American Service Center Associates of Alexandria

Review: To whom it may concern:

I had to have my car towed in on 04/26/2012 to the Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria because of a “start error” code on the dash after an evening at the movies. My key would not turn the engine over or lock or unlock my vehicle after several attempts. I thought that I just need a possible new battery replacement so I purchased some and the car still did not communicate with the keys and it was determined that I needed to have my car towed in to the dealership. After the diagnostic testing at the dealer it was determined that the AAM has malfunctioned and there was no communication with the control unit. A short test was performed and no communication with the AAM was found. The AAM was replaced and an initial start up was performed. During the initial start up the key fobs could not be read by the transponder ring. A new transponder ring test was fitted yet the keys could not be read. It was determined that the keys were bad. I was informed by [redacted] that the tech stated that the bad key short circuited the car two times and that the vehicle had to be jumped which blew some fuses. I was also informed by [redacted] that the keys were bad and that they would have to order a new key and that they would need to keep the car a little longer than expected. I did not mind because I was put into a loaner car for the time being. Upon ordering the keys [redacted] found out that the previous owner had order the max number of keys to be made to my vehicle. He informed me that a special order for the key had to be made and once the key came in he would let me know. The new key came in and it was successfully read by the transponder ring. I was told that the control unit had to be replaced and a new key had to be purchased and that everything was working fine I was informed that my charges would be $783.11. Please Reference invoice [redacted] dated: 5/7/12. I came to pick up my car on 5/08/2012 and when I got in the car on one of the hottest days during our heat surge last year, I turn on my AC and noticed that the blower did not work and that rolling up the passenger window locked the doors. I immediately informed [redacted] and they took the car back in to test the problem. Reference invoice [redacted] dated: 5/08/12 I waited around this time to see what was wrong. I was told that it was a coincidence that the blower went out the same time that the start error warning came up and that it was just time to replace the control unit. I might not know much about cars but I do know that the window controller should not be locking my doors and it was crazy that these new problems were not there before I dropped my vehicle off. The more I questioned things the more I was brushed off and basically escorted off the lot. [redacted] quoted me this outrageous amount to replace and fix the problem and I told him that I could not afford this at all. He referred me to the Mercedes salvage shop that they get their parts from. I never heard of a dealership given away such a secret as their personal salvage spot to a customer for only mercedes parts. This too sent a red flag up in my head that something had definitely gone wrong that he would give me this information. It also frustrated and angered me now knowing that it is not guaranteed that when I buy a part or get a repair done that I’m actually getting new Mercedes parts replaced on my vechicle, something I know other customers would be outraged about as well as much as we pay at the dealership for repairs and parts. I went through the whole summer without AC and the heater constantly blowing on the hottest summer the metropolitan has had in years because I could not afford the additional repairs. I am a single mom of three children and my income is just enough to make ends meet. After the previous repair costing $783, I had no additional monies to spare. This is my only vehicle, my means back and forth to work AC or no AC. I felt that I was taken advantage of because I was a woman customer who knew very little about cars. I knew something had gone wrong and no one wanted to own up to it. I believe that when the mechanic was trying to get the keys to work he blew my fuse box and they tried to cover this up and hurry me out of the dealership. I have lost all trust in going to a dealership after this experience. Of all places the Mercedes Benz dealership has been well respected for years and was a dealership that woman felt safe enough to take their cars in for repairs without being ripped off. Yes my vehicle is a 2001, but I only used Mercedes parts and maintained the proper maintenance and “[redacted]” ran just fine until this bad experience at the dealership. After going through the terrible summer’s heat with no AC and the heat blowing constantly on me and my asthmatic children I called the dealership back because I one could not afford the repairs and to I knew something went wrong that day that has caused all theses problems with my vehicle. Reference invoice # [redacted] dated: 8/11/12. See no charges for this visit! I saved some money and took my vehicle to a private Mercedes specialty body shop owned my one of Mercedes ex- mechanics to run diagnostics on my vehicle to get to the root of the problem. After doing a ping test and further diagnostic testing it was determined that the root to all my problems came back to the faulty fuse box that I was told was replaced by [redacted] and as stated on the invoice sheet and over a phone conversation on speaker at the repair shop that the mechanic there witnessed as well. So the repair shop called the dealership and asked the parts department if a fuse box was replace for the VIN number of my car and it was stated no fuse box had been replaced. So I was lied to and decieved to believe that a repair/replacement had been done and it had not. It was determined that none of the Safety mechanisms in my car are working behind this as well!!! So I’m driving around and have been driving around with no safety in this vechicle for myself and my three kids. This is so no right, and so unsafe and I have no other means to get my kids back and forth to school and myself back and forth to work to provide for us and this is how I have to do it UNSAFE. The only protection I have is my simple prayers to God everytime I get in my car that we get back and forth daily to our destination without an accident that could possibly be fatal for myself and my children as well as someone else and their family. It is now going back into another hot summer and my car is still in same condition and it is almost time for my inspection to be done on my car and something needs to be done. I just went in to have the safety inspection for the state of Virginia and it failed because all the lights are on on my dash because of this fuse box. Please help me with this situation or I will be going public and legal with this matter if needed to finally resolve the matter. I am so frustrated and hurt by this that the Mercededes dealer would take advantage of a female customer and risk the safety of her and her innocent children.

Devasted Customer,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: Apology, Finished repair, Reimbursement,Complimentary service for my hardship/ and replacement if there is any permanent damage!!!!

Business

Response:

[redacted],

I have reviewed [redacted] claim and wish to respond giving the facts of what took place.

[redacted]' car, a 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML320, with over 158,000 miles on the odometer, came in on April 26, 2012 stating that the car would not start and that the key remote would not lock or unlock the doors.

Once our diagnostic equipment was linked to the computers in her vehicle, all systems that are monitored had stored fault codes, not only for the no-start concern, but for every component in the vehicle .

Narrowing the faults down to her no start concern, it was determined that the first failed component, the AAM or All Activity Control Module, needed to be replaced as there was no communication to it which is the main component to starting the engine. Once replaced, it was discovered that there were other problems as well including faulty keys. At this time, both her original concerns were corrected and no other fault codes stored in her vehicles computer system was addressed.

Ms Jenkins returned on May 07, 2012 stating that the blower motor for her HVAC system was not working after the previous repairs as well as the power door lock button on the center console. With her being very adamant that this concern was not present before her last visit, and us not knowing one way or the other, we internally paid our Technician 5 hours of labor diagnostic time to determine that there was a short in the front fuse box and that it was not related to the previous repair, gave Ms Jenkins an estimate which she did not repair. We also informed her that the door lock control on the center console was a wiring issue. Again, there was no charge to [redacted] as a gesture of goodwill and a cost to the dealership of $675.00.

She returned again on August 06, 2012 wanted to replace the fuse box to get her A/C operational. We did replace the fuse box and got the blower motor operational, but would not turn off when the key was turned off. It would however turn off if the switch on the HVAC control panel was used. Though the blower motor was now operational, it was not blowing cold air and needed further diagnoses and [redacted] did not want to authorize this. At this time, she met with my service manager, [redacted] to voice her concerns. At this time, [redacted] explained to her the issues with the A/C, door locks, windows, etc had nothing to do with the original repairs and once again, as a gesture of goodwill, Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria paid for the $1005.55 for the fuse box repair.

As [redacted] vehicle is 12 years old and with over 158,000 miles on the odometer, there are many issues current with her vehicle that need attention. As mentioned earlier, the report from the computers on her vehicle from the visit on April 0f 2012 had fault codes for every system on her vehicle before we performed any work.

Further more, since [redacted] had been a regular customer in the past, we worked with her to the best of our ability at the tune of $1680 at our expense to address these issues in her complaint.

On the last visit, [redacted] explained to her that these issues with the A/C and other electrical problems she is experiencing has nothing to do with the original concern of the vehicle not starting, which has been corrected and there has been no return visits for that concern.

In closing, we have exhausted our efforts in the area of trying to satisfy Ms Jenkins and can not invest any more time or money concerning these issues that have no bearing on the original concern.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need further information or documentation of these visits for more clarification.

Regards,

Service Director

Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: Once you review the invoices I submitted with my complaint the facts are stated on them along with the facts I will address in this rebuttal. One I was never notified that all the systems that were monitored had store fault codes, but the AAM had malfunctioned therefore these start fault codes would be present. I have passed every emissions test prior to this incident that would have indicated any faulty codes as well. The original concern was the start engine error code on the dash as well as the keys not turning over the engine to start or lock/unlock the doors. I presented the concern of needing to possibly replace the batteries in the key remotes, which I did and the problem still existed. When I came to pick up my vehicle after the repairs where finished upon departure I noticed the additional problems that were not present at the time of the tow in on 4/26/12. I addressed the concerns immediately with [redacted] 5/4/12 when I picked my vehicle up and he informed me that I would have to bring my vehicle back at a later date because the mechanics were leaving for the day and it was schedule to bring back on 5/7/12. If you notice on the invoice it was left open for my return per [redacted] because of these issues. Getting back to the facts the start engine error was corrected, the new key was ordered which communicated with the AAM to unlock/lock the doors and start the vehicle, but now the middle console's right passenger window controller locks the doors and the AC/Heater control doesn't even work. [redacted] did take the vehicle to the back to check the AC/heater control and he got it back working but it only blew hot air out at the time. He stated that maybe the coolant was low and to try to put some in and see what happens. Coolant was put in and still only hot air came out of the blower. He then informed me that the AC/Heater controller might need to be replaced. In regards to the keys [redacted] informed me that one of the old keys worked along with the new key ordered and the bad key which was taped up to not use because it was the key that would short circuit the car. Just to be clear these concerns were addressed on 5/4/12 when I returned to retrieve my vehicle. I was told to come back on 5/7/12 to address and correct the problem. Please refer to the invoices for the time sequence that [redacted] has out of order and some of the details incorrect. The fuse box has been blown from the car being short circuited two times from the bad key where the vehicle had to be jumped to start per [redacted]. So this fuse box issue was not present prior the keys being tested and then later after further diagnostic testing upon my return on 5/7/12 it was determined that the fuse box was shorted which makes plenty of since to even me who knows nothing about cars. The good gesture was done because a problem had arrived from the previous repair and it was the right thing to do for a valued customer. Let me just say prior to this incident I have never had any complaints about the dealership and how they took care of me as a customer. I evened referred other customers there because of the outstanding service I received each time I came in to either purchase things or have maintenance done to my vehicle. Let me also say the service manager, [redacted] gave me excellent customer service as he was trying to figure out what transpired. [redacted] gave me an estimate about replacing the fuse box on 5/7/12 and I stated I could not afford this and why would I repair a problem that I knew happened after the previous repairs that was covered up. [redacted] also informed me that the window issue could possibly be some wiring issues. [redacted] and the mechanic who worked on my vehicle both know what happened and what went wrong. After leaving I had to drive around the whole hottest summer in history of the DMV until I was able to afford the money to take my vehicle somewhere else to investigate what went wrong at the Mercedes dealer. When I returned on 8/6/12 after calling in and speaking with [redacted] who directed my call to the service manager [redacted] to see what to do about the same concerns I had about the fuse box being blown after the car was jumped twice due to the bad key possibly causing all the additional problems I was advised to bring my vehicle back in. The diagnostic and what I thought at the time was a replacement of the old fuse box at the time was at no charge to me. [redacted] never stated that the issues with the AC, door locks nor the windows, etc had nothing to do with the original problem. The only person who made mention of that was [redacted] on 5/7/12. Again, to [redacted]'s allegations of all the fault codes the 12 year old Mercedes had passed every emissions test thus far as Mercedes last as long as they are maintenance properly, as mine was by the Mercedes Dealer of Alexandria. I knew something had gone wrong and I was determined to prove it so I then took my vehicle to [redacted] repair shop to investigate. After several diagnostic test, the climate controller even being replaced and a Pin test was done all the problems resulted back to the faulty fuse box that was as stated by [redacted] was replaced when it was not. The Mechanics at [redacted] called the Mercedes Benz of Alexandria's parts department with me present on speaker phone with my vehicle’s VIN number to see if the fuse box had been replaced and there was not record of any replacement at all. Ask [redacted] how do we explain this? FYI, it was also noted by [redacted] that my brake booster was leaking and the Mercedes dealer did not even inform me of this which could of resulted into a terrible possibly fatal accident as well. Please see attached invoices: the climate control unit was replaced and still no change in status of the problem and the window regulator and controller were replaced and tested and still problem existed with the determination that all the problems had to be resulted from the faulty fuse box that was never replaced as stated by the Mercedes Benz of Alexandria. Regards, [redacted]

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]

I had [redacted] contact [redacted] to review her concerns since she rejected our first response and [redacted] was involved personally during her recent visits.

Though [redacted] confirmed that the concerns with her vehicle at this time are unrelated, she agreed to bring her vehicle into our Service Center this coming Friday, May 10th, for evaluation.

She had also contacted MBUSA regarding this complaint which they reviewed and closed their case with her.

Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Regards,

Service Director

Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

[redacted],

As you know I respoonded back in a detailed statement addressing my concerns and [redacted] reached out to me today in efforts to finding a resolution. I would like to just make sure that there are no misunderstandings about the response statement from [redacted] stating," though [redacted] confirmed that the concerns with her vehicle at the time are unrelated.", he believes that my concerns are unrelated and not that he confirmed with me that I agreed that my concerns were not related. I wanted to make sure for the record that my concern and complaint have not changed. I still believe that after my car had to be jumped twice after the bad key was used in efforts by the mechanic to try and figure out the problem with the "start error" problem my fuse box was blown and this has caused the communication problems to other systems in my vehicle. After, speaking with [redacted] I did agree to come in on Friday, May 10,2012 to try and resolve the problem that still exists. [redacted], I believe with good intentions wants to make sure that I know as a valued customer that the dealership and it's mechanics were not negligent in their efforts while fixing my car even with the finding from [redacted] suggesting that all the issues resort back to the faulty fuse box that was replaced by a new one. I want to thank [redacted] for all his efforts in trying to resolve the matter in the best way possible. I would also like to respond to the statement that the MBUSA closed the case, this is because they have informed the dealership of my concerns/complaint and they are aware that I am dealing with [redacted] directly and there is no longer needed for a third party mediation as that is what they do. I would like to thank [redacted] R-case manager MBUSA,LLC with his efforts. In closing I would like to add that that [redacted] who is the service director should allow the people who he hired to deal with customer relations such as [redacted] to do just that to avoid any negative press from a customer being offended by his comments that could possibly future damper with the relationship of the customer and dealership and other future customers.

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

[redacted],

As you know I respoonded back in a detailed statement addressing my concerns and [redacted] reached out to me today in efforts to finding a resolution. I would like to just make sure that there are no misunderstandings about the response statement from [redacted] stating," though [redacted] confirmed that the concerns with her vehicle at the time are unrelated.", he believes that my concerns are unrelated and not that he confirmed with me that I agreed that my concerns were not related. I wanted to make sure for the record that my concern and complaint have not changed. I still believe that after my car had to be jumped twice after the bad key was used in efforts by the mechanic to try and figure out the problem with the "start error" problem my fuse box was blown and this has caused the communication problems to other systems in my vehicle. After, speaking with [redacted] I did agree to come in on Friday, May 10,2012 to try and resolve the problem that still exists. [redacted], I believe with good intentions wants to make sure that I know as a valued customer that the dealership and it's mechanics were not negligent in their efforts while fixing my car even with the finding from [redacted] suggesting that all the issues resort back to the faulty fuse box that was replaced by a new one. I want to thank [redacted] for all his efforts in trying to resolve the matter in the best way possible. I would also like to respond to the statement that the MBUSA closed the case, this is because they have informed the dealership of my concerns/complaint and they are aware that I am dealing with [redacted] directly and there is no longer needed for a third party mediation as that is what they do. I would like to thank [redacted]-case manager MBUSA,LLC with his efforts. In closing I would like to add that that [redacted] who is the service director should allow the people who he hired to deal with customer relations such as [redacted] to do just that to avoid any negative press from a customer being offended by his comments that could possibly future damper with the relationship of the customer and dealership and other future customers.

Regards,

Business

Response:

We understand the customers point of View and will take another look at the car and see what can be done . [redacted] GM

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: Recently I had a car accident in the parking lot of my kids school which I thought it was due to the brake failure. Due to that there were some damages occurred on the body of my Mercedes GLK 350 which I leased from the company, it has been towed to Mercedes service section. After two days I talked to the service manager pertaining the repair costs, [redacted] ,the who gave me an estimation of $3000.00 as a total cost of the body damage, and that I have to bear all that cost. I asked them to email me exactly what was the parts that needs to be replaced , they sent me an estimation with details but nothing about the break. When I talked to [redacted] about the break problem and how the incident happened in the parking lot and I was unable to take the full break, he said he will check it and told me if it turns out the break is bad then they will bear the costs of the repairing. He asked my permission to let one of his workers to drive the car home to make sure there is nothing wrong with the break as he drives on the high speed, I gave him that permission although the idea was so wired . Next day [redacted] gave me a call and told me the the break is operating 100% , but I told him I won't drive that car because the engine was making a squeek noise whenever I push the break, then he said(well there is something minor on the break that needs to be fixed but that is only after we open the break and check it) . I couldn't come up to a deal with [redacted] regarding the cost , so I decided to take the car back home, when I asked him if it is drivable and safe , he said ( no) and the reason he gave me was that ( there are some stuff taken off like the plastic pad that covers the front tire so some of the sharp stuff might get into the tire if I make a sharp turn and might cause a tire puncture) , I kept asking him if there is anything else that makes the car unsafe, he said that is all. I asked for the plastic cover and took it home and drove home. I took the car to a mechanic that my lawyer recommended to take a quote from him, he checked the whole thing and gave me an estimation of $1200 for total repairing, when I asked him if he can check the break and give me a report of the condition of the break, he did it in less than half an hour and celled me back asking me to go back to him to see the (totally damaged rotters that holds the break in the front tire) telling me to make pictures of it and show it to the Mercedes people , The mechanic believes that the reason for a worn out rotter is that cheap spare parts used for the break that couldn't resist after only having 20.000 miles on the car and that should not happen with Mercedes brand. he advised me to take the car back to the company and ask them to replace the rotters as they are under warrant. When I took the car back to [redacted] and showed him the pictures and asked him why he didn't tell me about the break and let me drive it home, he simply said that he mentioned that verbally over the phone but not in writing and that they are not responsible of the worn out rotters and would not replace it, when I told him the the service B! is due and he should include that in the service , he said that service B1 would not cover the break and I have to pay for Service B1 which is around$500, I blamed him for not telling me anything about the break even when they did service A last year , they didn't say anything about the break. He simply said that they won't replace it.Desired Settlement: I hold Mercedes responsible for exposing my life and my kids life to danger by hiding the truth about the break. I asked them to provide me with a review about the history of the car but they didn't. I demand them to do the service B1 for free and fix the rotters all (4 ) for free since this is their responsibility to ensure my family's safety, and that is the least I'm asking for a leased car that I costs me $554.00 every month for a car that is defective and still cannot guarantee my safety? what else can be more more safe other than Mercedes 2011!!

Business

Response:

Dear **. [redacted],

In response to this complaint from [redacted].

[redacted] visited our Service Center on November 04,, 2013 stating that she hit another car in a parking lot due to brake failure and is insisting that Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria be responsible for this.

The last service visit of [redacted] to Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria was on November 12, 2012 for the first service due on her vehicle when it had 11,460 miles on the odometer. When she visited us this November, she had 20,283 miles on the odometer.

When she brought her car to us on Nov 4th of this year...she stated that her brake pedal was going to the floor and that the vehicle would not stop and she hit a parked car.

When these types of concerns come to our shop, we put our lead technicians on the case and also get one of our shop foremen to oversee it as well. During the inspection of the vehicle, we did not find any brake components on the vehicle that failed, there were no computer fault codes in the braking systems and the brake pads and rotors we over the the specifications that would require replacement.

By her description of the events, it would appear that there was some sort of hydraulic brake failure and not in the case of low brake pads and/or rotors.

After our initial inspection of the vehicle, we found nothing wrong with the braking system or braking components. The vehicle was also driven extensively by our Technician and what she described did not take place.

We did advise her not to drive the car as the front fender liner was rubbing the l/f tire due to the accident. She decided to pick her vehicle up.

She did later call **. [redacted] stating that she had her car at another shop and they informed her that the brake and rotors were shot and needed to be replaced. In a gesture of goodwill, **. [redacted] invited her back in to check the brakes once again since we did not have the actual measurements of the pads and rotors.

Since her 2nd maintenance was due on the vehicle and she had NOT yet done it, we offered to perform this service at no charge to her.

The front brake rotors measured above the minimum service limits and the brake pads were low, but not yet requiring replacement. The rear brake pads and rotors both were above minimum service limits as well. A brake fluid flush was also recommended as required by the manufacturer as maintenance.

In closing....there were no brake failures found on the vehicle and what [redacted] is implying that we put her in jeopardy is not fact. Her vehicle has several other impacts on it as well that are separate from the one in question. The brake pads and rotors are maintenance items that are the responsibility of the customer and not covered under the manufacturers new car limited warranty. Also, her claim of the brake pedal going to the floor would not be caused by worn out brake pads and rotors.

Again, as a gesture of goodwill, we did perform the 20,000 mile service on [redacted]'s vehicle at no charge to her to put her mind to ease about the condition of the vehicle. She is in need of replacing front pads and rotors soon but they are not in the condition that they would cause any sort of accident that she is claiming.

I have attached both repair order invoices while dealing with [redacted].

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.

Regards,

Service Director

Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria

###-###-####

Review: I bought a family car from the dealer, Mercedes Benz of Alexandria, assuming that the experience of buying a Mercedes Benz vehicle from them was going to be smooth and rewarding. I offered a vehicle, 2001 Subaru Outback, to be part of the trade-in process, however the cost the seller wanted to accept as a trade-in was way inferior than any standard value. So I desisted from traded-in my old car and made a down payment and financed the rest of the cost for the new car. Hence I returned home with two cars, the old and new ones. In the sells receipt, there is flat merchant fee of $299 they charge as part of their titling and registration process, and transferring of plates if necessary,e tc. In general, I was supposed to receive the plates of the new car on the mail.

A month after I bough the car, the temporary tags were going to expire; the only thing I got from the motor vehicle administration (MVA) was a set of stickers. When I closely look at them, realized that the dealer, transferred the plates of my old vehicle, which I was still driving, to the new car!!. All this time, I was driving a car with "wrong" plates and no registration card!!. Apparently, the day of the sale, the dealer subtracted the registration from my glove box without my knowledge and used it later to start the process of transferring the plates. You can see that their sales scheme is pressured and targeted to get the money upfront without paying close attention to important details!

Since my old car was illegal to be driven, I had to start immediately a process of re-registering my car, which took almost an entire day. I was glad they never subtracted my title but still had to prove to MVA that I was still the legal owner since the system was already showing that the old car was under the dealer's name.

This situation was not only embarrassing, but dangerous, since I was driven a car for about a month with "wrong plates" and no registration card. I could have been stopped by a police officer, I could have face jail or my car being impounded. Perhaps would have ended up paying high fines.

I contacted the dealer via e-mail but they didn't immediately replied (knowing the nature of the issue) until I called them arguing to do something. Instead the salesman mention I could do it myself since their office may take more time to address the issue. No apology given, no pro activeness, no remorse for what they caused. Instead they were pinpointing fingers to other departments but my situation wasn't addressed. Meanwhile I had to solve the issue myself and personally at MVA, In order to prevent further screw-ups from the dealer, I called them to mention that I was able to solve the issue. The dealer just said "ok" and "they are glad" without even offering any sort of monetary repair or compensation for the costs I had to incur to solve the problem.

So I had to call them back to tell them to refund the money I've spent due to their incompetence. The dealer sells-man asked me for receipts.Desired Settlement: Refund of re-registration fee for old car 2001 Subaru Outback = $148

Refund of mileage from my workkplace to MVA to address the issue = $20

Refund of unperceived wages for the time I was at MVA = $450

and a WRITTEN APOLOGY.

Business

Response:

To: Revdex.com

Re: [redacted]

Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria has contacted the consumer and both parties have come to an agreement for the error in the registration of his vehicles. Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria has agreed to refund the consumer his processing fee since he had to take the time to have his registration corrected. Mercedes-Benz regrets the events that led to the consumer having to go down to the MVA to work out the registration issues. We would never willingly have a customer leave in an unregistered vehicle. There was a misunderstanding during the paperwork process and again we regret the final outcome.

As to how our employees responded to the consumer when he brought the issue to the dealerships attention, we have corrected the parties involved to alert the business office to take the proper course of action. The request for receipts is a proper procedure that our accounting office follows, but our employees should request these receipts in a more tactful manor.

We feel this is an isolated event, and we don’t expect it to happen again. We hope this satisfies the issue and closes this matter.

Review: Below is a letter addressed to [redacted] General Manager of [redacted] of Alexandria regarding the deceptive sale and misrepresentation, and fraudulently withholding documents that disclose that a vehicle sold to me had body damage repairs on two separate occasions. Despite repeated attempts to,obtain the vehicles past recors, they were withheld.

Dear **. [redacted],

I am writing regarding the purchase of a [redacted] last week from your dealership. We worked with both [redacted] and [redacted]. We traveled considerable distance after viewing a particular vehicle on the [redacted] search site. The transaction had plenty of unprofessional moments, which I’d be happy to share, however I will focus on the most egregious, the clear misrepresentation of the vehicle history. [redacted] was asked, at a minimum, 3 separate times about any accident or body damage. [redacted] was emphatic that no body work had been performed, and offered up the [redacted] as evidence. My husband, in my presence, advised [redacted] that vehicle history reports vary considerably with regard to their accuracy, based on a variety of factors. He requested from [redacted], and subsequently from others, the service history printout for the vehicle. This request was made many times verbally, and also committed to writing several additional times when unresponsive to verbal requests. [redacted] continued to state he was working with the tech to produce them.

I traveled by train and arrived to pick up the vehicle last Wednesday, January 15, 2014 and worked with [redacted]. During our conversation, I asked numerous times for the history report and was advised that I was not entitled to them, as they contained personal information, which prohibited distribution. I was given excuse after excuse as to why such paperwork could not be provided. I insisted and advised that many dealers I’ve worked with previously offered such details, and that he would need to redact sensitive information or I could not consummate the transaction. After four hours and much insisting, [redacted] finally gave me a copy of records printed from the car's history during the final minutes of my stay. This history was handed to me along with the owner's manual as he was explaining the vehicle features. I left the dealer frustrated but glad to be on my way home with the car after a long day. [redacted] promised to provide me with a copy of the remaining documentation I had requested such as the [redacted] checklist and a copy of all purchase documents. These too, I was told I would have in a few days.

I returned home and parked the car in my garage and the car has not moved since that day, last Wednesday, January 15th. Over the weekend, I had a chance to look at the printout that I was handed. It clearly states that on two separate occasions the vehicle sustained body damage which was not only known, but some of the work was performed by your dealership. They occurred at 3,000 miles and again at 11,000 miles, and included front-end parts including a new headlamp, grille and various other parts. The report refers to a secondary estimate for body repair and refinishing for each repair, none of which has been provided to us.

While not intimately aware of the applicable laws in the State of VA, I am aware that in various jurisdictions some repairs need not be disclosed. Here we are discussing a different fact pattern, one where the proper degree of due diligence was done, and the specific questions were asked – and both my husband and I both advised clearly that were there repairs to the vehicle, we would likely not continue with the transaction. Based on the circumstances and responses, it is only in hindsight that I reasonably conclude that the information was purposefully concealed and withheld, constituting a material breach of contract.

Today I will contact both the Consumer Protection Section of the Attorney General of Virginia to open a formal complaint against your dealership. I will also contact the Revdex.com and other venues that accept complaints on car dealers, to explain my experience. I expect this will be resolved in a responsible, professional manner.

I am copying this letter to [redacted] USA and [redacted] Financial as I have not made a payment on this vehicle and I will not pay for a vehicle that was fraudulently misrepresented in the inducement. The vehicle will remain in my garage, unused until such time as this matter is resolved.

I expect an immediate response to this letter along with a detailed plan of action to be taken to provide me with the information requested and with how you intend to remedy the situation.

Regards, [redacted]Desired Settlement: As outlined in my letter, we first would like the complaint addressed. We want the entire history of the vehicle disclosed including all repairs and body work. Lastly, we want the vehicle picked up at our home and the full purchase price refunded at no cost to us.

Business

Response:

Our General Manager, **. [redacted] spoke to [redacted]. Caughey about her vehcle issue. We have currently sent her a [redacted] package of vehicle history that she has requested. The vehicle did have two (2) minor accidents which were not on the [redacted] at the time of sales and were unknown to [redacted] of Alexandria at that time. The repairs were bumper refinishing and a headlight.

The repairs were minor in nature and our General Manager has offered [redacted]. Caughey a Premium 3 service [redacted] Pre-Paid maintance agreement as an apology for her inconvience. We are currnetly waiting for a reply.

Thank you

[redacted] of Alexandria

Controller

Review: [redacted] of Alexandria told us that would cover half of the maintenance package in order to complete the sale of a vehicle, however once they realized items were calculated the Manager did not try to rectify this issue of paying the $899 and they did not pay for their half.

On Friday August 15, 2014 my mother and I visited the [redacted] of Alexandria location and began working with Mr. Danny S[redacted]. We live in [redacted], Virginia and passed numerous dealerships to arrive at [redacted] of Alexandria. Mr. S[redacted] took us on a test drive and was very helpful in locating the perfect vehicle (2014 [redacted]). After locating the vehicle at the sister location ([redacted] of Arlington) we began working on an acceptable deal to purchase the car.

Not having a prepaid maintenance package was a deal breaker since the [redacted] that we were looking at came standard with the maintenance package. With this knowledge, Mr. S[redacted] went and spoke with the New Sales Manager Mr. Tom I[redacted]. After speaking with his Manager, Mr. S[redacted] advised us that they would pay for half of the maintenance package to ensure the deal was sealed. We were advised that we would be responsible for $899 and the dealership would pay for the other half. After hearing that deal we felt as though that was an acceptable agreement and agreed to the Sales price with the knowledge that the dealership was paying for half of the package. If the dealership was not going to cover any costs for the maintenance this would have been a deal breaker. After the sales price was agreed to at 7pm, we advised Mr. S[redacted] that we had dinner reservations and needed to leave and would fill out the additional paperwork the next day.

My mother gave them her social security number and signed a form agreeing to the terms.

As we got up to leave Mr. I[redacted] came out of his office and said he needed a deposit to transfer the vehicle from the Arlington location to the Alexandria store. I advised Mr. I[redacted] and Mr. S[redacted] that no one told us that a deposit was needed to transfer the vehicle. If this fact was known we could have very easily driven 20 miles to the Arlington location and done the deal at that location. I advised Mr. I[redacted] and Mr. S[redacted] that we did not have a credit card available to put a hold on the vehicle. I had an American Express card with me but it was at the end of my cycle and charging $1,000 whether reversed the next day or not would have cost me $1000 because it showed as a purchase on the last day of the billing cycle. I offered to have Mr. I[redacted] hold my credit card but not charge the card since we would be in on the following morning. Mr. I[redacted] said that was not possible and began raising his voice to advise me that they were not going to pick up the vehicle unless I gave them a credit card and that he normally requests a $5,000 deposit. Once again I advised him that we were not aware and that I would bring a credit card in the morning and they could charge it then and pick up the car in the afternoon. The exchange of words and the raising of Mr. I[redacted]’s voice caused employees and customers in the dealership to stop what they were doing and stare at us.

After leaving the dealership, later in the night, we were playing around on the computer and noticed that the four-year prepaid maintenance for the [redacted] was $899. After seeing that price we realized that in truth the dealership was not covering half of the maintenance package in which we agreed upon in the deal.

On the following day, Saturday morning my mother received a call from Mr. S[redacted] apologizing for what happened the previous night and said it should not have happened that way. Mr. S[redacted] then told my mother that he would have the car available for her the same day and would not require a deposit. With that good news we returned to the dealership to purchase the vehicle. Upon arrival Mr. S[redacted] had the vehicle cleaned and parked up front for viewing. The paperwork was already complete and ready for signature. We were very impressed with Mr. S[redacted] and his display of great customer service.

We advised Mr. S[redacted] of the discrepancy in the pricing and what we were charged for versus what the package is selling for. After looking over the paperwork Mr. S[redacted] realized there was indeed a mistake, and we were charged approximately $1400 for the maintenance package when we actually purchased a [redacted]. Mr. S[redacted] then realized an error was made and he would try to work it out and would personally provide something from him to ensure we were happy.

Mr. S[redacted] then went into Mr. I[redacted]’s office to advise him of the error that occurred. Mr. I[redacted] came out to the desk and advised my mother and I that there was no error and he doesn’t understand why we think there is an error because he calculated the numbers correctly and we agreed to the numbers. I advised Mr. I[redacted] that we indeed agreed to the numbers, however, we agreed to the numbers based on the fact that the dealership was paying for half of the maintenance cost. The previous night we were quoted that the prepaid maintenance package was approximately $1400, which we learned, was untrue. Mr. I[redacted] then stated he already did us a favor by bringing the vehicle without a deposit and there was nothing else that he could do to lower the price because he was at his bottom line price. I began explaining to Mr. I[redacted] that we needed to come to an agreement because we had agreed to terms that the dealership did not uphold. He then began raising his voice again telling me that there was nothing else he could do and closed the folder and began to get up and walk away stating the deal is over. Once again people stopped what they were doing to look at us. My mother then had to stop him and tell him that he should not walk away when she is the one purchasing the vehicle. He then told me he was not dealing with me and asked my mother to go into the office with him.

In the office she explained to him why she was dissatisfied at this point. The night before it was clearly stated that the dealership would cover half of the maintenance fee and now they were reneging on the agreement. She told him she still wanted the car but informed him that this was not good business practice! You cannot say one thing and then do another and try to make it right by stating “you agreed to the price!” He advised her that the vehicle was as low as he could get it. She informed him that she still wanted the vehicle however she did not like the fact that she was dealing with a dealership who did not live up to their end of the deal.

While Mr. I[redacted] and my mother were talking I informed Mr. S[redacted] that I will NEVER deal with [redacted] of Alexandria and had I known this would occur we would have gone directly to the other dealership. I have purchased numerous luxury vehicles and have never once had a Manager of any sort raise his voice and argue with me on the show room floor not once but twice on two separate days.

Mr. S[redacted] stated that he believed Mr. I[redacted] might have had a long day. I told Mr. S[redacted] that I understand however in any profession it is not professional to argue or raise your voice at a client on the show room floor regardless of whether you have a good or bad day. In a service industry, luxury dealerships are expected to provide superb customer service in all aspects. Despite the fact that the vehicle was purchased, we are still very upset and unhappy with the level of service we were provided. It is never acceptable for a dealership to promise one thing and not provide an alternative or come to some sort of agreement when indeed they are wrong.

I would like to commend Mr. S[redacted] because he volunteered to provide out of his pocket all weather mats/a spare tire for the inconvenience and issues we encountered. All around, Mr. S[redacted] was an outstanding salesman. As a company, a manager should never have its employees resolving situations when the manager does not care and did not offer any type of compensation. Mr. I[redacted] exhibited poor management and customer service skills during our purchase experience.

My mother loved the vehicle and still purchased the vehicle however we are VERY disappointed in her first luxury car buying experience at your dealership. As much as I would like to refer individuals to Mr. S[redacted], I am unable to due to the poor management and dishonesty present within your dealership.Desired Settlement: Some sort of compensation since the dealership did not hold up there end of the deal by paying for half of the warranty.

Business

Response:

August 27, 2014Dear [redacted],Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint ID [redacted]Enclosed please find all of the e-mail communications between [redacted] and our dealership. Please know that the purchaser was actually the gentleman's mother. He was present at the dealership during each visit and is certainly an interested party but not the purchaser of record.I personally investigated [redacted] concerns. As you can see from my e-mail to him highlighted in red on the attachment, there was a considerable back and forth during the negotiation process and a final all in price was agreed to. A price I may mention that was extremely favorable to the client. [redacted] felt that they were entitled to more after the fact. I am glad to show anyone from your team our detailed accounting or the transaction.We even offered to take the car back and give them a complete refund (see e-mail). As far as I am Concerned, we delivered a great car at a great price to them and we are not willing to offer anything additional. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this further. The best number is my cell ###-###-####.Peter CGeneral Manager