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Mercedes-Benz C-300 European Delivery

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Comments

  • rick92rick92 Member Posts: 14
    Yes, try to be nice and talk to the team leader in Sindelfingen. His name is Larry. Tell him that Rick sends greetings from the US. he will know. But remember, they can only give you one if one is available and be nice to offer your credit card.

    Remember, if you lose it, the box is yours and they sell it at the factory for $500.00 because it even has the Mercedes Benz name on it, it does not say Garmin.

    Have fun and don't forget to read my previous post.
  • willy007willy007 Member Posts: 12
    Mike02,

    Thanks for your help a while back.

    I've got the same $32,000 price for EDP.
    C300 Sport Automatic with navigation package and non-metallic paint.
    Dealer in San Jose, California.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Does it mean that the european standard is lower than the american standard?

    No. What I'm saying is that a vehicle purchased through Euro Delivery would meet US safety and emissions standards. Your original post made it seem like if one purchased a vehicle through Euro Delivery, it would not be covered under the US warranty.
  • rick92rick92 Member Posts: 14
    That is correct !!! If you go through EDP, some dealers in Europe will state that your factory plate does not entitle you to repairs while driving the vehicle in Europe. So it means.... watch out !!! If you car breaks down on a weekend or holiday or some other day when you cannot contact MBUSA in NJ or the factory, you are doomed, because you will have to pay out of your pocket expenses that should have been paid by Daimler AG / MB. It means towing, plus repairs plus hotel and don't think insurance is going to cover it. Wait until you speak to Mrs. Bender out of Germany (the person in charge of claims for AXA) and you will think that you have reached the twilight zone or the monster's house.- Oh.. my friends, you really don't know what's coming to you. :cry:
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    I don't know where this is coming from, but you should have no problems at all getting the car worked on in the EU and having warranty items covered. You are not "doomed".

    And incidentally, the likelihood of a "breakdown" at any time during the relatively short period of the typical OSD driving experience is extremely low.

    All I know is that an very large number of US customers, including me, have had a superb experience with MB's OSD program. This sort of verbal arm-waving is unnecessary.
  • mike02mike02 Member Posts: 13
    Rick92,
    I am picking my car March 3. I am wondering if European maps will be available at that date. Do you know whom I can speak to check this for sure? It seems that ladies in Montvale, NJ doesn't know that. Because if navigation will not be available from MB factory I will have to buy European maps card for my Garmin device ($299 expense). Thanks for the advise!
  • rick92rick92 Member Posts: 14
    Let me get back to the office on Monday and I will give you the numbers for the factory at Sindelfingen. Forget about the people at Montvale, NJ --- they are people with no sense of customer service. It looks like they hate working for a german company or something like that. They like to give everybody the runaround.- :shades:
  • mike02mike02 Member Posts: 13
    Rick92:
    I appreciate if you give me this number in Germany. I hope you can post it here. If not I can send you my e-mail address. Thanks!
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Because we can't verify them, we ask that you please do not post telephone numbers here, sorry.
  • mike02mike02 Member Posts: 13
    Rick92:
    I appreciate if you e-mail me the phone number to president@vestaamerica.com
    Thank you!
  • rick92rick92 Member Posts: 14
    sorry for the delay. I will send it tomorrow at your email.
  • rick92rick92 Member Posts: 14
    sent today..... sorry for the delay :shades:
  • reyesdareyesda Member Posts: 3
    Mike02,

    Picked up my C300 4M w/ P1 & MM on Feb 6 & drop-off on Feb 10 in Stuttgart. Black Forest package. Cost me an extra 75Euros for Harms to pick-up on a Sunday at the Graf Zepellin w/ 16 Euros for parking. Brought my Garmin w/ Euro SD card v9. No problems except when we got to Telfs, Austria. Garmin couldn't find the Interalpen Hotel. But as soon as you exit the autobahn and get to the roundabout, there are signs to point you in the right direction.
  • mike02mike02 Member Posts: 13
    I just got official word from MB that Austria passed a new law prohibiting cars without winter tires entering the country until April 15, and as a consequence MB refusing any reservations in Austria in that time frame.
  • willy007willy007 Member Posts: 12
    Mike02,

    Is there any official Austrian website that indicate this? I am planning to go Austria by myself (outside of the Black Forest package).

    Thanks,
    Will
  • mike02mike02 Member Posts: 13
    Hello:
    My schedule is such starting March 3:
    Stuttgart - Baden-Baden - Strasbourg - Lausanne - Munich (7 days total).
    Any quick suggestions on what to see and how to drive best among those places?
    Thank you!
  • glass08glass08 Member Posts: 1
    I am picking up a C300 in March in Germany. Does anybody know if it is possible to get the European-shaped tags once I'm back in the United States? I've seen several BMWs in Texas with those plates, but I'm not sure how they are obtained.

    I know that's the style of plate we'll have while driving in Germany, but I'm just curious if it's possible to get that style back in the US, specifically in Texas. Thanks.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    No state issues Euro sized plates.

    The ones on your car while in Europe will most likely still be attached to your car upon it's arrival in North America. Ask you dealership to leave them with you. Possibly you could get away with running one on the front but if you require both front and back plates, expect notice from the police.
  • flyingfoxoneflyingfoxone Member Posts: 12
    robr2, that is exactly what we discovered when we took delivery of a Porsche 928 at Stuttgart1n 1979. To our delight, the car was delivered to us in California with the same beautiful black-and-white oval Gerrman plates that we used while driving in Europe!

    We realize this information is somewhat dated; we'll update it for you later this year, after we pick up our new C350 Sport (in April)!

    T&J
  • willy007willy007 Member Posts: 12
    All,

    Just would like to let you guys know about financing. It is possible doing it without going through MB financing.

    - I am picking up my C300 in March 24th. So, when I placed my $2000 deposit initially at the dealer, I was supposed to pay in full by February 24.
    - I finished up the auto loan paperwork through my credit union, but they cannot issue a check without VIN number.
    - So, I let the EDP specialist talk to my credit union directly.
    - On February 24th (the day I was supposed to pay in full), I came to the dealership and signed a paperwork, indicating that the car will be under my credit union's ownership, since I will be financing through that credit union.
    - On February 29th, my car finished production and the VIN number is issued. The EDP specialist informed my credit union, and the check is issued from my credit union, sent to the dealer directly.

    Bottomline, if you are financing outside of MB, have the EDP specialist talk to your financial institution directly. I think MBUSA have some grace period for the full payment, as long as you have the loan finalized through a financial institution by the 1-month date, with the check (from the financial institution) pending upon the VIN being issued.

    My 2 cents.

    ------
    Will
  • kengarookengaroo Member Posts: 25
    Does anyone know when Mercedes let you order the 2009 for the European delivery? I would like to take delivery toward the end of August and I was hoping it could be a 2009 model. Otherwise it would defeat the purpose of the discounted European Delivery because by the time the cars arrives in the US, the 2008 model would be on clearance sale.
  • lusatenaslusatenas Member Posts: 4
    I'm going tomorrow, April 2nd, to order a new 2009 C300 4MATIC Sport through my MB Dealer (European Delivery Program), to pick up at the Sindelfingen Delivery Center, in Stuttgart, on August 1. The earliest delivery date for C300W, C300W4 and C350W is July 31st. I been told by the MB dealer that the 2009 C 300 model
    looks the same as the 2008 model but will have now memory for the seats. My new car will have Package Premium I & II, Multimedia and iPod Integration Kit. It seems that, so far, the GPS that comes with the car can'nt work while driving trough Europe. The GPS hard disk comes only with the software to work in the US. I plan to take a portable Magellan with the European software to gide me along the european roads during my three months vacation, before return the car to the drop off local in Madrid.
    This is the 5th MB car that I pick up in Suttgart.
    If I have more news about the new model I will let you know.
    Lusatenas
  • lusatenaslusatenas Member Posts: 4
    After your vacation in Europe, when you leave the car at the drop off local, you can bring with you the european front plate. Just leave the rear one. When you leave the car, just confirm that. Only in drop off points like Milan, from where the car will be driven by road back to germany for shipment, you have to leave both plates. In June 2008, I left my EDP MB E350 4MATIC in Auto Turistica, Madrid, to be shiped back to the US, and I brought the front plate with me. Exactly eight weeks later I received the car at my US MB dealership with the European rear plate still attached.
  • kengarookengaroo Member Posts: 25
    Lusatenas,

    Does MB dealers put any mark ups on European Delivery (ED) vehicles? I read that it is normal for BMW dealers to charge between $1,000 - $1,500 for ED vehicles as their profit.

    Also are there any standrad fees that MB charges when you purchase a vehicle either from the dealer or ED? Such as advertising and training fee like the BMW. I have never purchased a MB before and I want to know ahead of time what kind of fees are assoicated with the vehicle before I start the negotiating.

    Thanks,
  • lusatenaslusatenas Member Posts: 4
    Hi. Just do this way.
    1. Go to www.mbusa.com; 2. Choose the model you want; 3. Build the car, choosing the exterior and interior colors, options and packages.
    From the total amount that shows up you deduct the delivery/transportation fee of $825.00 (not charged for european delivery) ; now from that new amount you take 7% discount. Finally contact any MB Dealer. The dealer will confirm the amount value that you got through the MB Web site. Usualy you need to order the car about 4 months in advance, pay a deposit of $2,000.00 when ordering and pay the balance in full, at least one month before the pickup date in stuttgart. The European Delivery Package includes one hotel night for two, two taxi vouchers (Airport to hotel + hotel to Sindelfingen), one voucher for lunch at the delivery center (You can eat there or take out the lunch with you), and 15 days compreensive insurance. If you plan to drive the car in europe for more than that two weeks, at the time of the order let them know that you need, for instance, one full month, two or more months road insurance, but never more than six. Last year I paid $680.00 for two months. Within the validity of the insurance you have to take the car to one of several drop off points. I drove my E350 to Madrid and got it back home exactly 6 weeks later. If you leave in Massachusetts or nearby, I may be able to get you a good deal.

    Lusatenas
  • reyesdareyesda Member Posts: 3
    took delivery 4/1 on my C300 4M from Fletcher Jones MB Newport Beach. German tags were in the trunk. But the Duetchland (D) Sticker and the Austrian toll sticker was gone. The did an excellent job cleaning the car.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    You can do all that directly at MBUSA,com by going to their European Delivery page and building the car there - and it gives all the details of the program, as well as the correct OSD price without the math.

    http://www.mbusa.com/edp/index.do
  • e2009e2009 Member Posts: 23
    Lusatenas,
    The insurance provided by MB only covers the vehicle? Does MB sell liability insurance for the driving in Europe? I read some place that there is a European GPS available on loan from MB that must be returned when the vehicle is left at the drop off location.
  • e2009e2009 Member Posts: 23
    I used the MB site to order a 2009 E-Class. The site will prompt to any dealer in the United States. The site request requires that a valid telephone be listed with your name and address. I requested a reply by E-mail from the dealers that I contacted in different states. Every dealer called. I do not think they read past your name and phone number.

    The E-Mail usually goes to the Internet Department of the dealer. Some of the representatives were not aware of the European Delivery Program. One dealer told me they do not sell cars for exports. Some dealers felt the E-mail have been sent to the wrong state.

    The prices are not available for the 2009. The dealer I selected completed the request with the options that I selected on the MB forms. I sent the deposit and the vehicle will be delivered to a local deliver near my home. The vehicle will be available a few days after August 1, 2008. We delayed the pickup date a few days in case there in a delay at the factory.
  • flyingfoxoneflyingfoxone Member Posts: 12
    We picked up our C350 Sport AMG at the M-B factory near Stuttgart last month. We drove the optional Rally Package, handing over the car five days (and 700 miles) later in Munich. It was a memorable experience -- we even collected a speeding ticket on an Austrian Autobahn!

    Here are some pictures we took when we picked up the car. Click: Kundencenter

    T&J
  • trauppiustrauppius Member Posts: 31
    I picked up my C350W (Palladium, Grey/Black MB Tex, P2, MM) on September 8th, 2008, and then did the Black Forest/Alps Rally trip that MB subsidizes.

    MB provided a portable MB branded Garmin GPS navigator to use during the trip; it was a lifesaver as I am sure I would have gotten lost several times without it. You place a deposit on your credit card and then it is voided by MB when the shipping agent returns it for you. The MB restaurant provided two free "box lunches" that included wine, fruit, sandwiches, candy; it lasted us several days.

    The tour and delivery process went very smoothly, and the trip accommodations were very nice indeed.

    The 2009 model included a number of unexpected improvements (much improved quieting, pelvic airbags, memory seats, electronic compass, larger mirrors, larger MM disk drive for music ripping and storage, Michelin Pilot HX tires, more opaque screen plus low emissivity coating on inner surface of standard sunroof, etc.). I am very pleased with the paint quality and the assembly quality. MB also tossed-in a nice set of plush floormats with MB insignia that are better than the thinner all-weather set that MBUSA will place in the trunk when the cars arrives at the vehicle processing center near Baltimore. The EDP badge was provided at the factory and you can have your dealer install it on the front grill or, alternatively in the interest of maintaining external symmetry, glued into the glovebox after the mounting lugs are buffed off.

    I am now awaiting the return shipment, which MB says is 6-8 weeks until I can pick up the car at the dealer. I would definitely do it again, the hardest part is the wait to get the car back stateside.
  • leeatlgaleeatlga Member Posts: 2
    Reyesda,

    I'm seriously considering doing the European Delivery of a C300, which will be a mid-February 2009 pickup date. I plan to drive just within Germany but I'm still concerned about not having winter tires during February. Did you have any problems with the weather as far as ice and snow?

    Thanks!

    Lee
  • trauppiustrauppius Member Posts: 31
    Lee,

    In my case the, with the September 8 delivery, the weather and tires were not a factor. However, the delivery paperwork contains caveats about complying with local regulations concerning tires in use during "winter weather" (normally November-April). The Austrians are especially strict on roads to/from mountain ski areas and require winter tires even for 4WD vehicles; "all-season" are just not acceptable there.

    The technician who gave my vehicle intro mentioned that US Spec RWD cars delivered in winter months and equipped with the 18" AMG wheel and performance tire package have been shown to be "problematic" in winter driving; and MB has strong cautions about this setup for EDP driving in winter. Ultimately, it is left up to the customer to decide what to do. He mentioned that is partially why, starting with 2009 models, MB now offers an option of equipping the 5-spoke 18" AMG wheel upgrade with all-season tires. This way the US customer can buy a set of their preferred/performance tires and remount them when they return to the US and keep the all-weathers as backups or winter tires in climates that don't have too much deep snow.
  • leeatlgaleeatlga Member Posts: 2
    Trauppius,

    Thanks so much for the information! I would be ordering the C300 Luxury with the standard all-season tires. I won't be driving into Austria and probably not even into the higher elevations of Germany if there might be ice and/or snow there. I know that may sound timid, but driving the car out of the factory and around town to experience Germany will be enough for me.

    It would be perfect if the factory could put winter tires on there and then my dealer put on all season tires when they receive the car state-side. I could keep the winter tires as backup like you said. My parents are retired Michelin employees so I could get a free set of all-season tires for my dealer to put on over here. My MB dealer is new and has had only 1 person do the EDP program so far. I'll be visiting them again tomorrow.

    I've read somewhere about all wheel drive not being effective if one doesn't use winter tires. I thought about ordering 4-Matic as well since I occasionally drive through the NC and TN mountains from SC to OH during the winter. I drive a 2006 Acura RL now with SH-AWD and all season tires, but hadn't been in any serious snow or ice storms. I was wondering how the weather and roads were like in and around Stuttgart during February.

    Thanks again for the information!

    Lee
  • reyesdareyesda Member Posts: 3
    We hit snow going up to Buehl then to Triberg thru Hinterzarten driving the Black Forrest mountain roads, but the C300 is a 4Matic. No issues.
  • gotgt3gotgt3 Member Posts: 114
    A few questions.

    1. Do you have to be in the EU for 15 days or can the trip be shorter?
    2. When you said paid in full, does this mean there is no financing with an EDP?
    3. If you have to way a few months before the car arrives to the US, are you given a courtesy car from your dealer?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    1. Trip can be any length, from 24 hours to whatever....more insurance is required after 15 days, and expensive VAT would be due after 3 months, but there is no standard length. Depends on what you want to do.

    2. Financing is done all the time; "paid in full" means that you OR your financing entity have written a check to the dealer. You have to find a financing source that won't balk at the fact that it could be up to 8 weeks AFTER they write the check that the car is back in the USA and ready to be registered and titled. Your dealer should be able to recommend plenty of sources for OSD financing.

    3. No. Could be 4-8 weeks....no dealer I know of is going to let you have a car for that length of time.
  • vs350vs350 Member Posts: 2
    Hi.

    We live in Massachusetts.
    We would like to go with EDP for our 2010 E350 4Matic. How can we get the the best deal...I know that you can get 7% off the MSRP and we do not have to pay the destination charge. Are there any other savings?
    Please let me know. Thank you.
  • vs350vs350 Member Posts: 2
    Hi.

    Does anyone know if MB USA pays for one air ticket if two people are traveling for EDP? Please let me know. Thank you.

    Regards,
    Vaib
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    MBUSA has a so-called "2 for 1" agreement with Lufthansa, but you are dealing entirely with the airline, not MBUSA, and my experience is that Lufthansa's ticket prices can be so high on specific dates that you're better off looking for a cheaper ride on some other carrier. Still, worth exploring before making a final commitment on how to get there to pick up your car.
  • b777b777 Member Posts: 3
    Hi Lusatenas,5th MB pick up in Stuttgart,thats awesome !Well I will have my first P/U of my 2010 E-350 in October,I only plan to go for about 4 days so do you have any recommendations as to good places to go sight seeing?I would like to drop off the car in Zürich but am open to that also ,any info would be helpfull,thankyou in advance...B777
  • mhoffman2mhoffman2 Member Posts: 3
    Picked up a new Mercedes on the EDP in March. Prior to delivery to Harms for shipping to the US, I went over the car closely. The windshield had two small chips on the drivers side. I called AXA insurance after reviewing the insurance information and reported the claim to an agent. I was assured that the vehicle would be repaired before shipment. I also reported the chips on deliveryof the vehicle to Harms in Munich. The car arrived in the states within approximately two weeks. The chips had NOT been repaired. The dealer noted the chips and advised to call Mercedes. I did, and they stated that I needed to contact AXA. But I have no US number and apparently they do not write vehicle coverage in the states. Now I am left by Mercedes and its designated insurance company (you have no option) to deal with this claim. This has soured me on the entire experience. Poor customer relations. If this is the manner in which a "premium" car company deals with its customers, it is not a good indicator for the future.
  • dlcole76054dlcole76054 Member Posts: 21
    Has anyone got an additional discount from their dealer in addition to the MD ED 7% delivery? There has to be more margin in an ED car than just 7%...
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