autoevolution
 

Mercedes-Benz to Pay $482,000 to US Customer

A court from Madison, Wisconsin, has just decided that Mercedes-Benz USA LLC has to pay $482,000 in damages and legal fees to a Wisconsin customer who bought a defective car and did not get a refund on time, says msnbc.msn.com.

Back in 2005, 37 year-old Marco Marquez, who owns a Mexican restaurant, bought an E 320 model for $56,000 from a Milwaukee dealership. The car started to have problems almost immediately. As the car did not start on several occasions, the man addressed the dealership. Though the car’s battery had been replaced multiple times, the problem did not disappear. The dealership concluded that it cannot be repaired.

Marquez, who was a big Mercedes-Benz fan and has owned several of its models, filed a refund demand in October 2005. Somebody from the dealership tried to convince the man to get another car, but he declined and continued to ask for his refund. As the company agreed on the refund but failed to provide one in 30 days, a lawyer filed the lawsuit on behalf of Marquez seeking double damages and attorneys' fees.

"This one result is very important to the entire auto industry,"
said Bob Silverman, a prominent 'lemon law' attorney in Ambler, Pa. who was not involved in the case. "It teaches them a lesson they ought to comply with the law promptly or they are going to have to pay in the end."

"Frustrated is really an understatement,"
said Marquez. "You put that much faith in a car company and you give your hard-earned money to that company and then you are basically let down. You drop $50,000 for a car that doesn't work."
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories