My Mercedes Hell. In the middle of March 2017 I decided to buy a new Mercedes Taxi. I contacted S and B commercials of Hatfield and spoke to a Mr Stuart Atkinson. A time and date was arranged for me to visit the showroom. On the day arranged I waited 40 minutes before he arrived. I was shown around the taxi but for an unexplained reason a test drive was not allowed. The finance agreement was signed I was told that I’d be contacted as soon as the taxi was ready. I received an email and an agreed date was set for me pick up the taxi. I was fortunate enough to get a lift from London. Once in the office Mr Atkinson said, “I’m very sorry David but the finance department have taken down your bank details incorrectly” It transpired that because I could not provide my entire bank details again on the spot I had to return to London in order to phone through the information. I returned again the following day by train to pick up the taxi, although I had to wait for over 20 minutes whilst fittings were fitted to the grill, I left with the taxi. Once I completed the two-hour journey home, I started to clean the taxi ready for work. It was at this point I noticed a tear in the rear passenger seat also thee was no spare wheel. I immediately email Mr Atkinson with my concerns. I was assured that it would be resolved. I also sent an email to the manager of SB Commercials Mr Graham Balsome to express my dissatisfaction. After a few weeks of being messed around a spare wheel was dropped off by Mr Balsome. I was then handed over to Mr Damien Brett. This seemed to be a total waste of time as I was passed on to “Penso” the coach builders whom after receiving photographs from myself of the torn seat, dismissed any responsibility claiming ‘it never left their factory in that condition’ they could not be held responsible. Only after constantly emailing S&B Commercials for eight months I finally had the matter resolved. However the section that has been repaired can be easily seen. December 28/12/2017. The rear passenger door locks were not functioning also the motion sensors that govern the taxis meter speed of operation was also out of commission making the taxi unfit for work. I contacted the appointed Mercedes garage, Marshalls of Croydon. I was told the earliest appointment would be 4/01/2018. No offer of an alternative vehicle was made. After being anxious to work for a week I took the taxi into Marshalls on 4/02/2018. I was asked to leave the taxi with them someone would contact me with an update the following day. By this point I had been out of work for a week, and my concerns over meeting my monthly financial commitments were becoming greater. I called Mercedes finance to explain the situation, I was advised not to worry as they would contact the garage that was servicing the taxi themselves, also as once an investigation into the breakdown of the taxi had been done there would be a resolution with regards to the repayments. By midday the following day I had not heard from Marshalls so I called, I was informed that the taxi had not gone into the garage yet and will probably go in tomorrow sometime someone would contact me and let me know. By midday the following day I called again as I had not heard from them. I was asked to come and pick up the taxi as there’s nothing they can do, and they will have to order parts. Once there I was advised that the parts had been ordered and should be with them soon within the next three days. I was informed that they could not authorise another taxi for me to work in as the manager had to go through head office for this and he wasn’t in the building! Their policy states that if a vehicle cannot be repaired with 2.1 hours then a replacement vehicle will be provided. This was not adhered to. The following day I had no option but to hire a taxi from a third party to enable me to work. Over two weeks has past, then I finally had a call from Marshalls, I was informed that the parts had arrived and that the taxi should take no longer than three days to repair. I took the taxi into Marshalls as instructed. Three days later I called to find out to progress on the taxi only to be told that there is now a bigger problem that had been anticipated and they have no idea how long the parts are going to take to arrive. As I had been paying for a hire taxi from 15/01/18 to 01/02/18 (three weeks), I insisted that Mr Thomas the manager that Marshalls provide an alternative taxi for me to work in as I had arranged to return the hire taxi I had been personally paying for the following day. They agreed. The taxi was arranged to be hired from Cabvision by Mr Nick Thomas of Marshalls he informed Cabvision and myself that I would need the hire taxi for a maximum period of 7-10 days. I was told that I would be kept up to date/informed of the progress, I wasn’t. Over three weeks had now elapsed I had still not heard from Marshalls or Mr Thomas. On 2/03/18 I checked my emails to find an email from Mr Thomas that had been sent on 27/02/18 asking me to contact Marshalls as the taxi was ready for collection, also an email from Ms Jessica Curry at a later date stating that the taxi was ready for collection and that I was liable for any rental charges that had incurred since the date the taxi had been stated ready for collection. I hadn’t received any emails or phone messages prior to Mr Thomas’s email dated 27/02/18, this was first instance I had learned of the taxi being ready, I hadn’t been kept up to date as I had been informed I would be. Ms Curry’s email was the first instance that anyone one had mentioned that I would be liable for rental charges if the taxi wasn’t returned as soon as requested! As I was away, I emailed Mr Thomas on 2/03/18 informing him that I would arrange to pick up the taxi on Tuesday (6/03/18). I then emailed Mr Thomas again on 6/03/18 explaining that due to unforeseen circumstances I would not be able to pick up the taxi until Wednesday (7/03/18). I also asked that all three defects stated in my email had been resolved before I attended. I received an email from Mr Thomas the following day 7/03/18 stating that all defects had been repaired and that the taxi was ‘good to go’ When I arrived to pick up the taxi I was informed that unless I paid hire charges in excess of £1500 that had now incurred since Marshalls claimed the taxi was ready for collection I would not be allowed to take it away. I returned on Friday 9/03/18 to pay the £1500 under duress in order to collect the taxi in so I could to continue to work. Once in the taxi I noticed that there was now a new fault, a feature called the eco stop start was not operating. This was not a sufficient fault to stop me from going to work. I did not want to be inconvenienced any further so I left the premises for work. I emailed Mr Thomas on 10/03/18 to inform him of the new fault. On the evening of 10/03/18, I noticed that one of the original three faults (interference from the rear microphone) that I had outlined in my email to Mr Thomas was still occurring as well as the new fault with the stop start feature. On the 11/03/18, I emailed Mr Thomas informing him that not only had the taxi sustained damage whilst with Marshalls, only two of the three faults outlined had been rectified. I received an email from Mr Thomas on 12/03/18 stating that Marshalls would look at the new problem with the eco stop start but he failed to respond with regards to the damage sustained and made no mention of only two of the three original problems I had outlined being resolved. On 10/5/18 the taxi broke down again with all of the original faults that it had gone in to Marshalls before manifesting once more but this time with two more additional faults. A replacement taxi was agreed to be hired from Cabvision again once my taxi was again returned to Marshalls, I was told that the works should be completed within fortnight. Two weeks after the taxi was dropped into Marshalls, I received a call from them informing me that the taxi will not be ready until the end of June. The end of June came and went with out any correspondence from Marshalls at all. After thirteen weeks I received a telephone call from Marshalls yet again informing me that all the faults had been rectified and now ready for collection. I emailed Mr Effenberg (the new manager at Marshalls) for verification that all faults had been resolved to which he replied that all works were now complete. I received an email on 13/8/18 informing me that all defects had been resolved. The following day I retrieved the taxi. On 28/8/18 the taxi malfunctioned again and was off road for three days. One of the faults (rear compartment microphone interference) had still not been resolved although it had been brought the attention of Marshalls on previous occasions. I retrieved the taxi again. On 14/9/18 two more faults appeared, the tyre pressure indicator is malfunctioning, along with the rear door locks malfunctioning again. Due to the unfortunate passing of my mother recently, I have not had the time or the stamina to return the taxi to Marshalls for the current repairs to be carried out. Buying a vehicle from mercedes has been the worst decision that I have EVER made. No wonder they are now having to advertise their products !!!!!! One positive outcome, I thought it my civic duty to inform people of my terrible experiences and to date have advised eleven people not to purchase a new mercedes if they want to avoid an amount of stress that will certainly leave them feeling unwell. It's sad that this once highly respectable company has evolved into a bunch of imorral thieves.