Have autovin inspect the car. It’s cheaper to fix door at auction then body shop.
Is there still time to do that?
I guess my question really is whether the third party inspection company will increase the price of repair significantly (ie double,triple) compared to standard body shop. The one I went to is near my house and is the authorized inspector for StateFarm and several car manufacturers but not Mercedes.
I realize I’ll have to pay for the damage and I’m okay with a little difference but didn’t know if they would all of a sudden charge 5 instead of 1k.
Also, do you know if would insurance pay out after the fact if the estimate comes out higher (wasn’t going to involve insurance for 1k repair since deductible is high)
Also, if you are leasing another Mercedes, consider that they will waive first $500. You can talk the dealer into more usually.
I have a Lexus with some damage and had AutoVin come to inspect it. Earliest appointment was 3 weeks when I scheduled in July. Guy came and was pretty fair with his inspection. Each rim was $100 for having curb rash and he charged me $175 for a spot above the driver side fender which has a significant amount of paint damage and a big dent. What I thought would have cost close to $2000 will only be $750.
Yes. Call Benz 800 tell them I want inspection on my car. You will get quote in 24 hrs. I got my inspection done on aug 12. They bill me 256 for same scratche( body might charge 700 to $1000 or more). At auction they have dent removal guys.
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Thanks for the advice. Looks like they don’t have any availability for preinspection at this point since my lease is up. But it’s good to hear you don’t get hammered by the inspectors for damage (guess they have to be somewhat fair or else you would never lease from them again)
Yes, get an inspection. If it comes out cheaper then turn it in and get hit. If the inspection shows repair costs more, then fix it and just turn in the receipt for the repair when you turn in the car
You may be able to get an extension/grace period for the lease turn in if you call Mercedes and let them know that you may need a few extra days. I have done this with Bmw and Maserati and got extra 5-10 days grace period from the turn in date. Not sure if Mercedes does this, but it may give you enough time to schedule a pre-inspection. I scheduled my inspection last week and the wait time was about two weeks
Do the dealerships have any control over the wear and tear and such? I mean if I lease another Mercedes. Or is this all independent and done off site
Our lease end inspections are all done by AutoVin. We dont have any control of wear and tear and what counts and what doesnt.
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If you take the car in as a trade in the dealer has plenty of discretion.
Yes, true, but for a different reason. That has nothing to do with a lease inspection he’s referring to though. Two totally separate things.
no, it’s a third party company called AutoVin that does the inspections for MB financial, dealers have no input/power to waive fees.
Does the car get inspected again at actually turn in if it was already inspected prior?
Why on earth would he request an extension just to call AutoVin when autovin is going to do the inspection when he turns it in anyway? It won’t change a thing. They won’t screw you, just turn it in.
Yes they do. They inspect it 1 more time after you turn it in even if you do the pre inspection
The OP wanted to see how much the repair will be estimated by AutoVin compared to getting it done independently…and decide accordingly.
Just wanted to update so people would know. I turned in my car which had an estimated 1000 damage (reputable body shop cost outside of insurance).
Mercedes Benz financial sent an end of lease statement showing $536 damage.
Looks like just having Mercedes estimate and fix is significantly better and they didn’t screw me for not doing a preinspection
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Correct, 99% of the time it it cheaper to turn a leased car in with cosmetic damage than to fix it yourself.