glk_girl

Hi All,

I was about to take possession of a 2010 GLK in Ontario, Canada and upon inspection on the delivery date....the car had deep scratches in the back, on the sides and front. This was probably due to the washer at the dealer possibly having a rock on the wash cloth. I've waited 3 months for it to arrive from Germany and the dealer is now being nonchalant about it. I'm so frustrated. They said that they would fix it and "know what to do".

After coming back to review it. The big gash in the back was still not totally buffed away. We had asked for compensation and this is what I got...extended warranty and a few trunk interior accessories at cost....can you believe them. I was so furious. How can they offer me just this? I'm buying the car outright, I'm not leasing or financing. I want to keep this car for a long time.

Let me tell you the actual steps:
1. the manager asked what we wanted....we then told him to tell us what he would do....he said he would repaint it.
2. he then further asked us what we wanted, and we said we want: 2K off and extended warranty for free...Actually I just want a new car with no scratches!!!!
3. he said no, he can't do it as he already gave us a good price. (This has nothing to do with the original price) This incident was not our fault and we were there ready to leave with a brand new car not a scratched up one. I said I don't want his offer as it doesn't cost him anything.
4. He then came back and said he'd give me $500, extended warranty at cost and items wanted at cost, and a valet service (dealer pick up my car during service and give me a car to ddrive) which normally cost about $900. (Really who cares about this service)
5. he then said he went to the owner and the owner agrees that this is the final offer - take it or leave it" We had to make a choice right then and there. If we won't take it then they will refund my $$$. Can you believe the nerve of this dealership. We just left and at a stand still.

Throughout the conversation, they seemed that they didn't care and it felt like all they wanted is to resell the car.

What shall I do?

What would you think is an appropriate compensation? Honestly, I just want a new car and get on with my life. This dealership is causing alot of grief and disappointment. I was really looking forward to the car after waiting for such a long time.

Has this ever happened to you?

Please provide your advice.

Thanks in advance to all for providing your opinion.

GLK_GIRL or maybe not.

RedRover

Leave it. Terrible that it has to end this way, but you don't want a car that you will never be satisfied with. Find another dealer and buy a 2011.

Shak59

Since you ordered the vehicle, I'm sure you wanted a certain configuration. But if you can find a GLK you like at another Benz dealership in your area, try to give them the business.

Probably the best way to get back at the dealership that is currently not trying to help you out.

broddesign

I would contact The national MB office with complain!

phil17

I woudn't take the car. you paid for a new perfect car with your hard earned money so anything less is unacceptable. Never accept a repaint either on a new car.

You can try contacting MB Canada but they are pretty useless. My car was in the shop for over 15 days and I figure I would complain to see if they can waive 1 month of my payment for all the troubles. They basically apologized and said no cause I still had a loaner car to drive. lol, If you've ever owned an Acura/Lexus, MB's service in Canada is a joke

Like other's have said, file a complaint, see if you can get your deposit back and look for another dealer

glkbeige

I'd take the refund and go elsewhere. This is just the first indication of how this dealership will treat you. Can you tell the forum who the dealer so others will be prepared.

ame

It sounds to me that the dealer doesn't really care your business.I will not take it and I will file complaint to BBB or some sort of consumer review board in Ontario.
I totally understand your situation.You like the car but not this dealer..........

MKenM

You will be sorry and regret later on that you accepted something less than perfect. Think about the additional depreciation when you go to sell or trade the vehicle. Don't take anything less than perfection

QSHIP

Bad customer relation, go some other MB dealer. Remember this is not the first time you will meet this dealership. Service are coming and if you are not satisfied you will never be happy.

3Stars

Agree with qship.
If you are not happy on the first day of purchasing the new vehicle. You will not happy as long as you own that vehicle even if you get it at a bargain price. Auto dealers are dying for business in the US. Just go to another dealer.

glk_girl

Hi All,

Thanks to all who replied thus far and for your support. I sure need it!!!!!
I've been looking at this car for the longest time and love the look so much.

I've waited since April to get the car. I know all of you say to leave and go to another dealer but I forgot to mention that the car was bought at a good deal at approx 9% off and that is why it is so hard to let go. Another reason why it's hard to just get the refund is that I've also been negotiating with the dealership since Xmas and I've invested so much time and energy. I must have gone to them 4 times trying to negotiate. The dealer probably wants me to just get my refund so they can resell the car at a better discount. (if so, shame on them!!)

Do you think my chances of getting a new car is slim?

I know alot of people are curious on which dealer, but since it's still up in the air, I rather not say anything until it is settled as I didn't get my refund yet and am hoping that I get a new car instead. I hope you all understand and forgive me for not providing the name. However, (knock on wood) if things go wrong, I'll definitely post which dealership did me wrong and I will post it on every forum so that they know that they shouldn't mess with consumers particularly me.

I honestly don't want a scratched car. But was I right in asking for compensation and did you think what they offered was a slap in the face?

Supposedly, this dealer believes in customer satisfaction, but from what I've seen so far, it's non-existent and there was lack of good faith.

Has anyone ever received a scratched up car on delivery? What are my rights as a consumer for unsatisfactory product? Does this exist in Canada?

I'll definitely keep all of you posted.

Disappointed GLK_GIRL

bigben320e

You are being too accomodating. Ask for your money back, threaten them with that you will call MB. See if they will bend.

If not, get your money and walk, make sure to issue a complaint. I have told several MB dealers to their face that they suck. That is a terrible way to start off with a new car, especially the price point you are paying for the car. Sure you have time invested, but think about the potential headaches you may have with this dealer later.

I have walked from so many dealers, it's sad. It's your money, you are the customer, and YOU are in control. So be it, you can get another car. I understand the emotion and time, but that is not the rational aspect to look at in this instance. As you said, the scratch is NOT acceptable. Stick to your guns and your gut.

cyberjak

While I sympathize with you, a couple of recommendations and reality checks.

Not sure about the difference between dealer invoice and MSRP in Canada but in the USA it is 7%. So if profits dealers make in Canada is similar to the USA then the fact they are willing to sell it to you at 9% off MSRP means that either MB Canada has some factory to dealer incentives on this car, or the dealer is dipping into the trunk money which is another 3% in the USA and in general dealers in the USA almost never dip into the trunk money and if they do they certainly do not do so by 2% unless you are getting some type of fleet discount which then does not come out of their pocket.

So I would first find out for sure who caused the scratches to the car. If the damage was caused in transit and not by the dealer, I would highly recommend you have the dealer contact MB Canada on your behalf and pled a case for you to be allowed to get a new car in perfect condition for the same price even if it is a 2011 model, but I highly doubt that was the case and more than likely the car was damaged by the dealership detailers like you stated in your originally post, which then take the matter out of MB Canada hands if dealer you are working with is an independent dealer and not factory owned dealership. The reason why I say this is because MB can not force a dealership to discount a car unless they are willing to eat that discount as that would be no different than Sony telling Best Buy to sell an item to a customer for a lower than normal price.

Also asking for a free extended warranty on anything other than the paint job is unreasonable as those scratches does not effect any mechanical parts of the car. So why would those scratches entitle you to a free extended warranty? If the car was in accident and required body work etc, I might say you are 100% correct and maybe they did not catch all the damage but we are talking about scratches that according to you were caused by the dealership detailers using a dirty rag so their is no internal damage which was missed at all nor is their any chance when that scratch was caused any mechanical parts where damaged.

Also the fact you were able to get 9% off MSRP the dealer has little to no room to discount the car much more and more than likely the $2k off the extended warranty put that at cost. Why should the dealer give you a warranty for free which is worth much more than the amount of money he is making on the sale? You need to understand at some point the dealer is going to refuse to do the deal as no one is in business to loose money.

In my opinion you got 3 choices, accept his repair job and ask for a warranty on the repair work, ask the dealer to get you another car like you want with the same discount off of MSRP or ask for a refund and walk away.

But expecting the dealer to give you $3-4-5k in freebies is never going to happen when he is not making that much money on the deal, and most people buy demo cars at around 8-10% off MSRP with 5-10k miles all the time in the states. So the dealer would be better off fixing it and then turning it into a dealer service loan car over giving you $3k+ off the car as that money is coming from his pocket at this point. And if he did that all the time guess what? He would be out of business.

Also not sure about dealerships in Canada but currently in the USA just so know the only thing keeping most dealerships a float is their service departments as most Mercedes are going for Invoice or close to it and dealership has rent, utilities and salaries to pay, as all those salesman and managers do not work for free.

chilledbenz

#1. Don't accept the car.
#2. Call the Canadian MB office to voice a complaint 1-800-387-0100

I'm not an expert on these matters, but wouldn't repainting the car then take it out of new car status? I'm not up on Canadian laws and rules, but in the States any work such as repainting would then show up on a car fax report. So would the car technically still be new if it had been repaired? Yeah just having to think about that question would be enough for me to scrap the deal all together, but thats just me. Hope you get things worked out to your liking, after all its you that has to be happy in the end.

thebishman

Get your money back and walk away.

Bish

chillertwist

Weigh your options for getting a new car (the only "deal" you should even consider), and if it's not going to happen, take your money to another dealer to negotiate a best price. A scratched up Benz is a disgrace. If you can't afford it, you should look at a B class....

glkbeige

I just searched through Autotrader Canada and found 162 GLK's available.

Try this link and if not then initiate your own search.

http://www.autotrader.ca/Result/Resu...try=true&srt=3

Sirus

I just took delivery of my car 2 days ago and I LOVE it! I too ordered it in April and couldn't wait for it to arrive. I loved the service received from my dealership in Ontario.

However, if I saw a scratch as small as a millimeter I would have rejected the car. If you are looking for a new dealership, I can give you the name of my sales guy in Mississauga. Let me know!

Good luck with your situation. I would be devistated to be in your position right now.

QSHIP

This may be a sign not to get this car. If in the long run that there is mechanical problem with this car then you will regret it twice. This is brand new not used.

jagass

I will demand for a new one. lol

QSHIP

If this dealer did a poor job fixing the scrathes as you memtioned, then how can you trust them to do your maintenance.

QSHIP

Let us know what happen to your ordeal?

mac911

Yeah, I'd personally refuse it and go to another dealer. I'd also write a letter to Mercedes Canada CEO.