No Service Book?

[Kilmarnockbunne]

Hi

Looking for some advice. Picked up my car 3 weeks ago from the local MB Dealer in Ayrshire (no names). Was told car had all the documentation, service book etc. I asked to confirm this as my wifes car (bought from same dealer 3 years ago) came with a replacement service book - not bad for a car 12 months old. My car is 3 years old.

Have asked dealer for the missing service book and was given a bit of a run around. Been contacted today my the Service Manager who says basically I dont need one due to the electronic service program.

Do I just go with the flow or persist on getting a book. Electronic history is fine till I dont get a MB service, or when I go to sell the car without a service history.

Any advice?

Thanks

 

[nb_racing]

IMO if the car was sold to you as having a service book then you have grounds to get one from them. But a service book is different to service history... Sounds a bit dodgy to me.. I would give them some sh1t personally. I don't think they should be able to get away with fobbing people off all the time.

 

[rob_miller]

The service manager is correct about the electronic service history. It might be a good idea to go to a different MB dealer and ask for a print out of the service history. All main dealers should be able to access this information.

 

[Kilmarnockbunne]

Thanks guys.
I have a print out of the last service, so not worried about the car not being serviced properly, in fact I am really lucky its only done 16k and is close to brand new. Just felt I was being a bit fobbed off, would expect a service book if I bought a 10 year old Astra.
Will try to be a bit heavier handed with them.
Cheers.
Going on a South of France trip a week on Saturday, so that will add a few miles!

 

[rob_miller]

This is the link that explains it in greater detail:

Mercedes-Benz UK - Servicing - Digital Service Report

 

[sinewave]

Replacement service books are available from any dealer for £18.

If bought from the supplying dealer whose carried out all services to date then they are obliged to stamp the replacement book up to date.

Mine was lost and replaced by MB Shrewsbury and was re-stamed from day one.

 

[mct_cars]

Get them to replace the book and organise the stamp(s) at whatever dealer did the service.

You'll thank yourself when you come to sell!

 

[Peterr_ibg]

Confused - Is the car three years old , or close to brand new?

If the car didn't come with a service book due to Digital Service Report from new then difficult to insist on one - Maybe there has been misunderstanding or confusion over what the salesperson said, or meant to say.

Neither my car or my wifes 6 year old Mazda have service books - good way for the manufacturer to keep you in their network.

 

[DSM10000]

Hi

Looking for some advice. Picked up my car 3 weeks ago from the local MB Dealer in Ayrshire (no names).

How many MB dealers are there in Ayrshire?

 

[Aoraki]

Get them to replace the book and organise the stamp(s) at whatever dealer did the service.

You'll thank yourself when you come to sell!

As has been said, it's electronic and no book is given/required.

Resale value is not compromised as long as servicing has been carried out to MB spec, either in or out of dealer network. A very good friend is a MB sales person and he assures me no price difference in trade in.

 

[chord]

When buying a MB it always pays to phone MB customer services and ask when and where the car was serviced, this in a way is more valuable than a service book.

It shouldn't be difficult to get a service book for a 3 year old car, let the dealer sort it out for you.

 

[mct_cars]

As has been said, it's electronic and no book is given/required.

I don't give a monkeys what Mercedes tells you, I'd want a book with the car, physical proof.

What happens in 5 years when Mercedes has changed it's system and all of a sudden it costs to get the info? Screw that, book with stamps in it and as above, always check with the dealer when buying a car to make sure it's not forged, or buy the car where the caring owner(s) has kept all the bills as well as the book.

 

[Kilmarnockbunne]

Thanks for the opinions. I will dig my heels in and get a book.

 

[Kilmarnockbunne]

How many MB dealers are there in Ayrshire?

Only 1, but wasnt sure if I could say Stratstone?

 

[Kilmarnockbunne]

Confused - Is the car three years old , or close to brand new?

If the car didn't come with a service book due to Digital Service Report from new then difficult to insist on one - Maybe there has been misunderstanding or confusion over what the salesperson said, or meant to say.

Neither my car or my wifes 6 year old Mazda have service books - good way for the manufacturer to keep you in their network.

Car is 3 years old but in a close to new condition. Read it again and it was a bit confusing.

 

[219]

How many MB dealers are there in Ayrshire?

Only one since Glen Henderson sold up recently .

 

[WindyH]

I've just bought a 2009 car, Merc approved used. It has a service book but nowhere to stamp- it doesn't have the blank service pages to fill in. But it does come with an A4 sized digital print out of the work done for each service. Plus the previous owner thoughtfully left a photocopy of each service invoice with the car. I'll just continue to ask for a print out each time and keep a copy of my invoices to pass on to the next owner. These show more detail than a stamp and signature in a book.

 

[juux]

I don't give a monkeys what Mercedes tells you, I'd want a book with the car, physical proof.

And if M-B no longer supply one with any car...? You're going to insist they print one specially for you? That would seem to be the case in this instance. My service book is little more than a list of the service items/frequencies and some comforting words about M-B's dealer network, no space for stamps.

Thinking about it, the presence of stamps in a little booklet to signify 'service history' is a curious anachronism in this day and age; cars cost tens of thousands to buy, are more complicated than much of NASA's output and can only really give up their secrets via the OBD port nowadays, yet a pamphlet with inky imprints and some squiggles is somehow meant to reassure us? It basically says nothing when you think about it.

Like it or not, the fact that service history resides with the manufacturer is probably here to stay.

Having said that, I would prefer it if they allowed you to view online the full ASSYST history on entry of, say, VIN and registered keeper's surname/postcode, with a cut-down version available to anyone with the VIN for use at private sale.

To the OP; if your car was made after the change to fully electronic service records then a) I can't really see the point in insisting on a book, but also b) there is no real reason why the dealer can't locate one from somewhere and give it to you as it will not add anything to the car/service history anyway.

 

[M3 SHAM]

IMO it is crazy not have a printed service book/record and I would NOT buy a car that does not have one! If the particular model of the car you have does not have a service book provided with it as standard then I would be keeping each service invoice nicely in a folder as proof of servicing.

It may not be a problem if you are trade your car in at a later date with an MB dealer, but if you sell your car privatley or trade it in with a non MB dealer I think you would struggle to convince a potential buyer to part with thousands of pounds if you have no evidence your car has been serviced

 

[This is Pete]

IMO it is crazy not have a printed service book/record and I would NOT buy a car that does not have one! If the particular model of the car you have does not have a service book provided with it as standard then I would be keeping each service invoice nicely in a folder as proof of servicing.

It may not be a problem if you are trade your car in at a later date with an MB dealer, but if you sell your car privatley or trade it in with a non MB dealer I think you would struggle to convince a potential buyer to part with thousands of pounds if you have no evidence your car has been serviced

So, if you had a service book, you'd trust it completely? No one ever in the history of selling cars has ever falsified a service history to make it look more attractive?

A digital service book proves without a doubt what has happened to the car and ensures that the car has had official MB servicing through it's life.