[transferred to LH member] Transfer: new 2018 C300, 24/12 w/ 15mth left and under mileage, $45K, 323+tax, SF

Hello all! Long-time lurker posting for the first time.

I am seeking a transfer for a 2018 C300 in San Francisco. Leased the car new and it remains significantly under mileage (only 3K miles 9 months in, total allowance is 20K over 2 years). This is a good opportunity to get a short term lease (15 months left) with extra mileage for a decent price. As much as I love the car, it turns out I am not using it as much as I thought and the costs of parking/insurance/lease/maintenance are piling up. Please find details below:

MSRP: $45,245
Lease terms: 24 months, 10k/year (effectively 12-13K miles now given under mileage)
Mileage: 3,200 (20,000 allowance)
Months remaining: 15 months
Monthly payment: 323 + tax, 351 total
MSDs: $3K
Color: lunar blue metallic with beige interior
Options: premium package (inc. blind spot assist), heated seats, 18-inch wheels, hands-free access package, multimedia with Apple CarPlay (see sticker photo)
Condition: for full disclosure, the left front door has two dents which are not very visible but fixing them requires replacing the door. I am thinking of two options to address this: (1) repair it at a certified MB shop before the lease transfer, or (2) leave as is but forgo the $3K of MSDs. Aside from this issue, condition is excellent, car is kept in a private garage and was serviced at the MB dealership for the first year.

This feels like a good short term lease for a '18 car with 4K extra mileage vs. contract but I am open to providing small incentives if this helps depending on demand. I honestly have no idea how the community will perceive this - do go easy on me!

Looking to get out of the lease by February '19 and happy to show the car in the city.

Thanks all

Edit: per Jon’s reply, adding close-up photos of the door. It’s hard to take good photos of them as the car is basically like a mirror. While visible up close, I didn’t find this so bad as not to drive the car but I may just have low standards! Also see the photo of the driver side up in the first batch.

Posting pics of the door would probably help.

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Is the door potentially covered under your insurance (i.e., comprehensive)? That (and I may be alone in this opinion) is significant as the repair will have to happen before lease turn-in. That is a hefty cost for whoever assumes the lease.

Good call @Jon - just added photos.

@BPitch, I wish! This happened when I had a higher deductible and it would have been collision (touched a tiny pillar in the garage) so unfortunately that didn’t seem like a great option at the time.

I’m thinking of a few options for the door (fixing before transfer, forgoing MSDs, etc.) and definitely not trying to avoid responsibility for it. Worst case I can continue using the car but figured the price wasn’t bad so may be of interest to some!

It doesn’t look too bad. Is any of the paint damaged? If not, I’d contact a paint-less dent repair guy to see how much they would charge.

Agreed, a really good PDR person might be able to work their magic on that. My mom got a Camry dent on her old E-Class and PDR got it 90% fixed. We weren’t charged upon lease return.

Nice, thorough post! Good luck!

Agreed…100-200 PDR repair by the looks of it. If PDR isn’t possible for whatever reason, they can reskin the door and not replace it. Not cheap, but cheaper than a door.

Thanks all for the suggestions! That was my initial thinking as the paint looks fine but after trying a few body shops and two PDR guys, all suggested the door needs to be replaced (something to do with aluminum, adjacent small dents, and a barely visible crease). Whether they are BS’ing me, I have no idea… I’ll reach out to a few more PDR with these new photos.

I wanted to be completely transparent with fellow hackrs but if someone more resourceful can get it fixed for less than the MSDs, there’s some upside!

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Morning all! Received a number of inquiries last night so wanted to add more info about process here:

Step 1: let me know what your terms are and if you have any questions on the car. As of now, I will take the loss on all registration / drive-off costs, I am asking the buyer to pay the $695 transfer fee, and am still open to both options on the door but with a preference for just forgoing the MSDs.

Step 2: if you are serious, send me your email so MBFS can send you credit application documents. This is a credit check so only if you are committed.

Step 3: based on prior postings, it takes 3-4 weeks and we have to stay on top of it to avoid any delays.

Thanks,
Alex

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Just to wrap things up, transfer has been completed as of yesterday to a fellow LH member. Received a number of PMs and ended up agreeing on terms with one member. Thanks again all for the great advice!

Will take a break from car leasing for a while but certainly look forward to that hacking game when it’ll be time to get another car. :slight_smile:

Cheers.