klq888

Im so furious now !
My car was brought into service on mid November for some issues ( Seat motor broken, stereo jack loose, etc etc )
My service rep from MB on Manhattan is pretty bad, I have to follow up on my car...
After 3 weeks, I was getting suspicious... then he tells me someone dented the drivers door and that they would fix it... etc etc crap crap crap...
So , I told him to check the mileage on the car... After 2 days he reported to me ( actually , I call him every 2 hours ), He then tells me that the car has +900 miles on it , that maybe the guy who wrote it down made a mistake ( WTF ), so I insisted to speak to the service manager and the GM...
They told me that they had to check the security video....

Now , my question is . What is a fair compensation ?
Can you guys give me a realistic one besides an upgrade to SLK55 ?

~CL500~

I would write a letter to the owner of the dealership and general manager first; give them a chance to correct the situtation and see what they offer you. If you're getting nowhere, get Mercedes N. America involved. That's just not right and if it were me they would loose my business for good. Try to go the diplomatic route and see what happens. Taking legal action might end up being costly for you.

In the future, you're better off crossing the GW and going to Benzel-Busch in Englewood. Top notch service and I couldn't be happier.

Keep us posted.

moa4r

had the exact same thing happen to me here in virginia. dealer kept blowing me off about the car being ready (~ a week), turned out they dented the car and it was at the body shop. Once it was done, I pick it up and it shows about 1500 miles more than the "in-mileage". spoke to all the management, etc. turned out to really be a mistake (tech had estimated the wrong mileage) I was really pissed off too, but turned out there was no way they could have driven the car that much; ended up getting a free wax/interior detail;

klq888

Free Wax ? Are you serious 1500 miles !
any other advise ?

JamE55

900mi? And you think an upgrade to an SLK55 is not realistic? Talk to GM.

klq888

They are actually telling me its mistake on the guy who wrote the mileage,
Funny, I KNOW I had less than 7k on my New SLK !

Now, Mercedes of Manhattan is suppose to be a corporate store ? But I called their 800#, they told me that it was individually owned... WTF

*Small claim ? Help.
* Pay for milage ?

-1-

I would verify the actual mileage before crying foul. The dealer has a responsibility for recording the actual mileage when receiving the vehicle for service. They also have the responsibility for safe guarding your property when in their care. I can't imagine a dealer that would allow a customers vehicle to be driven for that amount of miles. Bottom line, hold them accountable for professional service.

benzmodz

Where does it say you have to take the car back once it is damaged ?

big SLK

i'm curious, --to everyone--
how many miles were on your cars when you
first picked up?

jsloan01

Can you verify how many miles were on your car when you dropped it off? It is possible that they may have just wrote the wrong mileage-in when you dropped the car off or quoted you the wrong current mileage over the phone.

I just don't see how it's possible for MBM to have put 900 miles on your car. Where could it have been driven?

Even if they did damage to your car and try to repair w/ out your knowledge, their bodyshop is literally two blocks away (i.e. hardly any additional mileage).

Realisticly, 900 miles would be like driving your car from NYC to Pittsburgh and back.

I would just speak with the Service Manager to clear things up - the managers there are good people and will make things right.

PS - That is a corporate store.

klq888

Hey.. First - Wish everyone a happy holiday and Merry Christmas !

I went to the dealership on Friday, I told them I wanted the car back asap, that I didnt want to leave it there any longer.
I told them it was unacceptable for the car to be there for over one month ( brought it in on Nov 16 ) to just get the power seats fixed, oil test and a bit of wheel allignment done..
My service rep, whos name - Brian tola me last week that someone , there was a ding on the drivers door, where the crease was.. and that either I get a touch up or repaint... I told him, I wanted it to look new ...

So basically, at this point I was growing really suspecious of MB of Manhattan... I told him to check the mileage on the car .. he then came back 2 days later and told me there was 900 more mile ( which I verified on Friday ).

Okay - Error on mb ? Do I have documentation ? Yes, I have their service record it says 6446 on it... and now there is something like 7337 on it...

MB ( the corp store ) makes an in / out mileage for a reason.. for customers who claim issues like this.
I figure, they has the car for almost a month, and I put on approx 2000 miles on it, I can imagine that someone can drive the car home and back for 2 weeks...

Oh and another thing happened on friday... I told them, when I brought in the car , NOT TO WASH IT.. and my serv rep even put a DO NOT WASH on the car... ( remember , it snowed the week before, thus salt etc etc would be on the car , when driven )Guess what - They washed it when they brought it down to me.... Does people at the service dept have a problem following instructions ? Brian said... yeah the rain must have done it ( what a liar ) , I told him when he got closer to the car, you look at this and tell me the rain did this... then he said... I dont know....

Anyways, Still venting here...
Will fill you guys in on the whole thing...
My plans - See what MB will so, then BBB, Then probably small claims, since I have documentation ( think the judge will favor me ) ?

mick1

you should check to see if that ding could be removed by those places specializing in removing dents/dings. I had them removing a ding on my car and they did a fantastic job. They just removed the panel and pushed the ding out. No touch up or repaint.

jsloan01

Yes, you have documentation, but all that means is that you have a piece of paper that demonstrates someone's mistake (i.e. they wrote the wrong miles down). My point was: do you remember, for a fact, that you only had 6,446 miles? I just don't see how anyone could put 900 miles on a car. Let alone take the car out for joy rides (which, is what you're implying).

Obviously there is a foul up. You should be diplomatic about it with the Service Mgmt (I know it's tough to do when you just want your car back). They will make it right - it's their job. The more unreasonable you become, the more difficult it will be to get results.

It baffles me why they would need your car for one month - potentially a part they did not have plus the constraint sizes of MBM.

And about washing your car - yeah, it sucks, but that's not your advisor's fault. The kids that run to get the car do that with EVERY car. It becomes so routine. Maybe they just did not see the sign and messed up. Also, if they did body work on your car, they have to wash it.

**** happens. You need to help create a positive solution. My $.02. I hope everything works out for you.

Vodil

15

The Godfather

Did the estimate you sign when you dropped off the car have the mileage the car had when given to them? Becaue if you just give them a piece of paper from the last service with whatever miles on it, the judge will be "wtf, you could've driven it 900 miles, dropped it off there, and claim per the old paper that you only had that many miles."

clkcadet

this sounds rediculous, as mentioned before write a letter to the owner/general manager... if for example it is a lease make sure they pay you for every mile, but just the fact the car was violated is very unpleasing.

if you want great service, come down to sovereign mercedes on the belt parkway in brooklyn, i havent had any issues with them just takes a while to get an appointment for a loaner..

StephenK

FORGET the LETTER route, get in the dealership and get the powers to be all together and get it hashed out right then and there. See if they all stand their looking at eachother or what their response to the situation is.

Unfortunately damage is the risk we all take at the dealer. I am sure you sign a release when you drop your car off for service. It may actually say they are not even responsible for loss or damage to your car. Most are responsible and will notify you and offer to get the car fixed at their expense, but I don't think they are under any LEGAL obligation to do so.

If they put EXCESSIVE MILES on your car, you may have a good case against them. PROOF is going to be the ISSUE.

StevoDaDevo

I don't see how they could have put down the wrong mileage in the first place. The "in" mileage was 6446 and the "out" mileage is 7337. The service writer would have had to screw up at least 2 of the 4 digits of that number. For example, it couldnt have been 7446 since that's more miles that what are currently on it.

Me thinks something fishy is going on here.

On an unrelated note, I got a busted for 85 in a 65 yesterday in my SLK. Why did MB have to me my car so fun to drive?

Dukun

I say, tell the manager what you want him to do, and if it is reasonable and he still gives you a heck of a problem, telll him that you'll meet him in court. dude, its too much trouble on you already and it stinks to have you and your car treated that way.

Jakpro1

Awww come onnnnn, that almost guarantees that some tech did about everything but put his own rims on it. What really blows is that even if there is no damage, you know the criminal beat the F'in TAR out of the poor thing and wanted to erase his girlfriends cheekmarks on the hood with a nice wash.

As a guy in the advertising field, this has the potential to really be a good news story and some HORRIBLE negative PR for them.

It writes itself..."What reallly happens when you drop off your car at the dealer......this poor guy had his car taken for a joy ride for over 900 miles, watch tonight at 6..." If you do go news media, you gotta make sure you play it up that you are a hard working average Joe that spent allllll he had on a nice car, and look what the bad men did. You come off as making more than average, and it becomes "well, it's what that rich creep gets"

Just trying to help....."I had a news channel call me with real interest in the story" can go a lonnggg way in resolving this situation. Course you can never go back, but would you anyway?

Good luck.

ClayJ

Make an appointment with the SM (and GM?). Rationally explain to them what the problem is and why you are so upset about it. Have an answer prepared when they ask you what you want them to do about it.
I always record my mileage on the Estimate/WO in pen when I sign it and hand it back -- do it right in front of them.
I have had them put 900 miles or more on my car in a service -- but that's because they're dialing-in a new suspension, or whatever.

StephenK

Any update on the situation????

RoadkingHI

Had a similar deal years ago. Seemed they cracked my window when replacing a small piece of rubber, or so they said. Two weeks later I get the car, few extra miles but not enough to be concerned about, but the "new" winshield had my old military sticker on it!
Impossible to remove and replace and still look good. When I questioned them on it suddenly there was offers for free oil, checks, etc.
Appears someone got a new windshield on my warranty... Never went back. :v

StephenK

Unreal, what a bunch of classless individuals.

klq888

Latest update.
Its Tuesday today, the first day of the work week for most of us, except for the individuals who is responsible to give me answers on my car.
The service manager, Patrick is off till Thursday. The GM - Is also off till then.
The GM's secretary is also off. So I guess the acting GM Secretary's secretary, who is gail fernandez was really helpful in trying to get me answers...
She asked the acting service manager and said they have no idea, but Patrick will call you back on Thursday...
WTF - A run around again - Im so sick of MB ! I never got a run around like this! I shoulda stuck to a Lexus ! But they didnt have a nice hard top
Here are the pics of the dents...
Its right at the "fold" of the driver's door...






Here is a minor one - just scratch .. Yes, by them also !