Discount + Dealer Support

[st13phil]

OK, I've been looking at options for putting together the best deal on a new SLK55.

Currently Mercedes-Benz are offering just over £9k as "Retailer Deposit Contribution" on a pcp deal. I also have a quote from Drive the Deal that represents just north of 16% discount on the spec I would be interested in.

So, a couple of questions:

1) Does anyone have any experience of combining both the discount offered through DtD and the pcp "Retailer Deposit Contribution" in a single deal?

2) I know this has been discussed before, but has anyone actually gone through the process of taking on a MB pcp deal that includes a "Retailer Deposit Contribution", and then paying up the deal soon afterwards so owning the car? If so, was there any clawback?

I know I could get these answers from a dealer, but I'm not inclined to waste their time at this stage as I'm just establishing viability.

 

[Giantvanman]

I did it with my van. No clawback and logically, on what basis could they do so? The terms of the finance is that you are allowed/able to pay more or all of the amount owed at any time up to and including the final payment/end of contract. In fact, I received a call from MB finance querying if I had a problem and the response I gave, "No. I just wanted to settle the finance" was met with bemusement but not hostility.

 

[Rory]

Normally DtD discounts include the deposit contribution - are you sure that isn't the case here?

Re the finance, if you withdraw within 2 weeks then you should be able to pay it off with no other costs. Quite why the manufacturers don't try and recoup contributions and other incentives I'm not sure, but they don't seem to. Comes up quite a lot on VW forums where they often include free servicing for 3yrs.

After a couple of weeks you can go for early settlement - then you definitely keep everything but you'll have to pay the doc fee and a tiny bit of interest.

 

[st13phil]

Normally DtD discounts include the deposit contribution - are you sure that isn't the case here?

That was my suspicion, but the DtD website is silent on the matter so I guess I'll have to phone up and ask.

Re the finance, if you withdraw within 2 weeks then you should be able to pay it off with no other costs. Quite why the manufacturers don't try and recoup contributions and other incentives I'm not sure, but they don't seem to. Comes up quite a lot on VW forums where they often include free servicing for 3yrs.

After a couple of weeks you can go for early settlement - then you definitely keep everything but you'll have to pay the doc fee and a tiny bit of interest.

Ah, I wasn't aware about the option to withdraw within the first 14 days, I was thinking more in terms of a normal early settlement which would attract a piffling (by comparison to the price of the car!) amount of interest in just a month or two.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Red C220]

I'm going through this process at the moment with an SL400, MB and orange wheels.

I've been referred to an MB dealer who has been very helpful so far. I'm also looking initially to finance and pay off in full but around March next year when I take a dividend payment. Ideally I'd prefer to wait an pay in full but with the run out on this car they may simply not be available.

From every conversation I've had so far there is no claw back. However the deals may not all be identical, I'll expand.

There is currently a £10,000 "registration bonus" on the SL but only if you don't take the 0% finance available. The numbers I'm getting are as follows for the spec I want:-


Cash purchase outright - £58,678.80


MB 0% Finance
Total Price = 68,678.80
Dealer contribution = £3,359.25
Customer Deposit = £6000
Total payable = £59,229.40
36 x £742.90
Baloon = £32,475.00


MB 6.3% Finance
Total Price = £58,678.80
Customer Deposit = £6000
Interest cost = £7922.20
Total Payable = £60,601.00
36 x £781.00
Baloon = 32,475.00


Not all offers are quite the same. So it is worth having a chat with the dealer.

 

[C240Sport97]

I'm going through this process at the moment with an SL400, MB and orange wheels.

I've been referred to an MB dealer who has been very helpful so far. I'm also looking initially to finance and pay off in full but around March next year when I take a dividend payment. Ideally I'd prefer to wait an pay in full but with the run out on this car they may simply not be available.

From every conversation I've had so far there is no claw back. However the deals may not all be identical, I'll expand.

There is currently a £10,000 "registration bonus" on the SL but only if you don't take the 0% finance available. The numbers I'm getting are as follows for the spec I want:-


Cash purchase outright - £58,678.80


MB 0% Finance
Total Price = 68,678.80
Dealer contribution = £3,359.25
Customer Deposit = £6000
Total payable = £59,229.40
36 x £742.90
Baloon = £32,475.00


MB 6.3% Finance
Total Price = £58,678.80
Customer Deposit = £6000
Interest cost = £7922.20
Total Payable = £60,601.00
36 x £781.00
Baloon = 32,475.00


Not all offers are quite the same. So it is worth having a chat with the dealer.

6.3% seems high.

what is the list price of your SL400?

 

[Red C220]

6.3% seems high.

what is the list price of your SL400?

This is the wish list.

I'm currently looking at other finance alternatives.

Oracle quote 5.9%

 

[C240Sport97]

This is the wish list.

I'm currently looking at other finance alternatives.

Oracle quote 5.9%

ambient lighting?
75 litre fuel tank?

 

[gaz_l]

I can do you a good deal on a second hand R171. Low mileage, hardly ragged at all..

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[Camchan]

My recent experience from an Internet broker was that the discounted price did not include the retailers contribution but the retailers contribution was reduced to half that advertised on the Mercedes website site. But not all sites are the same.
If I recollect dtd did include the retalers contribution.

 

[Red C220]

ambient lighting?
75 litre fuel tank?

Neither of those items really appealed.

 

[Red C220]

ambient lighting?
75 litre fuel tank?

I looked at these again today as you'd mentioned them.

The standard tank is 65 litres which seems enough.

Ambient lighting we have in our E Class and I've only ever tinkered with it once so I was a bit non plussed with it.

I'm not even sure why I speced the analogue clock! But it looks nice...

Local dealer arranging an extended test drive for us and have agreed to match the quote we got via Orange Wheels.

Factory order would be delivery for end of October early November. Which seems like an odd time to collect a convertible car; but with it going out of production it is what it is.

So barring any complete catastrophe's with Mrs Red not able to cope (with the lack of load space - she has MS) we'll be ordering one of these this month.

There's nothing else out there I like at this price point at present. Plenty of £100K cars that I'd love - particularly the new S500 coupe, that's lovely.

It's not spending £100K on a car that bothers me, it's the £50K depreciation I can't stomach.

 

[C240Sport97]

10 liters could make all the difference .. I like the convenience of a larger fuel tank

ambient lighting adds adjustability to cabin lighting at night .. without it, less light and less controllability.

good news re:local dealer.

what do you mean "going out of production"

I drove the SL400 in Jan this year at 2C .. with electric wind deflector up, air scarf on and all 4 windows up, it was bliss

 

[Red C220]

what do you mean "going out of production"

Sorry I should have been clearer.

With the 2016 facelift due there are now only limited production slots of the existing model left. How limited I'm not sure, how much is marketing to "get a sale" I'm not sure - but sooner or later you won't be able to order one.

I could leave it and find there are no longer any cars available to order in pre facelift on which the deals are available. One dealer told me they'd already used their allocation and I could only order whatever was already coming in to them.

Under £60K makes a new one of these viable for me. I'd imagine the facelift are going to be north of £70k at least for a while. That's just too much on an asset that's only going to lose money.