If I Never Deal With A Main Dealer Again, It'll Be Too Soon, The Shysters!

[Will]

So - after 14 pages and 200 posts, what are you going to be doing with the car Lee - how are you going to get the SBC pump issue sorted out?

 

[Deleted member 37751]

The issue is on the back burner at the minute to be honest Will, I'll look at all of my options tomorrow.

If I do get the pump replaced using the 50% offer, it won't be done at this dealer, that's for sure.

 

[nick mercedes]

Said that they were roomy, comfortable, and great motorway cruisers, costing half their prestige-marque siblings. Had they still been made, I would have probably bought another one.

Back in the day, these days Mercedes follow the pile them high, sell (lease) them cheap doctrine.

 

[markjay]

Back in the day, these days Mercedes follow the pile them high, sell (lease) them cheap doctrine.

You may be right... I do not know.
I can only comment on my 2006 Merc which is both trouble-free and rust-free (so far... fingers crossed).

Based on my (admittedly very limited) experience I would buy a Merc again.

 

[davidjpowell]

When SWMBO changed cars 12 months ago there was a massive difference in the way that MB Edinburgh and Glasgow behaved.

Edinburgh picked up on the fact that she had made an enquiry 6 years before, kept in touch by email and phone, and offered to bring a car to the house for her to test drive, when we made an appointment to see a car at another of their branches the salesman was expecting us when we arrived and there was no problem getting the car valued.

MB Glasgow? Don't get me started again. It was an ugly experience that ended up with SWMBO visiting BMW round the corner and discovering the Z4. They lost MB a guaranteed customer for a R171.

Difference?

I suspect at the core it's because MB Edinburgh is still a family firm.

In a similar vain. Doncaster = BMW Stratstone. Scunthorpe = BMW Astle, a family business.

I've never had a good experience with Stratstone. The last time they would not quote for a service with a chassis number. How many permutations for a 2.0 diesel oil change can there be?

Astle are wonderful, worth the drive, and very competitive. Cost of oil change, including a car for the day £125 inc. vat.

Apparently I'm not the only person to travel from Doncaster...

This is to me less of a thread about indie vs dealer, more of a thread about customer service and where has it gone? It seems that the bigger the dealer, the less flexibility they have to go the extra mile, despite probably having a better ability to absorb the cost, and see the benefit.

 

[nick mercedes]

This is to me less of a thread about indie vs dealer, more of a thread about customer service and where has it gone? It seems that the bigger the dealer, the less flexibility they have to go the extra mile, despite probably having a better ability to absorb the cost, and see the benefit.

There's no profit in selling (leasing) cars these days, so they have to bum customers at the aftersales stage to make a living.

 

[markjay]

There's no profit in selling (leasing) cars these days, so they have to bum customers at the aftersales stage to make a living.

I think the argument is that if you provide good customer service you will get more business and make more money. Win-win.

So anyone thinking the way you describe (and I appreciate it is not your thinking, you are just saying what the big dealers do) is practically shooting himself in the foot.

 

[MOCAŠ]

This is to me less of a thread about indie vs dealer, more of a thread about customer service and where has it gone? It seems that the bigger the dealer, the less flexibility they have to go the extra mile, despite probably having a better ability to absorb the cost, and see the benefit.

Or perhaps it's that the Doncaster branches are staffed by Yorkshiremen, who don't like to be taken for mugs any more than their local customers do. Irresistible force + immovable object = trouble at mill.

 

[jaymanek]

The issue is on the back burner at the minute to be honest Will, I'll look at all of my options tomorrow.

If I do get the pump replaced using the 50% offer, it won't be done at this dealer, that's for sure.

Get it reconditioned at BBA reman... You do need star or a good diagnostic machine to depressurise and then to bleed the system afterwards.
You are also supposed to use the special fitting on the bleed nipples otherwise the technician could get his eyes removed with brake fluid shooting out at high pressure.

 

[davidjpowell]

Or perhaps it's that the Doncaster branches are staffed by Yorkshiremen, who don't like to be taken for mugs any more than their local customers do. Irresistible force + immovable object = trouble at mill.

Disagree. In the OP's situation, where they have not spent much time nor incurred parts cost, if they say we understand sir, obviously confusion existed, can we agree a compromise? Then this thread would not exist.

Interestingly I have spend time (hours!) sat in the OP dealership for what was supposed to be an hour. Pleasant place to be certainly not pressured by sales staff (or should that be ignored!).

Again contrast that with my Scunthorpe dealer. Had a call the day before to confirm that I was still bringing the car in. It became clear as the conversation went on, that these calls are made by the sales staff to politely introduce themselves, and offer a chat if you would like them..

 

[John]

I've never had a good experience with Stratstone.

They were notoriously sh at their Maidenhead BMW branch - as were their predecessors.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Get it reconditioned at BBA reman... You do need star or a good diagnostic machine to depressurise and then to bleed the system afterwards.

They want £570 including VAT plus shipping, then I've got to get it fitted...

 

[MB-BTurbo]

My friends crankshaft has just failed on her '54 plate Kia. Kia have said "dont worry we'll cover the cost in full as we dont expect them to go wrong. I would love to know what Mercedes response would have been.

 

[bernie driscoll]

My friends crankshaft has just failed on her '54 plate Kia. Kia have said "dont worry we'll cover the cost in full as we dont expect them to go wrong. I would love to know what Mercedes response would have been.

Second word would have been "off".

 

[GordonTarling]

They want £570 including VAT plus shipping, then I've got to get it fitted...

If it's going to be £230 or more to fit it, then you'd probably be better off getting the dealer to do it for £800.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Hmmmm...After going a bit of digging, it seems that Mercedes offer a TEN YEAR warranty on the SBC system in the good ole US of A...hmmm...

 

[MB-BTurbo]

and charge 40% less in the first place.

 

[Bellow]

Has anyone investigated ESKLAB in this context?
It relates to a European code that stipulates goods sold (and components thereoff) must be expected to be sufficiently durable for a defined period - six years I think, possibly more.
It is via this procedure that smart owners get their front springs replaced by MB/smart on cars several years out of warranty. AFIK the ESKLAB triggers a recall notification, which although not immediately implemented as such, can be referred to and within certain age/mileage stipulations, the parts on failure are replaced by MB dealers FOC and their costs re-imbursed by MB. Thinking about though, the part has to fail to qualify, but I could be wrong on that.
What's the deal on the MB saloons that are notorious for spring breakages?

 

[crockers]

I have found this thread very interesting.

The OP was told either a free fix via MB or a £96 software fix. He should have been told there would be a diagnostic charge.

But there is also a running theme that the main dealer network are shysters

What I find amusing is so many go to the independent to save money then complain when MB won't offer goodwill.

My car had 98000 miles on it when MB offered 50% on bearing. It had full dealer service history. I bet so had the KIA mentioned earlier.

So you can't have your cake and eat it.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

What I find amusing is so many go to the independent to save money then complain when MB won't offer goodwill.

This may sound contradictory to my outburst, but, to an extent, I'd go along with that.

The gripe is that I know that Mercedes have replaced these pumps FOC on cars that are in a similar situation to mine, with similar history. The other point is that the SBC system is not serviceable, so how is it meant to last? And we are talking brakes here, not an air filter for example; Mercedes designed something (brake-by-wire system in this case) that was designed to fail at an exact point.

But yes, the biggest upset was the dealers attitude towards the diagnostic and their 'general' attitude.