I plan to speak softly and carry a big stick. The cowards way would be to tattle-tale on the SA to the manager. I will dress him down in front of his superior.
The car is still under warranty until July 06. The SA's wait and see attitude would jeapordize my financial immunity if I wait another 5 months.
A 4 year rust protection on a so-called luxury vehicle is nickel and dime. I expect this from GM products, not Daimler-Benz.
This experience has most likely turned me away from being a repeat customer.
86560SEL,
This looks to be a defect on both hinges where they meet up with the frame. Someone must have missed painting and or rust proofing these two different parts at the exact same location. My car is white, so the colour difference is obvious. If you have another darker colour, my guess is, that it would be nearly impossible to catch this.
I have relatives in Germany and they call a Mercedes a Turkish built car because of all the factory workers are no longer natives. Maybe quality control disappeared when profit margins outweigh product reliability.