Main dealer nice surprise

xavierx

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2004 W211 E320 CDi
Hello everyone.

As the small number of you who have spoken to me will know, I joined here reasonably recently in order to research my next car purchase, which is looking like it is going to be a W211 E-class :D Thankyou so far to the nice people of the forum who have helped to make me feel more comfortable about a used Mercedes purchase.

I have a fleet management background (so will hopefully be able to help forum members with some advice myself)

Anyway back to the point...... As an (ex) fleet manager, I have dealt with pretty much every popular car brand and have experience of many dealerships and independant garages in the North-West.

I have dealt with a small number of Mercedes in the past (2004 C220CDi's and a CLK320 and CLK500) I won't name the dealership in question, but in the past I found visiting the main dealer a nigthmare. They were always rude, looked down at me and denied that any faults I found existed. Funny really..... they were not aware that I had FULL purchasing authorisation for the fleet that I managed ..... and if they had been nicer to me, we may have had more Mercedes vehicles.

Fast forward to now..... and I quite fancy an E-class as my next car..... but I have only been looking in autotrader etc as I did not want to go through the whole main dealer experience .... which to me was rude behaviour and high prices. I practically live next door to a different Mercedes dealership so arriving home from work today... I thought ...... sod it .... why not had a look at what they have.

I cautiously wondered around the forecourt struggling to find anything in my price range ..... half expecting them to ask me to leave at any moment .. .followed by them releasing the gaurd dogs ;) A sales guy spotted me and came running out to see if I needed any help. I told him what I was looking for and my budget ... and instead of being asked to leave, he pulled a list out of his pocket and then proceeded to show me around some suitable vehicles. I test drove a couple of cars including one from round the back that had not been inspected yet (which the sales guy took for a quick drive to check it was all working properly first)

Despite subjecting the sales guy to a test drive in a E270 that resulted in only 26mpg! :D he was very pleasant throughout and explained the benefits of buying a car from this particular main dealer.

Here was the shocker for me. Not only would I get a car at what appeared to be a sensible price (I unfortunately have not memorised the glasses price guide so would have to check later at home) but I would also get a fresh service plus a fresh MOT a 12 month unlimited mile Mercedes warranty ..... and THEY WOULD BEAT ANY PRICE, including refunding the difference after purchase if I found the same car cheaper elsewhere. It was not until I got home that I found that both of the cars I test drove were aprox £2000 less than book price.

So main dealer facilities and warranty and a cheapest price gaurantee. I would be silly not to take them up on their offer!

Thankyou to the dealer for restoring my perception of the brand!
 

television

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2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
You cannot go wrong in buying from the dealer,,the guarantee is worth a lot in this case owing to the price of the car,, they are very nice cars and nothing much else out there anything like them.

Thank you for your story :D:D
 

stuartmac

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Hi,

I cautiously wondered around the forecourt
half expecting them to ask me to leave at any moment .. .followed by them releasing the gaurd dogs
For a while, I did try going into MB Tonbridge more-scruffily dressed than the previous time, but everyone was always polite and smiley so I've given up that particular childish game. :(

Regards,
 

turbopete

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2017 '17' Ford Mondeo 2.0TDCi ST Line X 180 (sorry)
Hi,


For a while, I did try going into MB Tonbridge more-scruffily dressed than the previous time, but everyone was always polite and smiley so I've given up that particular childish game. :(

Regards,

haha! try parking a battered old transit van outside then! i did at my local dealers! dont know if they were best pleased, but always very polite!
 

Alex M Grieve

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B Class d200 Sport Premium Plus (66)
Hi,


For a while, I did try going into MB Tonbridge more-scruffily dressed than the previous time, but everyone was always polite and smiley so I've given up that particular childish game. :(

Regards,

I have done the same in the Midlands, carrying a cellphone and found that the prices they were quoting me on anything that I expressed interest in were trade!

Clearly Kerbside Motors have an affiliation of some sort there too!
 

MSG2004

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Kent
Your Mercedes
MB C Class 180k Se Auto Avtg Saloon.
OP

you made me lol.

there are bargins but rare.

like most, if not all car dealers, you will get the odd sales person that lies to get a sale.

EG, i asked, your cars, they are not ex company cars, ans 'no sir'!! However, on checking the facts as supplied by the sales person, many had been registered with the MB HQ in Miltonkeyens i believe, so the 'fats' were indeed lies. (i refer to no particalr dealer)

The above practice could be down to poor sales tactics

Always do your own research and an independent vehicle check if car is worth more than a few k's.
 
OP
xavierx

xavierx

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2004 W211 E320 CDi
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On my way home from work today, I passed by the dealership that I had previously used for fleet servicing (again - remember - I was getting 5 cars serviced with them) and I spotted a bargain E320cdi that was even cheaper than the 270cdi I was looking at my local dealer.

I walked into the showroom to ask to have a look at the car .... I stood at the main desk .... waiting ...... nothing .......

I saw 2 sales guys over in a corner point over to me, then look down, neither of them bothered to come over.

I don't know what it is? I'm in my late 20's .... maybe that is it? I was wearing a suit, although I took my tie off on the drive home..... ?????

Can't understand why they are so snooty in the current financial climate. At least my local dealer realises they have to do something better than everyone else to get the sales in.
 

PeterCLK

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2012 204 Elegance saloon 220 cdi
Must admit I had this poor experience quite a few years ago and I thought sod it and bought an Audi.

When I bought the CLK the whole regime had changed (same dealer) and they were actually not the arrogant ignorant idiots that I encountered in earlier years.

You cannot tell how much money as person has by the way he/she dresses.

btw XAVIERX, it helps if you tell us where you are lcoated.
 
OP
xavierx

xavierx

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Your Mercedes
2004 W211 E320 CDi
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My local dealer is Mercedes of Blackpool. (so I highly recomment my experience with them)

I won't name the snooty one, but lets just say it is the next closest dealer after blackpool :)
 

Rory

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Your Mercedes
2005 C270CDi Avantgarde Estate. Bought 2005, sold 2022.
I won't name the snooty one, but lets just say it is the next closest dealer after blackpool :)

I was convinced it was MB Chester - certainly everything you said sounds just like them.
 

Alex M Grieve

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B Class d200 Sport Premium Plus (66)
Nice ploy

Not MB but when I new my son was going to have an A*di as his next company car, I visited our local A*di dealer in Stratford upon Avon.

A very nice lady at the reception desk asked how I liked my coffee then presented me with a large mug of very hot coffee, which was excellent.

It is interesting how long it takes to do justice to a very large hot drink - during which time I was a sitting target for the approaches of several sales people!

They did not sell me a car, but I liked their style.
 


Chris Knott Insurance, see oursticky posts here!
www.ckinsurance.co.uk
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