BMW ASSIST - What's it good for?
- Thread starter paraglider
- Start date
Assist is not useless if you have a cell phone. They have a cool concierge service. They will find hotels, restaurants, gifts etc. One time, when I was in Fresno for a funeral, we needed a place to stay. I called the 800 number & asked that they find me a place. They called back in 10 minutes with a reservation for me. Pretty cool. Granted, it is a fairly expensive concierge service.
One thing I WILL say is, if you're ever in an accident and you either don't have a cell phone, no reception, no battery, don't know where the heck you are or unconscious, Assist will come get you & dispatch emergency vehicles to you. Worth $250/year? I'd say so. Even more so since my 17 year old is starting to drive. Granted, she RARELY drives my car, (Beep beep mm beep beep yeah!), but, the peace of mind of that "IF" situation is wonderful.
Johnny
One thing I WILL say is, if you're ever in an accident and you either don't have a cell phone, no reception, no battery, don't know where the heck you are or unconscious, Assist will come get you & dispatch emergency vehicles to you. Worth $250/year? I'd say so. Even more so since my 17 year old is starting to drive. Granted, she RARELY drives my car, (Beep beep mm beep beep yeah!), but, the peace of mind of that "IF" situation is wonderful.
Johnny
Personally, I haven't reached the plateau of wanting or needing a full time concierge service. But that may just be because I don't run in those circles. I suppose if money were no object then I would go for it just to have it for that one time every 5 years when I need it. Then again I wouldn't be driving a 3-series BMW either if that were the case.
Cheers!!!!
Cheers!!!!
That one is debatable for sure. If you (or your 17 yr old) were to crash in some remote place where satellite connection is your only option, then yes it would be very useful. Otherwise, there would be 5 calls to 911 every 5 seconds from observers with cell phones. Doesn't everyone have a cell phone these days?
I guess for the ultimate peace of mind, the service is warranted. I sure wish they offered it for free (the emergency service only, not the concierge).
I guess for the ultimate peace of mind, the service is warranted. I sure wish they offered it for free (the emergency service only, not the concierge).
Assist doesn't use satellite. There is an Ericson phone on it that dials just like a regular cell phone. If you have no cell coverage, your assist won
t work either. The only situation where assist would be a help is if you were on an isolated road where no one else ever sees you, but you have cell coverage. Not a very common situation.
t work either. The only situation where assist would be a help is if you were on an isolated road where no one else ever sees you, but you have cell coverage. Not a very common situation.
Bmw 325i 7803 said:
Then that's pathetic on BMW's part, but it does use GPS to track the location of the car...
bmwrocks: On the side note observers would be hesitant to call 911 from their cell phones since there is usually a $1.50 toll charge per call.![[hihi]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_hihi.gif "Hi Hi [hihi]")
bmwrocks: On the side note observers would be hesitant to call 911 from their cell phones since there is usually a $1.50 toll charge per call.
Edit: I know these things because I took the BMW Assist module apart after I removed it and replaced it with Bluetooth.
Per the BMW Assist brochure, it uses GPS for pinpointing the location of the vehicle, while using cell phone technology for the actual communication with the Assist people. From what I heard, can't confirm this, the cell phone in the assist module is rated at 3 watts vs. a regular handheld cell phone at .6 watts of power. 5 times more oomph to get you a good signal.
Also, in an emergency situation, if I am unconscious, there is no way I'd want to rely on someone else possibly witnessing my accident and calling it in.
Just my 2 cents, or rather 25000 cents!!!
Johnny
PS As for the concierge service...Anybody else have a hard time finding an anniversary gift??? I do! And I haven't given the assist a try yet, but, I just may!
Also, in an emergency situation, if I am unconscious, there is no way I'd want to rely on someone else possibly witnessing my accident and calling it in.
Just my 2 cents, or rather 25000 cents!!!
Johnny
PS As for the concierge service...Anybody else have a hard time finding an anniversary gift??? I do! And I haven't given the assist a try yet, but, I just may!
That's good to know. I'm not sure where it gets the satellite signal from, though. $250/year is still too much for this service. I'd pay MAYBE $100. For $250, I expect a little more such as directions on demand and not with a $5 surcharge. Even if they gave a limited number of uses, it would be more worth it.
In any event, I will not be using it unless they can get it to work with bluetooth which I use multilple times every single day.
In any event, I will not be using it unless they can get it to work with bluetooth which I use multilple times every single day.
Assist doesn't use satellite. There is an Ericson phone on it that dials just like a regular cell phone. If you have no cell coverage, your assist won
t work either. The only situation where assist would be a help is if you were on an isolated road where no one else ever sees you, but you have cell coverage. Not a very common situation<<<<<<<<
My understanding is that the cell single is 5 times more powerful than any hand held cell phone PLUS it roams digital AND analog (analog is what covers most rural areas). I get incoming calls (a whole 'nother thread
through my BMW Assist setup no matter WHERE I am (when both my cell, my husband's cell, and my SkyTel pager leave me high and dry).
Also, just to clarify - BMW Assist concierge service charges extra for DIRECTIONS, but not for any reservations/movie times/ etc. I think of it as having a person to call, that's sitting at their PC, just waiting for me to ask them a question. Before I upgraded my Navi's DVD, I've called for information on what to enter into the NAVI, that would be "recognized" in order to get me to my destination.
That, plus someone being able to come to the rescue, in the event of a rural crash, I deem invaluable.
t work either. The only situation where assist would be a help is if you were on an isolated road where no one else ever sees you, but you have cell coverage. Not a very common situation<<<<<<<<
My understanding is that the cell single is 5 times more powerful than any hand held cell phone PLUS it roams digital AND analog (analog is what covers most rural areas). I get incoming calls (a whole 'nother thread
through my BMW Assist setup no matter WHERE I am (when both my cell, my husband's cell, and my SkyTel pager leave me high and dry).Also, just to clarify - BMW Assist concierge service charges extra for DIRECTIONS, but not for any reservations/movie times/ etc. I think of it as having a person to call, that's sitting at their PC, just waiting for me to ask them a question. Before I upgraded my Navi's DVD, I've called for information on what to enter into the NAVI, that would be "recognized" in order to get me to my destination.
That, plus someone being able to come to the rescue, in the event of a rural crash, I deem invaluable.