EU readers - don't cross-border import an MB!

I ordered a C Class sport coupé while living in Germany in April 2001. Shortly after ordering it and paying a 10% deposit, I got sent to France by my company. As I couldn't cancel my order without losing the deposit, I was forced to import my new MB to France shortly after delivery in August 2001. I had to pay the VAT difference (19.6%-17.5%) then a whole load of other bureaucaratic charges.

That was just the start of the hassle!

Almost two years down the line, I have given up on this car. Endless nightmare hassles which I can't be bothered to write out here.

If I had still been in Germany, I would have qualified for an exchange car (Wendelwagon) long ago. But because I cross-border imported, I have no chance. I have even got a fax from the factory confirming this. They won't give any form of lemon-law compensation because I cross-border imported.

Anyway, I'm entirely fed up with Daimler Chrysler, so have just decided to accept that I made a mistake buying MB and sell the car. But if there are any EU lawyers here, I would be happy to forward the fax from MB because I'm fairly sure it would be illegal to penalise EU citizens like this. Any body know for sure?

Reply to
Ric
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Good for you. Most people are too lemming like to question what everybody else does without thinking.

It is the same way here in the "Land of the Free".

In both work and medical environments it is commonplace to foist prewritten agreements upon people and explain them away as "standard procedure - just sign it".

Never just sign it. Read it thoroughly. Edit it if there are any things you do not like.

Some time ago when drug testing had just entered into vogue due to the hysteria du jour there was a document that was passed down to all the employees at my company that we were asked to sign. This document effectively gave the company the right to conduct tests at any time on its employees for banned drugs.

I just edited out the permission and added some things about constitutional rights. My boss was surprised, his boss just said send it on up and that was the last I heard of it.

Of course nowadays with the economy so slow the prospective employee cannot be so bold. The government can guarantee your rights but if you need work or services you may have no choice but to give them up. The distinction is that the government must respect your rights but nobody else has to if you agree to give them up. That should not be allowed.

By the way, does anybody yet have a summary of the

2004 model changes? I just read in Forbes that the SLR production version will be unveiled in Frankfurt in September. Is it going to be significantly different than the show car version?

Back on topic!

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Reply to
greek_philosophizer

Thanks for the reminder, Howard. Too often, I forget to take issue with the important things that would make me feel better, if not be beneficial to others for the effort. Like standing my ground, my small, mostly insignificant piece of ground, over my lawful right to be treated with respect.

These days when I pay a telephone bill so marketers can interrupt me day and night, and maintain an Internet account so my email gets flooded with unwanted spam, or check my postal mailbox to see who's making a marketing target out of me now, and then the millions of dollars of advertising spent to get me into a particular store to buy any particular product, only to be insulted, ignored, blown off and ripped off with poor service and crappy attitudes for doing so, you'd think I'd be more aware of the many piece of important legal papers we sign in getting things going quickly.

I knew on some level that we can always modify, think about, reject, adjust, any language of any boilerplate form that's shoved in front of us, and yet so often I just don't take the time to stand my important ground in knowing what I'm agreeing to, and modifying the agreement to be what I want to agree to.

My gripe is slightly off angle to yours, but it's the same principle of self-respect, automony, and living a life with a certain dignity and strength. Thanks for the reminder.

Reply to
rugbyguy

On-topic, I ordered a car from an authorised Merc dealer in Germany with the specific intent of bringing it into the UK. It was a fairly painless process.

There was one paperwork difficulty, if I remember rightly, but a call to the DC HQ in Stuttgart soon put that right. I don't remember the details but some Merc employee was declining to issue a document that would save me some hassles with the UK Customs & Excise (VAT).

I would do it again if circumstances were appropriate, e.g. to save pots of money.

DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling

Based on your other posts as well as this post I think it is fair to say that you have a superior talent when it comes to dealing with organizations that fail to deliver adequate or promised services.

Is there a secret to this or do you just naturally know when to yell or call superiors?

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Reply to
greek_philosophizer

Thank you for that vote of confidence...

I don't always succeed, but sometimes it's obvious that someone is being a blockhead so an appeal to the superior yields results. In the docs case I mentioned here the person I called couldn't understand why I wasn't getting what I wanted as it wasn't unreasonable. It was a fairly short, friendly conversation.

Yesterday morning I had another, small example of this. I had spent the previous night in an Inter-Continental hotel in another country (i.e. not a cheap b&b).

In the morning I brought down to reception a postcard and asked the receptionist to post it for me, charging the postage to my room. "Impossible" he said (literally!), I had to pay cash.

Whilst it is true that many reputable hotels will not charge postage to the room, some do. Furthermore, as I was staying only one night I had no local currency on me and wasn't prepared to change money for the sake of a 50-cent postage stamp as I wasn't sure when/if I would be back, and the currency is weak. (A colleague who was always with me when we were out and about had cash, so I didn't even need any for emergencies. But he wasn't at the reception during the incident.)

So, voice rising slightly I asked for the manager, saying that I was sure he would post it for nothing...another receptionist standing alongside reached over, swept up my postcard and said "Of course we can post it, Sir"....

Well, let's hope they haven't chucked my card into the bin...

Mr Greek_Philosophizer, are you really telling me that you have never resorted to this technique???

DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling

I definitely didn't sign any rights away by moving from one country to another. I'm fairly sure Daimler CHrysler are breaking the law on this.

Reply to
Ric

I think so but not often enough for me to actually remember an instance.

From what I have observed, some people are just good at dealing with bureaucracies and other people are not. It seems to be a combination of personal presence as well as knowing what buttons to push.

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Reply to
greek_philosophizer

Well in this country one can commonly get a very short legal advise session for little outlay. Can't remember the figures off hand but it's something like 30 minutes for 20GBP - cheaper than a MB mechanic! Also our government Trading Standards Department has offices in almost every town from whom advice can be sought. I would check and see if these facilities are available where you are, if I were you.

I'd advise you seek legal advice at this stage and would also add that under some countries legal systems, discussions such as this could harm your case in any eventual litigation. Check that with the legal advisor too.

Reply to
Alexander S. Wood

There are similar consumer protection bodies here in France. But I've already had so much hassle from this car I've just lost all energy to argue with DC any more. I'd rather just sell the car. I'll obviously never buy another of their products though.

Reply to
Ric

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