Stuart R

Trustworthy? Draw your own conclusion...

You view a car. A Mercedes. You get excited. It’s high milage. But for the price it could be okay. And SK Motor Group salesman Steve seems good too. You’re not a mechanic and the car is a lot of money (for you at least). So you arrange for an independent inspection. It’s over £300 but he’s a Merc specialist. And it’s short notice. But you want to be sure. Salesman Steve understands. You pay SK Motor Group a holding deposit. £200 while you wait for the inspection. You’re new to this game. You want to do it right. But you trust Salesman Steve. He seems reasonable. And without trust, where would we be? The engineer inspects. The engineer isn’t happy. The biggest red flag: the engine oil. It’s wrong. Very wrong. Wrong colour. Wrong consistency. Do NOT buy this car. You share his report, photos & video with a second engineer. And he’s a high-performance car specialist. He’s straight back: do NOT buy this car. It’s the oil. Way too viscous. Existing engine damage is a real risk. Engine damage which isn’t remediable. You talk to Salesman Steve. You request the return of your deposit. But Salesman Steve has disappeared. Instead, the “Customer Relations Team” email you: “As per our prior agreement, the £200 deposit was refundable only in the event that a mechanical issue was identified during inspection and could not be rectified by ourselves. Based on the reports you have shared, the concerns raised—such as congealed oil and oil viscosity—are observations related to the condition of the engine oil rather than vehicle mechanical faults. These do not indicate an actual failure or defect in the vehicle’s mechanical components but rather a routine maintenance matter and would not affect the overall vehicle functioning as intended. Engine oil condition can be addressed through a standard service, which is a part of regular vehicle upkeep rather than a mechanical failure requiring rectification.” No ‘sorry’. No ‘we understand that you don’t want to spend over £10k on a car that might already be damaged irreparably’ No ‘sorry that you spent over £300 to inspect our car that we “carefully hand select”’ No ‘here’s your £200 deposit back’. No, none of that. So you email again. You’re polite. You request your deposit back. After all, It’s your money. You have the advice of not one but two engineers. If this isn’t a mechanical issue, what is? Instead, SK Motor Group Customer Relations Team email to say “we… now consider this matter closed.” Draw your own conclusions dear reader. I just wish I’d read a similar warning before I parted with my £200 deposit. Trust? I know where I am without it. Poorer by £hundreds. Be warned.