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If You're Considering Bmw, Read This

7K views 17 replies 16 participants last post by  Black2000328i 
#1 ·
I'm including the text of a message I sent to BMW USA regarding the problems we're experiencing with the 2004 325i we leased. The answer we received from them is "contact the service manager" at the dealership. He's the one we spoke to about all the damage to our vehicle. Their attitude is, we have BMW's and, since sales are good, we don't care about customer problems. Guess we'll hit all the auto talk forums and post our experience.


Approximately fifteen months ago, we leased a 2004 325i. The main reason we purchased the vehicle was because the ride was great and the cabin was really quiet. We have about 14,000 miles on the vehicle now, and the road noise is worse than it was in the Nissan Sentra we had before leasing this vehicle.

Shortly after we took possession of the vehicle, we received a notice for a transmission programming update and took the vehicle in as requested. We were very pleased prior to the update since the transmission seemed to shift with little or no noticeable jerkiness. After the update, the transmission is rough and sometimes can’t decide whether to shift up or down, then it will either cause the engine to rev up high or it won’t downshift so the engine “lugs” along.

The first three months we had the vehicle, we were impressed that we never seemed to smell any emissions from other vehicles, or get any smoke in the cabin when passing near a sugar cane burn. Now, it is as if the car is attempting to always open the vent whenever there is any obnoxious smell around, including diesel trucks.

The headlights, in the automatic position, will stay on even when driving into bright sunshine. We keep the vehicle in the garage, so they come on when we start the car, then they are supposed to shut off when we pull out of the garage, but they don’t most of the time. They always work properly if you start the vehicle outside in the sunlight. The loaner vehicle we had would turn the lights off in 5 to 6 seconds after exiting the garage.

We have not been happy with the BMW dealer here on Maui. We’ve taken the car in several times and they always tell us they can’t find anything wrong. The last time, they gave us a loaner 325i to drive while they were checking our vehicle out. There was such a difference in the shifting that my wife remarked she could tell a big difference just riding in the car in a short drive to the neighboring town which is up a hill. After two weeks, we had not heard a word from BMW of Maui so I stopped by and talked to Rhonda, the service advisor, and asked the status. She told me that they hadn’t really had much of a chance to check the car out but they weren’t able to see any of the symptoms we were complaining about. She also stated that since we had a loaner car, we were on the bottom of the priority list since they service the customers who have dropped their cars off and don’t have a loaner vehicle. A week later she called to say that they couldn’t find anything wrong so we could come back to get the car. I asked if they had done the required service and she said they forgot so they would do it the next morning, then we could pick it up. When I went to pick the car up, it was absolutely filthy. There was so much brake dust on the wheels you couldn’t even tell what color they were. The outside was covered with dirt. I had washed the loaner vehicle twice in the three weeks we had it and didn’t drive nearly 300 miles. Above the left rear wheel, there was a fresh paint chip, about 1/8” in diameter, scraped off the fender. There is a scratch above the wheel opening on the opposite side at the same location. We had a crystal dolphin hanging by a chain from the rear view mirror. The chain was broken and the dolphin was lying on the console with not even an apology for damaging our personal property. There is also a fresh paint scratch above the door handle on the rear driver side door, probably from someone opening the door with a key in their hand. The car also had been driven almost 800 miles.

I’ve owned 24 vehicles since I started driving. I have never had so much trouble with any of the vehicles I’ve owned and I have never seen such an unprofessional way of conducting business as BMW of Maui.

We expected more out of BMW. The car is noisy, the doors are dangerous. The doors are spring loaded and can hit someone in the head if you don’t watch them. The vehicle has two cup holders. Only one is accessible unless you put the arm rest up. There is no storage in the console worth using. BMW’s slogan, the ultimate driving machine may be fine for people who can zip down the autobahn. The creature comforts, gas mileage, etc. are neglected. BMW doesn’t care about customer satisfaction. After “trashing” our car without so much as an apology, I assure you that BMW of Maui is not going to get any kind of a recommendation from us.

I have written to BMW USA via their web site in the past and my email has been ignored. It appears that the only service we can get from BMW of Maui is our car “trashed” and then ignored. BMW USA ignores our pleas. We have informed the many people we know of the problems with BMW of Maui, the next step is to make our feelings knows via the many web sites on the internet so that all who read will know that BMW definitely does not live up to its promises.
 
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#3 ·
First of all I would like to say welcome to the harsh world of automobile maintainance.

Second as someone said from what you have written, I think you have a bad dealership and not BMWs fault. There is very little BMW can do to make the dealership do the job. There are ways you can bring it to the dealer's attention yes......BBB complaints, talk to your local news channels and see if they can do an expose, send your complain to the newspaper etc etc...write complaints to the owner in paper......if that doesnt make a difference....I would say find another dealer even if you have to drive like 300 miles.

Third....all cars have problems and your account doesnt of course describe how was your maintainance of the car. Now BMW is not a Nissan sentra. Its a highly sophisticated car and requires , with all due respect, a little more attention than all the 24 other cars youve owned (assuming none of them were bimmers). I have a 4 year old BMW and been absolutely pleased with it.....and I am sure many here would back me up by saying yeah BMW is a pain to maintain but there isnt a car we would buy now that we have ridden one. Its like being married to Julia Roberts...heck yeah shes expensive to maintain but would pass on a chance on marrying her....??? :).

Fourth your article is in good sense and I know that. Its good to warn future drivers of what may go wrong.....but be unbiased while writing and it makes more sense. Just cause you have problems with your car dont blame the entire product. Just state the facts and let people decide.

Lastly hope and pray you get your stuff in order and are riding your bimmer soon enuf....dont despair, its just repair.
 
#5 ·
Originally posted by peterkulesza@Jul 6 2005, 04:04 PM
none of this stuff seems like any kind of problem to me. quit whining, get a lexus.

sounds like you want an appliance (lexus looks nice in a refridgerator white), not a car. :nana :eek:uch
[snapback]360127[/snapback]​
Nah, the guy has a point. He has been shafted by his local dealer, but as with the other posters I can't really blame BMW for that. I'm agree though, I would be absolutely LIVID if that stuff happened to me with a local dealer.
 
#7 ·
Dsnow, that's poor customer service!
BMWNA did the right thing by telling you to contact your dealer.
But it seems like the problems were not solved!
I'll will email you the phone number and email address of a nice lady at
BMWNA that I'm sure will be able to help you tomorrow morning. I have all the info at work. They have been very nice to me.
in the past...


LOS
 
#8 ·
ok: my2c: i expect this level of failure (although i do not agree that what he describes are actual car faults) in a german car. bmw still better about this than benz. certainly at the dealer level. and also, if this guy shows up ten times a day with "problems" i can sort of understand the dealer had had enough....

question of fairly obvious philosophy: if one needs red carpet service, and a boring, but luxurious car that NEVER breaks, get a japanese car.


i kind of assume that this is general knowledge.....
 
#9 ·
in my opinion you should not own a european vehicle. they are made to drive not dine. in germany there are no cupholders at all. thats becasue people drive the car not eat or sleep in the car. you should be happy they put that in there for your satisfaction. keep the phone detached from your head and keep the drinks at home.
Thank you and good night.
 
#10 ·
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. My dealership is VERY VERY nice to me. They always ask and reserve me loaner cars, even though I always reject them. They are very prompt and do my work as fast as they can. Whenever I og they are PACKED with cars comign in nonstop, yet I am amazed how quickly they can fix up my car for whatever it is in for at the time. It's sad to hear about this Maui dealership giving you troubles, and RUINING your car.

I dont understandhow a dealership put 800 miles on your car. Are you sure you hadnt just mistakenly remembered the mileage befor eservicing? Or they mistakenly wrot eit down wrong?

Cupholders, none of us expect cupholders. None of us want them. Im proud to say I dont have any cupholders in my car (I own a e34 US Spec). Im proud ot say i'm a BMW enthusiast and tell my friends the reason behind no cupholders. You dont buy a sporty car looking for gas mileage as well. I get 18/21 on a 16 year old car and am proud. I dont expect you to be satisifed with your gas mileage and I understand very much about the ridiculously high price of gas in Hawaii. Price here in Los Angeles is $2.90 for 91 octane.

Also, how can you complain about "creature comforts" and gas mileage after leasing the cra for so long and then purchasing it. i thin you wouldve noticed all of these during the leasing period.

As far as engine noise goes, i'm goign on the assumption that you are reffering to BMW's standard noise. I hope you understand that they trya dn amplify this nosie ot some extent. Have you ever sat in a BMW Z4? The sound of the engine and exhaust races through your ears and really excites the senses. That is somethign a BMW does best. Sad to say, you failed to mention the best parts of a BMW, the drive. The pleasure. The pure control one feels in the drivers seat.


ONCE again i am deeply sorry that you were so ill-treated by such a shady dealership (more like stealership), but I hope you do not labela whole brand of car by some jerks at one dealership.

Sorry, and I hope things get better. Focus on the drivers seat!
 
#11 ·
The original poster sounds very reasonable and I think he has legitimate complaints. That dealer sounds really bad. If they really did put 800 miles on the car, he should send them a bill for 750 of those miles. Returning the car in that condition is unbelievable, he should send a bill for the damages.

He needs to cal BMWNA and speak to a customer service rep.

Regarding the tranny, he needs to go for a ride with a service tech or supervisor in his car AND another one of the same model and year. If the tranny problems are as bad as he says it should be immediately apparent. These are adaptive transmissions and learn how we drive the car and adjust to us. I'm not sure if we can reset the tranny memory ourselves or if a tech has to do it. That's the first thing I'd try.

Regarding the road noise. How worn are your tires? We had some Pirellis on an Audi that became progressively noisier (very bad) before they were replaced at about 18k miles. They also were thumping because they were cupped and worn unevenly. New Falken Ziex's fixed that.

Regarding someone's suggestion to go to another dealer, there's only one dealer on Maui which is probably why they provide such bad service, no competition. That's why it's even more important for BMWNA to get involved.
 
#12 ·
I am sure glad I read this...my girl and I were actually test driving a 3 series earlier and this is good info to know before we go ahead and get her one...she loves my E39 and wanted a BMW too...its sad to hear this issues in a BMW, sorry buddy...thnks for sharing.

I know lexus is king of reliability in the luxury segment and I'll probably take a look at the IS but I always favored the Beamer - so I'll just have to think some more before taking the plunge!!! Hopefully you'll get a good conclusion to this situation. Good luck

dsnow said:
I'm including the text of a message I sent to BMW USA regarding the problems we're experiencing with the 2004 325i we leased. The answer we received from them is "contact the service manager" at the dealership. He's the one we spoke to about all the damage to our vehicle. Their attitude is, we have BMW's and, since sales are good, we don't care about customer problems. Guess we'll hit all the auto talk forums and post our experience.


Approximately fifteen months ago, we leased a 2004 325i. The main reason we purchased the vehicle was because the ride was great and the cabin was really quiet. We have about 14,000 miles on the vehicle now, and the road noise is worse than it was in the Nissan Sentra we had before leasing this vehicle.

Shortly after we took possession of the vehicle, we received a notice for a transmission programming update and took the vehicle in as requested. We were very pleased prior to the update since the transmission seemed to shift with little or no noticeable jerkiness. After the update, the transmission is rough and sometimes can’t decide whether to shift up or down, then it will either cause the engine to rev up high or it won’t downshift so the engine “lugs” along.

The first three months we had the vehicle, we were impressed that we never seemed to smell any emissions from other vehicles, or get any smoke in the cabin when passing near a sugar cane burn. Now, it is as if the car is attempting to always open the vent whenever there is any obnoxious smell around, including diesel trucks.

The headlights, in the automatic position, will stay on even when driving into bright sunshine. We keep the vehicle in the garage, so they come on when we start the car, then they are supposed to shut off when we pull out of the garage, but they don’t most of the time. They always work properly if you start the vehicle outside in the sunlight. The loaner vehicle we had would turn the lights off in 5 to 6 seconds after exiting the garage.

We have not been happy with the BMW dealer here on Maui. We’ve taken the car in several times and they always tell us they can’t find anything wrong. The last time, they gave us a loaner 325i to drive while they were checking our vehicle out. There was such a difference in the shifting that my wife remarked she could tell a big difference just riding in the car in a short drive to the neighboring town which is up a hill. After two weeks, we had not heard a word from BMW of Maui so I stopped by and talked to Rhonda, the service advisor, and asked the status. She told me that they hadn’t really had much of a chance to check the car out but they weren’t able to see any of the symptoms we were complaining about. She also stated that since we had a loaner car, we were on the bottom of the priority list since they service the customers who have dropped their cars off and don’t have a loaner vehicle. A week later she called to say that they couldn’t find anything wrong so we could come back to get the car. I asked if they had done the required service and she said they forgot so they would do it the next morning, then we could pick it up. When I went to pick the car up, it was absolutely filthy. There was so much brake dust on the wheels you couldn’t even tell what color they were. The outside was covered with dirt. I had washed the loaner vehicle twice in the three weeks we had it and didn’t drive nearly 300 miles. Above the left rear wheel, there was a fresh paint chip, about 1/8” in diameter, scraped off the fender. There is a scratch above the wheel opening on the opposite side at the same location. We had a crystal dolphin hanging by a chain from the rear view mirror. The chain was broken and the dolphin was lying on the console with not even an apology for damaging our personal property. There is also a fresh paint scratch above the door handle on the rear driver side door, probably from someone opening the door with a key in their hand. The car also had been driven almost 800 miles.

I’ve owned 24 vehicles since I started driving. I have never had so much trouble with any of the vehicles I’ve owned and I have never seen such an unprofessional way of conducting business as BMW of Maui.

We expected more out of BMW. The car is noisy, the doors are dangerous. The doors are spring loaded and can hit someone in the head if you don’t watch them. The vehicle has two cup holders. Only one is accessible unless you put the arm rest up. There is no storage in the console worth using. BMW’s slogan, the ultimate driving machine may be fine for people who can zip down the autobahn. The creature comforts, gas mileage, etc. are neglected. BMW doesn’t care about customer satisfaction. After “trashing” our car without so much as an apology, I assure you that BMW of Maui is not going to get any kind of a recommendation from us.

I have written to BMW USA via their web site in the past and my email has been ignored. It appears that the only service we can get from BMW of Maui is our car “trashed” and then ignored. BMW USA ignores our pleas. We have informed the many people we know of the problems with BMW of Maui, the next step is to make our feelings knows via the many web sites on the internet so that all who read will know that BMW definitely does not live up to its promises.
 
#14 ·
My new vehicle lease experience @ 21 1/2

I'm new to the forum but I'd share this with you guys... BMW NA did respond to my letter. The service center was very very pleasing to me and I have forgotten to write a letter of recognition or to compliment them on their outstanding service. BTW I am 21 years old

Here was my letter and experience.

September 23, 2005

XXXXX

XXXXBMW

XXXXXXXXBoulevard

XXXXXX, NY XXXXX


CC: XXXXXXXX, President and CEO of XXXXXX, NY based XXXXXGroup

XXXXX, XXXXXVice President of Sales and Marketing

Corporate Customer Relations Department

xXXXXX, General Manager of XXXXXBMW

XXXXXX, BMW New Vehicle Manager

XXXXXXX, BMW Business Manager
Dear XXXXXXXXX:

Your apology is appreciated. However I can not continue my relationship with XXXXXBMW or XXXXXXAuto Group. I came to you for a resolution to of an unsatisfactory detail of my new BMW 330Ci Convertible and was offered nothing.

My vehicle clearly shows the result of a poor detail job by a “professional.” I believe it was oversight that my 2005 Mystic Blue 330Ci Convertible was acceptable after the detail service. On the evening of 9/6 I did take delivery with excitement. On 9/8 I informed you of some questions and my concern about swirl marks; a hazy uneven shine on the vehicle apparent in daylight. I patiently waited for a response and in the meanwhile, on 9/17 offered photos for your review.

I politely asked for you to view the car in person, where, upon no response, on 9/20 I visited the BMW showroom. You personally saw and understood my concern about the detail job and noted that this haze occasionally happens. In my opinion this should never happen on a vehicle sale. You assured me that the professional did their best and suggested that XXXXmay be using a different kind of wax. We observed several new vehicles and I did not see these marks in any new vehicle in your new vehicle show room or lot. I offered reasonable courses of action that XXXXmay have taken such as re-detailing the vehicle. Your response was “what if the car looks exactly the same,” and “what if you (XXXXX) placed these marks on the car,” and “how are you (XXXX) assured that the car was re-detailed?” I felt insulted at the thought that you would suggest that I performed this wax job. We went back and forth on several topics such as the cost of re-detailing, the fact that there was nothing you can do, etc. My stance on the paint situation the entire time was that I wanted a best effort from XXXX to rectify the situation. I said even if the vehicle looked the same, at least I personally knew that there was an attempt at resolution and that XXXXX tried to meet my customer service and satisfaction needs. If the professional detailer saw this job himself, do you think that he would suggest this was his best and recommend himself to do business with another customer?

I did not appreciate your comments that “nothing can be done” or “I can’t do anything about it,” and especially that management did not want to offer any form of resolution to this problem. My perception of the last comment is that XXXX management is directing their advisors in a direction where quality, service, and satisfaction to the customer are not pivotal to the business.

I am a patient person. I believe things can get done through mutual understanding and respect. I offered you an opportunity to rectify and I’m sorry that we could not meet at a common ground.

This most recent experience is not about the poor detail job and I clearly noted that several times at our meeting that night. This is overall a matter about principle which I believe you understood and agreed with me that night. As a car dealer sales representative, you not only represent yourself, and XXXBMW, but the XXXXMotor Group and BMW North America.


If you read your website, it drips about service and satisfaction. The first paragraph reads:

“We believe in treating every customer as an individual, meeting the distinct needs of every new vehicle buyer. That means that we not only help our customers pick the right auto for their needs, but we follow up by continuing to deliver our exemplary service long after the sale. That's why our customers keep coming back to us.”

It is obvious this is a meaningless statement in my experience

I apologize, but I can not accept your personal attempt at resolution. I have no faith in your management to do the right thing. I have enclosed some of our correspondences for review. My friends and family that heard about the treatment I have received are appalled. Your company should carefully examine its commitment to its customers as they are the core of your business.


Sincerely,




XXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXBMW
4 messages


XXXXX Fri, Aug 26, 2005 at 5:59 PM
To: XXXXX@gmail.com
XXXX:

I am pleased to be able to finish everything with you on your 330 convertible. Please take this as a learning experience because not all car dealers treat people in the way you have been treated. I apologize for the way I spoke to you in a previous conversation, but I was put in a situation that I had never been presented with before and I did not know what to say. Anyway, with all that being said, let's put this behind us so you can get your new car and enjoy what is left of the summer. Here is the new information:

36 month lease/15k miles, taxes upfront
Monthly Payment: $XXXper month
Sales Tax: XXX
Bank Fee: $XXXX(went down from $XXX)
Tax on Bank Fee: $XXXX
Tire Tax: $XXX
Security Deposit: $XXX
NYS Inspection:

Total Due at Signing: $XXX
Residual: $XXXX

Very truly yours,

XXXX
Internet Sales Manager


XXXX@gmail.com> Fri, Aug 26, 2005 at 6:46 PM
To: "XXXX.com" <XX@XXX.dealerspace.com>
XXX,


I appreciate your time and patience.



The only changes from the original invoice is the negotiated final monthly lease payment and other costs (taxes and bank fee) that were affected. All other terms and conditions remain the same.



I have your word that this car will be in new and impeccable condition, professionally detailed and inspected prior to and up to my delivery. I assume that shall there be any physical/mechanical issues with this vehicle or were to be below my expectations, these issues would be rectified appropriately.





I authorize XXXXBMW to withdraw XXXXto cover the remainder of the due at signing costs from my credit card. Upon delivery there will be no other costs associated with this transaction unless they are involved with the "after sale department." I understand that this is non-refundable.





Truely Yours

XXXX
 
#15 ·
2/2

XXXX Thu, Sep 8, 2005 at 1:24 PM
Reply-To: XXX@gmail.com
To: "XXXX

Hey XXXX,


Thanks for offering a smooth and pleasant car delivery. A few questions for you.



Has BMW Assist been activated?

There are noticable swirl marks on the car. This is usually an indication of a poor wax job with a mechanical circulating device. Can we arrange this to be taken care of?

Is there an alarm installed on the vehicle?

Who can I turn to for all weather mats and how much are they?
Are these tires all season or summer?



I also think that a speaker is blown, but I'll keep listening to see if its vibration or if its really blown.



Thanks.


--
~XXX


XXXBMW
3 messages


XXXX Sun, Sep 11, 2005 at 5:30 PM
To: XX.XX@gmail.com
XX:

The BMW Assist will be activated tomorrow. The swirl marks I apologize for, the car should have been properly waxed before delivery and everything looked perfect when delivery was taken. Let me see what I can do to get you in to have the car waxed again. The tires are summer performance tires. The All weather mats can be bought from the parts department, I believe they cost about $XX. The Alarm system can be purchased for $XXincluding installation, it is an OEM factory alarm. The entire 3 series line do not come with alarm systems from the factory.
Very truly yours,

XXX




XXX@gmail.com> Mon, Sep 12, 2005 at 1:58 PM
Reply-To: XXX

Please let me know about the swirl marks. Every time I look at the car I get annoyed by it. (I notice them on other cars and say to myself how terrible it looks, I personally hand waxed my prior cars) I can take pictures for you if you'd like.


Its all over the car:

the hood

trunk

doors

fender flares.

I trust that every effort was made to make sure that the car was "perfect" upon delivery. I know that you are doing your best, so no big deal. This is minor and hopefully can be corrected.



Otherwise, I'm enjoying the car and continuing to be patient during the break in period. What's your opinion on it? Highway or city preferred? I went to DC over the weekend which put lots of miles on the car for me.



Wiper blades are probably something that's going to need to be replaced more often than once every 15k miles, so how does that maintenance work?



I didn't see a first aid kit... is that included? nice flashlight in the car btw...



Can you (or XXX) write an e-mail for my own peace of mind that the road hazard agreement is non-restrictive to the tire that on the vehicle; be it that it is the correct size but not necessarily purchased from Rallye or the original equipment? I'd like to have it in the event that the agreement will not be honored as I do plan on replacing these summer tires with more conventional high performance all-seasons some time in December. I'd like to forgo on the option of getting a road hazard agreement on those new all-seasons as it would be redundant in this event.



BTW, as great as having a navigation system for the essential of knowing where you are, I think that BMW can do a better job with it (I don't know but NavTeQ sp? is the supplier of the disks...similar to many other systems). I've seen other systems and this isn't what I'd expect from BMW. It has already guided me to 2 non-existent gas stations... an Exxon and Mobil station that was apparently across the streets from each other... right in the center of a residential neighborhood. The graphics are pretty outdated and the voice isn't smooth. I don't know what the 7 or new 3 nav looks like, but i suggest taking a look at Audi or Lexus if you did have a chance. The interface is nice, but input via touch screen would be best (the German's seem to think a knob is best... i disagree).



Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed your vacation. I'm enjoying driving my car so all is well here.

XXX

XXX

[Quoted text hidden]

--
XXX







xxBMW
2 messages


XXXMon, Sep 12, 2005 at 2:10 PM
To: XXX

I will definitely look into what can be done about the swirl marks, the detailers did their very best in terms of detailing the car for you. I will also look into the new tires with the road hazard agreement.
Very truly yours,
XXX


XXX@gmail.com> Thu, Sep 15, 2005 at 2:13 PM
Reply-XXX
XXX,


Is there any follow up in regards to the detailing of the car? I'll submit pictures to you this evening for your own review.
XXX
XXX



xxxBMW
2 messages


XX Thu, Sep 15, 2005 at 2:19 PM
To: XXX@gmail.com
XX:

I am still looking in to how I can have this resolved. If you are going to take pictures, please email them to me so I can see. Thanks for the follow-up, I haven't forgotten, but definitely thanks for reminding me. Anyway, I hope all else is well and I look forward to resolving this soon.
Very truly yours,
XXX






3 pictures for you
1 message


XXX@gmail.com> Sat, Sep 17, 2005 at 3:02 PM
Reply-To: XXX@gmail.com
To: "XXX.dealerspace.com" <XXX.dealerspace.com>

XXX,

Please find 3 email sized pictures of swirl marks on the hood.
Please pardon the dirt on the car, the weather lately hasnt been the
greatest.

These marks apear all over the car including the fender flares, doors,
trunk lid, side body.

You have been sent 3 pictures.


DSC08529.JPG
DSC08530.JPG
DSC08531.JPG

Total is 189K (38 seconds at 56k)
These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google.
Try it out here: http://www.picasa.com/



3 attachments — Download all attachments View all images



Swirl Marks
2 messages


XXXSat, Sep 17, 2005 at 4:06 PM
To: XX@gmail.com
XXX

I looked at the pictures and cannot find the "swirl marks" that you are speaking of. When the vehicle was delivered to you, it was not apparent to either of us that the vehicle has swirl marks. There really isn't anything that I can offer in terms of re-detailing the vehicle at no charge because it was detailed prior to delivery. Since there were no problems found at delivery of the vehicle I cannot guarantee that these "swirl marks" were present at that time or if they were done after the fact. I am sorry George but I cannot do anything on my end. If I can be of any assistance to you in terms of advice on where to go or what to do, I would be more than happy to help but I cannot offer anything in terms of a free detail on the car.
Very truly yours,

XXX


XXX@gmail.com> Sat, Sep 17, 2005 at 5:33 PM
Reply-XXX@gmail.com
To: "XXX.dealerspace.com" <XXX.dealerspace.com>

I left a message with the receptionist informing you that I was on my way. Please disregard that message. Its the weekend. I'll just stop by after work this week instead of doing it over the weekend.


What your going to read is probably going to sound obsessive, and meticulous to detail. I'm sure you see the type a lot working at BMW with "car enthusiasts," and their "ultimate driving machine."



I'd rather you personally see the vehicle before making an assessment on the vehicle via pictures. If not, I'd be very concerned with my entire overall experience at Rallye. "XXXsets the luxury standard by offering competitve prices, special incentives, and the best possible sales and service experience." This was a big step for me to leave Audi and pretty much go against what I've always said that AWD is really the only way to go.



The car is still in a flawless condition with no scratches or scrapes etc. I've always taken excellent care of my cars. I've personally owned 2 audis in the past.



For a description of the "swirl marks" they are aparent in all of the pictures.



They are the white curved lines in the first picture. They look like scrapes or someone "keyed" the car, instead they are the swirl marks on a smooth as glass surface.



The second image is a similar image with contrast/brightness tweaked to enhace the marks.



The last image shows the swirl marks the way me, you, or anyone would see them in person. They are not in your face or loud, instead subtle; only people who appreciate cars would probably notice them or if they were pointed out. The sun is at about 8 o'clock reflected below the BMW logo. The faint white lines above are swirl marks. My detailer friend says that the wax that the detailer used probably did not fully cure before removing with the rotary buffer.



Please review the pictures again and accept my invitation to view them in person.



Thanks

XXX




XX
1 message


XX@XX.dealerspace.com <XX@XX.dealerspace.com> Tue, Sep 20, 2005 at 9:05 PM
To: XX.XX@gmail.com
XX:

Let me start by apologizing for the way things went tonite, I definitely did not feel comfortable with the way we left things. I took my frustration out on you when it should be directed towards an upper management person. I am frustrated because the "dealership" won't let me offer anything to make this situation go away. I know that it will cost $150 to make everything go away and be done and solved. My hands are tied in this situation, I do not have the power or authority to offer a free detail or wax of some sort. What I can offer is for you to bring the car down on a Saturday so I can have one of my valet's hand wax the vehicle so that it will look right.

I hope that what I can offer you is satisfying. I do not like leaving on a bad note with anyone and like I said, I feel terrible about the way things occurred tonite. Let me offer my sincere apology and a future attempt at rectifying this situation. I hope you understand and this does not tarnish anything between you and me. I really am sorry about directing my frustration at you. I hope to hear from you soon.
Very truly yours,

XXX
 
#17 ·
I cannot comment on any of the cases above but I can offer my experience of an official dealer in London who I went to visit looking to buy a 3 series and trade in my Saab convertible. I was looking for a 325 or 330 sport Saloon, was looking to trade in a 1 year old Saab convertible and I believe had a more than reasonable and flexible budget to achieve this. I test drove a couple of cars, the dealer looked at my Saab and promised to call me back.

I waited a week then called him. Too busy to talk to me at that time which was fair enough. I left a message. 2 more days and I called back again. Again too busy. Again no call back. I didn't bother to call again and he never bothered to call me back.

Fortunately for me I found a mint 325 in exactly the spec I wanted in a small local and independant dealer a week or so later and did a great deal.

I was a little suprised at the total lack of interest from the main dealer however. I guess they just don't need my business. BMWs sell themselves etc.
 
#18 ·
Dsnow. You will always hear some sort of problems with any car
or dealership. My 2000 328i is the best car I've ever owned in
quality, fit, finish, suspension, ride etc. This Bimmer is my toy
dream car for you see, I work for General Motors and this is the
first car purchased that was not GM. You want stories about GM
problems and dealership stupidity, I'd be writing all day long. Your
car is under warranty so just try to get your issues solved by
bringing the car back and letting them know it's bothering you.
 
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