Why do MB Dealers treat you like sh*t ?

[PXW]

Anyone know if you can order a car to UK spec through a German dealer? I can find out the answer next week whilst I am in Germany but wondered if anyone knew or had done it

Certainly used to be able to, and I see no reason why not now. It was the preferred route of buying most makes of car back in the days when the retail price/exchange rate made it loads cheaper to buy in Europe and do a personal import.

 

[PXW]

Having dealt with BMW Merc and Lexus dealers, I would rate them as follows:

1. Lexus.
9. BMW
10. Merc.

The Lexus dealership experience is really astonishingly good and nothing gets close. They are of course human...but the only fault I could come up with over the last 26 months since Mrs PXW got her IS250SE-L is that when I last took it in for a service they forgot to stamps the book - immediately remedied of course, but when I got the follow-up calls from the dealer AND Lexus GB (no 'filtering' here!), the questions were sufficiently detailed that the point was discussed. Both parties seemed genuinely disappointed by the experience I had had and were evidently concerned that such a tragic failure of customer service could have arisen.

By contrast, BMW/Merc simply cannot be bothered. I don't even look at Audi after their head office/main corporate sales division couldn't even be bothered to get back to me for a test drive a few years back. I have over the years been ignored in BMW, Jaguar, LandRover and Merc showrooms to name just a few (cue jibes about PXW's personal impact)...but never at Lexus.

 

[219]

Certainly used to be able to, and I see no reason why not now. It was the preferred route of buying most makes of car back in the days when the retail price/exchange rate made it loads cheaper to buy in Europe and do a personal import.

Thinking about it , it was pretty common with all makes some years ago when my sister was stationed out there for those in the forces to buy UK spec cars and bring them back when their stint was done . I think there may have been a rule about keeping the car out there for 12 months so as not to pay taxes on return ?

I guess if you looked up the MB dealer in a garrison town like Osnabruck they would be well used to doing this .

 

[Charles Morgan]

when I got the follow-up calls from the dealer AND Lexus GB (no 'filtering' here!), ....both parties seemed genuinely disappointed by the experience I had had and were evidently concerned that such a tragic failure of customer service could have arisen.

Visions of a junior Lexus executive ritually disembowelling himself somewhere back in Japan....

 

[st4]

I viewed a Lexus at a dealer and the service, knowledge and presentation were top notch. The car was bland but the customer focus, service and professionalism were exemplary. However, I think this is a Lexus selling point and they play on it. A car for those who want a posh car but who are not that focussed on the car itself is a phrase I would apply to those who buy a lexus (bar the IS-F) as the products are all bettered.

Audi have brought out an A6 and its out next year. I imagine it will be a safe, competant car with no real flair but lots of surprise and delight and a cabin to die for.

Ian, I suspect all in, you;ll end up with a 535d. Space wise a E class coupe won't hold a candle too it. You'd need a 212 saloon/estate for that. An E class coupe vs a 335d coupe is the direct comparison.

You like manual cars, that rules out a 35d motor, but what about a 530d, 330d as well. Try a 204 estate (tad roomier than a 3 although not 5 series large) and a 212 saloon estate/saloon.

Audi should be doing new deals on the outgoing A6 so I would not discount that.

However, whatever you buy, let the car make the decision, not the service you receive.

 

[flango]

You are correct Steve the car won't be getting serviced at a dealer anyway so it should be the car that dictates my purchase rather than the dealer experience but i just don't like parting with my hard earned to someone that treats my like something they have just scraped off the bottom of their shoe.

Although no manual on the 535d the new 8 speed gear box with steptronic and paddles is really good and I could live with it as the performance of the rest of the car outweighs the transmission issue so as long as the box is like the new 8 speed or DSG type and has paddles I can live with it.

 

[st4]

Did you drive the E60 model of the F10?

Msport will have flappy paddles, surely. Certainly you have it on the lever on a BMW, they all do

 

[flango]

Did you drive the E60 model of the F10?

Msport will have flappy paddles, surely. Certainly you have it on the lever on a BMW, they all do

Yes driven both and both have paddles, on the F10 both SE and M Sport have paddles with the new sport gearbox.

If its going to be a 535d then it will have to be an SE the M Sport is a 50k car and the ride is a little unforgiving so bearing in mind the state of our roads and I'm getting older the comfort spec may be better, SE comes with adjustable suspension with sports mode so probably a good compromise.

 

[st4]

Fair do, how much does msport add? From memory the seating is better on sports, more supportive but the rest of it is "boy pleasing trim" (hawk20 on sport things)

 

[flango]

Fair do, how much does msport add? From memory the seating is better on sports, more supportive but the rest of it is "boy pleasing trim" (hawk20 on sport things)

Just over 4k extra for M sport but discounts are a lot better on SE

 

[st4]

Just spec it with sports suspension and seating, the normal seats are a tad flat. I think you can get electronic dampers and other fancy things, sadly you need to spec them to give it any kind of dynamic flair, according to the press.

The 212 is a cheaper alternative. 212 AG comes nice without any need to touch options, the basics are there.

 

[flango]

Just spec it with sports suspension and seating, the normal seats are a tad flat. I think you can get electronic dampers and other fancy things, sadly you need to spec them to give it any kind of dynamic flair, according to the press.

The 212 is a cheaper alternative. 212 AG comes nice without any need to touch options, the basics are there.

Hopefully will get a drive of a 212 next week in Germany either from the dealer or we have plenty on our fleet the drivers use for airport transfers, might call them and spec a 212 for my airport transfer next week so i can get a shot of one for definite.

 

[st4]

You'll end up driving a 4pot, nice engine as it is, its better in a C class. A large motor needs a "6"

 

[A140driver]

If you're still considering a Merc and are thinking of buying North of the border, my parents were very impressed with John R Weir when they bought a car from them a few years ago, but generally they always dealt with MB Carlisle and was always highly satisfied with the treatment they received there. I have no experience of Lexus or BMW dealers, but I must say Volvo dealers are generally excellent.

 

[trapperjohn]

You know I have really enjoyed this thread in a perverse way. I'm just so privileged not to be in a position to buy a new Mercedes or even a nearly new one it would appear.
Ian, what a let down for your expectations and pretty much for myself too as a brand follower. Customer service clearly not met at Mercedes, what the heck is going on? Even a forum members transport manager wanted to renew their fleet got the same treatment. Deal not done. It totally sucks.
I’m only enjoying the thrad now as I see Ian coming out the other side – by building up his own test drive. But that should never be.
The Boss recommended a couple of good salesmen at Mercedes as well as the ones already put forward. It might be worth PMing him for the telephone numbers. Again potential customer doing Merc's work for them. Totally sucks.
I cannot even see the negatives in the post being addressed as no one really seems to care at HQ as we know they read the forum.
What will it take to get Mercedes to care as much about new car sales as it does about.. Erm.... I’m stuck for something which Mercedes really care about now. Any ideas anyone? Help me out here.
OK maybe here is something. The guys and girls in design and marketing work really really hard to get the design right and marque out there. But they, Mercedes, do not sell as well as they might by a large proportion, because sales staff are turning off customers in droves. Does that not p*ss anyone off at head office. Do Mercedes ever wonder why - Skoda, Audi, Lexus, Jaguar and even Landrover are wiping the floor with them at sales time. Just my opinion, but Mercedes need to get the lead out.
　

 

[flango]

Thanks everyone for the Input and PM's the 2 dealers that are standing out from the crowd are MB Derby (Inchcape) and John Weir Scotland. Will see how I go in Germany and then start with Derby and maybe go shopping in Scotland after the GTG on the 5th and stay over to carry on on the 6th If I like what I drive this week

 

[corned]

What will it take to get Mercedes to care as much about new car sales as it does about.. Erm.... I’m stuck for something which Mercedes really care about now. Any ideas anyone? Help me out here.

Ooh! Ooh! I know! Quality!

Oh... Err... Hang on a minute...

Ian - I hear good things about Lincoln - they may be worth a try. Mine came from there originally, and I wish they were closer.

I can say, from bitter experience, that you'd have to be clinically insane to go to Nottingham.

 

[johny5_uk]

May aswell throw Grimsby in to the mix too. I bought 2 from there, Andrew Sorrenson certainly knows how to treat a customer and his technical skills are up to scratch too.
There's nothing worse than you asking a question to then receive bull and waffle because the sales chap doesn't really know the right answer (in all walks of business).

If your going up Grimsby on a weekend then you pass mine and I would be happy to take you there or even out for a spin in mine (dunno about driving it though )

 

[flango]

May aswell throw Grimsby in to the mix too. I bought 2 from there, Andrew Sorrenson certainly knows how to treat a customer and his technical skills are up to scratch too.
There's nothing worse than you asking a question to then receive bull and waffle because the sales chap doesn't really know the right answer (in all walks of business).

If your going up Grimsby on a weekend then you pass mine and I would be happy to take you there or even out for a spin in mine (dunno about driving it though )

Thanks I visit Grimsby regularly. Do you know who owns MB Grimsby? I hope its not JCT 600 so maybe we could sort something thanks for the kind offer.

 

[davidjpowell]

One of my largest client is a Car Finance provider. They are quite large in the field, though do not historically deal with the 'franchise' dealers.

I get sent out, a few times a year to value property where they are taking security in return for stock finance. Obviously the dealer principals / traders (depending on size) are often fairly pleasant, as they are keen to give a good impression.

But my overriding impression is that these people are not 'car enthusiast', they are salesman, and cars are the medium at present which makes them some money. Frankly the interest in what they sell is minimal, and it's one of the reasons why a garage who does not have demonstrators will hand out whatever is axed for the staff to use.

Of course a good salesman would have good product knowledge, but that perhaps explains some of the throughput in staff the dealers have.

I'm not surprised that Ian suffered from the hands of the MB in the OP. Their Doncaster branch is just as bad, and I try not to step in their. Last time was for a license plate bulb for the W211. Did not carry stock.