This guy could have used some of the $6,500 he saved to get a better camera with a decent microphone.
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(12 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)
(12 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)Rip Off Report - Mercedes dealership ambush
Posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2007 under Miscellaneous
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Hah! Well, business is business. The customer was really patient throughout the whole “BS” and I think that this guy is awesome.
As for “Mercedes-Benz”, must they be total jerks just for money? I wish there was no “Mercedes-Benz” anymore. The world would be more convenient knowing that 20% of BS in the World has gone.
[Overexaggerated the 20%, Hah!]
This happens all the time! I had it happen to me with an air conditioner on a piece of crap van 10 years ago. Glad you caught it on tape. Did you file a rip off report, too? You should! If it’s on Ripoff report, maybe you can save someone else the pain.
First off I used to work at this dealership as a tech. The Tech’s DO NOT MAKE $110/Hour, that is the door rate. Second the C-Class Panorama roof is riddled with problems. And Guess what….a rock will emulate the same condition as the broken cables.
I think he should get Lino’s permission to release this footage, because it is BS.
Its, not a RIP OFF. I know the tech in question personally. During the disassembly he would have found the rock and retested and maybe charged a bit more labour then the shop down the street, but the $6500 roof would not have been installed.
This incident is BS and is nothing compared to what other shops do!
FIRST OF ALL, THIS WHOLE DEAL IS B.S. I MEAN TOP OF THE LINE B.S. I AM AN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN BY TRADE AND I HAVE CLOWNS LIKE THIS COMING INTO THE SHOP EVERYDAY CLAIMING THAT THEIR STUFF IS BROKEN. YOU THEN GIVE THEM AN ESTIMATE OF THE POSSIBLE REPAIR REQUIRED, BUT THAT UPON FURTHER DISASSEMBLY OTHER THINGS MAY BE DISCOVERED TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. NOW I WORK ON EUROPEAN CARS, AND THESE C-CLASS PANORAMA ROOFS ARE KNOW TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CABLES RUNNING IN THE SUNROOF CASSETTE, WHICH IS WHAT WAS QUOTED IN THE ORIGINAL REPAIR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. I HAVE CALLED MY FRIEND WHO DIAGNOSED THIS CAR AT THIS DEALER, WHO BY THE WAY IS ONE OF THE TOP TECH’S IN CANADA AND ONE OF THE MOST HONEST MEN I KNOW, AND HE SAID THAT A ROCK THAT BIG HE HELD UP WOULD HAVE BEEN VISIBLE TO HIM AS HE INSPECTED THE RUNNERS OF THE ROOF. NOT ONLY DID HE INSPECT THE RUNNERS, BUT HE ALSO PERFORMED ALL NECCESSARY ELECTRICAL TEST TO REVEAL THAT THERE IS A RESTRICTION IN THE ROOF OPENING PROCESS (IT IS REGISTERED AS RESISTANCE IN THE MOTOR’S OPERATION). IN ADDITION, WHAT THE HELL IS A FRIGGIN HUGE ROCK DOING “IN” YOUR ROOF?!?!?!? ARE YOU TRYING TO SCAM PEOPLE WITH THIS B.S. ON TOP OF THAT, WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO FILM PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION, IF I WAS THIS SERVICE ADVISOR I WOULD SUE YOUR ASS FOR EVERYTHING ITS GOT. THE SERVICE ADVISOR DOES NOT HAVE EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CARS, HE MERELY RELAYS BASIC INFORMATION TO THE CUSTOMER, HE IS NOT THERE TO EXPLAIN ALL THE TECHINICALITIES UNLESS THE CUSTOMER REQUESTS TO KNOW EXACT DETAILS OF THE REPAIR, IN WHICH CASE HE GETS THE INFO FROM THE TECHNICIAN THAT DIAGNOSED IT WHO IS MORE THAN WILLING TO DEMONSTRATE AND PROVIDE PROOF TO THE CUSTOMER. THE SERVICE ADVISOR DID HIS JOB, TO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION TO THE CUSTOMER. THE TECH DOES NOT MAKE $110 AN HOUR YOU MORON, THAT IS THE SHOP RATE, WHICH BY THE WAY IS ON PAR WITH MOST SHOPS OUT THERE. ALSO, IF UPON REMOVAL OF THE ROOF A ROCK WAS DISCOVERED, THE CUSTOMER WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHARGED FOR A NEW PANORAMIC ROOF, HE WOULD HAVE MERELY BEEN CHARGED FOR THE LABOUR ALONE. FROM EXPERIENCE, SOMETIMES YOU DIAGNOSE BASED ON THE VISUAL EVIDENCE PRESENT, HOWEVER, UPON FURTHER DISASSEMBLY (WHICH MOST CUSTOMERS DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR UNLESS A PART IS ACTUALLY BEING REPLACED) THE TRUE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM MAY BE DISCOVERED. THIS WHOLE DEAL IS B.S. THE FUNNY THING IS THAT THIS JERK HAS BOOKED ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO SERVICE HIS CAR AFTER THIS INCIDENT. I FIND THIS AMUSING AFTER HE JUST BASHED THEM AND NOW HE IS BACK AGAIN TO GET HIS CAR SERVICE. IF I WAS THE DEALER, I WOULD SEND HIS BUTT BACK TO THE “UNKNOW SHOP” THAT MAGICALLY SOLVED HIS PROBLEM FOR HIM DOWN THE STREET, THE PROBLEM WHICH BY THE WAY WE HAVE NO FOOTAGE OF PRIOR TO THIS SCAM OF A CRAPPY TAPE.
This is a classic dealer scam. It has happened to me, I’m so stupid for paying all that money. But now I know better. The best thing is to find an honest reliable mechanic and go to him first.
to responders 3 and 4 stop covering for the shop w/ your long idiotic responses. The shop would have charged him for a new roof even if they found the rock. I am happy they got caught.
Man, That was crazy…. I am not sure why you are defending that practice Bart…. Dont be silly.. The shop should always give the lowest common denominator instead of assuming the worst. You dont go to teh doctor and he says you need a new heart just because you have chest pain. You do further testing to determine whats causing the problem before giving the patient the sentence of death. Here they went first to you need a new Roof without saying.. Well let us take a look.