Any interest if we get a petition going? I for one am very hesitant to buy another MB. The Euro Delivery experience was a big reason why I stayed loyal to the brand.

How many people do you think would need to sign to make any impact? All thoughts welcome...

 

An admirable thought and I'd sign the petition, but ultimately I think it's futile for several reasons. First reason is that Americans largely buy SUVs now and most of them are built in the USA in Alabama, so they were never eligible for ED. BMW has stated this as the main reason why they killed off ED. There simply were fewer and fewer takers. The other reason is the move to electric cars. The difference in charging standards and the risk of shipping cars with potentially damaged lithium batteries is way too high and costly. The entire BAM would have to be replaced for each of the markets. Porsche which still offers ED for example does not make the Taycan eligible for ED. The days of ED are done. I suspect Porsche will soon terminate theirs as well. So will Volvo as the first traditional car manufacturer to go 100% electric.

I am however with you. ED was a primary factor in my last two purchases. First the RS5 with Audi, then my current C63S. One of the major reasons I switched brands after owning Audis for over 10 years was the fact that they terminated their ED program. Doing ED had always been a dream, but until my RS5 I wasn't in a position to make it happen and I'm glad I got one more in in 2019 before the world went belly up. Without ED and the directions of where cars are heading, I'm not even sure what my next car will be. Likely will hang on to my C63S as long as I can. Cars for me have always been about the emotional aspect and the experience, and ED was all about the experience. I've never really needed a car. Frankly, I'm not sure who buys something like an AMG just to commute to work in stop&go traffic. There are far more suitable and cheaper cars for that and electric cars fit right in there, but cars are becoming appliances.

BTW, just to put things a bit more in perspective. When I ordered my C63S for ED, the general manager revealed that MBUSA did only about 200 EDs per year, so that gives you an idea of how very few customers even took advantage of it when it still existed.

 

I'll sign. Never give up.

 

Beating a dead horse. Superswiss very eloquently explained the situation.

 

I don’t know if this is a dead horse or not, but factory delivery has long been a norm for European buyers of Mercedes, and not just in Sindelfingen but also at other factory locations. I have no idea what has happened to this during the pandemic, but it would surprise me for Mercedes to completely abandon this going forward. It seems to me that if factory delivery is resuming for European buyers, resuming it for US buyers is merely an add on to their existing delivery programs.

 

I believe this is a dead issue. MBUSA made a decision based on many factors but I believe Euro Delivery was on the chopping block before the pandemic hit and once it did hit "sealed the coffin". My last Euro Delivery was my current daily driver, a '19 S63 AMG. I remember writing to the CEO of BMW when they ended Euro Delivery for US citizens. They responded in a letter by basically saying the trend is for US customers to buy SUVs and that I could always have a sedan delivered to their BMW Performance Center in South Carolina to have a similar experience. Bottom line MBUSA made a decision and they have many more issues right now to deal with and I would bet the 60 year history of Euro Delivery for US residents is simply not one they want to tackle anytime soon. With that said, I think MBUSA is making a mistake here since my Euro Delivery experiences really enhanced my MB brand loyalty.

 

Unfortunately for us in the USA, there are at least two significant differences for MB between Factory Delivery for Europeans vis-a-vis US Customers: 1) The Europeans drive their new cars away from whatever pick-up point they're using; 2) They bring their local, i.e. taxes and insurance paid, plates with them to the pick up point. A lot less work for MB, especially on arranging transport to Bremerhaven (the port) and ocean shipment and US Customs clearance to the US selling dealer.

Now if we wanted to say OK we US buyers will take the same deal (we will do the duty free plate registration, insurance, and road tax steps) and arrange your own transportation back, and customs clearance, to a US port - Maybe. There are agencies in Germany that could help - but of course at a significant cost - especially the transportation part. Complicated and expensive, but technically doable. The toughest part will be finding an insurance company that offers more than just liability insurance for the time the vehicle is to be registered in Germany. I have done this whole process myself (with used MBs), but I also speak relatively good German. There's also the issue of vehicle registration in the EU (even temporary) on a US spec. car.

Having said all that, I too would sign the petition.

 

I purchased our 2019 MBZ e450 sedan and I enjoyed the experience and was disappointed to learn that the ED program was discontinued. I am hoping that they bring back the program and I would be a repeat customer.