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MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by MARTIN ROGERS on October 9, 2008, 1:10 pm
Martin Rogers

HAVING ORDERED SERVICE PARTS FROM LOCAL DEALER, CUSTOMER PHONED TO SAY DEALER HAD BEEN ONTO HIM ENQUIRING WHY HE WAS USING A UNOFFICIAL GARAGE TO SERVICE HIS CAR!!!!
BEWARE GIVE ONLY MODEL AND YEAR WHEN POSS, ITS ALSO SO EASY FOR OTHER MANUFACTURES TO DO THE SAME.
REMAINING CALM FOR NOW

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Peter Lomas on October 9, 2008, 1:43 pm, in reply to "MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Peter Lomas

Hi Martin
What aerea are you in
regards Peter

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Michael Whitworth on October 9, 2008, 6:25 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Mike Whitworth - Administrator

Hi Peter,

"(Morton, Wirrel)"

Mike

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by dave cheesman on October 9, 2008, 7:13 pm, in reply to "MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Dave Cheesman

what a cheek, what was your customers reply to them?

Dave

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by MARTIN ROGERS on October 9, 2008, 9:13 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Martin Rogers

Moreton Wirral Merseyside, the reply was apparently not at those extortionate rate's, with a more personal service. still fuming

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Peter Lomas on October 9, 2008, 9:23 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Peter Lomas

Hi Martin
Every cloud has a silver lining, now your customer knows you use genuine parts, I think its time to have a chat with parts manager about
not passing on information given to parts department in good faith
Regards Peter

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by MARTIN ROGERS on October 9, 2008, 9:29 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Martin Rogers

JUST WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT, MAYBE SPLASH OUT FOR AUTOLOGIC AND BECOME A MERC SPECIALST IF ONLY TO BE A REAL PAIN IN THE !SS

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Peter Lomas on October 9, 2008, 10:20 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Peter Lomas

Hi Martin
Might be a good idea splashing out on A.L might be more customers with mercs not happy with dealers. Not sure if this is still correct, It works out cheaper if you buy A.L VAG package then add Mercedes
Regards peter

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Tom Williams on October 10, 2008, 1:28 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Tom Williams

Hi,

If this happened to me I'd certainly write a letter of complaint to the dealer principal with a copy going to MB. If the dealer principal or parts manager was an IMI member I'd consider lodging a complaint of unethical conduct with the IMI.

tw

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Mark Molesworth on October 10, 2008, 2:30 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Mark Molesworth

Just had a ML320 in for Mot repairs. Tested at main dealer and quoted the customer £2400.00 for repairs. Jolly nice receptionist after picking up customer from floor told her it would be worth trying somewhere else for the repairs admitting that the price they were trying to charge was extortionate. Maybe the receptionist is leaving or merely being a good samaritan? The estimate for repair was an eye opener and I can see why the main dealers are struggling for work. Still good for us honest independants.
Mark M

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Luca Iori on October 10, 2008, 5:40 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Noel Iori

Had a customer in only last week for bodywork with an ML320. Asked us to take a look at his gear selector which could only be moved with a pen pushed into overide slot. He had recently had a diagnostic carried out at Mercedes who told him it would require in the region of £400 labour + new gear selector assembly. They would ofcourse discount their diagnostic fee from his final bill.
It was actually a faulty brake pedal switch!!
This is not the first time we have heard reports like this about our local Mercedes dealership regarding extortionate fees for work that wasn't needed.

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Graham Bullock on October 10, 2008, 5:53 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Graham Bullock

"" This is not the first time we have heard reports like this about our local Mercedes dealership regarding extortionate fees for work that wasn't needed.""

Quite a while back I was talking to a Merc tech who had just been put on a reasonably good hourly rate at the dealership, but it was on the basis "you get paid for each hour we charge the customer", no work = no pay and if we charge customer 4 hours and you do the job in 3 you get paid for 4.

I don't know if this is still the case or if it applies elsewhere but it is like having the ultimate bonus for jobs like you mention.

Graham

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by paul goswell on October 10, 2008, 5:53 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Paul Goswell

well i was looking on ebay last night and there was a vw audi main dealer advertising cambelt replacements at fixed prices so main dealers must be getting desperate

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Steve Nicholas on October 10, 2008, 6:52 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Stephen Nicholas

Was their fixed price still through the roof though?

We do fixed price for timing belts but if we find a non-related fault it's extra - we are still half the cost of the Audi dealer.

Regards,

Steve

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by tony bickers on October 10, 2008, 7:56 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Tony Bickers

I have just been penning a large reply to this thread then realised it is on an open forum, may be sensible to move to a closed forum !!

Tony

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by paul goswell on October 10, 2008, 9:27 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Paul Goswell

go on ebay type in cambelt or even service because they are doing that too

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Panos Gerontis. on October 11, 2008, 11:38 am, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"

"We do fixed price for timing belts but if we find a non-related fault it's extra - we are still half the cost of the Audi dealer. "

How can you do fixed price on a timing belt change? Is that just for the belt or for the tensioners and rollers too? Soooo many different models and prices on the timing belt kits. Some vehicles takes an hour to replace and some can take up to 4-5 hours to replace. Will be great to let me know how. Maybe not in this forum, maybe in the Technical one?

Sorry to the original poster,,,,,maybe a bit out of topic.

Cheers.

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Dave Hill on October 11, 2008, 8:56 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"

I had a similar experience a while ago when a customer (prospective) called for a price on a steering rack/column replacement on a Vauxhall. He had been quoted already by the dealer (just outside warranty).

I made my price enquiries with various suppliers, including the dealer that had quoted the customer already. My price was considerably less than he had already been quoted, but guess what... When I rang him back, he said that the dealer had already called him with a change of heart. They were now going to do it half price with a "good will" gesture.

I have no proof, but it seems likely that they put two & two together when I gave them the vehicle details.

I suppose all is fair in love & business hey! After all, the dealers are struggling for survival too.

The moral of the story is to play it crafty & think about where you get your prices from.

Cheers all.

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by mark murphy on October 11, 2008, 9:49 pm, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Mark Murphy

yeh I had same with Nissan dealer, rang for immobilizer control unit and key code, they told me they would supply immo ecu but not code.when costumer came to collect car he told me he got a call from dealer telling him that they would collect car at my garage and "fix" it because i would not be able to without code

.

There's more than one way to skin a rice pudding

Mark

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by pete greenow on October 13, 2008, 11:10 am, in reply to "Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"
Peter Greenow

Hi All

Back to the original thread and the more I think about it the more I am convinced that the dealer could be (probably is) BREAKING THE DATA PROTECTION ACT , I am sure that it is against the act to use imformation given by one party & use it for another purpose. Perhaps the Office of Fair Trading & the Imformation Commisioners Office may be interested in this.

regards

Pete

Re: MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?

Posted by Brian Spratt on November 12, 2008, 12:40 pm, in reply to "MERCEDES DEALER AGRESSIVE OR DESPARATE?"

Hi,
I run the Automotive Distribution Federation - the trade body for parts factors and one of my members has alerted me to this thread.

This practice by the mercedes dealer is against the data protection act and should be complained about.

If you want me to help you complain get in touch - 0845 3131 506 or email bspratt@adf.org.uk

Regards
Brian

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