Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

The prep stuff isn't bad. Considering I would have to buy the mulch. But the $45/week for mowing, that adds up. Plus it is my primary form of exercise!

Michaell

stickguy said:

The prep stuff isn't bad. Considering I would have to buy the mulch. But the $45/week for mowing, that adds up. Plus it is my primary form of exercise!

Moving 22" of snow off my driveway, sidewalk and back deck was more than enough of a workout for me this past weekend.

[Deleted User]

Wow, Michaell, you were hit much harder than Fort Collins! That was heavy snow, too. We were a degree too warm, so most of our precip came in the form of rain with just a few inches of snow towards the end. I'll take it.

[Deleted User]

Thanks all for the comments on the kitchen, all. The next project, maybe to start this summer, is to replace all the baseboards and door casings. Our builder did a nice job overall with the house, but the trim contractor was horrible. The quality of work is truly bad and they used very cheap materials. Fortunately it's not difficult work and I have the right tools, but the volume of work will be quite high and take a couple of months with my schedule. Plus we want to repaint while we're at it. Projects never do end for home owners.

abacomike

I'm telling you guys, my life is like a Norse Saga. A person couldn't make up this stuff. I gotta write a book, that's for sure.

Here in Florida during the month of April, the Ficus Trees bud and excrete this brown/yellow sap along with the stamens from their blossoms. When it rains or gets windy, this junk is strewn all over the place, but especially down to my parking space where I park my car. This stuff gets on the hood, the fenders, the roof and even the trunk of the car. So, I usually take it over to Mercedes-Benz to have it washed. Since I had the car washed at my dealer yesterday to get rid of this mess when I left the ER, I took it over to a sister dealership owned by the same company. They took the car, examined it for damage, and gave me a receipt ticket and told me it would be about 45 minutes to an hour. I said fine.

I sit down in the waiting area and about an hour later, I get a phone call from Mbrace, which is the telematics system for Mercedes-Benz, similar to GM's On-Star. They tell me that the alarm on my car has been activated and they told me where it was. Of course, I was at the Mercedes-Benz Dealership. I asked them what would cause the alarm to go off - they responded that if the car is locked and someone tried to enter the car without a key or if the car was bumped or hit by another car while the car was locked, the alarm would go off. I thanked them and disconnected the call.

I then walked over to the service area and told the service manager that I had just gotten a call from Mbrace and was informed the alarm for my car was activated. He said he would check on it. Of course, I heard nothing back from him, but after about another hour, I noticed they had pulled my car up and were detailing it to make sure it was clean and ready to go. I told them I want to examine the car from front to back because the alarm went off about an hour ago and the service manager was aware of it. I walked up to the rear of the car and noticed 2 indentations in the rear bumper. Not serious, but it was obvious the car was bumped by another car or it was backed into an object to cause the dimples in the rear bumper, which is plastic or something like plastic. I asked that the service manager come over to examine the car.

The manager comes over, looks at the rear bumper and then checks the intake sheet to see if the damage was there before they took the car back to the wash area. No damage any place on the car was what the intake employee had written on the sheet. Now, the valet manager, the General Manager, and several other people (who I have no idea what they do) gather around the rear of the car and begin talking up a storm and pointing to the bumper. Then, the manager of the body shop comes up. He looks at the damage and comes over to me stating that they would take care of everything - not to worry. He fills out a sheet and the estimate for the replacement bumper, the paint and the labor is $2700.00. The General Manager signs off on the repair order and they give me a new Mercedes C250 to drive - they said it would take about 3-4 days to repair. After exchanging driver's license and insurance card and credit card, I drive off to go home.

About two blocks from the dealership, the Tire Pressure Monitor alert sounds and shows 15 lbs of air pressure in the right rear tire of the loaner they gave me. I make a U-turn and return to the dealership. They examine the car and sure enough, there is a nail in the right rear tire. I then go into the waiting room so they can locate another loaner for me to drive. About 30 minutes later, a valet comes over and gives me the keys to another C250. I follow him to his office and sign another set of papers.

Finally, I began to drive over to my doctor's office to get this CT-Scan scheduled. It's going to be done tomorrow at 12:30 PM, but I have to fast. They insisted that I drink a huge amount of water to make sure I was well hydrated prior to the test - but no food. Hopefully I'll have some results back by Friday.

If I didn't have Mbrace on my car activated to alert me if the alarm ever goes off via my cell phone, I would never have noticed the rear bumper dimples. $2700 to replace a piece of plastic (it's pretty big since it wraps around the side of the rear of the car), paint it and labor costs. That's 10% of the cost of a new Chevy Impala or Buick LaCrosse. Outrageous!

But am I right? Is my life a saga or what? I can't wait until tomorrow to see what that brings!

cdnpinhead

Front and center. Glad you're back.

abacomike

tyguy said:

Thanks all for the comments on the kitchen, all. The next project, maybe to start this summer, is to replace all the baseboards and door casings. Our builder did a nice job overall with the house, but the trim contractor was horrible. The quality of work is truly bad and they used very cheap materials. Fortunately it's not difficult work and I have the right tools, but the volume of work will be quite high and take a couple of months with my schedule. Plus we want to repaint while we're at it. Projects never do end for home owners.

The pictures of the kitchen are superb - you did a great job. When did you say you would be back in the South Florida Area? Make sure you bring tools - I'll buy the materials!

iluvmysephia1

You needed a little more work, huh tyguy?

[Deleted User]

LOL, Mike. I commented to my wife that I wished we lived closer to you so we could hang out more.

First we'd start by putting a shield around your car, which just might involve me sitting in a chair next to your car and waving my hands furiously anytime a car got close. Wow, talk about seriously unlucky. Between the wheels taking a beating and now the bumper, those dealer washes sure are risky.

Then we'd get to your condo. Car first, though

28firefighter

Mike - glad that you're OK. Hang in there.

andres3

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

Posted this originally in the wrong forum, reposting here:

Interesting story in the news locally about a woman whose 2013 E-class Benz sustained $14,000 of damage in a crash while it was being serviced at the dealer:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dealership-accident-insurance-1.3536094

While I am a bit suspicious of the "poor me" attitude being expressed by the owner of the Benz, I am also somewhat dubious of the dealer's actions. I think the diminished value claim is true to an extent, though I don't know how you would ever get an insurance company to pay for that. I figure this sort of accident while in a dealer's care must happen from time to time. How are they usually handled, I wonder?

I think she should go to small claims court to get something...ask for $5000 for diminished value.

But, no easy answer, our 2001 C Class was hit pretty hard in the rear end. $4000 repair, we got a loaner car, ours was repaired, but we had to report it was in an accident when we traded it in, No compensation - it is ridiculous!

You have to sue the person responsible for the losses and the damages, and that is the at-fault driver! They are the ones that have an obligation, both morally and legally, to make the damaged parties whole.

Deadbeats! Diminished Value is as real as real gets. Someone pointed out a flaw in the hood to fender gap of my S4 yesterday. All I could do is say well that's after returning it 3 times already. Silly American Bodyshops.

jmonroe

'tyguy' said:

Our builder did a nice job overall with the house, but the trim contractor was horrible.
_________________________________________________________________________________

'ty',

That's bad you have to redo your trim work. Builders usually use first rate finish carpenters because that is what you see most. When we had our house built in SC in '92 the finish carpenter was absolutely great. He and his wife worked as a team and they were really good at it.

Fast forward to when we moved back to the Burgh in '97 and bought a house in '98, Mrs. j liked the casing job I did around the front bay window because she said it didn't look right without it. More fast forward to when a decorator from a furniture store was in the living room and said, "WOW, I haven't seen tight miters like that in a long time. Who built this house" ? When I said that was my handy work she said, "you know you could get a job doing this". I said, " probably, but nobody could afford me because I am very slow and meticulous".

Coincidentally, just this past weekend I helped Son #1 finish the trim work on the basement that he just completed. For a while there I thought I might have lost my skill but after a few test cuts it all came back to me. Kinda like riding a bike.

I sure don't envy you doing trim work for an entire house. While we might be poster buddies don't call me, you can't afford me

jmonroe

[Deleted User]

Totally agree, jmonroe. The superintendent even commented on it, but no matter how many times he sent them back in for re-work, the result was the same. We're in a build boom and the general contractors are all fighting for too few labor resources, so often times they're settling. I hear the later builds in our beighborhood became even worse.

I'm with you. Take it slow and do it right. I'll target a room at a time so I'm not rushed. We might even get a little fancy with extra molding like your window casing since I'll have the tools out anyway, and we have tall ceilings that would make crown molding worth consideration.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

driver...don't know how true this is, but a couple of weeks ago a guy I know who works for/buys cars for, my local BMW dealer said there's a warehouse somewhere in the U.S. filled with new Saabs that some company is holding to part out when parts for them get scarce.

Owner allegedly feels the cars are worth more as parts cars than they are as completed cars to sell.

Any car is. I remember many years ago reading that if you assembled a $5000 car from parts it would cost you $25,000.

Mr_Shiftright

I can verify that with my Mini !

explorerx4

@abacomike,
Glad you are back posting, and OK enough to do that.
My guess is they are going to fix your bumper with a heat gun. It should be just fine.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

I'm telling you guys, my life is like a Norse Saga. A person couldn't make up this stuff. I gotta write a book, that's for sure.

Here in Florida during the month of April, the Ficus Trees bud and excrete this brown/yellow sap along with the stamens from their blossoms. When it rains or gets windy, this junk is strewn all over the place, but especially down to my parking space where I park my car. This stuff gets on the hood, the fenders, the roof and even the trunk of the car. So, I usually take it over to Mercedes-Benz to have it washed. Since I had the car washed at my dealer yesterday to get rid of this mess when I left the ER, I took it over to a sister dealership owned by the same company. They took the car, examined it for damage, and gave me a receipt ticket and told me it would be about 45 minutes to an hour. I said fine.

I sit down in the waiting area and about an hour later, I get a phone call from Mbrace, which is the telematics system for Mercedes-Benz, similar to GM's On-Star. They tell me that the alarm on my car has been activated and they told me where it was. Of course, I was at the Mercedes-Benz Dealership. I asked them what would cause the alarm to go off - they responded that if the car is locked and someone tried to enter the car without a key or if the car was bumped or hit by another car while the car was locked, the alarm would go off. I thanked them and disconnected the call.

I then walked over to the service area and told the service manager that I had just gotten a call from Mbrace and was informed the alarm for my car was activated. He said he would check on it. Of course, I heard nothing back from him, but after about another hour, I noticed they had pulled my car up and were detailing it to make sure it was clean and ready to go. I told them I want to examine the car from front to back because the alarm went off about an hour ago and the service manager was aware of it. I walked up to the rear of the car and noticed 2 indentations in the rear bumper. Not serious, but it was obvious the car was bumped by another car or it was backed into an object to cause the dimples in the rear bumper, which is plastic or something like plastic. I asked that the service manager come over to examine the car.

The manager comes over, looks at the rear bumper and then checks the intake sheet to see if the damage was there before they took the car back to the wash area. No damage any place on the car was what the intake employee had written on the sheet. Now, the valet manager, the General Manager, and several other people (who I have no idea what they do) gather around the rear of the car and begin talking up a storm and pointing to the bumper. Then, the manager of the body shop comes up. He looks at the damage and comes over to me stating that they would take care of everything - not to worry. He fills out a sheet and the estimate for the replacement bumper, the paint and the labor is $2700.00. The General Manager signs off on the repair order and they give me a new Mercedes C250 to drive - they said it would take about 3-4 days to repair. After exchanging driver's license and insurance card and credit card, I drive off to go home.

About two blocks from the dealership, the Tire Pressure Monitor alert sounds and shows 15 lbs of air pressure in the right rear tire of the loaner they gave me. I make a U-turn and return to the dealership. They examine the car and sure enough, there is a nail in the right rear tire. I then go into the waiting room so they can locate another loaner for me to drive. About 30 minutes later, a valet comes over and gives me the keys to another C250. I follow him to his office and sign another set of papers.

Finally, I began to drive over to my doctor's office to get this CT-Scan scheduled. It's going to be done tomorrow at 12:30 PM, but I have to fast. They insisted that I drink a huge amount of water to make sure I was well hydrated prior to the test - but no food. Hopefully I'll have some results back by Friday.

If I didn't have Mbrace on my car activated to alert me if the alarm ever goes off via my cell phone, I would never have noticed the rear bumper dimples. $2700 to replace a piece of plastic (it's pretty big since it wraps around the side of the rear of the car), paint it and labor costs. That's 10% of the cost of a new Chevy Impala or Buick LaCrosse. Outrageous!

But am I right? Is my life a saga or what? I can't wait until tomorrow to see what that brings!

One thing for sure Mike, you'll never die of boredom.

abacomike

explorerx4 said:

@abacomike, Glad you are back posting, and OK enough to do that. My guess is they are going to fix your bumper with a heat gun. It should be just fine.

So you think the body shop Mgr. lied to me?  He said they had a new bumper coming in from Orlando (MB parts distribution center) and it would take two days to paint (3-coats of clear coat) and one day to put on the car.

Quite frankly, I should ask them for a copy of the repair order and invoice.  What do you think?

abacomike

@oldfarmer50 said:

"One thing for sure Mike, you'll never die of boredom."

Nope, my life is certainly not boring or "hum-drum"!  Each day is like another chapter in an ongoing thriller novel.   

iluvmysephia1

abaco - I don't know which method they'll use on your bumper but go ahead and post it in here whichever method is used, OK?

explorerx4

@abacomike,
Personally, if it looks ok, I'd be happy.
Next time, mark and 'X' inside the bumper with a Sharpie.

abacomike

explorerx4 said:

@abacomike, Personally, if it looks ok, I'd be happy. Next time, mark and 'X' inside the bumper with a Sharpie.

Never thought about doing that.  Good idea.  You are correct though - as long as I can't see any waves in the bumper or differences in paint color and as long as the entire bumper and side quarter panels are straight and matched, I'd be satisfied.

abacomike

iluvmysephia1 said:

abaco - I don't know which method they'll use on your bumper but go ahead and post it in here whichever method is used, OK?

Method?  I don't quite understand.  If you mean heat treatment like explorer said or total bumper replacement, then I get it.

The body shop Mgr. said the bumper unit costs $1400 unpainted.  $1300 is for painting and labor for a total cost of $2700.  The paint is called "Designo White Diamond Metallic" which is an upgraded extra-cost optional color and according to him, more difficult to apply.

driver100

abacomike said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

"One thing for sure Mike, you'll never die of boredom."

Nope, my life is certainly not boring or "hum-drum"!  Each day is like another chapter in an ongoing thriller novel.   

Actually, I think you should get your own reality show.

You couldn't make this story up!

Hope it gets fixed, as long as it is perfect it doesn't matter what they do. It would be a pretty big scam if they didn't actually replace the bumper since that is what they promised.

bwia

Mike glad to hear you are on your feet and walking about. 

abacomike

driver100 said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

"One thing for sure Mike, you'll never die of boredom."

Nope, my life is certainly not boring or "hum-drum"!  Each day is like another chapter in an ongoing thriller novel.   

Actually, I think you should get your own reality show. You couldn't make this story up! Hope it gets fixed, as long as it is perfect it doesn't matter what they do. It would be a pretty big scam if they didn't actually replace the bumper since that is what they promised.

At this point, I really don't care.  As long as I get the car back in the same condition in which I originally gave it to them.  I've got other issues and problems that are much more important to worry about - right? 

abacomike

bwia said:

Mike glad to hear you are on your feet and walking about. 

Thanks - at least for the time being.  That Rx they gave me really helps when the pain gets acute.

henryn

@abacomike - glad to hear you're all right. You are a fixture here, and you are definitely missed when you're not around.

I can't believe that the in house car wash at a Mercedes dealership has f____ up your car, not once but twice. Really, really hard to believe. One would think they would hire someone competent to deal with handling very expensive Mercedes automobiles.

abacomike

henryn said:

@abacomike - glad to hear you're all right. You are a fixture here, and you are definitely missed when you're not around. I can't believe that the in house car wash at a Mercedes dealership has f____ up your car, not once but twice. Really, really hard to believe. One would think they would hire someone competent to deal with handling very expensive Mercedes automobiles.

Thanks, henryn - kind words.  But the only fixture I know about is the one I sit on every morning in the bathroom - unassuming next to the sink - but a sight for sore eyes when movements abound! 

stickguy

my acura dealer makes a big thing about how they wash your car with every service. I probably should just tell them to skip it. Takes extra time, and is a crappy job anyway. Plus, chance it introduces swirls.

graphicguy

stick.....my Acura dealer didn't have an automatic car wash. They did them all by hand. But, I could definitely tell the difference between the car wash you paid for with them (called a Deluxe) and the one that was gratis with service (which was little more than a hose spray, a couple of swipes with a sponge, and a drive around the lot to dry.

On the other end, where I bought my first BMW (not my current preferred dealer) prided themselves in giving a true hand wash and dry, for free. I'd tip a 5-er, and the wash attendants took good care of my car.

On the subject of washes....detailed the Caddy instead of taking it to a car wash this weekend, something I haven't done in a long time. Wash, clay, Zaino (2x), leather treatment, Scotch Guard the carpets. Took an afternoon, probably lost a couple of pounds in the process (not a bad thing), but looks better than new.

bwia

My Buick dealership gives a coupon for a free automatic car wash (brush-less or normal) from a car wash company just across the street. You get to sit in your car and it takes no more than five minutes.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

"One thing for sure Mike, you'll never die of boredom."

Nope, my life is certainly not boring or "hum-drum"!  Each day is like another chapter in an ongoing thriller novel.   

Actually, I think you should get your own reality show.

You couldn't make this story up!

Hope it gets fixed, as long as it is perfect it doesn't matter what they do. It would be a pretty big scam if they didn't actually replace the bumper since that is what they promised.

Watch when he goes to trade it and the dealer only gives him half it's value because of the "accident".

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

"One thing for sure Mike, you'll never die of boredom."

Nope, my life is certainly not boring or "hum-drum"!  Each day is like another chapter in an ongoing thriller novel.   

Actually, I think you should get your own reality show. You couldn't make this story up! Hope it gets fixed, as long as it is perfect it doesn't matter what they do. It would be a pretty big scam if they didn't actually replace the bumper since that is what they promised.

Watch when he goes to trade it and the dealer only gives him half it's value because of the "accident".

I just love the wonderful support I get from my car buddies.  I'll show you all up - I won't buy anymore cars!  Ha!!! 

abacomike

I'm here at the imaging place.  The mass is in the right lobe of my liver and is 4 cm in size.  I didn't think it was that big.  Oh, well!

jmonroe

'driver' said this to MIke:

Actually, I think you should get your own reality show.
__________________________________________________________________________________

OK, if he does, that will be the only one I watch.

I'm off to cut the grass. Both next door neighbors are trying to make me look bad. I need new neighbors. :@

jmonroe

PF_Flyer

A national publication is looking to hear your stories about recall headaches, including difficulties with dealers, wait times or loaner cars. If you're willing to assist, please contact pr@edmunds.com by no later than Thursday, April 21 2016.

Michaell

jmonroe said:

'driver' said this to MIke:

Actually, I think you should get your own reality show.
__________________________________________________________________________________

OK, if he does, that will be the only one I watch.

I'm off to cut the grass. Both next door neighbors are trying to make me look bad. I need new neighbors. :@

jmonroe

Cut the grass? I can't even see my grass!

carnaught

abacomike said:

I'm here at the imaging place.  The mass is in the right lobe of my liver and is 4 cm in size.  I didn't think it was that big.  Oh, well!

And, here's rooting for it to be benign.

henryn

^^^ +1

driver100

jmonroe said:

'driver'

__________________________________________________________________________________

OK, if he does, that will be the only one I watch.

I'm off to cut the grass. Both next door neighbors are trying to make me look bad. I need new neighbors. :@

jmonroe

I have a better idea, tell the guy next door not to make you look bad.....both of you can just leave your lawn longer.

driver100

So now they are going to have something like air B&B for cars. This explains it....but would you rent your car out?

Now, as essentially an Airbnb for cars, RelayRides' minimum rental period is one day, and the company has grown to 2,000 city locations and 300 airport locations in the U.S. Haddad says that RelayRides' pricing on average is 35% lower than traditional rental car companies', and that another competitive advantage lies in the diversity of vehicle options. "We have more than 800 makes and models in the marketplace—everything from a Smart Car to a Tesla, with options you typically don't find in rentals," says Haddad. "We don't have to optimize for volume purchase or standardized maintenance, because we don't own the cars. Car enthusiasts are one of our most important groups of customers, and showing them our cars is like showing them candy at a candy store."

They check out customers and only accept ones with excellent record, and they provide up to $1million liability.

SEE MORE AIRNB FOR CARS

driver100

carnaught said:

abacomike said:

I'm here at the imaging place.  The mass is in the right lobe of my liver and is 4 cm in size.  I didn't think it was that big.  Oh, well!

And, here's rooting for it to be benign.

+1 and easy to remedy!

stickguy

no chance I am renting out my car to strangers like that. Heck, I won't even lend it to family.

verdugo

driver100 said:

carnaught said:

abacomike said:

I'm here at the imaging place.  The mass is in the right lobe of my liver and is 4 cm in size.  I didn't think it was that big.  Oh, well!

And, here's rooting for it to be benign.

+1 and easy to remedy!

+2 Good luck.

abacomike

I've been driving a 2016 Mercedes C300 4 cylinder turbo these past 2 days.  Rather than just post my opinion(s) about ride, handling, technology, acceleration, performance, comfort, etc., if anyone is interested in learning more about the car, let me know and I'll provide you with an overview.

BTW, finally got home after being at that imaging place for several hours - they had to stick me 6 times before they could get the IV line in to inject the dye.  I should know something in the next 24-48 hours - have an appointment to see the doctor Thursday morning.  Thanks for all the prayers - I sure hope God is listening. 

graphicguy

Mike....I'd be interested in hearing your impressions of the C300 to see how they compare to mine.

driver100

graphicguy said:

Mike....I'd be interested in hearing your impressions of the C300 to see how they compare to mine.

+1 and good luck with the test results.

stickguy

me too. Just post the nickle version for everyone.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

... if anyone is interested in learning more about the car, let me know and I'll provide you with an overview.

I'd like to hear your evaluation.