Does approved used car mean a requirement is FSH and it is in line with manufacturer service schedule?

[BTB 500]

If it has been serviced to the manufacturers schedule then it is a full service history.
If any service has been missed it is not a full service history.
Simple really.
Just saying.

It can get a little more complicated. E.g. my R129 SL500 was due 12 monthly services, however the main dealer I took it to advised dropping to 2-yearly because of the very low annual mileage. So it was serviced as advised by MB, but not as per the manufacturer's schedule!

 

[KennyN]

Managed to get the record yesterday after many calls and it is missing last year’s service

If i may ask :

Why are you still perusing the vehicle if you dont want it and are actively seeking a refund of your deposit.

If the car has completely missed a service then i very much doubt any third party warranty provider would entertain a claim , regardless of what a salesman would say.

Stick to you guns and insist that your deposit is refunded , move on and look for another vehicle and the most important thing - trust no one when it comes to buying a used vehicle.

K

 

[AS162]

If i may ask :

Why are you still perusing the vehicle if you dont want it and are actively seeking a refund of your deposit.

If the car has completely missed a service then i very much doubt any third party warranty provider would entertain a claim , regardless of what a salesman would say.

Stick to you guns and insist that your deposit is refunded , move on and look for another vehicle and the most important thing - trust no one when it comes to buying a used vehicle.

K

i am trying to get my deposit back but I keep getting told it is non refundable even though the salesperson said it is and also has full service history.

Lesson learnt and maybe I’ll buy a brand new as I do not want to deal with this stress ever again ha.

 

[AS162]

I’ve been told they have done a service so it pulls it back to FSH but when I asked about past history he said it is full. Anyone know what my rights are now?

 

[KennyN]

I have been trying to get a deposit and exhausted all possible solutions.

i am trying to get my deposit back but I keep getting told it is non refundable even though the salesperson said it is and also has full service history.

Lesson learnt and maybe I’ll buy a brand new as I do not want to deal with this stress ever again ha.

If you continue to enquire about the vehicle (service history etc.) then they think you are still interested so stick to the job in hand - the refund of your deposit.

Who is the supplying dealer or who has the franchise ?

Call their "customer service" and ask ,as a potential new customer, if you were to put a deposit on a vehicle without viewing would it be refundable if the vehicle is not as described once viewed , note name of contact and time of conversation (don`t know about the legalities of recording this)

Once you get your answer then contact the dealer and tell them based on the FSH / paint / window issues you want your deposit back , if there is any issue then tell them to contact their customer services whilst you are there.

K

 

[JHS]

It can get a little more complicated. E.g. my R129 SL500 was due 12 monthly services, however the main dealer I took it to advised dropping to 2-yearly because of the very low annual mileage. So it was serviced as advised by MB, but not as per the manufacturer's schedule!

Wearing my pedants hat,it was serviced as advised by the MB dealer but not as per manufacturers schedule and was therefore not FMBSH.
But it makes not one jot of difference if you are happy with the car.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

i am trying to get my deposit back but I keep getting told it is non refundable even though the salesperson said it is and also has full service history.

Lesson learnt and maybe I’ll buy a brand new as I do not want to deal with this stress ever again ha.

Do you have any paperwork relating to the car and deposit? If not, then seeing them defend it being non returnable in the small claims court would be interesting.

If you have nothing, then ask them to provide a copy of the T&Cs that they provided you with, with evidence that you provided them.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I’ve been told they have done a service so it pulls it back to FSH but when I asked about past history he said it is full. Anyone know what my rights are now?

Please post the date, mileage. service type (A or B) and additional items (eg brake fluid) for each service and someone will advise how close (otherwise) it is to the schedule.

 

[markjay]

Stick to you guns and insist that your deposit is refunded , move on and look for another vehicle and the most important thing - trust no one when it comes to buying a used vehicle.

K

^^^^^^
This.

The does not have FSH, by any definition of the term.

The only other issue is that the salesperson might deny having said that the car has FSH.

But start with insisting that you do not want a car with a missed service: (a) you are concerned about AU warranty and other warranties (paint, corrosion) or goodwill (rear subframe), all of which are dependent on the car's service history, and (b) the car is worth less than what it was advertised for, I.e. if you were to sell it on, potential buyers will likely want to pay less compared to a car with FSH.

 

[23 Romeo Tango]

I think this might help the discussion.
I acquired it when looking into a possible purchase which was described as ‘Approved Used’ and ‘FMBSH’.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I think this might help the discussion.
I acquired it when looking into a possible purchase which was described as ‘Approved Used’ and ‘FMBSH’.

View attachment 155301

Jackpot

 

[ALFAitalia]

I think this might help the discussion.
I acquired it when looking into a possible purchase which was described as ‘Approved Used’ and ‘FMBSH’.

View attachment 155301

I wonder if any main dealer has EVER had an oil analysis done on a car that's missed two services to comply with that...I doubt it. Obviously that will only relate to the oil change part of the service, not additional required tasks....as missing anything else wont really have any long term effects.

 

[BTB 500]

I think this might help the discussion.
I acquired it when looking into a possible purchase which was described as ‘Approved Used’ and ‘FMBSH’.

How recent is it?

 

[markjay]

I think this might help the discussion.
I acquired it when looking into a possible purchase which was described as ‘Approved Used’ and ‘FMBSH’.

View attachment 155301

 

[markjay]

I think the issue is that MB are looking at it from the technical perspective, which is fine, but unfortunately they are not looking at it from the commercial aspect of things (and, to be fair, it's not really down to MB, it's down to the dealer to price the cars correctly).

The obvious point being that a car with one or two missed services may be absolutely fine mechanically, but it will be worth less than a similar car with FSH.

The other issue is that dealers should be describing a car as having FSH according to acceptable standard commercial practices, and not while referring to an internal MB jargon. And, to most people, FSH simply means no missed services.

 

[markjay]

BTW, personally I have no issue with cars not having history (as long as it does not affect any manufacturer's warranty), because I always buy cars 'on condition'. But they have to be correctly priced, I.e. if I have a car with no documented history, I know I'll get less for it when I sell it.

 

[ALFAitalia]

True.....but in the real world a car with "one or two missed services" will not sell for any less than one with them all....especially if they are just missed on time rather than mileage. And of course we are talking used cars here so as no two are exactly the same condition or desirability wise (colour combos, extras etc) the one with a missing service could EASILY sell for as much as the MBFSH one if its a better and more desirable spec. Also, in my experience, it wont affect your PX price when you come to sell it either.

 

[tonysmb]

The earlier post #90 explains a lot.

Years ago I was told that only cars with a full MB-history, serviced exactly as per MB's schedule, could be offered as 'Approved Used'. That clearly changed because I've seen cars that don't meet that requirement and even one advertised with 'part service history', being sold as 'Approved Used'.

Contrast that with BMW's current position:

"Full service history - Only BMWs which have been maintained in strict adherence to BMW servicing recommendations can qualify as BMW Approved Used Cars. In addition, any BMW with a service due within

4,000 miles, or 4 months*, has the appropriate service carried out prior to delivery. *The only exception is where the vehicle has the benefit of a Service Inclusive Package, due services are to be carried out prior to delivery. "

I think BMW's stance is what customers are actually looking for and expecting.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Google it.....loads of BMWs are sold as BMW Approved Used without FSH and lots of discussions like this thread on BWM forums..........they might say otherwise but they don't stick to it. So not really any difference to Mercedes on that front.

 

[markjay]

True.....but in the real world a car with "one or two missed services" will not sell for any less than one with them all....especially if they are just missed on time rather than mileage. And of course we are talking used cars here so as no two are exactly the same condition or desirability wise (colour combos, extras etc) the one with a missing service could EASILY sell for as much as the MBFSH one if its a better and more desirable spec. Also, in my experience, it wont affect your PX price when you come to sell it either.

This depends on the car's age,

On a 10 years old car, for sure.

But on a 3 years old car, a missing servicing will likely affect its value. Possibly not by much, but it will affect it.