Arrgghhh, Mercedes De-Fleet Team, Really?

Arrgghhh, Mercedes De-Fleet Team, Really?

October 12, 2013 Personal 0

MercLogo

Mercedes Benz (De-Fleet)

Dear Sirs

RE: Yxxx xxD and your invoice 4xxx6

I am in receipt of your report from your de-fleet department with regards to the return of the Yxxx xxD.

I am I have to say a little taken aback by the abruptness and curtness of your letter but that frankly this is only tip of the iceberg in respect of my overall angst. With respect to the alleged damage to the vehicle there is only one aspect that I can agree on and that is the damage to the running board on the offside of the vehicle. This was sustained ironically coming out the Mercedes Brentford dealership when driving through a width-restricted barrier. As much as I have applied every atom of my being in to thinking why I can blame this on you, I cannot hold Mercedes responsible for my inability to gauge the width of a barrier before trying to force my Mercedes through it. To that end I have to accept and recognize payment is due on this. I might add that I actually paid for that to be repaired by a Mercedes dealership and what you see is craftsmanship of the highest caliber in that repair.

However, and frankly I think the terms of the contract do state fair wear and tear,  short of not driving the vehicle at all I’m not entirely sure how one avoids stone chips and minor abrasions. Last time I checked weaving across 3 lanes of motorway traffic avoiding high velocity micro particles was contrary UK road regulations. Tust me when I tell you driving a 4×4 down the motorway covered roof to bumper in Bubble Wrap, you do kind of lose some of the inherent machismo that comes with the car.   In respect of the alleged bump to the rear you have used equipment to point out something not visible to the human eye. This is incredible! If the contract stated that you where going to apply an Electron Microscope to every inch (or micron I guess) of the car upon return I think I would be have been looking at a different monthly rate. Or alternatively, considering the possibility of leasing a Challenger Tank and driving that through the streets of London. I don’t know what the congestion charge rate would have been but it sure as heck wouldn’t have worried about that width restriction outside your Brentford Dealership. The contract also stated that the car shouldn’t go back with anything more than 115,000 miles on the clock which at time of buying this put a premium on the monthly rate and the balloon. In the end the car went back with less than 44,000 miles on the clock (I bought / rented it with 11,000 miles on it already). Has I gone over 115,000 miles Mercedes would have charged me £0.15 for every mile over. As it happens I’m 71,000 miles in credit as such can I claim back the £0.15 per mile and invoice you for £10,650, I suspect not. None of this seems to have been taken in to account.

You have a car with damage to one plastic step, a couple of stone chips and less than 44,000 miles on the clock it is otherwise in immaculate condition! The car has the highest spec (excluding the Mercedes factory fit laser guided stone neutralizer). Unless of course you wish to forget fair wear and tear and instead MRI scan the vehicle then frankly it would have been cheaper to buy it outright and drive it off Beachy Head just for japes and larks (not withstanding the environmental damage of course).

On a less flippant note I actually I am requesting a review of your findings and therefore dispute your letter and requested invoice. Please provide me with the necessary detail such that we can arbitrate a sensible figure for the car, as currently I’m not happy with all but one of claims as outlined above.

Sincerely,

James Kirkby

 

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