[Discodancingrover]

So my story pretty much has to do with the BMW Store in Cincinnati, OH and a problem I have had with my car and what seems to me as a lack of putting the customer first. But I'm wondering if you all think I am wrong with my opinion.

Pretty much since I got my car in December the steering wheel had been off center. So I waited until January (when I turned 21 so I could get a loaner car) and called the dealer to set up an appointment to fix the off center steering wheel. So I do and the guy at the BMW store tells me BMW won't cover an alignment because it had more than 1500 miles. I explain why I waited so long, no one told me about that when I got it, etc and he still said BMW wouldn't pay for it. So I was sorta mad, call the dealership I bought the car from and they told me they would do it for free but I had to drive about an hour away to get it done. The BMW store messes up and orders a wrong part for my car, so since it took them 2 more days to finish the car they said they would align the car as something for a new customer. I was dumb and didn't check to make sure the steering wheel was fixed. I noticed 2 weeks ago that the problem wasn't fixed. I was going home for spring break so I though I would take it into the dealership in Indianapolis because I knew I would be taken care of because the service guy there, I've dealt with for 5 years when he was at Land Rover. Well so he tells me BMW won't pay for it, I explain the whole story to him. So he calls the guy I deal with at the BMW store to talk so I could get the car fixed. The guy at BMW store didn't want to even deal with him and was actually rude, and gave the phone to the service manager at the BMW store. A bunch of phone calls later the service manager says that if I want the work done in Indy I would have to pay for it, but if I came and had it done there I wouldn't have to pay for it.

So now I have to go make an appointment, bring my car in, and deal with all that hassle. It seems odd that the dealership tries to say how the put the customer first and are nice to you and such, but with other dealers they are rude.

Am I wrong to think that the BMW store would want to help me and just have the other dealership work on the car and create less hassle for me. Or do you really think that I should have to bring it back to the BMW store to do the work? I just have my opinion, but what do you all think? I was thinking about writing a letter to the guy at the BMW store about this experience, but I wanted some other people's opinion who have dealt with BMW service and such before.

Thanks for your feedback

[deutschmann59]

Just one question--what is "the BMW store"?

Did you get a telephone survey from BMW right after you brought the car into service? All dealers have to submit the service information so BMW can call you directly and ask you how things went.

In Scranton, they actually drilled it into me about how important the survey was. Just one rating below a 5 would mean they fail...kind of a dumb system, but that's another story

My advice, schedule the appointment again, then when BMW calls you with the survey again about your recent service visit, give them all bad ratings (which, incidentally would be anything 4 and under). Then, if you're still mad, write a letter to BMW NA.

[Discodancingrover]

Originally Posted by sharp1183

Just one question--what is "the BMW store"?

Sorry, the BMW Store is the name of the dealership in cincinnati that is near me. There is another dealership in cincinnati, but it's about 25 miles away from me.

[deutschmann59]

Originally Posted by Discodancingrover

Sorry, the BMW Store is the name of the dealership in cincinnati that is near me. There is another dealership in cincinnati, but it's about 25 miles away from me.

Oh, ha ha ha!!! I thought it was like some store at the mall you'd go to by like BMW accessories or something, and they've got a garage around the back you just pull your car into for repairs...

Sorry, I really am a blockhead!

Yeah, actually I think the best weapon BMW has given us is that survey. Of course, that can do a lot of harm to a specific dealer, so grade using discretion. But if they really did wrong you, that's what the system is in place for. Good luck!

[Discodancingrover]

Originally Posted by sharp1183

Yeah, actually I think the best weapon BMW has given us is that survey. Of course, that can do a lot of harm to a specific dealer, so grade using discretion. But if they really did wrong you, that's what the system is in place for. Good luck!

But I'm curious if other members think I was wronged or I'm just being unreasonable which also may be the case.

[deutschmann59]

Well, since you're looking for opinions, I'd say no...you aren't being unreasonable. I don't know how far you'd get, but why don't you try calling BMW NA (I'm sure they've got a 1800 number you can call to ask questions or file complaints with). Tell them your story about BMW Store and how the problem wasn't fixed the first time, and also tell them that the person was rude to you.

Also, ask about the 1500 miles thing. Was this alignment issue a result of you hitting a pothole or something, or did you notice it the first day you had the car? If the answer is yes to the latter, then the issue should be under warranty.

[Discodancingrover]

Originally Posted by sharp1183

Well, since you're looking for opinions, I'd say no...you aren't being unreasonable. I don't know how far you'd get, but why don't you try calling BMW NA (I'm sure they've got a 1800 number you can call to ask questions or file complaints with). Tell them your story about BMW Store and how the problem wasn't fixed the first time, and also tell them that the person was rude to you.

Also, ask about the 1500 miles thing. Was this alignment issue a result of you hitting a pothole or something, or did you notice it the first day you had the car? If the answer is yes to the latter, then the issue should be under warranty.

They weren't rude to me, they were to the service advisor who called the bmw store. I did tell them that I had it since new. My front and rear were both out of whack and there was no damage to the car. If I could have thrown the alignment out in 3 weeks both front and rear and have no damage to the car at all that is pretty amazing in my opinion.

[wantmye90]

I for one can understand your frustration, but you as a consumer have to understand that if you expect to be taken care of, you HAVE to allow the people who you bought the car from to help you.

Now I am the first guy to jump up and down in a dealership until they make me happy, but there's no way the dealership can assume responsibility for your not knowing that alignments aren't covered beyond 1500 miles. How could they have known THAT would be the one in 10,000 things that could've gone wrong? Typically, when you notice something wrong with a brand new car, you immediately bring it to the dealership's attention. In this case, you didn't read your warranty manual nor did you notify the dealership in a timely manner of your problem. Secondly, you should have dealt with your original dealership with whom you bought the car from. Once not covered by BMW, your only friend is who you bought the car from.

Now in your defense, they should have gotten the repair right in the first place and should do something to reciprocate for your hardship. But I don't believe there's any dealership in the land that will part with money to another dealership to have them cover your repair. The dealership you bought the car from was willing to eat the repair themselves since you were beyond 1500 miles. Let them follow through and next time check the repair before you leave the lot.

Best of luck next time. And try to build a good relationship with your dealership. It'll come in handy.

[Discodancingrover]

I suppose I should specify that the original dealership would cover it, but it took my father a bit of time and using his twisted logic to get the guy to agree to pay for it. I guess I didn't think about calling when I had a problem. Even if I had them fix it I would have to way to get home and if it took an extra day I would have to stay in the other city.

The dealer in Indianapolis who I worked with was amazed with the BMW store. He said he had never had a problem with a dealership like that who was unwilling to work with him.

I guess I may just be bothered that when I had a problem where a door wouldn't open and they fixed that the tech didn't even put the door back correctly and my window wouldn't even go down. And they said they had checked all my fluids including the washer fluid and topped them off, well they didn't fill the washer. However I realized all of this after the BMW people had called me.

[england1987]

I would tell them that you felt like you weren't treated appropriately. That a BMW dealer is a BMW service center that should service BMW's, regardless of there origin. I thought that BMW reimburses the dealership for repair work done on a vehicle. Whether it was bought there or not. its all