A "crazy" buying experience
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Northern CA
GL 450
A "crazy" buying experience
Always something new under the sun.
So I have been going to this local dealership in the Bay area several times over the last several weeks looking for a 2007 CPO S550. They have a black one, but I have been telling the salesman whom I have gotten to know that I was looking for a silver one.
So after several weeks, the salesman called to tell me that a silver one has arrived. I went to the dealership on the same day, test drove, and started the negotiations. The back and forth ("Let me talk to the manager" and "let my manager call the general manager") bits took a while, but I talked only to the salesman, not anybody else. The salesman finally said we got a deal but the negotiations took too long and I had an appointment I had to keep so I left and told the salesman I would come back later. I then asked my wife to also stop by to test drive the car. It was getting late by then so I called the salesman and told him I'd stop by the following day to do the paperwork, and he was OK with that.
The following day, I stopped by and we did the paperwork, filled a credit application, etc... Soon it came time to go to the finance manager who presented me with an array of warranties and service packages, which I declined all. Then I signed the credit paperwork, charged 2500 on the credit card and wrote a check.
The salesman already had the car washed and was waiting for me, and handed me the key and the manual packages and a gift in a little bag (a MB cap). The car was waiting for me right off the office of the Finance manager.
So here I was, ready to walk out and drive the car off, when I had second thoughts about the various packages offered by the Finance guy, so I walked back to his office to make some additional inquiries.
Fifteen minutes into our conversation in the Finance guy's office, the store manager came barging in and said: The transaction is canceled! He said he thought I was talking about the black car, and the price he agreed to be for the black car. He was surprised to see the silver car being pulled in front of the office of the finance guy because he thought he sold me the black car, not the silver car. I can have the black car for the price we negotiated because it had been sitting on the lot for a while, but the silver car just arrived, and was going to cost me an additional $1850. I never talked to him before and there was no way the salesman thought I was negotiating on the black car, since he called me because the silver car had arrived, and both I and my wife were test driving the silver car. So I asked the manager what would have happened if I had driven the car off, which I could have done if I had not gone back to the finance guy's office. He said he would have called the police and reported a stolen car.
So he "apologized" for the "misunderstanding", took the paperwork I left on the desk of the Finance guy and left. I can see the salesman, who was waiting with me in the Finance guy's office, look totally speechless. He asked me to walk back to his office, wait for him a few minutes, and then he came back and asked for the key back, and apologized again.
He has been calling me back several times in the last couple of days to see if I want the black car, or want to pay more for the silver car, but still refused to honor the original price for the silver car.
I found the whole ordeal absolutely unbelievable. The price difference was not great, and the dealership was going to make money off of my purchase of several packages (I was ready to pay for them when the manager interrupted), I just don't understand why they would risk their reputation on what may turn out to be a few hundred bucks.
A transaction canceled by the dealership at, no, AFTER, the last minute.
Can you imagine what would happen if I was the one who wanted to cancel?
And I did not take the MB cap with me either.
So I have been going to this local dealership in the Bay area several times over the last several weeks looking for a 2007 CPO S550. They have a black one, but I have been telling the salesman whom I have gotten to know that I was looking for a silver one.
So after several weeks, the salesman called to tell me that a silver one has arrived. I went to the dealership on the same day, test drove, and started the negotiations. The back and forth ("Let me talk to the manager" and "let my manager call the general manager") bits took a while, but I talked only to the salesman, not anybody else. The salesman finally said we got a deal but the negotiations took too long and I had an appointment I had to keep so I left and told the salesman I would come back later. I then asked my wife to also stop by to test drive the car. It was getting late by then so I called the salesman and told him I'd stop by the following day to do the paperwork, and he was OK with that.
The following day, I stopped by and we did the paperwork, filled a credit application, etc... Soon it came time to go to the finance manager who presented me with an array of warranties and service packages, which I declined all. Then I signed the credit paperwork, charged 2500 on the credit card and wrote a check.
The salesman already had the car washed and was waiting for me, and handed me the key and the manual packages and a gift in a little bag (a MB cap). The car was waiting for me right off the office of the Finance manager.
So here I was, ready to walk out and drive the car off, when I had second thoughts about the various packages offered by the Finance guy, so I walked back to his office to make some additional inquiries.
Fifteen minutes into our conversation in the Finance guy's office, the store manager came barging in and said: The transaction is canceled! He said he thought I was talking about the black car, and the price he agreed to be for the black car. He was surprised to see the silver car being pulled in front of the office of the finance guy because he thought he sold me the black car, not the silver car. I can have the black car for the price we negotiated because it had been sitting on the lot for a while, but the silver car just arrived, and was going to cost me an additional $1850. I never talked to him before and there was no way the salesman thought I was negotiating on the black car, since he called me because the silver car had arrived, and both I and my wife were test driving the silver car. So I asked the manager what would have happened if I had driven the car off, which I could have done if I had not gone back to the finance guy's office. He said he would have called the police and reported a stolen car.
So he "apologized" for the "misunderstanding", took the paperwork I left on the desk of the Finance guy and left. I can see the salesman, who was waiting with me in the Finance guy's office, look totally speechless. He asked me to walk back to his office, wait for him a few minutes, and then he came back and asked for the key back, and apologized again.
He has been calling me back several times in the last couple of days to see if I want the black car, or want to pay more for the silver car, but still refused to honor the original price for the silver car.
I found the whole ordeal absolutely unbelievable. The price difference was not great, and the dealership was going to make money off of my purchase of several packages (I was ready to pay for them when the manager interrupted), I just don't understand why they would risk their reputation on what may turn out to be a few hundred bucks.
A transaction canceled by the dealership at, no, AFTER, the last minute.
Can you imagine what would happen if I was the one who wanted to cancel?
And I did not take the MB cap with me either.
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 517
Likes: 2
From: AZ
'10 MB S550, '11 RR HSE LUX
Why did you even give the paperwork back? Once it's signed, the car is yours as long as you make good on financing it; there's no "cooling off" period and the dealer should know it. The whole calling the police bit is just plain ridiculous, it should probably be you talking to a lawyer right now.
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 126
Likes: 0
From: Brooklyn
S550
Always something new under the sun.
So I have been going to this local dealership in the Bay area several times over the last several weeks looking for a 2007 CPO S550. They have a black one, but I have been telling the salesman whom I have gotten to know that I was looking for a silver one.
So after several weeks, the salesman called to tell me that a silver one has arrived. I went to the dealership on the same day, test drove, and started the negotiations. The back and forth ("Let me talk to the manager" and "let my manager call the general manager") bits took a while, but I talked only to the salesman, not anybody else. The salesman finally said we got a deal but the negotiations took too long and I had an appointment I had to keep so I left and told the salesman I would come back later. I then asked my wife to also stop by to test drive the car. It was getting late by then so I called the salesman and told him I'd stop by the following day to do the paperwork, and he was OK with that.
The following day, I stopped by and we did the paperwork, filled a credit application, etc... Soon it came time to go to the finance manager who presented me with an array of warranties and service packages, which I declined all. Then I signed the credit paperwork, charged 2500 on the credit card and wrote a check.
The salesman already had the car washed and was waiting for me, and handed me the key and the manual packages and a gift in a little bag (a MB cap). The car was waiting for me right off the office of the Finance manager.
So here I was, ready to walk out and drive the car off, when I had second thoughts about the various packages offered by the Finance guy, so I walked back to his office to make some additional inquiries.
Fifteen minutes into our conversation in the Finance guy's office, the store manager came barging in and said: The transaction is canceled! He said he thought I was talking about the black car, and the price he agreed to be for the black car. He was surprised to see the silver car being pulled in front of the office of the finance guy because he thought he sold me the black car, not the silver car. I can have the black car for the price we negotiated because it had been sitting on the lot for a while, but the silver car just arrived, and was going to cost me an additional $1850. I never talked to him before and there was no way the salesman thought I was negotiating on the black car, since he called me because the silver car had arrived, and both I and my wife were test driving the silver car. So I asked the manager what would have happened if I had driven the car off, which I could have done if I had not gone back to the finance guy's office. He said he would have called the police and reported a stolen car.
So he "apologized" for the "misunderstanding", took the paperwork I left on the desk of the Finance guy and left. I can see the salesman, who was waiting with me in the Finance guy's office, look totally speechless. He asked me to walk back to his office, wait for him a few minutes, and then he came back and asked for the key back, and apologized again.
He has been calling me back several times in the last couple of days to see if I want the black car, or want to pay more for the silver car, but still refused to honor the original price for the silver car.
I found the whole ordeal absolutely unbelievable. The price difference was not great, and the dealership was going to make money off of my purchase of several packages (I was ready to pay for them when the manager interrupted), I just don't understand why they would risk their reputation on what may turn out to be a few hundred bucks.
A transaction canceled by the dealership at, no, AFTER, the last minute.
Can you imagine what would happen if I was the one who wanted to cancel?
And I did not take the MB cap with me either.
So I have been going to this local dealership in the Bay area several times over the last several weeks looking for a 2007 CPO S550. They have a black one, but I have been telling the salesman whom I have gotten to know that I was looking for a silver one.
So after several weeks, the salesman called to tell me that a silver one has arrived. I went to the dealership on the same day, test drove, and started the negotiations. The back and forth ("Let me talk to the manager" and "let my manager call the general manager") bits took a while, but I talked only to the salesman, not anybody else. The salesman finally said we got a deal but the negotiations took too long and I had an appointment I had to keep so I left and told the salesman I would come back later. I then asked my wife to also stop by to test drive the car. It was getting late by then so I called the salesman and told him I'd stop by the following day to do the paperwork, and he was OK with that.
The following day, I stopped by and we did the paperwork, filled a credit application, etc... Soon it came time to go to the finance manager who presented me with an array of warranties and service packages, which I declined all. Then I signed the credit paperwork, charged 2500 on the credit card and wrote a check.
The salesman already had the car washed and was waiting for me, and handed me the key and the manual packages and a gift in a little bag (a MB cap). The car was waiting for me right off the office of the Finance manager.
So here I was, ready to walk out and drive the car off, when I had second thoughts about the various packages offered by the Finance guy, so I walked back to his office to make some additional inquiries.
Fifteen minutes into our conversation in the Finance guy's office, the store manager came barging in and said: The transaction is canceled! He said he thought I was talking about the black car, and the price he agreed to be for the black car. He was surprised to see the silver car being pulled in front of the office of the finance guy because he thought he sold me the black car, not the silver car. I can have the black car for the price we negotiated because it had been sitting on the lot for a while, but the silver car just arrived, and was going to cost me an additional $1850. I never talked to him before and there was no way the salesman thought I was negotiating on the black car, since he called me because the silver car had arrived, and both I and my wife were test driving the silver car. So I asked the manager what would have happened if I had driven the car off, which I could have done if I had not gone back to the finance guy's office. He said he would have called the police and reported a stolen car.
So he "apologized" for the "misunderstanding", took the paperwork I left on the desk of the Finance guy and left. I can see the salesman, who was waiting with me in the Finance guy's office, look totally speechless. He asked me to walk back to his office, wait for him a few minutes, and then he came back and asked for the key back, and apologized again.
He has been calling me back several times in the last couple of days to see if I want the black car, or want to pay more for the silver car, but still refused to honor the original price for the silver car.
I found the whole ordeal absolutely unbelievable. The price difference was not great, and the dealership was going to make money off of my purchase of several packages (I was ready to pay for them when the manager interrupted), I just don't understand why they would risk their reputation on what may turn out to be a few hundred bucks.
A transaction canceled by the dealership at, no, AFTER, the last minute.
Can you imagine what would happen if I was the one who wanted to cancel?
And I did not take the MB cap with me either.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,936
Likes: 349
From: Huntington NY
S560
I would have laughed and walked out with my new car. Period. I would have enjoyed nothing more than to have the cops pull me over for the car being reported stolen. First I would show the cop the completed paperwork including the temp regi from the dealer with the matching vin. Second I would have been on the phone with the local media to have that dealership on the 5 o'clock news for trying to have their customer arrested for legitimately buying a car from them.
I frankly would have enjoyed the entire experience....
I frankly would have enjoyed the entire experience....
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Super Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 546
Likes: 10
From: Cumberland, RI U.S.A.
2005 C230WZ SS Capri Blue/Ash
I had a similar issue with a brand new car (2010 VW Passat Wagon) I just bought for my wife last month. I've been dealing with 1 salesperson, who knew e-x-a-c-t-l-y the specific car I wanted to buy. I wanted a specific exterior color, interior color and options (which included NAV). The dealer had the same exact car, but it had a black interior, and we wanted a tan interior. So I was able to find another dealership (about 80 miles away) that had the exact one we wanted. That dealership wanted too much for the car, so I asked my dealership if they could do a dealer swap with the other dealership, and that if I could have the swapped car for the same price they were offering their car for. The salesman agreed.
I go down to the dealership and put $500 down, so they can execute the swap and drive the car to their dealership. This was on a Saturday. On Monday, I get an e-mail from my salesman saying the car is here, and they were prepping it up for me. Awesome. Later on in the day, I get another e-mail from him saying that the car they swapped has Navigation. I replied with "yes it does. Problem?" He replies: "well I didn't realize it had navigation. Because it does, the price we agreed on needs to be $2,000.00 higher."
I don't think so. The salesperson knew that the car I wanted needed to have navigation. I told him the one I found had the nav system, and what's more important, the car they had (with the black interior) also had navigation. So....they were swapping for an identical car, the only difference being the interior color, nothing else. So why would I be paying $2,000.00 more to get a car with a tan vs a black interior. I raised the BS flag, and told him I had plenty of e-mails specifying the options I wanted, and the price we agreed on the car WITH all the options in it, including nav.
His next reply was "oh, sorry...I got confused between the cars, and was thinking of another car." Which makes no sense since both cars had navigation. I could tell he was just trying to get me for another $2,000.00, and thought I would give in being that the car was what I wanted, I had already put down a deposit, and it was already at the dealership waiting for me.
This was my main reason for dealing with salespeople via e-mail instead of face-to-face communications. E-mails are proof positive, and are as good as written on paper. However, in the OP's case, everything was already written on paper and signed for. I agree with the others....I would have driven the car home, and waited for the cops to arrive to attempt to arrest me for legitimately buying a car.
Cintoman
I go down to the dealership and put $500 down, so they can execute the swap and drive the car to their dealership. This was on a Saturday. On Monday, I get an e-mail from my salesman saying the car is here, and they were prepping it up for me. Awesome. Later on in the day, I get another e-mail from him saying that the car they swapped has Navigation. I replied with "yes it does. Problem?" He replies: "well I didn't realize it had navigation. Because it does, the price we agreed on needs to be $2,000.00 higher."
I don't think so. The salesperson knew that the car I wanted needed to have navigation. I told him the one I found had the nav system, and what's more important, the car they had (with the black interior) also had navigation. So....they were swapping for an identical car, the only difference being the interior color, nothing else. So why would I be paying $2,000.00 more to get a car with a tan vs a black interior. I raised the BS flag, and told him I had plenty of e-mails specifying the options I wanted, and the price we agreed on the car WITH all the options in it, including nav.
His next reply was "oh, sorry...I got confused between the cars, and was thinking of another car." Which makes no sense since both cars had navigation. I could tell he was just trying to get me for another $2,000.00, and thought I would give in being that the car was what I wanted, I had already put down a deposit, and it was already at the dealership waiting for me.
This was my main reason for dealing with salespeople via e-mail instead of face-to-face communications. E-mails are proof positive, and are as good as written on paper. However, in the OP's case, everything was already written on paper and signed for. I agree with the others....I would have driven the car home, and waited for the cops to arrive to attempt to arrest me for legitimately buying a car.
Cintoman
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Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: DC area
2003 S600, 1988 RX-7 single turbo vert, 1998 BMW 740IL
It's a bait and switch. I would ask to speak to the owner of the benz dealer and print out this forum thread and just let him decide how he would like this to end!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Northern CA
GL 450
It did not dawn on me to check the VIN because I was left so speechless by the entire ridiculous-ness of the situation. The salesman has been calling back and gradually dropped down the "ransom" demand from 1850 to 1300 then hinted it could go lower. I will write to Auto Nation, which owns this and several other non-MB dealerships in the area, then walk away. The dealership needs to sell cars, but true, I don't need to buy from them.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
2005 350z Roadster
Are you sure you were not at the buy here pay here lot? I knew this kind of thing happened at a used car dealerships. Did they throw your keys on the roof too? I agree that if the numbers match it would have been fun to get pulled over. "Excuse me officer I have lost my glasses could you please review my paperwork... Oh you mean to say that is my vin and my signature? Guess it mine huh...
