CynCarvin32

It is true. MBNA no longer funds the loaner system like they used to. It is purely up the the dealership to give out rental cars and if they do it is 100% out of their pocket.

Most southern california dealerships have give up their loaner programs and now only deal with enterprise for rental cars. They do sometimes give the cars for free but every dealership has a different set of rules.

It was just to expensive to fund that program. They are on a cost cutting run and rental cars were an easy place to same some serious cash.

14cue

Must be a USD thing (at least i hope so). I've be given all types of models frm B, C, R and ML adn all from different dealers. i don't go to the dealer that sold me my car. They all seem to have low clicks on them to boot. The only time they offered to give me a non MB car was when they thought they were out of cars but one turned up.

Charging you for fuel and cleaning fee is just lame. They better clean that thing good. I havent been in a clean courtesy car EVER!

tee_tz

This is absolutely true. Mercedes-Manhattan has changed their rules and policies, I was told the same thing. If you did not buy the car at the dealership then they do not give loaners.

And that's why I don't take it to MB Manhattan. Well, might as well as because if you're not 25 years old, most dealerships in New York don't give you a loaner anyway!

SOO annoying, Mercedes makes it so hard to appreciate the ownership.


Tee_Tz.

drivethebenz

These policies make me not want to purchase another Mercedes.

moosejaw

It's all part of cutting costs. here MB of Miami will not give out loaners ubnless you bought the car from them. Even then it's some cheap enterprise car.
I posted two years ago they gae me a kia amati for a weekend and wanted $70.00 a day to upgrade to a audi.

Cheaper still is the fact they buy their muffins from costco and cut them into little peices. They even charge for coffee.

I really don't know what my next car would be????

benzamg212

^Are you serious ? Thats messed up when you have a 100K plus car and you get a kia or toyota or something.

IS300

Audi gave me a ford when for loaner

tee_tz

So is Lexus and BMW's Service the only one that's just good? It seems like BMW (in all my experiences -- give loaners even if you didn't buy the car from that specific dealership; and even though I'm under 25; they tow my car to my specific dealership, not the closest one like Mercedes; they don't charge for coffee and don't cut up the muffins [LOL]; and the loaner car is always a BMW, cause that's the car I drive)... Not to mention BMW's EXCELLENT Warranty package - brakes normal wear and tear, they replaced mine for free! Meanwhile I'm taking my car to Mercedes for a $600 brake job.

Maybe the success of the BMW program will make Mercedes have to match that, or change their policies. But then again, the problem is Mercedes has never really had trouble selling cars, so they don't feel those are factors that will "expand" their market share... I dunno.

Anyway, it sucks, and unfortunately that's one of the rare problems with owning a Mercedes-Benz.


Tee_Tz.

moosejaw

Mercedes won't match anything..... mercedes is having their best year to date. They have actually sold more cars than BMW. The people i know who work at the dealership have been asked to take a pay cut, and i'm talking 20 years at the same desk. There are sales guys who have left after many years of service to become realtors. No way would any dealership offer a free car wash in miami. It's just not done. And I was not kidding when i said I got a Kia for a loaner. i was told enterprise does not like it 's premium at dealership, they make more money off them at the airport. The last one I got was a mazda 3 which was better.

I think my next car will be that holden engineered pontiac G8.

Kar don

14cue, things in canada are different. Most all Mercedes-Benz dealers in Vancouver (richmond, boundary road, etc.) are all owned directly by Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. Since they are owned by the distributor they probably have a set loaner policy for all their dealers. In the USA only Mercedes-Benz Manhattan is owned by Mercedes-Benz USA LLC. All other dealers are independently owned but have set guidelines by MBUSA... unfortunately their is no loaner policy.