Mercedes-Benz Direct used cars

[Rory]

Hi,
Quick question - anyone bought a car from the above: Are they willing to negotiate pricing?

Any other thoughts on buying a nearly-new Merc from them?

 

[mjtray]

Back in 2001 I bought my E220 CDi from Mercedes Direct and they sold me a great car for a price a lot lower than my local dealership and they were happy to negotiate on price.

Never had a problem with the car

 

[iain]

Bought my present car C250 TD there nearly 4 years ago. Had to chase them to get the warranty documentation, but otherwise excellent car & service at a better price than many private buys.

 

[Rory]

Thanks for feedback.
Today I picked up a 54 reg C270 CDi Estate from them. I *think* I got a good deal - reduced price by £3500 - but I was surprised to find 'StarShield' (paint & interior treatment) itemised on the invoice at £299 (but included in the total price I'd agreed).
They're basically saying it's cost me nothing, but I would never have paid extra for this and I'm wondering if the car could really have been £300 cheaper.
It's not obvious that the cars been treated and it's left a slightly sour taste in what was otherwise a good transaction.

 

[jberks]

I think I paid for it on mine, but to be fair, I couldn't see any difference and it still needed a polish a few months later. The interior is cream cloth so I though it would be worth it for that. Seems to clean up well so maybe it has an effect.

They have put that on the invoice to make themselves look good. It probably costs them £25 and they do it as part of their normal PDI valet so I wouldn't drive yourself mad about it, I doubt you would have got any more off without. Certainly 3.5k sounds a good discount to me. I got 2k off the screen price (4 years ago) and thought I was doing well.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

whoever dealt with selling the car to you gets 10% of the extra bits from the invoice...so he got another £29.90 in his wage just coz the invoice says it costs 299.

makes no difference unless you really did want that £300 price reduction. maybes you could have argued more but it sounds like you have already got a good deal. so dont let it bother you.

 

[Rory]

The salesman told me that Starshield is always automatically included, but then he struggled slightly over the Starshield paperwork which made me doubtful.

I guess I'm just (maybe unrealistically) thinking that if they can include something for nothing (even if it does only cost them £25) then I didn't get the lowest possible price. Although I got to the final price by threatening to leave the premises to go and look at another car (I had its details in my hand), the whole Starshield thing has really irritated me.

I helped my daugher buy a new Seat Ibiza last Sept and at the conclusion of the deal I asked for mats+flaps and I honestly thought the salesman was going to cry. We eventually split the price 50/50.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

never ever ever ever offer payemnt on flaps...you obviously looked like you will pay si they try it on......if they let you walk out they dont want your sale. if they stop keep you talking then they want a deal.......
did you expect them to give you the car......they have to make money to stay in business...its a game but you are never gonna beat them...you are either happy with the price and pay it or you dont and you leave and buy a car elsewhere



you said you got £3500k off...what more exactly did you want?

 

[jberks]

Whenever I agree a deal on anything, I'm left with the feeling that if the salesman agreed, I didn't push hard enough - but then if they didn't I wouldn't have got the item. I was down to haggling over who would pay the electrician to fit my carphone (they did) and only got a cd changer thrown in when I suggested they nick one out of another car. So on that basis I had them down to rock bottom - but I'm realistic enough to know that if I had left the showroom, there was another few quid in it yet - there always is as they aren't going to sell me a car at a loss. Its just a game.
Also all the car invoices I have ever had, don't match the deal I made. The end 'to pay' figures match, which is the bit I care about, but the breakdown is always completely different - trade in values, extras etc are always completely different . This is simply their internal accounting - they have to show everything at sales price and cost, even if it was a freebie (is there such a thing?). A freebie to us, is still a cost to them and has to shown as an internal sale between parts / service and sales - so they adjust the paperwork to line it all up. - but then that accountancy and I gave that game up when I kept falling asleep in the lectures! Bottom line, you paid what you were happy with so be happy and enjoy your shiny new toy.

 

[Rory]

never ever ever ever offer payemnt on flaps...you obviously looked like you will pay si they try it on......if they let you walk out they dont want your sale.

I was already (on the Seat) below the lowest Internet broker price so I felt I was doing pretty well. The mats & flaps were quite expensive (£150) and didn't include fitting (of the flaps). We agreed to split the cost and they fitted them 'free''.


you said you got £3500k off...what more exactly did you want?[/QUOTE]
£4500? :-D

Of course the amount 'off' is a bit irrelevant really, they could price the cars even higher and give even bigger discounts. It's made the whole process of buying a car very difficult because when comparing cars you don't really know what its final price is going to be.
I found the limit in one dealer a few years ago - he took me by the arm and guided to me to the door!!

 

[jberks]

Rory,
Can I hire you as a negotiator next time i'm buying?

 

[TheJim]

As a salesman myself, can I just take this oportunity to say:
GIVE SALESPEOPLE A BREAK.
People seem to think that it is just a game and businesses make so much that they can discount and not care- sorry to burst your bubble but that is not the case. We get people trying to phone round to screw prices down between dealers, this makes our businesses struggle.
You want to get the best price when you buy a car- but you would not be very happy when the dealer rips you off if you need service later on. But he will, not because he is greedy, but because he needs to make money- because you screwed him before. You want the moon on a stick.
If you find a business that is reliable and offers quality with everything that they do and take pride in their work- why throw it back in their face by demanding discount?
Rant over.
Enjoy your 'game'.

 

[MSG2004]

Thanks for feedback.
Today I picked up a 54 reg C270 CDi Estate from them. I *think* I got a good deal - reduced price by £3500 - but I was surprised to find 'StarShield' (paint & interior treatment) itemised on the invoice at £299 (but included in the total price I'd agreed).
They're basically saying it's cost me nothing, but I would never have paid extra for this and I'm wondering if the car could really have been £300 cheaper.
It's not obvious that the cars been treated and it's left a slightly sour taste in what was otherwise a good transaction.

sounds too good to be true.

is the car in A1 condition? One ownner and not a rental car? Mileage? Date of first reg?

What did you actually pay and when?

 

[Rory]

You want to get the best price when you buy a car- but you would not be very happy when the dealer rips you off if you need service later on.

So, all I have to do is pay top price, and the dealer won't rip me off for service/repair? Good to know that, thanks.

If you find a business that is reliable and offers quality with everything that they do and take pride in their work- why throw it back in their face by demanding discount?

I actually found the process of spending £25K or so quite daunting. I wish the prices really were 'no haggle' prices, instead of being set stupidly high to allow for discounting. I dismissed cars at around £30K when it turns out that I might have been ale to get them for £25K.


Like your tag lines.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

rory.

do you haggle in the supermarket? you make it look as tho you are not satisfied until you have put the dealer out of business.

the dealer expects you to haggle but it isn't an infinite system. anywhere between 10 and 15% and thats your lot.....so go buy a car at a price you are happy with and be done with it instead of sounding as tho you have been done. either you are happy with price or you are not.

The more you want to spend on a car the more you can get off. Over 30k you may get more than 3k off it..but try that on a £7500 Ka and see how many people remove you from the premisies!


some people.


and TheJim! Nice try but that dont wash....sorry you choose to be a sales person but that reply is not really how we would feel out here in the big wide world. sorry.

i hope you dont give to people who live in cardboard boxes..that really will make my blood boil.

 

[Rory]

rory.
the dealer expects you to haggle but it isn't an infinite system. anywhere between 10 and 15% and thats your lot.....so go buy a car at a price you are happy with and be done with it instead of sounding as tho you have been done. either you are happy with price or you are not.

The thing is, I think all cars are priced at rip-off levels. I'm not terribly upset by it, we just have to live with it, but I'd like to be settled in my mind that I've minimized the amount I'm being ripped-off.
To a certain extent, I do feel sorry for the average dealer - their pricing is very much controlled by their supplier.
However, buying off MB Direct, I don't feel sorry for them. I know how much it costs to actually make a car (typically around 40% of its pre-tax list price) so there's huge scope for MB to cut the price.

 

[TheJim]

sorry I ranted a bit there. I had just had an ignoramus asking me why the HiFi I was selling was ten times more than one he saw in Curries the other day. He seemed to think I could sell it at half that price. I was seeing red at all consumers.
Joe, why would I have a car with a sight on the bonnet and not use it?
Nice to people in cardboard boxes indeed......