C63 Missed Service

[16vintegrale]

Have you got the previous keepers details on the log book, maybe you could try contacting them to check about services as it could have been serviced by an independent but obviously the lack of a service book is a problem. In 2012 mercedes switched to a digital service record so unless the car was serviced at a main agent they will have no record. It's not uncommon for dealers to lose service books it's staggering really.
I hope you get the outcome you deserve pal.

Unfortunately it's not the last owner who's missed. The car has been local for the last 4-5 years and all that history is on the system, it's just the first one or two and it's a 3 owner car. It's just disappointing but I'm sure it will all get sorted in the end. I should have pushed more about the history before I bought it but you just don't expect this type of thing from a main dealer. It's the first Mercedes I've purchased from a main dealer and I did it to save all the hassle of buying privately or non franchised. Ive been so busy at work I wanted to take all the stress out of it and now this happens!

 

[16vintegrale]

I understand your logic, but I'd be surprised if it really had missed two services that early in its life.

Also, in practical terms (and with due respect to the OP), if he were to negotiate something like I suggested he will have two years risk-free motoring with near zero servicing costs, and (say) £2k in his pocket that will make his 9 year old C63 10-15% cheaper than other cars when he wants to move it on.

I think if I could get them to a £2k refund and two years free servicing, maybe an extended warranty I would seriously consider keeping it but I don't think that's realistic. They've already mentioned the questionnaire I have to fill in, anything less than 10s apparently leaves them in the proverbial! I think I'll hold off filling it in

 

[Jas C63]

Completely understand it is frustrating after all you pay a premium at a main dealer to hopefully avoid these kind of issues. I had a similar experience recently where there was no proof of a first service and it wasn't on the system but they ended up finding the service book in with the paperwork and it had been serviced at an independent, i contacted the garage and they remembered the car and confirmed the history.
This is off topic slightly but we agreed a price on the said car just before Christmas i went to put a deposit on it today and finance it this weekend to take advantage of the 0% finance event they have running this weekend and they have turned around and said they can no longer sell it at that price, no explanation they just wished me luck in finding my next car. Main dealers eh you've gotta love em!

 

[16vintegrale]

Completely understand it is frustrating after all you pay a premium at a main dealer to hopefully avoid these kind of issues. I had a similar experience recently where there was no proof of a first service and it wasn't on the system but they ended up finding the service book in with the paperwork and it had been serviced at an independent, i contacted the garage and they remembered the car and confirmed the history.
This is off topic slightly but we agreed a price on the said car just before Christmas i went to put a deposit on it today and finance it this weekend to take advantage of the 0% finance event they have running this weekend and they have turned around and said they can no longer sell it at that price, no explanation they just wished me luck in finding my next car. Main dealers eh you've gotta love em!

That's from a main franchised dealer? They won't sell it to you? Are they absolutely joking! So they have risked losing you as a potential future customer for a small amount of margin, that just doesn't make sense!

 

[Jas C63]

Yes mate that is a main dealer car is a 62 plate. I have emailed the sales manager for an explanation as he wasn't in today as he worked the weekend.

 

[16vintegrale]

Thanks for all the replies, I'll let you know how I get on. Fingers crossed it all works out.

 

[16vintegrale]

Yes mate that is a main dealer car is a 62 plate. I have emailed the sales manager for an explanation as he wasn't in today as he worked the weekend.

Is it still for sale? Do you think they've sold it to someone else for more?

 

[Jas C63]

It was still for sale this morning. You just never know from my experience as a bmw customer the people at main dealers are no better than the staff at some dodgy auction house the only difference is the staff at bmw wear a shirt and tie. I was hoping mercedes would be different.

 

[HollowPoint]

I understand your logic, but I'd be surprised if it really had missed two services that early in its life.

Also, in practical terms (and with due respect to the OP), if he were to negotiate something like I suggested he will have two years risk-free motoring with near zero servicing costs, and (say) £2k in his pocket that will make his 9 year old C63 10-15% cheaper than other cars when he wants to move it on.

^^This^^

I wouldn't even be looking at the servicing in the first two years of what will be a 9 year old (by the time the OP sells it) cars life. Any damage done to the engine in those first few years, by the time the oil was 33k thin, would be beyond reasonable and the car would have since died a death, or would have lost considerable performance, or wouldn't sound right, etc.

Granted, it's not ideal and the dealers should be punished for their deception, but FSH doesn't mean jack on a 9 year old car, because if it's been thrashed around, you could service it at half intervals, it's still a thrashed engine, gearbox, suspension, etc. I'd go with st13phil suggestion, pish them to sweeten your deal as much as you can persuade them too, then drive happily for a couple of years trouble free motoring and price your car accordingly in two-three years time, to make sure yours sells before anyone elses.

I've sold cars with only a couple of years dealer history at the beginning and self/independent servicing since those first couple of years, for book price, time and again, without issue.

 

[16vintegrale]

^^This^^

I wouldn't even be looking at the servicing in the first two years of what will be a 9 year old (by the time the OP sells it) cars life. Any damage done to the engine in those first few years, by the time the oil was 33k thin, would be beyond reasonable and the car would have since died a death, or would have lost considerable performance, or wouldn't sound right, etc.

Granted, it's not ideal and the dealers should be punished for their deception, but FSH doesn't mean jack on a 9 year old car, because if it's been thrashed around, you could service it at half intervals, it's still a thrashed engine, gearbox, suspension, etc. I'd go with st13phil suggestion, pish them to sweeten your deal as much as you can persuade them too, then drive happily for a couple of years trouble free motoring and price your car accordingly in two-three years time, to make sure yours sells before anyone elses.

I've sold cars with only a couple of years dealer history at the beginning and self/independent servicing since those first couple of years, for book price, time and again, without issue.

Agreed but I'm not sure how far I'll be able to push them but we'll see. I know I'm in quite a strong position because if I'm not happy with the deal I'll just give it them back and let them find me another car.

 

[16vintegrale]

Funny, had a similar conversation early about this!! Let's see how they deal with it, that will be a sign of how good or bad they are.

 

[John]

but FSH doesn't mean jack on a 9 year old car, because if it's been thrashed around, you could service it at half intervals, it's still a thrashed engine, gearbox, suspension, etc. I'd go with st13phil suggestion, pish them to sweeten your deal as much as you can persuade them too, then drive happily for a couple of years trouble free motoring and price your car accordingly in two-three years time, to make sure yours sells before anyone elses.

It does. I suspect a high percentage of AMGs are driven hard - I'd rather a 9 year old AMG with FSH than patchy SH.

It also means the owner(s) has/ve been careful to maintain the mechanical longevity of the car - tells you a lot about the type of owner you are dealing with.

I've sold cars with only a couple of years dealer history at the beginning and self/independent servicing since those first couple of years, for book price, time and again, without issue.

So have I but I am not so why this is relevant here?

The OP is potentially missing history.

I would be interested to hear how this pans out but in the days of a BMW forum I used to frequent, any M3 sold with the missing crucial initial run-in service missing was promptly refunded without question by BMW.

 

[HollowPoint]

It does. I suspect a high percentage of AMGs are driven hard - I'd rather a 9 year old AMG with FSH than patchy SH.

It also means the owner(s) has/ve been careful to maintain the mechanical longevity of the car - tells you a lot about the type of owner you are dealing with.

In context, it doesn't, at all. It's a 7 year old car, with 3 previous owners and 2 missed services from very early on in its life, the last 5 years is what matters, not the first 2. You're also making my point for me, if those services were missed and it's an AMG, therefore likely to have been driven hard, the damage would already be showing. Bearings don't slowly whittle down when starved of oil, they heat up, crack and break up. The engine runs hotter, head gaskets blow, cylinders go out of round, etc. All sorts of issues can happen when the oil loses it's lubrication properties and that damage is evident pretty quickly, even more so in an AMG.

I'm not saying he shouldn't be annoyed at the dealer, I'm saying in 2 years time, when the car is 9 and has had 4 owners, FSH isn't going to mean much at all. How the car runs at the time and how he's looked after it and the previous owners since the missed servicing, is what matters at that age/mileage.

So have I but I am not so why this is relevant here?

The OP is potentially missing history.

Relevant to the OP when he sells, not to what he's been sold, hence me also saying the dealers should definitely pay for their deception.

 

[c32andy]

i thought approved used means fmbsh as standard?
other wise they wouldnt entertain a resale of that age.
i paid for a b service at my main dealer last year £1050 then checked my air filters to find i had bugs and bird feathers in which was ticked and supposed to be changed

 

[16vintegrale]

i thought approved used means fmbsh as standard?
other wise they wouldnt entertain a resale of that age.
i paid for a b service at my main dealer last year £1050 then checked my air filters to find i had bugs and bird feathers in which was ticked and supposed to be changed

This is exactly what I thought.

 

[HollowPoint]

i thought approved used means fmbsh as standard?
other wise they wouldnt entertain a resale of that age.
i paid for a b service at my main dealer last year £1050 then checked my air filters to find i had bugs and bird feathers in which was ticked and supposed to be changed

Wasn't a main dealer, but I once worked in a garage where the service mechanic used to grab the air hose and 'blow out' air filters, then re-fit them and charge the customer for new ones. So this doesn't surprise me.

 

[developer]

AMG's are more likely to be purchased by enthusiasts who are more likely to be concerned about service history.

The OP is a good example, as am I, who would walk a country mile away from an AMG with missing history.

The OP is already querying his resale prospects - he "gets it".

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Sorry to hear of your problems.

I would read up on any paperwork provided as part of the sale and the approved used website, and then visit the dealership or call if too far away, and be really pleasant but clear that you wish to exercise your right to return the car, and ask that they:

(1) Find you another car with similar (or better) condition, age, mileage, and specification
(2) Provide a courtesy car with immediate effect for the period it takes to find another car
(3) Confirm in writing that if they can't within 30 days then they will offer a full refund

I would be clear that if they can provide evidence that servicing was completed in line with the Mercedes service schedule back, then they can have the courtesy car back, and you're happy to keep the car you've already bought. I would also be clear that you're not looking to gain, and you don't want anything fancy by way of a courtesy car.

I would have two printed letters which describe that lot ^^^, ready to handover.

Good luck!

 

[HollowPoint]

AMG's are more likely to be purchased by enthusiasts who are more likely to be concerned about service history.

The OP is a good example, as am I, who would walk a country mile away from an AMG with missing history.

The OP is already querying his resale prospects - he "gets it".

I'm an enthusiast and I've never once looked at service history and added any value to the car for having it, sorry. Maybe it's because I was a mechanic, maybe it's because I build engines for fun, maybe it's just because I know that a dealer service is genuinely no better than a guy doing it on his driveway in most cases, but to me, this is a bargaining chip for the OP now, but not a problem for resale. You'd walk away from it in two years time, whereas I'd buy it without blinking.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Approved Used Vehicles* are supplied with an independently checked mileage certificate from Experian, HPI or The National Mileage Register.

We also make a point of checking every car's provenance

* Vehicles first registered to Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd or as a retailer demonstrator are excluded.

Source: http://used.mercedes-benz.co.uk/benefits

This doesn't say that the car must have full service history, but it does suggest that the car's provenance has been checked and so that when they sold it to you and answered you're queries, then the car's provenance was known (but you weren't made aware of the gap in service history).