Mercedes Basingstoke review - you won't believe it

[oldguy57]

Just by way of update - took a day off to get this sorted and met with Bradley Mitchell from Mercedes Basingstoke.
He agreed to fix the damage and accepted liability for the paintwork damage on the rear and side of the vehicle.

However he refused the more serious damage on the bonnet. First he claimed to say it was damage done by a stone chip. However, the car has not been driven in the last two weeks due to lockdown and has only been driven by Mercedes Basingstoke when picking up and dropping off the car.

He then proceeded to say it must be damage from a roof tile that has fallen off... sigh.... if it was damage by a roof tile the damage would be a lot larger and not a number of scratches and dents all in different directions. See pictures. Moreover, I would be missing a roof tile and there would be debris near the car, plus I have cctv.

Mercedes have turned into an absolute joke. Matter has been escalated to MBUK and Basingstoke have missed their deadline to respond. Sums it up.

If you could like my review in the meantime it would be appreciated.

Google review of Mercedes-Benz of Basingstoke by jag s

g.co

"Liked" as requested. What I find patronising in the extreme is when these companies "thank" you for complaining. Shows an absolute distain for the people who are keeping them in employment.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I love the old “blame the customer” tactic, it’s always a surefire way to know that no-one at the dealership has got their hands around the problem.

Reject the car if that’s still a possibility and go and buy from somewhere else (I’m assuming it wouldn’t be a Mercedes!)

 

[Deleted member 37751]

What I find patronising in the extreme is when these companies "thank" you for complaining. Shows an absolute distain for the people who are keeping them in employment.

Exactly - don’t thank me, fix my ****ing problems instead!

 

[MercedesDriver]

Sorry for all the troubles you are going through but it seams to be the new way of providing customer service by MB. One can choose any MB dealership and will find abundance of very similar stories like yours. They just stopped to care, simple as that, as they got used to dealing with people who change their cars every two years and don't give a toss about customer service as they will never seek one.
Last week I was on contact with MB sales regarding one of their Approved Used cars. By photos and spec it looks a right car for me but priced 15-20% over the market level. After pointing that fact to the salesman and providing him the list of very similar vehicles within their MB network he just pointed to me that there is ONE more expensive than his. As Mike previously said not a hint of sale skills.

 

[noogieman]

This would have never happened at Lexus.
MB dealers don't know how to treat their customers.

 

[Dryce]

This would have never happened at Lexus.
MB dealers don't know how to treat their customers.

Well personally I can vouch for the fact it would never happen to me at Lexus.

Their current product range is so unattractive that I'm not likely to be a customer.

 

[noogieman]

Seems like customer care is an unfamiliar word at MB?

 

[markjay]

Seems like customer care is an unfamiliar word at MB?

Customers care?

More like customer scare....

 

[bpsorrel]

I feel your pain. My view of MB Milton Keynes (and MB service altogether) is known here, but if you're curious, take a look at this... Unpleasant surprise | General Discussion

They seem incapable of anything even remotely approaching "customer service" and I can only guess with horror how they are during this covid situation. I'm certainly not taking any of my cars for service during lockdown nor attemting to buy one. Long story, but we abandoned attempts to change SWMBOs car until "house arrest" is over and we can deal properly with a part ex and purchase.

 

[Darrell]

Judging by the amount of Mercs on the road and how well known the brand is I reckon Mercedes dealers, salespersons and customer care staff think they are untouchable, can do no wrong and really don’t have to make any effort whatsoever.

 

[bpsorrel]

.. and the question is, why do we put up with it? I guess as most are leased or company cars the situtation won't improve much. I don't think I would want to buy an MB any more, at least when you lease it you care less about it.

 

[Deleted member 159894]

Judging by the amount of Mercs on the road and how well known the brand is I reckon Mercedes dealers, salespersons and customer care staff think they are untouchable, can do no wrong and really don’t have to make any effort whatsoever.

Agree.

There is also a bit of swagger among MB dealer staff, they probably started their careers in less lofty environments and think that they have now 'made it' and act appropriately.

This is based on Mb dealer staff that I used to socialise with.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

I’d certainly never buy another. Dealers and MBUK attitude. I get dealers are the scorpion in the scorpion & frog story, but it certainly sucks being the frog!

 

[Dryce]

Judging by the amount of Mercs on the road and how well known the brand is I reckon Mercedes dealers, salespersons and customer care staff think they are untouchable, can do no wrong and really don’t have to make any effort whatsoever.

It's noticeable how many A-Class and GLAs are parked and driven around the suburbs.

MB have done really well extending to a wider and younger demographic.

 

[Darrell]

It's noticeable how many A-Class and GLAs are parked and driven around the suburbs.

At my work and around my ‘hood this exact models are the go-to for the twenty somethings and their lease deals.

 

[markjay]

.. and the question is, why do we put up with it? I guess as most are leased or company cars the situtation won't improve much. I don't think I would want to buy an MB any more, at least when you lease it you care less about it.

You may have a point when it comes to buying a brand new car.

But when buying second hand (as the OP did), you can enjoy the marque without ever going to the dealer (unless you have a warranty claim).

There's plenty of good traders out there, our very own Jay from Mercland is a good example.

The issue is that too many people fall for the 'Approved Used' marketing blarb.

 

[tonysmb]

This would have never happened at Lexus.
MB dealers don't know how to treat their customers.

Well, I wouldn't be so certain.

Several years ago I was considering a Lexus and I visited the local dealer where they had a showroom display car of the model I was interested in. It wasn't possible to have a test-drive at that time so an appointment was made for mid-morning the next day at which time I duly turned up, with d/licence etc.. 'Oh, you can't have a test drive, we've sold that car'. End of conversation. To this day I've not heard from them again. I bought another MB instead.

I think the reality is that there are good and bad examples everywhere, the 'brand' is no guarantee of a level of service, whatever the 'mission-statement' might be. In my experience the providers of the best service are often the smaller family-owned businesses which are, of course, becoming few and far between in the (particularly new) car retail trade. When my local MB dealer was family-owned the service was excellent and they knew their customers. Their showroom was small and the workshop 'old', staffed with 'technicians' with whom you could talk things over. The modern showrooms are quite 'flash', corporate, full of clipboard-carriers and front-of- house staff fannying about but the actual service (which is what I actually want and pay for) is not as good. IMHO, of coursel

 

[Dryce]

The modern showrooms are quite 'flash', corporate, full of clipboard-carriers and front-of- house staff fannying about but the actual service (which is what I actually want and pay for) is not as good. IMHO, of coursel

^This

 

[noogieman]

Well, I wouldn't be so certain.

Several years ago I was considering a Lexus and I visited the local dealer where they had a showroom display car of the model I was interested in. It wasn't possible to have a test-drive at that time so an appointment was made for mid-morning the next day at which time I duly turned up, with d/licence etc.. 'Oh, you can't have a test drive, we've sold that car'. End of conversation. To this day I've not heard from them again. I bought another MB instead.

I think the reality is that there are good and bad examples everywhere, the 'brand' is no guarantee of a level of service, whatever the 'mission-statement' might be. In my experience the providers of the best service are often the smaller family-owned businesses which are, of course, becoming few and far between in the (particularly new) car retail trade. When my local MB dealer was family-owned the service was excellent and they knew their customers. Their showroom was small and the workshop 'old', staffed with 'technicians' with whom you could talk things over. The modern showrooms are quite 'flash', corporate, full of clipboard-carriers and front-of- house staff fannying about but the actual service (which is what I actually want and pay for) is not as good. IMHO, of coursel

Lexus dealers had orders from HQ in Japan to provide the very best customer service.
Lexus wanted to be a high class luxury car stealing customers from BMW and MB, Lexus had to offer a concept of special treatment for their customers.
Offering best service before purchase, during purchase and after purchase, dealers have 100% happy customers satisfaction.

First years in the 90's when Lexus was a new brand car maker, they were losing money on their car sales.

I would believe Lexus dealers has an over all total customer satisfaction than MB dealers will ever have?
But that's only my assumption?

 

[bpsorrel]

The best dealer experience I've had with Lexus was actually not a dealer! It's an authorised Lexus specialist in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. They are a Toyota dealer but are also officially a Lexus service centre. Not flashy, but good old fashioned decent service! I'd love to find an MB version of them...