red309

Hi, I'm newbie here.

I put in a order for a C300 4Matic with MM, iPod, but the dealer keeps telling me he will get back to me regarding the ship date. He initially told me it would be at the end of december at the earliest and possibly january. It's been 2 weeks and he still hasn't given me an answer. Is this normal or should I be bugging him?

Also, if the iPod kit is factory installed there should be no installation fee from the dealer right?

Thanks.

MBTex

Welcome Newbie....You shouldn't bug him yet. It normally takes at least 3 weeks for the order to be assigned a batch #. From there the dealer can find out when the build date is and give you an estimated delivery date.

If it has been over 4 weeks and he hasn't called you, then I'd find out what the status is on the build date.

MBfan21

I ordered almost the same car.. when did you order yours? I am told beginning of December. I ordered in August.

red309

Wow, 4 months? I ordered around end of October and my dealer told me end of December is possible but pretty much got a guarantee for January from 2 dealers. I'm just anxious to get word on when I can expect it so I can sleep better knowing that it's on its way.

alexyanglaw

red309, I know how you feel, I waited 81 days to get my C300 sports with MM and 18s AMG. The best way for you to find out is ask your sales to give you the Netstar print out for your order and the build day, Netstar is like a tracking system for you to check the status after you placed your order. and ask him to give you the update print out every 7-10 days to show the status for your order, this should make you sleep better at night.

Also ask him to put your order on priority #1, this will also speed up the process from the port to your dealer, for my order, it only took 2 days from port to dealer for me the pick up.

The order appears in NetStar as soon as it is confirmed. There are all kinds of status changes that get entered, sometimes many on the same day. The first status change that will tell you the production date is B0, which means is described as "DCAG X - 19 PROCESSED" or 19 days before production.

Then you should have B3, B4 then B6..... when you check the status with Netstar every 7-10 days.

Below is the Netstar (formerly Vista Status) Categories:

A4 Final Supplier Order/Scheduled Not Produced
B0 19 Days to Production
B1 13 Days to Production
B3 NO CHANGES POSSIBLE
B4 2 Days to Completion
B5 Production Complete
B7 At Port/Ready To Be Shipped
B8 Assigned to Ship
C1 Ship Departed
C2 Ship Notification/On Water
CS Submitted to Customs
C3 Cleared Customs
C4 At Port
D1 VPC Processing
D2 Surveyed at VPC
D3 Potential Delay
D4 Ready to Deliver
D5 Released to Carrier
D9 Wholesale/Consignment Pending
F1 Wholesaled and Invoiced
I1 Retail

just get the Netstar print out asap from the sales if they have one for you so you can sleep better at night the whole process should takes about 10-14 weeks after you put down the deposit for your order, but everytime you get the print out from the sales, you will know the receive day is getting closer.

red309

Thanks for all the info guys.

So once I put down the deposit and he tells me he will give me a call later, does he mean that he'll call me when it gets to the "B0" stage?

The dealer didn't make it very clear to me why he has to call me later to tell me about the car status instead of just telling me on the spot when I can expect it.

This is my first car purchase so I'm new to this. By the way, you don't have to make any payments on the car until you get the keys, correct?

chilledbenz

All you had to say was multi media, thats your problem. Something with the mm system is delaying the cars. Order one without it and you get it in a turn around of six to eight weeks. 18'' wheels seem to be giving a hold up as well.

mathech

My dealer told me last week that they are supplier delays around the MM package and that availability and orders would be delayed.

MBTex

I was told that too...then the car just showed up.

That MM is very popular.

Jorg

As I said, a railroad strike in Germany could delay any delivery.

Jorg

itcrashed

When I ordered my car, my sales rep and I sat in front of a computer that showed us all the allocations that my dealership had available. Any open allocation had a build date associated with it.

I took the last available 2007 allocation with MM from my dealer which had a build date of 12/11/07. The next one with MM would be in 3/1/08!!! If you want a german build that could be tougher.

So I'm guessing the dealership you are working with didn't have any allocations available for your order. He should have provided you with a NetStar report specifying your order number and reservation. Maybe he is just stringing you along until another allocation with MM opens up - you should take your deposit elsewhere, where they might have an immediate allocation available with MM.

...I was working with a Sales Manager, and not a Sales Associate, btw.

red309

Interesting...

So is it possible that another dealer down the block (just 15 miles away) might be able to secure one for me faster? I thought that all the dealers were working from the same allotment if you built to order.

I really like the sales person that I dealt with (seemed honest and didn't play games with me) so I didn't want to hassle him but maybe I should press him a little more.

March is just too much, I might as well wait for 09 model by then...

itcrashed

March would be the latest one available from the dealer I went to. Allocations are based on sales figures for that particular dealership, so yes, another dealer down the block might be able to order one for you, while the other may not be able to do it right now.

I called all my local dealers (6 of them) and dealt with the Sales Managers (they were more apt to tell me what allocations were available instead of steering me toward an inventory car.)

MBfan21

In August, I was told it will be here in October. Then that became November. A couple weeks ago my dealer told me the car will be here beginning of December. I emailed him to find out when it is scheduled to board the ship and he is not responding. :\ So I wonder if it is delayed further. If they are going to delay it to March, then I might as well wait for the '09 to come out. I'm getting agitated thinking about it.

red309

That is very disturbing to hear. I'm gonna have to call my dealer and find out what the deal is.

sonosuke

I'm also in the process of purchasing and I cant pick it up at Stuttgart till end of Dec or first week of Jan.
German's like their holiday vacations.. lots of Xmas markets to visit :P

Jorg

Hi sonosuke:

It is very popular, in Germany, to pick up the new car at the factory. VW, BMW, Audi and Mercedes make a big deal out of it.

Here in North America they don't want you to pick the car up at the factory, heavens knows why not.

Yes, the Germans like their vacation time and Christmas is no exception.

*************

I went to school in the "Hessenland".

Jorg

RLE

<<It is very popular, in Germany, to pick up the new car at the factory. VW, BMW, Audi and Mercedes make a big deal out of it. Here in North America they don't want you to pick the car up at the factory, heavens knows why not.>>

I don't know where you get that since factory MB pickup is and has been done for nearly fifty years. It's a well organized procedure and if one has the time, it's a lot of fun. My MB purchases have been here because the timing was always wrong but I've picked up two Porsches at Zuffenhausen and loved driving my own car at speed on the Autobahns.