MERCEDES BENZ SANDOWN IS A DISGRACE

MERCEDES BENZ SANDOWN MOTORS IS A DISGRACE

About 9 months ago I took a 2000 Mercedes C280 with about 130 000 kms, but in a splendid condition (family car since new) to Mercedes in Rosebank. I was assisted by one Allan Johnstone. The vehicle needed to be transferred to my daughter and I enquired about cleaning the engine. There was no leak or any visible problem, but I am aware that at the test station any minor "mist" or seepage will fail the car as not roadworthy. His immediate recommendation (before having seen the car) was that the engine needs to be removed at R21 000 for it to be inspected ! This from a Mercedes trained technician whose advice the public should be able to rely upon. He was attempting falsely to induce me to have work done that was not necessary. I complained to management, but nobody ever reverted to me. This seems to be the way they keep there workshop busy.

A week ago I took the same vehicle to Sandown Motors for a few minor items (in the end aggregating to about R7 500,00) and asked if they (at a fee) could take the vehicle for roadworthy since if something is wrong, they have the vehicle to fix whatever the roadworthy test may point out as faulty. The vehicle never went to roadworthy since it was overtaken by events below. The same Allan Johnstone, after having had the car for 48 hours, came back to me with "advice" that a amount of R63 000 needs to be spent on the vehicle. This is over and above the items I had identified. I did not ask for any other work to be done on the car. One week later I still do not know what he wanted to spend the money on. I refused to spend the R63 000 since he was clearly busy with his customary ****. The work I requested was done for about R7 500.00. This is simply another instance of false attempting to induce a customer to have unnecessary work done. I had a specific and defined list of items to be attended to. I took it up with management and asked for the dealer principal to call me (this was one week ago). I in a conference call about 5 days ago I repeatedly asked the manager and workshop senior to explain to me what the recommendation of R63 000 was based on. They could not tell me. I also left messages with the dealer principal to call me by yesterday 17h00 - a week later -- otherwise I would go on social media.

She called me this morning. After the "corporate speech" of how they operate with integrity and professionalism, I eventually got her down to the facts in this matter. She appeared to know of previous the R21 000 proposal by Allan (somebody must have briefed her) and could not explain it. She referred from her papers to another quote which I know nothing of. Then she referred to the current job which cost approximately R7500. The point is that somebody had "prepared" her and gave her the details of my complaint.

The one thing she could not in any way deal with was what Allan recommended should have been done for R63 000. There is nothing wrong with the vehicle. She could not identify one single item that Allan recommended be done. Nothing. I told her clients in general rely upon Mercedes technicians when advised what should be done to their cars, and on two occasions I was given false advice for unnecessary work -- to the tune of R21 000 and now R63 000. Her response was that it is up to clients to decide what should be done on their vehicles. What she could not see nor understand is that clients rely upon the advice from a Mercedes technician. This was of no concern to her. Allan apparently did his job. The inescapable conclusion from this is that falsely "grinding" workshop turnover in this manner is customary and of no concern to her. It appears to a systemic scheme employed by Mercedes. So, based upon her recommendation, in future when you take your vehicle to Sandown Motors, expect to be misled by their duly appointed technician about what truly needs to be done on your vehicle, and then get technical advice elsewhere before you give them the go ahead! The duty is on you as customer to make sure that you are not misled by Mercedes.

This is not only offensive, but demonstrates how Sandown Motors falsely engineer their workshop turnover. I have some technical knowledge being a vintage collector and could see through the scheme, but many unsuspecting customers will simply follow the advice and spend large amounts of money on work that was not requested and is not required. This conduct constitutes an intentional misrepresentation calculated to benefit Mercedes Benz to the detriment of their customers. It is commonly know as a *****.

It is a disgrace for the dealer principal to call me after a week pretending not to know the critical facts (I do not believe her and her memory lapse was by design) and not being able to tell me what the R63 000 was for.

Willem de Bruyn