SLK350Magnum

We just put down a deposit on the 350 SLK..It is still in the back lot of the dealership as it came off the transport...I told them DO NOT CLEAN UP Or DO the PDI on this CAR!..I'll do it myself.. at least the cleaning part..I enjoy removing all the plastic wrap, cardboard etc from the new MB..It's the only way to go.. I much prefer to do it myself than to trust the minimum wage lot boys to do the unwrapping, God only knows what damage they can inflict on the finish of a new car. Plus it is just kind of neat to peel off the virginal wrappings of a new Mercedes.... :v
Nick
SLK 350 on the way
'05 Hemi Magnum RT

evanichka

lol to each his own i guess

BlackSL

can u classify this as a fetish?

wil_sutton

I don't blame you for wanting to do it yourself, but there was something really cool about picking mine up (the first one delivered at my dealership back in September). They only had it for a few hours but still took the time to put it on the showroom floor, so there it sat when I came in to take delivery... right next to their first SL65 (badass) that came in on the same truck.

Just one thing to consider... the lot boys at MB dealerships aren't minimum wage kinda guys. Anything they screw up has to be fixed by the dealership, and most of us snobbish, demanding MB customers will refuse delivery if we notice ANYTHING that isn't PERFECT (I know I would, at $53k). Their guys in detail know what they're doing, and they do it well.

It sounds like you really get a special charge out of doing it yourself, though, so more power to you. That should be a right we all have, but I'll choose to waive mine in favor of the pros!

Enjoy the ride!

JDM

I can appreciate wanting to remove the plastic off of the carpets too, I think it should always be left up to the customer to decide, plus, if the car is available for demo as many non special order cars are, it servs as an extra protection. However, the inspection does not only consist of detail oriented stuff. Especially with imports. The removal of cosmoline, programming of some systems, making sure the thing runs, and shippment damage inspection and so on, plus the dealer gets paid by the manufacturer for the pdi to ensure it gets done. It's a requirement. Once during a pdi we found that all of the a/c hoses had not been installed at the factory, just the compressor and condesor. And another time, a vehicle had different front seat fabric from the rear seat!

docrings

Just don't let them charge you an extra $700 "delivery and prep" fee over and above the included delivery charge in the MSRP... like the Pensacola, Florida M-B dealer wanted to do: "It's non-negotiable...we take a lot of time to clean the car and program the computers...yada, yada, yada"...

so we walked away and bought in Atlanta for no money over sticker back in September...

All of a sudden, the Pensacola dealer offered to drop the "non-negotiable" prep fee the next day after leaving... SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SLK350Magnum

Righto, Of course the mechanics or techs should do the mechanical part of the PDI However when it comes to the cosmetic end of the prep it's fine to do the "unwrapping" . No, no one should be charged extra dealer prep or for those phony aftermarket protecto-plate, etc, gimmicks that some dealers love to use to pump up the profit but are really of no benefit to the consumer