**$82,000 Mercedes Purchased Sight Unseen -- Undisclosed Damage and Zero Accountability**…read more
I purchased a 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S Coupe from 231 Car Sales in Lebanon, Tennessee, for $82,000. As an out-of-state customer in California, I relied on the dealership's photographs, advertisement, and verbal representations regarding the vehicle's condition.
My salesperson, Matt, specifically described the Mercedes as "flawless" over the phone.
Unfortunately, upon receiving the vehicle, I discovered multiple cosmetic defects, including damage to the driver's rear quarter-panel area and raised dents on the rear bumper. None of these defects had been disclosed to me before purchase.
What makes this particularly frustrating is that the vehicle transporter's photographs, taken during pickup in Tennessee before loading, show the damage was already present.
I contacted the dealership, sent photographs, and, at their request, obtained a professional repair estimate of approximately $5,000.
Rather than offering a reasonable resolution, Nikki informed me that 231 Car Sales would not cover any portion of the repairs. She suggested that I should have requested a walkaround video and that buying the vehicle sight unseen was my responsibility.
I also arranged a pre-purchase inspection at Mercedes-Benz Nashville, but a mechanical inspection is not a substitute for a comprehensive cosmetic evaluation of every body panel.
My issue isn't that a used vehicle had imperfections. My issue is that the car was specifically described to me as flawless, the damage wasn't disclosed, and the dealership refused to take any responsibility after I brought it to their attention.
I've since pursued formal consumer complaints through the appropriate Tennessee state agencies.
For anyone considering buying from 231 Car Sales, especially from out of state, my advice is to get every representation regarding the vehicle's condition in writing and arrange a detailed independent cosmetic inspection.
An expensive lesson in why transparency and customer service matter.