New Mercedes CLC non pre-launch offer Whing

[2benz]

Just like to whinge about Mercedes UK and have now lodged a formal complaint.

My Mrs drives a 2006 C 180k Coupe and late May saw an advert for the new June '08 UK launch of the CLC with a free sport upgrade (worth about 1k).

We visited the local dealership and were advised the offer is only valid that 1/4 year the car would have to be delivered by the end of June.

I challenged them on this as the delivery time from Brazil is something like 3.5 months AFTER the build so the estimated delivery date was late 2008.

To use on the offer would be impossible.

I thought this cannot be right and called another dealer and they confirmed Mercedes UK work on 1/4 year offers and we could not use the free upgrade offer and agreed it was almost impossible.

I then took this up with Mercedes UK in early June. I may add approx 1 week before launch of the CLC in the UK and they agreed there was no way I could take advantage of the offer UNLESS I took a demo car or make do with spec'd up stock car I didn't want.

I was promised the matter would be looked into and they would resolve it for me so my wife ordered the car. The online offer disappeared that day.

I waited until last week (busy with events over the summer) and found they had closed my fie (without resolution) and written off as me passing constructive feedback so have opened it again and raised the matter to an official complaint. They also asked me to evidence the offer they had taken off the website but threw that back in their face.

Seems a bit of a long story but the long and short is if you see a pre-launch offer, don't be so sure that you can cash in on it.

Looked at a new BMW and Audi and they are both happy to write off my £500 deposit to Mercedes so hopefully that will give me some power.

Any thoughts or advice or experience with Merc so called get me in the door non-deals?

Mark

 

[Dieselman]

Did the T&C's clearly state the car had to be registered before a deadline date.? If so I dont see the problem, it's to promote rapid take up of pre-ordered stock as opposed to special order cars.

The expression you can't have it both ways comes to mind..

 

[2benz]

The problem was as soon as I raised it with Merc, they took the deal off the web straight away as they agreed they could not honour the deal.

Second problem was pre-launch you could NOT get your hands on one. No one could offer me the sport model to upgrade to.

We were not being chosy but if you are offered a dealer spec'd up model for £26k when your budget is £21k for a 180k sport I would say I wasn't wanting it all my way. They just din't have sport models to upgrade too. I wold have been fine with an SE but they cannot bolt the sport kit onto it.

The offer got me in the door but I have spoken to three big dealerships and to their knowledge no one was able to take advantage of the offer.

One agreed with me 100% with me that it was impossible to do with delivery dates. My dealer is supporting my complaint as it wasn't played fair.

I get your point on taking stock but the stock wasn't there to buy.

 

[Dieselman]

Were there no unallocated Sport versions available Nationally that could be sold to you.?
If not I agree it was a sham offer and you should have reported them to Trading Standards.

 

[2benz]

I did go down that route but the dealers stated they couldn't pick off someone else's stock as the availability of the CLC is so limited they are each supplied a small allocation. Mercedes told me to phone every dealer in the country which was out of hand.

I visited two dealers today and they are still limited to restricted allocations. One said he had to barter two of his stock models to get hold of a certain white CLC sport last week so it is tough at present to get what you want.

Previous experience with other manufacturers dealers could pull an unsold/unallocated car from any dealer in the country. Not so I have been advised with the CLC.

I will await Mercedes Customer Services investigation.

I am not so worried about complaining to trading standards I just feel a nationally advertised deal 2 weeks before a launch of a car that cannot be honoured in any way that is reasonable is no way to treat new and existing customers. At least they removed the deal from the net when I complained.

One sales manager told me today they have experienced serious problems with the CLC with regard to delivery times and allocations.

 

[DSLiverpool]

I had this issue with them last year with an SL500 - they were adding loads of kit as the new facelift model was coming and it was a great deal in bigger alloys, nappa upgrade etc however could I buy one - no chance - I tried any colour even but none to be had. Dealers just said there were none of these "specially BUILT" cars available (the offer was only a few weeks in when I enquired)

I made calls and complained till I was blue in the face but gave up in the end as life is too short but it seems one part (marketing) has no clue what the factory can / have / will make - poor show and I took the CLS55 instead of which I am happy as I have a better engine just a diff car

Dont raise your bloods on it - if they want to sell you a car so be it - if not make your alternate choices and BARTER HARD! good luck

 

[IanA2]

If what you say is accurate, ie they were advertising something that did not exist, then I think we're into brand tarnishing territory. Iirc this type of advertising is illegal. I would report the matter to Trading Standards. A company like MB should not resort to dubious marketing tactics.

 

[Rory]

Looked at a new BMW and Audi and they are both happy to write off my £500 deposit to Mercedes so hopefully that will give me some power.

I'm pretty ambivalent about the offer - I think these things are almost always a con, so I tend to take no notice of them.

However, are you suggesting that you can't get the deposit back? If the deal can't do the deal you agreed then the surely is null & void.

 

[Gucci]

The fact that the web offer disappeared speaks volumes.

 

[crockers]

Do you think it may have just been a mistake?? One side Marketing not understanding delays etc and not talking to other side - distribution? If you feel it was a deliberate misleading offer then you have every right to persue it - but if they can prove it was a genuine mistake it would result in a mild rebuke...if deliberate watch the sh*t fly..

 

[Dragon]

On the subject of CLC, SLC, it looks like there will be no further SL, SLK, CLK as they are phasing out.

 

[Alfie]

On the subject of CLC, SLC, it looks like there will be no further SL, SLK, CLK as they are phasing out.

Im not sure this is true at all. Are you seriously saying that Mercedes are phasing out the SL?

A colleague of mine has the new shape/generation MY2010 SL on order. This is the new model due then not the current facelifted one just announced.

What is your source for this information?

 

[jeremytaylor]

No way will they phase out the SL, SLK or CLK !!

If they do, I'll eat the star on my bonnet!

 

[Geezer]

If they do, I'll eat the star on my bonnet!

That'll catch in yer throat!

 

[Doodle]

TBH this is nothing new, marketing depts are well known for being as far removed from reality as is physically possible. Almost weekly ours will make promises without actually bothering to check if we (the poor sods who have to turn their pipe dreams into reality) can actually do it.

Sometimes they're lucky, and we can. Sometimes they aren't, and then have to either:
a) tell the customer they can't deliver
or
b) be very very grovelling and nice to us in order to rewrite the system so that it can. Bribing with nice biscuits beforehand is normally a good opening gambit for this one

 

[Shude]

TBH this is nothing new, marketing depts are well known for being as far removed from reality as is physically possible. Almost weekly ours will make promises without actually bothering to check if we (the poor sods who have to turn their pipe dreams into reality) can actually do it.

I used to cringe when I heard the salesmen on the phone at work, selling things we could never hope to deliver.

 

[Dieselman]

I used to cringe when I heard the salesmen on the phone at work, selling things we could never hope to deliver.

You usually know when it's going to happen.
They are awake and their lips are moving..

 

[Doodle]

I've given up cringing...I found battering them to death with a keyboard to be far more effective