Thinking about getting a Carly scanner for your Mercedes? You’re probably looking for a tool that can unlock hidden features and provide in-depth diagnostics. However, before you jump in, it’s crucial to understand what you’re actually getting. Based on personal experience, it’s important to issue a word of warning: the Carly Mr Mercedes Obd Bluetooth Scanner might not live up to your expectations and could end up costing you more than you bargained for.
Many users, including myself, have found the Carly scanner to be surprisingly basic in its functionality. While it’s advertised as a powerful tool for German cars like Mercedes, in reality, its capabilities often seem limited. Yes, it can unlock a few features here and there, depending on your specific Mercedes model and year. But for the most part, it functions as a fairly standard OBD2 code reader.
The core issue is that the functionality offered by Carly often mirrors what you can achieve with a much cheaper, generic OBD2 scanner. You can find perfectly capable OBD readers online for as little as £10 or $15. These budget-friendly options can also read and clear diagnostic trouble codes, providing you with essential information about your Mercedes’ health. This raises a significant question: is the premium price of the Carly scanner justified when its fundamental diagnostic capabilities are so similar to readily available, inexpensive alternatives?
The real sting, however, comes with Carly’s subscription model and automatic renewal policy. While the initial purchase might seem reasonable, it’s essential to be fully aware of the ongoing costs. Carly operates on a yearly subscription basis. The catch that many users, including myself, have unfortunately experienced is the automatic renewal of this subscription.
Unless you proactively cancel your subscription well in advance – specifically, at least one month before the renewal date – you will be automatically charged for another year. This detail is often buried in the fine print and easily missed during the initial purchase process. For someone like me, self-employed and temporarily out of work, an unexpected charge for a product that hasn’t impressed is particularly frustrating. Discovering a £125 (or equivalent in your local currency) payment deducted via PayPal for an unwanted subscription is a harsh and unnecessary financial hit.
Attempts to resolve this with Carly customer support have often been met with rigid adherence to their terms and conditions, citing German legal requirements regarding subscription services. While these legalities may be in place, the lack of clear and prominent warnings about the auto-renewal during the purchase process feels misleading and predatory. Disputing the charge through payment platforms like PayPal can be attempted, but success is not guaranteed.
In conclusion, the Carly Mr Mercedes OBD Bluetooth Scanner presents itself as a sophisticated and indispensable tool for Mercedes owners. However, beneath the sleek app interface and marketing hype, the core functionality often resembles that of a basic, budget OBD2 reader. The truly concerning aspect is the automatic subscription renewal, which can easily catch users unaware and lead to unwanted charges. Before investing in Carly, carefully consider whether its limited advanced features justify the significant price and the risk of automatic subscription renewal. You might find that a much cheaper OBD2 scanner paired with a generic OBD app provides similar diagnostic capabilities without the recurring costs and potential for unexpected charges.
