ML Dude

Hey everyone, I'm soliciting input on this matter on a couple of forums so I would appreciate your advice!
I'm disappointed with the customer service at Mercedes Benz of Wilsonville following the sale. I made the mistake of trusting the word of the salesman and a finance manager instead of insisting that terms be in writing. I signed all the releases in my haste to get back home so I guess I'm to blame if they don't want to show me the goodwill or customer service that any local MB dealer would show.

Therein lies my dilemma, they had no incentive to provide me customer service because I live in So.Cal and they are in N. Oregon. The fact is that I would not likely be buying from them again, certainly not after this incident, so they are just blowing off my complaints! So what can I do?

I tried to speak to the salesman and to the finance manager since
these were the people I dealt with. I wrote a letter to the GM of the dealer who did not reply to my letter but instead had some underling basically blow me off without addressing the points in my letter.

What's my recourse now? It's not worth the expense of litigating at long distance, but, there is the principle of who's right and who's wrong. I'm tempted to drop the matter but their attitude, at least the attitude of one sales manager, irks me! Is there anything I can do besides sue?

karl k

How can an Oregon dealer service a car the is in S. California? What did I miss?

1. What do you mean by service?

2. What is your monetary damage?

3. What exactly did you buy?

Tezta

Yeah i don't get it. Is there something wrong with the sales terms? or Do you need the car to be serviced by MB willsonville?

karl k

I have no idea what his point is.

To me it's gobbledygook!...and he is trollong for something??

ML Dude

Thanks for the useful comments fellas...... I was just being accurate without being specific!

The "stone in my shoe" is that I spent over three months patiently searching the internet for specifically a MY2000 CLK 430 Cab with the integrated phone. The phone would be used in both it and my ML since it was an option I felt the ML was missing. The CLK I was looking for needed to be an immaculate, low miles cream puff in Quartz Blue or Black. The QB is by far the most rare of colors and my search had me looking across the country! When I finally found what sounded like the car I was looking for, naturally I asked very specific questions and requested photographs. When everything seemed right I started to discuss the sale terms. Well the only item which I needed in writing was to have them repair stone chips on the front hood. I asked for a professional repair and used the word "disappear". I was obviously interested in the phone condition and was told it was brand new and appeared unused with the plastic cover still on the screen. So I signed a faxed sales agreement which stated the paint chips would be repaired and included all factory equipment.

When I got there, I was looking at a ten hour drive to Lake Tahoe and wanted to leave right away. Being Portland, the day was overcast and the car was in a darkened garage, but it looked really nice! In my haste, I did not take out the phone which was mounted in the car and I did not closely inspect the hood repair. I signed all the sales documents, handed them a cashiers check and hit the road. When I started driving I noticed a couple of spots on the drivers door but thought only that they had not cleaned the car carefully. When I stopped for gas, the sun was out and I walked around to admire my car and I noticed that the rock chips in the hood had been touched up but not filled in and certainly not disappeared. The touch up was what you or I could do with one application of touch-up paint. Well the final kicker was when I pulled the phone out of the cradle, it was scratched and banged up. Turning it on I found that it had 8000 hours of use and the serial number was different than the manuals, so clearly not the phone the factory delivered with the car. The spots on the door were permanent stains which had not been disclosed when specifically asked if there were any imperfections with the interior.

When I got home, I received two cards from the salesman and one came with a gift basket saying how they wished all their customers were as nice as I was!
The paint and the interior were things I could have fixed and I would send them the bill and not worry about, but the phone had me concerned. I decided to call up and ask about the phone and give them the benefit of the doubt on making a mistake. I expected them to say they would mail out the correct phone and I would return the one I had. I thought they might consider a resonable bill for making the cosmetic repairs and make me a happy customer!

Well was I in for a surprise, the salesman played innocent about the phone and his comment was that I took delivery on the car and got a good deal on it. I asked to speak to his superior and this guy took a serious attitude with me told me a deal is a deal and that he would not do anything further. His attitude was completely unwarranted, I'd never spoken to the guy and he was rude and sounded like he got his job training at a used car lot not a Mercedes Benz dealership.

Well that's my story and I was willing to chalk it up to experience when I got a card from the GM, Bud Rasmussen, thanking me for the purchase and stating how they do everything to maintain satisfied customers. Well he clearly did not know how I was treated at his Wilsonville store so I wrote the letter.
I'm still upset because due to the condition of the phone, I have not invested in the expensive upgrade kit for the ML and therfore not fulfilled my desire to share the phone feature between the two vehicles. If I was not going to do that, I would have purchased a 2001 or perhaps even a new one!

So now what can I do besides sue???

karl k

1. Go to your local MB dealer and get an estimate for the chip repair and phone replacement.

2. Then ask your seller to pay.

3. If he refuses, take him to small claims court - up to $5,000.- without a lawyer.
4. Study the website on how to proceed.

5. Contact Your local experts in California - (it's on the website, listed under "County-Specific Court Information")

6. and let us know how case was resoved. ...probably through mediation.

7. Do the footwork! and GOOD LUCK!

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/smallclaims/

Lesson:

Next time you give someone a check for a product, look at the product first and have items repaired before you hand over a check.

CLK 320

Another route would be to involve MBUSA. In my area, MBUSA has a rep that travels from dealer to dealer over a relatively small territory. Part of his job is to listen to problems that the dealer has been unable to resolve. You could, if you wished, try to meet with him at the MB dealer closest to your home. I would call that dealer and ask them when he will be visiting and set up an appointment. With luck, he will not refer you to the rep covering the territory of your purchasing dealer. Good luck.

ML Dude

Thanks Guys,

I'll try the customer service at MBUSA first. I should ask for the area rep? Is that the title?

CLK 320

In my area, we call them factory reps. You could call MBUSA for help in finding him, but you could also call your closest dealer and find out when he will be visiting them. (Usually several times a month)