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Any tips on buying privately compared to a dealer?
This venture in buying a used W222 is a completely different experience than any other new or used car I ever bought before. I will have one, nothing can change my mind, but there us so much I’m not yet comfortable with.
Can I hear how you guys handle dealing with private owner purchasing? How you gauge pricing, knowing the condition and protecting yourself?
Again, your help, any little bit of information is greatly appreciated!
I just listed my 2020 with 9300 miles on Autotrader in case you have any interest.
Thanks,
Brad
I do have interest! Can we send private messages because I don’t see it anywhere like on other forums. I don’t know what’s customary here IF you want personal exchange. I brought this hunt in progress up to my credit union yesterday, they will cut me a check for any car and they informed me they sell auto warranties for half what the dealers charge and I can go anywhere for service and no deductible.
Last edited by MrMischief; 08-01-2024 at 01:29 PM.
I do have interest! Can we send private messages because I don’t see it anywhere like on other forums. I don’t know what’s customary here IF you want personal exchange.
I went down the path of buying a used S550 back in 2019, what I found is that regardless of where you find the car you probably want to have someone do an inspection. I was looking for a S550e as I wanted the option to plug in so the inventory was very limited. I found a great option in Phoenix, AZ (I live in CA) and planned to fly out to pick up and found a local MB mechanic that was going to do an inspection for me the day I picked it up. I also planned to buy an extended warranty from this dealer. But they sold that car out from under me and so next choice was in LA at dealesrhip. I figured that I didn't need to worry about inspection since the car was CPO, but I wish that i had done one as I would have been able to point out a few things. Do not assume that CPO means you getting a perfect car and also keep in mind everything they are supposed to give you. The crap dealership in LA (MB of Calabbasas do NOT recommend them) didn't intially tell me I was due floor mats and they also told me the car didn't come with the manual. I forced them to give me the mats, 2nd key but they pushed back on the manual. Turned out there was a manual in the car but they didn't point it out (it was in the plug-in charger bag) foring me to buy a new one for no reason.
Bottom line is dealer only gives you the extra 2 years of warranty when the car is CPO but you can get burned with either. My car had 50% of rear brakes worn out when I bought it!
I went down the path of buying a used S550 back in 2019, what I found is that regardless of where you find the car you probably want to have someone do an inspection. I was looking for a S550e as I wanted the option to plug in so the inventory was very limited. I found a great option in Phoenix, AZ (I live in CA) and planned to fly out to pick up and found a local MB mechanic that was going to do an inspection for me the day I picked it up. I also planned to buy an extended warranty from this dealer. But they sold that car out from under me and so next choice was in LA at dealesrhip. I figured that I didn't need to worry about inspection since the car was CPO, but I wish that i had done one as I would have been able to point out a few things. Do not assume that CPO means you getting a perfect car and also keep in mind everything they are supposed to give you. The crap dealership in LA (MB of Calabbasas do NOT recommend them) didn't intially tell me I was due floor mats and they also told me the car didn't come with the manual. I forced them to give me the mats, 2nd key but they pushed back on the manual. Turned out there was a manual in the car but they didn't point it out (it was in the plug-in charger bag) foring me to buy a new one for no reason.
Bottom line is dealer only gives you the extra 2 years of warranty when the car is CPO but you can get burned with either. My car had 50% of rear brakes worn out when I bought it!
I agree 100%. You should always have an inspection done by someone reputable and qualified.
Private Owner:
Develp a relationship with the service department of your dealer or quality Indy shop
Get a VMI from deealer or someone who has Xentry. It has FAR more information than Carfax. The dealer is not obligated to show or give it to you.
Review Carfax
Try to do as long a test drive as possible, preferably alone.
I personally like to hand wash the car before I buy it. That way you will feel all body panels. Probably not possible.
Look into extended warranty options
Get a PPI: If car has been in an accident, be sure the paint thickness is checked around the car. If moderate or major accident, have a body shop also take a look, get pictures.
Expect to pay 10%-20% less than dealer
Dealer:
Develp a relationship with the service department of your dealer or quality Indy shop
Get a VMI from deealer or someone who has Xentry. It has FAR more information than Carfax. The dealer is not obligated to show or give it to you.
Review Carfax
Try to do as long a test drive as possible, preferably alone and overnight.
I personally like to hand wash the car before I buy it. That way you will feel all body panels. But most won't do this or it isn't possible.
Look into extended warranty options
If CPO you're good for the 1st year, but don't ignore obvous problems.
Get a PPI: If car has been in an accident, be sure the paint thickness is checked around the car. If moderate or major accident, have a body shop also take a look, get pictures.
Expect to pay 10%-20% more than with private owner
I hate to ask a stupid question but where do I start looking for a qualified MB Mechanic? I called a nearby MB dealer and the service manager told me they want the car brought to their place and they put the car in question through the MB CPO list - $1495.00 plus tax. When I said - quote “wow” the service manager said “If you have to say it’s too high then maybe you should search for a Hyrundai!”
Can you guess where I will avoid now?
Added minutes later - I wouldn’t bulk at this if It was the car I will buy but what if I had to do this 2 or more times?
Rich
Last edited by MrMischief; 08-02-2024 at 11:02 AM.
My apologies for the multiple posts - I’m having a difficult time merging posts together to come out right.
First, I’m a newbie and learning as I go, so some of the abbreviations used by some must be assuming otherwise. As an example - PPI and VMI (I don’t want to guess wrong and Google doesn’t help.
Secondly, The MB dealer near me (same as their service manager location) would only let me circle their parking lot by myself. Noting the salesman said “Our insurance doesn’t permit unchaperoned test drives.” They have my Pennsylvania Driver’s license, it takes just a moment to google me, AND I have a letter of Pre Approval from Navy Federal Credit with a draft of $100K open for use for the next 30 days, so I’m not some scammer.
In the past at other dealers they would let me take anything I had interest in home for the weekend - no questions asked.
To JohnLane, I called Fidelity Platinum and they steered me to Endurance. For a 2020 S560 4matic (I said Im looking for something with low miles - perhaps under 30,000 miles) I was quoted $174 per month. I have no idea how this compares to you guys with a similar car.
*Over $2,000 a year seems kind of expensive to bet against future repairs costing more. Between myself, my wife and kids, we never had any warranty work done before the manufacture warranty ran out. When I have bought warranties in the past I was paying upfront for 3 years for this amount. I’m a tightwad - LOL!)
Rich
Last edited by MrMischief; 08-02-2024 at 11:53 AM.
My apologies for the multiple posts - I’m having a difficult time merging posts together to come out right.
First, I’m a newbie and learning as I go, so some of the abbreviations used by some must be assuming otherwise. As an example - PPI and VMI (I don’t want to guess wrong and Google doesn’t help.
Secondly, The MB dealer near me (same as their service manager location) would only let me circle their parking lot by myself. Noting the salesman said “Our insurance doesn’t permit unchaperoned test drives.” They have my Pennsylvania Driver’s license, it takes just a moment to google me, AND I have a letter of Pre Approval from Navy Federal Credit with a draft of $100K open for use for the next 30 days, so I’m not some scammer.
In the past at other dealers they would let me take anything I had interest in home for the weekend - no questions asked.
To JohnLane, I called Fidelity Platinum and they steered me to Endurance. For a 2020 S560 4matic (I said Im looking for something with low miles - perhaps under 30,000 miles) I was quoted $174 per month. I have no idea how this compares to you guys with a similar car.
*Over $2,000 a year seems kind of expensive to bet against future repairs costing more. Between myself, my wife and kids, we never had any warranty work done before the manufacture warranty ran out. When I have bought warranties in the past I was paying upfront for 3 years for this amount. I’m a tightwad - LOL!)
Rich
For an extended warranty check with @Highline-Autos.com online here. @Highline-Autos Not sure which ping will reach him. I just picked up an extended warranty from him.
My apologies for the multiple posts - I’m having a difficult time merging posts together to come out right.
First, I’m a newbie and learning as I go, so some of the abbreviations used by some must be assuming otherwise. As an example - PPI and VMI (I don’t want to guess wrong and Google doesn’t help.
Secondly, The MB dealer near me (same as their service manager location) would only let me circle their parking lot by myself. Noting the salesman said “Our insurance doesn’t permit unchaperoned test drives.” They have my Pennsylvania Driver’s license, it takes just a moment to google me, AND I have a letter of Pre Approval from Navy Federal Credit with a draft of $100K open for use for the next 30 days, so I’m not some scammer.
In the past at other dealers they would let me take anything I had interest in home for the weekend - no questions asked.
To JohnLane, I called Fidelity Platinum and they steered me to Endurance. For a 2020 S560 4matic (I said Im looking for something with low miles - perhaps under 30,000 miles) I was quoted $174 per month. I have no idea how this compares to you guys with a similar car.
*Over $2,000 a year seems kind of expensive to bet against future repairs costing more. Between myself, my wife and kids, we never had any warranty work done before the manufacture warranty ran out. When I have bought warranties in the past I was paying upfront for 3 years for this amount. I’m a tightwad - LOL!)
Rich
VMI: Vehicle Master Inquiry. It will show everytime an ASE qualified mechanic has touched the car, more info than Carfax. But only through dealer from my experience. And they are in no way obligated to show it to you, but most will for customer service. Only ask if you're serious about the car; meaning price for mileage, options, condition, etc.
PPI: Pre Purchase Inspection. There are national third party companies that will perform a pre purchase inspection. I used "Car Pro Inspections" and "Automobile Inspections LLC" lat year before I bought my car. And Lemon Squad contract with local mechaincs for sure. I'm not a huge fan of Lemon Squad, but only because they don't inspect as many things as other companies. They also charge less, so they're fair. You can Google search for PPI or Pre purchase inspections in your area and see what comes up. There should be some independent shops in your are that will perform a PPI. Fees are normally $200-$500. And a dealer will release the car to the shop for a PPI. You might find a good indy mechanic in your area from this same process. Just be sure to vet them as much as possible.
Reach out to Trenton @Highline-Autos.com regarding warranty options. He's on this forum. You can talk to him ahead of time about relative costs based on year make and mileage, and levels of coverage. Not sure how you're built, but I'd say it's at least a 15 minute conversation. I've bent his ear for more than an hour, and he was incredibly gracious with his time.
VMI: Vehicle Master Inquiry. It will show everytime an ASE qualified mechanic has touched the car, more info than Carfax. But only through dealer from my experience. And they are in no way obligated to show it to you, but most will for customer service. Only ask if you're serious about the car; meaning price for mileage, options, condition, etc.
PPI: Pre Purchase Inspection. There are national third party companies that will perform a pre purchase inspection. I used "Car Pro Inspections" and "Automobile Inspections LLC" lat year before I bought my car. And Lemon Squad contract with local mechaincs for sure. I'm not a huge fan of Lemon Squad, but only because they don't inspect as many things as other companies. They also charge less, so they're fair. You can Google search for PPI or Pre purchase inspections in your area and see what comes up. There should be some independent shops in your are that will perform a PPI. Fees are normally $200-$500. And a dealer will release the car to the shop for a PPI. You might find a good indy mechanic in your area from this same process. Just be sure to vet them as much as possible.
Reach out to Trenton @Highline-Autos.com regarding warranty options. He's on this forum. You can talk to him ahead of time about relative costs based on year make and mileage, and levels of coverage. Not sure how you're built, but I'd say it's at least a 15 minute conversation. I've bent his ear for more than an hour, and he was incredibly gracious with his time.
Hope that helps
Thank you Carlos.
$200 to $500 sounds fine with me as I’m seeing that could cover the smallest of repairs if they catch anything. Anyone here from PA could appreciate this. We have a State inspection requiring a sticker on your windshield. It can be a dreadful time once a year because garages licensed look at your car - do so as if they are Sherlock Holmes and their lives depended on finding anything. A good place to go as they are held to charge only $45 + fees (just humor LOL!)
By the way, how does Carfax pick up on accidents and their information? I’d say a lot of the listings I see in CarGargurus, Truecar, Cars.com and more have accidents of some kind listed. Some have a little tease of what it was, but most definitely do not explain. I have to look up what an “Indy mechanic” is, I’ve heard about them only here.
Last edited by MrMischief; 08-02-2024 at 02:17 PM.
Thank you Carlos.
$200 to $500 sounds fine with me as I’m seeing that could cover the smallest of repairs if they catch anything. Anyone here from PA could appreciate this. We have a State inspection requiring a sticker on your windshield. It can be a dreadful time once a year because garages licensed look at your car - do so as if they are Sherlock Holmes and their lives depended on finding anything. A good place to go as they are held to charge only $45 + fees (just humor LOL!)
By the way, how does Carfax pick up on accidents and their information? I’d say a lot of the listings I see in CarGargurus, Truecar, Cars.com and more have accidents of some kind listed. Some have a little tease of what it was, but most definitely do not explain. I have to look up what an “Indy mechanic” is, I’ve heard about them only here.
I'm glad we don't have to do those stupid annual inspections in WA state.
An "INDY is an independent mechanic, not affiliated with a brand or chain of repair shops. Sorry for the additional acronym.
Carfax picks up on accidents "if" the information was reported by the repair shop. Insurance companies don't report to Carfax, but most will ask the body shop to report the information to Carfax, but they never verify. If a person doesn't want to use insurance for the repair, they can tell the shop to not report it to Carfax. I can tell you from personal experience that less than 50% of the body shops in my area self report to Carfax. And if someone has an accident, then gets the check from their insurance company, they can still drive the car. And when they trade it in it will have a clean Carfax. Then the dealer will fix the damage, and also not report it to Carfax. That's why you wan the PPI; they can use a paint meter to check the paint thickness. Any irregularities means that panel has been repainted, and most likely repaired in some way.
Carfax's accident report is awesome! It's a fantastic starting place, but it's not inclusive of everything.
Secondly, The MB dealer near me (same as their service manager location) would only let me circle their parking lot by myself. Noting the salesman said “Our insurance doesn’t permit unchaperoned test drives.” They have my Pennsylvania Driver’s license, it takes just a moment to google me, AND I have a letter of Pre Approval from Navy Federal Credit with a draft of $100K open for use for the next 30 days, so I’m not some scammer.
Rich
If the pandemic taught us anything, it's that this tired old line of BS is exactly that - BS. When sales tanked and no one was buying cars in the summer of 2020, you could test drive absolutely anything alone, anywhere. I've reminded a few dealerships of that lately and I walk instantly if they insist on a ride along.
To JohnLane, I called Fidelity Platinum and they steered me to Endurance. For a 2020 S560 4matic (I said Im looking for something with low miles - perhaps under 30,000 miles) I was quoted $174 per month. I have no idea how this compares to you guys with a similar car.
Rich
This does not make sense at all, Fidelity and Endurance are two different companies entirely.... Fidelity coverage under 45K miles should not be an issue, under 35K miles? even better. You can reach me at my contact information below for more information and extended warranty coverage assistance.
Trenton O. Gibson tgibson@highline-autos.com Highline Autos Direct: 602.909.9216 Office: 480.348.0777
This does not make sense at all, Fidelity and Endurance are two different companies entirely.... Fidelity coverage under 45K miles should not be an issue, under 35K miles? even better. You can reach me at my contact information below for more information and extended warranty coverage assistance.
Trenton O. Gibson tgibson@highline-autos.com Highline Autos Direct: 602.909.9216 Office: 480.348.0777
Ok. A minute after reading JohnLane’s post I searched for Fidelity Platinum Warranty. I went to Fidelity’s web page and after providing requested car information this was the following page and a text message popped up on my iPad from Endurance and everyone else on that page too.
Ok. A minute after reading JohnLane’s post I searched for Fidelity Platinum Warranty. I went to Fidelity’s web page and after providing requested car information this was the following page and a text message popped up on my iPad from Endurance and everyone else on that page too.
Fidelity does not have any vehicle capture information for quotes on their website. This "bettercarwarranty.com:" is clearly a selling tool for only Endurance coverage, immediate Endurance pop-up on their website, and only mention Endurance coverage. Always be weary of companies and coverage providers being shady or playing games about who is representing what.
Ok. A minute after reading JohnLane’s post I searched for Fidelity Platinum Warranty. I went to Fidelity’s web page and after providing requested car information this was the following page and a text message popped up on my iPad from Endurance and everyone else on that page too.
I wound up with the same nonsense when I tried to search for Fidelity.
Good luck getting them to leave you alone now…. near daily spam to your email seems to be their business model.
Since you are looking at a similar car to the one i just purchased, here are a few warranty details. My car (2020 s560 4 matic) was purchased from a MB dealer with 4 months remaining of original warranty and 1 year, unlimited mileage of cpo warranty included in the price. I found a large difference in market value for an S560 with cpo versus those without cpo.
I also search for cars based on dealer reputation, it varies greatly even among MB dealers.
cpo inspection/repair should be fairly consistent between MB dealers but i found some to be transparent and others to be obtuse. For any car i was thinking of buying i wanted the actual shop report to see what they had repaired/replaced/refinished. For instance, on the car i bought with 26,000 miles they installed 4 new a/s tires, 4 wheel alignment, new brake rotors and pads front and rear, B service, refinished wheels, new wheel locks, new batteries, etc as part of the cpo process.
in addition to the 18 months warranty, i bought an additional two years of MB extended warranty with unlimited mileage for $5950. Expensive, yes, but i can get a refund if i dont use it, it can be transferred to a new owner, and it certainly increases the resale value of the car.
i have had mixed experiences with 3rd party warranties, most of them not good. One key to any claim is you need receipts for every factory scheduled service; any missing services will certainly cause major warranty headaches.
i looked for 3-4 months before i found the one that seemed reasonable but not inexpensive. If it seems like a real bargain, it’s unlikely to be a bargain in the long run.
Imagine the effort Endurance is putting into pushing you toward their products. Scam!
I get to deal with each and every extended warranty company. Endurance is on my **** list. OP be sure to let Endurance know how much you appreciate those games.
A dealership that won’t let you drive the car alone does not deserve your business.
Yes, After the service manager told me if I think their $2,500 purchase inspection is too much than I should be looking at Hyundai, I made a decision to avoid them. It’s a shame on one hand they are only 8 miles from me, others won’t offer pick up and delivery for service and inspections even though they are 45 minutes away.
08-01-2024, 08:27 AM
