MB Open day

They could probably tell a pair of timewasters from a mile off. Dealers are quite good at seeing who is worth the attention and who isn't.
 
Mercedes Benz probably do have a look that they are after.

I turned up to a local dealer to take a look at the ML series 4x4 (used if that makes a difference)... anyway im 30, arrived in scruffy jeans and a polo with my 3 year old in our Citroen.

The place wasnt even busy and no one offered any help, even though I made it obvious what I was looking at. So I asked at reception and got some cold shouldered salesman who offered to open the doors and the boot for me. By that time I was put off anyway due to the perceived snobbery that I wont be parting with 25k cash and whatever my car collects in part ex for one of their motors in that dealership at least.

VW were totally different, a salesman approached me straight away, we discussed what i was looking for and budget etc, so he showed me a new Touareg in the showroom and then said or you can take a look at this V10 outside. Had a play in it (Couldnt test drive that day as I was busy) but it was a place that id be happy to part my cash in because I didnt feel judged.

Its weird really but I suppose the big name dealers can hedge their bets and hope that they dont waste time on 'wannabees' and grab the attention of the honey pots.
 
To be honest though they appear to be right to shun you. Nobody decides on a model of car and then completely changes their mind because the particular salesman they spoke to at a particular deal (There are many other dealers) wasnt nice enough. You'd simply look to purchase it elsewhere.

You had no intention of purchasing an ML.
 
[TW]Fox;16694931 said:
To be honest though they appear to be right to shun you. Nobody decides on a model of car and then completely changes their mind because the particular salesman they spoke to at a particular deal (There are many other dealers) wasnt nice enough. You'd simply look to purchase it elsewhere.

You had no intention of purchasing an ML.

Which is why I put in 'that dealership at least'.

I went to the Mercedes garage for them to sell me the car not for them to 'appear' to judge me and show no interest, im not an expert and never will be on the subject of cars, so I could easily be swayed in all honesty with the right gumpf :D All I know is im after a 4x4 type car with as many gadgets as possible and for a certain budget.

Im not against an ML and would still get one if the right one came along and who knows it might have been in that garage at that time but I wasnt given the time or place to get the info I wanted out of the salesman as I felt unwelcome.

However as another thread ive posted suggests, my minds pretty much set on a Touareg V10 now... im just adding to my cash pot to try and get the best I can.

Apologies for hijacking the thread, just wanted to add my experience when in a Mercedes garage not so long ago.
 
Which is why I put in 'that dealership at least'.

I went to the Mercedes garage for them to sell me the car not for them to 'appear' to judge me and show no interest, im not an expert and never will be on the subject of cars, so I could easily be swayed in all honesty with the right gumpf :D All I know is im after a 4x4 type car with as many gadgets as possible and for a certain budget.

Im not against an ML and would still get one if the right one came along and who knows it might have been in that garage at that time but I wasnt given the time or place to get the info I wanted out of the salesman as I felt unwelcome.

However as another thread ive posted suggests, my minds pretty much set on a Touareg V10 now... im just adding to my cash pot to try and get the best I can.

Apologies for hijacking the thread, just wanted to add my experience when in a Mercedes garage not so long ago.

Thing is from your latest posts it's clearly obvious that you're not a buyer! Your going to bounce from dealer to dealer and dither about for months before you buy a car! And you probably won't even buy anything similar to what you set out to buy!

You loved the Touareg, so why didn't you buy it? You'd rather just talk about it!
 
You loved the Touareg, so why didn't you buy it? You'd rather just talk about it!

To be fair car dealers only really like clueless numpties or fabulously wealthy people as customers and, as you've just highlighted, consider anyone else a waste of time.

A fabulously wealthy person will order a new car as he would a new wine - if its crap or he doesnt get on with it no bother, he'll trade it for something else.

A clueless numpty can easily be swayed by the salesman to buy whatever it is the salesman is selling, excellent.

A more clued buyer however is the dealers nightmare. They want to make sure they buy absolutely the right car for them. They are not going to buy the first one they see and they are not going to make a decision until they've looked at all the competition, picked the one they like the most, done some homework to make sure the car is right for them, considered any wildcard alternatives, etc.

Eventually, after weeks or even months of research they will decide which car to buy and they will then buy that car. However in the period before this, they need and require information and advice perhaps from dealers on which car is best.

Car salesmen are simply sharks in it for themselves and themselves alone. If you wont personally earn them comission, then get lost and stop bothering them. A sale for the brand rather than them personally is as useful to them as no sale at all.

Just because somebody wont roll over and buy the first car he sees and likes the look of doesn't mean he's a 'messer', it just means it might not be you that gets the commission.

Knowing this, I never bother even talking to a car salesman unless I absolutely have to until I've decided that the exact model they have available is the one I'd like to buy. I do all my research myself, but obviously it can be a pain when you need a test drive and the douche in the showroom has twigged you wont buy his Boxster TODAY so he wont let you drive it, so you are left wondering how you decide between a Boxster and a Z4 in order to decide which car it is you want before finding the right example, if the sales moron has decided he hates you.

A half decent dealer would be open and accomodating to these people because there is a probable chance that if they dont buy the car you want to sell them today, if your product is the best in class, they'll probably realise that and come back and buy another one. But salesman are not motivated by this - its all about comission.

This is why I like Lexus dealers. No comission - all the staff are there to promote the BRAND not to sell you a specific car. As a result, none of the usual car dealer BS exists there. Just a shame everything they sell is boring :(
 
Last edited:
Thing is from your latest posts it's clearly obvious that you're not a buyer! Your going to bounce from dealer to dealer and dither about for months before you buy a car! And you probably won't even buy anything similar to what you set out to buy!

You loved the Touareg, so why didn't you buy it? You'd rather just talk about it!

I am a buyer if thats the term you wish to use, 2 things to consider:

1 - Ive bounced about 2 dealers if you would like to call 1 visit to each, bouncing around.

2 - I am waiting for this months cheque to clear, ive no need to discuss amounts or why im using this months but if I dip into the savings account to purchase the car, my mrs will do horrible things to delicate places :D

Its not ideal, sort of a limbo position really but at the same time it has let me consider my options.

Once I do go ahead, either next week or in 2020, ill be sure to post a picture of the car and invoice just to prove im a buyer ;)

The downside is, the car I like may go and thus I will then join the waiting game for another to come up
 
I would tell my dad to ask his questions on here but it would be a 100 page thread of people who have never met my dad telling him he cant afford one, cant afford to run one, doesnt make the money he does make, asking him for a picture and then taking the **** out of him for his looks, then asking him how tall he is and then to prove it, and then when all is said and done and proven wrong, they will ask a moderator to lock the topic and for him to be banned.

So i thought we should go to the actual place that sells them ;)
 
I am a buyer if thats the term you wish to use, 2 things to consider:

1 - Ive bounced about 2 dealers if you would like to call 1 visit to each, bouncing around.

2 - I am waiting for this months cheque to clear, ive no need to discuss amounts or why im using this months but if I dip into the savings account to purchase the car, my mrs will do horrible things to delicate places :D

Its not ideal, sort of a limbo position really but at the same time it has let me consider my options.

Once I do go ahead, either next week or in 2020, ill be sure to post a picture of the car and invoice just to prove im a buyer ;)

The downside is, the car I like may go and thus I will then join the waiting game for another to come up


Stick a deposit on it.
 
We got treated pretty well when going to buy a Mercedes, even though arriving in a £500 Vectra with 230k miles on the clock:p In turn we also treated the MD of MB UK pretty well when he came around for tea:D
 
I nearly went to my local MB dealer open day except despite the website being advertised on the radio numerous times, the site had nothing on about the day. Ended up being busy with other stuff though.

If thats how they treat more typical MB customers, I have a feeling me and my 'S' plate C-Class may have been given the Nelson Muntz treatment :p
 
Back
Top Bottom