Huge savings on Euro trucks
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II by Peter Lawton
A Scottish transport company reports that it is saving so much by buying five Mercedes-Benz Ategos on the Continent that in effect it is getting one of them for free.
TOM Transport of Airedale went to a dealer in Aachen. Germany to buy the trucks and says it is saving up to £7,000 on each, thanks to cheaper German list prices and a favourable exchange rate.
Charles Brady of TOM says the 1.5tonne chassis-cabs cost around £23,000 in the UK while the same vehicle from Germany comes in at around £17,000, depending an the exchange rate: it's a big, big saving." he remarks. "We will most certainly be doing it again. "It all just came together quite quickly—I'm a happy man.
However, buying the trucks in Germany hasn't been plain sailing. Brady says he had to chase Mercedes-Benz for six weeks before he got the information on the Ategos that he needed for registering them in this country.
The trucks were originally scheduled to be on the road in March, but the whole process is now around eight weeks behind schedule. Brady says he has also been told that he may experience difficulties in sourcing parts, and faces "hassle" over warranty issues because of differences in the chassis numbers of the new trucks.
Although warranties on trucks bought on the Continent may not be as long as those purchased in the UK, manufacturers and dealers must honour them.
Mercedes-Benz spokesman Ian Norwell confirms: "The warranty will be the same whether the customer buys them in Aachen. Kent or wherever, and will be honoured throughout the UK dealer network."
However. Norwell points out, that warranties do vary between countries with UK buyers enjoying longer cover than Continental buyersContinental-bought vehicles are restricted to Continental warranties.
• Commercial Motor examined the whole process of buying on the Continent in depth in our issue dated 19-24 February, 1999.