Night5hade

Hello Everyone,

I am about to place an order for 2019 C300, MSRP around 50K. The dealer asked for $1,500 non-refundable deposit over the phone, then changed to $2,000 at the dealership and when reminded said he would honor the original deposit quoted over the phone. This is my first Mercedes order and the first time working with this dealer. Is it a common thing to be asking for $1500 non refundable deposit for the custom order? I am in Arizona. Thank you.

fabbrisd1

If you are in Arizona - then certainly you have more than one Mercedes dealer to choose from - you already have one signal (oh instead of $1,500 it's $2,000 deposit)...

So-you-know - about every dealer will ask for a deposit - "most" will mention deposits are non-refundable - "actually" deposits if push comes to shove are refundable.

The fact that communication already has a "burp" - with the build-specs you have now - go visit another dealer - you should be treated with respect for a custom order - then a "smart dealer" will also look at the huge herd of 2019 C-Class already built and see if you might have a sooner match up

netboy

when i ordered my 2016 C450 AMG, this dealer told me multi-times that 1500$ deposit is refundable. when i try to cancel the order (another dealer gave me a better discount), this sale woman said "you will get your refund in 2 weeks" but when i request a receipt to show that i cancelled the order, she refused. another salesman said "you will get your refund when the car is sold". what?? the car havent even build yet! i have to scream and yell to make them write me a check. haha
ALWAYS PUT DEPOSIT with credit card, if there' a problem, just dispute the charge with your credit card company.

Night5hade

Thank you for the replies. Well, they want me to sign a non refundable deposit form (below). Considering the 2nd paragraph is applicable to newly placed orders, I don't like it at all because they are saying they will keep the car in stock for 72 hours before the deposit becomes non refundable. What if I am on vacation at the time the car arrives or I need more time to look through the final paperwork. I understand that in many states I can sue and get the deposit back, but I really don't feel I want to resort to something like this and would prefer to avoid this type of confrontation.
Also, it will be more difficult to dispute the deposit with a credit card company when the dealership can provide them with a paper showing that I signed and acknowledged that my deposit is non refundable.

I will shop around but in our area dealers prefer to drag you to the dealership instead of replying to you via emails, and I think it is a waste of time when I know what I want and everything can be discussed without seeing each other, especially when it comes to placing an order for the new car.

Btw the dealer told that my deposit will only be applied to reducing the purchase price of the car and cannot be applied to any fees or extras. Is it how it works everywhere else?


Mercedes Benz Deposit Form

fabbrisd1

Excuse me - who "writes check's" anymore for $1,000-$1,500 ? Maybe Forrest Gump ...

MBBoss18

I initially was going to order a 2019 model and that particular dealer told me the same, $1500 non refundable here in Texas. I was not comfortable with anything being non-refundable so I declined. That same dealer said he could then "locate" a car with the specs I wanted. He found the car in another state that was headed to another dealer. He said I could pay $2000 for a dealer transfer to intercept that vehicle. I declined again. I was using my credit union for financing and had no trade in. So I was not willing to come out of pocket to the dealer for anything. So I went to a different dealership who ended up having the exact car I wanted sitting on his lot, same specs and all minus only the illuminated star I wanted. Not sure why the other dealer couldn't see that car in his search. I was looking for specific options and color combo and didn't want to settle. But putting "non-refundable" money down on a car unseen just didn't make sense to me. Granted yours would be coming from the factory. If it doesn't feel right, move on to a different dealership.

Night5hade

Well, I ended up reaching out to a different dealership in our area, and the deposit amount to begin with was stated as $500. I am placing an order with this dealer, and willing to drive 1 hour more to pick up a new car when it arrives.

The deposit amount was not the only reason I switched the dealership. The first salesperson who convinced me to come in person and then changed the deposit amount quoted over the phone + the discount amount he would give off MSRP was caught by me lying a couple of times. I do understand that everyone tries to make money, but being dishonest with your clients when they ask direct questions doesn't sit well with me. Pretending to call a manager to ask his permission for a reduced $1500 deposit vs $2000 when I know he would have never quoted me $1500 over the phone if it had not been something already approved, doesn't sit well with me either. Meanwhile he asked me within 2 minutes of sitting in his office if I loved working with him and tried to get a praise from me by asking if I was impressed with this or that (while performing basic tasks). Also, sometimes I think that car sales advisers play with numbers and try to deceive you because you are female which irks me even more, but most likely they do it to male customers too with the same frequency

If you are a customer who doesn't need to test drive a car or look at all the features in person, I would advise to always contact Internet sales manager vs a regular sales advisor. You will get to your final point way faster this way.
Happy holiday week and thank you for your input!

MBBoss18

Trust me I fully understand exactly where you are coming from. I'm glad you went somewhere else and were able to order the car you want! An hour is nowhere and look on the bright side, you'll get to drive an hour in your new car after you go pick it up!