Help!

I can't find the car I'm looking for on my side of the country and now I'm strongly considering buying one on the east coast. The problem is the cost of going to see the car and the shipping make getting a good deal impossible.

Would any of you buy a starmarked car from a MB dealer based on paper description and photographs? The car has only 6800mi and factory warranty left but.....

I feel nuts for even asking...or maybe just too eager!

__________________
Ed "Don't Benz's just feel better..."

Current wives...
2000 ML430 Skyview "The Mel"
2000 CLK430 Cab "The Cab"
85 300D Turbo "The Diesel"

Past wives...
92 300E
85 190E

"One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to
avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond
this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to
interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways."
Bertrand Russell

I'm sure you can but where is the question.

Well, if the car is a Starmark car from a Mercedes dealer's lot, I would be inclined to trust it, as the Starmark cars that I've seen have been nearly perfect.

I can also say that digital photos sure can make bad paint look good.

There are so many members all around the country, if you see an example on the internet that you like, post it, and you'll probably find someone who'll check it out for you.

I live in Southern California and could probably help you out. My next door neighbor works at Fletcher Jones Mercedes in Newport Beach, which is the largest volume Mercedes dealer in the world. If it's on his lot, I'll have him check it out for ya.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

as for the bad paint thing not so sure about that

Attached Thumbnails

 

Yeah, your paint looks bad.

But a digital image can make average paint look flawless. It's amazing how many small scratches, etc. that a digital image hides.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I think any camera does that because when I first got the car I would show people a picture any they would say the paint looks great. (clear coat is peeling fast)
won't Starmark cover that kind of stuff?

You probably can't purchase a Starmarked car that looks like that.

__________________
Jim

I bought my 400 from the east coast based on pix and independent inspection. There were only a couple of small unexpected details.

Since the one you are looking at has a Starmark warranty, you don’t have very much exposure for unexpected problems. Only thing is that I would make darn sure it hadn’t been in a wreck.

Happy hunting!

__________________
...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

Starmark? That only means it comes with a warranty. The paint is only warrantied to 50k miles, the emmisions only till 75k, and we all know about the "new" paint. I'd actually be wary of purchasing a Mercedes with ONLY 6800 miles on the odo. Before you ask the dealer why, be assured that you're not going to get the correct answer.

My experience with starmarked cars from our local dealers is that they're not all that thorough when doing the checkup. I looked at a starmarked '95 W124 convertible and the oil wasn't changed, brakes had about 3mm of pad left, gasket was "fixed" but still showed signs of leakage, brittle engine bay insulation, too many stone chips on the windshield, doors were a little crooked, and a few other things.

Kuan

starmark is for real.Talking about the amount of money you are get you butt on a plane an look the car over.

My car was sold as a Starmark car in 1996, and yes, the car had a perfect maintenance record at the same dealership, and the car was perfect cosmetically, but the dealer didn't change out the engine wiring harness nor the head gasket.

The engine wiring harness acted up after the warranty expired, and they replaced it at 107,000 miles as a goodwill repair. The head gasket leaked for the first time at 130,000 miles.

So, I guess they only keep cars that look reaaaal good, check for the obvious things, and are willing to let sleeping dogs lie (if it ain't broke, don't fix it).

But, if your consider the amount of expensive repairs that can occur on these cars, I think the premium for this kind of warranty is probably worth it.

You can use me and JCE as examples.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

This is my experience:

I bought my C240 over the net from a MB dealer with the UK equivalent of Starmark (Signature). It had 8,000 miles on and was 18 months old when I bought it.

You have to be a bit careful. I asked the dealer the following questions:

1. Are the wheels unmarked?
2. Is the paintwork unmarked?
3. In your expert opinion has the vehicle been involved in an accident or had any paint.

The dealer faxed me a completed vehicle order form with terms and conditions on the rear and asked me to sign it and fax back. Obviously I didn't get the terms and conditions. I made a note of that I would not be bound on the order, and also noted that the contract was subject to my satisfaction on sight. I also noted the dealer's representations in response to my questions. Having done all this I faxed the order back to him. To be fair, he did not object (and if he had done I would have walked away).

The car was 320 miles away (a lot in the UK). When I got there I found that the dealer had refurbished one alloy wheel; another alloy wheel had a very small nick in it. There was a large (but well repaired) stone chip on the leading edge of the nearside rear wing (just above the rubbing strip).

I was prepared to accept these very minor defects in what was (after all) a used car.

I now believe the car has had a very professional part paint job, although I do not believe it has been in an accident. All of the date stamps on all of the parts that would have been replaced in any accident correspond with the date of manufacture. However the paint is thicker in some places than others. I think it has probably been keyed or vandalised and competently repaired.

Conclusion: I am as happy as I would have been had I bought it at my local dealer. There were no nasty surprises. I would not have spotted the (suspected) paint job on the forecourt of my local dealer (only after many hours detailing have my suspicions been raised). Yet I had the benefit of shopping in a national market place and obtaining the precise specification I wanted at a price I felt was a good deal.

Waiver: all car dealers are dodgy, it's just a question of degree that separates them.

Bear this in mind and ask sensible questions before agreeing to buy; reserve your right to walk away and be prepared to do so; remember, you are buying a used car and it will not be "as new".

Finally: I would do it again.

__________________
JJ Rodger
2013 G350 Bluetec
1999 SL 500
1993 E300 diesel T
1990 190

Great advice guys!

Tracy, you're right about the accident damage. If I'm going to trust Carfax and the spoken word of the dealer am I assuming too much?

JJ's idea of getting an order form or some kind of contractual document that the purchase is subject to my acceptance upon delivery would be great! What documents exist in the car sales transaction that could serve this purpose?

more help please...

__________________
Ed "Don't Benz's just feel better..."

Current wives...
2000 ML430 Skyview "The Mel"
2000 CLK430 Cab "The Cab"
85 300D Turbo "The Diesel"

Past wives...
92 300E
85 190E

"One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to
avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond
this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to
interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways."
Bertrand Russell

I just noticed you're in Tustin. What car are you looking for that you can't find here in Southern California?

There must be at least 6 dealers within an hour drive from your house.

Are you searching for a rare model, or a strange color combination?

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

ML Dude,

Do you trust your Mercedesshop "brethren"??

If you ask somebody on this forum who may be local to the vehicle you have interest in, they may go in person and check it out for you. If it looks good, you still may consider a PPI (you never know).

Then, if someone needs a car checked out in your area, you might return the favor....