I have been looking at getting a GL550 for quite some time now and have been calling around to many dealers to get the best price. I called one dealer in lower Michigan and the salesman asked me if I knew anyone that worked at Daimler/Chrystler and I said no. He said are you sure. And again I told him no. Long story short I guess if you or a relative works for Daimler you can get a 12% discount. He told me that he had a friend that would sell me the number that gets this discount for $500. Is this too good to be true? and is it ethical? He told me that there is nothing wrong with it and his supervisors know about it. Thanks for your input.
Pat

 

He'll give you the number... if you pay him $500? Run away quickly! That doesn't sound ethical at all!

 

It always amazes me how folks in the market for this calibre of vehicle nickel and dime far worse that the Hyundai / Kia crowd. In Canada, we have people flocking to the US to save $5000 on a $100K Mercedes because the US$ has tanked, and in a year they'll be whining because the dealer in their little bumphuck town has gone **** up. Sorry, I don't get it. If a couple large is going to change your life, you need to set your sights lower.

Rant off.

Oh, and you answer your question - avoid the slimy dealer. Actually, go one better and report the son of a ... to MBUSA. Some times capitalism can be ugly.

 

I'd say ask DGT1031 who his dealer is and where they are located. He got $10,500 off sticker on a new 2008 gl550 this week and didn't have to do anything unethical, or pay $500 to some salesperson's cousin to get the employee deal.

 

Just DON'T do it!!

 

The best part is how they turn up at the dealers all smugly, like some sort of returning hero to get the car registered with RIV and speedo swapped. I lived through the grey market days with Porsche, and I can tell you that their saving will eventually amount to a false economy. The joke will be on them, just watch.

The GL configuration I wantes was not even available in the US, and I would never risk service on this calibre of car to save a couple of grand. I can drop that in one night of entertainment! Not worth it.

 

Daimler Chrysler is no longer a company so why would you receive a discount? Not to mention, to the best of my knowledge, Daimler Chrysler does not have employees anymore so how could someone work for Daimler Chrysler? Do current Chrysler employees get a discount since Daimler still owns a portion of Chrysler?

 

I was gonna mention this, but there is still a cross ownership interest, so ya never know.

 

Well the difference is more like $14,000 after accounting for different equipment (between US and Canadian cars). Of course Mercedes Benz with the help of Transport Canada adds about $8,000 to the cost (for essentially the same vehicle) so there you have it.

Some people are irritated by the manner in which the auto manufacturers are treating Canadians and choose to buy in the US for that reason. Some vehicles in the GL's price range sell for $25,000 less than msrp with 5,000 miles on them. Many Canadians are shopping in the US for these vehicles. After you've been driving it for a week, you'll forget that you didn't get it new!

It never ceases to amaze me how some people will scoff at others who try and save money, like somehow you don't belong in the "elite class" of Mercedes, BMW or Porsche if you try to or have to bargain when you acquire your car.

I don't understand the mentality. Many successful people (driving expensive cars) are entrepreneurs who made their money in business. I am certain they didn't make their money by saying "$5,000 here and $14,000 there doesn't matter". I know I didn't. It's like they are saying, "if you have to bargain you can't afford it".

What is funny, is many of these same people lease (because they can't afford to buy, but say it is for "tax reasons"), have huge mortages on their houses and have every toy known to man in their driveway paid for with a home equity loan.

I make no reference to people on this board. There are plenty of examples in the commmunity where I live to point to and the dealers seem to have little discretion when they talk about who is leasing and who is buying and who haad trouble making payments, etc.

As for me, I lease because I don't want to tie cash up in a depreciating asset and like to know, up front what the car is going to cost me over 3 years. If I kept a car 5 years plus, I'd buy it. But .. I'd still want the best deal possible.

If I do $5,000 better on a deal than the guy who doesn't care about a platry $5,000, I can buy my daughter something or take my wife somewhere for the weekend or give it to charity for that matter. I certainly don't have to give it to the dealer, just because making the best deal means I don't belong in a Mercedes!

 

Nicely said.

I'd suggest contributing to all three causes (wife, daughter, and charity) with your $5K. Each will be appreciative of your gift and you'll derive benefits from all.

 

Grover:

Your $8,000 bucks savings gets pretty skinny when you then include:

-Cost of changing money
-Transport and Travel costs
-Time off work
-No access to factory financing for out-of country buyers
-No access to factory leasing
-Reduced resale
-You will have no advocate to go to bat for you in a dispute with MB
-Risk of incompatable parts/systems (see threads on pressure sensors)
-Risk of waiting for US spec parts for repairs

...just to name a few. In fact, your whole savings is likely wiped out day one by your reduced resale/trade-in value down the road. Still can't see how a grey market car is such a great deal.

 

I agree, but before Transport Canada started working with MB to require changes that weren't required last year, the savings was closer to $14,000. On an $80,000 vehicle that is almost 18%. MB and BMW were providing full warranty coverage as well.

When you look at slightly used, the argument is even stronger for a US buy. Of course this purchase model only really works for someone who doesn't mind a vehicle with a few thousand miles on it and a bit of a hassle. I have a friend who has never bought a brand new car. He always seems to find a BMW with low KM's on it and picks it up for a song and drives it for 5 - 6 years. At that point it's not worth much anyway and he sells it and moves on to the next.

He found a 6 month old 645 Cab in the US with 6,000 miles on it and paid $79,000CAD landed in Canada 2 years ago. At the time, the car was selling for $125,000. The dealer is happy to service the car and he has had no issues. that's how the gray market can be a positive way to go. Each case is different though.


The manufacturers are trying to combat the problem with a combination of carrot (cash incentives for people buying outright) and the stick (charging high fees for certificates of compliance and requiring pod changes (MB bumper support changes) to certify. They also hold the process up.

 

Brocktoon hit the nail on the head. MB Canada will not have to honor the MB USA warranty. MB Canada will do all the maintenance work and minor warranty repairs but MB Canada will deny major warranty work. Give MB Cananda a call and see if they will give you a letter that they will honor, in full, the MBUSA vehicle warranty. If so, save some cash and buy it in the US.

 

That seems to contradict the latest information from the Automobile Protection Association:

http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=253#MERCEDES-BENZ

According to them, once the vehicle has been changed to Canadian specs by MB (which usually means changing out the gauge cluster or so I've heard), the vehicle will have the same standard 4 year/80,000 km warranty as Canadian market cars (minus the corrosion warranty). You might not get the same good will from your local dealership with your gray market vehicle, though.

 

OK, but even if I don't go to the US to save some money, I can still try to get the best deal possible from my dealer here in Canada and still be part of the elite group of people who drive a Mercedes and didn't have to (or want to) bargain with the dealer, right?

 

I think Urabus is right for vehicles correctly imported, but don't expect any goodwill or priority service from the dealer.

 

I know that some employee's have gotten in trouble for doing this, so just be careful and good luck with your purchase.