Help with towing advice.

[keefysher]

His email address is his {firstname.lastname}@daimler.com (he uses mike)

Their website says:
'
Mercedes-Benz Colindale is our most established dealership. Located on the A5, Edgware Road, we offer the full range of Mercedes-Benz and smart, new and used sales and service facilities for both cars and vans. We have over 100 Approved Used Mercedes-Benz available to test drive.

Mercedes-Benz Colindale is part of the UKs largest Mercedes-Benz Retailer, owned by the Manufacturer. Because we only sell Mercedes, we can offer you an unrivalled service and expertise to assist you in finding your ideal car.

At our dealership, our aim is to provide you with excellent customer service. Occasionally, we may fail to meet your expectations, mistakes can happen, and when they do, we will try to put things right as quickly as possible.

Regional Head of Business

Mike Lumsden

mike.lumsden@daimler.com

0208 205 1212'

Just had an online chat with their central office. Lumsden is the top man. The number is a general number for the dealership. They won't give any further contact details.

Deborah, how is hubby getting on?

Object lesson in how NOT to deal with a customer.

 

[Deborah Burton]

Their website says:
'
Mercedes-Benz Colindale is our most established dealership. Located on the A5, Edgware Road, we offer the full range of Mercedes-Benz and smart, new and used sales and service facilities for both cars and vans. We have over 100 Approved Used Mercedes-Benz available to test drive.

Mercedes-Benz Colindale is part of the UKs largest Mercedes-Benz Retailer, owned by the Manufacturer. Because we only sell Mercedes, we can offer you an unrivalled service and expertise to assist you in finding your ideal car.

At our dealership, our aim is to provide you with excellent customer service. Occasionally, we may fail to meet your expectations, mistakes can happen, and when they do, we will try to put things right as quickly as possible.

Regional Head of Business

Mike Lumsden

mike.lumsden@daimler.com

0208 205 1212'

Just had an online chat with their central office. Lumsden is the top man. The number is a general number for the dealership. They won't give any further contact details.

Deborah, how is hubby getting on?

Object lesson in how NOT to deal with a customer.

 

[Deborah Burton]

Thanks for the info keefysher. My husband just called me and confirmed he will be home in around an hour. MB Colindale have responded to his email, he sent one from his phone whilst in the showroom. He was asked to drive home and send them an email requesting a refund - how ****** ridiculous of them when he's just driven 160 miles to get our car and a refund, and he's standing in front of them. Anyhow, they replied to his email and attached a half completed cheque requisition (non vehicle purchase) form as evidence along with the following statement :-
"Dear Mr Burton,

I have passed refund request to our accounts department and they will process this within next 3-5 working days. Sorry for inconvenience and wish you good luck finding suitable car".

This appears to be what they constitute as an apology. I'm still awaiting a call back from MB Milton Keynes complaints......unbelievable. .

We actually feel like this has all been some big joke and are waiting for someone to say GOTCHA!!!

I don't actually go on twitter and to be honest wouldn't even know how to copy Mike Lumsden into the thread. dooah!

 

[Craiglxviii]

That is underwhelmingly pathetic. I’m appalled for you.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Absolutely appalling experience I feel it for you, the main problem being that no one wants to take responsibility for problems nowadays in the corporate world we live in. The original salesman shpuld have sorted this out from start to finish overseen by his sales manager but unfortunately it seems that customer care is a very low priority at some dealerships which I struggle to understand and goes against my business ethics

Hope you get some compensation for this farce you certainly deserve it

 

[Deborah Burton]

Well husband is finally home safe and sound MB Milton Keynes complaints called me back at 4:45pm to confirm Colindale has processed the forms for a refund, this will take 3-5 working days. This just confirms my earlier post.

Again I pointed out how badly we have been treated but he wasn't interested, he just said well your getting your money back and just wanted to put my mind at rest before he went home. I do appreciate that but it certainly does not make-up for the stress, money and time we have wasted to get our car and money back.

I think if your in there spending 50,60 or 100 grand they are all over you like a ****** rash. Spend 20-25 they don't give a Sh--!!

 

[Frontstep]

The somnolent slug will take 3-5 days to process the refund hmm not an AMG slug then.

I am presently dealing with a similar species of mollusc over a warranty claim, I always make sure I call just before they are going home for my update.

Detail all your expenses and send them a bill and use moneyclaimonline if they don't pay it, don't forget to include a sum for your time inconvenience and distress.

 

[ajlsl600]

Their website says:
'
Mercedes-Benz Colindale is our most established dealership. Located on the A5, Edgware Road, we offer the full range of Mercedes-Benz and smart, new and used sales and service facilities for both cars and vans. We have over 100 Approved Used Mercedes-Benz available to test drive.

Mercedes-Benz Colindale is part of the UKs largest Mercedes-Benz Retailer, owned by the Manufacturer. Because we only sell Mercedes, we can offer you an unrivalled service and expertise to assist you in finding your ideal car.

At our dealership, our aim is to provide you with excellent customer service. Occasionally, we may fail to meet your expectations, mistakes can happen, and when they do, we will try to put things right as quickly as possible.

Regional Head of Business

Mike Lumsden

mike.lumsden@daimler.com

0208 205 1212'

Just had an online chat with their central office. Lumsden is the top man. The number is a general number for the dealership. They won't give any further contact details.

Deborah, how is hubby getting on?

Object lesson in how NOT to deal with a customer.

i smell corporate xullshxx here , there IS no excuse even if the xhixhouse cleaner made the deal,and it seems that way. OP i believe made the requirements clear ? and the mistake is bad enough it certainly should not cost the OP a cent to put right ,imagine if theirtrade in had been moved on .. i certainly learnt something ,but it would be reasonable to EXPECT the dealer? to know the facts.

 

[Deborah Burton]

We have just received a call from MB Customer Complaints based in Maastricht who wanted and update on our situation.

After a chat informing her of what has happened she asked my husband "what would you like us to do"? After explaining to her there wasn't even any diesel in the tank and the letters and numbers B52 were emblazed across the windscreen in 5 inch lettering, which my husband couldn't remove, my husband replied that MB should be telling us what THEY are going to do for us!

Looking through all the paper work they had handed to my husband, we noticed the V5 wasn't there. We call the dealer who informed us "well it was in the paper work we handed over". Ok, so let's for argument sake say my husband lost it in all the panic of trying to get some confirmation in writing they would refund our money. We now, after calling DVLA, have to complete a V62 and pay £25 get a replacement. When speaking to DVLA, they asked for the receipt details and the reference number of the online road tax application that was completed at the dealership, but yes, you guessed it, no receipt was given so we have to wait 4-6 weeks for a replacement V5.......

 

[Craiglxviii]

Ombudsman- now.

 

[Deborah Burton]

Ombudsman- now.

It very much looks like we have to. We'll wait for Maastricht to get back but not holding our breath!

The original sales man told my husband "you should be grateful. We have given you your car back and we're processing a refund. We are out of pocket. I know you have made a complaint Mr Burton"

My husband nearly choked at this!......Really! who's ****** fault is that then you stupid man!

 

[keefysher]

Something that adds insult to injury is that this supposed customer centric, according to their website as I posted yesterday, are a wholly owned face of Mercedes Benz UK, not a franchised dealer. The bar has been set awfully low, as low as a snakes belly.

I'm struggling to find compassion for the salesman tbh. Should have gone to school to learn to read, in place of chasing the commission.

Customer Services will now call you regularly, but won't actually do anything, but they meet their internal KPIs.

 

[Craiglxviii]

It very much looks like we have to. We'll wait for Maastricht to get back but not holding our breath!

The original sales man told my husband "you should be grateful. We have given you your car back and we're processing a refund. We are out of pocket. I know you have made a complaint Mr Burton"

My husband nearly choked at this!......Really! who's ****** fault is that then you stupid man!

Your husband should have replied, “You should be grateful that you’re not breathing thanks to a machine”. What a disgusting little sh1t.

 

[LostKiwi]

I'm thinking an email to Mike Lumsden with this thread as a link....

 

[Frontstep]

Interesting chain of events and Maastricht employ some real gems who are absolute experts in customer annoyance, asking someone what they want is a classic junior employee error.

Learning how to make you think you are running things and making decisions is number one.

Still they are an arrogant bunch and like it or not you really don't on the scale of their operation matter one jot.

If you can get someone to wind them up a notch on bookface or twitter that helps.

 

[sonic]

Fortunately all my dealing with MB have been very good, including buying four cars from them.
I just don't understand when something like this goes wrong they don't just sort it out. The cost to them is minimal.
Now they have all this really bad publicity, & I am sure you will never buy another MB.

 

[Deborah Burton]

Fortunately all my dealing with MB have been very good, including buying four cars from them.
I just don't understand when something like this goes wrong they don't just sort it out. The cost to them is minimal.
Now they have all this really bad publicity, & I am sure you will never buy another MB.

Absolutely. It's our second MB, the first was absolutely fine, that's why we went back to them. We wanted another MB, it's just a shame we went to a different dealer, but that's where the car we wanted was. You are correct, we will never buy another. To be honest at the moment we don't know what to do.

This whole episode has left us with a really bad taste in our mouth. Who can you trust?

 

[keefysher]

Absolutely. It's our second MB, the first was absolutely fine, that's why we went back to them. We wanted another MB, it's just a shame we went to a different dealer, but that's where the car we wanted was. You are correct, we will never buy another. To be honest at the moment we don't know what to do.

This whole episode has left us with a really bad taste in our mouth. Who can you trust?

Sandown. I know a very nice Dealer Principal in Keith Jackman at Basingstoke.

MB do a lovely tow car in the EClass All Terrain No messing with knowing if it can tow, comes with tow bar as standard. In fact it comes fully loaded as standard.

There are a few things you need to look for if looking for a tow car. Not many German marques come properly connected electrical wise, a simple question to ask is how many of the 13 pins are connected in the electrical plug? It should be 12. BMW/VAG do not have the live supply for fridge wired up. Your new/to you caravan will probably have an Alko stabiliser hitch head that requires a longer neck tow ball. Again, not all come standard fit. JLR when replacing Discovery 4 / Range Rover / RR Sport did not fit Alko suitable tow balls, just standard. Toyota and Mitsubishi also don't fit Alko suitable tow balls as factory standard. If the caravan has ATC (auto trailer control) you need it to speak to the car through the plug. Some versions will need improved cooling to tow with.

I'm on my second tug from MB. Both have been great and no issues.

Put this down to experience and if your future super dooper salesman looks like just out of skool, has spots. hasn't started shaving yet, wears those stupid trendy big frame eye glasses, can't answer the electrical question, find a grown up that can help you.

A good salesman will do a search of the stock based on the 'tow bar' as a keyword, a good starting point. Plus if factory fitted you know its ready to go. Any dealer can get any car off the MB network, so don't take any BS from a salesman. End of April after the registration change month will be a good time to look again.

Good luck

PS if you think buying a car with a tow bar is difficult, just wait till you try buying a caravan. Check our Practical Caravan forum/magazine for the annual buyers survey and dealer survey. A minefield. Leaky Lunars, Botched Baileys, Shite Swift. Poorly thrown together heaps of common poor quality parts is how I describe our flagship top of the range Continental 570. Took ages to put right all the faults, but not prepared for some other mug to have it foisted upon. Now its fixed it'll do.

 

[EmilysDad]

What exactly was it about this model that prevented it from towing?

 

[Frontstep]

Fortunately all my dealing with MB have been very good, including buying four cars from them.
I just don't understand when something like this goes wrong they don't just sort it out. The cost to them is minimal.
Now they have all this really bad publicity, & I am sure you will never buy another MB.

Its only when things go wrong you find out what they are really like.