Help & advice to put BMW in a corner please!

[spinfingers]

Hello every one,

I'm first time blogger so this is all new to me!

Right guys/girls,

I took my 123d into BMW yesterday to have a new battery replaced as the start stop function wasn't working (all under warranty of course!) I picked the car up just before closing time. It wasn't until this morning I noticed a numerous amounts of scuffs & scratches on the top of my rear bumper (where it meets the bottom of the boot lid). I was (still am!) livid & gutted as she is my pride & joy, I rang immediately once I saw these scratches, they couldn't do anything as the service manger was off till Tuesday. My concern now was that they'll turn round to me on Tuesday and say this wasn't us as could of happened over the weekend. So I went to BMW on my lunch break to show them the extent of the damage that has been done - because at least someone has seen it before the weekend commences. The service advisor then said to me their is no way that they would of done that. Smoke was coming out of my ears now! As if I would of done it!!!!

My theory is that when the spotty 16/17 year old apprentice changed the battery (they wouldn't put a senior technician to look my car, not to change a battery!) is one of two options - the damages probably occurred via both processes:-

1) When removing & replacing the battery he/she rested it on the back of my bumper as the weight of the battery is very heavy!

2) When the battery was in place they have sat on my bumper with their industrial work trousers and were sliding up and down to make the final connections hence the long scrapping scuff marks.

How is the best way or what is the right thing to say to make repair the damage's, I thought about asking to see the security cameras within the workshop area and watch them change my battery.

Plenty of advice is needed please because BMW will do anything not pay for the repairs to my car - as any manufacturer would!

Sorry for the long blog! thanks every one.

ETA

Please be aware that this site has a No Naming & Shaming policy.

Edited by Big Al. on Friday 18th February 17:25

[markmullen]

I'd start off by not naming and shaming which isn't allowed on PH.

[Monty Python]

Battery in the boot? That mustn't leave much room for anything else

[BarnatosGhost]

Nobody puts beemer in a corner.

[blank]

Ask to see the damage report from when you dropped off the car.

Pretty sure BMW dealers do this - A "mate" claimed some pre existing damage as it wasn't on the report and they had annoyed him.


BTW that's not "mate" as in me. It's "mate" as in someone I know who is a bit of a nonce.

[Funk]

Monty Python said:

Battery in the boot? That mustn't leave much room for anything else

Yep, it's under the boot floor on the offisde. For reasons of weight distribution, BMW would have us believe. And there isn't much space under the bonnet.

[MitchT]

blank said:

Ask to see the damage report from when you dropped off the car.

Unless you're there to see them fill in the damage report, and are given a copy for yourself which is signed by them, how do you know they won't simply add any damage they've caused onto the report afterwards?

[blank]

MitchT said:

Unless you're there to see them fill in the damage report, and are given a copy for yourself which is signed by them, how do you know they won't simply add any damage they've caused onto the report afterwards?

They're probably too stupid.


Or if you asked for it before talking about the damage - But it's probably too late for that now unless he gets a different member of staff.

[Doniger]

Thank you for posting this OP, you've just reminded me why I so hated being a service advisor.

Thoughts that come to mind:

1) How do you know a teenager worked on your car?
2) How do you know this teenager was wearing trousers made of sandpaper?
3) How do you know the person who worked on your car caused the damage anyway?

Do you ever carry luggage? Does anyone else use your car? One badly loaded/unloaded box or suitcase can cause the scratches you describe. You wouldn't be the first person to not notice tailgate scratches you've caused yourself until going over the car with a finetoothed comb after a garage visit. As someone mentioned above, you wouldn't be the first to make a stink over damage you KNOW you caused either.

But I digress.

Assuming 'they' did it:

Ask them to produce the condition report they (probably) filled in for your car when it arrived.

If the scratches have been noted on it you have next to no hope of them accepting the blame.

If the scratches have not been noted on it you have a case, IF you're nice and haven't already behaved like a dick about it.

If you HAVE behaved like a dick (generally raging, smoke out of the ears type behaviour) then you've probably ruined someone's day and are unlikely to get much of a result. On the off-chance that you do 'win' in this scenario they will find a way of fking you if you ever set foot back in there again.

Good luck.

[maniac0796]

BTW, most mechanics boiler suits/trousers have the poppers/buttons/zips/velcro places so they can't scratch surfaces.

[Digger]

Doniger said:

Thank you for posting this OP, you've just reminded me why I so hated being a service advisor.

Doniger said:

On the off-chance that you do 'win' in this scenario they will find a way of fking you if you ever set foot back in there again.

Good luck.

Well, if that was the attitude you took when you were a Service Adviser you should be bloody well ashamed of yourself!

Edited by Digger on Friday 18th February 20:12

[RRS_Staffs]

Digger said:

Doniger said:

Thank you for posting this OP, you've just reminded me why I so hated being a service advisor.

Doniger] said:

On the off-chance that you do 'win' in this scenario they will find a way of fking you if you ever set foot back in there again.

Good luck.

Well, if that was the attitude you took when you were a Service Adviser you should be bloody well ashamed of yourself!

Edited by Digger on Friday 18th February 20:09

Ashamed - or proud?

[Digger]

Pride? In stooping to the same level as someone who falsified a damage claim (not insinuating anything about the OP's case)?

[Doniger]

'fking' is such an open term, and obviously therefore quite easy to interpret wrongly. I promise you that I never stooped anywhere near the level of some of my favourite customers. Simply, you're paying for prestige service and prestige service is what you'll get. But you get SO much more if you're nice not a dick.

Rest assured my attitude was as impeccable as you'd expect from the dealerships in which you would have found me, and no I'm not ashamed of myself. In fact I'm very proud of the excellent service I gave in every scenario. Some former colleagues can't say the same though.
I'm simply giving the OP a view from the other side of the desk that might help him get a favourable outcome - know your enemy and all that.

Edited by Doniger on Friday 18th February 20:29

[ollie854]

Can I just say im a 17 year old apprentice and I treat peoples cars how i'd expect them to treat mine. So don't generalise because we are not all the same.

[spinfingers]

Thanks for every one's response.

First thing is first apologies for naming & shaming (should of read the small print!) thanx for the warning.

Also sorry for singling out 16/17 apprentices I was looking at pointing the finger at someone - as anyone would in these circumstances.

BMW defiantly did not do this "pre vehicle check report" as i didn't sign for anything like that, I only signed for two docs 1) was the work they are carrying out on the car & 2) was to sign for use of there hire car.

So surely as BMW didn't do this "pre vehicle check" I have a solid case??

I'm meeting the service manager first thing tomorrow so wish me luck!

[edo]

spinfingers said:

Thanks for every one's response.

First thing is first apologies for naming & shaming (should of read the small print!) thanx for the warning.

Also sorry for singling out 16/17 apprentices I was looking at pointing the finger at someone - as anyone would in these circumstances.

BMW defiantly did not do this "pre vehicle check report" as i didn't sign for anything like that, I only signed for two docs 1) was the work they are carrying out on the car & 2) was to sign for use of there hire car.

So surely as BMW didn't do this "pre vehicle check" I have a solid case??

I'm meeting the service manager first thing tomorrow so wish me luck!

Good luck. Just be very clear you are 100% the marks were not there when you dropped the car off (when did you wash it prior to dropping it off?), and that it is rather too much of a coincidence that they were replacing the battery in the boot and the damage is on the rear bumper.

Keep it calm and polite, and say the only outcome you would like/expect is to paint the rear bumper.

[HellDiver]

spinfingers said:

wish me luck!

You'll need it.

[ExPat2B]

Doniger said:

Thank you for posting this OP, you've just reminded me why I so hated being a service advisor.

Thoughts that come to mind:

1) How do you know a teenager worked on your car?
2) How do you know this teenager was wearing trousers made of sandpaper?
3) How do you know the person who worked on your car caused the damage anyway?

Do you ever carry luggage? Does anyone else use your car? One badly loaded/unloaded box or suitcase can cause the scratches you describe. You wouldn't be the first person to not notice tailgate scratches you've caused yourself until going over the car with a finetoothed comb after a garage visit. As someone mentioned above, you wouldn't be the first to make a stink over damage you KNOW you caused either.

But I digress.

Assuming 'they' did it:

Ask them to produce the condition report they (probably) filled in for your car when it arrived.

If the scratches have been noted on it you have next to no hope of them accepting the blame.

If the scratches have not been noted on it you have a case, IF you're nice and haven't already behaved like a dick about it.

If you HAVE behaved like a dick (generally raging, smoke out of the ears type behaviour) then you've probably ruined someone's day and are unlikely to get much of a result. On the off-chance that you do 'win' in this scenario they will find a way of fking you if you ever set foot back in there again.

Good luck.

You know I have heard this many times from service people, that steam coming out your ears doesn't get results, and you will get "fked" if you try it again. However, my experience is precisely the opposite, that the only way to get results is to create a fuss and the customers that are known to create a fuss get better treatment.

[jamesson]

OP - it's would have, should have, could have etc. Not "of".