Just joined!

[Professor]

I’ve enjoyed being a Mercedes owner for over 20 years but have just had my confidence rocked in the brand today. I am 77 years old and only last year at the same age had my previous car in the local MB garage a couple of times and was given a courtesy car as usual. But when I tried to book in my new E 300 Coupe (2021)today I was informed that their (MB?) rules had changed and that their insurer would not cover over 74 years. After several phone calls it transpired that the Service Manager could authorise over 74 at his discretion which in my case he did - unbelievable, am I supposed to be grateful? I have contacted the MB helpline in Maastricht and am awaiting advice on whether/how this affects MobiloLife/Assist; on an open road breakdown, would a courtesy car be forthcoming if the owner was over 74 years old? I was not told of this 74 restriction before I committed to this car, and I now doubt that I would have in the circumstances. I seek your advice because at the very least I feel that all older owners of Mercedes-Benz should be advised/warned of this draconian, seemingly almost arbitrary, betrayal of the countless over 74 Mercedes owners. HELP!

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome

 

[Professor]

Many thanks, first time I've ever used a Web forum and hope I don't abuse my membership with an inappropriate first post. The content explains why I am seeking a way ahead.

 

[SL63 Mark]

Insurance is a funny thing. Don't take it personally.
.

 

[SmartAmg]

Welcome, Professor.

 

[A.J.]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[dry run]

Welcome

 

[grahamcol]

Welcome.
I'll be 70 this year. Don't look it (so I'm told) and don't feel it. When l renewed the insurance on my W209 CLK220 last year it was difficult to get a reasonable price and l think my forthcoming birthday had something to do with it. This year l will be looking at things very closely and if anyone can recommend a decent company for the older driver l would be interested in hearing about it. A Plan were useless last year and Hastings are greedy barstewards in my experience.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Welcome!

As regards your predicament you need a social media account nowadays to have a voice with MB and other large companies. Unfortunately our generation don’t generally frequent the likes of Twitter and FaceTime et al, some do though and posting on there does get MBs attention very quickly.

I hope you get a good response from MB, it would appear that the franchises have been left to pick up the pieces again unfortunately

 

[A.J.]

Welcome.
I'll be 70 this year. Don't look it (so I'm told) and don't feel it. When l renewed the insurance on my W209 CLK220 last year it was difficult to get a reasonable price and l think my forthcoming birthday had something to do with it. This year l will be looking at things very closely and if anyone can recommend a decent company for the older driver l would be interested in hearing about it. A Plan were useless last year and Hastings are greedy barstewards in my experience.

I'm 74 Graham, and so far I havn't had a problem with Insurance. My W205 C200 cost's me £208 (Fully Comp) with Tesco's and I have been with them for four years now. Their renewals are normally quite a bit higher but I find they are reasonable to negotiate with.

 

[grahamcol]

Thanks AJD. My CLK costs me over double that. I have no claims in over 5 years (touch wood!) and live in a respectable area, no points (touch wood again), car on drive at night. The car isn't exactly a rocket ship. Despite this, A plan quoted around £550 last year and even suggested that was about the "right" price. Eventually l renewed with Hastings at about £430 after some negotiation. Why was it so much l wonder ?

 

[Professor]

Thanks for all your welcomes, appreciated. Like Andy’s response, some have misinterpreted my post that it’s my personal insurance that is the problem but it isn’t; it’s my MB dealer who sold me my car who initially refused to lend me a courtesy car yesterday because they said their insurer wouldn’t underwrite it! After contacting another MB garage in the same group, it appears that this policy was rolled out across UK this January but then after raising the tempo they admitted that a Service Manager could override this policy and offer a courtesy car! Unless the MB help team in Maastricht can confirm that Mobilo/Assist are unaffected by this move, I shall then make a formal complaint. The more I think about the implications of this issue the more fundamentally worrying it becomes.

 

[A.J.]

Thanks AJD. My CLK costs me over double that. I have no claims in over 5 years (touch wood!) and live in a respectable area, no points (touch wood again), car on drive at night. The car isn't exactly a rocket ship. Despite this, A plan quoted around £550 last year and even suggested that was about the "right" price. Eventually l renewed with Hastings at about £430 after some negotiation. Why was it so much l wonder ?

I guess regions make a big difference. Nothing much happens here in Suffolk. People tend to drive everywhere at 25mph and everything is done when they are ready. When we moved here 20 years ago from Bedfordshire we found it frustrating that nobody had any urgency about them. Maybe the slower pace of life has an influence.

 

[Tony Dyson]

Hello and welcome, the only part of this I have difficulty in understanding is how a "Service Manager" has the authority to invoke a third party insurance policy at his/her discretion? isn't there a case for discrimination here?

 

[00slk]

Hello and welcome
Insurance companies seem to be able to discriminate every driver and get away with it. The young, the old.......more mature generation, sexes, you name it, they even discriminate against you on your choice or place where you are living

My neighbour is 82 fit as a fiddle ex mechanic and is now having trouble insuring a classic car that he wishes to buy, discrimination on his age, not because of anything else

 

[Tony Dyson]

Hello and welcome
Insurance companies seem to be able to discriminate every driver and get away with it. The young, the old.......more mature generation, sexes, you name it, they even discriminate against you on your choice or place where you are living

My neighbour is 82 fit as a fiddle ex mechanic and is now having trouble insuring a classic car that he wishes to buy, discrimination on his age, not because of anything else

But this isn't about an insurance co discriminating, they prepare policies that are limited with conditions which isn't discriminatory, the OP stated that the dealerships "Service Manager" has the authority to approve or disapprove a driver of 74 Years or older, which most definitely IS!

 

[00slk]

But this isn't about an insurance co discriminating, they prepare policies that are limited with conditions which isn't discriminatory, the OP stated that the dealerships "Service Manager" has the authority to approve or disapprove a driver of 74 Years or older, which most definitely IS!

Yes realise that Tony, I just wanted to kind of add my two pence worth while we were on the insurance subject

 

[Srdl]

Welcome Professor. I certainly wasn’t aware of the 74 limit imposed by Mercedes but I’ll watch out for it in six years time!