Mercedes Basingstoke review - you won't believe it

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brokenyute

New Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2021
Messages
18
Location
Basingstoke
Car
C220d
Please see below my review of Mercedes Basingstoke. This is not a witch hunt but instead to educate others of the problems I have faced and to ensure you do not get caught out like me. Everything can be backed up with evidence.

Service was great at the outset when purchasing the car. Salesman was patient and considerate.

However, the after sales service has been absolutely horrendous (salesperson largely deals with this). Avoid like the plague.

On purchasing the car it was agreed that the service would be completed, the damage on the rear quarter be fixed and the scratches on the interior be fixed.

Over correspondence, I was told this work had been completed before delivery. However, on delivery I was shocked to see that it hadn't! I was lied to. Service had not been done. Damage on the rear quarter was still there. Dirt marks on the rear of the drivers seat. Deep scratches on the centre console as if they had let a cat loose in there. And to top it off a massive stain on the passenger seat. All these issues were raised immediately on delivery and was told they would be rectified by three different individuals at any cost.

At the end of December the car was booked in to look at a potential battery issue and correction of the other issues highlighted. Whilst Mercedes looked at the battery issue (covered under warranty) they outright refused to correct the other issues. Appalling.

I then proceeded to write a one star review on google, which was forwarded to the branch manager. After seeing this review and forwarding all of the correspondence i.e proof, Mercedes Basingstoke told me that they would do the work if I took the review down. I reluctantly agreed to this as I felt cornered and had no other option to correct the issues despite the representations made prior to buying the car.

10 days later I went to pick up the car. The work on the interior had been done and the paintwork fixed to a satisfactory level. However, they tried to do a 'bodge' job on the rear bumper and the scuffed bumper remained. And there were more marks on tbe bumper (although these were quickly removed)! Mercedes then agreed to fix this issue when the car was due in for a service in Feb (the service which should have already been done).

The car was taken to be serviced and the bumper replaced. I spoke to the salesman confirming if everything had been sorted and if it would definitely be done. He assured me it would be.
SHOCK. The car was returned but the work on the bumper had not been done. MORE LIES! Service team told me they ordered the wrong part. Salesman told me they did not even order the part. Which is true? The car is now booked in again.

3 months. 3 months. 3 months and still all the issues have not been resolved!

The carsalesman then had the nerve to say if we top up your tank when we replace the rear bumper will you not raise any complaints.....

Is this the standard of business? Should there be more 1 star reviews on here? There is a pattern of behaviour here...

I believe the Mercedes Benz slogan is - the best or nothing. I have certainly experienced the latter.

*Update*
The car was taken back to Mercedes for the trim to be replaced. The trim was replaced, however they returned the car with damaged paintwork. They left scratches and scuffs the size of my hand on the paintwork!

You couldn't make it up.

You have been warned!
 
Hi and welcome. Sounds like a bad show ! To clear things up . You were 100% aware of all the visible faults on the car and they had agreed 100% to sort them all out before collection and at their cost ?
Yes and I have written evidence too. The car was only purchased because they said they would put it right and assured they were only minor issues.
 
Please see below my review of Mercedes Basingstoke. This is not a witch hunt but instead to educate others of the problems I have faced and to ensure you do not get caught out like me. Everything can be backed up with evidence.

Service was great at the outset when purchasing the car. Salesman was patient and considerate.

However, the after sales service has been absolutely horrendous (salesperson largely deals with this). Avoid like the plague.

On purchasing the car it was agreed that the service would be completed, the damage on the rear quarter be fixed and the scratches on the interior be fixed.

Over correspondence, I was told this work had been completed before delivery. However, on delivery I was shocked to see that it hadn't! I was lied to. Service had not been done. Damage on the rear quarter was still there. Dirt marks on the rear of the drivers seat. Deep scratches on the centre console as if they had let a cat loose in there. And to top it off a massive stain on the passenger seat. All these issues were raised immediately on delivery and was told they would be rectified by three different individuals at any cost.

At the end of December the car was booked in to look at a potential battery issue and correction of the other issues highlighted. Whilst Mercedes looked at the battery issue (covered under warranty) they outright refused to correct the other issues. Appalling.

I then proceeded to write a one star review on google, which was forwarded to the branch manager. After seeing this review and forwarding all of the correspondence i.e proof, Mercedes Basingstoke told me that they would do the work if I took the review down. I reluctantly agreed to this as I felt cornered and had no other option to correct the issues despite the representations made prior to buying the car.

10 days later I went to pick up the car. The work on the interior had been done and the paintwork fixed to a satisfactory level. However, they tried to do a 'bodge' job on the rear bumper and the scuffed bumper remained. And there were more marks on tbe bumper (although these were quickly removed)! Mercedes then agreed to fix this issue when the car was due in for a service in Feb (the service which should have already been done).

The car was taken to be serviced and the bumper replaced. I spoke to the salesman confirming if everything had been sorted and if it would definitely be done. He assured me it would be.
SHOCK. The car was returned but the work on the bumper had not been done. MORE LIES! Service team told me they ordered the wrong part. Salesman told me they did not even order the part. Which is true? The car is now booked in again.

3 months. 3 months. 3 months and still all the issues have not been resolved!

The carsalesman then had the nerve to say if we top up your tank when we replace the rear bumper will you not raise any complaints.....

Is this the standard of business? Should there be more 1 star reviews on here? There is a pattern of behaviour here...

I believe the Mercedes Benz slogan is - the best or nothing. I have certainly experienced the latter.

*Update*
The car was taken back to Mercedes for the trim to be replaced. The trim was replaced, however they returned the car with damaged paintwork. They left scratches and scuffs the size of my hand on the paintwork!

You couldn't make it up.

You have been warned!
The business was run properly when I bought E Class Estates from them 16 years ago. RUN BY TONY PURSLOW IT WAS.
Send a stinking detailed email to the DP (Dealer Principal) and to MB.co.uk too.
 
The business was run properly when I bought E Class Estates from them 16 years ago. RUN BY TONY PURSLOW IT WAS.
Send a stinking detailed email to the DP (Dealer Principal) and to MB.co.uk too.
No longer in the hands of Tony Purslow, it is now part of the Sandown group.
A little surprised by this as have always had good service, though have never bought a car there.
 
I have had similar issues in the past with a different MB dealership.
 
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In your correspondence to MBUK, I would also include the fact they tried to 'bribe' you with a tank of fuel to remove your review
 
Wow, what a story. Sorry to hear about your woes brokenyute. We had a similar experience a few years ago when buying a brand new Peugeot, am I allowed to mention that brand on here......
 
.....after much emailing etc........ we finally got a great car, I know we are still talking about a Peugeot, but my goodness you shouldn’t have to fight and argue when you pay good money.
 
.....after much emailing etc........ we finally got a great car, I know we are still talking about a Peugeot, but my goodness you shouldn’t have to fight and argue when you pay good money.
Yes totally agree and at the end of the day the car going back and forth is only costing them more money in the long run.
 
Costing you money, time and grief.
I did have an acquaintance a few years ago who had similar trouble. Just parked the car on the dealers drive and left it there, with the threat of Watchdog, Which, What Car etc.....Slightly arrogant, I know but they had the financial muscle. Car sorted fairly quickly after that.
 
Costing you money, time and grief.
I did have an acquaintance a few years ago who had similar trouble. Just parked the car on the dealers drive and left it there, with the threat of Watchdog, Which, What Car etc.....Slightly arrogant, I know but they had the financial muscle. Car sorted fairly quickly after that.
That is a great idea
 
I used to visit Mercedes Basingstoke a lot when the car sales company I worked for had the vast majority of its Mercedes serviced there before sale completion. I visited there several times a month between 1997 and 2002, getting to know all the service managers well. They really seemed to know their stuff.

When I bought my two year old CLK W208 I took it to them for it’s major service when it was due. I was shocked by the list of items that they flagged up as needing attention, but didn’t want them to sort them out at Mercedes rates. So I took the car to a local non specialist garage that we’d used for years and asked them to give the car a look over and quote me for the repairs. They came back to me later to say that there was nothing wrong. There‘s no way they were going to turn down income from a job if it was needed, so I trusted them. None of the items listed by Mercedes Basingstoke was picked up during the next 9 MoTs that were done!

We started to use alternative Mercedes dealerships after that, only taking cars to Basingstoke as a last resort.
 
I used to visit Mercedes Basingstoke a lot when the car sales company I worked for had the vast majority of its Mercedes serviced there before sale completion. I visited there several times a month between 1997 and 2002, getting to know all the service managers well. They really seemed to know their stuff.

When I bought my two year old CLK W208 I took it to them for it’s major service when it was due. I was shocked by the list of items that they flagged up as needing attention, but didn’t want them to sort them out at Mercedes rates. So I took the car to a local non specialist garage that we’d used for years and asked them to give the car a look over and quote me for the repairs. They came back to me later to say that there was nothing wrong. There‘s no way they were going to turn down income from a job if it was needed, so I trusted them. None of the items listed by Mercedes Basingstoke was picked up during the next 9 MoTs that were done!

We started to use alternative Mercedes dealerships after that, only taking cars to Basingstoke as a last resort.
It is such a shame. Brilliant german engineering let down by British customer service.

I try not to have an emotional attachment with objects such as cars etc. but it is so difficult not to in this case. I decided to treat myself for my birthday and buy the car after getting through uni, masters and landing a great job for myself. What I looked at with joy has been tainted with stressful memories by Mercedes Basingstoke.

In hindsight I really wish I did some thorough research in to the main dealer.
 

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