rpayer

My 2001 C320 was just picked up from its A service at the dealership yesterday. This car only has 28,000 miles on it and is flawless. So After getting my $2600 bill($2000 was paid by extended warranty)I drive the car home. Well upon getting home and just glancing at the car I realize that the paint job that I work so to keep waxed and spotless clean has been ruined by swirlmarks! I call the service manager and explain my situation and he tells me to meet him at the STEALERSHIP first thing in the morning. So I go this morning and drop the car off AGAIN so that they can hopefully fix their screw up. Luckily I have a family friend that is a service advisor that has vouched for me to the service manager that the car did not look like that when it was brought in a week ago. So my car is back at the STEALERSHIP getting buffed. Do you think they let a 198k SL65 leave like that after service?! I bet not!

C43AMG

The problem is that they washed it.I recommend that the next time you drop it off to have the service advisor go over the car with you and tell them not to wash it.

rpayer

i know...

its a shame though. You would think a dealership that deals with mostly high end luxury cars would make sure their washing procedures are perfect! they wont wash it again!

pointman

you're gonna sue over swirl marks? okay buddy.

MBSvcAdv

I am cannot answer for how all dealerships wash cars, but we wash all cars the same, we do not chose to wash a 2006 SL65 any differently than an older vehicle. Mistakes do happen, and it sounds like they are working towards a solution for you.

Good luck in the future and I would suggest making a 8x11 card to place on the dash stating " Do NOT wash this vehicle , Please ! "

It works for me.... but then again, I have a silver car... doh.

coin

The bill is even more of a nightmare to me ...
What did you replace for $2,600 ?..
Why the extended warranty did not cover the whole bill ? Is it starmarked or aftermarket warranty ?
But I hope the swirl marks get buffed off and leave no marks behind

rpayer

ok guys....shoulda known....

pointman...your an idiot. YES I would sue for a new paint job due to swirl markes that WERE NOT there when the car was left with them.

MBSvcAdv....I agree with you. The reason I said that is because there was a spotless SL65 sitting in the detail area right next to my car this morning. No swirl marks on it for sure! They are working with me toward a solution Thats why I am not trying to bash them on here or anything of that nature. My car is black so you can imagine how unsightly swirl marks over the entire car can be. Thanks for the advice. I will make sure they dont wash it next time.

coin...My warranty did not cover the entire bill because I also had it in for A Service which was $200 and my passenger side interior door handle was seperating from the door. My extended warranty company says that is considered trim. So that was about $300. The other items that were replaced under warranty were stepper motor for climate control, rear sunshade motor, rearview mirror memory modules, and both infrared door sensors. Needless to say the extended warranty has paid for itself already. It is not starmarked. The warranty company is IWS. They were recommended by the dealership if not going with Starmarked. Thanks for your concern. I hope so too!

mleskovar

I think the "idiot" would sue to have a "new paint job" because of swirlmarks. It would be easier, cheaper, and less time consuming to pay someone to remove them. That SL 65 is newer, has nano paint, and probably a better protectant on it than your car (just because yours is shiny doesn't mean it's done right or is as strong). I get swirl marks on my black car and it's never been washed by anyone but me....when the marks start showing up it means it's time to strip, clay, and protect again. How did you think they were going to wash your car? By hand? Touchless? Who's the real bozo here?

rpayer

Hey man...

call it what you want. I expect to have my car returned to me the same way as when I dropped it off. No matter if its a 200k car or a 40k car it should be taken care of the same way if it isnt yours. So basically you are saying if this happened to you, you would just grin and bare it...man...im glad im not you.

mleskovar

No, I'm saying don't get your shorts in a bunch about something that you had control over but ignored. And your finish, age of car, and protectant (probably) are not the same as the other car as well. Out of curiosity, how do you prepare your car's finsh, what kind of protectant do you use, and when was the last time you stripped it?

rpayer

What exactly did I ignore?? I'm missing something. The car was stripped about 2 months ago. I use Meguires NXT generation polish and wax. I also use Meguires car wash. The car is handwashed at least once a week and waxed once a month.

I dont know why you people have to flame someone for being upset over a damaged finish. Bottom line is the car didnt look like that when it was dropped off. Your telling me this wouldnt bother you and you wouldnt bring it back to the dealer?! HA!

diamondblak05

Don't listen to all these *****. I would be pissed too if my car came back with a bunch of swirl marks. And I know any real enthusiats here in this forum will agree. So do what you can do to resolve this issue the right way.

mleskovar

You ignored the fact that the car would be machine washed. Any sentient owner of a black car that is picky about the finish should know better. To spout "sue" for a new "paintjob" for swirlmarks is laughable. To compare your finish to a much newer car with better paint is a joke, like they were actually washed differently causing your problem. Just weekly washes and monthly waxing won't protect your finish properly. Visit the detail forum for proper procedures to protect your finish if you are really interested in how to keep it pretty and properly protected.

C43AMG

I agree 100% with you .The $tealership messed it up and its time for them to step up to the plate and make it right.They took the initiative to wash they can detail it and make it right.You've got every right to be pissed.I do agree that to sue the dealership is a bit extreme but I can understand your frustration.Keep us posted how it plays out.

rpayer

THANK YOU!!! I cant believe the flak I caught for being upset the finish on my Mercedes was damaged whether it be an SL65 or a C320. I just spoke with My service advisor and they are finishing up the detail job now. I hope it looks like it's supposed to after I have spend so much time taking care of the paint since I have owned the car.

rpayer

Your a joke! I was never told it would be machine washed. I was never told it would be washed period! You dont know anything about how I take care of my car. I told you I wash and wax it cause thats all the time I care to take explaining this to you.

AK*S203*owner

Hi rpayer,

I guess it boils down to what your personal expectations are. I appreciate the fact that you want your car to be in as good of condition (or better) when you pick it up as when you dropped it off.

For me personally, it wouldn't matter if the paint job was slightly messed up since I live in a northern climate and I'm constantly getting chips and scratches from the sand and rocks on the road.

I feel somewhat for the dealers as they have customers like you and customers like me who cover the full spectrum of expectations. I think this is where the art of being a top-notch service advisor comes in since they have to know their client base very well and determine if the car has to be turned over absolutely perfect or will near perfect suffice.

My dealer has always exceeded my expectations and I have two service advisors that I trust. I do wish that they would communicate a little better since when things are not going as planned, they tend to wait for me to call rather than keeping me updated. Even then, they have been very fair and bent over backwards to accomodate me.

rpayer

I agree....maybe a little extreme but I'm glad you can understand my frustration. They're finishing up the detail job now. I'll let you know how it turns out.

C43AMG

Post some pics too !

rpayer

Your right...it is personal expectations. All I expected was my car to be returned the same way as when I left it. I didnt expect them to detail anything and if I was told they were going to wash it I would have asked them not to. This was the car's 1st maintenance so I just wasnt aware that it would be washed. It was clean when I brought it to them. I dont think it was my advisors fault. I think it was the guy who washed it. When I ran my hand across the paint after I noticed it there wasn't a lick of wax left on the car.

rpayer

I will this afternoon. I have before pics also from the day I last waxed it about 3 weeks ago.

SeaCoupe

Wow, what a way to introduce yourself. Yes, I too would be bothered over the swirl marks. But instantly stating the world SUE? Nuff said.

We are a good bunch, and sometimes poke at each other, but just coming out like that. Bit rough.

Looking fwd to seeing your pics. Hope it works out.

Ed

rpayer

Ok guys it looks like some of you understood my frustration and some didnt but hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I may have come across a little harsh at first but I immediately thought worse case scenario, just because of some of the horror stories I have read on here involving the dealership. Either way, the transport guy just dropped my car off at my office and they took care of it as they should have. I know the finish on my car isn't showroom perfect but hey its almost 5 years old. that being said, its in great condition for that age. I do try to take very good care of it. The dealership detailed the car for me and all offending swirl marks are gone. My service advisor was very understanding and pushed to get this fixed immediately so hats off to him.

So to all the people who understood my frustration thank you. To those of you who didnt, go pick your Mercedes up from the dealership not in the condition you left it in and then you can put your 2 cents in.

Russ

i'll post pics later

mleskovar

I have had my car into the dealer about 20 times (yikes!) and I never, ever picked it up with swirl marks....from the very beginning each time I went in I asked the SA to write "Don't Wash" on the service order and I put a sticky on the steering wheel that said "Don't Wash". When they got grease on the interior I didn't say I would sue to have my interior replaced or accuse them of treating my C any different than an SL65....I just asked and they cleaned it. Last, if someone calls me on something I posted I wouldn't call them an idiot. Pick on the dealer for something worthwhile, there are more than enough valid reasons to go around, and learn from your mistakes. Glad you got it resolved.

pointman

thanks tough guy. good to know you are the super sensitive type. let me guess, you got picked on in high school so now that you scored the big money and have a benz, you call lawsuit at every chance you get right?

guess what.. still a puss, and still no one believes you.