Mercedes-Benz Offers Tourist Delivery Online
16 October 1998
Mercedes-Benz Offers Tourist Delivery Online; First Online Customer Picks Up New Car at Mercedes-Benz Factory in GermanyMONTVALE, N.J., Oct. 16 -- Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc. (MBNA) announced a milestone in its new interactive retail initiative: European Delivery on the Worldwide Web. Customers visiting MBNA's corporate Web site, http://www.MBUSA.com, can obtain information about the European Delivery Program (EDP) Online, configure a 1999 Mercedes-Benz model, explore and plan a trip abroad, and even place an order on1ine. "Our European Delivery Program is extremely popular. Since it started in 1964, more than 100,000 vehicles have been sold. We put European Delivery online to take it to the next step: virtual one-stop shopping for those who want to combine a European vacation with the purchase of a new Mercedes," said Joe Eberhardt, vice president of marketing for MBNA. EDP Online allows customers and prospects to get information about the program, put together different color and option combinations on any Mercedes model using one of the most advanced vehicle configurators on the Web, place an order for pick-up at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Sindelfingen, Germany, and then retrieve the vehicle at their designated local U.S. Mercedes-Benz dealer in the United States. When arranging to purchase a Mercedes-Benz through European Delivery Online, users can also plan for travel abroad. EDP includes taxi vouchers; two nights for two at a choice of selected first-class hotels; a tour and a meal at the factory; 15 days' of fall European car insurance coverage with no deductible; U.S. Customs duty and home shipment of vehicle. Customers can choose one of 14 drop off locations to transport their new Mercedes back to the U.S. Mercedes-Benz dealer of their choice. "It was designed for convenience. We sold the first car the first week the program debuted online in August," said Eberhardt. Just days after Mercedes-Benz launched the program online, Ron and Joan Fuest, of Newtown, Conn., were the first 'net-savvy' consumers to shop for and ultimately purchase their new 1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 sedan using the online system. "It's just been a fun experience," said Ron Fuest, as they picked up their new vehicle at the Mercedes-Benz factory on October 9. "There's something very exciting about buying a car this way. It's exciting, it's different, and it's fun! What makes it doubly nice is that you visit Germany and wind up with the car in the end." EDP Online is simple for customers to use. Once the customer completes the order information, including entering a credit card number for authorization of a $2,000 deposit, the transaction is securely transmitted to MBNA and then forwarded to the authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership of choice. Customers then receive a call from the dealership within 48 hours to confirm the order and arrange an in-person meeting to sign the required forms and complete financial arrangements. According to the Fuests, EDP Online exceeded their expectations. "Everything that you think of with Mercedes-Benz is exactly how it's been. Everything is done to make it a little bit more special. From the car to the trip, everything has been first-class. Mercedes really lives up to that," said Joan Fuest.
