All
My girlfriend has just discovered that the used Mercedes she purchased from a UK Mercedes Benz dealership was an import and that it is worth approx £3k less than an equivalent UK car.
She was never told this at the point of purchase and none of her sales documenetation states it either. Indeed, the M-B HPI Check doesn't even mention it ??!! Only her V5 tells the truth, which you don't get until after the sale from a dealership.
She was also charged full UK price at the time of sell, not an adjusted price to reflect the import status.
She is looking to the supplying dealer to buy the car back from her now at the standard UK trade price. They are trying to wriggle out of it saying that the M-B franchise has been bought by another group now and so they cannot be held responsible for the mis-selling (even though the actual salespseron is still employed by them in the M-B dealership).
Any ideas on how we can take this further and get back what we are due ??
Needless to say, we will NEVER buy another Mercedes and feel a high degree of anguish at such blatant rogue dealing.
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Needless to say, we will NEVER buy another Mercedes and feel a high degree of anguish at such blatant rogue dealing.
Seems a bit strong, but each to their own.
Not clear from your post if GF has had this car for just a short time, and discovered it is an import and not UK supplied, or had it a while, now wants to sell it but has been offered a lower price? As the dealership has changed hands it seems unlikely that you will be able to get anything back.
Another angle - if it doesn't show as an import on MB computer, maybe the V5 is wrong - not unknown for DVLA to make mistakes. Indeed if MB's computer doesn't show it as an import, nor does the HPI check, then the dealer potentially had no way of knowing it was an import if he didn't see the top part of the V5 (which is the vendor's responsibility to send off).
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Miktu,
How is it indicated on the V5? Someone I know bought a used Merc and feels that it may be an import.
Are we talking Bedfordshire?
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The V5 states \"Imported vehicle - was registered/used overseas\".
The particular dealership in question was in deleted.
{Although you haven\'t named the dealership, by naming it\'s location doesn\'t take a rocket scientist to identify who they are, hence the deletion. No naming/shaming please. DD}
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This is a truly unacceptable practice by a main Mercedes Benz dealership to misrepresent the vehicle`s true origins at the point of sale.
I would suggest you contact their U.K. head office at Milton Keynes, Bucks in writing -
www.daimlerchrysler.co.uk/contact.html
and ask them how they intend to recompense your girlfriend for their blatant misrepresentation. Mercedes Benz Main Dealer criticsm is currently running at an all time high, and the threat of further adverse publicity cannot help their reputation.
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Thanks for your support, Dude. Will certainly make contact with them.
Does anybody know where we stand legally on this - trade descriptions act, misrepresentation of goods, etc ... ???
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Did the trader refuse to show you the V5 or did you (or GF) not ask to see it ?
If I hadn't asked to see the V5 before buying, I'd be blaming myself not the dodgy dealer.
If he wouldn't show me the V5 I wouldn't buy the car.
Misrepresentation, It is a M B isn't it ?
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Mmmmmm. Whilst I can see where some posters are coming from re quizing the dealer, at the end of the day you have bought a car from a MB dealer at normal retail price. You want to sell back to the MB dealer but they are knocking you down on price because it is an import.
So will they then retail the car at the lower price if you sell back to them?
If the import isn't a problem, then why don't they buy back at the correct price and retail it again at the correct price?
Will this be the norm for dealer soon-buy up non-UK cars and sell them on at full price, only to offer less come trade-in? I don't think the buying public would like that.
I think there should be a half-way solution to this.
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You say \'it is worth approx £3k less than an equivalent UK car.\'
How so?
If you were lied to, then there is misrepresentation. If you were not, then it probably isn\'t. Try reading
www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/facts/salegoodsact.htm
www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/guide/unsatisfactory.htm
tinyurl.com/29zw5
www.adviceguide.org.uk/secondhand_cars-2.pdf
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The problem is where do you differentiate between being lied to and deliberately having vital information witheld - in my book they can both qualify as misrepresentation.
The Dealer obviously knew this vehicle was an import and failed to mention this vital fact to Miktu`s G.F. at the point of sale.
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Some good advice coming through here - many thanks.
Think we're going to pen a letter to the MD of the franchise and copy it to customer services at M-B (UK).
Interestingly, the sales manager at the dealership has just mentioned that they "inadvertently " sold another vehicle recently which turned out to be an import and had to give the customer financial compensation.
Begs the question how much due-dilligence the dealers are taking to check the history of their stock and whether they are just testing the awareness of their customers ??
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I don't get this at all.
There is no intrinsic problem with imported vehichles. The open market chooses to value them lower.
Would I expect the dealer to warn me about buying the white one when the best selling colour is red ? Of course I wouldn't.
I find it difficult to understand how someone would buy a used car without asking to see the 'log book' first.
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Whilst some people may think that Miktu`s G.F. may have been naive in not requesting to view the V5 document at the point of sale, - in her defence I don`t think the majority of buyers would expect to be treated in such a deceitful manner by a M. Benz main dealership.
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Can anyone please explain why this car 'is worth £3000 less'.Seems very strange to me.
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TL: intrinsically its worth the same as any other MB of the type and age, but as dealers buy cheap and sell dear, the 'import" status gives an excuse to drop the price for buying purposes. Also, you might just have difficulty at other MB dealers honouring any remaining mfrs warranty or even routine service provision. Guessing here, as no experience of MB practice.
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A good point and there lies the rub.
The cars come off the same line and assuming its UK spec contains the same components.
The only real difference its it probably came to the UK on something other than an MB transporter and did not earn the MB dealer the wedge to which they have been accustomed so they try to get their cut second time around either by underpricing when buying or by cheating buyers via misrepresentation.
If there cars were worth less they should have two sections on the forecourts one for officials and one for imports which they have taken and they should be priced accordingly, cant't see it happening becuase I know which section would be full of punters.
Its a funny old game this car game.
as ever
Mark
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Miktu - pls let us know how you get on!!
Question: Can one view the log book or eqivlant from a dealer if car is brand new?
Thanks in advance
MM
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