Warranty claim denied

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Marque

Active Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2008
Messages
177
Location
NW London
Car
S211 E220 CDI Avantgarde (2006/55)
I took my car in to Hughes of Beaconsfield for its first MOT last week. This was obviously just before its 3-year warranty ran out. Earlier that day, I had another occurrence of a problem that I had noticed previously but had not reported.

I reported it to the Service Manager when I booked the car in, and he wrote it on the job card. Unfortunately, they didn't really have the time to check it out properly, so they sent me away saying that they would need to have the car booked in for a whole day 'if' it happened again. (Clearly, it was bound to happen again because they hadn't actually done anything.)

At this point, I should explain the problem. My car's windscreen wipers have an automatic setting instead of an intermittent wipe setting. I imagine this is a feature on most Mercedes-Benzes, so you'll know what I'm talking about. The automatic setting works fairly well, most of the time. However, on my car, the wipers sometimes just stop and won't restart until I turn them off and on again.

This happened to me while driving in heavy traffic on the M1 in constant light rain/spray, and it was a while before I realised they had stopped. So I tried pressing the washer button to clear the screen, but this didn't work either! By the time I managed to get them working, I had probably driven 400m without being able to see anything. Very dangerous.

Going back to the story, the problem did happen the very next time I was driving when it was raining, just a few days later, so I booked it in as a warranty claim. To cut to the chase, MB refused to fix this under warranty, but offered to pay 60% as 'goodwill'. I complained to the Service Manager and he talked them into increasing their offer to 80%. (The full price would have been over £500.)

Whilst I appreciate the efforts made by the dealer, and the fact that MB have come a long way to meet the cost, it still doesn't seem right that a warranty claim can be denied because the dealer was too busy to check the problem out. The claim date is surely the date that I first took the car to the dealer with the problem.

Please let me know:
1. Whether you think this should really be fixed under warranty. :)
2. Whether you think I am just being an ungracious prat. :mad:
3. To whom I should write if I want to complain to MBUK. ;)
 
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I think it should be fixed under warranty so long as it is recorded that you raised the fault before the warranty ran out.
 
1. Whether you think this should really be fixed under warranty. :)

Warranty claim. Fault occurred and reported within warranty time frame.

So it's a pity they are trying it one with you.

I have a question. What did they fix, was it a switch problem or a sensor problem?
 
You reported the problem within the warranty period, surely that should suffice. Are you talking to MB or is it the dealer? I find it stange that MB would try it on; do you know if the dealer has in fact informed MB that you had reported the issue to them before the end of he warranty?
 
I had an issue with my COMAND unit which the dealer looked at also at the 3yr MOT.
They couldn't replicate the fault but told me not to worry, as I'd mentioned it before the warranty expired then it would be covered.


I'd love to know what the £500 was for - not all MB's have auto wipers, it's about a £100 option on most models. The parts to retrofit it aren't very expensive. I wonder if this is a case of the job really costing a couple of hundred (even that seems high) so they tell you £500 and offer 60% off?

I would be beyond outraged at being asked to pay.
 
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I'm not sure what they are replacing, or even whether it will fix the problem. The car is still at Hughes. The Service Manager said it was a control unit, I think. £260 parts, £210 labour, plus VAT.
 
I'd e-mail customer service or phone MB at Milton Keynes and ask for advice.
Customer service
For customer enquiries, call:
00800 1 777 7777
or email: [email protected]


Or to write to them
Mercedes-Benz UK Limited
Delaware Drive
, Tongwell
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire, MK15 8BA

 
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Double check on that e-mail address please. I've been in touch with them today and they gave me this address:
[email protected]

For mine & OP benefit can someone confirm correct address?:confused:
That is the same as the one I posted. BTW e-mail addresses are not case sensitive.

You can get the address from the MB website under 'contact us'.
 
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Mercedes Benz WORLDWIDE customer service

I suspect the "Stealership" thinks you might be "Fair Game"

'Wouldn't even bother the folks at MBUK.

I'd give these nice people a 'Ring on the blower.

Mercedes Benz Customer Assistance Center
Maastricht N.V.
Postach 1456
6201 BL-Maastricht
Nederlande

Per Telephon: 00800 1 777 7777

Mo - Fr 8:30 bis 18:00 Uhr

Per FAX: 069 95 30 7255




AND if no Satisfaction from them...

Call Stuttgart...You will get an answer.
AND I suspect the Franchisee will receive a Nasty call from their MB rep.
 
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Not to take issue with you Hawk 20, if you look in post 8, where I have quoted your post 7, you had included an extra "mb" after the @ and before cac.
 
I reported it to the Service Manager when I booked the car in, and he wrote it on the job card. Unfortunately, they didn't really have the time to check it out properly, so they sent me away saying that they would need to have the car booked in for a whole day 'if' it happened again. (Clearly, it was bound to happen again because they hadn't actually done anything.)

So you immediately wrote the dealer principal a short letter at the time posted by recorded delivery outlining the fault and explaining that you were claiming a repair under the warranty???? I am sympathetic to your position and hope you get a resolution, but I always advise people if you have any doubts-- PUT IT IN WRITING!!
"he wrote it on the job card"---- don't be surprised if the job card has somehow "disappeared":rolleyes:
 
Not to take issue with you Hawk 20, if you look in post 8, where I have quoted your post 7, you had included an extra "mb" after the @ and before cac.
Yes indeed. I edited that out just before your posting hit my screen. But well spotted!
 
There is nearly always a choice between a conspiracy theory and a coock-up theory. I tend to favour the latter. Really the service manager should have made a record of the intermittent fault that had been reported. And kept it. But he is human and may not have thought through the nearly-out-of-guarantee problem. MB will need some evidence the issue was raised before the guarantee ran out (or everyone would claim that wouldn't they?) and if it is not there the best they can reasonably do is offer a good percentage of the costs -as they have done.

Ideally, as others have said, the owner should think to put matters in writing -or just an e-mail. One thing we can all learn is that as the guarantee runs out it is worth booking in for a really thorough check over of any remaining faults and recording what they are.
 
In my world you flagged it before warranty ran out, otherwise it's be the 362 day warranty or the 357.57 day warranty.

MB should cover its repair, no grey areas. The fact that the MB dealership couldn't fit you in is irrelevant, you flagged the problem before the warranty expired.

The fact that they are willing to chip in 80% says everything to me.

JMHO hope it gets sorted
 
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In my world if you flagged it before warranty ran out, otherwise it's be the 362 day warranty or the 357.57 day warranty.

Don't get too hung up on the warranty period though. In law, the warranty period is irrelevant - that's why you see the statement on any warranty related information that the warranty "is in addition to your statutory rights".

It's an awkward road to go down though with a car as the liability rests with the supplier. So if you bought the car new, and you're still dealing with the same dealer, then all well and good. Otherwise things get messy.
 
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Don't get too hung up on the warranty period though. In law, the warranty period is irrelevant - that's why you see the statement on any warranty related information that the warranty "is in addition to your statutory rights".

It's an awkward road to go down though with a car as the liability rests with the supplier. So if you bought the car new, and you're still dealing with the same dealer, then all well and good. Otherwise things get messy.
Sorry, but what are you suggesting he should do? Sue them? To save £100 he has been asked to contribute to the costs? Round here solicitors cost a minimum of £185 per hour. Me. I am very hung up on the warrnaty. Just wish it was longer.
 
There is nearly always a choice between a conspiracy theory and a coock-up theory.
Agreed, Hanlon's razor probably applies: "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity".

Unfortunately, unless the dealer cooperates, the OP is left high and dry as far as a warranty claim goes because otherwise it's only the customer's word that the fault first occured before the warranty expired. As far as MBUK are concerned (it is they who reimburse the dealer for the warranty work) the fault occured outside the warranty period unless the dealer says "it was reported to us before the warranty expired but we didn't have time to fix it". Even then, MBUK would probably treat the claim with suspicion. After all, what's to stop a less than honest dealer surreptitiously making such a claim outside the warranty period and getting paid by both the customer and MBUK?

As an aside (and this is no comment on the honesty of the OP), my father used to work in the retail motor trade and always said that it was astonishing quite how many faults were reported by customers either the day before or day after the warranty expired.
 

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