G-wagen.co.uk
I just notice that there was someting missing here.
GWagen.co.uk (formerly Caversham Garage) is the one and only exclusive specialist in GWagen in the UK so they have a healthy selection of G-Wagens for sale at any time.
Their website is as follows:
http://www.g-wagen.co.uk/companyframe.htm
Cheers
I've been to see them. They do have a good selection and are always getting stock in. I spoke to the owner Max and he said that their website is nearly always out of sync with their stock as he isn't "computer minded". He suggested calling up on a weekly basis to see whats in or coming in. The only down side with this company is it is small family run business and so if there is anybody else there at the same time you go down, be prepared for a long wait. On the plus side there are plenty of G's lying around with doors open to keep you amused while waiting for Max.
Oh yes, I nearly forgot if you don't have Sat Nav be prepared to get lost a few times before you find the farm.
Ravin
I once drove all the way from Cornwall to buy a G from them, when I got on the M4 I phoned for directions, I was informed that I needed to make an appointment!!, after questioning who it was with the 15 grand in their pocket I turned round and went back home.
Thats because Max does all the accompanied road tests and believe me he's gone a long time just on one. When he's out the "mechanic" answers the phone and although he's a very nice chap in person, on the phone he's a bit obtuse and is reluctant to invite anyone down. If you can get past the "poor to average" customer service and above average prices, you'll find that they have a fantastic selection of G's on display and they are quite helpful in person. While I was down there I had to wait approx 1 hour for Max as he was helping out a couple from London. I got chatting to this couple and it was the third time they had been down there. Each time they were picked up and dropped off at the train station and each time they spent quite a bit of time driving vehicles. The interesting thing was that they were looking at a budget of £9k yet they were in my opinion treated better than people buying £30k+ cars in main dealers.
The moral of the tale is, make an appointment, forgive the flaws you always have with "one man bands" and get on with the serious business of enjoying the G's on show.
So far I have not been impressed with Caversham. I ordered some parts from Caversham about 6 months ago and paid for them upfront.
Sent an email every four weeks or so to follow up and still have not received them.
Finally, I sent Max an email to ask for my money back and he hasn't responded to my last 3 emails or 2 faxes.
anybody know the story on this? it was posted on benz world. though the website he refers to no longer exists.
TO ALL G WAGEN PROFFESSIONALS & ENTHUSIASTS
www.caversham-garage.ic24.net is a new commentary site on a UK G Wagen dealer. It details the unfortunate negative experiences I have had with Caversham Garage of Mapledurham, Berkshire, UK and is meant as an information and commentary site. Please feel free to distribute the site's URL and to contact me with your comments and requests to quote from the site. An overview of the site's content is given below.
www.caversham-garage.ic24.net is not an official website of Caversham Garage but rather a commentary site on the subject of their activities. It was created as a result of Caversham Garage selling a highly defective used Mercedes Benz G Wagen 280GE with a terminal fault present.
If this e-mail is of no interest to you, please forgive the intrusion. You are not on a SPAM-list and will receive no further unsolicited e-mails.
Matthias Hammer
website author
----------------------------
This commentary site was created as a result of Caversham Garage of Mapledurham, Berkshire, UK selling a highly defective used Mercedes Benz G Wagen 280GE with a terminal fault present to an unsuspecting customer. During the sales negotiations and at various points thereafter Caversham Garage portrayed themselves as the sole UK concessionaires for the sale of new Mercedes Benz G Wagens, claiming on various occasions that they were the only UK source for G Wagens and sole UK experts on those vehicles. Investigations after the terminal breakdown of the car showed all of this was untrue.
The car lasted for 51 days until suffering a terminal breakdown. For 16 out of these 51 days, the car was being repaired by various garages. On day 13 a Mercedes Benz dealer inspected the car, declared it unroadworthy and dangerous to drive, and in serious need of a cylinder head overhaul. This and various other defects were brought to Caversham Garage's attention and the car left with them for repair. Some small repairs were carried out, but Caversham Garage insisted that no cylinder head overhaul was required, that the Mercedes Benz dealer was no expert compared to them, and that the vehicle was fit for travel across mainland Europe. Based on this advice, the car was driven across the continent, where it suffered a terminal breakdown. The cause was pre-ignition on number 5 cylinder which melted the piston.
* Caversham Garage refused to accept responsibility. As a result, subsequent and lengthy investigations and negotiations showed that
* Caversham Garage knowingly misrepresented themselves as sole UK concessionaires for the sale of G Wagens during the sale and on several other occasions, and persistently used, and continue to use, Mercedes Benz trademarks and copyrights without authority
* Caversham Garage misrepresented the state, age, number of previous owners and mileage of the car in its advertisement
* The fault that led to the terminal engine failure was present at the time of sale and the car was therefore in an unmerchantable condition when sold
* Caversham Garage appear to have a record of unsatisfied and misled customers who seriously question Caversham Garage's expertise and business ethics
* Caversham Garage's conduct of the case was completely unreasonable and unprofessional
Under the weight of this evidence against Caversham Garage, the case was eventually settled out of Court.
For full details, please visit www.caversham-garage.ic24.net
Wow, thats a shocking story. I always thought with Caversham Garage that you paid the premium for the knowledge they had, and the fact that the G's were serviced well before being sold. This reminds me of a dodgy Vauxhall Calibra I bought when younger which was sold to me with a crack in the head cylinder. The dealer was a typical backstreet garage who refused to take responsibility and said that I must have driven it without water or oil. This is spite of the problem materialising within 4 days of purchase. Being a young and not so worldly wise man at the time, I did not take it any further. I'm glad this particular person stood up to Caversham and was compensated. At least now if I do buy a G from Caversham I won't take their word over the condition and will invest in the RAC check.
Ravin
After reading that I cant help thinking caversham should be dealing in LR's, at least their customers would interpret the service and performance of such vehicles as "character"!
Hi,
Bought my 1st (and only) G from Nik Wheelhouse of Nottingham.
Found him to be both polite and knowledgeable about the Marque.
Having read the above about Caversham, and perused their used stock list, which do appear to be on the pricier side!!, I know where i will be going for my next G.
after having minor dealings with 'gwagen.co.uk' i intend never to do so again
another satisfied customer, according to Max, where a bunch of harmless amateurs. :roll:
Fcuk you Max.
Tsk, tsk Peter, there goes your spelling again, Fcuk indeed.
More pertinently -- does this qualify as the most viewed post on this forum -- I wonder why that would be? :roll:
Marcus
Wonder if thay yellow thing is still for sale?
i saw that, rare i thought!
interesting to all those people have responded to this little section on the whole world wide web , mmmm well ill tell ya i bought a g wagen from "caversham" and i do not have anything harmless to say, you spend either 20 k on a car your borrowing on credit or on the other hand you work extemely hard to make 50 k to get a reward , that reward house and a g wagen seems simple!?
Apart from a cd cassette missing and the time to aknowledge that she has had a few bumps or even a real smash and been rebult by what mercedes call proffesionals . well thats another story but i will tell you all that forget buying a g wagen, a toy in a stale garage with guys in suits id much prefer the purchase of a vehicle with history and still on the rd , ok im putting money in but its all about love. even in suv right!
a little exra im building a g and i think it will blow you all way, built for sand dunes and lari gru
You cometo me with the intention of buying something with 20-50k in your pocket I'll be pleasent. But when you come to sell it and leave it with them, go back a few months later find its been sold and he cant affored to give you your money, lets see if your so willing to praise him then. Or pay him in advance for parts, say a prop shaft and pay twice the price instead of getting it through GWOA advertisers and still be waiting for the parts 3 months later when you could of had it in 3 days on your door step.
we wait with drooliing mouths to see your new project.
peter certainly no boubt in my mind 3 months is a long wait and yes services do alter from place to palce that you choose to use, that is not in any way my concern but it would be if i was the guy on the receiving end.
I just think people have to much expectation from caversham and an awfull lot of talk about him and his collegues. my point to people concerned about max is dont take head of everthing people have to say about him i got along just fine!
Ive know him for 6 years, and heard horror stories in all of those years, anyway if you had a nice time, then it doesnt matter. The peoepl that say thngs about him ave had the experience, but hey where just harmless amatures
why do I post before checking my bloody spelling
A Horn
You must be unique... I have known Max Macarthur for seven years and never met a satisfied customer....
I have to agree with the other negative comments about g-wagen.co.uk (aka Caversham). Bought one G-Wagen from them and it seriously broke down a week later on a trip to Europe. They were unhelpful in the repairs, requiring many visits and correspondance. Their prices are too high, especially for most of their older stock.
Having owned and worked with G-wagens since 1982, it was good to find an apparent entusiast setting up to continue supply and maintenance in the UK, but my first good impressions were soon broken, like the car they supplied. I thought I was paying a high price for a fully-serviced, guaranteed car, but actually, I was just paying a high price. A few months later found a 1 year old, 12kMiles, fully loaded, ex-demo 463 from a local MB dealer, which was only £2,000 more than I'd paid for the 6-year old one from Caversham....
Incidentally, for a short time, during the last 3 or 4 years, MB UK had returned to officially importing G-Wagens and their site was G-Wagon.co.uk (notice different spelling). They have now stopped, but I don't think that Max was ever the official importer.
No, Max was never the official importer but it certainly had a strong hold over MB. On one side it put so much pressure on them that it managed to stop the importation of Puch G-Wagens by Automotive Technik (Now Pinzgauer.co.uk), which was a great shame. On the other he gets MBUK to address any private seller wanting to sell his G to him, which makes him get unbelieveable bargains.
Try: www.pinzgauer.uk.com
And the reason for us ceasing to import the Steyr Puch badged G and Super G were a little more complicated than that. Manufacturing Pinzgauer tends to be a full time occupation demanding all our attention. Incidentally, Automotive Technik Ltd (ATL) is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the US company Stewart & Stevenson, who are themselves military vehicle manufacturers. Life moves on....... :roll:
Q
Super G, was/is this the varient with the H Duty axles & increased payload ?, tmk this is the first time I have seen it mentioned.
Marcus
Yes, wider axles, lower final drive ratio, extra heavy duty suspension and longer wheelbase. Crew cab pick-up with lift off hard-top and drop sides, based on 461 with intercooled 2.9 five cylinder Sprinter unit plus 4-speed auto. Same mechanicals as your van Marcus
The Super G is the model used by West Sussex Fire Brigade (Qty 12 as described), Hampshire Fire has two too, though with different bodies. Loads of ground clearance and fantastic off-road performance. I'll see if I can dig up a picture somewhere, tho' Jesus will probably produce one before I can as I'm on the road for a couple of days.
Q
Mad Max and Rocky Balboa
That was a truly weird affair. Gave them the the G for sale but they couldn't find a buyer. Before having the car returned I asked for a service & new tires.
Got an invoice for GBP 2300, which was promptly payed. The car was delivered (while I was abroad) with a damaged spare wheel cover. The 2nd key was missing / lost - (they send me later another one, but that was not mine)
A few weeks later on a freezing Sunday morning in the French countryside the car would not start. Those jokers didn't change the battery, but charged for it (see invoice).
They put in 8 liters of oil (see invoice), but the G55 needs 1/2 liter less than the G500. Max told me, that his beloved long-time mechanic Rocky just moved away, hence the mistake.
They changed the oil filter (see invoice), but used my spare one.
One of the subwoofers was missing. Max was not surprised. He told me, that they had several incidents with customer's audio equipment, apparently an audiophile employee assembling his own hi-fi system.
Well, you can't make this stuff up, lol - you have to feel sorry for him.
cheers
Typical combination of appalling service, damaging parts, stealing parts, losing parts and finally overcharging for the privilege, Mercedes dealers are sometimes a bit poor but Max takes the biscuit :roll:
?
I don't get the parts to add up on that bill ! Am I missing something?
?
I don't get the parts to add up on that bill ! Am I missing something?
You're missing the £620 "Caversham Charge"....
Hmmmmm, Thats where I got my G from, it is now under new management - James Lafferty, I have had no porblems so far, am due to take the G back for some work to be done on the Binnical (one of the bulbs has gone and a piece of wood has fallen off the passenger door) and I need to get a second key - should all be done as part of the original price. I just need to get around to booking it in.
FYI
Just had my big B service done, all fluids and Sparks replaced as per direction in the service book (80KM or 4 years) (did not know the G500 was a twin spark), washers, breaks etc, etc and it came to £970 including labour and that was at MB Brooklands - aka MB world). They do nice bacon rolls there, however I was very MIFFED that they have every merc there EXCEPT the G!!!!!! What is going on?????? BTW I will not accept the fact that it is a JV with Puch, as they have
?
I don't get the parts to add up on that bill ! Am I missing something?
Yes, of course - I forgot to mention :
Max told me, the invoice should read 2x 620 for the 4 tires (front and rear).
Bridgestones @ £320 each??????????? robbing git
Bridgestones @ £320 each??????????? robbing git
I've heard that before :x :x :x :x :x
FYI
Just had my big B service done, all fluids and Sparks replaced as per direction in the service book (80KM or 4 years) (did not know the G500 was a twin spark), washers, breaks etc, etc and it came to £970 including labour and that was at MB Brooklands - aka MB world). They do nice bacon rolls there, however I was very MIFFED that they have every merc there EXCEPT the G!!!!!! What is going on?????? BTW I will not accept the fact that it is a JV with Puch, as they have
Mad Max and Rocky Balboa
That was a truly weird affair. Gave them the the G for sale but they couldn't find a buyer. Before having the car returned I asked for a service & new tires.
Got an invoice for GBP 2300, which was promptly payed. The car was delivered (while I was abroad) with a damaged spare wheel cover. The 2nd key was missing / lost - (they send me later another one, but that was not mine)
A few weeks later on a freezing Sunday morning in the French countryside the car would not start. Those jokers didn't change the battery, but charged for it (see invoice).
They put in 8 liters of oil (see invoice), but the G55 needs 1/2 liter less than the G500. Max told me, that his beloved long-time mechanic Rocky just moved away, hence the mistake.
They changed the oil filter (see invoice), but used my spare one.
One of the subwoofers was missing. Max was not surprised. He told me, that they had several incidents with customer's audio equipment, apparently an audiophile employee assembling his own hi-fi system.
Well, you can't make this stuff up, lol - you have to feel sorry for him.
cheers
Typical! Another satisfied Max Macarthur customer! :oops:
Spider1V wrote:
FYI
Just had my big B service done, all fluids and Sparks replaced as per direction in the service book (80KM or 4 years) (did not know the G500 was a twin spark), washers, breaks etc, etc and it came to £970 including labour and that was at MB Brooklands - aka MB world). They do nice bacon rolls there, however I was very MIFFED that they have every merc there EXCEPT the G!!!!!! What is going on?????? BTW I will not accept the fact that it is a JV with Puch, as they have http://gwoa.co.uk/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=5533
Take a look at this link – hopefully it works! It’s from the G Wagen Owners Forum (my Forum name is Spider1V), it is always difficult to say that we as G Wagen owners keep VERY exclusive company! (most world leaders drive our type of Mercs), you will see in the gallery (open to the public), that Arni has one, Brad and Jen had one, Britney has them in her Videos, The Sultans of Brunei, UAE, all have them, the list is endless! – one thinks that maybe, due to a bit of sales arrogance you guys are missing a trick here!
My repost to Joe your sales manager is, so why do they have McLaren’s and Maybachs? They are special request as well. ;)
Take care
Joseph F. Askew | Head of Sales - EMEA |
And the response to that was;
Very good point Joe!
I shall corner Joe Reeves for the answer to that question, and the next time you visit, and i'm on site, i must take a tour around your G Wagon. We staff don't always get such pleasures or experiences, and an education for me it would be.
Thank you for the link. I'v had to pull myself away from browsing as i'v got work to do, but so interesting!!
(end of exchange)
So who knows - would be nice to see a G at MB world, they have them in the Paris one! I bet they would get a number of enquiries, however it would put the GL to shame - good car, but they boys in the service workshop had a fight to see who would do the test run in mine and they ended up drawing straws for the privillage!
Spider1V
Not that it will make a difference in MB eyes but Top Gear named it as the coolest car on the planet.
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I've only been once to Max's and that was a couple of months ago when I went to pick the brackets of my newly acquired bullbar. I had met Max a few years ago but I could never get myself to drive so nothernly. Anyway: to the point: I got Max on the phone and he gave me such accurate directions that I ended in his place first time, only to have to wait for him for the best part of an hour 'cause he wasn't there.
Mind you, not that it was any kind of punishment spending sometime peeking around all the Gs that he had there. While I waited, I chatted with a guy who turned out to be a prospective customer, about GWagens naturally, while we mouthwatered while looking at this beauty
Funny thing is that when Max arrived he inquired on what kind of car was I driving (pointing at my trusty C-180T) and I felt too embarrased to admit the truth so I lied saying that that was the wife's car and that MY G was undergoing some unimportant repairs. :oops: