The ultimate Mercedes purchase experience: how to lose a deal.

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fab1975

Active Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
269
Location
Altrincham, Cheshire
Car
C300 Hybrid (W205)
Hi guys,

I had never bought a Mercedes before, but I found my experience so unusual that I want to share it with you.

At the end of last summer I went to a main dealer in Cheshire to see the new C Class and to be honest I had a bit of a false start. In fact, despite my request, one of their sales executives had put me in a CLA and when I managed to convince him that it was not a C Class (the most persuasive argument being the frameless doors) he just blamed it on his colleagues who "shuffled cars around the showroom".
The second time however I was much luckier and met Mr A, a very professional sales executive who radically changed the bad impression that I had initially got from the above episode. He did everything right: he answered straight away almost all my queries, got back to me in a timely fashion with all the outstanding answers, kept constantly in touch without beight too pushy and could have not been more helpful. Immediately after the second test drive on 29th December, I told him that I was ready to buy the car and we could start a proper conversation on options, delivery and, last but not least, final price.
To my surprise, Mr A politely refused and told me that it was the last day at the dealership, but wanted to introduce me to his colleague Mr C who would have taken care of me. Unfortunately Mr C was so busy that he did not even manage to stop for 10 seconds to acknowledge his colleague, let's forget introduce himself to me. Mr A then assured me that Mr C would have called me on the next day, but since that did not happen, I had been trying to reach him a few times and when he eventually returned my call it was only to schedule another call on the following day, "because it is already late". Guess what...he failed to call me at the agreed time and since then I could only leave messages for him to the (very kind) receptionists. A few days later I even went back to the showroom explaining to the receptionists that I was ready to buy a car and simply needed to speak to any sales person who was not too busy. Unfortunately there was nobody available and I got told that there would have been no point for me to wait as the only sales person onsite was already dealing with other customers and somebody would have called me as soon as possible in the next days.
After one week of total silence, I visited for the first time a dealer in Merseyside and told them that I wanted to buy a new car. A couple of hours later I signed a contract for a fully loaded C 300 Hybrid saloon AMG that will be delivered at the end of April.
The icing on the cake is that the two MB dealers (Cheshire and Merseyside) belong to the same group and in both cases I had made very clear from the very start that I was ready to make a cash purchase.
In case you are still wondering, nobody from the Cheshire dealership has contacted me yet.
I leave any comment to you, because I am still speechless :dk:


Have a great weekend everyone.

Fab
 
I'ts not unual to hear stories such as yours. Depending on which dealership you visit, and their sales staff, it appears either an easy pleasant transaction or one of frustration and eventual walkout.

To give him the benefit of doubt, perhaps salesman Mr C had reached and passed his target sales for the month/quarter and wasn't too fussy about making another deal. But that doesn't excuse rudeness and ignoring the customer, so you did the right thing by walking and finding a better dealership.

I'd have been inclined to keep going back to the first dealer, and pestering salesman C until you got his attention. I'd then go through the whole charade of explaining the car/options and generally wasting his time. Then flouring the sales invioce for the car he could have sold you. I'd call that karma:D
 
I had a similar experience once upon a time. A polite email to the dealer principal had him phone me to apologise.
 
Write a letter to Mercedes head office, abysmal service
 
I'm not really sure what the issue is. You want to buy a car, you know what you want, options etc. -So order online via drivethedeal (or others, I just said them as I have personal experience) and save money. They place your order with their MB dealer, who confirms your order, let's you know when it's expected to arrive and delivers your car when it's ready.

What could be easier????

cheers, Steve
 
I'm not really sure what the issue is. You want to buy a car, you know what you want, options etc. -So order online via drivethedeal (or others, I just said them as I have personal experience) and save money. They place your order with their MB dealer, who confirms your order, let's you know when it's expected to arrive and delivers your car when it's ready.

What could be easier????

cheers, Steve

Even in this day and age of online everything (even this conversation), people do prefer a proper contact with a human, to ask the questions that 'online' could never answer. Even if C had reached his target, he should still give the same service. There are a (very) few dealers in the car/bike industry where the sales people are paid a decent wage and get no commission, they work as a team, with a passion for the brand and the service you will get from them is head and shoulders above the rest. They value customers as well as pounds sterling.
A Mercedes is a big purchase, the dealer should be treating any customer like royalty.
 
Even in this day and age of online everything (even this conversation), people do prefer a proper contact with a human, to ask the questions that 'online' could never answer. Even if C had reached his target, he should still give the same service. There are a (very) few dealers in the car/bike industry where the sales people are paid a decent wage and get no commission, they work as a team, with a passion for the brand and the service you will get from them is head and shoulders above the rest. They value customers as well as pounds sterling.
A Mercedes is a big purchase, the dealer should be treating any customer like royalty.

I agree, I was looking for personal service when trying to buy my ML, and after a good start at a VIP day, and a test drive where they gave me the keys and said enjoy yourself. I then said right, I am ready to do a deal, was willing to pay more than an internet price, 3 hours later of being passed from salesman to business manager, all trying to sell me differing finance deals I did not want, that all ended up costing more and more money, I walked out very frustrated, with a very sour taste in my mouth.

So I bought the car through Drive The Deal, very easy, put in touch with an MB dealer who answered all my questions, and actually wanted to sell me a car, at the best price I could find, that is already pre agreed. I will only buy a car that route in the future, it really worked for me, and I will never set foot in my local dealer again
 
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There should be a Section of this site dedicated to stories like this so they can be grouped together in one location.....
 
Unfortunately this is not a unfamiliar topic on the UK MB forums...customers practically begging/pleading with 'stealers' to sell them a car...customer service varies greatly between branches even within the same group...

Solution, there is none other than to walk away and give your hard earned to someone who deserves it....:thumb:
 
Unfortunately this is not a unfamiliar topic on the UK MB forums...customers practically begging/pleading with 'stealers' to sell them a car...customer service varies greatly between branches even within the same group...

Solution, there is none other than to walk away and give your hard earned to someone who deserves it....:thumb:

Yes, however if all these experiences are put together in a stand alone section on here then the optimist in me [or maybe I am just being naïve] tells me that maybe MB will have a go to place to see things that they may not see in their normal day to day operations.
If could also help people to spot trends, things, places, people, situations to avoid etc.
 
I'm not really sure what the issue is. You want to buy a car, you know what you want, options etc. -So order online via drivethedeal (or others, I just said them as I have personal experience) and save money. They place your order with their MB dealer, who confirms your order, let's you know when it's expected to arrive and delivers your car when it's ready.

What could be easier????

cheers, Steve

This scenario is so boring. Click, click click.
No fuss no cuppa and at the end no feeling you have done something good.
 
... all trying to sell me differing finance deals I did not want, that all ended up costing more and more money, I walked out very frustrated, with a very sour taste in my mouth.

I read somewhere that when one is a cash buyer, one should take the finance deal offered to benefit from the incentives (e.g. dealer contribution etc) and then cancel the finance agreement within the 14-day cooling off period by paying the balance off in full which will be the cost of car minus the dealer/manufacturer contribution(s)!

I haven't had the opportunity to test out this advice since I haven't had the opportunity to buy a car from a main dealer in recent years.
 
It seems commonplace, and across all marques, not just the German ones.

I'd had enough of trying to buy a new car last year, and so I sent an email to a couple of brokers to get a price, and did a deal. So much less hassle but it did mean I'd never even sat in the car, let alone driven it, when I ordered.

The good service I received made the dealers look even worse.
 
Sorry If I got service like that I would not go to the dealer again
I went to one dealership and all they wanted to do was sell me a new car witch I told them at the start I could not afford anew one
I found my car from auto trader ( main dealer )
Ok a bit to travel in fairness they was good but to far to travel even offed to pick my car up for services and leave me a car but to many miles away just stumbled on a dealer what nearer and never looked back
 
From my own experiences and those I've read about here, I can only assume that MB dealers are the lowest paying in the motor trade and consequently employ the lowest calibre of "sales person". They are to be pitied not derided. Poor things. life must be hell for them. :D

On a serious note, when I was a car salesman (Ford mostly) I'd have been sacked on the spot for treating customers like MB staff do!

One of the great things about leasing an MB is you never have to set foot in the condescending arrogant barstewards showrooms ever again! :D
 
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It is behaviour so contrary to any form of salesmanship or service that you begin to wonder if there is a system that encourages it.

A friend used to sell cars for a very prominent manufacturer (all details changed to avoid embarrassment). For a period he was the only salesman at a new branded subsidiary in their main London dealership (staff turnover was horrendous) and was set a target of selling 21 new cars and 1 used car. It was not so long after that model had been launched, it sold like hot cakes, and there weren't many used ones around. His bonus was entirely dependent on meeting that target and was very generous above that.

He, by dint of working his backside off, sold 41 new cars but no used ones as they had no used ones. When he went to see the sales manager to confirm his bonus, he was told that sadly there was no bonus as he'd failed to sell a secondhand car. Dumbstruck he asked to see the sales director who told him in no uncertain terms that he was a schmuck, he should have bought a used car to sell to meet the target, and that this was a lesson in life that targets matter.

I have to say I was staggered by this, as it is economic insanity, but he was adamant it happened - he got so annoyed he resigned on the spot, stripped off his corporate clothes and walked half naked to M&S to get a set to wear! But, it happened and gives an insight into the sort of people who populate these places to a greater or lesser extent.

As to going to Drive the Deal, am I the only one who asked them for a quote on a new car, and heard absolutely nothing?
 
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I read somewhere that when one is a cash buyer, one should take the finance deal offered to benefit from the incentives (e.g. dealer contribution etc) and then cancel the finance agreement within the 14-day cooling off period by paying the balance off in full which will be the cost of car minus the dealer/manufacturer contribution(s)!

I haven't had the opportunity to test out this advice since I haven't had the opportunity to buy a car from a main dealer in recent years.

This is the good way to secure a better deal as a cash buyer IMO.
As soon as "I have cash" is uttered, the discounts and contributions dry up. One salesman, to his credit, put your suggestion on the table as a means of getting a better deal.
Cash used to get discounts and finance didn't. Now it is the other way around in my experience.
 
Giantvanman said:
This is the good way to secure a better deal as a cash buyer IMO. As soon as "I have cash" is uttered, the discounts and contributions dry up. One salesman, to his credit, put your suggestion on the table as a means of getting a better deal. Cash used to get discounts and finance didn't. Now it is the other way around in my experience.
that's because the sales man or woman get bonus on finance gap and warranty
 

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