[W126 Coupe] Mercedes parts Policy

[Dan Gardner]

Hi Folks

I have bought parts from this company in Denmark MBspecialist International 
<info at mbspecialist.com> they are saying that Mercedes has had a policy shift 
regarding parts resellers.If this is correct it may have far reaching 
implications if other manufactureres follow suit.    Here is an extract :

OE Parts (from Mercedes) Situation end 2010 start 2011
 WE CAN NOT SUPPLY OE PARTS AT THE MOMENT

In the last months of 2010 Mercedes started spreading out change of attitude 
towards their distribution system of spare parts.
We call it "Berufsverbot" (Occupational ban in English)

Mercedes puts great pressure on the authorised dealers in all layers to make 
sure that spare parts are only sold to workshops or end users and NOT to 
resellers.

Mercedes is using a grey zone in EU "Block Exemption Regulation"
Commission Regulation (EU) No 461/2010 of 27 May 2010 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:129:0052:01:EN:HTML

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1400/2002 of 31 July 2002 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32002R1400:EN:HTML

Mercedes is using a "Selective  distribution" system, and are therefore free 
to set rules for the authorized dealers according to the "Block Exemption" 
they are free of normal competition rules both nationally and EU wise.
But the "Block Exemption" on the other hand says that workshops must not be 
blocked, and therefore Mercedes is still supplying them

All possible action are being taken in many countries trying to stop this 
type of what everybody knows is competition limitation, but in EU National 
laws are overruled by EU laws, and starting up a case in EU is a big job, 
and will take years!

The actual action from Mercedes is handing out a simple piece of paper to 
the authorized dealers to give to their customers, where the customers must 
sign that he is using the spare parts for fitting on cars and not for 
reselling.

This new attitude has in my knowledge started out in Europe, Germany first 
in October, but it looks that it is going to be world wide. It have caused 
great panic amongst Mercedes specialists like us and big or small wholesaler 
companies having a big part of their business cut away overnight. Everybody 
is trying to find new sources, sending requests to everybody.


The declared goals of Mercedes is as follows:

* To gain control over the players on the market that sells original 
Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, smart Unimog and spare parts.
* To ensure that the original Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, smart and Unimog parts 
is only sold by authorized retailers.
* To prevent authorized dealers or large customers to resell the original 
Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, smart and Unimog spare parts to third parties

Short version: To stop "unauthorized resale" and have a monopoly on sales of 
OE parts, and thereby be free to manage pricing, etc.


This is why we at the moment are forced to say no to selling OE parts, but 
off course we are trying more than ever to find alternatives to OE, in OSP 
or MQSP quality. Send a requests: sales at mbspecialist.com




Thomas Erner
Parts and network manager

MBspecialist International





                                                                             
                  Kind Regards Dan Gardner  1986 560SEC (Euro  220 kw)