Peoples views on this.???

[lfckeeper]

I would contact Mercedes-Benz UK direct and explain the situation.

Its an approved Used MB, now whilst the reality is we know they are franchises and essentially different companies (the dealer you got the car off and the dealer trying to charge you) thats not your fault. You want it checked under warranty. Hopefully you might get a positive result.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Whereabouts in the UK are you?

 

[Notamused]

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to contact MB head office tomorrow I think, to see what their view is on my situation.

I have contacted three local..ish dealers in my area, and all three (all part of same group) state the fee is payable no matter what. My "impression" is that even if one thing is warranty covered, but another not, they'll keep my £150. I have no trust or faith in any of them now after the contact I have had with them, both over the phone and in person.

Oh, and this may be of interest to anyone who has an Approved used MB.

Apparently, "no seals are covered under warranty". Yes folks, you heard it correctly, NO SEALS.... at all. I questioned it because I thought perhaps it was a mistake when the agent told me, and it was stated clearly again, "no, seals aren't covered under tier one warranty".

I was amazed.

Will report back after speaking with MB (if I can reach anyone)

 

[Notamused]

I will state where in UK I am tomorrow, along with dealership I have had the pleasure with.

 

[Abcan]

I will state where in UK I am tomorrow, along with dealership I have had the pleasure with.

I can take a guess as I live in South Wales too. If it is the same dealer, I bought my car from them and it went back twice last year for 2 problems to be looked at and I wasn’t charged for diagnosis. Either their policy has changed or they treated me differently as I bought from them. Not good practice charging you, in my opinion.

 

[Abcan]

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to contact MB head office tomorrow I think, to see what their view is on my situation.

I have contacted three local..ish dealers in my area, and all three (all part of same group) state the fee is payable no matter what. My "impression" is that even if one thing is warranty covered, but another not, they'll keep my £150. I have no trust or faith in any of them now after the contact I have had with them, both over the phone and in person.

Oh, and this may be of interest to anyone who has an Approved used MB.

Apparently, "no seals are covered under warranty". Yes folks, you heard it correctly, NO SEALS.... at all. I questioned it because I thought perhaps it was a mistake when the agent told me, and it was stated clearly again, "no, seals aren't covered under tier one warranty".

I was amazed.

Will report back after speaking with MB (if I can reach anyone)

That’s nonsense!!

 

[WDB124066]

I know this not going to advance you in the direction you want to go but MB are not known for customer service, they have an early Ferrari feeling about them and that is "if you want a Benz you can have one but don't come to us with your problems - you should be satisfied with the fact that you have a Benz".

There are a bunch of Independents on here that will give you the service you'd expect, it may well be better to either leave MB or use an Indy exclusively as all the hassle and stress dealing with them is just not worth it, heck a Toyota is a better bet than a Merc in this regard. And in case you think you can build a relationship with them, the only relationship you will ever build with MB will be personal one-on-one ones with the staff, that then leave because they are too good to fit the BS MB model.

And finally unless you are Chinese in China Daimler really don't seem to care too much, for this sort of nonsense has been going on for years all over the planet...most staff take pleasure from messing you, the owner of something they can't afford to have, around.

THAT is the cold hard reality - and even if they do look at it it won't be fixed properly first time round - just to be sure they get their kicks.

W.

 

[Headhurts]

I’m probably going to get bombed for this but why should the dealer not selling the car do free diagnostics?

If the car is found to have a fault that is covered under warranty then there will be no fee at all.

If the op was taking it back to the selling dealership then yes I would expect some consideration.

The car has been owned by the op for 9 months.

In my experience this is standard practice when car is out of manufacturers new warranty and is or was the case when I owned a Jaguar which had a fault appear when I was on holiday and took it to a different dealership, the exception is Lexus who seem extremely generous even when way out of new car warranty.

My plumber reference posted earlier happened to me when I had a repair done under a warranty to a boiler, I could not get the original plumber back so had to get another in and when the new PCB was fitted claimed it back from I believe Homesure or similar.

If the issue is covered under warranty then all will be fine and covered by warranty.

I hope Notamused gets this sorted out soon otherwise it could ruin the enjoyment of the car.

Robin


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I’m probably going to get bombed for this but why should the dealer not selling the car do free diagnostics?

If the car is found to have a fault that is covered under warranty then there will be no fee at all.

If the op was taking it back to the selling dealership then yes I would expect some consideration.

The car has been owned by the op for 9 months.

In my experience this is standard practice when car is out of manufacturers new warranty and is or was the case when I owned a Jaguar which had a fault appear when I was on holiday and took it to a different dealership, the exception is Lexus who seem extremely generous even when way out of new car warranty.

My plumber reference posted earlier happened to me when I had a repair done under a warranty to a boiler, I could not get the original plumber back so had to get another in and when the new PCB was fitted claimed it back from I believe Homesure or similar.

If the issue is covered under warranty then all will be fine and covered by warranty.

I hope Notamused gets this sorted out soon otherwise it could ruin the enjoyment of the car.

Robin


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

No bombs from me, I agree!


I think many people seem to forget that the vast majority of Mercedes dealerships are franchised businesses and not MB themselves, so providing that they operate within their agreement with Daimler AG or Mercedes-Benz UK, then they can do what they like really.

I suspect if the car was booked in there probably wouldn't be a diagnostic or repair cost.

In this scenario, try a dealership from a different group. I believe the three dealerships who have been contacted by the OP are part of the same group, and so will follow the same policy.

 

[Notamused]

Thanks for the views guys, I appreciate them all, whether I agree with them or not.

@ Headhurts..

The plumber reference is not exactly the same though IMO, as the warranty is something not all offered to you by the supplying vendor. I'm not asking Nissan or Ford to look at my car, I@m asking Mercedes, who sold it to me. Now, yes, we can argue over franchises, or varying dealerships, and that they are not MB themselves, but I would argue that they ARE the face and point of contact to MB for us, the buying public. The problem (as I see it) with your suggestion of taking it back to the selling dealership is that it's not always convenient for people to do that. Besides, when you buy an AU MB from a franchised dealer, and, are told that any issues can be resolved by any other franchised dealer within the UK, I'd expect the terms and treatment to be reasonably consistent. Sadly, it isn't even close.
Finally, the fact that I've owned the car for nine months is irrelevant, because the warranty is for twelve months. Warranties do not become less valid the closer you get to the expiry date. That's not how warranties work.

@ Bobbydazzler...

My point about it either being or not being MB themselves applies here too. I@m afraid it "IS" the representative of MB themselves I am dealing with. If not a franchised dealer, then where do I go to get hold of MB.? The premise on which the warranty is offered and promoted with AU MB is one that suggests the car will be treated the same at ANY dealership nationwide.

After speaking with all three dealerships, I can categorically say that they will charge the fee.

It's all well and good to say "take to another dealership" but that somewhat defeats the implied service the warranty provides. It's also not exactly convenient to anyone who is surrounded by MB dealers of the same group, with alternative dealers being some distance beyond.

Anyhow, let's see what MB say today.

 

[CaptainChaos]

It's coming up to winter. It rains a lot. I would:
- lubricate the seal with appropriate rubber stuff (Gummi Pflege Stift or similar) and see if that helps. If so, do the other side too.
- price up a new seal from the parts department and see if it's a DIY fitment. If not, get a local garage or bodyshop to fit it.
- pay £150 and get my wipers diagnosed and hope that it's covered under warranty. If not, they need mending anyway.

What I wouldn't do is have my wife driving around in a leaky car with dodgy wipers!

 

[David404]

I use an Indie for the current car and have used the same Indie since I got the car around 18 months ago. They know I'll be a regular and I've never been charged for diagnosis. Previously I had Saab's and used the same Indie for 10 years + again was never charged for diagnosis on a TECH II (the Saab version of Star). Guess in large part it comes down to the sort of relationship you have with a garage and if you are a regular. Unless of course you are a franchised dealer/stealer...

 

[Dryce]

Anyhow, let's see what MB say today.

Traditionally the AU warranty was supposed to be as good as that on a new car - and tied to MB not the dealer from whom you purchased.

So it will be interesting what they say and whether this has changed.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

@ Bobbydazzler...

My point about it either being or not being MB themselves applies here too. I@m afraid it "IS" the representative of MB themselves I am dealing with. If not a franchised dealer, then where do I go to get hold of MB.? The premise on which the warranty is offered and promoted with AU MB is one that suggests the car will be treated the same at ANY dealership nationwide.

After speaking with all three dealerships, I can categorically say that they will charge the fee.

It's all well and good to say "take to another dealership" but that somewhat defeats the implied service the warranty provides. It's also not exactly convenient to anyone who is surrounded by MB dealers of the same group, with alternative dealers being some distance beyond.

Anyhow, let's see what MB say today.

The terms of the warranty are the same, and you will be treated the same at any dealership. If the fault is not covered by the warranty then it's not covered by the warranty, which means that either you meet the cost of repair or you seek a goodwill gesture which either meets the cost in full or in part.

The dealer closest to you owes you no such good will based upon your description thus far, and so you have two options: (1) the supplying dealer as they sold you something which has developed a fault shortly afterwards, and I think you've said they'll take a look at it (or fix it); or (2) Mercedes-Benz UK who may accept that the fault has developed prematurely.

I would suggest a call to Mercedes-Benz Customer Services first of all, and if unsuccessful then send a letter.

 

[oldguy57]

Personally I wouldn't want bh driving around with faulty wipers particularly at this time of year. You can spend time going round in circles or bite the bullet, pay to get the faults diagnosed and then sort out. Quickest way of sorting. Diagnostics would be refunded if its a warranty claim. I doubt that the seal needs replacing unless it has been physically damaged - more likely that adjustment of the roof is required or the drain unblocked. Warranties are like insurance policies - they don't cover every possible problem- but I can't see the wiper problem not being covered.

 

[BaldGuy]

Ok, after a few phone calls today, this is what I have learnt.

My local dealer / dealers within the group can and will look at the car but want to charge the £150. There is no escaping this it seems. You want the car checked, you pay. You don't pay, you don't get the car checked. Fabulous service.

On calling the dealer I bought the car from, I was informed that they would look at the car and check it with no payment required. The words went something like this.... "We would not attempt to extract money out of a customer who has issues with a vehicle under warranty"

I explained that unfortunately, I am at the other end of the UK to them, and so bringing the car back was not reasonable / possible.

Now, I explained their comments to my local dealer, but they said that this is not policy, and can't comment further on it. So people, it seems that when you buy an Approved Used Mercedes Benz, and, you have their tier one warranty (which is all singing and dancing if you read about it on their website) you will need to shell out circa £150 to have the pleasure of getting MB to look at your car. From there, you need to "trust" that they'll be honest with you and offer a refund if it transpires the car does require work which is "ALL" warranty covered. If not, you'll not see your £150 again, plus, may end up having to pay to repair a car that you thought had comprehensive cover.

To say I am disappointed in this would be a huge understatement. It's nowhere near the sort of cover I though I would receive, and even further from the customer service I stupidly assumed one may receive when buying an approved MB. I have no idea what other manufacturers behaviour is like with regard to warranty issues such as this, because for years I owned BMW and didn't required any warranty work, because the car was faultless.

From here, I plan to speak to the dealer I bought from, and ask whether they would cover the diagnostic fee. If not, I'll leave it. I just cannot bring myself to pay to get a cars problems checked when that car has a valid warranty.

Finally, I received a Private message / conversation from a member, but cannot seem to respond to that. If a Mod sees this and can look into it for me, I'd appreciate it, as I'd like to be able to contact this member.

Its posts like these that make the "once" prestigous brand of "Mercedes Benz" a joke, As you say the Tier 1 warranty is a "Mercedes" product so in my eyes any dealer should deal with it in the same way, diagnose and fix if needed for free, that's why its circa over 1k for most of the Mercedes brand.
I came back to Mercedes after many years away as I like their big engine cars and the AMG brand which are loaded with the options I like and missed. I do however get the "stuck up" feeling when walking into a dealership for parts or anything else. In my opinion they have lost it, Lexus and many other luxury brands are/have taken the market share.

Just my 2ps worth.....

 

[bpsorrel]

In my opinion they have lost it, Lexus and many other luxury brands are/have taken the market share.

Totally agree. A few months ago I took my Lexus back to the supplying dealer for a minor problem (green slime had entered the rear light cluster and aesthetically spoiled the look of the rear of the car. Not a serious issue at all. The service guy came out to the car, and without any hesitation simply took it round to the service bays, removed the cluster, cleaned it, replaced it and re-sealed. No charge, free coffee and a happy customer!

I wonder how MB would've treated that minor problem.... Oh yes, also, the car was a month out of warranty....

 

[Larkone]

Totally agree.

I wonder how MB would've treated that minor problem.... Oh yes, also, the car was a month out of warranty....

I am sorry sir but you have obviously parked your car in the wrong atmosphere, not an MB approved atmosphere.

 

[bpsorrel]

LOL!!! You're sooo right!!!

 

[Petrol Pete]

My only contact with a main MB dealer was regarding a few pounds worth of spare parts for my rear brake callipers. Some of you might remember my past post on this subject "are these brakes stock".

Bottom line is the main MB dealer in Swindon insists the rear brake callipers on my C55 are 'aftermarket' and can not supply the brake pins and springs. The fact is I have purchased the kit from an independent company that markets them "ventilated rear" or similar, it proves they exist.

Members on this forum have checked their C55 AMG and confirmed they have the same callipers and I have trawled the net and found pictures of C55's with the same brakes.

But, guess what ? Mercedes Benz Swindon simply refuse to investigate (I:e help) further, I am wrong they are right so f%%k off and come back when you want to trade your C55 in for a C63s ,then we will lick your boots and blow smoke up your butt...until the cheque clears.

P.S if you have a C55 and are stupid enough to think of taking it to MB Swindon for rear brake pads..don't because they will have the pads and sensors (same as other W203 c class ,mysteriously ) but not the pins and spring plate because silly you modified your rear brakes when they weren't looking.

I wonder what else they don't know about their customers cars ?

BTW when checked on their database my car was 'known' to them. T055ERS.

Rant over, sorry to hi jack thread ..a bit