Log book stamp refused.....

[jpbp200]

Yesterday I took my 1998 c180 to my local MB dealer after having agreed a price on the phone, after 3 days of haggling, for a 'B' service at a cost of £299. An independant who was recommended by someone on this site quoted £190 but as my car has a FMBSH to date ( and I have no experience of the indi) I thought I would have the service done at the dealer. They could also supply a courtesy car which the indi, who is further away, couldn't. I also needed new pads and discs all round and ball joints replacing. I got quotes from both and after a discussion with the girl in the customer care dept I arranged to get the service done at the dealer( to get the log book stamped) and we both agreed that paying £800+ for the other work against £300 at the independant was silly considering the age and value of the car.

All good then.......

Imagine my suprise when, after dropping my car off at 8.00 am, at luchtime I receive a call from MB to say that the total for the service would be £880 and they were just checking that that would be OK! The girl explained that although the service was £300, the spark plugs, fuel filter, and brake fluid were all extra and I should have been made aware of this at the time. Well I wasn't. She also added that they had found the steering damper to be leaking which would be another £79.

OK I said, just do the service so I can keep up the FMBSH. Oh no I can't do that, she replied, unless you have all the other work done, its an MB policy..........

Who said the car industry was struggling.... I would have happily had ALL the work done if they had come up with a sensible price and I did tell them this.

The indy incedentally has quoted me £630 for EVERYTHING (spark plugs, brakes all round, ball joints brake fluid and steering damper) using MB parts against MB's price of around £1600 for the same work and that is with a discount of 20% on parts and 40% on labour due to the age of the car....... I only paid £1800 for it so £1600 for maintenance is crazy. Particularly since it is going rusty long before its time.

Suffice to say I am amazed, but more importantly very dissapointed.

 

[GeorgeA]

Would be interested to know the indy as I am always on the lookout for indy servicing and they are pretty thin on the ground in the North East.

As for your MB experience, nothing surprises me, which is why I have no intention of going anywhere near one - if I can help it of course.

 

[jpbp200]

Don't go anywhere else other than Staithes Garage, Dunston, Gateshead. Phil Baister Merc specialist, done a bit of work on my car - he's excellent. Been using him for over 3 years. Highly receommended. Tell him I sent you.
Tel 0191 460 4381/07711469741

The above originally quoted by a member called 'Jensen' ...

FYI I have no experience of him yet but he seemed nice on the phone......

 

[jibcl500]

Simple solution dont pay until the book is stamped, anyway a indie can stamp the book, I do for my customers and on the age of your car stamps in the book wont make a difference to the value.

jib

 

[television]

This policy of not stamping the book will cost them dearly in the end, so I buy the fiters and plugs and fit them , if I want a B service they will not stamp the book, so no point anymore to use them

 

[jpbp200]

Hi Jib

I didn't get ANY work done there. I only wanted to keep the FMBSH as it might have made it easier to sell. I agree though that it doesn't add any value.

 

[jpbp200]

This policy of not stamping the book will cost them dearly in the end, so I buy the fiters and plugs and fit them , if I want a B service they will not stamp the book, so no point anymore to use them

Exactly. How stupid of them. And in the current climate too.

 

[Mr Teddy Bear]

Once a car is past 10 years old it will be sold on condition. If we're talking about a Merc I would anticipate to some familiar with the vehicle or cars in general.
Stamps IMHO only impress the stupid anyway. You can see a book full of stamps.... with VW that doesn't
garuntee a cambelt change!! never mind every thing else that requires attention anywhere between 6 & 10 years

 

[ricky s]

Along these lines, my wife has just booked her W202 C200 into Eastbounrne MB for a service with no qoute. It will be intresting to see the cost of this service. ( a previous fond memory of her car is a replacement bulb in the center consul costed £80.00), Way to go, good old MB
My E55 is now due its second service, crying for a C service in 110 miles, (cars done 19k) have asked same dealership today for a qoute for this service, they have come back with a cost of £628.00. I am thinking this is very cheap to what I am expecting. (thought £1500-£2000). Primarily the replacement of disc,s and pads the major cost, to which I assume will be added to my qouted cost, any one one got any comments or imformation to educate me before I book it in. This is a great month for me, 2 vans, wifes car, my car, all for service and part tax and insurance, and business tax and VAT, UGH! in fact double UGH!

 

[Rory]

I can see MB's argument here - the stamp would indicate that the car had been serviced in accordance with Mercedes's schedule. If you choose not to have the work done, then the service hasn't been completed.

However, I used just that argument with a SEAT dealership servicing my daughter's car - they signed her up for a deal for 2yrs scheduled servicing for a reasonable monthly cost. Imagine my surprise when they wouldn't include the brake fluid change and we were asked to pay extra. Even SEAT customer service didn't agree that brake fluid was part of the service schedule, despite it clearly stated in the service book as being required every 2yrs.

 

[rf065]

Even SEAT customer service didn't agree that brake fluid was part of the service schedule, despite it clearly stated in the service book as being required every 2yrs.

The brake fluid question puzzles me. Not so long ago, you took a sample from the master cylinder and it measured the water content as brake fluid is hygroscopic. Then you knew if it needed changed.

Now, if the customer is paying, it needs done every 2 years regardless. Otherwise it must be fine. I've had various cars under manufacturers warranty & they have never changed the brake fluid even at 5 years old or asked me if I wanted it done. Never had a problem getting the book stamped either.

Russ

 

[mercglas]

Imagine my suprise when, after dropping my car off at 8.00 am, at luchtime I receive a call from MB to say that the total for the service would be £880 and they were just checking that that would be OK! The girl explained that although the service was £300, the spark plugs, fuel filter, and brake fluid were all extra and I should have been made aware of this at the time. Well I wasn't. .

This is amazing but typical. The truth is that any dealer can find out what is required at the time of the phone call and can tell you up front all these items and the prices.

It is either laziness or a deliberate policy to get you to go in on the basis of a lower price then hit you with all these additionals, hoping that you will stump up the extra.

As to the refusing to stamp the book that would be valid (as another poster said all the things needed must be done) but as part of a tactic to trick you into spending more than you anticipated it is clearly wrong.

It would be interesting if you wrote into Mercedes HQ at Milton Keynes with this story to see what they would say, although you've probably gone elsewhere now.

 

[truthfindergeneral]

If your car is only worth £1,800, then I doubt whether a fully stamped service book would be a deal breaker when you come to sell it. I honestly believe this ' fully stamped service book " thing to be over done.

 

[Quick Silver]

I have used Mercedes vehicles for business use and pleasure for a good few years now ,most of them have been bought new but I have never had them serviced by the main dealer except in the very early days , even the so called free services that they do I've had done at an Indie .From past experience of MB dealerships and I'm talking of 3 different ones in this area and non of them can be trusted nor are they people of integrity or honour . Examples 1. replaced drive shaft (wrong side) then expect me to pay for both as they said they'd thrown the good one away . Driving the vehicle out of the w/shop to the parking area it must have been obvious something was drastically wrong . I never paid for either . Example 2. Had a tailgate button switch replaced In order to do this they had to peel back the weather seal on the tailgate . They never put the weather seal back in place and closed the tailgate thus crushing it and when it rained the water poured in damaging the roof lining (this was a warranty replacement job) It took a letter from my solicitor to get it rectified and compensation for my loss of revenue for their stupidity . I can give you other equally bad experiences and I found MB HQ at Slough to be just as bad with their attitude .I have used the same MB indie for over 10 years now and have never had cause for complaint or had to return a vehicle to get it put right and he often does little jobs FOC such as wipers or bulbs or put it on the STAR diagnostics if I think there is something wrong. Thats what I call customer service and a courtesy car if i need it . :grin:

 

[jberks]

The service includes certain mandatory things. Oil change, plugs etc are scheduled items so I can accept them insisting these are done in order to get a stamp. If I bought a car with a dealer stamp I would have something to say if I then discovered that these crucial things had been missed at the request of the owner.
But
Everything else is not part of a regular service. Brakes for example. Inspection, yes, repair no. To hold your stamp back for brakes and balljoints is tantamount to blackmail. Also, because you had previously discussed and agreed this with the customer service girl, she has overruled whatever the policy is and they are in breach of contract. Simple as that.
I would expect a recommendation note on the invoice but I would also expect/demand a stamp in the book.

There are check boxes in the service book for many items anyway and they are at liberty to make a note in the book and leave the appropriate box unchecked if you've refused a recommendation. What they are not at liberty to do is to withold the stamp, especially after previously agreeing. I dare say a court would agree.

Anyway, I think I'd just staple the invoice into the unstamped service book. History is king, not necessarily the stamp.

As it happens, I have indie stamps in my service book (18 and 24 month services were done at an indie and my LR's 2nd service will be at an indie) as I did in my previous cars.
It didn't affect what the dealer offered me for my 5 year old E240 by one penny so as you say it will have absolutely no effect on your car. My last 2 MB services have been back at the dealer but only because they are convenient and competitive. If they started playing games, that would stop.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

There are check boxes in the service book for many items anyway and they are at liberty to make a note in the book and leave the appropriate box unchecked if you've refused a recommendation.

Sensible advice, as ever. The sentence I have preserved above highlights the source of a major concern that I have harboured for many years, with reason. Check lists are all too easy to tick off - indeed, a box not checked is the exception and immediately attracts comment.

I have all too often had boxes checked where the item was not addressed. Sadly, this is a feature of human nature, not any particular supplier. "Quality assured systems" should make the job systematic and ensure that it is done comprehensively. Sadly, it deskills the operator and the only thing you can really guarantee is that the boxes have been ticked.

Which is why, in my view, meeting the mechanic and discussing and agreeing the work to be done - with feedback afterwards - wins every time. And for that, you can't beat an Indy. Some one at the front desk who says, "It's had a jolly good service", usually can not elaborate beyond that.

 

[Splatt]

J.Berks
As it happens, I have indie stamps in my service book (18 and 24 month services were done at an indie and my LR's 2nd service will be at an indie) as I did in my previous cars.
It didn't affect what the dealer offered me for my 5 year old E240 by one penny so as you say it will have absolutely no effect on your car. My last 2 MB services have been back at the dealer but only because they are convenient and competitive. If they started playing games, that would stop

.

I think I might have lost or otherwise mislaid the plot over servicing. But I am under the impression that once the car was out of it`s warrenty period (? 2 years) to maintain "Mobilo Life" the car had to be main dealer serviced and stamped.

 

[jpbp200]

The service includes certain mandatory things. Oil change, plugs etc are scheduled items so I can accept them insisting these are done in order to get a stamp. If I bought a car with a dealer stamp I would have something to say if I then discovered that these crucial things had been missed at the request of the owner.

I quite agree and they did not withhold the stamp for brakes or steering damper. They did however not even mention all these other things when I was in dialogue with them. I specifically mentioned that I was only willing to pay a premium at the dealer as I wanted the stamp in the book so they knew precisely my position. They even mentioned that there might be an additional charge of £30 or so for brake fluid if it had not been done so I could expect to pay £330.....

I am hoping it wasn't a deliberate ploy to get my car in the garage in the hope I would just say 'oh, ok then' and pay up as that is VERY underhand.

 

[television]

Well I do thank you all for the postings, that confirms that my car will go to ollie at "Prestige" to be done, it may as well be now as later

 

[jpbp200]

Indeed, indie all the way for me too. Unfortunately for the dealer I am also considering a new vehicle and I will NOT be buying from them. Trouble is the next nearest dealer is about 30 miles away and i've no reason to suspect they will be any better..... Might have to change marques..............