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Sorry for your loss. Have a martini, chill out and tell us the horror story.
An intersection of many negative events... some mine, mostly theirs. I have done DOZENS of car deals over my 45 year driving career and for my businesses.
This one is just the worst.. Martini- done, a couple of big bowls of weed-done, watching ESPNU getting ready for college football- Done- nothing works, still bummed.
But cant get too down- its still a blessing to be able to "afford" such a fantastic car. So have to keep perspective, but still...****.
An intersection of many negative events??? Nothing works???
Whatever happened sounds pretty horrible....I hope for your sake there is at least 'hope' of a resolution to whatever kind of 'nightmare' has occurred with your SL550.
Wishing you the very best of luck in dealing with whatever the issues are!...
What are we looking at? Undisclosed wreck and bad front end repair job?
I have to say no on the wreck (Clean Carfax but I know a fender bender may not be reported) and yes terrible non matching paint on the front bumper. And the bumper put on like ****.
Will put in the entire saga tomorrow after the dealer finalizes if they are going to do something or not. I wont name the dealer yet until this is final- don't want to spread bad ju ju cuz they still may do something, but I doubt it. And part of this is the really amazing Selenite Magno paint. It was part of the problem but not for the reason you think.
But The Sales Manager already told (emailed) me- "we gave you pictures" and basically told me too bad so sad... So I am not holding out much hope... I will be calling them tomorrow.
Just so very disappointing. I made a couple of mistakes too for sure.
Dino - very sorry to hear of your struggle. I went back and reread your initial Thread and see they "CPO" the vehicle. That gives you tremendous leverage. If the Selling Dealer doesn't treat you fairly, advise them you will be contacting MBUSA to file a formal complaint. Then do call and email. I have followed that process once on my recent CPO purchase. Just continue to tell MBUSA you are not satisfied and the car is not up to MB CPO Standards. Steve
Not commenting on the color match (although in the pic is does look off) BUT, the alignment sure looks to me like the bumper was replaced and the new bumper is NOT fitting on the parting lines like it should; to make matters worse from the pics looks like not just an adjustment issue because if the front of the bumper is raised to close the gap to the hood the lower rear section over the headlight will pull away from the fender and open the gap there.
I agree with Iridium's post above advising to get MB involved as the car is CPO AND you were not advised it was in an accident/or repaired so "lack of disclosure" is an issue.
That looks nasty. Like a cheap overspray job. Plus the fitment is unacceptable.
What I don't understand that you didn't see this on pics/videos or whatever the dealer sent you. Didn't they video a full walk around of the car before purchase or shipping? The pics you originally posted seemed to be older ones since the listed the car as a new car (or so I thought).
Your purchase price was not cheap so I expected a pristine example...
How is the rest of the car? Post more details/pics for feedback...
If you run into trouble with the dealer, let us know!
That looks nasty. Like a cheap overspray job. Plus the fitment is unacceptable.
What I don't understand that you didn't see this on pics/videos or whatever the dealer sent you. Didn't they video a full walk around of the car before purchase or shipping? The pics you originally posted seemed to be older ones since the listed the car as a new car (or so I thought).
Your purchase price was not cheap so I expected a pristine example...
How is the rest of the car? Post more details/pics for feedback...
If you run into trouble with the dealer, let us know!
Yes had pictures and no video- the pictures- all taken in bright sunlight until loading day when I had them send pictures again ALL LOOKED NORMAL (Dealers know how to take those pictures dont they) - Selenite Magno gray however looks very different from different angles and light "hot spots" So the lighting in the Xpel PPF is like a paint booth and when the bright lights are on it looks TERRIBLE. In the sunlight , now that I know the problem of the bumper I can see it, but these web pictures simply looks lie there are no problems. In my original post I did say that some of this was on me- Ill say the fact that A> I didnt go onsite and B> I DID notice the panel not fitting on a picture and didnt say anything. I TRUSTED AN MB AD! I mean I told th einternet sales person 3 times to put eyes on this and let me know of ANY anomalies. Came back to me "Showroom quality"... not even close. Here are the pictures from the original Autotrader site, looks pretty darn good ...
Dino - very sorry to hear of your struggle. I went back and reread your initial Thread and see they "CPO" the vehicle. That gives you tremendous leverage. If the Selling Dealer doesn't treat you fairly, advise them you will be contacting MBUSA to file a formal complaint. Then do call and email. I have followed that process once on my recent CPO purchase. Just continue to tell MBUSA you are not satisfied and the car is not up to MB CPO Standards. Steve
Thank you Steve if it gets to that point that is EXACTLY what I am going to do and let them referee this thing.
To all, thank you for your comments, I am in negotiations with the dealer now for some kind of settlement- I guess I want the car because A> Its loaded with EVERY option, B> CPO but I am the first owner, C> I LOVE the color combination- the Selenite Gray Magno to me just fits this car. and while I like the Saddle brown interior the best- my next choice is the all black so from that standpoint- hard to find a used car with your EXACT color combination- rare. Even has the light colored gray roof interior alcantara- makes it look very airy when the top is up! Love it D> Only 3100 original miles E> Returning and finding another is just a pain in the ***.
At Worst this will be a nightmare and at Best its just a hassle and I wont be able to drive it for 3 months. Tomorrow I will get their final answer on what they are going to do for me on the new bumper - I will either accept or reject and then I will go into the details. The pictures above show how this went wrong- check out the web pics in the sunlight and then the same car under the bright lights at the Xpel HQ that was going to wrap the car.
Thank you everyone for the comments and hints- I may need some more if this doesn't work out for me.
Ok, I may have misunderstood. The bumper has Xpel on it? If so that is good and only the figment need to be corrected.
If Xpel, please know that using Xpel on Magno paint look like crap IMO as it makes the paint look lifeless. More important is that a proper Xpel job on matte cars means to do the whole car, not just the bumper/front end. This is the only way to make the paint look even. Expect a convertible to be at $4k to $5k.
Ok, I may have misunderstood. The bumper has Xpel on it? If so that is good and only the figment need to be corrected.
If Xpel, please know that using Xpel on Magno paint look like crap IMO as it makes the paint look lifeless. More important is that a proper Xpel job on matte cars means to do the whole car, not just the bumper/front end. This is the only way to make the paint look even. Expect a convertible to be at $4k to $5k.
No that bumper is just a ****ty paint job. Still no resolution on how they are going to assit me on getting it replaced.
Yes this is all pretty much true on Xpel but a couple of things:
1> Living where I live in Texas , from North Dallas to South San Antonio and everywhere in between (Austin/Waco) is construction 24/7 - gravel trucks literally all day and most of the night. Not having Xpel (even though it is NOT perfect and doesn't keep ALL rock chips away, is simply a must. There really is no option but to just drive a pickup truck (Which is my daily) all the time.
2> San Antonio is the HQ of Xpel and I have had 10+ cars wrapped over the past few years. So I got to take a look a couple weeks ago at them wrapping an Aston Martin Rapide and Lambo Aventador - both matte paints. I got to compare panels covered and not and the difference is so slight that its negligible. And under the bright lights of the Xpel install room, it still shines and I couldn't tell the difference between uncovered and covered panels- BUT...
3> The light gleam off the Magno paint (At least Selenite Gray) is FANTASTIC and even though I have seen it before, I haven't spent as much time with it as I have with this SL. I LOVE it and I AM concerned that the gleem will be diminished some with the ppf. But i have on this forum and others had discussions to this exact subject and pretty much everyone has said that while it may cut down some of the "sheen", it still shows light extremely well and to a person (I think I have discussed with about 5 owners) they all would do it again. So there's that lol
4> $ 6000 as I have having (my new) bumper double layered.
But first I have to get over the fact that my "New" SL (Used yes at 3000 miles but never titled) resembles more of a USED car at this point. Having to get a new bumper presents a series of bull**** that I never thought I would have to go through- Magno paint match (cant be worse than it is LOL) + extra cost $ 2000 or so + having to wait at least 3 months before i can drive it. NEVER thought Id go through this...
No that bumper is just a ****ty paint job. Still no resolution on how they are going to assit me on getting it replaced.
Yes this is all pretty much true on Xpel but a couple of things:
1> Living where I live in Texas , from North Dallas to South San Antonio and everywhere in between (Austin/Waco) is construction 24/7 - gravel trucks literally all day and most of the night. Not having Xpel (even though it is NOT perfect and doesn't keep ALL rock chips away, is simply a must. There really is no option but to just drive a pickup truck (Which is my daily) all the time.
2> San Antonio is the HQ of Xpel and I have had 10+ cars wrapped over the past few years. So I got to take a look a couple weeks ago at them wrapping an Aston Martin Rapide and Lambo Aventador - both matte paints. I got to compare panels covered and not and the difference is so slight that its negligible. And under the bright lights of the Xpel install room, it still shines and I couldn't tell the difference between uncovered and covered panels- BUT...
3> The light gleam off the Magno paint (At least Selenite Gray) is FANTASTIC and even though I have seen it before, I haven't spent as much time with it as I have with this SL. I LOVE it and I AM concerned that the gleem will be diminished some with the ppf. But i have on this forum and others had discussions to this exact subject and pretty much everyone has said that while it may cut down some of the "sheen", it still shows light extremely well and to a person (I think I have discussed with about 5 owners) they all would do it again. So there's that lol
4> $ 6000 as I have having (my new) bumper double layered.
But first I have to get over the fact that my "New" SL (Used yes at 3000 miles but never titled) resembles more of a USED car at this point. Having to get a new bumper presents a series of bull**** that I never thought I would have to go through- Magno paint match (cant be worse than it is LOL) + extra cost $ 2000 or so + having to wait at least 3 months before i can drive it. NEVER thought Id go through this...
Makes sense now. Type and brand of wrap can have significant impact on how different Magno paints look. I have seen our Night Black Magno with Xpel and Suntek and neither looked as good as without. That said, Selenite maybe a bit easier as the black has more color metallic flakes. I assume Xpel Stealth?
Can't speak about Texas but MN is also hard on cars in the winter time. I was surprised just how hard the paint is though. The nano particles definitely make the paint more resistant to chipping.
As long as the bumper repaint is not due to an accident it should be a quick, albeit expensive fix. Good luck on making those guys pay for it...
Btw, make sure to give the car a through check-over; corporate show/press cars and rarely treated kindly, including the interiors. Any marks on the interior? Check on door sills and shoe marks on the lower driver side dash and front of seat cushion, also bolsters.
Makes sense now. Type and brand of wrap can have significant impact on how different Magno paints look. I have seen our Night Black Magno with Xpel and Suntek and neither looked as good as without. That said, Selenite maybe a bit easier as the black has more color metallic flakes. I assume Xpel Stealth?
Can't speak about Texas but MN is also hard on cars in the winter time. I was surprised just how hard the paint is though. The nano particles definitely make the paint more resistant to chipping.
As long as the bumper repaint is not due to an accident it should be a quick, albeit expensive fix. Good luck on making those guys pay for it...
Btw, make sure to give the car a through check-over; corporate show/press cars and rarely treated kindly, including the interiors. Any marks on the interior? Check on door sills and shoe marks on the lower driver side dash and front of seat cushion, also bolsters.
That said, go and enjoy the car! Happy motoring!
Xpel Stealth yes and to your point I am going to get the Front bumper and hood wrapped BEFORE the rest of the car- drive it around for a week or so and see if it is different (and how much) and then continue with the rest of the car- or take it off the hood- the front bumper will probably stay. And i have heard this also on the Magno paints and their toughness- I cant see it standing up to the flurry of rocks I will encounter LOL- and this IS the "Weekend" car so shouldn't be as much as during the week but still. And man you are right on the Corporate car- and that is why I liked the all black (Hides a multitude of sins) - I can see some anomalies and things (the light gray headliner does have finger prints) but the rest of the interior does look very good.
Oh and THANK YOU for the heads up on these things- truly greatly appreciated. I guess I would add that even though the Carfax is "clean" doesn't mean the car is! Carfax is perfect- the bumper repair wasn't covered by insurance and isn't on the Carfax report.
Curious how things turned out between you and the dealer?
I'm asking because my 1-yr CPO is about to run out and was wondering if I have any recourse as well.
I bought a 2013 SL550 w/32K miles CPO at a dealer. After a thorough detailing done by me I now know some things about the exterior that I wish I didn't know. With the help of a paint depth gauge I discovered a quarter panel was repainted. Looks OK, but again it was a clean CARFAX. The one that gets me is that the front lower air dam was damaged and badly repaired and painted. Someone actually ran a 2" wood screw into the air dam up under the car to hold it in place because they didn't have the tabs tucked properly. The car clearly had an "incident" that was fixed but never reported.
It's amazing what you can miss in the excitement of buying a new car. I've learned my lesson. My paint depth gauge goes with me the next time I buy a used car.
My CPO SL had PPF on the front fascia that had yellowed. I told the dealer I wanted it removed. The removal caused some paint to peal resulting in a repaint. Match is not perfect but I accepted it since the car was perfect otherwise and in our desired color combo, white/red. I looked at several other CPO SLs at other dealers and found varying degrees of defects. Clearly the CPO process varies greatly among different deaers. YMMV,
Curious how things turned out between you and the dealer?
I'm asking because my 1-yr CPO is about to run out and was wondering if I have any recourse as well.
I bought a 2013 SL550 w/32K miles CPO at a dealer. After a thorough detailing done by me I now know some things about the exterior that I wish I didn't know. With the help of a paint depth gauge I discovered a quarter panel was repainted. Looks OK, but again it was a clean CARFAX. The one that gets me is that the front lower air dam was damaged and badly repaired and painted. Someone actually ran a 2" wood screw into the air dam up under the car to hold it in place because they didn't have the tabs tucked properly. The car clearly had an "incident" that was fixed but never reported.
It's amazing what you can miss in the excitement of buying a new car. I've learned my lesson. My paint depth gauge goes with me the next time I buy a used car.
Sorry to take so long to respond. Ultimately the Dealer (MB of Portsmouth NH) bought it back. I registered the complaint with the dealer first, then the Mercedes. Mercedes told me explicitly that they DONT referee the situation, but they do bring your list of grievances to the dealer and then leave it up to the dealer. The car they sold me as CPO 2017 with only 3000 miles was the OLDEST 3000 mile car ever. And the laundry list that I outlined in another thread,
tipped the scales in my favor and the almost HAD to buy it back. So they did and I have found another one. Also my registration of the complaint was 14 days after I had the car. Yours is older so this may be apples and oranges? But I would say that if you have a complaint against an AD on a CPO (Lots of code talk there lol) I think you would have to call Mercedes like I did and register your claim. They will also tell you if it is valid complaint or not.
Good luck and let us know what happens.
08-15-2019, 08:54 PM
