C230K4Laura

Hi Everyone,

I ordered my C230 Coupe around the 1st of May (2002) and I am now thinking about doing European Delivery.

If anyone here has done it, inquired about it etc. I would like to know how it works.

I asked the internet manager that I ordered from and he basically told me that 1. I have to pay full price for the car (no discounts) and 2. I have to let him know by tomorrow.

He was really rushed and I was kind of disappointed as I wanted more info like:

Do I have to pay for shipping from Germany to US?
What happens should my expected $ not show up? Do I have to reorder another car and therefore not get the 2002?

Why do I have to pay sticker?

I am getting my settlement (GOD, I really hope) around the end of July. What happens to the car during that time frame etc.??

Sorry if it seems so long, but I have mucho decisions to make and I have to make them by tomorrow it seems.

So, I figured I would ask the gurus of the board.

Thanks so much,

Laura

On order: C230K 2002, Orion Blue, Oyster Leather, C1, C2, C4, C7, Automatic

Fuzzo

I'm not really sure if anyone on here got their car though european delivery... i could be wrong..but if your dealer is not helping and is rushing you, then tell him to go ahead and cancel the order and you can always place another order if you change your mind....

sorry i'm not much help...

galaxygrrl

It's up to the dealer on whether you pay full price for ED, but I think most do make you pay it.

OK, I have not done it, but I might end up in a lemon law suit, so I've thought about.

This is what I have figured out:

-- you need a few month lead time with your dealer
-- you don't pay the delivery fee
-- you get two free nights at 4 star hotels
-- a free meal or two
-- you can drop your car off in many major European cities including of course Paris -- yeah!
-- It takes 4 to 8 weeks for your car to make it back you on this side of the pond and to your driveway.
-- you need to pay your dealer in full about a month before you go.

The bottom line is that this seems worth it if you want to go to Europe anyway, but not because you are picking up your car.

Here is a link about it

www.curtrich.com

Here is the mb website section on it.

http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container.jsp?/edp/index.jsp

The best info I found was a brochure at the dealership. Lists the hotels and everything.

Oh, you only get 15 days of car insurance, but you can buy more.

Hope this helps.

Beth

PS. The MB factory is in the middle of all the castles in Southern Germany. It looks really beautiful.

BB_45B

My wife and I picked up a C230K coupe in Germany in October. We added the Black Forest/Alps rally too and had a great time!

The weather that time of year was fabulous (not too cool and not too warm) and the hotels were not very crowded in late Oct.

We paid list price, but the car was more in demand then. The program includes shipping to the US. (infact that is all we saved; no delivery charges).

We paid in full in September. Only other choice was financing thru MB.

You can tour the factory while you wait for them to prep your car. The tour includes the C- class line with the coupes (cool!)

Highly recommened; we will definitely do it again in the future and spend more time in Europe.

trench

Do you have any pictures you could post?

Cheers, BT

BB_45B

I don't think we were allowed to take pictures during the tour...

AndrewK

We are doing European delivery for our 230. We had to pay a $2000 down payment early and then the rest of the cost just recently (for a June 7th delivery). We also added the Black Forest package. What were the hotels like BB_45B? Did you stay at either of the Schlosshotels? The Euro delivery is really a great deal, you get free hotel, no freight charges, a free lunch, and you dont have to rent a car! BTW Laura we got a significant discount on top of the Euro savings. If you live in the south give Jack Ingram motors in Montgomery a call, they give great service and were willing to discount. I live in Atlanta and none of the local dealers would discount, but they did (by ~$800 I think). Anyway for $30,000 flat we ended up with a C230, black, C1, C5, teleaid, 6 nights of hotel, and lots of good food! Not bad!

DCX Engineer

The European Delivery with Black Forest Package sounded like a great deal. My wife and I were ready to return to Europe to pick up my new c230, but my DC Employee discount could not be used in conjunction with European Delivery. MB rep. told me that they could book the same hotels as the package and we would pay what MB pays for the rooms, but that was more than the Euro Delivery Package or Black Forest. Plus we wouldn't be getting the insurance and I didn't ask about vehicle delivery to the US. My understanding is that MB is losing money on Euro Delivery Package or Black Forest. We were not willing to lose the 12.5% Employee Discount to get the trip at such a great price.

njoyaz

I have picked up MB's at Sindelfingen 15 times. I always find it a great
experience but you don't do it to save money.
First the negative side:
A $2000 deposit is required when placing the order which for me is
usually 5-6 months before I pick up the car.
You pay for the car in full a month before you pick it up.
You don't receive your car for at least 6-8 weeks on the west coast
Your warranty begins the day you pick up the car.
If you picik up your car in the summer, you will have a year old model
by the time your car arrives home.
With this program you will have paid for your car 2 1/2 to 3 months
before you have it home.
Now the good stuff:
It is exciting to go to the factory and see MB's being built. It will give
you a great appreciation of the care that goes into your car.
The delivery center is very impressive - Displays, Goodie Store,Factory
Tour, and a fine restaurant where you get a free meal.
Driving your own car instead of a rental saves money and you really
get to see how your handles on all kinds of roads including the famous
Autobahns. I especially enjoy the mountain swithcback roads.
Many of the hotels are really first class. My favorite is the Interalpen
Hotel in Austria which is truly elegant and you get gourmet dinners
included. The Buhlerhole near Baden Baden is another fine hotel.
If you plan on visiting Munich, the Bayershierhof is a high quality hotel
very conveniently located within walking distance to the Marianplatz
which is close to many of the key places you will want to see.
Also, if you get the Alps Rally, you can drop your car off at the hotel
and it will be picked up by the shipper. They also include a coupon for
a free cab ride to the airport
Suggestions:
Plan your trip in September or October so you will get the beginning
of the next model year.
If you go in September, you might want to go to the Okltoberfest in
Munich or the Canstatter Fest in Stuttgart.
Weather is generally good in the fall and crowds are at a minimum in
many of the tourist spots.
Many dealers will not discount on Eurodelivery cars. You do save the
shipping charge but that is it. At the same time don't be afraid to ask
for something. Some may discount at least a little depending on the model.
One item to ask for is the Alps Rally which costs $1,200.
If you are considering buying the Alps Rally, look at the cost for the extra 4
nights. At $1,200 you are paying $300 per night for hotels that cost
around $200-$250. If you want reservations at any of the hotels listed
in the Euro Deliver Information, have the MB Travel Office make the
reservations since they are supposed to have good rates at those
specific hotels.
Remember you get 15 days free full cover insurance which begins the
day you pick up your car. If your trip will be longer be sure to have
MBUSA get the extension before you leave.
If you are a Mercedes enthuaist, don't miss the opportunity to pick up a
car at the factory at least once. Even though this September will make
my 16th trip, I'm looking forward to it as much as the first.
Go for it !!!!!

Accord

You do NOT have to make your decisions by tomorrow, just because your dealer says so. They just want a quick sale, and if that is his attitude, tell him that you will go elsewhere, and you surely would not have a hard time finding another dealer in California.

Don't let your dealer push you into doing something you do not want to do, or you are unsure of and need time to think about it.

AndrewK

The Hotel Interalpen is closed for maintainance for the whole time we are in Europe, and now njoyaz says its the best hotel in the package!

Lynn

It looks like you buy a Mercedes every two years. Now you have something to look forward to for 2004.

AndrewK

Yeah, maybe next time my dad will go for something like the new SLK AND we can stay at the Interalpen