*Hi MB-BOB, or any moderators, I was going to post this in the new thread but I wasn't be able to do so, I don't know why, I hope you can help me with this...*

Hi everyone,

I have a question, I'm really sorry if I happen to offend anyone here in this forum. I just need some suggestions on what should have I done with my issues =) I hope the moderators can also help me answer or give me a specific instructions on what I should have done...

Around April this year, I went to my dealership to get my car aligned, because I know that I can get it aligned for free since it's still under 10K, it was 7000+ miles. I had to drive hmm probably around 15 miles to that service center, it's a genuine mercedes dealership where I purchased my car from. Btw, it was early around 7:30, I reached there. I dropped it in, later in the afternoon my service advisor called me, he said "we need to replace your tire, because the right front tire is torn." I was shocked because first it was only 7000 miles on the car, second I was driving it in the morning and it was ok... But I trusted them, and I approved to purchase the new tire and approve them to replace the tire, after gave him my credit card number. He said, "OK, we'll change the tire and your car will be done in maybe two hours..." After two hours, I called them because I was in school and they haven't called me yet. I was just wandering if the dealership can actually deliver my car, and guess what happen, he told me that the car is not DRIVABLE... I was totally upset and shocked... I don't know what else to say. I was just be able to say, "HOW COME?" but i guess that wasn't really helpful.

He described to me with all the technical terms, that I don't know anything about, they told me the suspension is bent, the sub-frame is bent, and he told me the cost to fix it is around $3000.
I was so upset, I don't know what else to say, I mean this car is my first car and my parent's gift for me because I study here. I didn't know how can I actually explain that to my parent.

Then I called a few of my friends to consult with them about it. My friend suggested me to bring the car out of the dealership. Earlier tomorrow, in the morning, I requested a tow truck to tow my car from the dealership. I have paid $380 to replace the front right tire. Just to let you know, since it is my first car, I have driving it so careful, I never had into any accidents.

So I went to this new workshop where I had my car to be sent to, and I saw it with my own eyes that my tire was an old tire, they haven't replaced the new tire that they charged me. I definitely was very upset about it. They charged me, I had the invoice in my hand, I mean how could they do it to me, I trusted them, they are a huge dealership, and also I chose mercedes because I know, if I buy mercedes I buy the quality of the car.

I called the service advisor and asked him did he replace the tire, he said, "yes." but when I said I had my workshop guy look at the car, the tire has not been replaced, it's still an old tire. After that, he said, "ooo.... that car, we were waiting for the part to come in, and we will send the new tire right away to your bodyshop..." I became more and more confused by this guy, because the invoice said that the tire has been replaced and (if you guys checked your service invoice, there is a status on the left hand side of the invoice) it says DONE....

I was so angry .... I told him, I don't need the new tire anymore, I just need you to refund my money ... and guess what, he said to me, " we can't give you full refund... we have to charge you for te labor..." they charged me 150 for the labor, which I believed they didn't even touch my car....

I'm really sorry people if this email is really long, I am emailing this because I just don't want you guys to face the same problem as mine,... Any one have any suggestions for my issue?

thank you very much for your time,

-C-Klasse-

 

What dealership is this?

Erik

 

Hi the dealership is located in Natick, MA.

 

It sounds to me as if one of the mechanics wrecked your car and they are covering for him.

 

Thank you for your reply,

I actually thought about that, any suggestions to what I should do?

 

If you paid with a credit card, call them and tell them you are disputing the charges. Have the car inspected by a good shop. Depending the results of that inspection you might wish to consult an attorney. I have a feeling that you are screwed, though.

 

forward your case to Mercedes headquarter, they will investigate and will mark down all the correspondent peoples on file.

 

This happened in April? Might make it more difficult to resolve. BTW-most dealerships do a visual inspection of the car before they start work. Was the damage visible after you got it back? If so, ask for the sign in sheet and see if they noted it before hand.

 

Hi,

thank you for the info, but do you happen to have the email or something for the MB headquarter?

Thank you,
-C-Klasse-

 

Reply to: KOMPRESSORnSC

I know it's a while ago, I am actually a foreginer in this country so I didn't know what to do about it, until I found this forum. They said the car was not drivable, but after I got my car towed out of the service workshop, I was driving it around to see what do they mean by "not drivable" and the car was just fine, same as the condition before I received the report.

 

Danng that sux... If I were u.. i will call ur CC company and tell then about that charge they will give u the money back and make sure to tell the CC company to stop any more charge if it came from the dealer ship.
Then I will get the guy whos working on ur car at the sec shop to write down nothing is wrong with the car, the car came with the old tire, ect and then go on to your MB dealer to fight with it

 

never agree to change anything for your car unless you are there to see what the problem is with your eyes. most of the time, mechanics will say you need a new belt when in fact you don't. or you need a fan and you really don't.

 

It seems to me there are two separate issues here:

1) The dispute on the $150 labor charge
2) The $3000+ repair work that's needed

For the first issue, you would need to find out what labor they are charging you. It's unlikely that they are charging for tire replacement labor, because that is an undefendable charge. I think they might be charging you for inspecting your car. They did not find out the subframe was bent just by looking at it. If this is true, then you won't see your money back because it's a legitimate charge.

But that brings me to the second issue...

How did your car get damaged in the first place? Torn tire, bent suspension, bent subframe. This sounds exactly like what would happen if you impact an object at speed. If you are sure you didn't cause this damage (I mean, you haven't run off the road, no friends have "borrowed" it for a night out in town, you haven't hit a sidewalk, oversized rock, uncovered manhole, medium sized dog, etc.), then you would be certain the damage was caused AFTER you dropped your car in.

However, there are two things that make you a suspect for causing the damage: 1) Why did you bring the car for alignment in the first place? Just because you can get a free alignment before 10K miles doesn't cut it as a valid reason, so it seems to me the damage was the original reason for you to bring it in 2) Your reaction when they told you about the damage. If you were certain that the car was OK when you brought it in, why have it towed to another shop???!!! That's like admitting that the damage was there all along and it's only a problem of the dealer charging too much for the repairs. Add to all this the fact that you've let 3 months go by.

So how about coming clean and telling us the full story? We might be able to help more if you do. In the meantime, I'd say you're screwed, and a victim of your own negligence/youth/inexperience.

 

Part II - So let's suppose for a while that you can somehow prove the damage wasn't there when you first brought the car in that April morning... What you need to do is inform the dealer in writing of your problem, AND HOW THEY CAN FIX IT (do you want the damage repaired, your expenses refunded, etc) and wait for a response, in writing, from them. If it is not favorable, go to the Better Business Bureau and file a formal complaint. (www.bbb.org). However, I'd say you're SOL.

 

First I would like to thank you for replying this.

At the first place I have admitted that I am a young and merely know nothing about car compare to you who sound to me like you know a lot about car.

I posted this in the forum, because I thought there could be another person who might not know as much as you do about cars and fall into the same tricks as my issue. I posted this in the best possible manner, because I don't feel like using this forum to offend anyone or any party. I just want to share to all the people who read the forum about my story and my experience. But now, you are replying me in a not really manner here. I am not trying to be rude, but you have been using the word negligence, youth, inexperience... OK, I might be that type of person as you described... *I'm sorry to all the moderators, I'm not trying to be rude, I read about the respecting others from the other thread* But you as the person who has much more experience, highly knowleged about cars, why don't you help me then with a more respectable manner? why?

You know why I towed the car away from the dealership as soon as possible? Because I know if I have left it there for another couple of days, they could have done more bad things to my car, that is why. Why I aligned that car before 10K, because I am poor, if that's the implication you want to put on me, I just feel like I want to take that free alignment. Was it ok before or not? I drove (+-) 15 miles to the dealership, if I drove it with a torn tire, I won't be typing this right now... When they charged me on that tire, and they said they REPLACED it, the tire was my old tire and it wasn't replaced. If I hit the sidewalk, my wheels would have badly torn apart.

OK, once again I would like to apologize that you, NOLA, have to help me, a youth and inexperience car owner who doesn't know anything about car and who would willing to take the free alignment with no reasons.

Another thing, running into a big dog? I don't think so, I love dog and I would be aware of them crossing my car.

Thank you,
-C-Klasse-

 

c-Klasse,
I have read the responses, and none are considerably rude, they may seem a bit snobby, yet these guys have legit points, that you are negligent, inexperience, and I'd even use the word "ignorant" cause that's what it is, "lack of knowledge".

I know we all want to get as many freebies out of our dealerships due to the amount of money we pay for our cars, so I'm with you, I'd take mine in for all the freebies - yet an alignment - unles my car isn't driving straight, I doubt I'd waste my time, nor would any ignorant/inexperienced driver even be aware they had to do an alignment (some don't even know what it is!).

Now here's where we'd all need more answers to determine your real problem. You had it towed to another shop, they should've easily been able to take a quick look and verify that the MB dealer is/isn't correct about suspension damage - so why didn't you just get a second opinion?

In my last car I hit a sidewalk in the wintertime, the tire was fine, yet I bent the front axle, it would wobble big time at high speed, yet during city driving I would've never known I did any damage - none visible, I hit the tire, not the rim, on the sidewalk - plus it was such a stupid incident I had forgotten about it when my mechanic asked me how it happened.

My advice, take it as a learning experience and learn more about cars so that next time when in such a situation you can make a better decision.

 

Not trying to offend, Just being objective. Now to your questions, which is what we want answered, right? From your posts I take it you're pleading not guilty for causing the damage, so you believe the damage was caused by the dealer, right? OK, here are some answers:

-What you should have done back in April: You should have left the car at the dealer until the problem was solved. By taking it out of the dealer, driving around for a while (even around the block), and letting 3 months go by, you have severely impaired your chances to win a dispute. That's a fact, but don't be sorry for yourself. Just learn your lesson and move on.

-What you can do NOW: Try to put together a coherent, written account of the problem, the reasons and/or evidence why you think it's not your fault, why you acted the way you did, and what kind of compensation you are seeking from the dealer. Write the letter and have one of your teachers criticize it and give you some tips. Send it via certified mail to your dealer, or deliver it yourself and have them sign and date a copy. Be sure to include a way for them to reach you. If they send you packing, or don't reply at all, go to the BBB and file a formal complaint. If you can't support your case in writing, then chances are slim that your dealer will admit anything.

That's about it, but be prepared to defend your position with good, strong arguments. It's an uphill battle, but don't let your youth/inexperience/previous negligence get in the way of doing the right thing this time around.

Another thing you'll need to do before writing that letter, is figure out if the suspension and subframe damage is real. Did the second shop check it out for you? Or are you just going by your short test drive? What other action have you taken in the 3 months past?

If none of the above works, you'll just have to ask your parents for the reapir money, because driving around with a damaged suspension is asking for trouble, and your insurance will probably be voided since MB's records show your car as being "undrivable".

 

Thank you Nola and Taylor192,

I'm really sorry for my previous post, I will do what you have suggested me to do. I'm really sorry for the misunderstanding.

-C-Klasse-

 

Sounds to me like you kissed a curb with the car your parents baught for you.

 

What did the 2nd shop say?
Was any damage apparent?
If not then yes, you should contact MB Headquaters right away with a letter, sent certified explaining the situation.
It'll be obvious to the regional rep that the dealer is full of it, and likely they'll get in big trouble for pulling such crap.

Some shops are sooooo bad.
I've once heard of a BMW shop that took the M3 engine from a fairly new BMW that was in for service, sold it to an owner who's car was out of warranty, then put the messed up engine in the newer car, and fixed it under warranty. So they got payed twice for fixing one problem.

Yes, bad things do happen sometimes, and it pays to be an informed consumer.

 

Keep fighting

Don't let the dealer think they can take advantage over you just because you are young and inexperience with car stuffs.

Remember you are not alone, we are all here to support you.

 

DUDE I HATE THOSE GUYS. Foriegn motors west is TERRIBLE. Worst dealer ever (MBUSA I hope you are reading this!). They wanted to charge me labor to hunt a coolant leak on my ML WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. I flipped out on the guy, I cannot stand their horrible service dept. Private message me or email me. What school do you go to? That is ridiculous, that MB center needs to be shut down. If you want half way decent service, call up Viti in Rhode Island. Every MB service dept around the boston area completely sucks, very rude and they never get the car fixed right.

 

What was the service advisors name, if u don't mind...I go to that dealership and so far, the service has been OK, not spectacular, but OK. Sometimes, they never call me back when I leave messages or let me know what is up with the car.

 

c-Klasse,

From what I understand, your vehicle was fine when you took it to the dealer? However, when you took it to the second auto shop, what was his prognosis, meaning what did he say about the various damages. Did he say that all of the above stuff was wrong with your Mercedes? After reading AlBoston's post, I can see how this dealer might be out to cheat you. Good Luck with this issue.

If I were you, I would call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes as a starting baseline.

Once again, good luck with this issue.