oonick

I considering the purchase of a 04 s500 sport that a dealer in Florida has
at $33,000 i think its a good deal.It has 27k and is silver w/charcoal.
Is there anyone on this forum in Florida that can do a pre-purchase inspection
for me,Will compensate! Iv owned many MB but online purchasing will be a
first for me.Id feel alot more comfortable if a qualified MB enthusiest could
look at this s500.Any body have experience in online purchase if so elaberate.
thanks friends...Nick

Skylaw

I strongly suggest that you contact an independent tech in the city where the car is located, and ask him to inspect it (for reimbursement, of course). An online search should reveal folks who could do this, and you can call them.

Plus, Florida is a big state - about 600 miles driving from Pensacola to Miami. It may have been more helpful if you had let us know where the car is.

If the seller won't allow such an inspection, do not buy the car. It could have been one of the "flood" cars from Katrina or Charley. It could be rebuilt from two cars totaled in accidents, or just in a serious one itself. On the other hand it could be the buy of the century. But you'll need someone who can give it more than a casual look to tell.

AH1W-COBRA

the price is just about right on the money for the year and the fact that their was no dealer prep or cpo warrantys added to the cost of the car.however the mileage is really low and if the car is flawless id say it is about $10,000 under value,which should raise the warning flag!.id be willing to spend $1,000 for a independant to look it over and than a dealer to do the same thing with the help of diagnostics.mayby the client is just trying to raise fast cash,or the car has issues.it is up to you to protect yourself in a purchase like this.

Lender1

I would be very suspious of a dealer selling a car in supposedly that great a condition with low miles for that much under market. The market is soft but that would be a great buy if it is as described without suffering any major damage in the past. Run the serial number through Carfax and ask that a M-B mechanic inspect it.

sledge1100

Pay the money for a carfax for sure. You can find out who owned the vehicle prior and sometime get in touch with them. Which I have done before and it pays off if you know it was a lemon.

oonick

Thanks,the car was relisted on ebay item #280232909808.
id never buy a car online without some type of indepentant pre-inspection.
i ran the VIN through the MB service computer and all service was performed on time with no negitive findings.I also did a car-fax it reported that the car originated in Ohio by the first owner then was registered in florida.the dealer who has it says the rear bumper has been painted due to a scratch,the car did 31,850 on ebay and dint meet the reserve,i contacted seller to ask how much woud buy this s500 he stated that $33k would buy it.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Here is a copy of the CarFax history report. Please call me direct at 813-625-2304 with any questions. Thanks, Bryan



2004 MERCEDES-BENZ S500
WDBNG75J14A405472
SEDAN 4 DR
5.0L V8 SFI SOHC 24V / REAR WHEEL DRIVE
Standard Equipment | Safety Options

Hi-I'm the CARFAX Xpert™. I'm here to help you better understand the data in this CARFAX Report. Did you know...
We checked over 5 billion records from thousands of data sources for this vehicle
This vehicle qualifies for the CARFAX Buyback Guarantee
The last reported odometer reading was 27,132








A CARFAX Vehicle History Report is based only on information supplied to CARFAX. Other information about this vehicle, including problems, may not have been reported to CARFAX. Use this report as one important tool, along with a vehicle inspection and test drive, to make a better decision about your next used car.

The number of owners is estimated by CARFAX
Year purchased 2004 2005
Type of owner Personal Personal
Estimated length of ownership 8 months 3 yrs. 3 mo.
Owned in the following states/provinces Ohio Florida
Estimated miles driven per year --- ---
Last reported odometer reading 4,560 27,132




CARFAX guarantees the information in this section
Salvage | Junk | Rebuilt Guaranteed
No Problem Guaranteed
No Problem
Fire/Flood | Hail Damage | Buyback/Lemon
Guaranteed
No Problem Guaranteed
No Problem
Not Actual Mileage | Exceeds Mechanical Limits Guaranteed
No Problem Guaranteed
No Problem
GUARANTEED - None of these major title problems were reported by a state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If you find that any of these title problems were reported by a DMV and not included in this report, CARFAX will buy this vehicle back.





Not all accidents or other issues are reported to CARFAX
Total Loss Check
No total loss reported to CARFAX. No Issues Reported
No Issues Reported

Structural / Frame Damage Check
No structural / frame damage reported to CARFAX. No Issues Reported
No Issues Reported

Airbag Deployment Check
No airbag deployment reported to CARFAX. No Issues Reported
No Issues Reported

Odometer Rollback Check
No indication of an odometer rollback. No Issues Indicated
No Issues Indicated

Accident Check
No accidents reported to CARFAX. No Issues Reported
No Issues Reported

Manufacturer Recall Check
No recalls still require repair. No Recalls Reported
No Recalls Reported



Tell us what you know about this vehicle









A CARFAX Vehicle History Report is based only on information supplied to CARFAX. CARFAX checked over 5 billion vehicle history events and found 13 record(s) for this 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 (WDBNG75J14A405472).




Purchased: 2004
Type: Personal
Where: Ohio
Est. miles/year: ---
Est. length owned: 1/6/04 - 9/28/04
(8 months)



Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
01/06/2004 Ohio
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Canfield, OH Registered as
personal vehicle

02/20/2004 12 Ohio
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Canfield, OH
Title #5001666587 Title issued or updated
First owner reported

06/04/2004 1,155 Ohio
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Akron, OH
Title #7703040607 Title issued or updated
Dealer took title of this vehicle
while it was in inventory

06/16/2004 Ohio
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Jacksonville, FL
Title #7703052143 Title issued or updated
Dealer took title of this vehicle
while it was in inventory

09/28/2004 3,000 Dealer Inventory Vehicle offered for sale

10/04/2004 4,560 Service Facility Vehicle serviced
Air conditioning serviced
Engine serviced
Electrical system serviced






Purchased: 2005
Type: Personal
Where: Florida
Est. miles/year: ---
Est. length owned: 1/6/05 - 4/29/08
(3 yrs. 3 mo.)



Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
01/06/2005 Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Miami, FL
Title #0092144091 Title issued or updated
New owner reported

08/21/2005 Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Miami, FL
Title #0092144091 Registration issued or renewed
Registered as
personal vehicle
Vehicle color noted as Silver

08/20/2006 Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Miami, FL
Title #0092144091 Registration issued or renewed
Registered as
personal vehicle
Vehicle color noted as Silver

08/27/2007 Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Miami, FL
Title #0092144091 Registration issued or renewed
Registered as
personal vehicle
Vehicle color noted as Silver

12/20/2007 25,660 Service Plan Co.
Miami, FL Service contract issued

04/29/2008 27,132 Auto Auction Sold at auction
in Florida
Listed as
a dealer vehicle

Dealers routinely buy and sell millions of used vehicles at auction each year.

06/02/2008 Mercedes-Benz USA, Inc. No recalls open for repair



Sales Manager
Bryan J. Rogers
Direct - 813-625-2304
Office - 727-323-8771
bryan@genuinemotorcars.com



DeleteReplyForwardSpamMove...
Previous | Next | Back to Messages Save Message Text | Full Headers
Check MailCompose Search Mail: Search MailSearch the Web

Move Options
[New Folder]
Forward Options
As Inline Text
As Attachment
Reply Options
Reply To Sender
Reply To Everyone
Address Book Shortcuts
Add Contact
Add Category
View Contacts
View Lists
QuickBuilder
Import Contacts
Synchronize
Addresses Options
Addresses Help
Calendar Shortcuts
Add Event
Add Task
Add Birthday
Day
Week
Month
Year
Event List
Reminders
Tasks
Sharing
Synchronize
Calendar Options
Calendar Help
Notepad Shortcuts
Add Note
Add Folder
View Notes
Notepad Options
Notepad Help
Advanced Search
Advanced Search



Copyright © 1994-2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy - Guidelines
NOTICE: We collect personal information on this site.
To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy

AH1W-COBRA

this car would still have been under factory warranty,i feel that for some reason it did not meet the criteria for the CPO program and the dealer sent it to auction.somthing is amiss with this beauty.im just suspicious by nature when it comes to purchasing MB's.of course i could be wrong and this could be a fantastic deal.

my06clk

Are you serious? this car is not 10K under valued .. it barely at market. Its an okay deal, 27-30K would be Steal..... Never mind the miles at this point because they don't matter because the car is too old. CPO warranty's are only sold by Authorized MB dealers.. Blue book has no bearing on thee cars when the market is so bad.. Unless you are looking to get a loan.. resell is market driven...There is almost no market for these cars in general..So, they are being sold at low pries.. I would expect to pay 27 - 30K for this car in Texas... If I could get 33K for mine, I'd probably sell it.

This car has had some bad luck though..

Notice it was traded after 9 mos of ownership and had major services at 4000 miles.. then it sat on a lot from Sept 04 to Jan 05 till it was shipped off to Florida from Akron, Oh. Then it was sold again. That owner kept i for three years and traded it agian ( looks like a 39month lease because if the time..) but this was 5 months after purchasing an after market warranty?? Then when it was returned to the dealer it went straight to the Florida Auction. This explains the low miles and, This is why there was no CPO.. When a dealer sends a car to the Auction there are not strings attached to it.. it is just liquidated. This routinely happens when a car sits in inventory for too long OR they feel that their margin on the car will be nearly the same if they auctioned it off... It may not have anything to do with the car but Dealers have to pay taxes, for inventory so they don't like to keep cars on their lot forever.. they have to get rid of them after a while.. it was probably auctioned for less than it residual value at the time, so do the math.. There is not that much money tied up in this car.. it can't be. This is why the price is at market.. But given the sell history of this car, I'm thinking the high 20's will move it. That's why it keeps getting relisted... The rear heated seats are a nice touch...


I would not pay that much for that car because it wil drop if it hasn't already because there are no buyers interested in it.

Skylaw

I believe you are talking about VIN WDBNG75J14A405472. The seller, Genuine Motorcars, is located in St. Petersburg, FL. It is not an authorized Mercedes dealership.

The information provided by other contributors is excellent, both as to sales price and concerns about history. Especially given the concerns pointed out by my06clk, you need to have someone who can run a full diagnostics, not just inspect the car externally.

The authorized MB dealers in St. Petersburg are Lokey Motor Company and Crown Eurocars. I don't know if they would have their techs look at the car, but they may be able to recommend a good independent.

One independent in the St. Petersburg area is Shull Mercedes Repair, http://www.shullauto.com/ - I have no experience with them, but you could give them a try. They're not too far from the 24th Ave. North location of the seller.

Another is Cars and Concepts in Tampa, http://www.carsandconcepts.com/ - some people swear by them, others swear at them - but reviews are mostly favorable. It's a bit of a trip for them to get to St. Petersburg, but you could try. I have no personal experience with them.

oonick

Thanks for all your input!

AH1W-COBRA

you cant buy this car in CA with the mileage and year for 27k to 30k.texas must have some different values on MB.id be willing to say that the market isnt in the same situation that your area potentially is.

westcoast5

hes right a car like that even in a soft market will fetch more here. Prob at least 34 to most 40k

my06clk

Do a national search... you will get the results of what these cars are "actually" selling for.
Just because these cars car inflated in Ca, does not make them good buys...
I also don;t agree with the statement that there is such a huge difference in market. Yes there is, but its normally no more than a few thousand dollars.
Cars are out there even in CA. Good solid cars..

AS an example, using Autotrader, I did a 300 mile radius search of the 90210 area code and my results yielded 14 2004 s500's priced between 25 and 30 K, and they were all from 7 to 150 miles from the zip except 5. Most of them had sports packages and better equipped than that Ebay car.

My point again is look around... These cars are easy to buy if you know how to look for them... The car you are looking for is not exactly a rip of, like I stated its a good deal, just not a great one.

AH1W-COBRA

they simply hold their value longer and are argueably in better condition based upon weather and road conditions.did those auto trader cars have 27K miles or less?