Mercedes product description was found to be misleading
It’s a momentous occasion to buy a new Mercedes-Benz. They are also expensive, as luxury cars don’t come cheap.
You can expect to receive what you pay for. Kerry Costello didn’t have that experience. He paid about PS35,000 (about 45,700 at current exchange rate) for his nearly-new Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet, but discovered that the “leather” seats in his car were actually partially made of plastic. Although the so-called leather seats don’t come standard, they can be purchased for as little as PS912.50 ($1,200).
It is worth noting that the leather seats cost almost PS1,000 ($1,305) but Mr. Costello did not get it with a large loss.
Independent Motor Ombudsman found that leather seats should be advertised as 100 percent leather.
The independent Motor Ombudsman stated that “I believe that if documents state that the interior is leather,” he added.
The case resulted in Mr. Costello being awarded PS850 ($1,100). It is possible that other similar cases may follow.
The Daily Mail quotes Mr. Costello as saying, “I paid a lot for this car and expected an exact description of what I was buying.” “If other drivers follow my path, I expect they’ll get the same result.”
After hearing about a similar case, Costello, a retired businessman, raised suspicions. He returned to Mercedes to inquire about the leather quality of his expensive seats, but he did not receive a satisfactory response so he filed a complaint with an independent body.
A laboratory also examined samples of his seats and revealed that some parts were made of polyurethane.
Mercedes responded to the ruling by stating that other materials were used “to provide it rigidity and structure” and that the seats were fully compliant the rules about what can be called leather.