Never Rely on Roadside Assistance
Discussion
Longtime lurker- never thought anything would annoy me enough to post here but I am incandescent!
Apologies if this doesn't make complete sense as this is a rant but if it is useful to anyone considering buying a Mercedes please read on...
Bought a 1yr old ML350 for wife and children a few years ago. Paying £700/month pcp/lease plus £40/month servicing package. Probably not the best deal in the world but I was keen to get a replacement car sorted at the time and it is fully kitted out.
I'm using it this weekend to visit family
Fast forward to today when, at a little over 4 years old and with 34,000 on the clock the ABS lights up and the wheels lock when I'm leaving my parents' driveway about 200+ miles from home.
Not a problem- Call MB assistance- that is, after all, what I'm paying for.
Called at 15:45 - "Thank you Mr Grumpus Maximus- we'll call you back with an estimated arrival time of the tech"
Message left with me at 15:58 - " Hello Mr Grumpus Maximus - just to let you know we'll call you as soon as we have an ETA on the tech"
I called MB shortly before 17:00 - "Hi please can you give me an update- I was expecting you to let me know when tech was arriving. As time is getting on if you need to sort me out with a car I'm concerned that I'd rather do that now- I have 2 small children with me and need to get home first thing tomorrow am" "Ok GM we'll run through the car hire info as the tech is expected at 18:30"
AT that point I let them know that I don't have any parts of my driving licence with me (Two MB dealerships have copies from courtesy cars/finance papers) - OK not a problem HireCompany can normally work with an NI number.
HireCompany will call me but MB give me a contact number for them.
After 15 mins I call HireCompany. Within about 10 seconds it becomes clear that they won't give me a car without my drivers licence. I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS. If these are their rules then so be it. They owe me nothing but MB owe me a certain level of service. I say I will call MB back
Call MB back and let them know that, as expected, HireCompany need my driving licence. Told not to worry as tech will be with me shortly- a cancellation means they can get here earlier...
In all this time I've googled the symptoms and it seems likely it is one of the rear ABS speed sensors. Quite possible to fix this by the roadside if you have the parts...
Tech arrives- except it's not a tech. It's a local recovery truck.
Call MB - what's going on -"Oh, as you said there is an issue with the brakes we always recover- We never take any risk on that"
NO, MB, that is not what you said earlier but it's now 6 so can you sort the car hire out.
Anyway a few more calls sorting out where the car will be recovered to- I have to point out that it is going to be really inconvenient if car is fixed here and they expect me to travel back this way from home to collect my car. They agree it will go to my local dealer on Monday.
But what about the hire car. "We'll get HireCompany to contact you", "you know I don't have any parts of my driving licence with me?", "yes they will sort that out"
"Hello Sir, HireCompany - What is you NI number? (I give them the number) What is your drivers licence number" AAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I don't have it - I'll call MB
"Hello MB, I'm really ticked off-
No, I can't wait until Monday
I have two small children with me
I've made so many calls to you today- Can you help me get home?"
"We'll call you back"
This continues until about 19:15 when MB call me back. There is nothing they are willing to do but they tell me that they can refund train tickets to get me home.
After I politely (yes, really, as I am still hoping they can help me) point out the painful process this has all been they also tell me (perhaps in the hope that I feel sorry for them) that at 16:28 their on-call tech declined the call-out. So at 16:28 MB knew they were not going to be fixing my car at the roadside. They knew they were recovering my car and had made no plans to get me to my destination.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?????
I don't mind paying you £700/month leasing or the £40/month servicing payments but if I'm paying for a premium product I expect premium service.
My car broke down today
You have made no effort to get me or my children home
You are utterly useless
When I get home I'm looking at the lease docs and, trust me, as soon as I can get out of this I'm gone.
You Miserable B+++++++
I'm getting home as I called my credit card company who have booked me a taxi (at my cost obviously!) to travel home tomorrow.
Rant over.
Apologies if this doesn't make complete sense as this is a rant but if it is useful to anyone considering buying a Mercedes please read on...
Bought a 1yr old ML350 for wife and children a few years ago. Paying £700/month pcp/lease plus £40/month servicing package. Probably not the best deal in the world but I was keen to get a replacement car sorted at the time and it is fully kitted out.
I'm using it this weekend to visit family
Fast forward to today when, at a little over 4 years old and with 34,000 on the clock the ABS lights up and the wheels lock when I'm leaving my parents' driveway about 200+ miles from home.
Not a problem- Call MB assistance- that is, after all, what I'm paying for.
Called at 15:45 - "Thank you Mr Grumpus Maximus- we'll call you back with an estimated arrival time of the tech"
Message left with me at 15:58 - " Hello Mr Grumpus Maximus - just to let you know we'll call you as soon as we have an ETA on the tech"
I called MB shortly before 17:00 - "Hi please can you give me an update- I was expecting you to let me know when tech was arriving. As time is getting on if you need to sort me out with a car I'm concerned that I'd rather do that now- I have 2 small children with me and need to get home first thing tomorrow am" "Ok GM we'll run through the car hire info as the tech is expected at 18:30"
AT that point I let them know that I don't have any parts of my driving licence with me (Two MB dealerships have copies from courtesy cars/finance papers) - OK not a problem HireCompany can normally work with an NI number.
HireCompany will call me but MB give me a contact number for them.
After 15 mins I call HireCompany. Within about 10 seconds it becomes clear that they won't give me a car without my drivers licence. I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS. If these are their rules then so be it. They owe me nothing but MB owe me a certain level of service. I say I will call MB back
Call MB back and let them know that, as expected, HireCompany need my driving licence. Told not to worry as tech will be with me shortly- a cancellation means they can get here earlier...
In all this time I've googled the symptoms and it seems likely it is one of the rear ABS speed sensors. Quite possible to fix this by the roadside if you have the parts...
Tech arrives- except it's not a tech. It's a local recovery truck.
Call MB - what's going on -"Oh, as you said there is an issue with the brakes we always recover- We never take any risk on that"
NO, MB, that is not what you said earlier but it's now 6 so can you sort the car hire out.
Anyway a few more calls sorting out where the car will be recovered to- I have to point out that it is going to be really inconvenient if car is fixed here and they expect me to travel back this way from home to collect my car. They agree it will go to my local dealer on Monday.
But what about the hire car. "We'll get HireCompany to contact you", "you know I don't have any parts of my driving licence with me?", "yes they will sort that out"
"Hello Sir, HireCompany - What is you NI number? (I give them the number) What is your drivers licence number" AAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I don't have it - I'll call MB
"Hello MB, I'm really ticked off-
No, I can't wait until Monday
I have two small children with me
I've made so many calls to you today- Can you help me get home?"
"We'll call you back"
This continues until about 19:15 when MB call me back. There is nothing they are willing to do but they tell me that they can refund train tickets to get me home.
After I politely (yes, really, as I am still hoping they can help me) point out the painful process this has all been they also tell me (perhaps in the hope that I feel sorry for them) that at 16:28 their on-call tech declined the call-out. So at 16:28 MB knew they were not going to be fixing my car at the roadside. They knew they were recovering my car and had made no plans to get me to my destination.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?????
I don't mind paying you £700/month leasing or the £40/month servicing payments but if I'm paying for a premium product I expect premium service.
My car broke down today
You have made no effort to get me or my children home
You are utterly useless
When I get home I'm looking at the lease docs and, trust me, as soon as I can get out of this I'm gone.
You Miserable B+++++++
I'm getting home as I called my credit card company who have booked me a taxi (at my cost obviously!) to travel home tomorrow.
Rant over.
Who does travel around the country with their drivers licence? I don't.
Really sucks, sounds as if in the future a RAC membership, and a hire car company would be a hell of a lot cheaper. And better.
Time moves so slowly when waiting for these guys, but then to have them scree you over. I'd be livid too.
Really sucks, sounds as if in the future a RAC membership, and a hire car company would be a hell of a lot cheaper. And better.
Time moves so slowly when waiting for these guys, but then to have them scree you over. I'd be livid too.
LordJammy said:
Why would you drive miles and miles away and not bring your licence with you?
s
t situation to be in though. I'd at least be wanting MB to pay the taxi.
Well I don't EVER take my licence anywhere with me. s
t situation to be in though. I'd at least be wanting MB to pay the taxi.When I last broke down (at the weekend), the RAC stuck me and all my passengers in their recovery truck and took me home to my house, some 100 miles away. Then dropped my car off at the garage (around the corner) who I'd knew would be able to fix it when they arrived for work on Monday. Luckily I don't pay for a follow on rental car, because there are 3 cars between 2 of us.
Thanks for the replies - I see the error of my ways!
None of my friends carry their DL with them- just one more thing to lose. I might have to change my ways. If had jumped on this earlier they could have accessed my records at the dealerships/head office surely?
I, too, have been recovered by GreenFlag and the RAC previously (in an older Merc) and, as you say, they took me and the offspring home in the truck.
I expected at least the same from.
I only mentioned the lease figures to indicate how don't seem to care about customers . To be honest I am waiting for the abuse for paying such a lot for a lease deal on a !!!
None of my friends carry their DL with them- just one more thing to lose. I might have to change my ways. If
had jumped on this earlier they could have accessed my records at the dealerships/head office surely?I, too, have been recovered by GreenFlag and the RAC previously (in an older Merc) and, as you say, they took me and the offspring home in the truck.
I expected at least the same from
.I only mentioned the lease figures to indicate how
don't seem to care about customers . To be honest I am waiting for the abuse for paying such a lot for a lease deal on a !!!Edited by Big Al. on Sunday 8th March 00:26
To be fair I never carry my licence with me either, never had a need unless I'm flying and hiring a car at the other end.
I had to book a hire car locally in a hurry a couple of years ago and they did it all via some kind of DVLA check thing just with me giving them my details, those details didn't include my licence number.
I had to book a hire car locally in a hurry a couple of years ago and they did it all via some kind of DVLA check thing just with me giving them my details, those details didn't include my licence number.
Manufacturers own very few of their dealerships - they are mostly franchises - so MB customer service probably couldn't access your driving licence details that way and the rental companies probably wouldn't accept a copy of a copy anyway, so I think that moaning about the onward travel aspect is barking up the wrong tree.
Leaving that aside, the handling of the breakdown could and should have been better but having spent over 4 hours waiting for AA recovery in Edinburgh's Princes Street, then having to get the hire car in my wife's name because she had her licence and I didn't, the breakdown services can all have off-days,
Leaving that aside, the handling of the breakdown could and should have been better but having spent over 4 hours waiting for AA recovery in Edinburgh's Princes Street, then having to get the hire car in my wife's name because she had her licence and I didn't, the breakdown services can all have off-days,
Another brilliant idea just occurred to me - when we called the bank today to notify them of upcoming foreign travel and not to block spending on our cards, they suggested we save their contact number and our card numbers in our phone so that, if the cards are lost or stolen, we will be able to contact them.
Why not store our driving licence numbers in our phones too? I'm also going to save a photograph of mine. Don't suppose anyone would accept it, but I think it's a good idea!
Why not store our driving licence numbers in our phones too? I'm also going to save a photograph of mine. Don't suppose anyone would accept it, but I think it's a good idea!
Podie said:
iva cosworth said:
Driving licence = size of a credit card = goes in your wallet.
Which I have always been told is worthless without the paper counterpart. 
I'm old enough to just have a paper licence. Its been in my walet since I could drive.
Podie said:
iva cosworth said:
Driving licence = size of a credit card = goes in your wallet.
Which I have always been told is worthless without the paper counterpart. Why would you give anyone your NI number?
How long do you think it would take for it to be passed on to fraudy spamming ID duplicators?
Why not tell them your mothers maiden name - that's if they havent already guessed it.
You only ever need to give your NI number to your employer - once
How long do you think it would take for it to be passed on to fraudy spamming ID duplicators?
Why not tell them your mothers maiden name - that's if they havent already guessed it.
You only ever need to give your NI number to your employer - once
I had a similar issue with my new Volvo. It broke down, "we will send a technician with diagnostic equipment who will fix the car"
Several hours later a truck turns up, I asked if he was going to fix it or try? "No point you can never fix anything at the roadside"
So onto truck, but as I was local they took me home and then after the weekend took car to dealers.
I suspect had I been miles away from home after 6.00pm I would have had a similar experience to you with all the agro.
If they say they will do something do it.
Several hours later a truck turns up, I asked if he was going to fix it or try? "No point you can never fix anything at the roadside"
So onto truck, but as I was local they took me home and then after the weekend took car to dealers.
I suspect had I been miles away from home after 6.00pm I would have had a similar experience to you with all the agro.
If they say they will do something do it.
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