BMW Park Lane - refusing to honour BMW UK 20% service offer

[Alextodrive]

As you may have heard on the radio and seen elsewhere, BMW UK are running a 20% discount offer for servicing when booked by 16th Nov.

Having used other dealerships for the last 10 years, for the first time ever I decided to book my BMW F31 to Park Lane, Mayfair for a front disc and pads change I'm due soon. (The servicing department is BMW Park Lane - Battersea)

You have to book online via BMW UK to get the offer and the price for the service (I have M sport blue calliper upgrades) is:



My car was booked in, booking accepted, and when I arrived at Park Lane's service centre to drop my car off, I was told by the service department, they need to do a new quote. I wasn't expecting anything other than dropping the car off and had to leave for work before confirming the quote so the work could start.

I received a call and an email with BMW Park Lanes quote shortly after...



I queried why it was 50% more than the online BMW price I had selected which uses my car registration and was told they don't account for some parts my car needs.

A supposed £300 discrepancy between the M Sport brake change BMW have calculated and the real cost. I've had to wait another day for the service manager to be in to check this over, to be told they can improve the price to £677.89 with a substantial discount but thats the absolute lowest they will offer.

Still some £103.61 more than the online price.

I called BMW UK customer services to query why there is such a large price discrepancy between the online offer price and their only BMW UK run dealership price. The customer service agent spoke with Park Lane, and has said while he cant understand why they wont honour the price, in the terms and conditions clause 4 for the offer, it states they don't have to.

"4. BMW UK is not responsible for displayed prices. Prices have been entered and have to be confirmed by the retailer you have selected."

So BMW customer services were unable to offer any resolution and theres no obligation to honour the offer, even from BMW's own dealership (every other one in the country is a franchise)

On the plus side, I called Specialist cars who I usually do my services with and they said they are more than happy to honour the promotional price online and don't re-do quotes on arrival.

So my car goes there next week and I wont be bothering with Park Lane again.

You can take a quick glance at the Park Lane google reviews and see the flattering 5 stars are for their sales, whereas they regularly receive 1 stars for their shoddy aftercare and servicing.

A word of warning to my fellow BMW'ers!

Edited by Alextodrive on Thursday 11th November 17:43

[edthefed]

BMW Park Lane is apparently the only UK dealer owned by BMW !

Maybe ask BMW UK why a garage owned by them is not complying ?

[Alextodrive]

I did. The BMW UK customer complaints agent has looked into it.

He called Park Lane, spoke to servicing, said he didn't understand why they weren't honouring it, but he couldn't force them to either due to the terms and conditions of the offer. Even when its BMW's own retailer apparently...

"4. BMW UK is not responsible for displayed prices. Prices have been entered and have to be confirmed by the retailer you have selected."

I told them Specialist Cars were happy to honour the prices and he even called the dealership I'm going to, to confirm.

He suggested I take my car there instead. Which I now am.

And I suggested they remove park lane from their listed dealerships running the offer... which I don't expect they will.

Whole thing has been bizarre.

[DVandrews]

They jerked me off last year when I booked a service pack online during the Black Friday promotion, they cancelled the order with no reason given and just bounced me around when I complained, I wrote to the MD of BMW who passed it down the line but they kept stonewalling me with standard, ‘sorry cant help’ emails, eventually I had a service pack at a discounted price, but it took heaven and earth, 3 typed letters and a raft of emails to get any action.

Dave

[Mani59]

Just to confirm that BMW UK do indeed own BMW Park Lane.

[ukpolak]

I used 20% off back in June at partridge Southampton. I asked if they would honour discount if I brought it in in September (when service due) rather than then in June prematurely but they declined saying that this was some “BMW group subsidy” deal which they could not control.

I wonder if Park Lane being part of Group don’t get this subsidy and it only applies to franchise dealers.

The whole “different part” story is all nonsense tbh and good for you for taking it elsewhere.

[CoolHands]

Maybe do an advertising standards complaint to give them some hassle, because what’s the point in them advertising a discounted price if in actual fact it’s not available? Surely that’s against some ASA code.

[Alextodrive]

ukpolak said:

I used 20% off back in June at partridge Southampton. I asked if they would honour discount if I brought it in in September (when service due) rather than then in June prematurely but they declined saying that this was some “BMW group subsidy” deal which they could not control.

I wonder if Park Lane being part of Group don’t get this subsidy and it only applies to franchise dealers.

The whole “different part” story is all nonsense tbh and good for you for taking it elsewhere.

BMW UK customer services confirmed park lane is part of the promotion, as per the online booking system. There isnt a glitch.

They're just using the 4th clause of the terms and conditions not to honour the promotion.

Which is utterly bonkers as THEY ARE the BMW dealer for the UK. Everyone else is a franchise. They actually belong to BMW.

The customer services chap spent an hour trying to get to the bottom of the situation himself and said he was very surprised they wouldn't honour it. The promotion only kicked in a couple of days ago, so I was the first complaint with Park Lane he'd dealt with, but not expecting it to be the last.

[Alextodrive]

CoolHands said:

Maybe do an advertising standards complaint to give them some hassle, because what’s the point in them advertising a discounted price if in actual fact it’s not available? Surely that’s against some ASA code.

Section 4 of the terms and conditions of the promotion

"4. BMW UK is not responsible for displayed prices. Prices have been entered and have to be confirmed by the retailer you have selected."

Clever really. We're offering you a promotion, as long as the people who have to honour it, agree to it, once you arrive to hand over your car.

[Alextodrive]

DVandrews said:

They jerked me off last year when I booked a service pack online during the Black Friday promotion, they cancelled the order with no reason given and just bounced me around when I complained, I wrote to the MD of BMW who passed it down the line but they kept stonewalling me with standard, ‘sorry cant help’ emails, eventually I had a service pack at a discounted price, but it took heaven and earth, 3 typed letters and a raft of emails to get any action.

Dave

If you still have the MD's email, I'd love to send him a quick email with what I've basically already written.

But it's a waste of time beyond that isnt it really. I'll go to a dealer that honours the promotions prices, and wont bother with Park Lane ever again.

[RUSSELLM]

When you booked online, did you receive a ‘Workshop booking confirmation’ email, from the dealer, with the discounted price on ?

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

CoolHands said:

Maybe do an advertising standards complaint to give them some hassle, because what’s the point in them advertising a discounted price if in actual fact it’s not available? Surely that’s against some ASA code.

I think I'd being going down this path too, give them some negative publicity.

[Earthdweller]

The advert running on the radio clearly states the offer is available at participating dealers only so I don’t think there’s any false advertising involved

Just perhaps that Park Lane not being a franchisee isn’t participating in the offer

[nickfrog]

Very annoying although BMW dealer pricing on brakes is always very high anyway, even with 20% off, compared to indy pricing, so perhaps a blessing is disguise although I would expect indy pricing to be around 35/40% less than franchised on brakes.

[doc261]

Earthdweller said:

The advert running on the radio clearly states the offer is available at participating dealers only so I don’t think there’s any false advertising involved

Just perhaps that Park Lane not being a franchisee isn’t participating in the offer

It’s been stated that they are participating. If you go to BMW park land web page it clearly shows the prices as op has shown, I’ve tried it and 20% discount pops up.

[bennno]

Alextodrive said:

As you may have heard on the radio and seen elsewhere, BMW UK are running a 20% discount offer for servicing when booked by 16th Nov.

Having used other dealerships for the last 10 years, for the first time ever I decided to book my BMW F31 to Park Lane, Mayfair for a front disc and pads change I'm due soon. (The servicing department is BMW Park Lane - Battersea)

You have to book online via BMW UK to get the offer and the price for the service (I have M sport blue calliper upgrades) is:



My car was booked in, booking accepted, and when I arrived at Park Lane's service centre to drop my car off, I was told by the service department, they need to do a new quote. I wasn't expecting anything other than dropping the car off and had to leave for work before confirming the quote so the work could start.

I received a call and an email with BMW Park Lanes quote shortly after...



I queried why it was 50% more than the online BMW price I had selected which uses my car registration and was told they don't account for some parts my car needs.

A supposed £300 discrepancy between the M Sport brake change BMW have calculated and the real cost. I've had to wait another day for the service manager to be in to check this over, to be told they can improve the price to £677.89 with a substantial discount but thats the absolute lowest they will offer.

Still some £103.61 more than the online price.

I called BMW UK customer services to query why there is such a large price discrepancy between the online offer price and their only BMW UK run dealership price. The customer service agent spoke with Park Lane, and has said while he cant understand why they wont honour the price, in the terms and conditions clause 4 for the offer, it states they don't have to.

"4. BMW UK is not responsible for displayed prices. Prices have been entered and have to be confirmed by the retailer you have selected."

So BMW customer services were unable to offer any resolution and theres no obligation to honour the offer, even from BMW's own dealership (every other one in the country is a franchise)

On the plus side, I called Specialist cars who I usually do my services with and they said they are more than happy to honour the promotional price online and don't re-do quotes on arrival.

So my car goes there next week and I wont be bothering with Park Lane again.

You can take a quick glance at the Park Lane google reviews and see the flattering 5 stars are for their sales, whereas they regularly receive 1 stars for their shoddy aftercare and servicing.

A word of warning to my fellow BMW'ers!

Edited by Alextodrive on Thursday 11th November 17:43

I’m presuming the included lube is to make it easier to take that price. I’m not sure why anybody would pay a main dealer to change brake disks and pads.

What’s your car model, bet thou could get this done for sub £350 outside of franchise. Just get services done at bmw if you want fsh.

[Alextodrive]

Earthdweller said:

The advert running on the radio clearly states the offer is available at participating dealers only so I don’t think there’s any false advertising involved

Just perhaps that Park Lane not being a franchisee isn’t participating in the offer

They are included. You can book Park Lane. Try yourself and you'll see. BMW customer services confirmed they are part of the offer.

And Park Lane are the sole BMW dealership for the UK...

bennno said:

I’m presuming the included lube is to make it easier to take that price. I’m not sure why anybody would pay a main dealer to change brake disks and pads.

What’s your car model, bet thou could get this done for sub £350 outside of franchise. Just get services done at bmw if you want fsh.

I'd agree with you, if I hadn't already had two quotes from independant garages that came to almost the same price. They aren't £300 disc and pad parts for my vehicle.

At the offered price, BMW comes out on top.

It's an F31 330D with the upgraded M Sport brakes.

[Alextodrive]

RUSSELLM said:

When you booked online, did you receive a ‘Workshop booking confirmation’ email, from the dealer, with the discounted price on ?

Yes. But the caveat is under the terms and conditions each retailer stills has the right to confirm the price.

So the online prices are little more than an estimate. And the booking confirmation with price, again, not worth the paper it's printed on (or email it's sent in...)

All a bit of a con really. Get it booked, take your car there, find out once you've already spend all that time and are fairly committed, they want 50% more than you thought. Despite using BMW's own online booking system.

[Sheepshanks]

Alextodrive said:

And the booking confirmation with price, again, not worth the paper it's printed on (or email it's sent in...)

That’s a completely ridiculous situation.

[VeeTenM]

Get it on Twitter, FB etc Complete farce!