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[pscocoa]

My son picked up the  C280 Sport (2008 reg) yesterday - dealer had done all work and there was a pre delivery/handover check. He drove it 2 miles home and parked up and then went with his missus to pick up the MINI. 7pm last night goes to start Mercedes - won't start and airbag light comes on. Hopefully just flat battery I pray.

Green Flag turn up (brilliant service and attitude from them by the way) and battery is dud - original battery in car. Tell tale sign is red protective cap on battery terminal is not put back so clear assumption/evidence car had been jumped.

Luckily airbag light went off when car restarted so hope that is all. Green Flag guy knows dealer and thinks they are good outfit - he bought a Voyager off them!!

Now for Halfords or Kwikfit and no doubt slight battle with garage tomorrow.

[biggriffin]

Check what deal vx have on batteries trade club can be very good if not then its halfords with trade card.

[Keith ABS]

  Surely he can get the dealer to replace the battery as part of the warrenty? Or has he owned the car for a while and had just had it serviced?
Keith B

[pscocoa]

No he bought car yesterday - but garage is shut today and car needed tomorrow 7am. Have left message on garage answer machine and son emailed them but someone must have known there was a problem - not necessarily guy who sold it I suppose. If you have to jump a car at all these days you have to think to check the battery unless it has been stood a while which I do not think the C280 was. We will give it a couple of hours in case they pick up message.

[pscocoa]

  Surely he can get the dealer to replace the battery as part of the warrenty? Or has he owned the car for a while and had just had it serviced?
Keith B

There is no dealer warranty by the way - we have taken another as Dealer Warranty offered with Auto Protect had exclusions on sat nav, multimedia etc, air bags which Warranty Wise include.

Point is - irrespective of warranty this is just careless at best or deceitful at worst but not going there at present.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

No he bought car yesterday - but garage is shut today and car needed tomorrow 7am. Have left message on garage answer machine and son emailed them but someone must have known there was a problem - not necessarily guy who sold it I suppose. If you have to jump a car at all these days you have to think to check the battery unless it has been stood a while which I do not think the C280 was. We will give it a couple of hours in case they pick up message.

Very likely.

A new battery to show good will from the dealer I think.

[MR MISTER]

It's been posted on here many times what I, and many others, think of car dealers of any description. Therives and rogues.

[Shackeng]

My son picked up the  C280 Sport (2008 reg) yesterday - dealer had done all work and there was a pre delivery/handover check. He drove it 2 miles home and parked up and then went with his missus to pick up the MINI. 7pm last night goes to start Mercedes - won't start and airbag light comes on. Hopefully just flat battery I pray.

Green Flag turn up (brilliant service and attitude from them by the way) and battery is dud - original battery in car. Tell tale sign is red protective cap on battery terminal is not put back so clear assumption/evidence car had been jumped.

Luckily airbag light went off when car restarted so hope that is all. Green Flag guy knows dealer and thinks they are good outfit - he bought a Voyager off them!!

Now for Halfords or Kwikfit and no doubt slight battle with garage tomorrow.

That wasn't the one we saw driving with the bonnet propped up by a power pack was it???

[pscocoa]

It could well have been the car we bought. Sat in rain now at Halfords whilst they change it. Treating Omega to new wiper blades and sidelight having followed Merc down

[Andy B]

.... Hopefully just flat battery I pray. .....

Is there just one battery on it? It seems that quite a few Mercs have two. 

[Taxi_Driver]

  Surely he can get the dealer to replace the battery as part of the warrenty? Or has he owned the car for a while and had just had it serviced?
Keith B

There is no dealer warranty by the way - we have taken another as Dealer Warranty offered with Auto Protect had exclusions on sat nav, multimedia etc, air bags which Warranty Wise include.

Point is - irrespective of warranty this is just careless at best or deceitful at worst but not going there at present.

I'd give the salesman the benefit of the doubt to start with tbh. It is quite possible that he didnt know the battery was duff. I see it all the time with a local second hand car dealer down the road from me, bonnet up and fast charger/starter attached, and they have quite a high turnaround. For example they had 3 x Range Rovers on their forecourt at the beginning of last week, now all gone.

I would go into the dealer and produce the Halfords receipt and explain I had to buy a new battery on Sunday, because it wouldnt start and you were closed and would they like to cover the cost of the new battery. I suspect they probably will, as if they dont they certainly will know they wont get any repeat business.

Dont go into dealer if there isnt any possible customers around, wait until they have customers looking around. They will be more likely to pay you, as it shows good service to possible customers and might drive them away if they refuse and you get loud and shouty if they refuse 

[pscocoa]

  Surely he can get the dealer to replace the battery as part of the warrenty? Or has he owned the car for a while and had just had it serviced?
Keith B

There is no dealer warranty by the way - we have taken another as Dealer Warranty offered with Auto Protect had exclusions on sat nav, multimedia etc, air bags which Warranty Wise include.

Point is - irrespective of warranty this is just careless at best or deceitful at worst but not going there at present.

I'd give the salesman the benefit of the doubt to start with tbh. It is quite possible that he didnt know the battery was duff. I see it all the time with a local second hand car dealer down the road from me, bonnet up and fast charger/starter attached, and they have quite a high turnaround. For example they had 3 x Range Rovers on their forecourt at the beginning of last week, now all gone.

I would go into the dealer and produce the Halfords receipt and explain I had to buy a new battery on Sunday, because it wouldnt start and you were closed and would they like to cover the cost of the new battery. I suspect they probably will, as if they dont they certainly will know they wont get any repeat business.

Dont go into dealer if there isnt any possible customers around, wait until they have customers looking around. They will be more likely to pay you, as it shows good service to possible customers and might drive them away if they refuse and you get loud and shouty if they refuse 

What you say is very fair and pragmatic. I said to my son that he is getting a new battery instead of a 5 year one and I would on one hand do a 50/50 but then we have had the disruption because of a basic error. See what response is. I have retrieved old battery from Halfords and it is now in Omega boot as it may be required!!

[martin42]

Also show them the breakdown callout sheet.

[pscocoa]

Of course nothing is straight forward. We chose the listed battery from Halford's catalogue and had them fit it. They couldn't - battery was too big - dimensions. Fitted a smaller one that is still more powerful than spec of original but not as powerful as their Bosch or Yusai listed replacement. They have still given 5 year guarantee.

It was teeming with rain but Halford's staff happily doing all kinds of fitting many outside of the car park tents they use. Young lady changed my wipers and sidelight bulb in open car park absolutely drenched. I thought they should be commended for their customer service and will say so on some feedback form.

[Kevin Wood]

For future reference Camberley Auto Factors stock a decent range of Yuasa batteries. Have one in my Omega.

Not sure they'd fit it in the rain, so Halfrauds not a bad bet in an emergency. Even if you end up fitting it using their tools, as I did. "Challenging fit", apparently.