Problems when buying new BMW
Discussion
Hi guys
In at the start of Sept 2010 I ordered a 3 series 3.0i coupe m sport with various options. I was told I'd have it by Nov, didn't get it till mid Jan (thats 4.5 months!. Then to top it off it was missing some options, the buttons were there but nothing behind. The dealer have been trying to retro fit it but can't get it to work. I called the manager today a spoke at length about the general bad service and problems from BMW, all he could say was he'd look into it and try speed up the retro fit. So they've had the interior apart once and we need to do it again. There not even certain they can retro fit the exact same thing that is fitted at the factory.
What would you do? They have hardly been apologetic and the 1.6 diesel mini estate courtesy car didn't help.
Crazy thing is my Dad ordered a 5 series around the same time and when it came (eventually) the diff broke after a mile! The dealer couldn't work out what was wrong with it and had to call in a specialist which then had to order parts in from Germany. They didn't even offer him a courtesy car.
All in all not good, anyone had similar experiences?
It's from one of the Newcastle Dealers
In at the start of Sept 2010 I ordered a 3 series 3.0i coupe m sport with various options. I was told I'd have it by Nov, didn't get it till mid Jan (thats 4.5 months!. Then to top it off it was missing some options, the buttons were there but nothing behind. The dealer have been trying to retro fit it but can't get it to work. I called the manager today a spoke at length about the general bad service and problems from BMW, all he could say was he'd look into it and try speed up the retro fit. So they've had the interior apart once and we need to do it again. There not even certain they can retro fit the exact same thing that is fitted at the factory.
What would you do? They have hardly been apologetic and the 1.6 diesel mini estate courtesy car didn't help.
Crazy thing is my Dad ordered a 5 series around the same time and when it came (eventually) the diff broke after a mile! The dealer couldn't work out what was wrong with it and had to call in a specialist which then had to order parts in from Germany. They didn't even offer him a courtesy car.
All in all not good, anyone had similar experiences?
It's from one of the Newcastle Dealers
Edited by parmley on Saturday 5th February 12:29
Just editied out the Dealer name, sorry if that's a no no on this forum. I just wanted to name and shame them and get other people together who have had problems with this dealer as I know one other person.
I'm afraid your probably right about having to live with the courtesy car and just be patient, only in Europe can you get this level of bad service. I'll speak to them on Monday and if they don't have a solution may try demanding a fresh new car up to spec.
Retro fitting the extra isn't even being done in house which also worrys me.
I'm afraid your probably right about having to live with the courtesy car and just be patient, only in Europe can you get this level of bad service. I'll speak to them on Monday and if they don't have a solution may try demanding a fresh new car up to spec.
Retro fitting the extra isn't even being done in house which also worrys me.
Why did you accept the car if it wasn't as ordered?.
If you ordered and payed for a 50" high definition plasma TV and they delivered a 50" LCD TV that was not high definition, would you simply accept it, even though it's not what you ordered?.
As for naming and shaming the Dealership, what have they really done wrong?.
They weren't the ones who built your car without all the ordered options fitted, that was Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (or BMW to the layman).
They weren't responsible for the delayed delivery, that again was Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
They weren't the ones who accepted the car even though it was not as ordered, that was yourself (you should have immediately rejected the car as being not what was ordered).
What they have attempted to do for you is to retro fit the missing options and are struggling to do so, most likely because the car requires different looms, control systems etc., for the options to work.
They are trying to get you what you want but it is not as simple as they first thought. At the end of the day though, as I have already said, they didn't design the car, they didn't build the car and they weren't the ones who finally accepted the car.
As for the Mini courtesy car, they don't have a legal obligation to provide you with any courtesy car, it is as the name suggests, a courtesy. They haven't provided you with a £50 wreck have they?, they've provided a new Mini which is pretty standard for most BMW Dealerships.
Next you mention that your father ordered a 5 series for which the delivery was delayed and say that the diff broke after one mile. Was either of these things the fault of the Dealership?, no, they weren't.
The dealer couldn't work out what went wrong with the diff and had to call in a specialist. So you would have preferred an general BMW technician to look into the diff failure instead of a differential specialist would you?, I know which one I would prefer given the choice.
They had to order in parts from Germany?, where else were they to get parts for a German built car?, somewhere local?.
As for them not offering him a courtesy car, I'm a little bit surprised by that but was it possibly because they had none available at such short notice?, (something that has happened to Me on a few occasions. Luckily I have a good relationship with My Dealership and have been loaned service advisers cars, the service managers car and even one of their approved used cars that was for sale as an overnight solution).
What did your father say to them about a courtesy car?, did he ask for one or did he say that he would make his own arrangements?.
As I read your post, you've not had the best experience so far unfortunately,(as has your father, it would seem), but you seem to be laying a disproportionate amount of blame at the feet of the Dealership. Both you and you father should have rejected both of these cars and got BMW to make amends.
If you ordered and payed for a 50" high definition plasma TV and they delivered a 50" LCD TV that was not high definition, would you simply accept it, even though it's not what you ordered?.
As for naming and shaming the Dealership, what have they really done wrong?.
They weren't the ones who built your car without all the ordered options fitted, that was Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (or BMW to the layman).
They weren't responsible for the delayed delivery, that again was Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
They weren't the ones who accepted the car even though it was not as ordered, that was yourself (you should have immediately rejected the car as being not what was ordered).
What they have attempted to do for you is to retro fit the missing options and are struggling to do so, most likely because the car requires different looms, control systems etc., for the options to work.
They are trying to get you what you want but it is not as simple as they first thought. At the end of the day though, as I have already said, they didn't design the car, they didn't build the car and they weren't the ones who finally accepted the car.
As for the Mini courtesy car, they don't have a legal obligation to provide you with any courtesy car, it is as the name suggests, a courtesy. They haven't provided you with a £50 wreck have they?, they've provided a new Mini which is pretty standard for most BMW Dealerships.
Next you mention that your father ordered a 5 series for which the delivery was delayed and say that the diff broke after one mile. Was either of these things the fault of the Dealership?, no, they weren't.
The dealer couldn't work out what went wrong with the diff and had to call in a specialist. So you would have preferred an general BMW technician to look into the diff failure instead of a differential specialist would you?, I know which one I would prefer given the choice.
They had to order in parts from Germany?, where else were they to get parts for a German built car?, somewhere local?.
As for them not offering him a courtesy car, I'm a little bit surprised by that but was it possibly because they had none available at such short notice?, (something that has happened to Me on a few occasions. Luckily I have a good relationship with My Dealership and have been loaned service advisers cars, the service managers car and even one of their approved used cars that was for sale as an overnight solution).
What did your father say to them about a courtesy car?, did he ask for one or did he say that he would make his own arrangements?.
As I read your post, you've not had the best experience so far unfortunately,(as has your father, it would seem), but you seem to be laying a disproportionate amount of blame at the feet of the Dealership. Both you and you father should have rejected both of these cars and got BMW to make amends.
Work for the dealership do you mate?!
I'm fairly sure that as the face of the company the OP has the right to be annoyed with the dealership as that is who represents BMW - you can hardly phone up the guy in the office/production line in Germany who made the mistake and complain to him can you?
If your TV arrived and it wasn't high def, would you complain to Argos or phone up Toshiba?
I'm fairly sure that as the face of the company the OP has the right to be annoyed with the dealership as that is who represents BMW - you can hardly phone up the guy in the office/production line in Germany who made the mistake and complain to him can you?
If your TV arrived and it wasn't high def, would you complain to Argos or phone up Toshiba?
Nicely put Lord anthony. I think when your spending such a large some of money whether the dealer designed the car or not they should have in place a procedure where they lean on BMW to sort it out if they can't. It shouldn't be up to me.
There's more to the story than that, and believe me I have put 90% of the blame on BMW not the dealer. The dealer is just a middle man, but it's the service has been ridiculously bad from them. When I collected the car I stated right away that I thought I had opted for the telephone system, the dealer was adamant that I didn't so I took the car and went come to check my docs thinking is must be me forgetting to spec it or something. Then to my shock realised that I did spec it and they had just tried to sell me a £500 aftermarket bluetooth system! Naughty of them.
About the courtesy car, I wasn't expecting another more just a bit disappointed that this area of service has deteriorated as the manager said they used to offer a courtesy car to match yours but can't afford to these days.
I maybe should have rejected the car at the time but to be honest even in hindsight I wouldn't have as it would just mean waiting another 4.5 months for a fresh car. I'd rather they retro fit but it's looking like they may have to order another anyway.
I'd just like BMW / the dealer to suffer and change there ways for the next customer.
There's more to the story than that, and believe me I have put 90% of the blame on BMW not the dealer. The dealer is just a middle man, but it's the service has been ridiculously bad from them. When I collected the car I stated right away that I thought I had opted for the telephone system, the dealer was adamant that I didn't so I took the car and went come to check my docs thinking is must be me forgetting to spec it or something. Then to my shock realised that I did spec it and they had just tried to sell me a £500 aftermarket bluetooth system! Naughty of them.
About the courtesy car, I wasn't expecting another more just a bit disappointed that this area of service has deteriorated as the manager said they used to offer a courtesy car to match yours but can't afford to these days.
I maybe should have rejected the car at the time but to be honest even in hindsight I wouldn't have as it would just mean waiting another 4.5 months for a fresh car. I'd rather they retro fit but it's looking like they may have to order another anyway.
I'd just like BMW / the dealer to suffer and change there ways for the next customer.
Edited by parmley on Saturday 5th February 15:09
cptsideways said:
The dealer is the seller here & it's with them who'm you a contract with.
I'd be rejecting it ASAP as no end of troubles can cuased by retro fitting stuff that was'nt designed to be retrofitted.
Agreed, I think this will be the option we'll go for this week. I'm guessing BMW will be responsible for the costs not the dealer anyway so there not too bothered. This dealer doesn't seem bothered anyway, they haven't been professional once.I'd be rejecting it ASAP as no end of troubles can cuased by retro fitting stuff that was'nt designed to be retrofitted.
parmley said:
Agreed, I think this will be the option we'll go for this week. I'm guessing BMW will be responsible for the costs not the dealer anyway so there not too bothered. This dealer doesn't seem bothered anyway, they haven't been professional once.
Reject the car and go to a different dealer and write to the BMW UK representative (one above the dealer principal) explaining what has happened and ask if she/he thinks that is good customer service.Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff