Approved Used?

[greenmeanie]

HI
Bought a Vito Sport X from a Merc Dealer up north and because of time constraints I trusted the dealer so i didnt view the van or drive it first. It ticked all the boxes apart from the colour but hey - cant win them all. Paid 24K up front.

1 week later the Van is in the garage with:
Oil Leak - New rack being fitted
Coolant Leak - Hose broken
Missing Carpets - On Order
Broken Rear plastic panel - Under review....

By garage I mean my local dealer 350 miles from the other. My local dealer seems more helpful and certainly more pleasant. What happened to the approved used inspection? Was it done?
I guess a dealer is only as good as the people working there.... I reserve my comments!:fail

 

[Dryce]

What happened to the approved used inspection? Was it done?

The claim is the cars are checked before entering the sales channel.

I think the likely actual practice is that the vehicles are given a quick cosmetic check and it's left to the either to the salesperson getting the car prepped for handover to the customer - or the customer themselves to find out what the real condition is.

 

[Giantvanman]

Dealers (of all makes) used to make their cars were tip top before sale. Now they leave the faults. Is that to make sure they don't have repair money tied up for a car that might sit or is it because they know some people may miss the faults. The cynical side of me…

Anyway, welcome to the forum. Can't have too many V6 Vito's!

 

[wongl]

The most reliable Mercedes car I have owned was the one and only approved (one-year old) car I have ever purchased from a main dealership in Basingstoke. The sales person showed me the trade in paper work and also the workshop bill totalling over £2500 in getting the car back into tip top condition (nothing major, but lots of work including 4 new tyres, brake pads and disks, etc). I was really impressed with the detail of attention and work put in by their workshop preparing the car for resale.

Even then I had to go back a couple of months later due a leaky air conditioning unit. But the car performed faultlessly there after during several years of ownership.

So I would suggest giving your dealership a chance to put things right.

 

[rascalmaster]

not the point of the post, i know, but thank god you bought approved used; now your van will be repaired to proper spec FOC ;-)
i had a new command and turbo charger along with a new wing mirror all of which should have been sorted under the approved used checks..!
on a previous one; i got a full refund with apologies and a 'substantial' discount on a replacement as it turned out to have been involved in a rear shunt before i got it...

 

[SarahAnn200]

I just bought an 'approved used' car from Mercedes and wouldn't bother again. I assumed (wrongly I know now) that everything would be 'tip top' on it and it would have had what it needed BEFORE it was put on the forecourt. Err no.
Due to this I didn't give it the thorough cosmetic check that I would have from anywhere else and found when I had a better look around it that the front bumper was stone chipped to hell, absolutely covered. It also had greasy finger marks on the paintwork (I know, minor) that I managed to sort myself with a polish from my collection.
I'd had it for a day and rolled the window down and heard a rattle coming from underneath. Took it back. Had to wait nearly 2 weeks for parts to fix the parking brake and got the bumper sprayed (full of holograms now but at least it's sprayed, I can fix the holograms). It was nearly a month before it was sorted from paying for it. They 'refurbed' a wheel and the valve has been sprayed silver so they didn't even mask it off
I'd just go to an independent dealer next time. I made a beeline for the merc dealer thinking it would be spot on being an 'approved used' but it wasn't as good as I thought. It was the worst buying experience ive had and I've had 2 jags (1 new), new mx5, Toyotas, freelander, fords, audi, volvo

 

[tromppost]

It must be moaning Friday !!

 

[John]

I think I would moan having bought a car supposed to be checked and wasn't. Wouldn't you?

Mind you, if you think who is actually doing the 'approving' when it comes to an Approved Used Car, where rust and inconsistency are acceptable, it's perhaps no surprise some of the cars are in that state...

So I would suggest giving your dealership a chance to put things right.

You cheated though - you managed to find a good dealer to start with!

 

[BTB 500]

IMHO the main point of the 'approved used' scheme is the Tier 1 warranty, which is about as good as they come. If anything is wrong it will get fixed, at a dealership of your choice too.

 

[greenmeanie]

Approved Used

My personal thoughts were if I had bought privately I would have been lumbered with a £1000 bill but then i would have travelled the 350 miles to view and then 350 back!

When buying from a Mercedes Benz Main Agent I ASSUMED (and we all know what assumption is! ) that given the name, I would be getting a standard vehicle with no problems pending and an assurance that at least I would be able to put my three week old daughter in the back seats without any safety issues and that i myself would have a reliable vehicle from a reputable manufacturer. Ironically my old Vito had no mechanical issues just corrosion which I was on top of. Owned that for 6 years! Broke down once! Not bad in my books.

If I buy from a dealer I expect to be told before buying it that things are missing from standard and that nothing is wrong with it ie It has been properly checked over by a qualified technician to give me peace of mind.

 

[Wheelsnuts]

I agree completely. Approved used should that it has been thoroughly checked and put right. Having said that, I bought an approved used A Class from a main dealer here Up North. It was supposed to have been owned by the wife of a member of the dealer's staff and you would have thought that any faults would have been evident even without an inspection. Not so: there were several faults, including door locks that simply did not lock! :fail

 

[stwat]

reputable manufacturer.

The manufacturer doesn't own the dealerships.

 

[John]

I agree completely. Approved used should that it has been thoroughly checked and put right. Having said that, I bought an approved used A Class from a main dealer here Up North. It was supposed to have been owned by the wife of a member of the dealer's staff and you would have thought that any faults would have been evident even without an inspection. Not so: there were several faults, including door locks that simply did not lock! :fail

Should be called 'Approved Abused', to ensure it was, really...