters, would seem to be the most direct and best approach especially if a lot of us want to team up on this.
The following info was posted earlier about data cards, etc.

https://www.sl113.org/wiki/DataCard/DataCards
Email: classic@daimler.com

I'm not sure if the above is the correct email address over there to deal with this issue.
Does anybody have other suggestions?

Thanks.
Cole

[neelyrc]

Cole, someone posted information in the recent past indicating that there would be a charge for data cards from MB in Europe.  Many of our members have obtained their data cards from the Classic Center in Irvine, California. 

Are you saying that the MB Classic Center in California told you that they would be charging for data cards?  If the Classic Center in California told you this, then I think this is new.

[cabrioletturbo]

Sadly, I believe it is true. All the other manufacturers started charging as well.

I would not mind paying a nominal fee when needed, but $150?
Poke in the eye and kick in the nuts is all that is left to do...

Pardon my French...

[Cole]

Hi,

I ordered a data card a couple days ago from the local Classic Center and was informed of this by Tom Hanson who I exchanged email with about the issue.

Cole

[Cole]

Yup, el draggo.

I sent the following email to Tom at the Irvine center, but it's evidently out of his hands:

"I suggest MB offer a few different data card options:
1.     The bare bones one for free or $10 - $20 for just a soft copy of the data card via email, with no translation. The owner could then do the translation himself off the internet.
2.     A soft copy of the data card with simple translation for $25 - $35
3.     The deluxe, glockenspiel package with a hard copy of data card and translation printed on MB letterhead, etc., in a folder for $100.
4.     No 3 personally delivered to us guys by fraulein Daimler --mit einer Flasche Schnaps."

We can do something about this, hence my initial email about us teaming up and emailing the right person(s) at the museum over there and being very frank about our disagreement with this.
Does anyone know the best email address for this?

Thanks.
Cole

[Taleb]

I have requested my w111 Coupé data card from Mercedes company in Kuwait which they coordinated with Germany and delivered it to for free ...

Good luck

[stickandrudderman]

https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=28111.msg202444#msg202444

[scoot]

That's a real disservice of Mercedes to start charging for datacards.  They need to not piss off their classic car base.  It's the older cars that make their name good, not the new luxo-barges that will not be around 20 years later...

[Cole]

Hi,

When was the last time you requested a data card from MB there in Kuwait?

Thanks.
Cole

[neelyrc]

I ordered a data card a couple days ago from the local Classic Center and was informed of this by Tom Hanson who I exchanged email with about the issue.

Just to be sure I understand Cole, did Tom Hanson indicate that the Irvine Classic Center will continue to provide Data Cards by email as in the past but with this $150 fee you mention?

It is unfortunate that MB have set the price level so high.   IMHO, protests to the Fellbach Museum will fall on deaf corporate ears.  The email address you provide (classic@daimler.com) is the only address I have been able to find for the Fellbach Museum. 

[Cole]

Hi,

Yes, they will still provide the data card, but with the $150 charge.
I send an email regarding this $150 fee to the classic@daimler.com address yesterday and the reply said my email was forwarded to the right person. I'll post the email address of that person when I get it.

Cole

[Cees Klumper]

I think it is highly unlikely your protest will have any effect, based on my my experience with the German classic center and the people who run it. It will probably go to 250 or more in a few years.

[Cole]

What do you say we all keep that winning attitude?
As I mentioned earlier, I'll be hearing back from somebody there probably this coming week and I'll post their email address so you can all contact them and express your disagreement.

[Babis]

MB Greece charged me 160€ for a copy, not an original one!

[JamesL]

I think they are all copies
Mine is a poor quality photocopy. But it does the job - well, it confirmed the car as what was built and it's sat in the file ever since. I didn't want a Vellum certificate to hang on the wall

[Benz Dr.]

Here's my take on this: not everyone wants, needs, or asks for a data card. And if they do, it's usually only once for each car they require info on. So, although it seems a bit heavy on price, it's not like it's needed part.
My thinking is that far too much from MB is not priced right and after all the huge increases in pricing over the past few years, that should be of far greater concern to all of us. This isn't the first time I've written about this but it may be my last.

[Shvegel]

Another thing I should have "bought" 15 years ago along with $150 headlight bezels ($1750 now) and $250 fuel pumps.

[sandcrab59]

I talked with Tom Hanson the other day and there is no way out. $150 or you do not receive one.
He sent me an email address to obtain the data card. I recently purchased a 85  300SD from Texas
and desire the data card, mainly because I have one for every car I own.
Since my yahoo account is bad at sending attachments I asked Tom for the snail mail address to send the Title and my drivers license for ID.
He stated , I cannot use snail mail because the email address is handled a computer. No person is involved.
That's crazy, you cannot talk to a human.
So, he stated find someone who can send my copies utilizing there email account.

A further not: since my drivers license does not match the state the title is drawn on, I said I will send my passport CARD, (Not full passport)
for my ID.
Lets see what happens to that one.
Tom

[cabrioletturbo]

I got mine through the new process. $150 indeed.
Fairly quick.

[Cees Klumper]

What do you say we all keep that winning attitude?
As I mentioned earlier, I'll be hearing back from somebody there probably this coming week and I'll post their email address so you can all contact them and express your disagreement.

Did you ever hear back Cole?

[Iconic]

I got mine through the new process. $150 indeed.
Fairly quick.

Igor,
Sorry if this is know already, but what exactly did you get for your $150? An emailed photocopy?
Thats probably all you could get if handled by a computer.
Thanks,
Mark

[cabrioletturbo]

That is exactly it. Email attachment, printable.

[mdsalemi]

I guess I'm happy that I got mine when they were free. But, it's been a long time. It was the same time when a grille star and barrel was $350 (and still there were those that complained here!), a new hood/bonnet was $1,200, and factory rebuilt Bosch starters and alternators were readily available over the counter at $125 or so. The good old days.

[Phantom@25]

They are all copies , they are held on microfische(excuse spelling)in Germany.
All i got was an email copy. I asked them if they could send an original but the do not actually exist.

[cabrioletturbo]

If anyone is charging that kind of money the Data Card should come on original paper and glittered with diamonds...