Ordering a new car with Privacy Glass and getting tinted windows? What would you do?

[Dansta]

Evening all,

Having a bit of a trouble making a decision on how to deal with my latest quandary.

Took delivery of my brand new C Class two weeks ago. All very well. Love the car with great service from MB. However after driving around for a couple of hours i realised there was one fundamental problem. I didn't have the Privacy Glass that i had ordered and paid for!

Straight back to the dealer who was very apologetic admitting there had been a balls up and that these things quite often get down when the car arrives without them and they do it retrospectively.

They took the car in within a few days and had the windows 'tinted'.

Now first and foremost, the job isn't perfect. There are a couple of small bubbles at the bottom of the rear screen (the dealer explained that this was due to the tail light) but would all go within a few days as it was a breathable tint. If not i could take it back etc etc and have it sorted.

Obviously it hasn't gone and around the edges on the back where the window meets it super black edge the tiny dot bits have air too.

Now he said i could return it to be done again if not ok but now i'm simply thinking why on earth do i have 'tinted' windows when i paid £330 for factory tinted glass?

Am I being precious? or would you be the same?

Interested to hear what fellow owners views are? The missus tells me to stop being a princess. lol

Thanks in advance

Dan

 

[renault12ts]

Stop being a princess...

Seriously though I think tinted is somewhat different to privacy...so it's unacceptable. Ask them to get the glass.

 

[MancMike]

It wouldn't have cost £330 to have the car professionally tinted. So id be annoyed as id now gotten an inferior (slightly) product but paid the full price.

I'd want a full or partial refund of the £330 and their apology and the good will gesture of the aftermarket tints will have to do to make up for their mistake.

Not unreasonable I don't think.

 

[paulshep69]

You should get what you paid for, I'm sure they'll try and put you off replacing all the windows as it would be a far greater cost than the £330 option it was from new.

How didn't you notice it when you picked it up though, that's the real question - was it at night or did you have sunglasses on for the first 2 hours?

That aside, I'm not a fan of privacy glass anyway, in my humble opinion, it's the reserve of VIPs who are chauffeured around, but that's another debate altogether.

At the end of the day though, you should get what you've paid for, simple as that.

 

[Dansta]

Glad to hear it's not just me. Gonna put something in writing this week and see what they come up with. I have been hesitant initially because the service up to now has been very good.

Paulshep... Lol yes I know. Didn't notice due to the new car buzz that was going strong on collection. I just wanted in it and off the forecourt.

Thanks guys.

Dan

 

[Wheelsnuts]

Good luck. You should get what you paid for and nothing less. Otherwise, a full refund plus the tinting as a goodwill gesture should be in order.

 

[zenman63]

Take it back and get factory glass, its a big job as each door will need taking apart and new membranes fitted, plus the screens front and rear are bonded, it will cost a fortune.
Reject the car and get one right, forget the film tinting, it always has that line of bubbles around the glass mask and looks bad.

 

[Palfrem]

One wonders why the Dealer doesn't spot these things when the car is prepped?

Most factories ( remember those?) have a goods inwards inspection of some sort, especially when the items are high value

 

[nb_racing]

I'd don't think it's unreasonable to ask for the correct glass being as you've paid for it. It's the dealers foul up, not yours.
Personally I would be most annoyed about the fact they knew it didn't have the glass and tried to get away with just tinting instead.
If you're polite about it I would try for the glass, but will cost a fortune as said (payable by the dealer of course), if not you could reject the car but is that really worth it?? Maybe just get them to do a proper job of the tints instead. And a refund of the £330, naturally.

 

[brucemillar]

Tints scratch pretty easy. Glass does not. No comparison between the two. I would ask them to fit the glass.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[Dansenior]

Simple in my opinion, you paid for privacy glass therefore you want privacy glass. Tinted glass is not a patch on privacy glass, a keen eye can always tell its not factory. And like somebody else said it wouldnt cost that much fo have them tinted.

 

[MancMike]

Don't worry about giving them an ordeal. Maybe in future that particular dealership will have someone with a clipboard go through a check list on the car when it's delivered...

 

[boxbrownie]

Would you accept it if it came with halogen headlamps instead of the intelligent LED lamps you ordered, and the dealer said it's OK they will just upgrade the bulbs with a set from Halfords?

I hope not!

 

[Dansta]

Thanks guys.

Writing now! Will update. Lol

 

[SarahAnn200]

I would definitely want the factory privacy glass. Compared to aftermarket film, it's like chalk and cheese.

I had tinted film added to my freelander and I loved it at the time until I got factory privacy with my c class and didn't realise how different they are. The film made the freelander dark inside but the factory glass looks clear from the inside on the c class.

I would never have film added to a car now after having the privacy glass.

If I'd paid for factory privacy, I wouldn't settle for film

 

[Dansta]

Dealer is out of the office until tomorrow.

Time will tell.

 

[Deane x]

Take it back and get factory glass, its a big job as each door will need taking apart and new membranes fitted, plus the screens front and rear are bonded, it will cost a fortune.
Reject the car and get one right, forget the film tinting, it always has that line of bubbles around the glass mask and looks bad.

I had factory tinted on wife's car as a option and have it on my car it's not very dark ,rubbish IMO . just had a price to tint my s class At £175

 

[seven]

I had a similar situation with my Transporter. Ordered and paid for heated seats as I was having leather and it arrived without. Long story short they ordered me a new van [difficult to retrofit as its a different loom] and I still had the original one to use whilst I waited.
I'm not saying they should order you a new one but you should get what you paid for, and don't feel guilty for asking!

 

[automaniaman]

Glad to hear it's not just me. Gonna put something in writing this week and see what they come up with. I have been hesitant initially because the service up to now has been very good.
Dan

Not if they fobbed you off with film tint, it isn't...:fail

 

[reason42]

Not if they fobbed you off with film tint, it isn't...:fail

Is this a factory fault or an ordering fault? I suspect the latter - they didn't place the order correctly with the factory.

If it was the former, and the factory got it wrong, this is not a dealer network related matter but a Mercedes Quality Control matter.

Would the datacard reveal the truth of the matter?