SL/R230: the premium scam
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Joined: May 2002
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From: Los Altos Hills
the premium scam
so I was debating this with my friend...
as we understand it, the premium can only be applied to cars that are "pre-owned." we also agreed that these SLs are not going into private hands but being "bought" and "sold" between dealerships. Essentially after the dealerships change ownership of these SLs from one dealer to another...they can charge whatever they want, in other words...the highest bidder. I think the governing body of Mercedes should do something about this. This is absolutely rediculus. I was 3rd at my dealship for the waiting list on the SLs. So naturally I thought I wouldn't have had to pay the premium and that I would actually get the option of purchasing the 3rd SL that arrived at the dealership.
most of us have been loyal mercedes benz customers...and this treatment is wrong...this is an absolute scam...and I don't believe it's Daimler Chrystler that's getting the money, it's just greedy dealerships who are already making a boat load of money because Daimler Chrystler is just making some awesome cars.
as we understand it, the premium can only be applied to cars that are "pre-owned." we also agreed that these SLs are not going into private hands but being "bought" and "sold" between dealerships. Essentially after the dealerships change ownership of these SLs from one dealer to another...they can charge whatever they want, in other words...the highest bidder. I think the governing body of Mercedes should do something about this. This is absolutely rediculus. I was 3rd at my dealship for the waiting list on the SLs. So naturally I thought I wouldn't have had to pay the premium and that I would actually get the option of purchasing the 3rd SL that arrived at the dealership.
most of us have been loyal mercedes benz customers...and this treatment is wrong...this is an absolute scam...and I don't believe it's Daimler Chrystler that's getting the money, it's just greedy dealerships who are already making a boat load of money because Daimler Chrystler is just making some awesome cars.
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From: Florida
2002 CLK 55 AMG Coupe ;)
Instead of 2,000 SLs coming annually to the USA, MB decided to ship 10,000.
That means that the scalpers can operate only for a short time, before the country is carpeted with the new SLs and reasonable prices will prevail.
That means that the scalpers can operate only for a short time, before the country is carpeted with the new SLs and reasonable prices will prevail.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 237
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From: MA, USA
W126 1991 350SDL
share the drugs :-)
with all due respect, nabzy, i think you're on drugs :-) :-)
let's not confuse "pent up demand" with "demand". people started getting on the R230 list in 1997 and 1998. that's 4-5 years of pent up demand that's being dealt with now. once we get through 2002 and probably a few months into 2003 we'll see these things on the lot.
let's not be naive about production volume - DC is going to produce more than enough of these cars for everybody. these are not limited production vehicles. they've already ramped numbers multiple times and can do so some more. it's not like ferrari where they only have two assembly lines and that's the rate-limiter - this is DC we're talking about. when asked how many cars they intended to produce, enzo always said "one fewer than there are buyers". that's not DC's philosophy :-)
doody.
ps: i think we'll see yet another bump in SL55 production numbers as well.
let's not confuse "pent up demand" with "demand". people started getting on the R230 list in 1997 and 1998. that's 4-5 years of pent up demand that's being dealt with now. once we get through 2002 and probably a few months into 2003 we'll see these things on the lot.
let's not be naive about production volume - DC is going to produce more than enough of these cars for everybody. these are not limited production vehicles. they've already ramped numbers multiple times and can do so some more. it's not like ferrari where they only have two assembly lines and that's the rate-limiter - this is DC we're talking about. when asked how many cars they intended to produce, enzo always said "one fewer than there are buyers". that's not DC's philosophy :-)
doody.
ps: i think we'll see yet another bump in SL55 production numbers as well.
Last edited by Doody; May 12, 2002 at 11:05 AM.
Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 237
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From: MA, USA
W126 1991 350SDL
rennrcr - i agree with you in the abstract, but this practice will not be put to rest. we can all complain until the cows come home, but the free market is, well, free :-)
some ferrari dealers make you sign a 12 or 24 month right of first refusal to repurchase your new ferrari at MSRP. it's kinda silly. you have agree not to take advantage of any huge potential secondary market profit (eg: 360 Spiders) - and the dealer gets to do it. i'm sure they sugarcoat it re: waiting list positions and the like, but it's silly too.
i believe the F50s were initially only acquirable via two year, non-transferrable leases so the speculators couldn't play.
but in general, these are intractable problems in a global economy. if you want the hottest new thing now, you're gonna have to be lucky and/or pay through the nose.
doody.
some ferrari dealers make you sign a 12 or 24 month right of first refusal to repurchase your new ferrari at MSRP. it's kinda silly. you have agree not to take advantage of any huge potential secondary market profit (eg: 360 Spiders) - and the dealer gets to do it. i'm sure they sugarcoat it re: waiting list positions and the like, but it's silly too.
i believe the F50s were initially only acquirable via two year, non-transferrable leases so the speculators couldn't play.
but in general, these are intractable problems in a global economy. if you want the hottest new thing now, you're gonna have to be lucky and/or pay through the nose.
doody.
Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 237
Likes: 1
From: MA, USA
W126 1991 350SDL
uh - trade in value?
mark - uh, you mean like all the R129 folks taking it up the *** right now on resale value? the R129 never held its value well.
:-) :-)
i'll take your bet: R230s will be available on lots at the middle to large dealers in the USA by the end of 2003. bet: one beer! i'll concede that SoCal might not be able to keep 'em on the lots, but everybody else will be able to!
doody!
:-) :-)
i'll take your bet: R230s will be available on lots at the middle to large dealers in the USA by the end of 2003. bet: one beer! i'll concede that SoCal might not be able to keep 'em on the lots, but everybody else will be able to!
doody!
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Joined: Nov 2001
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2001 CLK 55 AMG
I don't want to sound like a sourpuss, but with all the warrantee work I've had done on my CLK 55, if MB pumped up the volume, I think they would need a lot more dealers just to handle the repairs.
Don't get me wrong, I love my 55, but I think that if a Lexus got the ever-so-famous "window bounce" problem, Lexus would actually fix the fault instead of just using a laptop PC to temporarily reprogram the stop point. Argh.
Don't get me wrong, I love my 55, but I think that if a Lexus got the ever-so-famous "window bounce" problem, Lexus would actually fix the fault instead of just using a laptop PC to temporarily reprogram the stop point. Argh.
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2000 W210 E55->2003 R230 SL500->2004 W211 E55->2007 997TT+2007 E63->2010 GLK350->2012 E550 4matic
Originally posted by pigman
Don't get me wrong, I love my 55, but I think that if a Lexus got the ever-so-famous "window bounce" problem, Lexus would actually fix the fault instead of just using a laptop PC to temporarily reprogram the stop point. Argh.
Don't get me wrong, I love my 55, but I think that if a Lexus got the ever-so-famous "window bounce" problem, Lexus would actually fix the fault instead of just using a laptop PC to temporarily reprogram the stop point. Argh.
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From: Sunny South Florida
1995 Jaguar XJS Convertible
Originally posted by karl k
Instead of 2,000 SLs coming annually to the USA, MB decided to ship 10,000.
That means that the scalpers can operate only for a short time, before the country is carpeted with the new SLs and reasonable prices will prevail.
Instead of 2,000 SLs coming annually to the USA, MB decided to ship 10,000.
That means that the scalpers can operate only for a short time, before the country is carpeted with the new SLs and reasonable prices will prevail.
