This email is in addition to a telephone call I had this morning with Anne - Anne is a credit to the organisation and has been the most pleasant person I have dealt with throughout the whole saga.---------------------------------Dear Lookers Complaints Team,I am writing to raise a formal complaint regarding the handling of my recent purchase of a Mercedes AMG A45 S Registration - J123GRF (VIN: W1K3F5EB8TJ559545).Several aspects of the finance process, sales communication, and vehicle handover fell significantly below the standard I expect from Mercedes Benz.My concerns fall into four key areas:1. Early Activation of Mercedes Benz Finance AgreementFrom the outset, the mutually agreed plan was for me to collect the vehicle in early February, with the original agreed date being Friday 6 February. This timing was important because it ensured that my first monthly payment would fall in early March, aligning with the expected financial schedule and the discussions held at the point of order.Despite this clear expectation, the finance agreement was activated six days before I collected the vehicle. It was activated on Wednesday 28 January, and I did not collect the vehicle until Tuesday 3 February.Crucially, the dealership did not inform me that the agreement had been activated. I only discovered this by accident when I received an email from Mercedes Benz Finance on Friday 30 January, notifying me that the agreement had already been activated two days earlier.This resulted in:• Being charged for a period during which I did not have possession of the vehicle• My first payment date being pulled forward into February, contrary to the agreed intentionThis issue was then compounded further by the dealership’s own actions. I was contacted by the salesperson, Jay, and asked to bring my collection date forward because the dealership had a sales event taking place. Although I did not understand why this was necessary, I agreed to accommodate the request and rearranged my personal commitments to collect the vehicle on Tuesday 3 February.By agreeing to the dealership’s request, the impact of the early finance activation became even more pronounced. Had the original 6 February date been honoured, the early activation may not have disrupted the payment schedule to the same extent. Instead, my willingness to assist the dealership directly worsened the consequences of their error.When I raised this with the business manager, Ed, I proposed several reasonable resolutions, including deferring the first payment to restore the intended timeline. Ed’s response was effectively “take it or leave it”, asking me whether I wanted the car or not.When I asked what remedy the dealership intended to offer for the early activation and the resulting financial impact, I was presented with two options: to cancel the finance agreement and start again — which would have required another hard credit check and introduced further delay and uncertainty — or to accept a complimentary GardX treatment. GardX is widely regarded as a low value dealer upsell and does not constitute a meaningful or appropriate remedy for a finance administration error. Neither option addressed the core issue nor restored the intended payment schedule.Ed did agree to document the failings in writing at my request. I asked Jay to ensure this document would be ready before the handover. No such document has been provided.2. Unprofessional and Insecure Sales Communication via WhatsAppThe majority of the sales process was conducted through WhatsApp messages. Despite me expressing a preference for telephone communication, I was repeatedly asked to send personal and sensitive documents through WhatsApp.At no point was I provided with:• Any explanation of how my data would be handled• Any information about retention periods• Any reassurance regarding GDPR compliance• Any secure alternative method for document submissionAdditionally, when I telephoned the dealership to speak directly with Jay, his demeanour was dismissive, giving the impression that my call was an inconvenience. While he did not say this explicitly, the tone conveyed a sense of “what do you want?” rather than professional customer support.This combination of insecure communication channels and unprofessional telephone conduct is not reflective of the standards expected from a premium brand.3. Lack of Empathy and Poor Conduct During a Family EmergencyAll discussions regarding the finance activation issue were intended to be resolved on Monday, and I made every effort to engage constructively despite experiencing a genuine family emergency. One of our cats suffered a serious medical episode in the early hours of that morning, requiring urgent veterinary treatment. I had very little sleep and made the dealership aware that I was dealing with a distressing and time sensitive situation.Despite this, I continued to communicate with both Jay and Ed in an attempt to resolve the finance issue. Their responses showed little empathy or flexibility. On Monday evening, while I was urgently attending the vets, I informed the dealership that I needed to focus on the emergency. Nevertheless, I continued receiving WhatsApp messages insisting that I sign collection documents and provide evidence of my insurance immediately.I pushed back and explained that they would need to wait, but they maintained that this was urgent and continued to press for the documents. This lack of understanding and the pressure placed on me during a personal emergency was inappropriate and added unnecessary stress at an already difficult time.4. Underwhelming and Inconsistent Vehicle Handover ExperienceThe handover experience was extremely disappointing. My vehicle was left outside, and the keys were simply handed across a desk with no sense of occasion or customer care.This was particularly surprising given that a close friend of mine purchased the same model from the same dealership and received a full VIP style handover, including:• The vehicle was presented indoors• A Mercedes branded cover• A reveal experience befitting a premium brandThe inconsistency in customer treatment is unacceptable and left the experience feeling flat and unmemorable.Requested ResolutionI request that the dealership and Mercedes Benz Finance review:• The early activation of my finance agreement and the resulting financial impact• The inappropriate use of WhatsApp for sensitive documentation and the dismissive telephone conduct• The lack of empathy shown during my family emergency• The poor and inconsistent handover experience• The failure to provide the written documentation that Ed agreed to prepare• The fact that I brought my collection date forward at the dealership’s request, which worsened the finance issueI expect a clear explanation of how these issues occurred and what steps will be taken to resolve them and prevent similar issues for future customers.Yours sincerely,James Griffiths07483249285

ordered a MB in December dealt with Jay and crystal clear of his agreement. Defer collection till feb/march cust would collect 06.02 so the first payment would be 30 days following.Jay advised couldn't collect it then and at Jays request . Last Friday MB emailed and advised the finance agreement had been activated early. Use of whatsap through the sales process and i the cust was never told about how the data would be used. Just sending all the private data over whatsap reluctant to speak over the telephone. Concerns teaches data protect himself. Monday trying to resolve various things with the dealership, back and forth had a family emergency, dealership had very poor conduct and emphathy, insisting I dealt with him and at 5.40 in the evening and he just wanted the documents sent via whats ap.AMG model, happens to get an additional sale for the dealership and they got all the VIP. The cust got nothing other than it was in the rain hand here are your keys and no VIP treatment at all.

Too many random e mails flying around.

At the time of purchasing of the vehicle, I was told that the dealership had the full service history. However, I have been chasing for nearly a year and they never held it and they are trying to chase the private garage for a copy of it. Clearly this was a misrepresentation at the time of purchase. The dealership have refused to give me a full service at no charge for peace of mind and will not admit any wrongdoing. Additionally, this will impact the value of the vehicle when I go to sell it on.

After service shocking - taxed the car to the showroom when purchased and wasn’t the registered owner and found out years later. The salesman did not even send the v5 off which is a legal document! Resulting me to pay a massive fine! Not even your own finance company could get hold of the showroom or manager to get this sorted!

Hi I put in a google review with regards to my experience at Shrewsbury under the name Joel Bantick I rang them last week as the response stated but never got call back from sales manager. So can they email me with response ideally

I part ex my car and took a car from Shrewsbury. The finance was meant to be paid off my car by the 9th however I had a direct debit due the 8th. I asked if this would be paid as soon as I handed the car over and I was advised yes. As I said I don’t want to be paying my direct Debit then being out of pocket and waiting for a refund. They said it’ll be done straight away (they had 2 weeks ish). I had to chase this multiple times and was advised multiple times that this had been completed. I checked with the finance company and they advised it’s not been received. So I had to keep going back and forth wasting my time at work and home. I got a call from Ed who said this should’ve been completed as soon as I handed over the car. I then raised a formal complaint. Didn’t get acknowledgement of this within the 5 days. Had no communication from yourselves until I rung up multiple times to be told I’d get calls back from different managers which never happened either. I called today and Josh the manager answered. I told him the above and he apologised and said there’s nothing else he can do as the finance was paid. I feel like he completely ignored my other elements of the complaint in regards to being told misinformation about the finance being paid and the fact I’ve had to chase this for 2 months without any communication! This has caused massive stress to myself and affected my work and family time. This is not what I expected from my first experience buying from a main dealer and Mercedes being a high end brand having worked for them myself

The sales rep was disinterested and never gave me the opportunity to sit in the drivers seat. Never asked about our vehicle, even though we were going to part ex. The vehicle was presented in an unsatisfactory way. Still remnant's of what looked like straw in the boot & dirty inside and out.

The salesman appeared inexperienced / had not familiarised himself with the aspects/ history of the car resulting in my request to speak to the sales manager .I am still interested in purchasing that car.

Unfortunately, it's very bad. I received the wrong documents after the service. I also paid for a Service Plan for next year, which was also issued for a different vehicle. I still don't have the correct documents. No one has contacted me. I don't know what's going on. I have a very bad experience with this place.