Dealer servicing.
Discussion
Just thought I would share the fact that I visited my local dealer today for a service.
Very impressed with everything really. Not too expensive, smashing danish pastries, lots of nice fillies (which my son noticed
not me of course), and a service chappy that told me that I would have a 20% reduced rate as my car was over 4yrs old.
Very painless experience especially when compared with the debacle at another manufaturers service department prior to this car....
Very impressed with everything really. Not too expensive, smashing danish pastries, lots of nice fillies (which my son noticed
not me of course), and a service chappy that told me that I would have a 20% reduced rate as my car was over 4yrs old. Very painless experience especially when compared with the debacle at another manufaturers service department prior to this car....
. 
. Hello Harry,
Not too bad at all really, mind you it was an oil service.
£147 all in. I also had a long chat with the mechanic who talked me through a thorough inspection of the car, highlighting a clonk which had eluded me. (anti roll bar thingy). I don't think he had intended a nosy owner but was more than happy to spend a good 20 mins with me. If I bored him senseless, he didn't show it.
The discount was due to the fact the car is over 4 yrs.
£68 of the service was oil
No, fair do's credit where it is due.
I was even asked if I would like a 'go' in the new 5 series. I didn't take a test drive as hell is likely to freeze over before I can afford a new one.
There was a lovely (sold) 530d with the Mtec sports kit on it in black, looked fantastic.
>> Edited by silverback mike on Monday 25th October 18:02
Not too bad at all really, mind you it was an oil service.
£147 all in. I also had a long chat with the mechanic who talked me through a thorough inspection of the car, highlighting a clonk which had eluded me. (anti roll bar thingy). I don't think he had intended a nosy owner but was more than happy to spend a good 20 mins with me. If I bored him senseless, he didn't show it.
The discount was due to the fact the car is over 4 yrs.
£68 of the service was oil
No, fair do's credit where it is due.
I was even asked if I would like a 'go' in the new 5 series. I didn't take a test drive as hell is likely to freeze over before I can afford a new one.
There was a lovely (sold) 530d with the Mtec sports kit on it in black, looked fantastic.
>> Edited by silverback mike on Monday 25th October 18:02
Yep, 4plus is great, (especially when the dealer charges reasonable prices to start with) Big 
to Robert Stern in Evesham Worcestershire, been looking after my fathers BMW's for over the last 12yrs (tottie is also normally excellent... think its written in BMW dealer standards! 
...... care to comments Scoobs? LOL)
to Robert Stern in Evesham Worcestershire, been looking after my fathers BMW's for over the last 12yrs (tottie is also normally excellent... think its written in BMW dealer standards! ...... care to comments Scoobs? LOL)The totty here is minging... Born on top of ugly mountain, rolled down ugly hill, landed in ugly forest, fell through the ugly tree hitting every ugly branch on the way down, landed in ugly ditch, climbed out on to ugly road and was hit by an ugly truck...
But generally the girls are nice in the network.
But generally the girls are nice in the network.
ScoobyZoom said:
The totty here is minging... Born on top of ugly mountain, rolled down ugly hill, landed in ugly forest, fell through the ugly tree hitting every ugly branch on the way down, landed in ugly ditch, climbed out on to ugly road and was hit by an ugly truck...
But generally the girls are nice in the network.
This post maybe used in evidence against you!
.... suppose you have to get what you can in Warley mungo said:
523.....Moved on a bit since the 328!!!
Via an alfa sportwagon and a golf turbo.
You need to update your car list then mate
Good point. I'll do that.
Scooby - get yourself down to brizzle. Top totty. (Maybe a bit of straw here and there, but not to worry
)You can't knock it. I recently paid £94 for an oil service on my 528 under the fourplus scheme. I think the plus means, plus all the frothy coffee and biscuits you can consume.
It also pays to phone around, I got quoted twice the amount from another local dealer.
My sincere thanks to all the BMW owners who pay full wack for everything and subsidise my BM motoring.
pp
It also pays to phone around, I got quoted twice the amount from another local dealer.
My sincere thanks to all the BMW owners who pay full wack for everything and subsidise my BM motoring.
pp
I’m a bit disillusioned with my local main dealer, so will put the opposite argument. They have so far never fixed a fault first time or supplied the correct spare part first time. Next week they are having the Fifth attempt at making the rain sensor work on my warranty 530d. You never seem to see the same person twice and have to explain the whole sordid story of each problem, at each visit. Prior to getting the 5 series I used a local independent service agent, and still use him for all the company fleet. I am not impressed at all by an expensively furnished, coffee machine equipped reception area staffed by a gaggle of “service advisors” who don’t return you calls. The independent has a shabby reception, where you are greeted by grumpy mechanic. Experience indicates that the grumpy grubby mechanic is far more interested in having a happy customer than a row of suited “advisors”. Horses for courses I suppose, but I don’t take the car to the dealer have my ego boosted I go ( in this case) to have my rather troublesome German car fixed, or not as the case may be.
steve-v8s,
I posted because my experience is atypical. The experience you have described is very common.
I personally opted to get of the lease/pcp treadmill. I bought my BMW second hand for cash. I keep it under the extended warranty and maintain the BMWSH. The reason that I am pleased with myself is that by doing jobs myself (brakes and discs) I save a small fortune. I'm pretty handy with a spanner and sometimes actually enjoy doing the work.
I don't go to a dealer to get my ego massaged, if I wanted to do that I would lease a new car every couple of years instead of driving a 98. I do enjoy the experience immensely beacause I sit there and can feel self satisfied as I watch the other punters shell out £500 to £600 and look aggrieved, whilst i got top notch service for £94.
pp
I posted because my experience is atypical. The experience you have described is very common.
I personally opted to get of the lease/pcp treadmill. I bought my BMW second hand for cash. I keep it under the extended warranty and maintain the BMWSH. The reason that I am pleased with myself is that by doing jobs myself (brakes and discs) I save a small fortune. I'm pretty handy with a spanner and sometimes actually enjoy doing the work.
I don't go to a dealer to get my ego massaged, if I wanted to do that I would lease a new car every couple of years instead of driving a 98. I do enjoy the experience immensely beacause I sit there and can feel self satisfied as I watch the other punters shell out £500 to £600 and look aggrieved, whilst i got top notch service for £94.
pp
OK, I see I may have missed the point slightly, but was pleased to vent my disillusionment. I also bought my 530 cash, and fairly soon have to decide if the 600 odd quid for the extra year warranty ( insurance ) is worth the money. Problem is the main dealer simply can’t seem to fix faults, they have the car for eight hours, and give it back still broken “ have to order another part sir” I get a lot of visits to an independent for 600 quid.
Steve,
I see your point also. And typically I use independent specialists and have ranged from Steve Bull when I had the porsche to Gloucester BMW specialists and Clayton cars in Bristol.
As you say, grumpy mechanics but excellent work carried out.
This is why I was so surprised with my dealer. Not far off specialists pricing, and quite honestly excellent service. Yes, coffee and doughnuts are in attendance, and why not have one.
I didn't massage my ego, I went to a dealer to see what they were like, and was very impressed.
I guess dealers differ, as do 'specialists'.
>> Edited by silverback mike on Tuesday 26th October 11:15
I see your point also. And typically I use independent specialists and have ranged from Steve Bull when I had the porsche to Gloucester BMW specialists and Clayton cars in Bristol.
As you say, grumpy mechanics but excellent work carried out.
This is why I was so surprised with my dealer. Not far off specialists pricing, and quite honestly excellent service. Yes, coffee and doughnuts are in attendance, and why not have one.
I didn't massage my ego, I went to a dealer to see what they were like, and was very impressed.
I guess dealers differ, as do 'specialists'.
>> Edited by silverback mike on Tuesday 26th October 11:15
steve-v8s said:
OK, I see I may have missed the point slightly, but was pleased to vent my disillusionment. I also bought my 530 cash, and fairly soon have to decide if the 600 odd quid for the extra year warranty ( insurance ) is worth the money. Problem is the main dealer simply can’t seem to fix faults, they have the car for eight hours, and give it back still broken “ have to order another part sir” I get a lot of visits to an independent for 600 quid.
Steve-v8s,
try another dealer if you're not getting the service that you should. They're not all the same.
On the subject of the warranty, I would highly recommend it, it's very comprehensive and even covers battery and exhaust as well as including BMW Eurpean breakdown cover. I take your point about £600 buying you a lot of indpendant's time. Conversely, it's not hard to rack up a £600 bill for "odds and sods" at a BMW dealer.
Having owned many BMWs in the past. Well, leased and owned, new and secondhand etc. My advice would be to extend the warranty, have the service and warranty work done at a BMW dealer in order to keep your book stamped, but either do other jobs yourself or go to an independent. If you've got the BMW warranty, other jobs normally just means brake pads and discs.
pp
Coxy the bear said:
If you ever go to Bellsway, tell him Ian from bm3w sent you and he'll look after you.
Sorry,but I hate all this "mention my name " bollogs.
All the customers should get equally high levels of treatment.
Seriously suggest anyone getting poor treatment from a dealer at $$$/hour should contact BMW GB, and give some "feedback"
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