Be aware Mercedes Benz of Foothill Ranch
I do not recommend anyone to buy cars from Mercedes-Benz of Foothill Ranch!!!
if this happened to me it will happen to you!!!
I do not recommend anyone to buy cars from Mercedes-Benz of Foothill Ranch!!!
if this happened to me it will happen to you!!!
When I ask for it in writing, both dealers backpedal and make excuses.
Last edited by FourT6and2; Oct 11, 2017 at 04:54 PM.




Trending Topics
Unfortunately, this is also common practice with new 991.2 GT3s. Someone is always willing to pay the dealer mark-up to jump in line and get the car now.
The Best of Mercedes & AMG




I've called many dealerships asking about a custom order build/allocation for a GTR and they all say sure, but $30,000 over sticker.
EDIT: Wait wait wait... so if I have a car on order—supposedly with my name on it—but the dealer is asking over MSRP, is it possible they actually have the car under someone else's name? Like the manager or the salesman, himself? That way they can get away with it? The dealer has not given me anything in writing and constantly deflects when I ask for an order number or VIN or anything. The last info I got from the dealer was:
"Just confirmed with the GM, you have a slot. Car is ordered. Will be here in about 3 months. January-ish. Will keep you posted."
I've asked for some sort of confirmation number or an order sheet showing all the specs and price and all that. But nothing.
Last edited by FourT6and2; Oct 11, 2017 at 10:28 PM.
"In California, the law bars dealers from selling new cars above MSRP unless they provide a supplementary window sticker that conspicuously displays certain information, including the MSRP, a statement that the selling price is not the MSRP, and a list of any items not included in the manufacturer’s price."




I've called many dealerships asking about a custom order build/allocation for a GTR and they all say sure, but $30,000 over sticker.
In the OP's case, the VIN was assigned long before the sticker price was established. All orders that are pre-MSRP are considered list price orders in regards to MBUSA. If I recall there is an agreement that dealers have in that regard with MBUSA, not with the customer.
Otherwise dealers would be free to yank every custom-ordered GTR that was at the VPC from their customers and simply sell to others at the highest price.
In the OP's case, the VIN was assigned long before the sticker price was established. All orders that are pre-MSRP are considered list price orders in regards to MBUSA. If I recall there is an agreement that dealers have in that regard with MBUSA, not with the customer.
Otherwise dealers would be free to yank every custom-ordered GTR that was at the VPC from their customers and simply sell to others at the highest price.




I ordered the i8 at the BMW dealer from whom I had purchased 6 previous new BMWs in the prior 7 years. I put in the order in June 2014 although I had been talking to the sales manager about it for a year and he told me to wait until BMW was taking orders. Because I had done a lot of business with the dealer, I didn't have anything in writing nor did I give them a deposit.
In July the sales manager called and asked me to specify the color, trim and wheels (at that time the only options). I built the car and he put that into the order. I offered to give him a deposit. He said that would not be necessary. I confirmed that the car would be sold to me at MSRP. He agreed.
In late August or early September the sales manager called and said that my trim level car (BMW calls them "worlds" on the i8) wasn't coming out for several months (a lie) and that BMW North America wanted my car sold either to Steven Spielberg or a "Kennedy who is mayor of Santa Monica" (not quite). I knew Steven and knew he drove an X5 BMW and his wife had some kind of a hybrid so I called him to ask if he was getting my i8. He said no -- he was moving to Maryland for a couple of years to produce some project and that he had no interest in the car. So that was a lie, too.
A friend of mine, who I had met running a BMW fan board, was a director of special projects at BMW NA in New Jersey, so I called him, too. I gave him the VIN and he looked it up and said the car was in my name, had always been in my name, and that BMW NA didn't ask that it be sold to "a Kennedy who is mayor of Santa Monica," or anybody else, nor could they. As far as BMW NA was concerned, it was my car.
I decided to call the dealer to confront the sales manager with his pile of lies. First, though, I called my service advisor who saw me a lot since I then had 3 BMWs, and I raised a big stink with him, in a friendly way. He called me back later that day to tell me that the sales manager had been fired (he was a family member of a family owned dealership) and that his cousin, the general manager would be talking to me. I was put through to her and she apologized profusely. She told me I was a good customer of the dealer (I had bought my first BMW there 25 years earlier) and that even though the i8s were going to be marked up from $50 to $100K, mine had been earmarked to me for MSRP. Just don't tell anybody.
The car arrived in Port Hueneme and was PVC'd at the end of October 2014. Then it got held up for a replacement part. It was finally delivered to me mid November 2014.
Moral of the story: raise a big stink at MB USA and at the dealership. Preferably there with the GM or the owner. Either that or buy a lot of other cars from that dealer first.




"Just confirmed with the GM, you have a slot. Car is ordered. Will be here in about 3 months. January-ish. Will keep you posted."
I've asked for some sort of confirmation number or an order sheet showing all the specs and price and all that. But nothing.




Last edited by Wolfman; Oct 11, 2017 at 11:25 PM.
I've called many dealerships asking about a custom order build/allocation for a GTR and they all say sure, but $30,000 over sticker.
EDIT: Wait wait wait... so if I have a car on order—supposedly with my name on it—but the dealer is asking over MSRP, is it possible they actually have the car under someone else's name? Like the manager or the salesman, himself? That way they can get away with it? The dealer has not given me anything in writing and constantly deflects when I ask for an order number or VIN or anything. The last info I got from the dealer was:
"Just confirmed with the GM, you have a slot. Car is ordered. Will be here in about 3 months. January-ish. Will keep you posted."
I've asked for some sort of confirmation number or an order sheet showing all the specs and price and all that. But nothing.
"In California, the law bars dealers from selling new cars above MSRP unless they provide a supplementary window sticker that conspicuously displays certain information, including the MSRP, a statement that the selling price is not the MSRP, and a list of any items not included in the manufacturer’s price."




After I passed on the car after the sales emailed me, he emailed me back and said "market conditions" commanded a $30 to $50K markup and would I be interested in being informed if the mark up decreased from $50K. I wrote back that I was not interested. So it sounds like the dealer is auctioning your vehicle.
After I passed on the car after the sales emailed me, he emailed me back and said "market conditions" commanded a $30 to $50K markup and would I be interested in being informed if the mark up decreased from $50K. I wrote back that I was not interested. So it sounds like the dealer is auctioning your vehicle.
http://www.motortrend.com/news/merce...t-drivers-car/
http://www.motortrend.com/news/merce...t-drivers-car/




http://www.motortrend.com/news/merce...t-drivers-car/
This makes zero sense. This turned out to be a much more competent car than anyone knew last year when it was introduced (or when you ordered it)...






