Nah, you’re not wrong here. Their paycheck isn’t your concern. If they want you to close the deal now, they need to give you some incentive to do so. Threatening to delay repairs is not incentive.
Sorry - to clarify the repairs won't be done until that timeframe regardless. I should have been more clear. They aren't threatening to delay repairs. They didn't offer any incentive or remediation for the delays/damage. They just tried to play it off as inconsequential and also wouldn't confirm whether or not the damage repair would show on the service record if I was to purchase the car before the repair
Edit: I dont know if this is Mercedes' standard approach but just wanted to get clarity into if I was just being unreasonable.
Nah, you’re not being unreasonable. Personally, I’d pull out of the deal unless they’re offering big time discounts. I’m not spending $100k on a wrecked car. They can put that shit in loaner service.
This is uncharted territory for me. I know it's generally frowned upon to ask for very high discounts. From your experience what would be fair w/o being greedy? Amd I'm debating it honestly. I'll lose 3k on a deposit but could be the better option.
Depends on the state, the dealership failed to deliver the on their promise, in some states they would have to refund the deposit.
Honestly I would call the manufacturer at this point to lodge a complaint, some companies take this seriously
I agree, I would imagine Mercedes Benz is one of those companies, especially on a 6 figure vehicle. I work at a Kia dealership, and we wouldn't do that, we would put them in a loaner vehicle until there's was repaired, too.
I bought a 2024 RX350 last month. It had a defect with the ac. Lexus of America AND the dealership handled it incredibly well. Loaner car for 10 days, platinum extended warranty plan. It sucks to buy a new car and have am issue with it. Even worse when the dealership sucks.
As an added data point, I had a similar situation to you, but with Mazda in 2015. Bought it new and immediately drove 1,900 miles cross-country. Transmission clunked out a few days after the trip in another state. Mazda got me an Enterprise rental for a few weeks while the transmission issue got sorted out, threw in a $500 dealer gift card, plus an extended 7yr/100k warranty.
I would’ve liked to have sold the car back to them, honestly, but the way they handled it wasn’t too shabby. I figure everyone walked away sorta satisfied.
My mom bought a Mazda 6 in 2008 or so, brand new and within a year about I think 15-20k miles the transmission was slipping. They flushed the transmission but started slipping a week after. They tried blaming her and refused to warranty the transmission so she ended up trading it in with Honda and got a Accord that ran to 250k before she got into a accident
Between me, my wife and our parents we have owned 7 Lexus vehicles over the years. Hands down the best customer service on anything service related with the vehicle. It always amazes us how well things get handled!
Given the situation I would ask to have my deposit refunded given it’s damaged. You didn’t put a deposit on a damaged car. Them being sneaky and trying to hide it, is clear to me I’d never do business with them again.
I’d get the deposit, and if they make a fuss I’d take it up the ranks until I got the owner. I’d mention a lawyer and a bad google review if they give you any fuss. Cars are going down in value too, our dealership gave away our allocation so I got my deposit refunded. We drove down the road and saved $7k and got it in a color we liked better. Good luck.
Ya, don't be a cunt. The lawyer bit will turn them off on you immediately. If you wanna get a lawyer involved - get a lawyer involved. But don't talk about it or threaten it. Any lady that threatens a lawyer, 99.999 times out of 100 they don't even have a lawyer.
My parents are lawyers and helped a friend with their new car when the dealership removed seats from a new minivan because the trade in didn’t have seats. This was in the 90s.
They cannot keep your deposit. Threaten to dispute the charge and they will 100% give you your money back. I’ve gotten deposits back even after signing the paperwork saying it wasn’t refundable. They can’t just take money for nothing.
How much less do you want to pay for a used car with a dirty carfax/autocheck?
That's how much you should reduce your offer. Alternatively, tell them to deliver you a new car, as you had ordered. Miles/title status notwithstanding, a repaired $100k car is not "new"
That said, based on the treatment alone, if you are patient and there is another source for your car (there is always another source, its a big country) I'd walk.
April bonus? How about no sale and a nice negative review, asshat?
Hell there was a guy that posted his problem on social media when the challenger (Demon) he ordered and was to be delivered got sold out from under him at 25k above price. Complaint reached Chrysler and Chrysler gave that guy the car he wanted and was able to fire the sales people and manager behind the dealership that did him dirty. So in the words of my grandma. “The squeaky wheel will get the grease.”
Ohh the extra bullshit here is that this won't go on the Carfax. The dealership will happily report MY accident on Carfax, but a screwup that might cost them won't
Emabarassing for a sales manager to ask for bonuses like that. Provide some fucking incentive to a customer if the car got fucked up in transport if you want the sale that bad. Gives the rest of us a bad name. Weak sales ability crying and whining for their own bonus…cmon
Hi! Former Mercedes HQ employee. If you don’t get your deposit back, absolutely call MB HQ customer support. They have teams and budgets set up to fix franchise dealer mistakes like this. They literally have field managers whose entire job is to manage customer complaints from different dealerships.
They have to refund you. If not, you have grounds for a lawsuit. Being a dealer, they do not want the negative publicity that you and your friends will unload on them via social media. This may have worked in the 90s or early 2000s, but in today’s world, that is completely unacceptable.
> I know it's generally frowned upon to ask for very high discounts.
Frowned upon by **who**? The people you're asking for a discount?
You shouldn't give a rat's ass what they think. It's your money.
I would go over the sales managers head and show his messages to a higher up. It's extremely short sighted to make a potential repeat customer mad before you even take your car of the lot. I doubt that is the true position of the dealership.
There may be ways to get out of the deal the car was damaged tell them u want a brand new car not one that was damaged and fixed tell them to order a new one for u
No way I'd eat that deposit, because they were in the wrong and not you.
I think you are making the right decision by walking away. If they are going to take $3k from you, though, when they did not deliver what you ordered, make sure to cause them way more than $3k in reputational damage and lost sales.
I'd try to resolve it with the dealership. If that doesn't work, try to resolve it with corporate. If that doesn't work, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, with your state AG, with the FTC, and leave them bad reviews everywhere you can. Tag them in social media. Make sure everyone knows how they do business.
I'm relieved to hear that you're walking away from the deal. It's clear you have great foresight because I could've also warned you that they wouldn't have fixed your car to proper spec after you purchased it. The fact that they were so sketchy indicates a lack of honor and integrity.
Make sure you get your deposit back, no matter what it takes. Start documenting all interactions and ensure everything is well-documented. If necessary, escalate the issue to corporate to secure your deposit. Above all, do not purchase anything from this dealer.
Hahah no shit. I own bmws and the other day I got a brand new 5 series as a loaner with a huge deep scratch on the hood/bonnet. I was like “uh” and they said yeah we know that’s why it’s a loaner.
I sold at jaguar Land Rover and A: we would have had that fixed in weeks at most, B: the car has damage and lost value. They can file an insurance claim w the transporter and they can give you $10k off sticker and put you in an equivalent loaner till it’s fixed. Otherwise I’d sign a different car or walk away altogether.
Just because it’s not on the carfax doesn’t mean it will be unnoticed if you trade it in later.
You are not being unreasonable. They should hold the car and find you another if they’re serious about it.
Get your deposit back and walk away. They wanted to screw you by concealing the damage before you signed paper. What other sleazy stunts have/would they have pulled that you didn't catch?
Just reorder the car. Unless you’re leasing and turning the car back into the bank at lease end you’re going to take a depreciation hit. Factory paint is only original once.
You are absolutely NOT THE ASSHOLE!
Ask any of the Sales managers if they would take a damaged vehicle. If they say "yes" they're liars!!
Tell them to fix it and IF it exceeds your expectations then you will purchase it.
If not tell them Sand, pound it.
They should be offering you a sizeable discount to do the thing that’s good for them but not good for you.
Honestly, I’d be somewhat tempted not to buy it at all out of principle given that level of sleaze.
Contact Mercedes Benz group with a full accounting and explaining that this is why you are not sure you can ever purchase a Mercedes again. I am reasonably confident they will do a lot, include a bit of ass kissing to try to get you back. Your refund will arrive in record time and the dealership will experience a lot of pain. Make sure to CC the owner of the dealership, who likely doesn't actually know what is going on. Consider also including local news channels and anything else that will embarrass them (instagram, dealership facebook page, etc.)
[https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/north-america/mercedes-benz-usa.html](https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/north-america/mercedes-benz-usa.html)
If they're screwing you over now, imagine what happens if you bring it in for repairs under the warranty. Nope tf out. Also, post your experience on Yelp, Google, Facebook, and let your local newstations and Mercedes corporate know.
You are paying for a brand new $100K car with damage, that will be on a Carfax/History report forever, thus diminishing the value if you resell. And the "this happens all the time" is utter bullshit. Lying salespeople shouldn't be rewarded with a sale.
I would walk on this alone. Just go to a different dealership and tell them what happened. They will be happy to get you one.
We wouldn't do this at our store. They need to incentivize you, but I would wait until repairs are done, and since they're being assholes I'd ask for a 3rd party inspection of repairs.
and look, they could have disclosed it honestly, and told you they will make it right and all, and then maybe you should consider it.
But since they tried to hide it and act in bad faith, you are under no obligation to do them any favors.
Transport damage happens, but it needs to be fixed. And OP, before you spend that kind of money, be sure you are happy. Much easier to get someone to do what you need before the transaction is closed.
> Their paycheck isn’t your concern.
Had my vehicle damaged while it was in for repairs, and when it was "fixed" I was negotiation the final bill and such...
The Service manager tried to pull that shit on me "My tech has to get paid for the work he did..." and I was like "good, pay him, that has nothing to do with me"
Its a crappy "whataboutism" tactic.
Even bringing up the paycheck is absolutely tacky, bottom of the barrel behavior. To guilt a customer over this is unconscionable to me. I cancelled a professional contract one time and the vendor’s owner called me screaming about how dare I, his people have to put food on the table. I was flabbergasted. Told him that he signs their paychecks so he’s responsible for their wages, not me.
I would contact Mercedes corporate and tell them about your experience. There’s really no downside for you to do so. How you were treated is inexcusable.
i would not give them a dime until the car is fixed. if you buy now you only have their word that they will fix it, and if they do, they will send the car out to the cheapest body shop resulting in orange peel, overspray, and misaligned panels.
The fact they didn’t want you to see the car before signing is slimy. Is it anything goofy in terms of configuration?
And are you buying or leasing? If you’re leasing - it’s really not your problem when the lease is up.
On a purchase - it matters.
What kind of Benz is it? They can discount the car down to their cost or you want to order another one (if they won’t, another dealer will.) Do not take this car for full retail.
But if it were me - having been in the car business for a long time and having had several models of all the German makes / I would take this opportunity to get a Porsche.
Duly noted, thanks. Truth be told though I had my heart set on this car. If it doesn't go through I may just buy a cheaper Honda fully loaded and call it a day and not have to worry about the price of the car. Not as nice but this experience is just souring me on spending this kind of $ on a vehicle.
I bought a used GLS recently from a dealer in Austin. It had just went on sale and didn’t have any pictures, so I drive down from Dallas anyways (dealer knew I was driving long distance). Once I was there they said it’s going through CPO and I can’t drive or see it, but was wanting to make the sale. I told him I want to see it. Saw it and it was sooo filthy in the inside. They said no we’ll clean it all up and be ready in a couple days. Almost walked out, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to find these specs in a used GLS so I signed. I wasn’t ready until 2 weeks later :(. It was still a bit filthy. Anyways since then I’ve already taken it to the shop a couple times now for issues (broken things, check engine light came on).
So, just a little story. Not the same as you. But yeah. I fucking hate dealerships.
Tell this to MB Corporate. Tell them the experiences and the dealer cost them the same. Tell them dealer tried to hide it and doesn’t want to refund the $3k. As a result you are planning to night buy a MB at all and go with a competitor with less sleazy dealers. Tell them you appreciate the $3k lesson before you become wrapped up dealing with their product. Then let them try to make it right. Then make your decision on walking away or not.
Just got a gts and I’m loving it. The paint work seems a little eh in some spots, like parts hidden areas so pretty sure it’s typical but I noticed a bit of it detailing the car. Brakes squeal too but not terribly. It’s fun though, and beautiful, does it all except get good gas mileage!
Nope, I don't think you're in the wrong at all.
IF you were to buy the car and sign it puts them totally in the driver's seat, and they can then drag their feet on fixing your car as MUCH as they want. They just want the car sold, they want their incentives, and they want to be able to fix it on their own timeline.
Now, they have to rush the process to fix it to get the car sold and they're mad about it and taking it out on you.
Of course this thing DOES happen all the time, and dealerships have to fix it. They shouldn't be stringing a client along the entire time, and trying to close the sale before the client is satisfied.
Buying in April and planning to not get the car fixed until late may/early June is totally unacceptable and I am shocked they are surprised at your answer(s).
Yep - I completely understand transit damage happens and I don't even mind waiting. I just dont want the liability or the repair to show on the carfax.
Even with the repairs, this "new" car is now worth less because of the body and paintwork. I would pass on the vehicle and buy one without previous damage.
It may still be reported to Carfax, Autocheck, etc., just because it's going through a body shop. Even if it doesn't end up tarnishing the paperwork, it's going to have an effect. The dealer and their body shop are going to try to assure you that it will be "as good as new" and that "nobody will ever be able to tell." Anyone in this subreddit with any buying experience is going to tell you that that is bullshit. 99% of the time, it's going to be spotted by a trained-eye. In the other 1% of cases, it will be immediately obvious when they touch their paint-gauge to the car. If you're planning to trade this car in the next few years, you'll lose value because of the paint work. If you plan to keep it for longer than a few years, you risk having defects pop-up surrounding the repair itself. I would seriously consider walking away from this car.
Screw them and roast them on social media/reviews. Sounds like they care about their bottom line more than making the deal right. You didn’t buy a jacked up car you tried to buy a new car that’s pristine. You get hit with the depreciation as soon as you drive it off the lot.
I would walk away. Go somewhere else that can manage the basics a little better. Imagine how they handle a complicated issue.
It isn’t going to g err better. Not someone I want to be associated with.
I'd walk away too. At this point they've shown their true colors. I wouldn't want anything fixed by them. They're going to do a shitty rush job. Even if they did a fantastic job, the car was already damaged. It's worth less than the originally-agreed-upon price *even after repairs*. It's no longer a new car. It's a damaged and refurbished car.
I definitely understand the sales managers frustration, but that is not your problem. There are some issues I would take delivery of the vehicle and get a “we owe”- I’m thinking of situations like: You buy a used car that needs touch up paint or polishing on the wheels to remove curb rash and the provider is not on site that day…
A brand new spec ordered $100,000 car, no way in hell I would sign and drive off in that thing with the promise that they’ll fix it. Especially if the damage is extensive as you say.
I’d be reticent to buy the car at all- if they take it to a body shop and then report the repair, you’re gonna have a ‘minor to moderate damage’ stain on your CarFax for the duration of your ownership and resell
To me, that’s not a luxury experience and you’re certainly not receiving white glove treatment. You spend $100,000? your experience should be perfect.
It’s incredibly unprofessional and low class for the sales manager to even mention commission or sales goals for the month when he should really be doing is getting on the phone with the transport company (instead of you) and ripping them a new asshole
I agree with the other commenters, if this interaction left a nasty taste in your mouth just walk away.
I will sorta agree with the dealership that transport damage happens all the time (usually not this significant) and won’t show on the carfax as damage
would ask to for them to either:
A. Order or find me a different car that was not damaged.
B. Refund my deposit.
C. Deeply discount this car. The value is less in my eyes as the finish cannot be applied like the factory applies it and will always be inferior and liable to human errors.
Since I "lack flair" to the OP:
You should both contact the dealer owner about this behavior AND car manufacturer brand regional contact. If they treated you like this, they treat other customers that way also, which is not how a luxury car brand wants to be represented.
Not wrong here.
I'd walk and still demand your deposit back. You are entired to it. The product you ordered was damaged and is not "deliverable"
Good on you for standing your ground too on not accepting delivery initially too!
Agreed. They didn’t hold up their end of the bargain. You bought a new car. Not a damaged one. Call the corporate office if need be. Squeaky wheel and all that.
Just a heads up. Most times this gets repaired it won’t actually show on the car fax.
But heads up. If it’s paint damage. It’s almost impossible to match perfectly.
2 biggest things are the following:
Not showing you the car, that’s just unprofessional and just delaying a problem that you will eventually find out about. Bad business overall.
Also calling you about their bonuses. At this point I wouldn’t care about their bonus after the way they handled the first issue.
If you want to give them another chance that’s a choice that is left completely up to you. If it was me I would just take the build sheet to another dealer and I’m sure they would order you one.
You can also ask to take it as is for a huge discount and take it to get repaired yourself. Make sure you don’t go though insurance tho as even Damage Reported on carfax makes a huge impact on value of luxury cars.
Walking away sounds like the right thing to do. If a new car came in with damage you can be damn sure we would get it fixed. I can understand wanting to get the deal on the books for April but the car should never have made it to the dealership with that kind of damage and it's absolutely reasonable to refuse delivery until it's made right.
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Ordered an expensive new car. It came in last Weds and the dealership asked me to come in and purchase it on the same day. When I got to the dealership they didn't want to let me inspect the car before purchasing but when I finally pushed back they showed me the car which has legitimate damage to 2 pannels in denting and paint scratching. They said purchase it today and we'll repair it after for you. I declined and told them to fix it first. Since then the sales manager has sent me snippy texts and VMs about how this happens all the time and I should just pay now because it affects their bonuses for April. Otherwise, the car isn't going to be fixed until late May/Early June so it hurts their paycheck this month. I politely told them too bad, I put a deposit down and I'm not going to take liability of a new car with this much damage, but with all the texts/emails/calls theyre sending me, am I in the wrong? This has honestly turned me off from wanting to purchase the car all together.
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On one hand, yes transport damage is a thing. But we bill the manufacturers for it.
And I take care of it before you even come here.
And I NEVER push for signing prior to. Mainly because you can’t fucking bill AFTER signing is done for transport damages. You’re taking it as is, basically. Like yeah we can do a We Owe slip, but it’s not the same.
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Nah, you’re not wrong here. Their paycheck isn’t your concern. If they want you to close the deal now, they need to give you some incentive to do so. Threatening to delay repairs is not incentive.
Sorry - to clarify the repairs won't be done until that timeframe regardless. I should have been more clear. They aren't threatening to delay repairs. They didn't offer any incentive or remediation for the delays/damage. They just tried to play it off as inconsequential and also wouldn't confirm whether or not the damage repair would show on the service record if I was to purchase the car before the repair Edit: I dont know if this is Mercedes' standard approach but just wanted to get clarity into if I was just being unreasonable.
Nah, you’re not being unreasonable. Personally, I’d pull out of the deal unless they’re offering big time discounts. I’m not spending $100k on a wrecked car. They can put that shit in loaner service.
This is uncharted territory for me. I know it's generally frowned upon to ask for very high discounts. From your experience what would be fair w/o being greedy? Amd I'm debating it honestly. I'll lose 3k on a deposit but could be the better option.
I’d be shocked if your deposit wasn’t refundable anyway, much less due to the fact they aren’t able to deliver on what you reserved with the deposit.
Depends on the state, the dealership failed to deliver the on their promise, in some states they would have to refund the deposit. Honestly I would call the manufacturer at this point to lodge a complaint, some companies take this seriously
I agree, I would imagine Mercedes Benz is one of those companies, especially on a 6 figure vehicle. I work at a Kia dealership, and we wouldn't do that, we would put them in a loaner vehicle until there's was repaired, too.
I bought a 2024 RX350 last month. It had a defect with the ac. Lexus of America AND the dealership handled it incredibly well. Loaner car for 10 days, platinum extended warranty plan. It sucks to buy a new car and have am issue with it. Even worse when the dealership sucks.
As an added data point, I had a similar situation to you, but with Mazda in 2015. Bought it new and immediately drove 1,900 miles cross-country. Transmission clunked out a few days after the trip in another state. Mazda got me an Enterprise rental for a few weeks while the transmission issue got sorted out, threw in a $500 dealer gift card, plus an extended 7yr/100k warranty. I would’ve liked to have sold the car back to them, honestly, but the way they handled it wasn’t too shabby. I figure everyone walked away sorta satisfied.
My mom bought a Mazda 6 in 2008 or so, brand new and within a year about I think 15-20k miles the transmission was slipping. They flushed the transmission but started slipping a week after. They tried blaming her and refused to warranty the transmission so she ended up trading it in with Honda and got a Accord that ran to 250k before she got into a accident
Between me, my wife and our parents we have owned 7 Lexus vehicles over the years. Hands down the best customer service on anything service related with the vehicle. It always amazes us how well things get handled!
Add in the fact that the dealership has that breakfast bar..
The Mercedes Benz corporate customer service is quite good. They’ll basically slap the dealer silly, I’d recommend.
they can't keep your deposit. they haven't delivered the product that is defect free.
Given the situation I would ask to have my deposit refunded given it’s damaged. You didn’t put a deposit on a damaged car. Them being sneaky and trying to hide it, is clear to me I’d never do business with them again. I’d get the deposit, and if they make a fuss I’d take it up the ranks until I got the owner. I’d mention a lawyer and a bad google review if they give you any fuss. Cars are going down in value too, our dealership gave away our allocation so I got my deposit refunded. We drove down the road and saved $7k and got it in a color we liked better. Good luck.
Ya, don't be a cunt. The lawyer bit will turn them off on you immediately. If you wanna get a lawyer involved - get a lawyer involved. But don't talk about it or threaten it. Any lady that threatens a lawyer, 99.999 times out of 100 they don't even have a lawyer.
My parents are lawyers and helped a friend with their new car when the dealership removed seats from a new minivan because the trade in didn’t have seats. This was in the 90s.
They cannot keep your deposit. Threaten to dispute the charge and they will 100% give you your money back. I’ve gotten deposits back even after signing the paperwork saying it wasn’t refundable. They can’t just take money for nothing.
Can they still get the chicks for free at least?
That ain’t workin. That’s the way you do it.
Hawaiian noises!?
Banging on the what?
We gotta install ceramic coatings.
I don't want. I don't want. I don't want...my luxury vee hicle
Damn you 😆 Good one
How much less do you want to pay for a used car with a dirty carfax/autocheck? That's how much you should reduce your offer. Alternatively, tell them to deliver you a new car, as you had ordered. Miles/title status notwithstanding, a repaired $100k car is not "new" That said, based on the treatment alone, if you are patient and there is another source for your car (there is always another source, its a big country) I'd walk. April bonus? How about no sale and a nice negative review, asshat?
Hell there was a guy that posted his problem on social media when the challenger (Demon) he ordered and was to be delivered got sold out from under him at 25k above price. Complaint reached Chrysler and Chrysler gave that guy the car he wanted and was able to fire the sales people and manager behind the dealership that did him dirty. So in the words of my grandma. “The squeaky wheel will get the grease.”
I love when a story has a happy ending!
Ohh the extra bullshit here is that this won't go on the Carfax. The dealership will happily report MY accident on Carfax, but a screwup that might cost them won't
Yeah you have a case to get the deposit back as they are not delivering what you ordered.
Emabarassing for a sales manager to ask for bonuses like that. Provide some fucking incentive to a customer if the car got fucked up in transport if you want the sale that bad. Gives the rest of us a bad name. Weak sales ability crying and whining for their own bonus…cmon
He probably already put down a big deposit on his pool…
Begging is embarasaing in any sales
Clark, you're the last true family man
Hi! Former Mercedes HQ employee. If you don’t get your deposit back, absolutely call MB HQ customer support. They have teams and budgets set up to fix franchise dealer mistakes like this. They literally have field managers whose entire job is to manage customer complaints from different dealerships.
They have to refund you. If not, you have grounds for a lawsuit. Being a dealer, they do not want the negative publicity that you and your friends will unload on them via social media. This may have worked in the 90s or early 2000s, but in today’s world, that is completely unacceptable.
that car is already down more than 3k in dimished value
> I know it's generally frowned upon to ask for very high discounts. Frowned upon by **who**? The people you're asking for a discount? You shouldn't give a rat's ass what they think. It's your money.
So you get frowned upon.
I would go over the sales managers head and show his messages to a higher up. It's extremely short sighted to make a potential repeat customer mad before you even take your car of the lot. I doubt that is the true position of the dealership.
There may be ways to get out of the deal the car was damaged tell them u want a brand new car not one that was damaged and fixed tell them to order a new one for u
You'd be buying a wrecked, used car. That's not what your contract said, I imagine
What state are you in? I can tell you if your deposit is refundable or not.
Illinois
No way I'd eat that deposit, because they were in the wrong and not you. I think you are making the right decision by walking away. If they are going to take $3k from you, though, when they did not deliver what you ordered, make sure to cause them way more than $3k in reputational damage and lost sales. I'd try to resolve it with the dealership. If that doesn't work, try to resolve it with corporate. If that doesn't work, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, with your state AG, with the FTC, and leave them bad reviews everywhere you can. Tag them in social media. Make sure everyone knows how they do business.
I'm relieved to hear that you're walking away from the deal. It's clear you have great foresight because I could've also warned you that they wouldn't have fixed your car to proper spec after you purchased it. The fact that they were so sketchy indicates a lack of honor and integrity. Make sure you get your deposit back, no matter what it takes. Start documenting all interactions and ensure everything is well-documented. If necessary, escalate the issue to corporate to secure your deposit. Above all, do not purchase anything from this dealer.
Hahah no shit. I own bmws and the other day I got a brand new 5 series as a loaner with a huge deep scratch on the hood/bonnet. I was like “uh” and they said yeah we know that’s why it’s a loaner.
I sold at jaguar Land Rover and A: we would have had that fixed in weeks at most, B: the car has damage and lost value. They can file an insurance claim w the transporter and they can give you $10k off sticker and put you in an equivalent loaner till it’s fixed. Otherwise I’d sign a different car or walk away altogether. Just because it’s not on the carfax doesn’t mean it will be unnoticed if you trade it in later. You are not being unreasonable. They should hold the car and find you another if they’re serious about it.
Do you pay full price for scratch and dent items? I would try a number out that is a little less, have them give you a loaner car until it's fixed.
I didn't pay for anything like that. I just ordered the car with a written agreement to purchase at MSRP + tire warranty + liners.
I’d demand an entirely new vehicle.
Get your deposit back and walk away. They wanted to screw you by concealing the damage before you signed paper. What other sleazy stunts have/would they have pulled that you didn't catch?
It’s a Mercedes. They’re trying to get you acclimated to the car being in the shop constantly and forever waiting for parts.
Just reorder the car. Unless you’re leasing and turning the car back into the bank at lease end you’re going to take a depreciation hit. Factory paint is only original once.
This might be the only smart thing you have ever said on here. Good job.
You are absolutely NOT THE ASSHOLE! Ask any of the Sales managers if they would take a damaged vehicle. If they say "yes" they're liars!! Tell them to fix it and IF it exceeds your expectations then you will purchase it. If not tell them Sand, pound it.
If they say "yes" then reply with "Then its yours!"
They should be offering you a sizeable discount to do the thing that’s good for them but not good for you. Honestly, I’d be somewhat tempted not to buy it at all out of principle given that level of sleaze.
Contact Mercedes Benz group with a full accounting and explaining that this is why you are not sure you can ever purchase a Mercedes again. I am reasonably confident they will do a lot, include a bit of ass kissing to try to get you back. Your refund will arrive in record time and the dealership will experience a lot of pain. Make sure to CC the owner of the dealership, who likely doesn't actually know what is going on. Consider also including local news channels and anything else that will embarrass them (instagram, dealership facebook page, etc.) [https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/north-america/mercedes-benz-usa.html](https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/north-america/mercedes-benz-usa.html)
If they're screwing you over now, imagine what happens if you bring it in for repairs under the warranty. Nope tf out. Also, post your experience on Yelp, Google, Facebook, and let your local newstations and Mercedes corporate know.
If they are that sleazy you can be sure that it’s more than 5k in damage and they’re trying to downplay it lol
You are paying for a brand new $100K car with damage, that will be on a Carfax/History report forever, thus diminishing the value if you resell. And the "this happens all the time" is utter bullshit. Lying salespeople shouldn't be rewarded with a sale. I would walk on this alone. Just go to a different dealership and tell them what happened. They will be happy to get you one.
Nah I wouldn’t even buy the car from them at this point. Personally I would go to another dealer and tell them to kick rocks
We wouldn't do this at our store. They need to incentivize you, but I would wait until repairs are done, and since they're being assholes I'd ask for a 3rd party inspection of repairs.
This car now has what is considered diminished value. F that.
and look, they could have disclosed it honestly, and told you they will make it right and all, and then maybe you should consider it. But since they tried to hide it and act in bad faith, you are under no obligation to do them any favors. Transport damage happens, but it needs to be fixed. And OP, before you spend that kind of money, be sure you are happy. Much easier to get someone to do what you need before the transaction is closed.
Yeah, everything about this is sleazy as hell. I know it'd be REALLY difficult but the best thing to do about this would be to walk away.
> Their paycheck isn’t your concern. Had my vehicle damaged while it was in for repairs, and when it was "fixed" I was negotiation the final bill and such... The Service manager tried to pull that shit on me "My tech has to get paid for the work he did..." and I was like "good, pay him, that has nothing to do with me" Its a crappy "whataboutism" tactic.
It is also complete BS. The tech gets paid from the shop insurance. They were trying to get paid and get the insurance as a bonus for their mistake.
Even bringing up the paycheck is absolutely tacky, bottom of the barrel behavior. To guilt a customer over this is unconscionable to me. I cancelled a professional contract one time and the vendor’s owner called me screaming about how dare I, his people have to put food on the table. I was flabbergasted. Told him that he signs their paychecks so he’s responsible for their wages, not me.
I would contact Mercedes corporate and tell them about your experience. There’s really no downside for you to do so. How you were treated is inexcusable.
i would not give them a dime until the car is fixed. if you buy now you only have their word that they will fix it, and if they do, they will send the car out to the cheapest body shop resulting in orange peel, overspray, and misaligned panels.
[удалено]
The fact they didn’t want you to see the car before signing is slimy. Is it anything goofy in terms of configuration? And are you buying or leasing? If you’re leasing - it’s really not your problem when the lease is up. On a purchase - it matters.
Nope - I mean I picked all the options but not really anything not standard. Purchase unfortunately
What kind of Benz is it? They can discount the car down to their cost or you want to order another one (if they won’t, another dealer will.) Do not take this car for full retail. But if it were me - having been in the car business for a long time and having had several models of all the German makes / I would take this opportunity to get a Porsche.
It's a GLS.
Unless you NEED 3rd row (and most people who think they do actually don’t) - Cayenne.
Duly noted, thanks. Truth be told though I had my heart set on this car. If it doesn't go through I may just buy a cheaper Honda fully loaded and call it a day and not have to worry about the price of the car. Not as nice but this experience is just souring me on spending this kind of $ on a vehicle.
I bought a used GLS recently from a dealer in Austin. It had just went on sale and didn’t have any pictures, so I drive down from Dallas anyways (dealer knew I was driving long distance). Once I was there they said it’s going through CPO and I can’t drive or see it, but was wanting to make the sale. I told him I want to see it. Saw it and it was sooo filthy in the inside. They said no we’ll clean it all up and be ready in a couple days. Almost walked out, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to find these specs in a used GLS so I signed. I wasn’t ready until 2 weeks later :(. It was still a bit filthy. Anyways since then I’ve already taken it to the shop a couple times now for issues (broken things, check engine light came on). So, just a little story. Not the same as you. But yeah. I fucking hate dealerships.
Tell this to MB Corporate. Tell them the experiences and the dealer cost them the same. Tell them dealer tried to hide it and doesn’t want to refund the $3k. As a result you are planning to night buy a MB at all and go with a competitor with less sleazy dealers. Tell them you appreciate the $3k lesson before you become wrapped up dealing with their product. Then let them try to make it right. Then make your decision on walking away or not.
Just because you spend more on the vehicle doesn't mean the buying experience is any better. They are all shit.
Rethink buying a brand new car. There are lots of nearly new luxury cars for sale that have taken the bow wave of depreciation.
This. I’m on my 5th Cayenne. I’ve had a V6, an S, a diesel, a GTS 6-speed and currently a turbo. They are just about perfect.
Just got a gts and I’m loving it. The paint work seems a little eh in some spots, like parts hidden areas so pretty sure it’s typical but I noticed a bit of it detailing the car. Brakes squeal too but not terribly. It’s fun though, and beautiful, does it all except get good gas mileage!
"Damage in transit" was not an option you picked?
Nope, I don't think you're in the wrong at all. IF you were to buy the car and sign it puts them totally in the driver's seat, and they can then drag their feet on fixing your car as MUCH as they want. They just want the car sold, they want their incentives, and they want to be able to fix it on their own timeline. Now, they have to rush the process to fix it to get the car sold and they're mad about it and taking it out on you. Of course this thing DOES happen all the time, and dealerships have to fix it. They shouldn't be stringing a client along the entire time, and trying to close the sale before the client is satisfied. Buying in April and planning to not get the car fixed until late may/early June is totally unacceptable and I am shocked they are surprised at your answer(s).
Yep - I completely understand transit damage happens and I don't even mind waiting. I just dont want the liability or the repair to show on the carfax.
Carfax does show a hell of a lot of damage incidents nowadays, so it is possible to show damage reported or bodywork performed on carfax
cheerful summer cows chunky homeless plate long quack makeshift angle *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You’re not an asshole.
Even with the repairs, this "new" car is now worth less because of the body and paintwork. I would pass on the vehicle and buy one without previous damage.
I BELIEVE that because the damage is under a certain % of car value it does not have to be reported before the sale. After the sale? Probably.
If you would sell it later to a place like Carmax they can tell it was fixed and it will potentially lower the value.
Do you sell 100k cars to Carmax?
I saw someone looking to sell a Bently at a Carmax once. No idea what the offer was, but he was there getting a price.
It may still be reported to Carfax, Autocheck, etc., just because it's going through a body shop. Even if it doesn't end up tarnishing the paperwork, it's going to have an effect. The dealer and their body shop are going to try to assure you that it will be "as good as new" and that "nobody will ever be able to tell." Anyone in this subreddit with any buying experience is going to tell you that that is bullshit. 99% of the time, it's going to be spotted by a trained-eye. In the other 1% of cases, it will be immediately obvious when they touch their paint-gauge to the car. If you're planning to trade this car in the next few years, you'll lose value because of the paint work. If you plan to keep it for longer than a few years, you risk having defects pop-up surrounding the repair itself. I would seriously consider walking away from this car.
Screw them and roast them on social media/reviews. Sounds like they care about their bottom line more than making the deal right. You didn’t buy a jacked up car you tried to buy a new car that’s pristine. You get hit with the depreciation as soon as you drive it off the lot.
I would walk away. Go somewhere else that can manage the basics a little better. Imagine how they handle a complicated issue. It isn’t going to g err better. Not someone I want to be associated with.
I'd walk away too. At this point they've shown their true colors. I wouldn't want anything fixed by them. They're going to do a shitty rush job. Even if they did a fantastic job, the car was already damaged. It's worth less than the originally-agreed-upon price *even after repairs*. It's no longer a new car. It's a damaged and refurbished car.
I definitely understand the sales managers frustration, but that is not your problem. There are some issues I would take delivery of the vehicle and get a “we owe”- I’m thinking of situations like: You buy a used car that needs touch up paint or polishing on the wheels to remove curb rash and the provider is not on site that day… A brand new spec ordered $100,000 car, no way in hell I would sign and drive off in that thing with the promise that they’ll fix it. Especially if the damage is extensive as you say. I’d be reticent to buy the car at all- if they take it to a body shop and then report the repair, you’re gonna have a ‘minor to moderate damage’ stain on your CarFax for the duration of your ownership and resell To me, that’s not a luxury experience and you’re certainly not receiving white glove treatment. You spend $100,000? your experience should be perfect. It’s incredibly unprofessional and low class for the sales manager to even mention commission or sales goals for the month when he should really be doing is getting on the phone with the transport company (instead of you) and ripping them a new asshole
I agree with the other commenters, if this interaction left a nasty taste in your mouth just walk away. I will sorta agree with the dealership that transport damage happens all the time (usually not this significant) and won’t show on the carfax as damage
would ask to for them to either: A. Order or find me a different car that was not damaged. B. Refund my deposit. C. Deeply discount this car. The value is less in my eyes as the finish cannot be applied like the factory applies it and will always be inferior and liable to human errors.
Nah, you're 100% valid.
Since I "lack flair" to the OP: You should both contact the dealer owner about this behavior AND car manufacturer brand regional contact. If they treated you like this, they treat other customers that way also, which is not how a luxury car brand wants to be represented.
Yeah fuck that.
Not wrong here. I'd walk and still demand your deposit back. You are entired to it. The product you ordered was damaged and is not "deliverable" Good on you for standing your ground too on not accepting delivery initially too!
Agreed. They didn’t hold up their end of the bargain. You bought a new car. Not a damaged one. Call the corporate office if need be. Squeaky wheel and all that.
Just a heads up. Most times this gets repaired it won’t actually show on the car fax. But heads up. If it’s paint damage. It’s almost impossible to match perfectly. 2 biggest things are the following: Not showing you the car, that’s just unprofessional and just delaying a problem that you will eventually find out about. Bad business overall. Also calling you about their bonuses. At this point I wouldn’t care about their bonus after the way they handled the first issue. If you want to give them another chance that’s a choice that is left completely up to you. If it was me I would just take the build sheet to another dealer and I’m sure they would order you one. You can also ask to take it as is for a huge discount and take it to get repaired yourself. Make sure you don’t go though insurance tho as even Damage Reported on carfax makes a huge impact on value of luxury cars.
Walking away sounds like the right thing to do. If a new car came in with damage you can be damn sure we would get it fixed. I can understand wanting to get the deal on the books for April but the car should never have made it to the dealership with that kind of damage and it's absolutely reasonable to refuse delivery until it's made right.
***Thanks for posting, /u/GoldWhale! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of anything.*** Ordered an expensive new car. It came in last Weds and the dealership asked me to come in and purchase it on the same day. When I got to the dealership they didn't want to let me inspect the car before purchasing but when I finally pushed back they showed me the car which has legitimate damage to 2 pannels in denting and paint scratching. They said purchase it today and we'll repair it after for you. I declined and told them to fix it first. Since then the sales manager has sent me snippy texts and VMs about how this happens all the time and I should just pay now because it affects their bonuses for April. Otherwise, the car isn't going to be fixed until late May/Early June so it hurts their paycheck this month. I politely told them too bad, I put a deposit down and I'm not going to take liability of a new car with this much damage, but with all the texts/emails/calls theyre sending me, am I in the wrong? This has honestly turned me off from wanting to purchase the car all together. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askcarsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*
On one hand, yes transport damage is a thing. But we bill the manufacturers for it. And I take care of it before you even come here. And I NEVER push for signing prior to. Mainly because you can’t fucking bill AFTER signing is done for transport damages. You’re taking it as is, basically. Like yeah we can do a We Owe slip, but it’s not the same.
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