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#1

I have been utilizing Leasehackr and working numbers with a Mercedes Dealership and am in need of some advice. The vehicle we are working on is an ex-loaner 2019 Mercedes C300Coupe with about 4500 miles.

This dealership is far from my home so I have been working with them via text and phone calls. Last Sunday, After a week of negotiations both parties finally came to an agreement, with the following specs/numbers:

MSRP: 50,755
Sales price (with employee disc 500 & fleet disc 1000 factored in): 40484
MF: 0.00107
MSD: 10***
MF after MSD: 0.00037**
Acquisition cost: 1095
Miles: 10k/year
Months: 36
Drive off: 607
Residual: 58%
Sales Tax (levied on Monthly lease payment): 7.75%
Monthly payment with tax: $400

About an hour after we both confirmed that we have a deal via text I get a text from the dealer stating that he made a mistake on the residual value and based it on the 4 door sedan, and not the Coupe. He stated the residual would be 55% rather than the 58%. The employee then said he was with a customer and that he would get back to me with an update. Over the course of the past 3 days, he barely reached out to me about the matter until today where he gave me the updated quote with the new residual and he basically said he made a mistake, this is the new deal, no discounts can be made per dealership policy to make up for the mistake and that I could take it or leave it:

$5000 sd (10) plus drive off of $599.78, 3 year lease with 10k miles per year, payment is $448.19, rate is .00037, residual is 55%.

In response I thanked the employee I had been working with that I understand what he said regarding company policy but seeing as this revised number is vastly greater than the one firmly offered before, I could not accept what he was now offering. It’s just the principle of the matter. A mistake was made, we are all human; however, as a customer who was willing to meet him halfway because of his previous work ethic, I was being offered no consolation or some sort of compromise and that I could not accept this new offer.

My question to you all is, what steps should I take next? Whether it was bait and switch or just human error, shouldn’t the dealership do a little more to make up for their mistake? Further, is the new deal I am being offered, a good deal? Any advice is appreciated, thank you, I appreciate your time.

#2

Just move on to the next one. They are under no obligation to do anything, just as you are under no obligation to buy from them.

3 Likes
#3

I had a similar instance happen to me. Kid I was working with promised up and down on the price we negotiated, only to come back with a higher payment 2 days later. He said there was a error on thier end with finance, this is the new deal take or leave. I fought with them got a sales manager on the phone, and realized the whole dealership were scam artists. Contact a sales manager with the details, if you feel your falling on deaf ears…find a new dealer. I did and I came out better for it.

#4

But numbers-wise, is the new deal a good deal?

#5

Thank you, that’s what I was thinking, I was actually thinking of calling corporate and gauge my options then. I mean, I get that the residual value cannot be altered by the dealer and is set by MB Financial, but they could have at least waived shipping costs, acquisition fee, thrown in 20k maintenance or SOMETHING. Anything is better than “take it or leave it,” and I’m shocked that such behavior goes on at a MB dealership

#6

They can’t waive acq fee…that’s paid directly to MBFS…although it looks like they marked yours up.

Deal is decent…not a unicorn. It’s not so fantastic that I wouldn’t waste my time trying to get something from this dealer though. Put your efforts toward the next guy and forget about this. You’re just spinning tires trying to get something out of them when they have no obligation to do anything. Mistakes happen. That doesn’t mean they’re going to discount the car 2k now to match your original payment. Until you sign a legal binding contract, anything goes.