you can ask on ATF fluid but for 2013 I think they pushed it back to 70k service. So it may not be due yet.

Just be sure to get everything you want addressed before you drive off the lot. I've too many stories of dealer promises and then after the sale they push you off.

 

That was me.
I paid $24.5k for the car and after TTL it was a hair under $27k OTD
I'm talking $26,997 or something.
My credit union gave me 0.99% interest for 5 years.

I just had the schedule B service done at 37k miles at the dealer. There was a bit of switcharoo on pricing I will do a right up on but in the end they honoured what they told me over the phone and also had listed in my profile.

I'd say I wouldn't give more than $27k for that car.
Oh at the kid's tennis tourney this past Saturday my buddy offered me a 2015 e350 with 20k miles for $30k. It is his neighbor. She went from a 09 S550 to the E350 but needs to go back to the S550 because she misses the space. I think I can get that for $28k.

Just to let you know what's out there.

​​​​​GLWP

 

Thanks for the feedback! Everything seems about right considering you didn't buy your car CPO through a mb dealer right? I believe CPO bumps the price up by 1.5k-2k.

 

It was weird. I didn't buy my car from the MB lot but it was the same dealer.
It was CPO on the MB lot for a month then it went to the Porsche lot, then the Maserari lot where I bought it from.

I took it for schedule B service the other day and that dealer sent me an email congratulating me on my CPO car and asking if I wanted to extend the CPO warranty.

I personally think CPO on cars this new is not worth the premium if you don't keep the car passed the warranty expiration.

Location/Region also plays a great deal in auto prices. I've found the cheapest cars in Florida.

 

You're lucky it was the same dealer. Normally if an MB dealer sells their CPO car to another dealer, that ends the CPO coverage. As your dealer never did, I guess you kept the CPO warranty. You can go check the extended warranty forum for a discounted price on a 2 year extended CPO warranty.

 

So after 4 days of missed calls, voicemails, and emails, I finally replied back to set up a so called "VIP meeting" with the general manager. I got there to find out that it was just another regular meeting with another salesman and the floor manager. The GM just said hello and left... Turns out they just wanted to try and sell me the car for 32k OTD. My dad already warned me this was going to happen and that they were just wasting my time again. Basically they had me go through the same process again lol. I told the sales guy my initial final offer which was 27k and he goes and grabs the floor manager. Floor manager gives me the same sales pitch that they can't sell me the car for 27k otherwise they would be losing a lot of money. He shows me everything on the computer that they bought the car for 23-24k and then another 4k on top to make it CPO which meant 1 year CPO warranty, new rear tires, new interior trim, etc. So after everything he says they paid 28.5k for the car. On top of that there was another 1.5% something (i forgot what it was called) that the dealer or everyone must pay. This brings the car to a total of about 30k. This is not including the tax and license fees which is about another 2k-3k. It all brings the car out to 32k which was the lowest he supposedly could sell me the car for and that they were only profiting 1k. He then proceeded to show me he purchased a 2010 S550 and that the dealer only made 1k off him as well.

Sorry guys but need some feedback again. This all smells like BS lol.

 

It is not BS. Somebody has to pay for that building and all the people running around there.

Leave him your number. Ask him to call you the day before it rolls down the auction lane at Manhiem, because that is where it is going. $27.5 to $28.5 is fair for you and the dealer.

Try calling some local high end used car dealers and see if they will bid for you at auction for $1,000 guaranteed profit. The auction fees are about $500. Once you get into the auction web sites you will see probably 400 similar cars. That one is no special snowflake. Pick the car you want and take your chances. Most of the cars are very transparently represented since the dealers who sell to other dealers have reputations to protect. Mine had a 2mm scratch on it that was documented ... took me three weeks to even find it, but it was on the report.

 

This is the second meeting and i was told over the phone i would be meeting with the GM to work out a deal because he can give more discounts on vehicles but it turned out to be just another regular meeting with another salesman and the floor manager. The first meeting was with the salesman that sold my parents two brand new benz and the sales manager. I recall the first meeting, the sales manager pulled up KBB and based his sales on those prices. It showed 27k-29k so i asked him what he thought was fair since my final offer of 27k was "too low" for them. He also said they can't show me how much they bought the car for from MB Financial but he showed me on the computer they paid 26.5k for the car after reconditioning it and making it CPO which costed a little under 4k. Because the car costed 26.5k total for them they could not sell me the car for 27k and said meet in the middle at 28k based on the KBB value. At the time I just felt like they wanted to see how high i would be willing to pay so i stuck my foot down at 27k to let them know i can't go any higher. As the sales manager was walking me out, he asked me "not saying I'm going to but if i were to sell you the car right now for 27.5k would you take it?" So what I'm confused about is how did the sales manager want 27.5k-28k but this floor manager said they can't and they wanted 30k before tax and license fees (32k after)? Also the first meeting the sales manager showed me on the computer they paid 26.5k for the car but in the second meeting the floor manager showed me on the computer they paid 28.5k for the car...BS? I too feel like 27k-28k is fair for me and the dealer but definitely not 30k or 32k OTD. Not sure if this makes a difference but the first meeting i came in with my mom and the second meeting i came alone because my dad warned me they would just waste my time and try to sell me the car for even more again.

 

Ocpun,

You seem like a nice guy. They have a business and they need to make money. You are not wanting to pay that much. Although the sales manager has the power to make deals, he or she still may not be willing.

So my suggestion really is to call around to a few independents and try to get them to let you look at their auctions. If you are a car enthusiast it is fun and if you get a lemon you'll be in good enough shape at wholesale to fix it. At auction that car is probably 21 to 23.5K.

I hope this does not sound condescending, but over the years you learn how to do deals, who you can work with, where you're going to pay retail and why it's worth it in many cases (and not in others). It breaks down to whether you have more time, or more money. It seems you have time. So. I'd try to get someone to worth with you on buying a car wholesale. Just know:
- you will probably do well on the price
- no whining
- you'll have to clean it
- you might have to do a B Service
- there will be little nit noid things you have to fix (mine was a Mercedes CPO, picked up at auction - still needs a new cup holder and the bottom of the front bumper got slightly torn by getting towed

It will be a fun adventure.

 

Sounds like the issue here is they had to put too much into the car to make it CPO (if you believe their figures). Seems like warranty would have covered bad trim, the dealer was on the hook for tires. Generally new rubber is factored into what they would have paid Mercedes for the car.

Sometimes dealers are too heavy(own it for too much) into used cars and they honestly can't sell it for enough to break even. As was previously mentioned eventually they go to auction so at that point they would meet your price but they haven't had it long enough yet.

Have you found anything similar from another Mercedes dealer advertised near the price you want?

 

You are already soliciting and getting too much advice so I am going to throw in my two-cents worth again. You got into this car because you knew the owners and the history of the car, as I remember. Going to the "auction" does not get you that. It also does not get you a CPO car nor does it get you a reconditioned car. It puts you into the "Lion's Den" with professionals who do this for a living, never will see you again, and will not hesitate to screw you to the wall! I had a 40 year career doing just that and made my mistakes along the way. Difference being I bought thousands of cars and could average my mistakes out where you are buying one car and have to live with it. Very bad advice to someone with no more experience than you have.

The car is worth what you can buy it for and what a similar deal will cost you at other dealers. Then you need to factor in the fact it is a known commodity. Unless someone is standing there offering you a comparable unit with all the same features and warranty for less money, go back to the dealer. Quit jacking around, pull the trigger and put money on the table calculating you can buy the car from between $27,500 and $29,000. For that money you get the right car in the right condition. There are no service ribbons for saving a $1,000 when you buy a Mercedes. The dealer is not going to commit until you do and the time is now!

 

Jallen4's post should pretty much end the advice, he's dead on.

The fact you keep emailing, calling, visiting, coming in VIP meetings(???) just tells them you don't really know what your doing.

If I knew the car like you(no test drive neded) I would have been in the dealer 1 time maybe 20 minutes and either walked out with the car or been done with it. A good sales manager would also know that was the case as they make a living reading people.

Let us know how it ends up. If nothing else this is a good learning experience.

 

As I said before, this car is nothing special, doesn't really have any good options, just your basic car with the P1 package. There's no reason to overpay, especially if you're getting the car with a CPO warranty. I'd get at least the bixenons with keyless go, parktronic and the pano roof. There's also tons of 2014's out there on the market now for about the same price or just a few thousand more.

And to add to the above, the sales manager already read you. They probably already made their numbers for the month because yesterday was the end of the month and they didn't do anything to push the deal through. They know that 90% of the time when someone walks out, they don't come back. As you're a regular customer, you came back so they knew they could work you a little more.

 

You're right. I think the dealer did put too much into the car to make it CPO but they are not being honest about how much they paid for the car as well. First meeting was 26.5k and second was 28.5k but even then why would the dealer buy the car when it requires too much work and money to make it CPO? It just means they would have to sell the car for too much to even break even. I think they're smarter than that and could come down lower but aren't willing to.

 

I didn't keep emailing or calling them lol. They actually called me and left voicemails three days straight and i didn't answer. Then they emailed me and i still didn't reply. Just yesterday i replied back because I was told over the phone this meeting was a "VIP meeting" with the GM because he has the power to give a better discount. My parents already knew it was going to be a waste of time and they were just going to try and sell me the car for more. I guess i should have listened to them. My mom handled the first meeting well. We were in and out in 30 mins and just said we didn't want to waste our time and theirs.

Even if i end up not getting the car, this has definitely been a great learning experience and i hope everyone can benefit from this as well!

 

Sounds right but whether it was a mistake or not, for all they know, my parents are the ones with the money to make the purchase and I'm only there to work out a deal I'm happy with. If i like the deal, my parents will come in to make the purchase. Basically, I'm playing the same game as the salesman and his sales manager. Even then you are right. My parents have bought several cars from MB already and they know the game. They only came in once and never again. They already knew the second meeting was bs and warned me about it but they still let me go in because they know the dealer can't do anything without them there to approve the deal and they wanted me to learn.

 

You are the man JALLEN4. No wonder every number you've given me was on point lol. You have been dead on throughout this whole process as well. Even though everyone has given me feedback that i greatly appreciate, I've personally took your advice into consideration the most as it has greatly helped me throughout this process.

If you all feel I am soliciting and have got too much advice already, lets end this thread. I just wanted to share my experience with everyone and learn from it as well and I hope other future MB buyers can learn from this thread as well. Again thank you everyone who gave me feedback whether positive or negative.

 

I think it is helpful to share how they are jerking you around. Personally I wouldn't do business with a dealer who doesn't honor the offer they made at the first meeting. They are just playing games with you. If you really want to go back to them for this car, be sure to get the price over the phone first before you waste your time.

 

... & how does one gain experience?

I did not understand foreclosure auctions. Now I've done over 100 and made (and paid taxes on) over a million in profit. Lost money on 3. There is more to go wrong on a real estate transaction than a car.

I did not understand auto auctions, so I figured it out. There is not sufficient margin in your business for me to do it for anything other than a way to save 15 to 20% on a car. I can understand why dealers do the things they do, particularly with predatory lending, to make ends meet.

The guy's problem seems to be that he's in love with this car and you did not help him understand that, if maintained, an excellent car and a rough car can be defined by a visit from a paintless dent guy, some tires and a good detail. There is much greater transparency on Manheim than there is at your average Mercedes dealer and the average inventory at CarMax isn't even in the same league.

The great thing about your "lions' den" is that the dealers are professional buyers and tend to be very objective about pricing. They do not overpay. They do not fall in love. So, if he finds what he likes he can get it within $1,000 of MMR and still be $4,000 under the dealer's price.

A better argument could be made that with interest rates as low as they are right now $2,000 isn't that big a deal. Either of the whackadoodles on the ballot are likely to result in higher inflation going forward, so now might be a good time to lock in.

 

The first meeting with the salesman and sales manager, they showed me on their computer they paid 26.5k for the car after CPO and wanted 27.5k-28k. Second meeting was suppose to be with GM cause he can make the discount but ended up being another meeting with a diff salesman and floor manager that showed me they paid 28.5k for the car after CPO and wanted 30k (32k after tax). Before each meeting they just kept saying they can't discuss prices over the phone because it was against their policy lol.