Mercedes dealer reaches agreement with disgruntled buyer

A Mercedes-Benz dealership in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, reached an agreement with a car buyer on Tuesday after a video of her complaints with its service went viral, according to thepaper.cn.

The buyer, whose name has not been revealed, said she purchased a new Mercedes from the Lizhixing 4S dealership, an authorized dealer in Xi’an, only to discover that it was leaking oil on the showroom floor.

A video was posted showing her sitting on the hood of a car in the showroom angrily accusing sales staff of dodging her demands for a refund.

The woman also alleged in later media interviews that she originally wanted to pay cash for the car but was pressured by the dealership into taking out a loan which came with high fees.

“We’re very sorry for whatever happened,” said Hubertus Troskas, a board member and head of China operations for Daimler, Mercedes’ parent group.

“We have reached an agreement with the customer and she will continue to be a Mercedes customer,” he added, speaking to journalists on the opening day of the Shanghai Auto Show on April 16.

The dealership has exchanged the woman's faulty car with a new vehicle. She will continue to finance the car with a loan, although the dealer will refund her over 10,000 yuan (US$1,490) in “financial service fees,” thepaper.cn reported.

Other items in the agreement reportedly include a trip to Mercedes-Benz’s factory in Germany offered by the auto giant, 10-year VIP service and birthday celebrations for the buyer.

Mercedes-Benz also said in a statement it has suspended operation of the dealership in Xi’an. The company will terminate its cooperation with the dealer if irregularities are found, it said.