Seeking advice on an odd situation with a pre-reg BMW car.
Discussion
Ok, bit of a mouthful but here goes.
I purchased an M135i from a BMW main dealer garage (which shall remain nameless) that was pre-registered on 29-06-2015.
I assumed they had bought in some cars at a cheaper price to pre-register/sell as the lci model was just being released. The price was basically what a new one was costing with discount which I didn't mind as I was looking for a car there/then and I wasn't 100% sold on the lci's looks.
I then bought a new set of wheels and started researching whether or not I needed tyre pressure monitors or not. I found out that for a mid 2015 car my wheels should have had metal stems with sensors inside the wheels, they are rubber. Someone else then mentioned the car should have a round air bag steering wheel. Mine has the earlier triangular one. Other things like build week on the tyres confirm the earlier date.
With these points in mind I then searched the VIN number and found out it was built in FEBRUARY 2014!! It has sat around somewhere not being used with about 15 miles on the clock for 15 months apparently, sold to myself as a '15 plate and I assumed 2015 spec. At NO point did the dealer mention the vastly different build date, I've only picked up on it due to the small differences I've noticed.
Where do I stand with this? I'm obviously not happy about it and feeling cheated, rightly or wrongly. I have tried contacting the dealer principal but he isn't back into the garage until tomorrow.
I purchased an M135i from a BMW main dealer garage (which shall remain nameless) that was pre-registered on 29-06-2015.
I assumed they had bought in some cars at a cheaper price to pre-register/sell as the lci model was just being released. The price was basically what a new one was costing with discount which I didn't mind as I was looking for a car there/then and I wasn't 100% sold on the lci's looks.
I then bought a new set of wheels and started researching whether or not I needed tyre pressure monitors or not. I found out that for a mid 2015 car my wheels should have had metal stems with sensors inside the wheels, they are rubber. Someone else then mentioned the car should have a round air bag steering wheel. Mine has the earlier triangular one. Other things like build week on the tyres confirm the earlier date.
With these points in mind I then searched the VIN number and found out it was built in FEBRUARY 2014!! It has sat around somewhere not being used with about 15 miles on the clock for 15 months apparently, sold to myself as a '15 plate and I assumed 2015 spec. At NO point did the dealer mention the vastly different build date, I've only picked up on it due to the small differences I've noticed.
Where do I stand with this? I'm obviously not happy about it and feeling cheated, rightly or wrongly. I have tried contacting the dealer principal but he isn't back into the garage until tomorrow.
I'd gladly accept that with perhaps 3-6 months at a push but 14-15 months?!
Is this common practise in main dealers? I've probably been naive but really would never have expected something like this at a main dealer, I can't even get my head round where or why a car would be sat unused for that long.
Is this common practise in main dealers? I've probably been naive but really would never have expected something like this at a main dealer, I can't even get my head round where or why a car would be sat unused for that long.
sjg said:
Did they tell you (incorrectly) when it was built? Did you ask? Or was this all assumptions?
Literally all they told me was it was an 'as new' car as it had 16 miles on the clock and was registered the month before. Had they said at that point it had been built February 2014 I'd have walked, no question.I asked on the phone for the build sheet for the car and they emailed me the link to the website (where it only states when registered)... Whether or not that was deliberate I have no idea.
Does it matter?
I'm not being funny, but it's got rubber rather than triangle shaped airbag, which obviously hasn't bothered you before someone pointed it out, and the tyre valves are rubber...
Am I correct in thinking that all warranties are valid from the date of registration? If so, and you were happy with the condition of the car upon delivery, which I assume you were, then I'd just get on with life.
I'm not being funny, but it's got rubber rather than triangle shaped airbag, which obviously hasn't bothered you before someone pointed it out, and the tyre valves are rubber...
Am I correct in thinking that all warranties are valid from the date of registration? If so, and you were happy with the condition of the car upon delivery, which I assume you were, then I'd just get on with life.
GP335i said:
I'd gladly accept that with perhaps 3-6 months at a push but 14-15 months?!
Is this common practise in main dealers? I've probably been naive but really would never have expected something like this at a main dealer, I can't even get my head round where or why a car would be sat unused for that long.
It isn't uncommon. Car sales fluctuate during the year - March and September are very busy but January, February and December are very slow. However, manufacturers like to keep the factories constantly producing cars so at various parts of the year there will be a build up of stock. Dealers will have to take some cars that they don't have end customers for and these need to be ordered in a specification that they think they will most likely be able to sell. Sometimes they get this wrong and a car gets stuck in stock as no-one wants it and eventually the manufacturer will offer an incentive to enable the old stock to be discounted to get rid of it. I have seen cars more than 2 years old in stock before and even saw some that passed 1,000 days (but they were quite niche models).Is this common practise in main dealers? I've probably been naive but really would never have expected something like this at a main dealer, I can't even get my head round where or why a car would be sat unused for that long.
Ok ill put it another way... If you were told that a car was registered a few weeks before you were buying it... Would you assume it had been built almost 1.5 years before when the standard equipment was different? It's not the steering wheel/tyre monitoring I'm making the fuss over, it's the whole thing I don't agree with. 1.5 years is a long time!
Would you pay the same price knowing it was that old? If I had wanted a second hand car I'd have bought one.
Would you pay the same price knowing it was that old? If I had wanted a second hand car I'd have bought one.
GP335i said:
Ok ill put it another way... If you were told that a car was registered a few weeks before you were buying it... Would you assume it had been built almost 1.5 years before when the standard equipment was different? It's not the steering wheel/tyre monitoring I'm making the fuss over, it's the whole thing I don't agree with. 1.5 years is a long time!
Would you pay the same price knowing it was that old? If I had wanted a second hand car I'd have bought one.
Please don't think I'm being argumentative, because I'm not.Would you pay the same price knowing it was that old? If I had wanted a second hand car I'd have bought one.
You did buy a second hand car didn't you? In that it was pre registered?
Were you happy with the condition and spec of the car when you agreed to buy it?
1.5 years is longer than I'd expect, based on how in demand the M135i is/has been, but what's reasonable, 3 months, 6 months?
If I couldn't tell the difference, then I'd suggest it makes no difference, and if it bothered me that much, I could always factory order, unless like you I wanted one ASAP.
If I was buying a secondhand car, I wouldn't expect the dealer to neccasarrily disclose the build date, differences in spec against a new car?
Edited by f1nn on Tuesday 1st September 11:46
That's ok mate, don't worry I'll accept all views/opinions.
I did indeed buy it as pre-registered (it was registered to the garage) but with 16 miles on the clock it's a new car in all but name.
With it being a new car I was happy to have it delivered as they're in England and I'm in Scotland.
As you've said with your 3-6 months comment, I wouldn't bat an eyelid at that. It's the 1.5 years that's my issue. FWIW I'll accept it if I have to but had it been 6 months I wouldn't even have put a post up.
I did indeed buy it as pre-registered (it was registered to the garage) but with 16 miles on the clock it's a new car in all but name.
With it being a new car I was happy to have it delivered as they're in England and I'm in Scotland.
As you've said with your 3-6 months comment, I wouldn't bat an eyelid at that. It's the 1.5 years that's my issue. FWIW I'll accept it if I have to but had it been 6 months I wouldn't even have put a post up.
No, I do agree, 1.5 years is longer than I'd expect, based on the type of car at least, but I don't think it'll cause you any issues at all.
I don't see it being worth any less when you trade/sell it on, so just enjoy it, and it being a pre LCI is likely to affect it value wise more than a build date would, perhaps unfairly of course.
Cracking cars though, I'm tempted by one, enjoy.
I don't see it being worth any less when you trade/sell it on, so just enjoy it, and it being a pre LCI is likely to affect it value wise more than a build date would, perhaps unfairly of course.
Cracking cars though, I'm tempted by one, enjoy.
GP335i said:
Ok ill put it another way... If you were told that a car was registered a few weeks before you were buying it... Would you assume it had been built almost 1.5 years before when the standard equipment was different? It's not the steering wheel/tyre monitoring I'm making the fuss over, it's the whole thing I don't agree with. 1.5 years is a long time!
Would you pay the same price knowing it was that old? If I had wanted a second hand car I'd have bought one.
Can't see that it matters. My Camaro is a 2000 plate registered, however it's VIN is a MY1999, but in the US the MY starts Spring/Summer time the year before. So my 2000 reg car would have been built sometime in early 1998.Would you pay the same price knowing it was that old? If I had wanted a second hand car I'd have bought one.
Respectfully I'd say you are crying over spilt milk. And if such a thing as the build date vs the registration date bothers you, then the only person at fault here is you, for not checking it and researching it beforehand.
A bit brutal, but then the truth often is.
OP, I see your point but I don't think there's much you can do. I'd be a bit pissed off too but I'm not sure I could blame the dealer and would just hope that it had at least stayed in the protective wrapping while it was sitting.
I suppose it comes down to how we class things as 'new'. It certainly isn't unusual to buy things that have been boxed up for quite a while unless you buy only the latest stuff.
It's done and in the grand scheme of things I think it's better for you to just move on and learn what to look for next time.
I suppose it comes down to how we class things as 'new'. It certainly isn't unusual to buy things that have been boxed up for quite a while unless you buy only the latest stuff.
It's done and in the grand scheme of things I think it's better for you to just move on and learn what to look for next time.
300bhp/ton said:
GP335i said:
Literally all they told me was it was an 'as new' car as it had 16 miles on the clock and was registered the month before. Had they said at that point it had been built February 2014 I'd have walked, no question.
Why? What worldly difference does it make?GP335i said:
Why would I pay the same money for a car built over a year and a half earlier than it was registered, when the manufacturer made some subtle differences in that period? Why wouldn't I have saved myself £3-4k and bought one with a small bit of mileage on it that would have, in all likeliness have been newer albeit more 'used'? Unless there was some kind of 'deal' on offer what benefit is there to taking an older build model?
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