Own a merc in 50% price

[Sandy 1]

as per the article read on www.motoroids.com now you can own the merc at 50% of its price.

 

Details : For all those of you who may have always wanted to own a luxury car, but had been constrained by the price, here a solution. Mercedes-Benz is now offering a unique individual lease option to customers. Under the plan, the customers can own a Mercedes car for three years, by paying just 50% of the car

[TSiVipul 0]

@Sandy:

I too have read thin in yesterday's Times Of India,the article said that you will have to pay the 50% price of the Merc as the surrender value and the car will be leased to you for three years.

But here is my question,why only for three years,after that you return the car and the amount you paid for the lease is gone.then who is going to pay 30 lacs for an E-class to return it back after three years and dump his cash too..

According to business point of view,its a flop idea for me.

Here is the complete article:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Now-lease-a-Merc-at-50-of-price/articleshow/9290229.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Now-lease-a-Merc-at-50-of-price/articleshow/9290229.cmsTSiVipul2011-07-22 05:36:22

[Sandy 1]

@vipul

it may not work for personal users but can be fruitful for fleet operators,taxi operators. Many companies change their cars after 3 years (claims the  depreciation for 3years)

Sandy2011-07-22 05:42:13

[TSiVipul 0]

@Sandy:

Now its the point,the Hyatt at New Delhi is paying 1.5-2.5 lacs per month for a Merc C/E class,they don't take S class,excluding the driver's salary and car's maintainance.Once we thought of doing this business too and from there I got this info.

Now problem is that if you get into a 3 years/36 months contract with Hyatt and get paid 2 lacs per month its good but at the same time you have a good chauffeur who takes at least 25-30k salary(you can get 5k salary ones too but that will kill your Merc within one year or the maintainance will eat you up)+the maintainance is yours so I think you will save about 1.2-1.3 lacs maximum per month but now since you have already paid 30 lacs for that E class.Then how beneficial it is?TSiVipul2011-07-22 05:42:36

[Durango Dude 2]

This will be mainly for corporates, hotels and fleet's no private buyer is going to go for this plan. 

[TSiVipul 0]

@Friends:

My last question.

Are you people as well as Mercedes Benz sure about the return or safe return of all the cars?

I don't think so at all,there are many spoilt brats who are going to buy it and return the company trash instead of car and also there are many special people in our country who will not return the car but get it underground....

[thegr8anand 0]

If I buy a car for 60 lacs and after 3 years expect to sell for atleast half the price, then whats the diff if i am already getting it for half and after 3 years i don't get anything? I read in the newspaper all the service and maintenance will be covered by Merc. Can I claim depreciation on it?

[Durango Dude 2]

@thegr8anand: I think you need to talk to Merc and your auditor regards the nitty gritty. I would say it was perfect timing for you. 

[TSiVipul 0]

OH!!

How I forgot it,yes the Merc is taking all the maintainance on its head itself for three years,but still 30 lacs are a bit too much to lose.Instead I'd buy a new Merc and use it for 10 years and then sell at at ont-third or one-fourth of its price which is an easy and more profitable deal.

[Pranab* 0]

Nice concept. 8.33 lacks per year... sounds interesting but is it worth it? I wonder if there have this for lower end cars like honda city catergory

[rameshbabu.n 6]

At least for the discussions sake, if I were given an option, I would pick up a good second hand Merc at a 60 to 50% discount after waiting for 3 years.  Or, get today a three-year old Merc at similar discount rates from the second hand market. 

Instead of this scheme which is directly targetted at luxury tour operators or MNCs/Corporates, they should have come with another scheme in which the buyer must get either some amount back or a deeply discounted car at the end of 3 years.  Then, it may appeal to individuals. 

 

The company should remember that individuals maintain their cars better and carefully drive them for far less distances than luxury tour operators.  And, the shape/status of the car at the end of 3 years at the hand of an individual will be much better than those operators.  Hence, the individual buyer should be rewarded.  

[asethi919 0]

Coporates will definitely utilize this concept. From what I have heard, it is very prevalent in developed countries already. Even for individuals whose lifestyle is such who change their cars frequently, this is a tempting idea.

But I personally think that there is a special satisfaction in possessing something completely and Indians especially, suffer from this particular desire. I guess we could hold the fact that our abilities(as a whole) to possess has grown significantly with the development that has taken place in the last 10-15 years. Before that owning a car in itself was a dream.

[Durango Dude 2]

@ramesh: I think owning a Benz is just half the story; you need deep pockets in maintaining one. 

[TSiVipul 0]

@Durango dude:

+1

@Rameshbabu:

How can you even think that owning a Merc will do the job?As we all know "A THREE POINTED STAR IS NEVER LIGHTER AND CHEAPER TO MAINTAIN",in othe words we can say that there is nothing in the world which we can call a CHEAP MERC.

Well yesterday told about this scheme to some of my rich friends who are interested in owning a Merc,most of the guys said "Yaar teen saal mein toh man bhar jaata hai aur agar maintain Merecedes kar rahi hai toh badhiya hai,apne ko to chalegi".(Three years are enough to enjoy the car and when Mercedes will maintain the car then it can work for us).

So now I can say that there are some private owners who are ready to put their 25-30 lacs on fire to just enjoy a Merc for three years.