lot of dealer stick lately and some nice cars...

[SportsCoupeRich]

There has been a lot of stick going out to dealers recently so i'd thought i would give me 2 pence on the situation.

I am on my second merc, both from the same dealership - Medway Brabus autos, formerly medway mercedes. They have both been fine and any problems i have had have been sorted out extremely quickly, quite often picking the car up from my house in the day and leaving me a loan car. they then return it the next night.

Most recent example - i have a six disc changer in the glove box and a single slot in the dash on the c coupé. I dont like tapes so went for the 7 cd setup. The cd single is spitting out my cds. They are picking my car up this thursday at 7pm and returning it to me on Sat morning. All the mean time i am being lent an ML 270 cdi to try out as i am interested in one.

I have had a few electric problems that they have sorted out on the spot free of charge.

I also paid 1000 under suggested parkers price for my car. And retro fitted leather, brabus suspension and the E55 AMG wheels for cost without VAT.

Lucky g*t i hear you say.....NO!

If you try and screw your dealer out of as much money, convienience etc every time you go there and haggle for all its worth you are going to get shafted. I accept there are dealers less good than others but make the effort people.

Fortunately my family has been getting cars here for 10 years so i can speak with a certain level of confidence about my dealer - but it is called a two way relationship....if you dont try and screw them they wont shaft you, and after many years of merc ownership like myself and my father you will actually become friends with the dealers, go for a beer with the dealer when buying a new car and in the long run you will save any money that you may of missed out on previously by niot haggling.

BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR 'STEALERSHIP' - IN THE LONG RUN YOU WILL PROFIT MASSIVLEY....we are all mercedes enthusiasts, ergo we plan to own many cars over a long time. Build these relationships and the ownership experience will become even better as the years go on.

just to summerise...i paid 18k for my car 10 months ago. I have put 20k miles on it since then. Jason, the sales manager, has offered me £17k part ex. Not too mention the countless times they have put petrol in the car and cleaned it for me when it was getting a new bulb in last weekend.

NOT ALL DEALERS ARE EVIL!!!


By the way - they have some very nice cars in at the mo if anyone knows the place...a very nice sl for 25k, one of the last run out sl320.

Also some new shape clks for 25k looking lovely....drool.

sorry about the rant!!!!

 

[portzy]

Wise words. Wise words indeed and that is why I often praise my not so local dealer, Mercedes Benz of Harrogate, and that is why I drive past at least two other large'ish MB outlets to get to them .

It seems though that those who are receiving exellent service from their dealers could be in the minority and that some dealers are just in it for the fleet sales and are not too fussed about the individual buyer. I dont know how you could resovle that one.

Portzy.

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

fleet.


as i said, obviously some dealers will be better than others. But go and find that good one - i ignore the massive franchise dealers in my area and go to the brabus dealership because of the history i have with them. There is a management theory i remember from a corporate responsibility unit i took when doing my law degree. If you meet someone once, screw them over...your reputation wont matter, and they have to pay if they need that service. However if you will deal with them repeatedly you need to uphold your reputation and forge the beginnings of a relationship. think of this from the dealers POV. Why should they break their back to give you the cheapest they possibly can (they have to make a profit), they have to be fair to other customers (if you tell your friends etc how cheap you got it - they all expect the same price, dealer cant to this)....they want you to buy the car and they want you to come back so dont try to pull the wool over their eyes.

Obviously you cannot excuse rude or arrogant dealers and they need to be reminded of this as much as we do sometimes - but just find the one who will treat you right and treat them the same! Then everyone is happy.

I heartily recommend my dealers and everyone shoud be able to do the same.

 

[Vlad]

If anybody got the Sunday Times yesterday, Clarkson reviews the new A Class and gives a recommendation (rare from Clarkson!)

Interestingly he mentions that Mercedes Dealers seem to be getting their act back together as he no longer receives anywhere near as many letters of complaints regarding poor dealership service.

My local dealer has certainly upped their act (Greenoakes of Reading), although they still fall short of my favourites Tony Purslows of Basingstoke.

Talking of the A Class mentioned above, I got invited to the launch of the A Class by my local dealer this weekend and took a test drive......what a difference. Having owned 2 A Classes, the new one is a revelation....it no longer hops and skips on a bumpy road and the build quality is excellent with no creaks and groans.

Great car, just one downside......its damned expensive!.....we'll just have to wait for a six month old cars to start dripping through into the dealer network.

 

[Tan]

Hi

Fully agree with what has been said about Brabus Medway Auto's, they are a very good dealership, they are very much an old school MB dealer. I feel that they are still good because they are not under the control of Mercedes and thus still need to and do put in the extra effort.

Of the big MB dealers, I have found that MB Canary Wharf are very good and accomodating. They will do the odd little job without being jobsworths and trying to charge for everything. The other day I bought a new headlamp bulb and they were happy to pop it in for me. So a rare thumbs UP!!!

 

[R2D2]

Medway Brabus are very good these days and I too have noticed the improvement BUT when they were Medway Mercedes they were frequently hopeless and there were many complaints written on here about them. Isnt strange that when they were a long standing MB dealer they were bad and now they have to fight for market share with MB Gillingham (as it is now known...well for at least a week or so until the next name change!) they have become the best local dealer albeit not an official MB sales outfit, but a MB service and paint shop.

 

[R2D2]

Medway Mercedes links of old
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=574&highlight=medway+mercedes
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1638&highlight=medway+mercedes
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1375&highlight=medway+mercedes

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

competition...

thats why competition is a pre-requisite of the perfect marketplace!

def the best dealer in the North Kent/A2 region that i have used for mercs.

the brabus stuff is fun too - the suspension on my car is giving me back ache -i want an ML!!!! black, with black tints, chrome runners and the brabus 22inch wheels (drooling)

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

still goes to show...

the importance of building the right relationship...ffing and screaming never gets you anywhere. Try it with your wives and girlfriends! that is the way to think of a dealer!!!!

comprimise and you get hassle free meotoring and added benefits...

argue and u get abuse, stubborness and divorce!!!!

hope that doesnt offend the ladies of the board! i know us men can be equally troublesome!

 

[andy_k]

must give a mention to the lads at Mercedes Eastbourne - I haven't got a single complaint about the level of customer service they offer.

Andy