Mercedes Solihull - so disappointing

[harveyn]

I called Mercedes Solihull about the 2007 Mercedes E350 Elegance Estate, I saw advertised on Autotrader on the 29th August and left a £500 refundable deposit to secure.

I was told the car was in the paintshop, and that Tuesday the 31st was the earliest I could view it.

I drove up from London and was genuinely shocked to see the car having such extensive repairs. At no time had they admitted this despite asking specific questions about the condition of the paintwork. The salesmen said as we approached the paint shop, that he thought it was having a few stone chips at the front touched in. They were also not intending on painting two other panels, (the front wing and boot) which really needed doing, and were planning on doing a cheaper smart repair instead.

Needless to say I rejected the car. They were slow to return the deposit, there was no apology or anything further communication from the dealership.

When I did speak to Nigel Edwards, he admitted that they shouldn't have advertised the car before it was ready for sale and that I shouldn't have been shown it in the paint shop. However, he declined to offer any contribution towards my time and the costs of going to view the vehicle.

The car is still for sale more than a month later.

 

[Charles Morgan]

You really do have to wonder at the utter stupidity of showing a car while it is being repaired.

If they had waited a couple of days you wouldn't have been any the wiser.

I suppose if car dealers offered refunds for wasting peoples' time, they would all be bust!

 

[312 Sprinter]

So you're upset because the dealer was willing to show you the actual work the car was undergoing? It is a used car, they get keyed, they get supermarket dings. New cars get this kind of work if they get damaged in transit.

It looks to me like they're doing a thorough job. It also seems to me they were being pretty straight.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Think of it the other way round- what if they had not been honest with you about the work being carried out and you found out about it at a later date, what would you say then? Would you complain that they had not been honest?
The only thing they have done wrong is to advertise it early...

 

[harveyn]

They were not honest about what was being done, I wouldn't have gone to view the car if I knew several panels were being painted.

They were not doing the job to a high standard either. There was a large shallow dent on the boot with a 10p size of rust in the middle, which they had obviously asked the local paint shop to leave, likewise with the scratches on the front wing. Later they said they were going to do smart repairs in this area.

I was disappointed that they weren't honest about the car on the phone and that I wasted a journey.

 

[martin_a]

Does sound like poor service to me and a car that is having fairly extensive repairs done. I am ok with the odd parking ding being done and/or a stone chip or two, it is a used car but that looks almost like accident repairs (HPI clear i am sure) and a car under going that sort of work might have had a much harder life than you'd expect.

It was ok to show the car being done but they should have been honest about it in the first place so the OP could decide if he wanted to take the risk. Given that it seems they were hoping the car would be out of the garage by then (and not even repaired properly by the sound of it, then they should be making some sort of gesture, simply for lying.

m.

 

[Ted]

Are you suggesting that a Mercedes may have bodywork and or rust issues?
And are you saying that car salesmen may be economical with the truth?

HOW VERY DARE YOU!!!!!!

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Its a shocking dealership. My Dad is currently having grief with them after selling him a W211 with a bootfull of water, filty and loads more faults.

 

[jaymanek]

That amount of prep on a used car is pretty normal.. but they should never have shown it to you in the body shop..

If they have gone to the effort of removing the front bumper, they are probably doing a decent job.

And remember that smart repairs are very very good these days and if done properly can be just as good as a body shop repair.

 

[st4]

They were not honest about what was being done, I wouldn't have gone to view the car if I knew several panels were being painted.

They were not doing the job to a high standard either. There was a large shallow dent on the boot with a 10p size of rust in the middle, which they had obviously asked the local paint shop to leave, likewise with the scratches on the front wing. Later they said they were going to do smart repairs in this area.

I was disappointed that they weren't honest about the car on the phone and that I wasted a journey.

Quite large and alarming a 07 plate car has this

 

[jaymanek]

In a body shop, cars always look bad...
there was probably very little damage but with modern paints, a large area has to be prepared, painted and lacquered to ensure a proper colour match.

 

[petecb]

me and my dad went to look at an E320 55 plate ,at solihull last year , just didn't seem right for the milage , too much interior wearfor a car with less than 70k on it . the salesman assured us that it was straight as you'd expect from an mb dealer but when i had a look under the rear bumper it was obvious that it had been in an accident , massive over spray and crappy welding isnt a 'new car option ' . also had a feeling the wheels had been swapped over from an older car as the paint was falling off in sheets . he was going to chop in his s500 - v reg -100k ful mbsh - imaculate, he was offered £1500 as a px . needless to say we walked and have never been back since

 

[timk]

Its a shocking dealership. My Dad is currently having grief with them after selling him a W211 with a bootfull of water, filty and loads more faults.

+1 on MB Solihull being absolutely woeful. Their service department is well below average, even for an MB main dealer, in my experience.

 

[tomahawk14]

disappointing dealer

hi, i agree with everything you said about there customer service treatment.first they say couple of stone chips and then you relise the hole car is undergoing full cosmetic cheap surgery with some work left over(rust) for you to keep yourself busy in garges after you buy the car.

and in the end after insulting your intelligence,waste your time and hold your money they send one of there MIB! agents to say he agrees with you:bannana:.

and i dont agree with some people that say if a dealer owns up to there mistake and reimburse a client they would go bust>theres tons of ways to satisfy a client.

 

[amgmaster]

there was only 1 good salesman that used to work at sollihul iain wolfe who has know left the dealership.
they have no clue how to deal with customers the woman in fianance is thick telling me that they only had to give the c63 offer to who they wanted 2.
i told them to stick there car and give my deposit back. i could go on and on.
im realy suprised that these dealerships do any good.
i think its more that they are in a well off area were people dont really care.

 

[harveyn]

Thank you for your comments everyone.

Whilst smart repairs can be very good, I don't think it makes sense to have an original bonnet, a resprayed front bumper, a smart repaired wing, an original drivers door, a resprayed rear door and rear panel, and a smart repaired boot. I suspect it looks like a patch work quilt now. For a 24,000 mile one owner car I wanted original paintwork.

Interesting to hear that I am not the only one who has received poor service from Mercedes Solihull.

I am pleased to say that I sold my slightly older E320 CDI estate very easily for £2,000 more than they had offered me as a part exchange.