European Delivery Program

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gr1nch

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Location
Louth, Lincolnshire
Car
2017 W222 S350d AMG Line Premium Plus : Iridium Silver and Black Nappa
Googling to see if there were M-B new car tracking websites in other countries, I came across this.

Amazing that USA members can go collect their cars, drive round Europe then drop it off where convenient to have it shipped back, with a whole bunch of included extras (shown below).

It's a shame they dropped this level of service for UK customers. No mention of Winter Tyres as a showstopper for US customers!

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/european_delivery_program

Code:
[I]What's Included

Your European Delivery experience begins with professional travel assistance to assist with your hotel and airline reservations. Upon arrival in Germany, you'll take a tour of our factory at Sindelfingen or Bremen. Once you take delivery of your new vehicle in Sindelfingen or Bremen, you'll be sent on your way with a full gas tank, fifteen days of European road insurance, and all vehicle shipping and handling expenses settled in advance.*

After your driving adventure comes to an end, simply leave your Mercedes-Benz at any one of several designated drop-off points, and you'll be reunited with it on the other side of the Atlantic.

Other benefits include:

Up to 7% discount on total vehicle MSRP on eligible models

$200 Delta Travel Voucher towards air transportation

One night hotel accommodation in a luxurious hotel in Stuttgart

MBUSA travel assistance for hotel and airline reservations

Sindelfingen Factory Tour

Two tickets to Mercedes-Benz Museum

Fifteen (15) days of European road insurance

Vehicle transportation to the selected U.S. dealer

Breakfast or lunch at the Delivery Center

Two taxi coupons for ride from airport or main railroad station to the Delivery Center or hotel

Full tank of fuel

Marine Insurance

Destination charge is waived

15 days zero deductible insurance included
[/I]
 
I did Customer Collection on two of my cars and it was excellent.

It was a a great bit of penny-pinching by MBUK when they stopped it and made buying a Mercedes-Benz in the UK as ordinary as buying a Ford :mad:
 
I was gutted when told I couldn't collect my new car from Sindelfingen. MB's Peterborough showroom with a bunch of flowers wasn't quite the same!
 
MBUK should have retained factory delivery for the more expensive models
 
I had really enjoyed collecting my first brand new MB from the dealer... but now I feel that I might have missed something slightly more glamorous than a trip from Liverpool to Altrincham on the M56 during the rush hour ;)
 
I collected my previous MB from Bremen and was really impressed with the whole event including how smoothly the airport pickups went. We were both looking forward to the same with the present car and were disappointed to hear MB were no longer doing it.

Picking up a brand new car is rather special and getting it from the factory, being treated like a VIP for the day, was the icing on the cake. So disappointed they no longer do it for UK customers.
 
Picking up a brand new car is rather special and getting it from the factory, being treated like a VIP for the day, was the icing on the cake. So disappointed they no longer do it for UK customers.
I completely agree and think that it's indicative of MBUK's attitude to their end customers: they don't give a stuff.

If there was an issue with cost it could have been offered as a chargeable option.
 
I too did a factory collection, back in 2011. Would like to do it again (and take more time getting home). Shame really.
 
Has the forum ever got organised and presented a formal request (letter, petition, etc) to get the delivery Program reinstated? Or for anything else major, for that matter?

On the European Delivery Program for the USA owners, nowhere does it say anything about winter tyres. The dealership told me that MB pulled the Delivery Program for UK owners because they did not like paying for winter tyres. But are they charging anyone else?
 
AFAIK, for the US purchasers if doing factory collection during the winter months in Germany, their new car is supplied for collection on a set of "loan" winter wheels and tyres that are swapped over after they've left their car at the docks for shipping.

My view is that the winter tyres thing is just a "plausible excuse" smokescreen by MBUK and/or the dealer network. There are a number of ways it could be overcome if they wished to. The reality is that MBUK don't want to facilitate Customer Collection.
 
AFAIK, for the US purchasers if doing factory collection during the winter months in Germany, their new car is supplied for collection on a set of "loan" winter wheels and tyres that are swapped over after they've left their car at the docks for shipping.
Sounds plausible, butt off that is indeed the case, is there any credible reason that can't they do the same for UK customers?

My view is that the winter tyres thing is just a "plausible excuse" smokescreen by MBUK and/or the dealer network. There are a number of ways it could be overcome if they wished to. The reality is that MBUK don't want to facilitate Customer Collection.
Right, seems so. The question I have is, why not as MB customers band together to make them change their decision?
 
The question I have is, why not as MB customers band together to make them change their decision?
I refer you to my first sentence in post #10, above ;)

When I did my first Factory Collection in 2008 the team in Milton Keynes who organised it couldn't have been more helpful or flexible. As my wife and I had lots of BA Airmiles at the time we booked our own flights (the Collection program provided a Business Class flight for just the purchaser) and in return the MK team provided a hotel upgrade and an additional night's stay, plus extra taxi transfers. We also did a bit more customising of the trip which the MK team willingly helped out with.

Roll forward to 2011 when I did my second Factory Collection. This time it was a complete "take it or leave it" situation with no flexibility whatsoever. If I provided our flights we would get nothing in return. Customise the trip in any other way? Not unless you did it yourself.

Then MBUK pulled Factory Collection completely.

Like I said, they don't give a stuff about their end customers.
 
This reads as though factory collection would still be possible if you miss out MBUK .

In theory , you should be able to buy your new UK spec Mercedes from a dealer in Germany and opt for factory collection . I suggest Germany , although other European dealers may also be able to help , because some German dealers have/had a nice little line going supplying UK spec cars to Members of British forces there ( there certainly is a dealer in Osnabruck who did this ) and probably no reason they wouldn't take anyone's money .

OK , you might have to pay your own flight out and the ferry back , but perhaps not ; and you may have to register the new car yourself when you land , the German dealer may be able to help with this as my sisters cars were supplied with BFG plates there ( legal to drive on in U.K. ) and they changed numbers on their last car when they finally came home permanently .
 
My wife and I collected (2003) our new E320 CDI from the Factory in Germany and found the whole experience to be most enjoyable as well as educational.M Benz paid for myself and we paid the rest.We flew out of Manchester ( German Airline,of course.) VIP Lounge and First class flight.
The Chauffeur collection and Hotel were excellent.
The Factory Tour was a real eye opener,most enjoyable culminating in the collection area when we saw OUR CAR for the first time. Everything was explained to us,in English.( Most considerate). I still remember the feeling of driving out of the Factory in our first NEW CAR,Wonderful.
I agree with everyone who has experienced this situation that it should have been continued by M Benz. It really cemented the feeling that they were a SPECIAL Company and You were a SPECIAL customer.
We purchased that E320 CDi from MB Macclesfield and they facilitated our visit most satisfactorily and made all the arrangements easy for us.
( Usual disclaimer....No links.)
Because of this trip we have very special memories of this particular car.
I feel,like many others,that MB.UK.have made a serious mistake in removing this opportunity for prospective buyers to make their purchase an exceptional experience and all to save a few quid.
PS... We're still driving MB...Currently a 2010 CLS 350 CDi Grand Edition.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Oh , and if you can buy a UK spec car in Germany , they might not deny you the proper Mercedes grille and star as they do in the U.K. .
 
Because of this trip we have very special memories of this particular car.
I feel,like many others,that MB.UK.have made a serious mistake in removing this opportunity for prospective buyers to make their purchase an exceptional experience and all to save a few quid.
I couldn't agree more. Factory Collection was a superb bit of brand reinforcement and in removing it MBUK has successfully taken aim and blown off one foot.

I'm sure that I'm not alone in having purchased my second MB car new rather than used partially because of the Factory Collection element. Since they deleted it my wife and I have bought a further three MB cars, but used rather than new.
 
This reads as though factory collection would still be possible if you miss out MBUK .

In theory , you should be able to buy your new UK spec Mercedes from a dealer in Germany and opt for factory collection.
Undoubtedly you could, but it would be a PITA doing so which rather defeats the object. I believe you'd also lose the third year warranty (but stand to be corrected), and the car would be classed as a grey import with all the implications that has for insurance and resale.
 

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