Dr. Pomade Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'm interested in purchasing a 2008 white E63 AMG. (Those of you who have seen my more recent threads may not be surprised by this.) It has 24k miles on it. It's currently located in Georgia. I just received the results from the pre-purchase inspection I had done down there. Here's a summary of what the inspection revealed: - There is evidence of dog hair in the car. No clear smell of animal, but definitely some dog hair. Not a lot. - The car has a clear bra. There are signs of discoloration on the bra. - There is a scuff mark near the driver's door as well as a scuff mark on the front left door handle. - The driver's side visor light does not work. - It is due for a schedule D service. (I'm familiar with A and B service on Mercedes, but not on D?) - It still has the original battery. - It needs a good detail inside and out. - Does not appear to have ever been in an accident. - There are four brand new Toyo Proxies (T1 Sports) on it. The inspector said that, overall, the car looked in good shape and even commented that he would buy it. That being said, how big of a deal are these things? How much should I be using to talk down the price of the car? Thanks in advance for your input. Please know I will be able to safely make this purchase with what I have left over from my student loans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Car is from GA. Buying it would be risking catching "The Derp". I'd run. EDIT: I would seriously not buy it for that reason alone. I can't think of anything I like about that state, and don't want any of my money there (a la taxes on the purchase), but that is political, and my opinion, not yours. There isn't anything that's on that list that would worry me, except finding out what "Service D" means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Nothing there that would stop me from a purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigfoot Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Are the calipers painted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Nothing there that would stop me from a purchase. Same here. Also, don't the service letters just stand for the number of hours said service should take to complete? So in this case 4 hours service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Karacho1647545492 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 - There is evidence of dog hair in the car. No clear smell of animal, but definitely some dog hair. Not a lot. Can't worry about that. Could just be owner/family tracking dog hair on their clothes. No way to prove one way or another, not a negotiation tool. Frankly, I'm very impressed with your inspector that got into such detail. Tip of the hat to him. - The car has a clear bra. There are signs of discoloration on the bra. - There is a scuff mark near the driver's door as well as a scuff mark on the front left door handle. Expected wear and tear for a 6 year old car. Nothing out of the ordinary, not a negotiation tool IMO. - The driver's side visor light does not work. - It is due for a schedule D service. (I'm familiar with A and B service on Mercedes, but not on D?) - It still has the original battery. Find out the cost of these 3 things, ask them to cover it. They can take care of these things cheaper than you can, and they'll be more willing to do this stuff as a discount than they will be willing to take cash off the car. - It needs a good detail inside and out. That should be done no matter what. Not sure why the car wouldn't be presented freshly detailed. That actually gives me cause for concern, but not enough not to buy it. - Does not appear to have ever been in an accident. - There are four brand new Toyo Proxies (T1 Sports) on it. Both big pluses. The inspector said that, overall, the car looked in good shape and even commented that he would buy it. That being said, how big of a deal are these things? How much should I be using to talk down the price of the car? Is this car the cheapest one in the area? If so, you're probably not going to get much off. They know you're calling from Columbus and sending an inspector for a reason. They know you're serious, and they know the car priced as it is attracted your attention. They may be completely unwilling to waver on price unless it's at the very top of the price range. Even then, if it's in WAY better condition than any other car in the area, they still may not discount. Thanks in advance for your input. Please know I will be able to safely make this purchase with what I have left over from my student loans. Well played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbospec29 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Sounds like a woman owned and drove it. More so the type that does not care for a car like an enthusiast might. Vanity light out, shopping cart damage (the scuffs?), due for service and a battery. Can you get records of oil changes, maybe from a MB dealer? I bet she paid for it with her student loan money while in Disney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuicedH22 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 About the only thing on that list that you can use to bargain for price is the scuff marks, and that depends on how bad they are, and MAYBE the fading bra. That being said, I am not suggesting you dont haggle the price, or offer lower, but that all the things you listed are not major. Meaning, you can say "the bra is discolored, and doesnt match, i will need to pay to have it removed (and maybe replaced), and the scuffs need to be removed (if they are bad and dont just come out)" etc... but I never put a lot of time into the reasons 'why' my offer is what it is, just that 'here is my offer'. In short, I am with Jones, there is nothing there that would make me hesitate to buy, or any big thing that would make me offer any lower than I planned to if I didnt know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Karacho1647545492 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 About the only thing on that list that you can use to bargain for price is the scuff marks, and that depends on how bad they are, and MAYBE the fading bra. That being said, I am not suggesting you dont haggle the price, or offer lower, but that all the things you listed are not major. Meaning, you can say "the bra is discolored, and doesnt match, i will need to pay to have it removed (and maybe replaced), and the scuffs need to be removed (if they are bad and dont just come out)" etc... but I never put a lot of time into the reasons 'why' my offer is what it is, just that 'here is my offer'. In short, I am with Jones, there is nothing there that would make me hesitate to buy, or any big thing that would make me offer any lower than I planned to if I didnt know that. Speaking as a car dealer, IMO you're better off either not justifying your offer, or justifying it with a similar car in a similar area priced lower. 99% of the time someone complains about scuffs or bras "costing them money to fix it", I see them 2 years later with the same scuffs. Dealers know what they have and they price it accordingly. Also, it's extremely easy for a dealer to rebut your lower offer by saying "well let's leave it at the higher price and I'll fix those items for you." It's one way to expose an objection as not being a real objection, because usually when I offer to fix those items I hear "well I'd rather just have the lower price." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pomade Posted February 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Are the calipers painted? Also, don't the service letters just stand for the number of hours said service should take to complete? So in this case 4 hours service. Yeah, don't know. Will have to find that out. Can't worry about that. Could just be owner/family tracking dog hair on their clothes. No way to prove one way or another, not a negotiation tool. Frankly, I'm very impressed with your inspector that got into such detail. Tip of the hat to him. Not to be argumentative, but why can't I worry about dog hair? I'm uber allergic to dog hair. I asked the salesman if it ever had a dog or cat in it and he said that it didn't. So, of everything, that was what concerned me the most. Also, the inspector got into that level of detail because I told him to specifically check for dog/cat hair in the car. I appreciate the rest of your input - very helpful. Same to other others (e.g., Jones, Juicy). I guess the gist of what I'm getting is that there's nothing that anyone sees as being a deal-breaker. That was my initial take, but I wanted to get a second opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMeanGreen Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 http://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/DigitalAssets/pdfmb/maintenancebooklets/2008_e_amg_diesel.pdf Page 53 starts the service schedule. It looks like regular maintenance checks (Schedule A) plus a brake fluid flush and fill (Schedule D). Looks to be $500 or so at the dealership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pomade Posted February 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Yup, Browning was right: the D = 4 hours of service (C = 3, B = 2, A = 1). Anthony, I came across similar pricing for that service at the dealership. Looks like most guys either do the service themselves or take it to a private mechanic, as the work itself takes far less time than the four hours that the dealership charges. I did a quick search and came up with the following prices for stuff: Service D = $500 Clear Bra = $800 New battery = $128 In their favor, the tires I priced at $865. Those particular tires are not meant for use in snow/freezing temps. I think I'll ask the salesman to send me pictures of the scuffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Brian Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'll take my initial inquisition of car fee via paypal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl1647545492 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Sounds like a good car to me if the worst thing is scuffs and hair. However i would feign my dismay and use the hair a bargaining chip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 If you're allergic to dog hair, are there special steps that need taken while detailing to make sure it's, for lack of better words, safe for you? I'm not allergic to anything so I'm not sure how that all works. Seems like there would always be some left behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Karacho1647545492 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Sounds like a good car to me if the worst thing is scuffs and hair. However i would feign my dismay and use the hair a bargaining chip. Again, as a dealer, I know this is a false bargaining chip. If it is such a HUGE deal, the customer would have walked away. Remember, we sell as many cars in a week that you buy/sell in 5 years. We know all the excuses, we can smell fake objections from a mile away. It's literally our job to do that. Allow me to present an alternative tactic. OP, I didn't realize your allergy was a concern. I thought your concern was "was this a car that was abused with a dog constantly in it?" In this case, coupled with your mention that the car was noted to be unclean inside and out by your inspector, I would ask either that the dealer perform a deep deep clean, or that they discount the amount it'd take for you to get it over to somewhere like Esoteric to have it done to your satisfaction. Don't feign dismay. Nothing makes a dealer hesitate to discount a car like "well I really don't want this car BUUUUUUT..." What we'd rather hear is "well I like this car, but this is what it takes to earn my business. If you do this, then I will buy the car." It shows genuine interest. It shows that you're committed to holding up your end of the bargain. It gives them a clear path to the sale. It, most importantly, makes them confident that if THEY hold up their end of the bargain that you won't ask for more things. I say this because I've let deals unwind after we performed a couple services that were conditional to the sale, only for the customer to then say "well I appreciate that you did those things, but I'm still not satisfied with the car and I'd like another $XXXX off". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdk 4219 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 The only deal breaker would be if the car does not come with a warranty. If it does not have a good one you will be sad when it breaks, and your bank account will be much lighter. Not much of a good winter car in the snow with 265 or 275 rear tires, maybe with some winter treads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE-O Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I would guess given the year and miles it's priced near 40k? I'd ask for a detail and see if they will knock the service cost off the price or again not knowing id buy it as is for near 35k as a decent deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeesammy Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 As covered already, not too much of anything here as a big tool to negotiate on the price. It's a 6 year old car and odds are they will use that to downplay the scuffs. Battery is something I'd definitely get them to cover getting done at the dealership as well as the maintenance. I've done a few battery's on newer MB's and some of them have random shit happen when you unhook the battery. Had two not want to start and another decide to just crank. All 3 resolved after a quick google search, but still scary on a high dollar (as far as a maintenance standpoint goes) car goes. Maintenance is a good thing is use to get te price down. That isn't something the car can or should go without as I'm sure you know. I'd really hammer at least getting the maintenance cost and battery cost off the price, or at least taken care of with proof, as well as a good detail while it's in there. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Karacho1647545492 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 As covered already, not too much of anything here as a big tool to negotiate on the price. It's a 6 year old car and odds are they will use that to downplay the scuffs. Battery is something I'd definitely get them to cover getting done at the dealership as well as the maintenance. I've done a few battery's on newer MB's and some of them have random shit happen when you unhook the battery. Had two not want to start and another decide to just crank. All 3 resolved after a quick google search, but still scary on a high dollar (as far as a maintenance standpoint goes) car goes. Maintenance is a good thing is use to get te price down. That isn't something the car can or should go without as I'm sure you know. I'd really hammer at least getting the maintenance cost and battery cost off the price, or at least taken care of with proof, as well as a good detail while it's in there. Good luck! QFT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeesammy Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 QFT :gabe: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaSSon Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I just realized that Merc wasted 1/3 of the instrument cluster with an analog clock. To OP, a through vacuuming will remove most of the dog hair, but if the dog rode in the vehicle frequently, you'll never get it out of the HVAC system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 OT...was in Chicago for meetings today. Conversation at Hertz - O'Hare Airport. http://i.imgur.com/5VYUF4A.jpg Hertz chick: "Sir? Would you like to upgrade to the E63 today?" Me: "Buddy of mine is looking at one of these. How much would it be to rent for the day?" Hertz chick: "$700, but I'll give it to you for $500 for the day." Me: "No thanks. I'll just take my Dodge Avenger." :fa::fa: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossle Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 IMO, Mercedes Service "letter" system is an easy way for the dealership to up sell services at a premium whether the car needs it or not. In the services I look for where the spark plug interval is and that's about it. Service D or E calls for fuel filter replacement which is in the gas tank and accessed under the back seat. When I called Crown to price out said "filter" they didn't even keep one in stock...... When I am handed a Mercedes regardless of what inspection letter it is on, it gets the same check over, and will receive the services it needs accordingly. I wouldn't take it as a big deal. If this car were to hit my rack tomorrow for an inspection this is what I would be looking at the closest. -Air filters (assuming that they shouldn't have needed to be done from original until about now) -Brake pad depths -Brake fluid condition - ready for second flush on 2 year cycles. -Tires - Which have already been done Otherwise there is not much the car should need at 24K miles if it has not been abused. The batteries in these things seem to last quite a long time, so I wouldn't be to worried about it being 4 years old other than the fact the car hasn't been driven much apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuicedH22 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I'm uber allergic to dog hair. Oh? You don't say.... Muahahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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