DavidZhu

So i dropped my car off for the rim repair thing the other day and the service guy told me it would take 6 hours to complete. Around 3 pm that afternoon i get a call saying the car would not be done for another 3 days because the AMG wheels have different paterns and would need a longer process and they would give me a courtersy car during the wait time.

i come back to pick up my car and notice a dent on the trunk. it looked like some one bumped against it with a wrench or something and left a dent on the side where the liscence plate is held. I notified the service guy and they flipped out and told me to calm down and they will send some one to my house and fix it.

i live in San Francisco and im just wondering does it really take 3 days to do repairs on one rim? the scratch was not deep and maybe 4 inches long and i dont understand why the guy would give me an estimate of 6 hours and turn it to 3 days.

Do you think they ****ed something up on my car and didnt want to tell me about it? and has any one else had their cars damaged after a service at the dealership before or something?

E=mC63

It took me 3 hours to get all my 4 rims repaired with bad damage. But then again it was a completely different company than what they're sending to you.

Bardman

Ouch. I would be pissed. Brand new car and they put a dent in it. Over and above them fixing the dent I would definitely be asking for something extra from them to ease your pain (merch, free service, AMG track day etc). I would also be looking for some reassurance that it would never happen again (with the impliction that it you would really need to appeased in a major way if it did).

With respect to the wheel, the black 507 wheels have a channel right around the outmost point of the rim which would make it very difficult to repair. If the silver ones are the same I can understand someone underestimating the repair time if they are not familiar with them.

DavidZhu

wow if one company took 3 hours for all 4 wheels im pretty damn sure it does not take 3 days to do 1 with minor damage

yeah the silver one does have that channel around the edges of the rim which i guess will take a while. how would i even ask for anything now? i already left the dealership should i tell them tomorrow when they call me back or leave a very strongly worded yelp review or something?

moosejaw

Since when are dealerships in the wheel repair business?

Bardman

My thoughts too. If they outsourced it to someone else I could see 3 days being burned up with transporting them to and from the dealership and the repair place.

DavidZhu

so when i bought my car i got the tire/wheel/windshield protection plan or w/e its called so they will replace all said parts if they were damaged at all. They said they outsource the repair service somewhere else so the repair was not done by mercedes but done by a 3rd party.

JonMBZ

dealers dont fix rims, they sublet it. The wheel company probably screwed up the wheel or were too busy to fix it.

Bardman

Call them, and tell them you have been thinking about the damage that they caused and that in your eyes they have severly damaged the "new car" feel and that you expect more from a MB dealership (ie thats the reason you go to MB so that you dont get these sort of problems etc.).

Then say "you need to give me something to make up for the diminished new car feel and the loss of my time, all the extra hassle, time spent now on the phone etc".

Then stay silent and see what they cough up.

Best to have something in mind about what you want from them so you can reject their first offer, and then say "I think it should be something like x".

If they dont look like coming to the party, you can always make subtle threats about the power of the internet, or that you will call MB head office etc.

DavidZhu

okay thanks for the advice. i will probably say something like that tomorrow when they call me. I still cant believe this happened from a mercedes dealership.... barely had my car for 3 month and some one put a dent in it.

ill keep you guys posted about how it goes with them tomorrow.

moosejaw

Was this a black series car?
None the less its still a Benz and care has to be exercised around the expensive prices of machinery

m a x i m u s

sf Benz gouged my front bumper years ago and they fixed it. simonson Benz in Santa Monica scratched the same front bumper on a parking block. they fixed that also.

tomespo

Dealers do not fix wheels as posted above. And depending on who they give it to and what type of finish it requires yes it can take three days. Keep in mind not all shops can just drop everything they are doing just for one wheel. For example during the spring I get 30 sets of wheels at my shop and sometimes it becomes 2 week turn around time when I am that busy. Once started no it will not take longer than a day or so but like I said they have other work to do also.

DavidZhu

well i guess thats one thing off my chest knowing that it can actually take 3 days to fix a wheel. now i just need to get my trunk fixed

Zeee_Q

Yea dealers just outsource and 3 days sounds reasonable if they are completely refinishing the wheel to new condition vs just touching it up. It took them 1 day to refinish one wheel that was too damaged to be touched up and 2 hours to touch up the other 3 on the spot. I went directly to the wheel repair shop though.

Depending on how bad the dent on your trunk is, I would assume the dealership would outsource to an independent paintless dent removal specialist. Compare your trunk to other cars' trunks on the dealership lot after they are done repairing it to make sure you can't tell from any angle it's been repaired and the paint is still ok. Some dentless repair specialists are really good at what they do and some not so great.

When my car was getting the headbolts replaced, my dealership somehow managed to scratch the ***** out of my paint right after I had it polished and detailed. Careless employees I guess.

ZephyrAMG

I hate to hear this sort of stuff. Makes it more evident to me that no matter where you go or what high end dealership/service center, NO ONE IS GOING TO CARE FOR YOU CAR/BELONGINGS LIKE YOU DO.

That's why I never valet and I watch like a hawk on how they treat my car. I stress that there better not be any damage to my car what-so-ever.

Other people will never care about what's precious to you.

Guilty

It's just a car... -.-

ZephyrAMG

Believe me, I understand your comment and don't deny that it's just a material possession, but it's more than that as well. If you worked hard to earn/pay for just a "car" like you mentioned, that that car has some importance and symbolic meaning to you.

It's also a matter of trust being violated. You give them a $80K item that belongs to you, and your trusting them with it. They violate your trust and confidence.

I guess if you lease or if someone else paid for your car you really won't understand.

Critter

Well guys there would be no chance in hell that I would leave my car for three days just for a rim. First we all know the dealer does not repair rims but that it would be out sourced. So just how did they get the car to the other place, strange driver?? Just how many miles were added to your car just for one rim, personally I would have either had taken the wheel off my self and took it in. Or waited until the car was put away for the winter and then took it in, three days ha ha ha , . As ZephyrAMG states the car rarely leaves my sight, even when being serviced, you would be amazed at what really happens when they think no one is watching and the extra cost associated with their blunders which they will tack onto your bill, ya right. Not my first rodeo as they say!!!

mb techman

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ZephyrAMG

I think we are talking about 2 different scenarios here.
I am referring to when you hand your car over for service, and you get your car damaged upon return. That's all I'm saying. When you give your car over to get fixed, you are trusting that place to "care' for your car. NO dealership should damage your car when you go in for service. I know things happen, but its when the dealership doesn't own up, lies, and tries to cover up the situation when it gets bad. Then when you clearly point out the damage, they have no clue or try and blame it on you.

You are sounding like the typical service tech that services low end cars, hates his job, wants to "conveyor belt" in customers and just get them out as fast as you can. You have a "sick of customer complaints' attitude and tired of hearing customers describe their frustrations with you. You might be in the wrong line of work. Maybe a job that is less client interaction and more just simple direction is right for you.

It's like with any profession. People hope you do what you do because there is some sense of interest, enjoyment, and excitement. I know there will be bad days here and there but ie, we go see a optometrist because that doctor is a specialist in his field and has a sense of caring about the subject matter. We trust that they wont rip our cornea after we go in for an exam.

mb techman

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hyperion667

good luck with it OP

ZephyrAMG

I can care less what you do. Are you checking me LOL??? Teach me how to "watch my mouth". I sure do need a lesson from you because you sound like your willing to educate me.

Read my post again. I said by your "my way or the highway" tone you don't appear to have a passion for your work, if you are a MB tech like you state you are...

mb techman

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