I didn't completely read the thread but are you buying the car from Cali and you are in NYC? I think that would complicate the trade in process? Cost to ship you the car and cost for you to ship the car to Cali for trade in. Maybe bite the bullet and ask the dealer near you to trade for the Cali car with a deal in place.

 

Yes, the car is in Cali, but no i am not buying it directly from them. My MB is receiving the car from them via shipment in the event I do this. So MB on this end will be transacting the deal with me for sure.

 

No it’s not for you to tell me what to do, and I would never expect that or hold you accountable in any way. I just appreciate the advice since I’m only now learning about how much there is to know in negotiating a lease. It bugs me how much I let them get away with in the past. But I’m still under 40 (just barely!) so I guess it could be worse. Better late than never, at least. Plus this is info I’ll use forever, and impart on my son in life. So it’s important, good stuff!

ill begin with the worksheet which I’ll post here. I suppose that when I request it I can tell them to make sure the trunk money and fleet discount are included, as well as the $9300 incentive I’d found online. I hope they don’t BS me and say that $9300 includes all that.

 

They don’t want to show the lease worksheet. Very questionable. It’s my right to see it, correct? As a business owner it's hard to imagine that it's my "right", now that I think about it. There are things my clients have no business seeing.

So is it a matter of professionalism and courtesy, or a matter of obligation to show me the lease worksheet?

 

You mean like how much money you're costing them?

 

See Wolfman's messages above.

 

UPDATE: Salesperson now says, "I was informed by our general sales manager it’s against company policy to provide that information." The information she's referring to is the lease worksheet. Isn't it my right to see this? Can company policy allow the withholding of this info?

 

I've remained quiet but something doesn't smell right.

Jeez I hate to say something offensive but this sounds like a case where the original thread starter is trying to purchase a vehicle he simply can't afford. There are 50 states - with multiple dealerships in each state. If one wouldn't give him the vehicle he wanted at the price he wanted (wanted could mean universally lower than any dealer could ever offer him) then he could have moved on.

Sounds like he has a lot of payments still on previous cars too (8 months on one did I read? He wants to trade THAT one in?).

Leasing for 4 years? Something is wrong here.

Three weeks haggling with one dealer? How many of us have done that? Rich? Fabulously Rich? Upper Middle Class? Whatever financial situation you may be in - has anyone here spent three weeks arguing about a price? After 1 week of haggling, it becomes an argument between the two parties.

Frankly - I find it offensive that someone thinks they should haggle with a dealer for 3 weeks. I'm sure most of you are business owners - as am I - as is my father - and I can't imagine trying to win anyone's business for three weeks of being beaten up on a price. Sometimes - it is what it is - and it's just not worth it to do business with someone.

That dealer was probably thrilled the car got sold - and they were done with the original thread starter.

I'm frankly amazed at everything I just read here.

I don't know about any of you - but after 3 or 4 back and forth scenarios in any buy/sell transaction - if it's not set in stone - it's never gonna happen.

 

.... They don't want to do business with you and they're being polite not to tell you to your face. You aren't picking up on this hint?

 

I will provide this in 2 sections; in general and your situation...

1. In general, the dealer doesn't have to show the actual worksheet as it may contain information they don't like to share. I have never had that happen before; I usually get a screenshot off their system but they DO need to provide all aspects of the financial transaction:
Capitalization, cap cost reduction, residual and payment info.
Some dealers will try to hide the MF; the actual lease agreement will not have that info. In general, any dealer not willing to provide a breakdown of all discounts, fees and MF its not a dealer I would touch with a 10ft pole.
This is the same as asking you to sign a loan agreement without disclosing the interest rate.

2. Instead of learning on an easy transaction (aka a local sale on a car on the lot) you are creating a complicated transaction that will make it more difficult and costly. For example, an out of state car transfer is normally handled by a car swap. This is after all somebody else's car, not your local dealers. There are the transport costs/logistics and work for two dealers to handle the xfer.
If this is the same dealer that sold the other car, you will have likely burned a lot of good will and they will not get bargained out a padding they build into the transaction.

You might want to look for another car or getting the car direct from the CA dealer. Also, check with Carmax, etc. to see if you can get more via direct sale for your old one.

 

100%

 

I am done with thread unless a lease worksheet shows up. My hope is that the info is beneficial to all forum members in the market to lease a Mercedes so they can work out a fair lease deal for themselves

 

Well, in fairness, they do. But they want to do the deal on their terms without me seeing what's "under the hood" so to speak. Pun intended! The salesperson is blowing up my phone as we speak. It's all very annoying at this point.

 

I can understand what you're saying. Let me be blunt though: I don't believe anyone in any scenario should allow themselves to be run roughshod over. And if you met the absolute cheap suit sleaze bag manager who I'm dealing with you would likely be as irritated. I'm not the kind of person who can just turn the other cheek and say "Oh well, I don't have time for this, I'll just throw some money at it and be done." Honestly, I'm tired of doing that. I've done it with literally every other car I own or lease, and have done it with every car in the past. I am tired of the dealership calling the shots. This is truly my first REAL foray into the process of seeing what goes on behind the curtain and I don't like it.

Wolfman said a lease worksheet should be seen, or else walk. Do you not think it's unusual that they won't show it?

I don't mind paying for quality --- even overpaying for quality --- but I also know that a few weeks of persistence can lead to years of benefit once a deal is locked in. I do it all the time in my professional life. So perhaps it's just second nature spilling over into an area of my life that used to be separate. Frankly, I am astonished by how much I've learned here. It makes me sick to know how these people essentially took me for a ride on all three previous vehicles in some way or another.

The dealership may be thrilled the last car got sold, but they are very persistent in trying to ensure this next one (in Cali) does not get sold. I don't mind MB making money off of me -- that's the name of the game -- but when I keep observing shady things it just rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps I am dealing with a different type of salesperson where I am... and, hell, maybe they're dealing with a different type of customer in me. But I only recently became this way.

Also, remember: the duration of this for the first two weeks was not my problem; it was theirs. The saleswoman was coming back to me with revised numbers every few days. It all happened very organically. The knock-down drag-out portion of all this really only began last Tuesday, due in large part to the other car selling unexpectedly.

I told them pointedly: There are plenty of S classes out there for everyone! No harm done! That's why we're looking at a similar car in Cali, as well as some different colored ones nearby. I want to be finished with this, but it gets prolonged when something as (evidently) simple as a lease worksheet is withheld with the explanation that it's against company policy to provide this.

Oh, but they still want the sale! Make no mistake. Lol. They just don't want to show me what's behind the curtain.

BTW- Yes it's the car with 8 payments left that I'm selling. What's wrong with that? The car is two months out of warranty and I don't feel like renewing an extended warranty when there's been ample work done to this vehicle in the last two years. Why would I keep it? It's making a terrible noise (again) when I turn now. Nightmare.

LET ME ALSO ADD: why would you lease a $123k vehicle when they can easily come down to $100k before even negotiating? I'd prefer to save the extra money salvaged in the lease agreement.

 

Although ive never leased before if I ever decide to take that route the information provided will be Very useful.
Knowledge is power!

 

Just jumping in here. Basically you don't need a lease worksheet. Just ask for the money factor, residual, fees and all incentives. Once you have all that, you can figure out the lease payments. Just use the calculator on leasehackr.com. If you don't end up with the same monthly payment, then they've done something with the numbers.

https://leasehackr.com/calculator

Also in negotiations, the strongest negotiator is the one that's willing to walk away. Never fall in love with a car. They're commodities, they're always making more, they're not really rare although it's easy for a particular car to have a rare combination of options as there's so many options every car could be unique. If you're in it for the deal, pick another car where you don't have to drop $2500 to ship it. In effect, you're basically paying $2500 more because you fell in love with it. As for your noise, I'd guess either wheel bearing or cv joint if 4matic, those shouldn't be hard to diagnose.

 

That is unbelievably horrible behavior. You should out which dealership that was in this forum. I would never want to do business with someone who clearly pulled a fast one that way. Fortunately many of us live where there are multiple MB dealerships.

 

I got the MF, the residual, the incentives. Essentially I am getting $14,800+ off the sticker price of 123k.

In an annoying plot twist, I found out tonight that the California dealership’s owner was using the ruby black car as a demo. It has 1,600 miles on it. On this end they’re willing to adjust things because of the demo status, of course.

That really takes the wind out of my sails. It never ends.

 

I’ve seen dealership management Accross different luxury brands use cars and then try to sell them as new, which is BS. If it’s got 1600 miles then the warrantee has already started probably months ago, so in reality it’s a used car now and should be much more discounted. Whole different animal now!

Which So Cal dealer is this one at? Just curious as I’m in so cal and certain dealers have better reputations than others

 

Hmm. Who in the world would bother shipping such a car across the country. A very undesirable deal plus config seems pretty standard apart from ruby black. Doesn’t even have exclusive nappa.
MF? Residual should be at 46%.

 

Well, they’re not paying for the shipping, are they? Lol. It’s my freight, my choice. Regarding the deal itself, of course it seems substandard based on what you guys here are capable of negotiating based on your insider knowledge (sorry, but it is — most ppl don’t know this stuff)

This is exactly why I stayed in the game so long. Can you imagine how bad the deal was before we whittled it down to this? It’s precisely why I posted here, and why I became hell bent on getting the best deal possible.

 

If I were in your shoes the negotiation for this car would now be over as you are now buying a used car with 1600 miles. You do want a new car correct? If you want a new car it is time to move on from this deal unless you now want to buy a used car.

 

I meant they are hinting that they don't want to do business on any terms so they withhold info to send a message that they would like you to car browse elsewhere.

 

By the way HUNDOLOTS, I love the Ruby Black and Beige/espresso combo. My ‘16 S550 4matic and my ‘19 S63 AMG are both Ruby Black and Beige/espresso. Love the colors. But get a new car if you want a new car and not a demo. You may be ok with a demo but it sounded like you want a new car. Even though you do not want to order a car I would suggest ordering the car to your liking. Just my 2 cents.

 

Makes me wish people would just BE UP FRONT AND HONEST about what they want or don't want.......would make life so much easier!