Warning: Long, boring story ahead !

Haven't owned an MB since the late 80s (280 CE), I recently started looking for a used E class to leave out in California where I work. I've owned a number of 5 and 7 series BMWs, and I thought I would get over the new styling eventually, but I just can't. Keeping my Navigator to haul stuff / kids / dogs around.

In my mind, I've settled on a '05 E500, black / silver / pewter, dark interior, reasonable miles, Sport Package a huge plus, Navi would be nice, CPO for the warranty / finance deal, under $30k plus tax / title / reasonable fees.

There's only one MB dealer in Las Vegas (Fletcher Jones), and I've scanned his inventory frequently. I noticed a pattern of putting cars up on their own website (through mbusa), Autotrader and Ebay, often for different prices on each site.
Their listings on Autotrader often feature a "sticker price" and an "internet price".

Last Wednesday I went to the lot after I saw an '05 E500, black on charcoal, 50k miles with Sport Package on Ebay for $28.500 buyout. "Sticker" according to their website was $32.995.
I talked to a sales guy, and he said the car was being detailed, and he'd go get the keys. I asked about the price, and he pulled out a paper with the inventory, and mumbled something about 33 grand. I said I'd seen it listed on Ebay for 28.500, and he laughed and said that they'd never sell the car that cheap, that was just a price they'd "thrown out there". When I asked him "So you won't sell the car for the advertised price ?", he suddenly went very quiet and disappeared in the back room for 5 minutes, then came back with the news that the car was already sold. Yeah, right.

He then tried his darndest to sell me an '04 E500 with 60k miles and no sport package for 32 grand. Hmm, older car, more miles, less options, for more money ? No, thanks.

I told the guy that I had to leave town on business Monday morning, and to give me a call if any of the "many other cars they'd get in stock soon" would meet my criterias.

Monday at noon he calls me (I'm out of town already like I told him) with the news that "the financing didn't go through", and that the car I was originally looking for was now available. I asked him if they would sell it to me to the advertised price, and he said he would call me back. An hour later he calls me again telling me that could come "pretty close" to the advertised price, but he wouldn't tell me what "pretty close" was. He said "the car is put in the front row on the lot, you'll have to move pretty fast". I told him I might or might not stop by when I get back into town, and good luck with selling the car.

Not what I expected from a MB Dealer. The more I think about it, the more it p!sses me off. The bait and switch didn't work, so they decide to jerk me around some more ? Note that at no point in the three conversations did he say that the advertised price was an error.

I will send a write-up to MB USA and leave it at that. I was just wondering if others here had similar experiences with Fletcher Jones or other MB dealers.

Cliff Notes:
MB Dealer advertises car and refuses to sell at advertised price. I'm p!ssed.

 

Having heard of many horrible stories from FJ dealers, this doesn't come as a surprise.

Situation like this should be very simple. Ask to talk to whoever is in charge over there (probably the general manager) about their pricing. Do a print screen on that e-bay listing you saw and bring it to them. Ask them to price match it and if they don't just walk away. As much as it will **** you off you can't really win with these dealers.

Sure you can hire a lawyer etc but is it worth your time and energy? Probably not. My suggestion is to continue looking. These guys aren't worth your time. If they're treating you like this right now just imagine after you buy the car from them and need to get it serviced.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Thanks for the comments. I didn't want to lean on them too much, because they'll surely find a way to screw me somewhere down the road.

I'm not sure I want to start looking out of state for a used car, especially if I would have to go out of state again for maintenance / repairs, but I will definitely not send a dime Fletcher Jones' way.

I've searched the message boards and heard good things about Caliber, HoI and Laguna Niguel, so I'll keep watching their inventory.

 

Bought mine at HOI and had a nice experience. You should check out their inventory since they have a good amount of cars on their lot. GL

 

There IS another Mercedes Benz Dealer in Nevada

Mercedes-Benz of Reno


11500 South Virginia


Reno, NV 89511


PHONE: 1-775-326-4000

FAX: 1-775-825-2190


Yes Fletcher Jones has done the dreaded bait and switch to several friends
Say one thing and then do another..Bigger Is NOT Better!!!

I Would send a letter to www.complainthelp.dcacagov Consumer affairs Im Sure that the state would LOVE to hear about the FALSE advertising ...

FJ TRIED to screw me on my MB and I Worked there...

I have since bought Three from Mercedes Benz of Laguna Niguel with NO Problems at all ...

 

I have delt with MB of Reno for parts and they have been great, not sure about car purchases.

 

I just bought a 2006 e350 in vegas, looked for a while, and the local MB dealer just has terrible pricing, since they are the only dealer in the city. I ended up buying mine from a broker for $8K less then a similar one at FJ.

 

If you're interested, there is a place here in Dallas called TexasCarsDirect. They have a 05 E500 black/black with Nav, AMG sport package, heated seats, pano roof, and Entertainment package with 35K miles for $29,950. No pictures since the car is in incoming inventory. No negoitiations on the price; it is final.

I bought my E500 from them last year and the experience couldn't have been better. I was so confident in their cars that I put a $1000 non-refundable deposit on the car, and I never even saw a picture of it until the day I went to buy it. The cars are immaculate, clean carfaxes, no accidents. They are great people to deal with.

Website is www.TexasCarsDirect.com. They also have an 05 E55 black/black for $45K that I am just drooling over.

If you are really interested, I would contact them as soon as possible. Their MB's don't last long.

 

Run as far away from this dealer as you can. I have seen this type at work. If you buy from them it will cost you later, Service? Follow up?

I actually bought a new car extended warranty for my daughter with $50 deductable. When the contract arrived signed the copy clearly showed where the $50 mark was erased and the $100 checked. I called the dealer and they denied all. I called the warranty co,, and their response, was "you signed it". True I signed, but not as it was shown,, but before the X was erased. Only option was to go after dealer but not worth my time. Later I was shopping for a high end lux car and stopped in at the dealer with a friend. I was looking at a top of line car when salesman walked up. My response,, OOPS,, bought car here once,, never again. So the $50 deduction on warranty cost them the sale of a new high end car.

So run away,, Quickly.

 

Pete,

I believe that the price difference has to do with how the dealer pays its salespeople.

That markup is going towards the salesperson's commission. I have seen this two-tiered pricing before. The internet sale removes a layer of commission.

I was at my dealer last week and was surprised when my salesperson, who was negotiating with another party at the time, said to me "These buyers are killing me, I can't live on $200 per car."

 

Sorry to hear about that with Fletcher Jones.

I got reamed in a similar manner, on am e320 wagon that was advertised by Mercedes Benz of Encino on Auto Trader. It was an '04, CPO, nicely laid out and originally listed in the MBZ CPO list at $31.5. They listed in in Autotrader for 27.9 and it still didn't sell.

I called, made an offer and they counter-offered a Buy It Now price. I accepted, gave them $4000.00 with my credit card and they told me, this car is sold to you. Then, 30 minutes later, a phone call... "while we were processing your card, a customer walked in and offered more". Turns out it was a buyer that had balked the night before, and when he walked back in, they knew they had someone that had agreed to pay a few thousand more than they'd sold the car to me for.

The Sales Manager told me he'd stopped the staff from running my card, so there was no way to enforce the binding contract created by my unconditional acceptance of their counteroffer. He told me that, if asked, he could just lie about it and nobody could prove anything. Hey, "used car salesmen" are used car salesmen.

Off to the Supreme Court?! No, but I filed complaints regarding MB Encino's sleazy business tactics with the Better Business Bureau, the California DMV (regulate car sales) and the California Atty General (internet/wire fraud division). MB Encino, which is owned by Steven Smythe and the MB Beverly Hills/ Smythe Auto Group chain, lied in their first response to BBB, but BBB reduced their rating to "BBB" from A. Now does that matter? Who checks BBB before buying a car?

Moral: if you cut a deal on the phone, ask them to email you RIGHT THEN to confirm the deal. When it's in writing, the internet transmission makes sleaze "Wire Fraud". That is something a third party can verify and pursue.

 

I gave up on delaers for used cars a long time ago. You are in a no-win situation. These places are RETAIL stores and will sell you the cars for more than they are worth. Are they bad guys for doing that? Of course not, they have expenses and overhead that must be paid, and as long as there are retail BUYERS out there, they will continue doing business. The bait-and-switch thing stinks, and I would walk away from that store (or any other) that follows that business format.

On new cars, it is a different situation, and the playing field is a lot more level, as there are tools on the internet that will show you about how low they can go.

I have access to a good friend that has a dealer license. As an example, auction date 4/17 there is an 05 E500 with 17K miles, under factory warranty on Manheim (dealer auction) and the expected sales price is $25,700. He adds on $500 for his trouble and thats it (plus tax & license), I pick up the car at the auction site, in this case in North Las Vegas, NV 89165.

I am NOT offering my friend's or my buying services, just letting you know that there are MANY other options out there. Talk to your friends, I am sure one knows someone that has a dealer license and is willing to make an easy $500.

 

I am not suprised to hear that about Encino, Peterson (formely of Peterson's Calabasas Motorcars, which he sold after running horribly) bought MB Encino from the Stieglers and kept his name off since his name carried so much unwanted baggage. I have not yet had any interaction with the PO people at Calabasas, but the new salesmen were very professional and helpful, even though they ultimately could not sell me the car I wanted (E320 Bluetec).

 

They don't call them Used Car Salesmen for no reason!

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. Texasdirect looks good, but it's a bit further than I wanted to travel for a used car. I'll keep them on my radar for sure, though.

All I know is that Fletcher Jones isn't going to see a dime from me anytime soon.

 

Las Vegas, the home of "The Chopper" Towbin Dodge, has got to be one of the worst car markets to do business in. You have to really be on the ball in dealing with these crooks. I have bought a new car from FJ but it was not a great experience and I refuse to go back for any maintenance service. First time to their showroom, I was hit up by 2 or 3 sales people before I could get in the door, who were outside smoking cigaretts. Not something I would expect from a Luxury import dealer. Avoid them if you can!

 

Fletcher Jones is the devil.
In a year or two there will be a new dealership in Henderson... owned by Fletcher Jones.
Las Vegas is great, don't want to buy a car here, fine drive 300+ miles to a different dealership.
Fletcher Jones screws everyone over with cars; customers and employess.
When I got my employee car they charged me about $90 a month more then Mercedes had it listed at. But then that was two weeks after they made me do all the paperwork for one car (5 hours) and then at the last minute they said I couldn't have that particular car since it was a special edition.
The best part about Fletcher Jones was "letting me go" a week before Christmas. I was fourteenth guy let go between Nov-Dec.
Managment is so screwed up there, go somewhere else.

 

There are tons of E500 in So. Cal. Check cars.com, autotrader.com or craigslist. If you see the car that you like, do a pre-purchase inspection at local MB Dealer (except FJ of course). I like MB of Laguna Niguel and MB of Encino in So. Cal. Southwest fly to So Cal for $100 one way. You'll get E500sooner than you think.