I sent my car in for a service with a Mercedes dealer while I was overseas and I wired them the payment as per their instructions but when I sent someone to collect the car they claimed payment was never received and refused to return my car.

 

I gave them the MT103 receipt on 10-Mar and asked them to contact their bank, Kasikorn bank. They told me they did and their bank said they never received payment.

 

So I had my bank do a trace and today their bank formally confirmed that the funds were received and deposited in their account on 5-Mar.

 

They are still refusing to return my car claiming they haven't received payment.

 

What are my options here?

 

I have not authorised them to hold my car as a security over payment in any way.

Get a good lawyer.

Are you in country now ? if so, get the proof on paper from both sending and receiving banks, go see them with it, if they refuse, go to the nearest Police station and file a complaint for theft of your motor vehicle.

The Police will generally act as mediators, if they cant resolve it, the Lawyer is next step.(IMHO)

Wow, they really love their customers. 

 

I have a contact to a German Mercedes manager in Bangkok. If you need help you can contact me. Perhaps he can help.

52 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Are you in country now ? if so, get the proof on paper from both sending and receiving banks, go see them with it, if they refuse, go to the nearest Police station and file a complaint for theft of your motor vehicle.

The Police will generally act as mediators, if they cant resolve it, the Lawyer is next step.(IMHO)

To which I would add, get proof on paper from your bank that they paid the dealer.

Show them a copy of your banks confirmation that you paid, tell them to return your car or you will sue them for 30 million thb . 

Do they know 'who you are?'

Go after midnight and get your car...

They are not returning your car to a stranger? Makes sense. 

 

Did the person you sent have a signed copy of your passport? I need that for my bookkeeper to receive petty-cash from the company bank.

11 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Show them a copy of your banks confirmation that you paid, tell them to return your car or you will sue them for 30 million thb . 

Forty million in American green bucks. They can't keep your car.

 

 After my truck got utterly destroyed in an accident, the insurance paid for a complete renewal of parts that took more than a year!

 

  And once it was rolling, it was their new get parts from shops car.

 Somebody's playing Pinocchio now. 

VocalNeal is correct. Signed passport copy is required. Imagine if they handed your car over to someone else and claimed that you said it was ok.

But if the real reason is they claim not to have received the money, then this is very different.

If the person you sent Thai? I'm just thinking there may be something lost in translation.

11 hours ago, thequietman said:

Do they know 'who you are?'

A nobody?

16 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Are you in country now ? if so, get the proof on paper from both sending and receiving banks, go see them with it, if they refuse, go to the nearest Police station and file a complaint for theft of your motor vehicle.

The Police will generally act as mediators, if they cant resolve it, the Lawyer is next step.(IMHO)

I wasn't sure if it's a criminal matter or a civil one, I'll try the police and see what they say.

 

4 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

They are not returning your car to a stranger? Makes sense. 

 

Did the person you sent have a signed copy of your passport? I need that for my bookkeeper to receive petty-cash from the company bank.

They did explicitly tell me they won't return it unless they receive payment and they know us both (I've been servicing the car there for years).

 

4 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

Forty million in American green bucks. They can't keep your car.

 

 After my truck got utterly destroyed in an accident, the insurance paid for a complete renewal of parts that took more than a year!

 

  And once it was rolling, it was their new get parts from shops car.

 Somebody's playing Pinocchio now. 

I've experienced this before with a grey market importer, there's even a Thai expression for it. Surely a Mercedes dealer wouldn't do this though.

Just out of curiosity, how much are we talking here ?

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Just out of curiosity, how much are we talking here ?

The bill? 150,000

17 hours ago, thequietman said:

Do they know 'who you are?'

 

Don't tell me Ronnie Pickering is back again >>

2 hours ago, wprime said:

The bill? 150,000

Ouch ! Ok, I understand better now why you didnt pay get the car then go after the money etc, its still a possibility, but I would exhaust other options first ???????? 

As said earlier, evidence, talk, police, lawyer. is my recommendation.

Okay an update. Star Flag had the money all along and they returned my car today with a weak battery which died in traffic so it was towed back there tonight again.

 

Apparently this is normal because the car had been in storage for 3 weeks...

3 weeks in storage is nothing. How old is your battery?

 

8 hours ago, frequentatore said:

3 weeks in storage is nothing. How old is your battery?

 

It’s only 9 months old. It would actually be since Jan 10 if you count when they worked in the car (they wouldn’t start the car much while working on it).

14 hours ago, frequentatore said:

3 weeks in storage is nothing. How old is your battery?

 

Looks like you were right, it wasn't the battery. They replaced the battery with a new one and it wouldn't start.

 

I'm starting to think they stole parts from my car for other repairs.

What brand and model car ? Was it the dealership for that brand who did the work ?

150K - is the car old, or a BMW, MB, Audi ?

Star Flag googles as an MB dealer - this so ?

3 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

What brand and model car ? Was it the dealership for that brand who did the work ?

150K - is the car old, or a BMW, MB, Audi ?

Star Flag googles as an MB dealer - this so ?

Yes, it's a CLS250. The price is normal, the tyres alone are 60k.

47 minutes ago, wprime said:

Looks like you were right, it wasn't the battery. They replaced the battery with a new one and it wouldn't start.

 

I'm starting to think they stole parts from my car for other repairs.

I first thought yesterday that they replaced your battery by a older one...

I have to fix some of the things myself on my truck and my mountain bike because I'm tired of the lies, broken parts by the staff, incompetence, etc (similar experience in the US and Europe).

56 minutes ago, wprime said:

Looks like you were right, it wasn't the battery. They replaced the battery with a new one and it wouldn't start.

 

I'm starting to think they stole parts from my car for other repairs.

Let's hope they fix it.....????

On this planet, the ONLY way I would ever buy a MB, BMW, Audi and many other makes ...

Buy new, keep until almost off warranty, sell it.

Even then - easy to get WAY more car for WAY less money.

Over priced, under performing masquerading as "Quality"

Back in the day - 30 to 40 years ago - different story. Now ...

Caveat Emptor

 

 

6 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

On this planet, the ONLY way I would ever buy a MB, BMW, Audi and many other makes ...

Buy new, keep until almost off warranty, sell it.

Even then - easy to get WAY more car for WAY less money.

Over priced, under performing masquerading as "Quality"

Back in the day - 30 to 40 years ago - different story. Now ...

Caveat Emptor

 

 

Caveat Emptor, hmmmm, they were cr_p too....????

5 hours ago, wprime said:

Looks like you were right, it wasn't the battery. They replaced the battery with a new one and it wouldn't start.

 

I'm starting to think they stole parts from my car for other repairs.

Why would you suggest that, what parts do you think they would prefer to have off your car that a franchise dealer couldn't get?  Maybe you have one of those cars that is guaranteed against failure of anything?

20 hours ago, wprime said:

Okay an update. Star Flag had the money all along and they returned my car today with a weak battery which died in traffic so it was towed back there tonight again.

 

Apparently this is normal because the car had been in storage for 3 weeks...

I was with a mate a few weeks ago who has a SL550 something, his brother has a Sprinter. Both have had intermittent battery discharging problems. IE. Starts fine, drive to do shopping , parked 30 mins , come out battery dead.

 

I hope the new battery solves it 

On 3/24/2020 at 5:31 PM, VocalNeal said:

I was with a mate a few weeks ago who has a SL550 something, his brother has a Sprinter. Both have had intermittent battery discharging problems. IE. Starts fine, drive to do shopping , parked 30 mins , come out battery dead.

 

I hope the new battery solves it 

 

On 3/24/2020 at 12:10 PM, wprime said:

Looks like you were right, it wasn't the battery. They replaced the battery with a new one and it wouldn't start.

 

I'm starting to think they stole parts from my car for other repairs.

It didn't.