Mercedes Benz cannot keep commitments anymore?
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GLE450
Mercedes Benz cannot keep commitments anymore?
Mercedes Benz cannot keep commitments anymore?!!! I am really disappointed!
I configured and ordered a 2020 GLE 450 in January of 2020. I agreed to a price & gave $1000 deposit. I have the dealer invoice.
It has been 10 months and I am yet to receive the car. Because of the delays from Mercedes side, they are now giving me 2021 model. I am fine with the delay considering COVID-19 situation worldwide. But I am not fine that Mercedes wants to charge me more. We have an agreement in place when I signed and paid the deposit. How can they just not honor it?
Why should anyone wait more than 10 months for a car and then pay extra because of issues that company may have? Why should I trust Mercedes going forward? I should probably take my business elsewhere.
Anyone else face similar issues with Mercedes?
I configured and ordered a 2020 GLE 450 in January of 2020. I agreed to a price & gave $1000 deposit. I have the dealer invoice.
It has been 10 months and I am yet to receive the car. Because of the delays from Mercedes side, they are now giving me 2021 model. I am fine with the delay considering COVID-19 situation worldwide. But I am not fine that Mercedes wants to charge me more. We have an agreement in place when I signed and paid the deposit. How can they just not honor it?
Why should anyone wait more than 10 months for a car and then pay extra because of issues that company may have? Why should I trust Mercedes going forward? I should probably take my business elsewhere.
Anyone else face similar issues with Mercedes?
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,402
Likes: 5,324
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
I understand that it sucks to have to wait this long for a car, but to be perfectly clear there's never been a commitment when you order a car. Cars are made to order and the prices are never locked in and are always subject to change. It says as much on the build sheet. Your deposit doesn't go to Mercedes. That's just for your dealer to have a certain level of confidence that you will actually buy the car when it gets there. That's all it is, and you may have an agreement with your dealer on the size of the discount that they are giving you, but even that they can go back on. You also have the possibility to cancel your order and take your deposit back, or refuse the car on delivery. In some states like here in California the deposit is refundable by law, so it's more of a gesture than anything. You are not doing business directly with Mercedes. You are doing business with a franchise. The price you are ultimately gonna pay for the car is subject to a negotiation between you and the dealership. They can if they want to discount the car so that you'll pay the same as you would have for a 2020. Just a matter of your negotiation skills. The entire car industry is struggling to fulfill all the orders they are getting. The supply chain is still not running smoothly and the current lockdowns in Europe due to spiking COVID numbers isn't helping. There are others who've waited for their cars for a long time and got pushed into the next model year. It's what can happen especially during current times we live in.
Last edited by superswiss; Nov 14, 2020 at 02:59 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 789
Likes: 47
From: Eastern Massachusetts
2021 E450, 2020 C43, 2015 C300, 2007 C280
The house always wins
I understand that it sucks to have to wait this long for a car, but to be perfectly clear there's never been a commitment when you order a car. Cars are made to order and the prices are never locked in and are always subject to change. It says as much on the build sheet. Your deposit doesn't go to Mercedes. That's just for your dealer to have a certain level of confidence that you will actually buy the car when it gets there. That's all it is, and you may have an agreement with your dealer on the size of the discount that they are giving you, but even that they can go back on. You also have the possibility to cancel your order and take your deposit back, or refuse the car on delivery. In some states like here in California the deposit is refundable by law, so it's more of a gesture than anything. You are not doing business directly with Mercedes. You are doing business with a franchise. The price you are ultimately gonna pay for the car is subject to a negotiation between you and the dealership. They can if they want to discount the car so that you'll pay the same as you would have for a 2020. Just a matter of your negotiation skills. The entire car industry is struggling to fulfill all the orders they are getting. The supply chain is still not running smoothly and the current lockdowns in Europe due to spiking COVID numbers isn't helping. There are others who've waited for their cars for a long time and got pushed into the next model year. It's what can happen especially during current times we live in.
However, the delivery invoice had magically turned my 2006 C280 into a 2007 C280. The only difference between the 2007 and the 2006 was that the split rear seat (the only option I had ordered) had become standard. So my 2007 cost $150 less than the agreed price for the 2006. I did not get a refund. (The prices for vehicles delivered in Europe are not subject to negotiation. The price is a flat 7% off the MSRP, plus no delivery charge.)
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,402
Likes: 5,324
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
Actually, even ED prices were negotiable. The 7% on Mercedes-Benz cars and the 5% on AMG cars was just a no hassle discount, but you could negotiate an additional discount on top of that with the dealership, or they could even refuse to give the standard ED discount for a highly sought after model. I'm using past tense, because it's a moot point, now that ED has been discontinued. I've done ED with my C63S coupe last year, and because it's a more desirable car, I wasn't able to get more than 5%, but others have gotten higher than the standard discounts on other models, sometimes even AMGs if they had a relationship with a dealership.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 789
Likes: 47
From: Eastern Massachusetts
2021 E450, 2020 C43, 2015 C300, 2007 C280
Has Mercedes discontinued ED for all models, or just C-Class (your model)? Is the discontinuation permanent, jor ust because of COVID?
Last edited by gfmohn; Nov 17, 2020 at 06:47 AM.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,402
Likes: 5,324
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
Dear Mercedes-Benz Dealers, This is to inform you that MBUSA will discontinue the European Delivery Program effective November 1, 2020. To our active European Delivery dealership partners, we sincerely thank you for supporting us over the years. Through your efforts, many customers experienced European delivery and have gone on to become lifelong advocates for the brand. In order to meet remaining customer needs, we will fulfill remaining orders submitted prior to program cessation. These vehicles will continue via direct shipment with delivery to your dealerships. Moving forward, no new orders will be accepted as we run out the program in Q4 2020.
