Alex Berkov (berkov@yahoo.com) Tue, 18 Aug 1998 05:40:34 -0700 (PDT)
an hour and a half drive (depending on where you live in Mass). I had a 1K deposit at Chambers in Boston for one month. Then I stumbled onto a dealer in Hartford at which I was looking at Rovers (BMW/MB/Rover dealer) and I told him I had a deposit on an ML in Boston with an eleven month wait. He said he can get me the car in 3-4 months with a $300 deposit. 2.5 months later I had the car. One and a half hour ride. Ed, my suggestion check dealers in RI, CT, VT, NH, ME and NY, depending on how far you want to drive. Demand elsewhere mas be less than Metro Boston. The extended ride from the dealership gave me a chance to bond with my ML. Good Luck. Alex ---P C <congdon@airmail.net> wrote: > > Not to make you feel bad, but stories like this make me happy I got out of > Massachusetts many years ago. My wife and I droped into an MB dealer in Dallas one > Saturday afternoon in June just "looking around." We test drove a truck and I drove > out the following Monday night in my ML-3230. > > Phil > > Edward Agranat wrote: > > > This group has been discussing long waits for ML-320 deliveries, ways to get > > around MB’s allotment games, and names of dealers that provide better/faster > > service. Now, I think I have the mother of all stories in this regard. Would > > anyone believe SIXTEEN MONTHS to get an ML-320? > > > > Normally, I wouldn’t put so much text on the Web, but I’m really pissed and I > > think people (especially in the Boston area) would like to know what happened. > > > > On November 22, 1997, I placed an order (with a $1K deposit)for an ML-320 at > > Foreign Motors West, a nearby dealer in suburban Boston. The “salesman” said he > > was told to say delivery would be about a year. But, with 300 people ahead of > > me, and their allotment rate of 30/month, he indicated I might see my machine by > > end of September or early October 1998. > > > > Late March 1998, I called to see what was happening, and I was told that the > > number of people in front of me was down from 300 to about 190. This tallied > > reasonably with the 30 vehicle-per-month rate. He had no build date yet, > > however. > > > > I called again in June 1998, and was told that “there may be some delay because > > MB is converting a lot of production to 430s and starting to export more, so > > FMS’s allocation for 320s was reduced. And still no build date!! I asked if I > > could switch my order to a 430, and if that would get me an ML sooner. He > > responded that switching would “put me back at the end of the line”, and it would > > be a year or so! > > > > That day, I started calling the other MB dealers in the area (there are at least > > 5 within a 50-mile radius). The second one I called on June 11 set me up > > IMMEDIATELY with a black opal 430, with the options I wanted, scheduled for a > > build date of 10/29/98! I immediately gave him a $1K deposit over the phone . . > > . so then I had deposits on TWO MLs. I was ready to take the first one that came > > along! > > > > About the end of June, the “salesman” at FMW called to say they needed > > confirmation of the specific options I wanted with my ML-320, and asked about > > colors, etc. -- to which I promptly responded. Maybe NOW, I thought, I’d get a > > build date from them. > > > > The last week in July, the OTHER dealer--the one from whom I ordered the > > ML430--called to say that everything was OK, but apologized that the computer > > printout showed the build date had slipped one day to 10/30/98. And, he asked if > > I wanted to change the interior color (I was ambivalent, earlier) because this > > was my last chance. > > > > Saturday, 8/15/98, I called the FMW “salesman” to ask about the build date. He > > stalled and said the woman “who tracks such things is not in on Saturday”, and he > > offered to call back today. He did call, and told my wife that because so many > > (ha!) ML bodies were being diverted to V8 production, he thought delivery of our > > ML-320 would be next March! That’s right . . . SIXTEEN MONTHS after accepting my > > order!! > > > > I immediately called FMW’s accounting department and asked for my deposit back. > > At least THAT part of their operation seems to work; the woman called within a > > few > > hours to say that a credit had been applied to my Visa card. (We’ll see if it > > really appears on my next statement.) By default, I guess I bought an ML430! > > > > FMW (or at least a certain incompetent “salesman”) appears not to give a damn > > about satisfying their/his clients. As a result of my problems with them, a > > neighbor bought an E-320 w/all-wheel drive from Chambers (in Somerville, MA) even > > though they are much further away. Another friend who was giving his JGC to > > college-bound son decided that waiting for an ML was too much of a hassle, so he > > bought the Lexus “truck”. If any area locals want more details, feel free to > > e-mail me. > > > > Whew. After fuming all afternoon, it’s good to write this up and get it off my > > chest! > > > > Ed > > ________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? 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