loan cars

[maddog]

I have my car booked into the stealership for some repairs next week and asked for a loan car, normally i can manage or when its once every 15 months i can do without but this time i need one, and they are going to charge me for the privilage!!

They want £10 for the day!!

Now when VW work on my wifes car they happily lend me a car for the day FOC as do Volvo, Skoda and even my local independant

In fact i cant ever recall being charged for a loaner, not that £10 is a big deal but as if they arent charging enough for the labour already.

 

[television]

Maybe I am out of date, but charging for a loan car, well it is not a loan car it's a hire car. Even Freds garage down the road does not charge. it cant be worth raising the paper work for £10.

Malcolm

 

[SLinKyjoe]

thats to cover the insurance costs i think....

 

[turnipsock]

When I used to have a company car, I used to have to phone in the number to our insurance company and they would pap it on for the day.

The deterent for asking for a loan car was that you would have to wait a lot longer for a service.

I did discover that a lot of people took loan cars and they didn't need them, but took them to drive home for the day as it was free. It's still cheaper than a taxi. The garage asked that you return it with the tank full. It was obvious that the tank wasn't completely full when I picked it up...almost as somebody had driven home and back to the garage with it.

I think it may have been this abuse that has caused the dealership to stick £10 on the loan car...I can see where they are coming from.

 

[jberks]

If they say its for insurance, do check with your ins co. Mine apparently covers any loan car automatically so I don't need to even call them.
However, I'm always a bit concerned that they'll find a scratch that was probably there already and sting my insurance instead of their own. So £10 may be worth the peace of mind.

 

[Rory]

However, I'm always a bit concerned that they'll find a scratch that was probably there already and sting my insurance instead of their own. So £10 may be worth the peace of mind.

If it's a scratch, then your excess may well cover it so it would be down to you. However I agree with you and I like to keep these things separate.

 

[maddog]

If they say its for insurance, do check with your ins co. Mine apparently covers any loan car automatically so I don't need to even call them.
However, I'm always a bit concerned that they'll find a scratch that was probably there already and sting my insurance instead of their own. So £10 may be worth the peace of mind.

I feel almost obliged to scratch it to get my £10's worth

 

[Supercue]

the £10 charge is for the Insurance Admin costs and nothing else.

If the car has been loaned to you by them, you are not covered under the type of insurance like if you were test driving a demo, Usually trade plates are issued then, thats another type of Insurance they have.

They are lending the car for nothing as a coutesy car, but as they are lending, you are not covered on there insurance, so they cover you under there own insurance but with there Insurance company there will be an admin fee.

I would always be a bit wary of Joe Bloggs Garage with Coutesy cars as 99% of the time you are third party only, dont go by what joe bloggs tells ya, check his docs....If you get injured in one of Joe Bloggs coutesy cars and he is third party only then you wont be getting a penny and joe bloggs will prob come after you for the cost of his car.

 

[maddog]

the £10 charge is for the Insurance Admin costs and nothing else.

If the car has been loaned to you by them, you are not covered under the type of insurance like if you were test driving a demo, Usually trade plates are issued then, thats another type of Insurance they have.

They are lending the car for nothing as a coutesy car, but as they are lending, you are not covered on there insurance, so they cover you under there own insurance but with there Insurance company there will be an admin fee.

I would always be a bit wary of Joe Bloggs Garage with Coutesy cars as 99% of the time you are third party only, dont go by what joe bloggs tells ya, check his docs....If you get injured in one of Joe Bloggs coutesy cars and he is third party only then you wont be getting a penny and joe bloggs will prob come after you for the cost of his car.

trade plates have nothing to with insurance they are for road tax and mots

Also Volvo, VW etc arent Joe Bloggs Garage my argument is if other dealers will provide a FOC loan car why wont MB.

Answer

Other dealers want your business , MB just want to sell cars

 

[Rory]

Answer

Other dealers want your business , MB just want to sell cars

The answer really is that there isn't enough (or any, as often several dealers in a given area are owned by the same company, or by Mercedes themselves) competition.
If MB want to sell more and more cars then they'll *have* to sort this out.

 

[Supercue]

To be honest, i dont really see what the issue is all about.

Is it really there position to sort your travel arrangements out.

Its like going to the dentist with your nippers and asking the receptionist to take care of the nippers while you get ya gnashers sorted out.

Aint happening, please remember they dont need to sort a car out for you, just as the title suggests its a Courtesy Car, which really means its just courtesy for them to offer and if its an Insurance Admin fee your paying for, (Which it is) then just pay it.

Chances are the other Dealers, i.e. Volvo and VW as you refer to have lumped it in the cost of the service anyway, they aint gonna do something for nothing!! Just they are being honest with you. Its the same at every MB Dealership, so its not that they are robbing you.

If people dont agree with the £10 charge then get ya wifes or mum's and Dads to pick ya up and take you home.

 

[maddog]

Chances are the other Dealers, i.e. Volvo and VW as you refer to have lumped it in the cost of the service anyway

Of course they have and i wonder why MB havent.

Its not like £10 goes anyway towards covering the cost of someone phoning through my details photocopying my licence like Malcolm said and its not like the other dealers even bother, its just plain petty

The next thing is MB will charge you additional money for a service wash.

 

[maddog]

This is all about customer service is all

What makes you feel better as a customer?? Car goes into to the workshop and you are handed keys to your loan car and told we will give you a call when its ready

OR

Car goes in the workshop, you are kept for 10 minutes while they sort out paperwork then charged £10 before getting you loan car and being told you need to have it back by 5.30pm or you will be charged for another day?

Its things like this that gets MB marked down in regards of service year on year and something they clearly dont care about

Its also basic sales strategy, i am in the market for a new car, i have a 4 yr old E class , perhaps just perhaps if they lent me a new E class i would buy one after experiencing how good they are.

 

[jberks]

What makes you feel better as a customer?? Car goes into to the workshop and you are handed keys to your loan car and told we will give you a call when its ready

Its also basic sales strategy, i am in the market for a new car, i have a 4 yr old E class , perhaps just perhaps if they lent me a new E class i would buy one after experiencing how good they are.

On the first point, to be fair to MB Leeds, (and its a struggle) they do this. I've not been asked for my licence for a long time and whilst I believe they do have the £10 charge, I haven't actually ever been asked for it. As I pick up a loaner tonight, I hope things haven't changed.

On the second point - they do this too. Worked a treat on me. I fell in love with the loan car and whilst I couldn't run to the the price tag on the loaner (I did enquire!), delete command and drop from 320 to 270 and my new baby is pretty much identical - and that's more than co-incidence.