Hi - just wonder what you people think about my situation. I bought a new Z4 in March - it is fantastic and I feel it does ooze quality but I feel the dealership does not live up to the same standards!
I apologise in advance for how lengthy this is...
I bought the showroom model Z4 and the first problem with the dealer was that the hood mechanism covers (that cover the workings of the hood when it is down) were not in the car after we collected it - when I asked for these I was told they were just for showroom use - though I was never told they would remove these - as far as I was concerned I bought the car i had seen and done the deal on and everything should have been on it I had thought I'd bought - anyway - it was like tough. Also I had no handbook / manual - this was never sorted so I bought one off Ebay! The sales man I had bought off had left and it was like no one wanted to know.
Then my bluetooth stopped working with 2 Sony Ericsson T610's paired on it - I called to book it in and was told it would take 3 weeks to be seen and was told I would have to pay £10 for a courtesy car - I was taken aback as I'd owned a Renault before and was always given a courtesy car free of charge - even if the work was not their fault! On the way to drop the car off one of the phones seemed to start working again so I told them when I got there and they looked at the phones (not the car) and although I think they weren't entirely sure I was told it was one of the phones it was paired with was on the wrong version of software so not to use it and use the other instead! A few weeks later it stopped working again so I unpaired the 'usable phone' and re-paired the 'unusable phone' and it is now working ok again - I am just leaving it be with the 'meant to be unusable phone' now as I cannot be doing with the hassle of waiting again - I am sure they aren't clued up on Bluetooth anyway from last time.
I then lightly scuffed the front bumber on a curb (bad driving I know but they are low and that bonnet so long!!!) so I took it in for a quote - the scuff was light and about 6 inches by 2 inches - no structure damage/denting or cracks - just needed perhaps sanding/filler wiping over it and respraying. They quoted £413 - I nearly fainted but was told they had to take off the front bumber completely and do the whole thing - I asked if the few stone chips would be done and they said yes so on the basis of this I booked it in. The car is under 6 months old - cost nearly £30,000 and I felt it should be repaired professionally as much as I could not really afford it I agreed and booked it in. On collecting it I was not really happy - 2 of the stone chips had not had any filler rubbed on them so were just dents painted over and still clearly as noticeable, there is a small scratch in the fog light indent where they must have caught it with a screwdriver or something putting it back together, on the corner of the bumper by the headlight the paint seemed to have been sprayed too thick and looks puckered under the laquer, there if a fluff/hair particle under the lacquer just by this and another spec of dirt/dust under the other headlight in the paint which you can see and feel quite visibly. I called and said we weren't happy and took it back to be looked at last night and they seemed to fob me off - he said they seem to have forgotten to run filler over the 2 chips I pointed out, said he could guarantee 100% not to have hair/dust particles left in the paint and thought the puckered looking paint was acceptable. When I asked if I could t-cut the hair dust particles out myself he said no it would ruin the lacquer / paint layer finish.
I'm still not happy and am thinking of complaining higher up at the dealer - what do you think? Am I expecting too much? I know if it was my work I would not have been happy with it - I expected a certain standard off BMW and don't personally feel I have got this.
Can anyone recommend what I could do next - other than buy elsewhere in future?
Sorry this post is so long and I appreciate it if you have read this far!!!
I read your post, and I am really sorry that you are going through all the trouble. One possible problem with all this is that you are a female... dealers often think 'oh a woman, she won't know or notice' and then try to make extra money or screw something up.
The only thing I can think of is www.bmw.co.uk . Under 'Contact BMW' on the bottom there are some phone numbers... try contacting BMW of UK and try to get them to speak to the dealer about your problems. In USA, it usually works, and they get the problem solved... unless it's a independent dealer in which case you just have to take all their crap.
Thanks for posting Torque - yes I think you may be right about being female and a bit of a push over too! I can't be confrontational to save my life - but thanks so much for the advice - I will drop them an email.
My dad was going to call - but I asked him not to - that would be just embaressing!
Will let you know what they say (if I ever hear back!). ghead
That has gotta be the suckiest dealership ever. I've worked for a luxury car franchise (not BMW) and if any customer had been treated the way you appear to have been, sum1 would have had their ass kicked, hard. 1stly the salesman for not completing the sale re' your missing vehicle handbooks, and even tho he'd left it then falls on the sales manager to make sure ur dealt with, 2ndly the person who did the fobbin off ref your paint repair and 3rdly the person who painted it for messing it up... If sum1 cant carry out a repair correctly and to a high standard, then they have no place working on £30,000.00 worth of BMW.
You can do 1 or both of the following, make a formal complaint to the general manager of the dealership and try and get all your problems resolved that way. Or, if u really want to take it further, speak to someone at consumer affairs about making a complaint against the dealership and see if there's anything they can do to help get it resolved...
Generally, as i've experienced with BMW dealers around here.
They treat you like SHIT if your not driving a BRAND new m3.
Good luck on calling BMW about that, just stick to your points..they will probably get your car fixed properly
And as for your front spoiler.... http://www.bavauto.com, do a search for Z4 Spoiler guard, it fits over the bottom of the front spoiler and protects it from the ground/curbs/bumps. its 99 bucks
__________________ <iframe src="http://gamercard.xbox.com/TiddlyPlatypus.card" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" height="140" width="204">Put your gamertag here too.</iframe>
You should always inspect the work done to your car (especially if it's exterior) before paying for it. Then you can refuse it before they get your money.
BMW=bring money withya
My dealer is sucky also. Always leaving grease marks on my light grey interior and scratches.
yes check it out before you leave.
I got my car back from a body shop. my door was repainted. there is a slight build up of paint under the rubber impact strip/molding. I found it when i was washing the car. I wasn't the one who picked it up so I couldnt check it when i got it. I'm also pretty sure I'm gonna be the only one who is gonna get that low to notice for a while. and if i get the mtek molding problem should be hidden...
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ghead 
Linear Mode
