Quote:
Originally Posted by rohank024 2. In case, insurance co declines then does it make any sense at all to go for such expensive replacement from an authorized dealer? I mean this is like more than 10% purchase cost of my car. If not, then could someone please suggest a cheaper option to fix this problem in Mumbai.
Thanks in advance guys. |
Rodent Damage:
Rat damage is unavoidable in a country like ours. Where there are people and animals, there will be food and waste. Where there is food and waste there will be rodents and other animals who form a part of the food chain. Whether you live in a house or apartment or anywhere at all, the parking area absolutely has to be kept clean and litter free at all times. Add to this the various anti rat repellents etc.
No other go, I m afraid.
The Repair Bill:
There is no easy way out of this. You could read my notes elsewhere in the forum in getting my Mini’s suspension completely overhauled and the attendant the drama of obtaining the parts and then going to my FNG for the labour.
Yes, the service engineers have quoted large sums of money to you - they are all rogues and scoundrels and typically will do that because service and parts is how the dealer makes his regular income after selling the car.
First things to do.
1. Find out if all the part/ parts are available, how large / heavy they are.
2. Ask how much exactly the parts cost.
3. Get the lead time for repairs and the actual cost of labour at Mercedes Servicing.
4. Ask the Mercedes chaps to give you at Least a screenshot, if not a printout of the entire bill of materials required. This is essential, so that you know what is needed.
Note that it is a real pain to get this info, but use your best wiles, influence and beg and plead all you have to, to get the details. They typically do not cooperate. But with perseverance, you will get there.
In tandem with the above, identify a competent FNG in your city - I am sure there will be plenty of advice you can get on tbhp itself. And go and meet them personally and ask them the likely cost of the repairs, labour. ( no harm asking if they can help you to source the parts as well.)
Next things to do;
1. Find out the prices of these exact parts in the UK, Australia, HongKong, Sri Lanka, EU and USA. (But when checking in UAE, EU and USA, be careful to check and specify this is a right hand drive vehicle.)
2. Please make sure to get a proper freight estimate.
3. Note that Duty and IGST will cost you quite a bit, nearly 28% IGST and Duty also will be chargeable as per the EAN codes / category of the parts, which determines the rates.
It is also a good idea to activate your friends and family networks outside of India once you get the info ref the parts. If the parts are easily available in Sri Lanka it may even be a good idea to just fly down, buy them and bring them in yourself. (Combine this with a quick holiday maybe)
These steps may help you to make an informed decision by comparing, whether it makes sense to quietly bite the bullet and give the vehicle for full repairs to the Mercedes Service or take the alternate route that I am suggesting, in order to see if you are going to save some money.
The bottomline is, you’re going to have to invest in this by way of money or your valuable time and effort.
Resources:
The following US web sites twill give you the details of European car parts. These are the ones I ve been using and they’ve worked nicely for me so far. Make sure you check the model/ chassis number etc carefully - you can also check parts availability by VIN No.
1.
www.ecstuning.com
2.
www.pelicanparts.com
You can raise a query or clarify a doubt by either emailing them or calling them.
Additional resources which are good, from what I have read (though I don’t own a Mercedes) are;
1.
https://www.mbonlineparts.com/
2.
https://www.mercedesbenzpartscenter.com/
3.
https://www.eurocarparts.com
4.
https://www.fast parts.co.uk
5.
https://www.mbfwann.com.au
All the best in the repair journey. Be tough and persevere.