Mercedes Service Plan and loan car inclusion?

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jayboy222

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Jun 21, 2017
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197
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Mercedes E63
Hi

I've had service plans on my and wife's car for the last three years, and recently renewed both. I have never been charged for using a loan car when taking my cars over the last three years, but today I took my car in for it's service and picked up the loan car as expected. However, when collecting my car, I was charged £25 for the use of the loan car. When I queried I was told loan cars have never been inlcuded with the service plan, but I'm being charged now due to Covid, Mercedes are charging for sanitizing loan cars and passing that cost on to the customer.

I asked when this was introduced and was vaguely told Feb 2020 when dealerships re-opened. But I took my car in for a service in August 2020 and was charged nothing! This stand off went on for about an hour before I gave in and paid just to get out of there.

I am so certain that the fee for loan cars was waived for customers with a service plan, but Mercedes seem to be re-writing history or making it up as they go along. Am I going mad here?

Be very grateful for members expectations of the service plan, as I am certain loan cars were advertised as one of the benefits of the service plan! I spoke to Mercedes Customer Service, and though helpful, they said there was nothing they could do as it's down to the franchises, which is fair enough, but I have to take the wife's car in for a service tomorrow and I just want to be clear about what I signed up for when I bought our service plans.

Thanks
 
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I had a service on Service Care Plan in December 2020, and was offered a loan car for a fee (I declined as I didn't need a loan car).

Before that, I had three services on Service Care Plan at the same dealer, I was never offered (not requested) a loan car, so no idea if they used to charge for it beforehand.

The issue for me is that the dealer I use (MB Brooklands) is an hour’s drive from my home, so I prefer to tour the museum and sit in the coffee shop with my laptop than collect a loan car and travel back and forth. So for me personally the availability (or lack of) of a loan car makes no difference.
 
The one you talked to from MB customer service had no idea what he was talking about. 🤦🏼
From ServiceCare Plan Information
Mercedes-Benz ServiceCare Plan Information.
The ServiceCare Plan, once effective, is a contract between you and Mercedes-Benz Cars UK Limited (Mercedes-Benz Cars) directly, and is not with your preferred Mercedes-Benz Retailer.
• The contract is not effective until Mercedes-Benz Cars has received your order and has activated the plan.
• Once the plan is activated, you will receive a copy of your Mercedes-Benz ServiceCare Plan Contract and Payment Schedule within 14 days from the date of your order.

Look for Service plan contract.
 
It’s down to the dealer to decide.

But no, loan cars are not included with the service plans - nor are they included with a service if you pay as you go.

I recently had my GL63 serviced - Brooklands were indicating the usual loan car charge same as any booking (£35 or £50 IIRC) but MB Guildford who called me about the upcoming service said they’d do one for free - guess who got the work :)
 
I have used MB Newcastle for the last 5 years for my services on a service plan. So long as you book a couple of weeks in advance they have always managed a “free” loan car. At pick up they warn you that the insurance excess is £750 unless you pay a small fee for the insurance, as my normal excess is £750I have always declined the excess waver. Cars have ranged from a brand new (30 miles) E Class Coupe through C Class Coupes and saloons and and occasionally an A Class. Cars always come with just enough fuel to stop the warning light coming on so always need to purchase fuel for your journeys which is fair enough.
 
Thanks for the helpful replies....I think it's a bit of a grey area for Mercedes, as I've been told completely contradictory info regarding loan cars in the past. Interestingly, the dealership just phoned my wife to advise her, that her car is due in tomorrow and there is a charge for the loan car....I received no such call yesterday lol.

Farmer boy - I booked months in advance, but i think dealers in the South-East/London are more sparing/inconsistent with their use of discretion.
 
I don't think it a grey area? MB in general stopped doing free courtesy cars a good many years ago (claiming that those who never used them would benefit from a reduced service cost), but individual dealers may choose to offer it as a perk / benefit ... just like cheap MOTs and labour/parts discounts e.g.


Note that this is the group that MB Guildford are part of!
 
I don't think it a grey area? MB in general stopped doing free courtesy cars a good many years ago (claiming that those who never used them would benefit from a reduced service cost), but individual dealers may choose to offer it as a perk / benefit ... just like cheap MOTs and labour/parts discounts e.g.


Note that this is the group that MB Guildford are part of!
You're prob right, but I've had two cars serviced for the last three years at the same dealership and never been charged....just seems a bit odd that it changed today, with the cost of sanitisation being given as the reason for the cost.
 
Weird I never had a free loan car. But then again MB Chelsea is shit
 
I’ve had eight services done under the Service Plan. Four of those times I’ve had a loan car and never been charged for it. The other times I’ve either accepted their offer of a lift or walked. I’ve booked a loan car for the service later this month and they didn’t mention anything about paying for it. If they try charging for it when I collect my car and haven’t said anything beforehand, they won’t get a penny from me, nor any future business.
 
Had the E63 serviced last Sept under a service plan and the C220d loan car was offered freely with no charge. MB- Poole did the service.
I am expecting a fee next service going on the experiences of others here.
 
Had the E63 serviced last Sept under a service plan and the C220d loan car was offered freely with no charge. MB- Poole did the service.
I am expecting a fee next service going on the experiences of others here.

MB Poole are part of the same group as MB Guildford, mentioned by Will above.
 
Sandown group?
MB Poole are also advertised as AMG specialists if that means anything:p

Yes they are a Sandown dealership, which also means they offer the age-related parts & labour discounts I mentioned earlier (starting at 3 years old).
 
I think it’s strange how nobody has touched on the overall cost of main dealer servicing at all in this thread (be that via a plan or direct payment at the time of the work) but the thought of paying £25 or so for a loan car seems to be unpopular.

I reckon the cost of servicing at a main dealer nowadays is actually quite reasonable value and the thought of paying £25-50 for an almost new, valeted and sanitised loan car to use isn’t really bad value either.

When you consider the wear and tear loan cars typically get along with the usual associated costs of running a car - is it not reasonable to expect to pay a small amount for the use of such or not to pay for the use of such a service if it isn’t required? :)
 
Had two cars - both on service plans - serviced by MB Oxford (Inchcape) so far this year and both times was told when booking that a courtesy car was “included because your car is on a service plan”.

That's exactly what I've been told for the last three years.
 
I think it’s strange how nobody has touched on the overall cost of main dealer servicing at all in this thread (be that via a plan or direct payment at the time of the work) but the thought of paying £25 or so for a loan car seems to be unpopular.

I reckon the cost of servicing at a main dealer nowadays is actually quite reasonable value and the thought of paying £25-50 for an almost new, valeted and sanitised loan car to use isn’t really bad value either.

When you consider the wear and tear loan cars typically get along with the usual associated costs of running a car - is it not reasonable to expect to pay a small amount for the use of such or not to pay for the use of such a service if it isn’t required? :)

£25 is not alot in the grand scheme of things. But if you're told that the £25 cost is waived, then told you have to pay, with no clear rationale, then I don't care it's it's £1 or £1000, I want to know why.
 
£25 is not alot on the grand scheme of things. But if you're told that £25 cost is waived then told you have to pay, with no clear rationale, then I don't care it's it's £1 or £1000, I want to know why.
Understood. But if the cost of the service was £25 more and the loan car ‘free’ then I guess you’d not have realised the cost baked into the deal.

It’s a bit like the local restaurants doing free delivery on takeaways but discount on collection or a free bottle of wine or something! :)
 

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