need2speed

I must give a shout-out to Kelowna Mercedes-Benz in Kelowna, British Columbia. They handled our recent purchase of a 2016 E400 Estate flawlessly and restored my faith that competent dealerships do exist. The experience started with our search for a scarce E400 wagon. Three new units were located in Western Canada in dealer stock, and each was sent an email.

Kelowna responded first, within a day, and in a most novel fashion. They sent a link to a YouTube video with the salesman conducting a walk-around of the car and describing the condition. It was personalized, with the salesman using my name and talking to the camera as if I was there.

In contrast, the other two dealers took three days or longer and first vetted the inquiry through some web manager who only promised more delay as they forwarded my contact to the sales department, which may favor me with a reply.

The discussions with Kelowna M-B proceeded to the trade-in, and here again I was both surprised and impressed. Another YouTube link was received where the sales manager went over their offer, presenting the deal in full transparency including how much they intended to sell my trade-in for and therefore what they could offer. Their numbers were entirely fair. That combined with an aggressive price on the wagon in anticipation of the new W213 this fall, was very compelling.

Back to the standard sales experience from the other two dealers, I eventually heard from a sales person from one. They offered substantially less on the trade and pumped up the price of the new unit with thousands in dealer add-ons, most of which I didn't want. When I declined, they indicated there might be room to wiggle their price down. Not worth the hassle methinks. The third dealer, five days after my submission, was simply told "you're too late".

need2speed

Well now I have a chance to test their aftersales service. The 3M film on the front bumper is delaminating in a couple of spots, each about 6" wide. As the product has a lifetime warranty fron this dealer, I contacted them on Monday. Friday now and still waiting to hear back on the fix.

need2speed

Very much an exercise in patience getting a resolution from the dealer. Not unexpectedly, the aftersales staff are different people than sales. Here the experience reverts back to old-school. Indeed, after confessing that I take the car through a car wash when dirty (Cupid's on Gateway), I was informed that only hand washing is acceptable for 3M film. Still waiting for the manager to approve a repair. Thankfully, I'm enjoying the car as much today as the first day.

oldsinner111

that sucks,paint should be strong enough.Most car wash places conserve water,that should be done everywhere.

need2speed

The 3M is blistering in the middle which makes me think it wasn't stretched properly to conform with the panel or the surface wasn't clean when applied.

need2speed

Update: with no progress from my assigned contact, I decided to take the bull by the horns and contacted the Sales Manager direct. Sam was a stand-up guy when I met him at the dealership and didn't disappoint. Within an hour I received a call from a local installer and an appointment was made!

Unfortunately, after leaving my car for the day, the installer discovered they didn't have the proper template in their computer so the work wasn't done. They did, however, improve the appearance of the damaged areas so waiting for the next appointment won't be too stressful.

need2speed

I dropped the car off for a day but they weren't able to replace the film. Apparently they didn't have the appropriate template in their software. They did, however, eliminate a great deal of the air bubbles. Just a few dollar-sized spots remain so I'm not in a panic that it will peel off with winter road rash looming.

One reason I was enthusiastic about the work done at Kelowna Mercedes-Benz was their use of oversized templates. With this, they would wrap the 3M film around corners rather than leaving the edges exposed. The repair shop was having problems upsizing the template once received so I referred them to another local shop I knew could do this. Now they are too busy so I'm waiting. Sigh...

need2speed

Thankfully the remaining blisters in the 3M film resolved themselves and have all but gone with two loonie-sized spots remaining.

Friends say this is a good reason why not to buy from an out-of-province/state dealer, but I disagree. The model was rare, and the price was good. M-B warranty and maintenance plan are fully honored here at home. And other than this one niggle, I've been totally satisfied with the car and, frankly, the 3M could have waited until I was home where service is face-to-face.

need2speed

Ownership update: had a persistent chassis vibration at highway speeds since driving home from the Kelowna dealership to Alberta. Attributed it to wheel balance and, since I don't do much highway driving, noted it for my next service.

Well, I was surprised to learn at my first B Service that both right side wheel rims were "severely bent". The dealership cost to replace them was over $2,000 including mounting, balance, and alignment.

Instead I went to a local performance tire shop and Tire Rack delivery depot; Fastech. They were able to true the wheels for $210 each and I was back on the road in one day. They also did a no-charge ExpressAlign test which did indeed show that the camber on both right wheels was slightly out of spec. Will return for an alignment.

Very curious why the CPO process didn't discover this damage. I regret not reporting the vibration right way; after this much time I can't expect the selling dealer to accept my assertion it was present upon delivery.