New trend in BMW service?

All -

Need your help! You will not believe this Allision / Mtn View BMW service visit.

Bottom line -
kept my car over a week for inspection I service
completely rude service advisor when I called to find out where's my car
two un-returned calls to service manager asking for explanation
they left rollerblades in the trunk of my car
and put over 80 miles on it....!!!!

Who should I call?

The facts -
Friday: took in my 2000 3 series for inspection I service. Bought my car
at this dealer 5 years ago and had it serviced there ever since. Being early for
my appt, the advisor told me I was 'taking up someone else's 10 minutes' and he'd
have to rush me through (off to a bad start). Can't finish friday - so bring back the
enterprise rent-a-car and trade for BMW loaner for weekend.

Next Tues pm - I call to check on my car. Service tech tells me the leaking window
problem won't be covered by BMW unless I can prove they've worked on the windows.
They had and I ask him to check my record on the computer. Finds nothing. I ask for car
by Thurs pm - going out of town.

Thurs pm - call advisor multiple times - no call back. Finally call front desk on my way
to get my car. Girl tells me car is not ready. Fine - I agree to pick it up the following
Monday pm when I'm back in town.

Monday pm - multiple calls to advisor to confirm car ready - no call back. Call front desk
on my way to pick up car - girl says not ready. Leave advisor another message - where
is my car? Finally hear from advisor - as I'm asking what is the problem - tells me there
is "someone on hold and someone else at my desk". I don't care about that. Where is
my car? Tells me Tues by 4:30 and he'll call to tell me final price. Advisor again states
that leaking window won't be covered unless I can prove they worked on it. I call servive
manager, ask him to call me back and I want my car.

Tues am - I dig out my records and call advisor with service invoice number showing they
worked on my windows. Why couldn't he find that in his computer? Advisor again starts
the conversation with "I'm really busy right now but if you make it quick....".

Tues pm - I go to pick up my car. Before I leave, I check the trunk and find two pairs
of roller blades. I don't own any roller blades. I check the mileage from the invoice
when I brought it in and compare it sitting there in the parking lot - 83 miles added...

I am not making this up..... Who can I call about this?

Originally Posted by conrad

All -

Need your help! You will not believe this Allision / Mtn View BMW service visit.

I am not making this up..... Who can I call about this?

Who was your service advisor?

Rex

Originally Posted by Rex Tener

Who was your service advisor?

Rex

His name is Mike Kyle. Rudest guy I've ever dealt with there.

I would call the owner/manager of the dealership and express your complaints/concerns in a professional manner. I would also have them explain the additional mileage logged on your vehicle and how the roller blades ended up in your trunk.

That's unbelievable! I'd love to hear/see the Service manager's reaction when you tell him about the extra miles and show him the rollerblades. Seriously, I would raise hell about this. The next time you come in for a major service, they should be footing the bill for you.

Originally Posted by Menscha

I would call the owner/manager of the dealership and express your complaints/concerns in a professional manner. I would also have them explain the additional mileage logged on your vehicle and how the roller blades ended up in your trunk.

I have to agree, you are going to have to talk to the service manager. The service writers have very little control over how the back shop works, which I have a feeling is who held your car hostage.

In 1999 I had car sit for three weeks in Allison's shop for a vanos replacement under warranty, what a nightmare. However, one of the guys that races cars in the same class as me is a service writer there, so I get A+ service everytime now.

Rex

Rex - I did finally speak with the service mgr. He apologized and said the blades were an honest mistake.

I did call and make a formal complaint to BMW NA - but I don't think it did any good. I asked, but they wouldn't reimburse me for the service visit. I told them it wasn't worth
$0.25 for the headache it caused me. He did say sorry about that.

You know - it's possible it was all an honest mistake (the blades + miles) - but the extremely rude SA, no call backs from the SA or the svc mgr with explanations and then finding blades + miles - sent me over the edge. I will not go back there, I will recommend others to not go there and I will use a local small non-dealer bmw shop. That and the
fact that in 3 days over 1,000 folks have read my posts on this subject will let me close
the books on this one....

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Rex Tener

I have to agree, you are going to have to talk to the service manager. The service writers have very little control over how the back shop works, which I have a feeling is who held your car hostage.

In 1999 I had car sit for three weeks in Allison's shop for a vanos replacement under warranty, what a nightmare. However, one of the guys that races cars in the same class as me is a service writer there, so I get A+ service everytime now.

Rex

Originally Posted by conrad

You know - it's possible it was all an honest mistake (the blades + miles)
Good luck!

I'm sorry. How is that possibly an honest mistake? They honestly and mistakenly took you car for the weekend to go rollerblading? I'd love to hear any honest reason you can come up with.

If you're still upset about this, write a letter to BMWNA through the BMW Owners Circle. It may not do anything for you personally, but by all means the dealer's management is going to hear about it. If you want to throw a little icing on the cake, fax a copy of the letter to the dealer.

You'll hear back, I promise.

Originally Posted by conrad

... He apologized and said the blades were an honest mistake...

I'm sorry but I've got to second Blax's comment. The statement "honest mistake" has absolutely no place in the conversation. Period. For the service manager to even say that would be an insult. I would really love to hear him explain precisely in what situation that would apply.

Originally Posted by Scotes

I'm sorry but I've got to second Blax's comment. The statement "honest mistake" has absolutely no place in the conversation. Period. For the service manager to even say that would be an insult. I would really love to hear him explain precisely in what situation that would apply.

Originally Posted by Blax

I'm sorry. How is that possibly an honest mistake? They honestly and mistakenly took you car for the weekend to go rollerblading? I'd love to hear any honest reason you can come up with.

I was going to say. This is becoming a jucy story. What does he mean by "honest mistake?" Someone took the car out for a spin, then rollerbladed, sat in the leather seat with all of his BO. Drove back to the shop and left them in the trunk. Honest mistake, the guy forgot to get them out. He should have taken them out.

Lets Say You Walk In To The General Managers Office While He's Away.. You Prop Your Feet Up On His Desk, Light Up One His Favorite Cigars And Find That Bottle Of Wine In The Bottom Drawer His Wife Gave Him From Their Recent 2nd Honeymoon. You Uncork The Wine And Spill A Little On The White Wool Carpeting, You Burn A Hole In His Tufted Leather Chair He Recently Won At A Pebble Beach Golf Tournament And Scuff The Cherrywood Desk..suddenly The General Manager Walks In With Your 760li Revised Price Quote And You Exclaim..sorry This Was All A Honest Mistake And Keep The Car..i Hope This Wasn't A Inconvenience To You..good Day !!???

Over the many years of ownership of 2 BMWs and 1 MBenz, I've calculated the real cost of ownership (including gas, depreciation, insurance, tires, and maintenance) to be $0.50/mile.
The 80 miles they put on your car is equivalent to $40.
A pair of rollerblades costs from $50 (Walmart type) to $500 (pro type). Hope you didn't return them. It's not worth your time to argue with those a-holes.