36 replies to this topic

[fiveoclock]

So what are your opinions on this? I know what mine are and they'll be getting a call tomorrow.

 

I have a 2009 M3 DCT done 24000 miles last serviced in Sept 2013 at 19500 miles. A few weeks ago I took it into Co0per Thames Ditton for a gearbox software upgrade which they managed to complete without issue however when I get the car back the service indicator shows I need a service in March 2014.. Now this is odd as I know it said Feb 2015 before it went into them however I just thought perhaps it somehow got changed by mistake so I reset it to Feb 2015. On Friday I got a message left saying did I want to bring my car into them for its "due" service. 

 

Their service manager isnt going to have a good Monday morning, he is really getting it!!!!!!

Edited by fiveoclock, 09 March 2014 - 04:30 PM.

[Claws]

Book it in and don't turn up

[Rickwoo118]

Book it in and don't turn up

Lol. That will p**s them off. They deserve it as that is not on at all.

[robin]

then when they ring up say you forgot and book it in again 

[fiveoclock]

 

Book it in and don't turn up

Lol. That will p**s them off. They deserve it as that is not on at all.

 

There is a second part to all this too. As well as the software upgrade I asked them to attend to a knock which sounded like a window on metal, possibly a misaligned window. They came back with a known roof modification which consisited of some parts (seal, felt strip and some German sounding "special" grease). £197, oh well I thought as long as it doesnt knock i'll stand for that. It took them 3 days when they said one day and I couldnt collect it so they delivered it. Drove it the next morning and it knocked exactly the same. I called them and asked  why I had it back when it still knocked, they said they didnt know it still knocked. I said it must have when you test drove it after the "fix". Oh no they say we didnt test drive it, all we did was plug your car in and it told us it hadnt had the roof mod so we did it and gave it back. They didnt address the actual knock at all. 

 

Next morning saw me visiting them for a refund. Long and short is they say sorry no refund as we cant take the parts off, I say I dont give a fcuk about your parts, they say lets discuss this in a side office, I say no lets discuss it here in service reception, I get full refund.

 

And they still try to pull this stroke

 

Mind you I should have learnt. In 1980 they put the wrong oil in my Dads nearly new 316 auto and fcuked the box. Its got no better in 34 years

Edited by fiveoclock, 09 March 2014 - 04:54 PM.

[pete-r]

I took my M3 into trainer bmw Swansea and they told me my rear tyres needed changing. They had 3mm! I took my second M3 into them for something else and they told me my AC needed gassing, even though it had been done the previous month and was fine. I took my 135i in and they told me my wipers needed changing and 'wouldn't pass and mot' - 2 weeks after they passed it at MOT. Colleague took his X3 into sytner Cardiff having just renewed the warranty because of an engine warning light. Needs a 4k+ rebuild because of carbon build up and surprise surprise it's not covered. Nothing surprises me with bmw Mark. I've bought a Golf GTI now...

[Rickwoo118]

What does that say about BMW main dealers?

[fiveoclock]

Nothing surprises me with bmw Mark. I've bought a Golf GTI now...

I've had similar grief from Mercedes and Aston Martin, in fact the only time I have a good main dealer experience is when I take my 120K miles Touareg in to VW

[fiveoclock]

What does that say about BMW main dealers?

They're all cnuts?

Edited by fiveoclock, 09 March 2014 - 05:12 PM.

[Goosenka]

Can I be there when you call them? Please I beg you...

[pete-r]

Can I be there when you call them? Please I beg you...

"Your call may be recorded for laughs and giggles purposes"

[robin]

here is a good one for a bmw dealer (will remain nameless)  bloke had mini in for a service one day to do work.

went to collect and was told needed parts so would be three - four days and couldn't be driven on road till then so off he went.

next day his mate who delivers parts goes to bmw garage and sees his car with roof with a big dent in it like someone had jumped on it so 

sneakily took some pictures and informed mate about seeing his car with reg plate on.

 

anyway four days later he gets call to say car will be ready to collect so goes to collect and there is his car all shiny and looking as it did when he dropped it

off!  he checks car and asks if everything is ok with it, yep all is done and thank you of course no mention of roof being repaired!

 

so he asked for manager to have a chat, brings pictures out and says explain that, they denied it was his car and it could never of happened!!

anyway long story short he took them to court and got a brand new mini with upgrades free.  total tosspots they were about it too.

 

 

mercedes tried the same with me car with less than 14k miles and three weeks out of warranty and steering rack started to knock, took it in and said needed 

new steering rack and suspension lower arms!! i rang merc uk to ask if they thought this was acceptable for such a low milage car to have all these parts fail

to which the reply was "its out of warranty so nothing we can do"

as you can imagine i told them what i thought of them!   sold the car and would never buy a merc again total crap even mates near new merc sl needed a shed load of parts

as all sorts went wrong cost a fortune he too sold it and has gone off mercs and there build quality.

 

 

[CHILL Gone DUTCH]

Glad I have never bought a merc or BMW Just hope vw are better as quoted above

[2GOOD]

Can work both ways, previous 320d M sport had a service just before it was 3 years old. It was the model with the 19"alloys known for cracking. I was advised of the tyre wear on the inside edges, but nothing else. As I was about to take it to Italy I'd already sorted tyres elsewhere & took it to the tyre place the following week, days before setting off. They changed the fronts first & took one of the rears off, 5 splits on the inside of the rim, phone call to dealer gets a call back within minutes confirming that they had noticed it & didn't know why I hadn't been told. I mentioned something about safety & their second call back confirmed instant authorisation for a new wheel & a van had been dispatched for the 15 mile trip with that wheel on board. If you read up on the fun & games most customers have had in getting wheels replaced & the hoops they've had to jump through, I was rather impressed with how far this dealer was prepared to go. However I cannot say the same for BMW GB's own dealership Park Lane having bought my current car from them, but at this stage don't want to go into that on the internet, certainly won't buy a car from them again.

[Zoobeef]

Its most main dealers really, some of the threads on pistonheads are brilliant. One guys had a service on his porsche and was told his brake pads were 80% worn. Knew they were ok so ignored and continued driving. Did another 10k that year and had the next service and was told his pads were 60% worn. Questioned how they had grown in a year. Loads of stories of tyres needing immediate replacement with 4+mm left and people having discs and pads changed every year.

[Goosenka]

Who does JoeyD work for now?

[JG]

Glad I have never bought a merc or BMW Just hope vw are better as quoted above

 

Everyone has a bad story to tell about all the marques

 

You're really glad you haven't bought a BMW or a Mercedes on the strength of the above story?

 

 

Dealers are ran by limited companies who buy into a marque. Consequently, though they have to sign up to tough assurances, they are all ran differently.

 

again. 

[CHILL Gone DUTCH]

Glad I have never bought a merc or BMW Just hope vw are better as quoted above

  Everyone has a bad story to tell about all the marques   You're really glad you haven't bought a BMW or a Mercedes on the strength of the above story?     Dealers are ran by limited companies who buy into a marque. Consequently, though they have to sign up to tough assurances, they are all ran differently.   again. 

The truth is I can't afford the models I would want from BMW or merc

[slindborg]

The xfiles approach is the best.... Trust no one. Self service, even on new stuff ftw.

[JG]

Loads of stories of tyres needing immediate replacement with 4+mm left and people having discs and pads changed every year.

 

And some people will be ok with that. 

 

I change the tyres on the shed at 3mm, because that is the limit at which the company car lease company authorise replacement. there is a marked difference between an 8mm tyre and a 3mm and given that i don't pay for them i change them as soon as i can. 

 

I wouldn't mind it if a dealership suggested tyre replacement at 3mm on a car whose tyre i do pay for.

 

Its a bit of a ball ache to get the Mercedes serviced, best place round here is 25miles away and its a train journey back as I can't be asked to wait nor take a courtesy car for half a day, its a half morning. So if they say the pads are 50% worn, fine, chuck a new set on, if the tyres are at 3mm, fine, stick a new set on. infact whatever they say i just say yes. I used to argue, then find somewhere cheaper to get it done or do it myself. It always resulted in a pain in the arse, and i usually just wished i had had it done while the car was there. So now I do. 

 

I won't be taken for a complete mug and I have a vague idea of what they've done before, but it all comes down to the fact that each person would like to be dealt with differently. And thats the challenge the dealers face. 

 

There is one thing that did mildly upset me last time, is that they did all the things i would have said yes to, without asking me first and just presented the bill. I got over it. 

 

(The VX is different, as i actually enjoy playing with it, so it doesn't count)