DiamondNoir2K5

First Drew, I'm just kiddin' around.

Second, you're right, other people started the thread drift. I just saw your last two messages.

My bad. Please, defend your honor! And after that let's get back on topic!

DL_AMG

"Stealer" will perform service A/B if within 1000 mile window before next service. So u will probably get the 2nd B serv. for free.

Aurora

sorry for sounding noobish, but can someone sum up the verdict here? maintenance PKG good idea/more economical or no?

PRHeloPilot

I'm going to the dealer today to look into it a little more. I'll bring as much info as I can.

DiamondNoir2K5

Carlos,

Did you end up asking about the pre-paid maintenance plans?

PRHeloPilot

Yes I did, in fact I took pictures of the stand up display brochure. It doesn't seem to good of a deal but I have to get the prices for example of the oil, filter, brake pads, etc. They have the regular plan which has a normal price then a PLUS plan that covers brake pads, but then it says they only cover 1 set of pads per year. Why pay about $500 extra if you only get 1 pad per year max ? I have to go read the fine print because it didn't make much sense to me.

I'll download the pictures and post them here later, I'm going to church now.

PRHeloPilot

This is what I got from the Maintenance Plan Brochure. What we need to find out is

1- how many times are we going to change oil, filter, brake pads, coolant, etc in those 4 years.

2- What's the price to change those items at the dealer,

3- How does that compare with doing it outside of the dealer,

etc...

PRHeloPilot

PRHeloPilot

When I asked the Sales Manager about how long I had to buy this program, he told me that it had to be pretty much when I bought the car or as soon as possible. Take a look at what the 3rd page in the brochure says. On the bottom in SMALL letters it says " * up to the first scheduled maintenance. " which in our case would be 1 year or 13,000 miles. Even the Sales Manager doesn't know anything or just wants to make the sale.

I'm not a Dealer basher but if your going to sell, then know what you're doing and if it's not ignorance, then he's a liar which is worse in my book.

I'm also going to find out this week if there is any state law protecting us if we decide not to take the car to the dealer for maintenance checks, like oil, pads, filters, etc...

I know that I did all those maintenance checks on my Sprotrac outside of the dealer and they said it was cool, but I want to make sure the law hasn't changed (as they usually do and you don't find out until your screwed with a problem).

DiamondNoir2K5

Great info Carlos, thanks! This is very important information for all of us new '05 owners. I'm on 1000 miles now, and will be going in for my first "complimentary" maintenance soon. So it's really important for me (and other people who bought '05's this summer) to get this figured out before we go in for that first one and lose the window to possibly buy these plans.

I'll be doing some research on these plans this week too and will try to share whatever I find out.

Anaheim_drew, any suggestions on how to negotiate price on these plans? The brochure pics that Carlos took show that the listed prices are "MSRP", suggesting there's room for discounts. There's obviously no "invoice" pricing available for these things, should we just call around to local dealers to ask for their best price and then hope for the best?

PRHeloPilot

Now that I read your post and some others about that Survey thing and that you get a discoiunt, it would be nice if someone tried to buy this maintenance program with the discount you're supposed to get. I haven't picked up my car (maybe tomorrow) so I won't be getting the survey or any discount for a while.

Saprissa

the DISCOUNT thing for the Survey is NOT automatic. In fact, the survey is NOT supposed to be turned in to the dealer. It says so on the survey sheet. It is supposed to be sent directly to MBUSA. If a dealer is giving a DISCOUNT for turning in a survey, then he's doing it under the table. Don't count on this DISCOUNT thing. It does not legally exist anywhere, and it's not something owed to you.

Regarding the price of the Maintenance Plan. If it's anything like the Extended Warrantly, there's an MSRP, and there's individual dealer prices, and there's rock bottom. I paid the rock-bottom price with the only honest MB dealer in California (Lisa@Chico). I would assume that this Maintenance Plan pricing might be available at the lowest possible MB price somewhere, but it's going to take some time to identify which dealers are scamming customers, (some don't care to pay MSRP), and which ones are offering better deals. Wait & see !!!

PRHeloPilot

Thanks, good to know becuase if I didn't get mine in a few months, I was going to go down to the dealer and ask for it.

Anaheim_Drew

If a product has an MSRP (suggested retail price) then it also has an invoice price(price vendor paid) and a wholesale price( discount for buying in bulk or selling in bulk)
If I was in need of this, I would first contact Lisa at Chico. She is internet/fleet which will be cheaper than at the dealership of mbusa direct. I would see what her price is for 1 person. Then I would ask her if 3 of us call this week what kind of deal could she make us. A group buy of sorts. But she will make it up on the back end. 1 sale @ $2919 or 4 sales @ $2700...

coconutpolito

A group buy sounds good to me. Of course I would have to learn more about it before making my final decision and seeing if its really worth the price.

PRHeloPilot

FINALLY I see your car !! NICE !!! I just emailed you and I'm out the door, talk to all later....

jan ken po

I don't know about the rest...but I don't see the value in the PLUS plans in my driving of this car,+667,+882,+1607 in difference, just to replace wipers, and "check" the brakes and replace them at their discretion (once per year, assuming that is correct) That works to an average tween all plans to be $485 bucks/yr.

I can see doing maybe doing $1312 for the 4/52....had it been available when I purchased AND I have my LMT coupon at the time...this would have been a no brainer.

PRHeloPilot

EXACTLY my point. I'm almost in for the group deal, just let me ask what parts cost locally and what's the cost for Service A and B locally.

What's a LMT coupon ( no damm coupons ever make it to PR ) ??

jan ken po

Rough estimate I got from my dealer was $150 for A and $400 for B. I'm being lazy and not searching, but I think in say a 4/52 plan you would get 3As and 2Bs
which is roughly $1250...so you I would probably break even which I said I think its merely a matter of paying all now vs. each visit. The other option with the plan being offered now is that you can roll into your financing.

The LMT coupon = Love Mercedes Tour coupon. Similar to C-Spot in that you get $1500 of finance/lease of the car. Thing that sucked for me is I found about the tour coming like 4 days after I purchased my car. Still had a helluva time at the tour though and now have 2 $1500 coupons sitting at home..beggin to be used...and I'm trying real hard not to used them, lol.

Saprissa

I think it's looking like a break-even scenario, specially if some dealers will drop the price to their vendor or wholesale price. And you're right, the only real advantage would be to roll into your financing, if you don't want to pay all at once. If someone like Lisa of CHICO could do a group buy, one might save a few bucks in the long run, especially if Service A & B (plus required parts) go up in price in the next 1-4 years.
---------------------------------
jan ken po, Same thing with the LMT Coupon. I got two, already used one. The other one just stares at me every day !! I was going to use the C-Spot Coupon, but traded it in at the dealer for $200 gift card. Would love to run out and get an SL or CLK or G-wagen, but reality sets in.

Anaheim_Drew

This is why MBUSA list a MSRP for the plan. It is best to purchase it when the car is bought for a better overall price. Not to mention that it becomes part of your monthly payment.
But for those who have already bought their car, pay me now or pay me later. Prices and parts will go up..... but is it worth the all at once cost now..

DiamondNoir2K5

Where do you live jan?

I just called around to several dealers in NorCal, and was quoted between $210 and $250 for A-Service, and between $399 and $460 for B-Service.

I don't think you get 3 A's and 2 B's, though. Take a look at your '05 Maintenance Booklet. On page 50 it lists the mileage and time intervals for the A/B Services. It looks like you do an A at 1/13K, B at 2/26K, A at 3/39K, and B at 4/52K.

Now if the pre-paid plan runs out at 4/52K, then you're really only getting 2 A's and 1 B. Even at the most expensive prices quoted by dealers around here, that's worth 2x$210 + 1x$460 = $880. So paying $1300 for the plan is definitely not worth it.

But, what if you bring in your car just short of 4/52K, so you get your second B-Service in under the pre-paid plan, do you think the dealer will give you any hassle about that? If you could do that, you'd get 2 A's and 2 B's, but that's still worth only $1140.

So basically, it seems if you can squeeze in 2 A's and 2 B's, and buy the plan for about $1150, then it's break even. The one advantage is that you lock-in your maintenance costs. Because the dealers may raise their service prices over the next 4 years.

Any thoughts on this?

Anaheim_Drew

Current Service A special is $175
Service B $295 here in So California

DiamondNoir2K5

Another thing, any idea whether this plan is dealer-independent? Meaning, I don't have to get my service done at the same dealership where I buy the plan, right?

Because in that case, I can shop around for the best price on the plan, and use it to get paid-service at my closest dealer, which would be a plus if my closest dealer doesn't happen to have the lowest price on the service visits themselves...

DiamondNoir2K5

I HATE YOU GUYS IN SO CAL!!!!! $2K under invoice, gifts up the wazoo, free car washes (with cookies!), and now 35% cheaper services...

Well, I personally don't want to live in SoCal, so I guess I'll stop complaining.