nick 55

Just a small rant, but really, we are all adults here. If you think $200 is too much for a key, don't drive a Mercedes. Same with $110 floormats. Really, don't feel like you are being ripped off everytime you go to the dealer. Remember, if you have a serious problem, who are you going to call. If you spend money, it's just like the Bellagio, you will be taken care of. Otherwise, it is a room that anyone can buy for a weekend. If you need to feel better, call a Rolls dealer and ask about mats for a Phantom, I bet you would cry when they give you a price. But don't be so downright cheap that you can't reasonably see that a key with a built in remote and a new blade(since it is a new style) is $200. If you must, then please don't complain about your car if or when it breaks.

vraa

But the difference is you *are* being ripped off.
If you can get the key for 175$, why would you pay the extra 25$?

nick 55

Where are you going to take that $175 key when it doesn't work, if you didn't by it from the dealer? All to save a night at the movies, minus popcorn and sodas.

vraa

The 175$ is from a dealer?

A friend (who owns a dealership) tells me his parts department is a cash cow. I wonder why...

Huge markup on parts, where else are you going to source them from?

m_berman

If you're the guy at Jiffy Lube with a 55, 63 or 65 to persurve wealth, then you're not worthy of ownership.

Or even better, do you shop price for heart surgery?

I think the point is made.

vraa

No, I think his point is that he'll **** away money because he's lazy and stupid.

Find the part number of the key and search MBWorld or Google/Froogle. I promise you that you can find the key cheaper.

slacker55

The way I see it, paying $200 for a new key is kinda like paying your taxes. You really get nothing out of it other than the an opportunity to complain about the fact that you got ripped off.

vraa

Here you go:
You'll need to send a copy of your drivers license and VIN to whoever dealer you order these from I believe
From this thread: https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...&highlight=key

Those are the part numbers for the respective parts.

Post #63 says he could get the parts for $143
#79 says ~$150
The guys here https://mbworld.org/forums/c36-amg-c43-amg-w202/176063-so-i-really-liked-new-mbz-keys.html
are regularly saying 150$ or under.

To get these links, I searched for "key" in only titles.
What are you going to do with your saved 50$? I'm going to spend it on chocolate.

AMGfan

I can't buy that...If I take my MB in for a non-warranty or out of warranty service, I'm not taking it to a a MB dealership. I have an independent MB trained mechanic that will give me better service and won't charge me the inflated MB hourly rate for service.

Also from experience, MB dealerships only seem to replace parts rather than actually fix problems. They look at there sheet indicating how many hours to replace a part and boom that is the price to play.

Repair Dilemma
https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-tech-talk/118543-little-advice-repair.html

Bottomline...If I can find a "surgeon" that is equally qualified, equipped, trusted, and my out of pocket expense is less, then I'm going with them. If you deem this type of ratonale as unworthy of ownership, so be it...the money I saved could buy me more goodies for the MB.

osocold707

I paid $114 for my key, the dealer wanted $185.

Repaired water pump and other parts at the dealer. Price quote for pump was reasonable enough-I just wanted my car fixed. I should have asked how much for coolant $60. But get this, I had bought coolant during another occasion and it was around $30. I just laughed and went on with my life because I already knew it was coming. That was their last chance, too many f`ups

OzE55

[QUOTE=m_berman;2389736]

Or even better, do you shop price for heart surgery?

QUOTE]

You clearly have absolutely no idea about medicine, reputation and cost of service. They are uncorrelated. This is more true in the USA (where I have worked and lived) than anywhere else I've experienced.
In fact, you've now made me even more concerned that I'm paying MB for some nedulous concept of 'prestige' or 'quality' which may or may not be real.
Sometimes its best just to pay up and acknowledge that its the way things are.

sack5000

Cost for Keyless Go key is $260. Then you must go in to the Stealer and have it programmed to work correctly.

GDawgC220

I love reading these posts about "if you can't afford it, don't buy or drive it"

Having money doesn't mean you should just **** it away. Yes, you can afford it but why pay the man $500 when you can get it done for $300 somewhere else from someone who is equally trained and skilled. Just so that you can say "I got it done from so and so"? Example, you have a MB shop foreman who has been on the job with the MB dealer for 10 years. He's fed up with the dealership for whatever reason. He goes to open his own shop for MB repairs and service. He charges $70/hour (average indy shop rate), has all the MB training, has all the tools,etc. The dealer charges $115 (average dealer rate).

There is a lot you can do with that $200 saved. A nice dinner out, new toys for your car, etc.

Sure, some things you can't put a price on but why not save money where you can? Perhaps some people just feel the need to spend

Now, if someone were to complain how come repairs are expensive, that I could understand if you were to say "you're driving a German automobile, expensive repairs are common". But how expensive is something that the consumer can control most of the time by going to a MB indy shop and having the job done for a fraction of the cost yet still receive the same level of repair they would expect from the dealer. If I can save $200 by going to the indy and get the same level of service, repair, parts, etc and no corners are cut, you bet I'm going to the indy shop.

ash-c32

Having worked in the vehicle design industry for 17 years, many vehicle components are similar in cost (except low volume items), the spare parts cost is set at a price that is roughly 10 times the manufacturing cost which seems to cover inventory/logistics costs of holding and making spares (especially obsolete components), the profit margins are much higher.

Paying a premium for the same part from a main dealer doesnt make sense in the internet age unless you like the "experience" of visiting the parts department

BenzoManNY

I am partial to this post but I must say when I hear people looking for " Used tires" or best one I ever read on ferrarichat, "looking for used air filters" And a used " Tubi muffler"


I think it’s quite embarrassing to publicly post these request for used parts owning such a highline vehicle.

As for dealers being a ripoff this is just reality this is what keeps independent shops in buisness. As for buying parts from dealers some do move more volume and give better discounts off list price.

Uber Wagon

Yes, I LOVE to feel superior when I overpay for things! It reminds me that the little people don't even have the opportunity to get ripped off at that their Mercedes Dealers and it makes me smile.

- A Tribute to the Late, Great Leona Helmsley

AMGfan

I heard her dog just bought an SLR and Enzo...

Scott in H-town

What a retarded original post and a retarded thread. (it's funny b/c it's true!)

Yes, it's retarded to say this.

I can afford a lot more car than this E55, but don't have it because I choose to do other things w/ my money. But yet, I will still complain EVERY SINGLE TIME I get ripped off. Even if it's for $5. Getting ripped off is getting ripped off, period.

And to compare to shopping for heart surgery is implying that I get better service and treatment at the dealer, which is just laughable! I only go to the dealer because of warranty. Once it's out of warranty, if I still own this car, you won't catch me at a dealer ever again unless I'm shopping for a car. The dealers give crappy repair jobs, completely rip you off in terms of billed hours for a job, and bend you over to ram it home when it comes time to pay.

For every MB dealer, I can find at least 3 or 4 independent shops who will do a MUCH better job than the dealer.

DFW01E55

And the 2 dissed grandkids are on his payroll to pick doggie hair off the seats.

Nobody will be telling that dog, "If you can't afford it, don't drive it."

AMGfan

Scott...the dealer literally has a chart with the hours "required" for each part replacement. They will bill you that even if they don't necessarily take that long to take do the job. Warranty work is what the dealership is only good for and sometimes even that they give you a hard time (ex. ic pump).

rflow306

vraa

I love how a lock on my dads car went out and the dealer wanted to charge for 4 hours at 103$/hour but the extended warranty only covered 2.9 hours according to "their" book at 95$/hour.

blkamgsl55

I prefer to do my own maintenance. I don't leave shop rags in the air intake, don't strip screws, don't forget to put back finishing hardware, don't take three(3) times to diagnose a problem and I probably know more about their product than their trained? personnel.

Scott in H-town

The hours thing is stupid. I have no problem with their 8 hours to change a window sticker when they're billing the factory for warranty work, but those who pay out of their pocket for that are crazy.

This isn't a MB only problem. All dealers work this way when it comes to assigned hours for certain jobs. However, when it comes to service quality, MB falls way behind Lexus and some other lines. My BMW service experience was better as well, not a lot better, but better.

blkamgsl55 is right... the lack of attention to detail by MB is very sad.

MB AMG

Well said!