caught greenoaks

[Maff]

My new SL is at the dealers waiting for me to collect it on Tuesday. I drove past yesterday and saw it all ready and waiting in the dealers locked car park, which can be seen from the road.

I happened to drive past today and to my horror saw two people sat in it having a play!
I reversed back, to find a sales person nearby. So I waited slightly out of sight, and then watched. The sales person then started showing them the broachers etc and chatting with them whilst they were in my car having a good look and feel, getting in and out etc. I was waiting for them to put the roof up and down.

I went over and confronted the sales person through the fence (as it's a secure area) and he didn't know what to say. He apologised a couple of times and I asked his name.

I'll have a word with my salesman on Monday

Wonder how many others have been in it before me, or even driven it???

Matt.

 

[BaldGuy]

Thats got to be worth a full tank of gas, an AMG driving day and a meal for 2 at the Ritz.........

Dream on!!! this is Greenoaks we're talkin about

 

[Steve_Perry]

Perhaps you can ask for a major discount befitting the car's status as "Ex-Demo" rather than "New"

S.

 

[andy_k]

I'd start negotiations with "you can stick it as I ordered a NEW car not an ex demo" and work back from there.

Hope you got photos of them as well just in case they deny it.

Andy

 

[Maff]

Still can't believe it. Luckily I had a look in the car the day it was delivered, and it had 34 miles on the clock.

However saying that, I know the dealers can change the mileage on cars as long as they have not passed 100 miles in total (then the star diagnostic system wont allow it to be changed)

 

[Koolvin]

what w@nkers, I bet this kind of thing is practiced everywhere though

get some goodies from them..... not el cheapo stuff like mugs etc.... but a free service when one is due with costs invloved.....


maybee we should go undercover to the stealership posing to buy a SL and see if we can get them to give us a demo in your car - we can catch them in the act and then sue their ass..... entrapment!

this would be so cool!

 

[fuzzer]

Originally posted by Maff
Still can't believe it. Luckily I had a look in the car the day it was delivered, and it had 34 miles on the clock.

However saying that, I know the dealers can change the mileage on cars as long as they have not passed 100 miles in total (then the star diagnostic system wont allow it to be changed)

Sorry to hear that , when i got my car new i demamded it remained in the shrink wrap and all the interior packaging was intact and i had to see it like that. I would really go nuts at the sales manager about that one. All that because they can't be bothered to have enough SL demo cars :O.

34 miles on the clock is taking the piss too. maybe they should park the transporter closer to the dealership ... parking it in central london and driving the cars out is a bit much

 

[adam1]

Funny you should say that.

i went for a test drive today of a e220 cdi.

When i arrived there was no-one at reception. No salesperson knew about my test drive i booked 2 days ago. i had taken a day off for this.

anway after about 30 minutes, the guy found a E270-cdi estate which was the engine i wanted to test but said i'd look at the 220 anyway. I was surprised cos the guy i booked the test with said they had no 270s in.

Anyway the test drive lasted about 5 mins about 1.5miles. He said it was a new car. I realised it was someones elses car waiting to be delivered afterwards. How cheeky is that. I would not want that with my car. Instead of being embarrassed by not offering a test drive he used someones new Car.(it had plastic /polythene shrink wrap )There were plenty used E220 new shape on forecourt we could have tested for a longer test drive.

It seems to amaze me how Dense there Merc dealers are. They forget your booked test drive and then they provide a round a block drive in someone elses car. How stupid is that. And i'm not even an owner of a merc yet.

 

[Kinky]

Maff,

That is the absolute pits, but then again it is Greenoaks.

Having said that however, is the car 'technically' theirs until Monday?

And 34 miles is VERY high for a brand new delivery - you should be looking at anything between 3-8. 34 says to me test drives, or someone's taken it home.

I would SERIOUSLY complain.

Good luck.

K

 

[Kinky]

What I would also do is when you go to collect is go over it with a VERY fine toothcombe, and find every possible tinyest flaw you can.

I know when you get a new car - it's the last thing you want to do, and tend to give a cursory glance over - but I would honestly take your time and be extremely fussy and very very finicky.

And take your time over it.

K

 

[Kinky]

Also ask them for a breakdown of the 'delivery' mileage.

I'd also ask to see the mileages on other cars awaiting their new owners. If the mileages are similiar then cool. If they're considerably lower however ......

K

P.S. - in defence of Greenoaks (which I never thought I'd ever heard myself say) - if I was a saleman, and I had a qualified potential buyer I'd do anything to assist in the sale, and if that meant borrowing the keys from a newly delivered car I'd probably do it. [although as a customer - if I found out I'd be livid and absolutely furious].

P.P.S. - I once cancelled the order on a new car, even though it was delivered to the dealers and sat there waiting for me. I very specifically stated a collection date of Aug 1 on the contract - the garage refused to release it to me until the 2nd - so i threatened to cancel the order if I did not get it as requested on Aug 1. They laughed and said "try it". They clearly did not understand 'breach of contract' ... needless to say there was no financial loss and as I understand (although can't say for sure) the sales sperson lost their job .... the moral? ..... check your contract - and see what the specific details are - what is the committment to 'car for the car' pre-delivery, etc, etc ......

 

[Maff]

Thanks for the comments guys, unfortuantly the sales manager is on holiday until Monday (supprised he never took my SL with him). I'll have a word or two with him on Monday.

 

[fuzzer]

If it helps you argue , my 2003 C180 came with 8 or 9 miles on it

 

[Shude]

When I asked the stealership for a demo of comand they gave me the keys to a customer's CLK430 parked outside with the only instruction being "don't start it up" and left me to it! His car was just there for a service I think!

 

[Robbo]

now that would make me seriously annoyed!

 

[RichardM]

Mine only had 8 miles on the clock when I picked it up.

When I was looking for a new car I also looked at the new CLK, they didn't have a demonstator so let me take out a brand new car (with 5 miles on the clock) with trade plates on. I asked if it was someone's car, but they said no it was just a 'stock' car. 34 miles does sound very high.

 

[Maff]

Just had a call from Greenoaks, apologising for the incident, and stating the sales man involved received a ‘bollocking’.

When asked about the mileage, the car was road tested from the factory, for up to 20 miles, and then delivered to Bracknell. The car was then driven from Bracknell to Slough, where it is now waiting for me to collect it.

Roll on tomorrow!

 

[Brian WH]

Originally posted by Maff
Just had a call from Greenoaks, apologising for the incident, and stating the sales man involved received a ‘bollocking’.

When asked about the mileage, the car was road tested from the factory, for up to 20 miles, and then delivered to Bracknell. The car was then driven from Bracknell to Slough, where it is now waiting for me to collect it.

Roll on tomorrow!

I personally wouldn't believe the road test theory, NO new MB that I have had has had more than 8 miles on it. Worth argueing in view of the previous experience of Salesman. They will have a hard time to prove that they haven't driven it Maff.

 

[Kinky]

I second what Brian says. As I mentioned earlier - 3-8 miles is about right.

I'd personally ask to see other cars - and see what their mileages are.

And why drive from Bracknell - surely the transporter would just delivery to Slough?

And circa 20 mile test drive? I've never heard of that. I would have thought that they would test drive it - a shakedown - and then reset the clock?

K

 

[Ozzie Bob]

Originally posted by Maff
When asked about the mileage, the car was road tested from the factory, for up to 20 miles, and then delivered to Bracknell. The car was then driven from Bracknell to Slough, where it is now waiting for me to collect it.

Roll on tomorrow!

Hmm, I was told a similar 'story' by my dealer when I picked up my "new" ML which had 101km on the clock! He told me that it came into the country with 50km on it (due to a random MB quality test) and that he could proove it. I had already been waiting 2 months for my car, so I believed his bullshit story.
The other km was due to detailing, alarm and window tinting installation. Oh yeah, can't forget the 'road test' too