MP3 support and Greenoaks (long)

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agatward

Active Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2006
Messages
240
Location
Reading, Berks.
Car
A150 SE
Hi all,

I'm new here (and new to Mercedes too), please forgive me if I post in the wrong place.

I took delivery of my W169 just over a week ago from Greenoaks. So far very pleased with the car, although the delivered mileage was a little high (65 miles). However, I am now in a "dispute" with the sales person I was dealing with and two of his staff regarding MP3 support in the car.

When I first discussed the car with him I stated that one of my requirements was to be able to play MP3s in the car, preferably from CDROM but iPod integration would do. I had done some research beforehand and knew that the Audio 20 didn't play MP3 CDs without the CD Changer fitted, and the Audio 50 and above did in the head unit alone.

So the sales bod decides to persuade me to take the "Special Edition" over the Classic SE + extras I was looking at. Fair enough. I then ask him if the Audio 20 will play MP3 CDs (my exact phrase), to which he says yes. I then check with him saying that some Internet forums say it won't, to which he says "well I write them to CD and it works on mine".

So I take delivery of the car and I ask the guy to sit with me while I try the MP3 CDs. They don't work. He says it must be something to do with the way they're written, so I explain that they worked in the stereo in my old 106. We went and tried them in a COMAND unit and they worked, so I told him that proves the discs are fine.

A couple of days later he phones saying they've just had an A200 with CD Changer delivered, and would I like to try the discs in there. I go down and try them and they work fine in the CDC, he still wasn't clear on what the difference was so I explain to him. I ask him to sort out a price for CDC installation.

So eventually the price comes back - £800 ish. I query it saying it says £333 (unit) + £30 (bracket) in the book and it should take no longer than an hour to fit. He comes back saying the book's pricing is wrong and he's re-checked it and it's actually £670 ish. So I ask for the iPod kit pricing. £301.

I cool off a bit over the weekend and send him an email this morning, stating very politely that the issue needs resolving and that I do not see why I should pay for the labour but am happy to pay for the parts, given the player I have doesn't do what I told him at the start I needed it to do. A few emails bounce back and forth and eventually he accuses me of lying, saying "with respect, I know what I said and I know what I meant", then asks if he can get his manager to contact me.

So... not a good impression so far for customer service. So far it's standing at "not fit for purpose", however the sales bod is claiming that he told me it would only play CD Audio discs (now he understands what the difference is).

What makes it even more bizarre is that the manual for the Audio 20 in the UK states that it plays MP3 discs, but apparently the Canadian manual states that it requires the CDC unit to do so (my friend over there has one).

Where do you people think I should go from here? I haven't paid my acceptance fee or first finance payment yet but don't really want to go down that route as I like the car. Should I see what his manager has to say and push for a good-will upgrade (as I said I'm happy to pay for parts), or just take it to MBUK as a complaint?

I'm also considering taking my servicing elsewhere (probably Purslow's in Basingstoke). Does this invalidate anything warranty or finance wise? The finance is with MBUK.

Cheers,

Andy
 
Welcome

Sorry to hear that they have mislead you !

iPOD integration kit is available for approx £170 (not fitted) from this link .... have just received mine, and will be getting it fitted this week, either myself, or with a little help :)

Has to be a cheaper option than the CD Changer. I would get them to pay for it and install it, given that they have clearly led you up the garden path. The dealer that I bought my car from recently was quite honest about this issue, so I knew that I would need to add something in order to get the required functionality.

Would hope that they show some goodwill in this case and sort you out (as well as giving the sales person in question some training !)

S.
 
How hard can fitting be? It's just a cable and moving some fibre optic connectors around surely? (+star diags but any -good- MB garage should do that for free)

Have printed off some prices to take down there and challenge them. Allowing for the quoted £75/hr for labour, they're charging me 1.75 hours labour. I seriously doubt it takes that long!

As for the CDC price they gave, using the part numbers from the accessories book (as the W169 isn't on that russian web site yet), and allowing some money for screws, they're wanting just over 3 hours for labour. Forgive me if I'm wrong but screwing 8 screws in (4 from bracket to glove box and 4 from bracket to CDC) and running a new cable in from the centre console to the glove box then plugging it in doesn't take 3 hours.

I still think the iPod option is better - it displays track names in the console which the CDC won't. From what I understand, the reason for this is that the CDC uses the audio-over-MOST protocol on the fibre ring, but the iPod kit pretends to be a phone so has additional stuff for display available to it.

So... let the battle commence tomorrow, I'll let you know how I get on. Will be going down there in person rather than doing it over the phone or email. Tempting to take a witness though because I'm going to tell them I'm writing to the finance company and instructing them that I'm not accepting the car until this issue is resolved; and if it doesn't get resolved then I'll review my rights to cancel and take my business elsewhere.
 
Greenoaks have supplied us in the past with 2 brand new cars and each had 40 plus miles on the clock from our factory orders and wre not cars from their stock (may be they like to take them out for spins etc. before the final hand over or use them as demos...:rolleyes: ). When we queried the mileage their excuse was that the car was driven over from their storage compound from Bracknell but that is only a 13 mile trip at the most down to the Stealership...:rolleyes:

Which branch have you been dealing with? Greenoaks are the worse Stealership group that I have ever used and they also they won "worse stealership of the year award 2005” on this Forum.

Be firm and as the car is on Finance you have the upper hand as you can pull out under your circumstances!!! Tell the Salesman that unless the issue is sorted within the next seven days (do this via email/letter or fax) then you shall be rejecting the car - that will get the Greenoaks a$$ into gear...!!! Also. Tell him this verbally as well that you shall be sending it in writing.
 
Hi agatward, welcome to the forum.

You clearly sound like you have done your homework and are not confused on the matter, so I would say your position - and your desired resolution - are both eminently reasonable.

I would immediately seek dialogue with the Sales Manager on a friendly basis. Whilst sales people can be a bit chippy, it is unusal to find a Sales Manager eager who isn't looking for a satisfactory resolution. After all, they stand to make much more out of you on the Servicing side than on the car sale.

If necessary, speak to the top honcho in the dealership - they will certainly wish to retain you as a customer for servicing as the servicing revenues will be tied to their bonus.

Therefore, on that basis, I would recommend you never use the withdrawal of servicing business as a threat. As soon as you threaten it, they know they've lost you and their motivation to keep you happy has evaporated.

Good luck

Philip
 
From personal experience with Greenoaks unelss your "FIRM" they will walk over you even more and not take you seriously... Ever heard the saying "nice guys finish last..." ;) - well its true...:)
 
Totally agree with prprandall51,
Speak to the most senior person available, my policy is at first NEVER make threats, sadness, disappointment at being let down (deceived might be too strong :) ) simply state clearly how all the blame rests with them. If this fails then I would write (not e-mail, but words on paper :) ) to Mercedes-Benz UK.

If you have already made ANY threats then scrub round my advice, and your on your own :D :)

Good luck and you deserve full recompense,
John
 
An update:

Went to see the Sales Manager today, and bumped in to the sales guy I'd been dealing with who immediately offered to shake my hand and said "no hard feelings". Very strange. I went prepared with part numbers and prices for both the CDC and iPod options from the site mentioned by sym, so the guy knew he couldn't mess me around. His justification for the high prices quoted was that the dash has to be removed to fit the cable looms. Not convinced but hey, I'm not a mechanic!

Anyway, after much dialogue and explanation of the differences between MP3 and Audio CDs, he agreed to discuss the matter with their service department. Eventually they agreed to install the iPod kit for a heavily discounted price which I agreed to because I have better things to do than argue with sales people. The sales manager also came back to me while I was booking the car in and checked what iPod I had, so I was honest and said I didn't and would be purchasing one for the car, so he just said "don't buy the 60GB video one because it doesn't fit in the holder". At least he was up-front about this.

So my car's booked in to have it fitted tomorrow. I will of course be inspecting the car inside and out after I get it back and not accepting it if there's any damage / scratches etc. Luckily I don't work all that far away from the Stealership.

Oh, and for the record, I'm dealing with their Reading branch.

Feeling a little bit more satisfied with owning the Merc now, however it's still lost that glowy feeling.

Thanks all for the advice - I have a feeling I'll probably need it again with Greenoaks given the threads I've read here regarding their "service".

Andy.
 
the holder is a piece of plastic covered in softy stuff. You could make a blue peter version and it would be just as good.

originally there were scares the G5 would not be compatible and there were some supporting threads reporting odd glitches but IIRC nobody said don't do it. (although someone else said don't use double negatives....)
 
agatward said:
Oh, and for the record, I'm dealing with their Reading branch.

Reading branch now has a new Service Manger and the one before (Richard Bernard) has now left to become a Manger of Funeral/Undertaker company and I am SERIOUS as well... :crazy:

He was an “awful” Service Manager and used to be at Slough first before transferring over to Reading.
 
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Well the amusement continues - just had a call from them stating they'd forgotten to order the part so cannot fit it today, even though I dropped my car off with them this morning (!)
 
agatward said:
Well the amusement continues - just had a call from them stating they'd forgotten to order the part so cannot fit it today, even though I dropped my car off with them this morning (!)


Now, From your initial experience of Greenoaks, I do hope you REMEMBER NEVER to use them again, especially for your servicing.
 
They were somewhat apologetic when I went to pick the car up this evening.

The service team leader allocated to my account (Rupert) was very helpful and said he would contact me when he had the part in his hand and that they could fit it while I waited, but it would take 2 hours or so. He also did say that this would be the first new A class that his team had fitted an iPod kit to. Should I be worried here?

I guess I should also get my iPod ordered so I have one to test with when the kit eventually gets fitted.

I think if I couldn't laugh about this I'd be crying by now :(
 
i'd suspect anyone called Rupert waiting to get my part in his hand....
 
agatward said:
The service team leader allocated to my account (Rupert) (

Was this guy bald by any chance and wearing glasses...???
 
Not bald but did have glasses I think. German sounding accent.
 

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