[icedragon]

When I picked up the car from the dealer today, I found two dents and paint chips on the front of the hood! I was furious! :mad:

My dealer told me me not to worry and that they would fix it. But all they did was just put 2 blobs of touch-up paint on it. I was even more furious! Did he think I was blind? :mad:

After much arguing and waiting, he agreed to take the hood to a body shop to be repainted. Well, actually, they're just going to remove the entire clearcoat, spray the damaged area, then spray the hood with a new clearcoat layer.

All in all, I was very disappointed with the service. It's funny how when things are well, most dealers are ok. But when things go bad, that when's some dealers show their true colours.

So now I have to wait for 3 days. And on top of that, they didn't even give me a loaner car! Honestly, if they don't do something extra soon, they will be seeing big donuts on the BMW customer survey.

[LEDZEP]

Damn. Sorry to hear about that. Perhaps if their building were to catch fire... oops... and all the exits blocked too, darn what a shame.

[northerncalguy]

Originally Posted by icedragon

Honestly, if they don't do something extra soon, they will be seeing big donuts on the BMW customer survey.

The only way those chumps will learn is to get them where it hurts. Seriously, sometimes I think they create disasters so that then can gracefully regain your confidence. In this case, it's just non-sense that you had to argue to get your hood repainted. F* them and give them ones across the board.

[Compos Mentis]

I dread taking a car to be worked on. Just thinking about some yahoo going for a joyride before pulling into the repair bay...

[becks]

icedragon:

which dealer did you go to?
I am also in Toronto..
FYI - I've taken my car to Town & Country BMW once and wasn't thrilled with the service I got....The service advisor I dealt was very rude and didn't seem to care whatsoever.

If i get a BMW survey, they will sure hear about it.....

Anyways, my advise is make sure you complain hard enough so that you get what you want in the end....

Good luck..

[xyz123]

Originally Posted by icedragon

When I picked up the car from the dealer today, I found two dents and paint chips on the front of the hood! I was furious! :mad:

My dealer told me me not to worry and that they would fix it. But all they did was just put 2 blobs of touch-up paint on it. I was even more furious! Did he think I was blind? :mad:

After much arguing and waiting, he agreed to take the hood to a body shop to be repainted. Well, actually, they're just going to remove the entire clearcoat, spray the damaged area, then spray the hood with a new clearcoat layer.

All in all, I was very disappointed with the service. It's funny how when things are well, most dealers are ok. But when things go bad, that when's some dealers show their true colours.

So now I have to wait for 3 days. And on top of that, they didn't even give me a loaner car! Honestly, if they don't do something extra soon, they will be seeing big donuts on the BMW customer survey.

If you have a significant problem with the dealership that is not resolved to your satisfaction, you could consider calling BMW Canada Customer Service about it and following up with a letter describing your problem and how you tried to resolve it with the dealership. You should first try to settle it with the dealership and only do this if you do not receive satisfaction. I have only had to do this once in 33 years of owning a BMW but the dealership jumped through hoops to fix me up once BMW Canada got on the case. Note that in Canada, service is not a BMW Canada responsibility, it is the dealership's, but BMW Canada swings a lot of weight because they can take away a dealership if they are not happy with the dealer. I didn't know it at the time, more than 25 years ago, but that dealership was the one dealership out of 5 in the Toronto area that was known and avoided by people in the know. Incredible as it may seem, it is still in business today under the same ownership and have the same reputation. They must somehow find enough new suckers to post good sales volumes every year for them to keep the dealership; I can't think of any other explanation. I have heard on occasion that they were about to lose their dealership but they seem to have nine lives.

[longtran]

wow, sorry to hear about this. i had a problem with paint too. i found a flaw 3 months later. they gave me a bmw rental (x3) and fixed the problem in one day. looks fine now.

[duddym]

Not that I live in Toronto or anything, but I think you should post the name of the dealer for others to see.

Call me vindictive, but they need to pay for their incompetence......perhaps losing a few potential customers will teach them a lesson or two.

[icedragon]

LEDZEP, northerncalguy: Thanks for the sympathies.

Compos Mentis: You're right! I didn't think about that! Wish I could've driven it to the body shop myself. But I couldn't stay at the dealership any longer. I had plans for the day.

becks: I actually live quite close to Town and Country BMW. I didn't go there because they didn't offer me a good deal. As well, a lot of moderately-rich Asians live in that area. As a result, they get a lot of business and don't really care about their customers. When I first went there, I saw a couple had purchased a new bimmer. They were arguing with the service manager as to why the side of their car was dented. Ouch.
So I went to Parkview BMW, only to get 2 paint chips, which are down to the metal! Well, I'm giving the dealer a chance to fix things. At the moment, my car is in the body shop. We'll see how things go.

xyz123: Thanks for the number. Should the dealer not resolve things, I will give BMW Canada a call.

everyone else. Thanks!

[Atty]

please do not accept anything less than a perfect repair. If it comes back looking like that guy's exhaust, give it back to them and make them understand it has to be done right.

Good luck.

[4nroots]

hey icedragon

sorry to hear about your experience. when we bought our 2003 325i, we made the purchase at town and country. we dealt with a young, dynamic saleslady who was rock solid. we also got a great deal (4% or 5%, can't remember). this saleslady was fired a few months after our purchase (for not meeting quota) unfortunately. my in-laws picked up a 3 the next year, but we could only get 3% from the salesman we dealt with. when i was in the process of buying the E90, we tried to give town and country our business, but they wouldn't take a dollar off MSRP. I think town and country, like you said, has placed the emphasis on quantity over the quality of the sales experience. the original saleslady we bought the car from was 100% familiar with her product and knew how to sell it without being pushy. Too bad that gets you fired.

[icedragon]

Originally Posted by 4nroots

hey icedragon

sorry to hear about your experience. when we bought our 2003 325i, we made the purchase at town and country. we dealt with a young, dynamic saleslady who was rock solid. we also got a great deal (4% or 5%, can't remember). this saleslady was fired a few months after our purchase (for not meeting quota) unfortunately. my in-laws picked up a 3 the next year, but we could only get 3% from the salesman we dealt with. when i was in the process of buying the E90, we tried to give town and country our business, but they wouldn't take a dollar off MSRP. I think town and country, like you said, has placed the emphasis on quantity over the quality of the sales experience. the original saleslady we bought the car from was 100% familiar with her product and knew how to sell it without being pushy. Too bad that gets you fired.

I feel so bad for her. Is this what happens to honest people?
I don't think I could ever work for commission. It's so stressful.

[xyz123]

The two best BMW dealerships ever in the Toronto area, Northwest Motors who was the original distributor for Eastern Canada, and Beach Auto are long gone as are the other originals, Citation Motors and Unionville. As BMW evolved from a low volume “sporty” enthusiasts’ car in the ‘70s to a high volume “near luxury” yuppie car in the ‘80s, the company demanded that their dealers build the palaces that dealerships are today to be consistent with their changing image. And that means new car sales trumps customer service every time. That is why all the original BMW dealerships, every last one of them, are gone; they did not have the financial wherewithal to build and operate the palaces required to drive volume. That's the bad news. The good news for us is that concurrent with these developments, the car itself has evolved until today it requires essentially zero maintenance and original parts last pretty much the practical life of the car. So, once you buy the car, there is hardly any need to go back to a dealership. Oil changes at 25,000 kms was unheard of not that long ago.

[jc777]

I recently had my Acura MDX in the shop for a recall (front springs replacement). On the way home I noticed some strange noises and brought it back for them to get it right. Once again I dropped off the car and four days later they called and said it was ready. When I picked up the car there was a 6 inch dent in the door. Long story short... The service manager says it is a public lot and just turn it in to your insurance! They have fine print in the contract that they are not responsible for lot damage. I fired off a letter to Acura but so far no response at all. Needless to say I won't be buying anything from Piazza Acura of West Chester (PA). At least your BMW dealer is stepping up to cover the repair.

Just one more reason I'm glad I bought an E90 instead of the TL.

[robinli]

I bought my 325xi from BMW Toronto. My experience was very good and I am going to give them all 10s in the survey. The salesman left 3 days after I place the deposit. He screwed up the order and end up the car came after 3 months with sports package that I did not order. I did not need to argue and I paid no extra money for the 36-month lease. The salesman also screwed up the trade-in by guaranteeing the value for 3 months which the dealer said they would never give such a long guarantee period. But, then again, the dealer honoured the deal and gave me no hard time at all although they were so upset on the economics of the deal. The sales manager even came out to sorry for the inconvenience created as I spent an extra half-hour at the dealership waiting for them to sort through the contract.

[BLK325]

Wow, sorry to hear about your experience. I had a similar experience years ago with a new Mustang that I ordered. I was so anal I even watched them unload off the truck and checked it for transport damage. There was still snow on the ground so they kept the car for two weeks for me stored in the garage. When I went to pick it up they put it outside the front of the showroom to be ready for me. By the time I got there, one hour, it had been keyed from front to back. Needless to say I was heartbroken. They repainted the car but while it was at the bodyshop I got a phone call saying that the car had already been resprayed, probabley at the factory, and that this being the second respray it would not look as good as the original. I had to fight tooth and nail to get a proper repair with full wet sanding but the overall job was better than the original. Of course it meant two weeks with a Tempo rental but it was worth it in the end.

Overall I found most of the dealerships in Toronto to be sterile in terms of trying to form a deal. I ended up at Budd's Hamilton where I have had all my service done for the last 3 years on my M Roadster and ended up with a better deal and treatment.

[DILLIGAF]

Originally Posted by xyz123

If you have a significant problem with the dealership that is not resolved to your satisfaction, you could consider calling BMW Canada Customer Service about it and following up with a letter describing your problem and how you tried to resolve it with the dealership. You should first try to settle it with the dealership and only do this if you do not receive satisfaction. I have only had to do this once in 33 years of owning a BMW but the dealership jumped through hoops to fix me up once BMW Canada got on the case. Note that in Canada, service is not a BMW Canada responsibility, it is the dealership's, but BMW Canada swings a lot of weight because they can take away a dealership if they are not happy with the dealer. I didn't know it at the time, more than 25 years ago, but that dealership was the one dealership out of 5 in the Toronto area that was known and avoided by people in the know. Incredible as it may seem, it is still in business today under the same ownership and have the same reputation. They must somehow find enough new suckers to post good sales volumes every year for them to keep the dealership; I can't think of any other explanation. I have heard on occasion that they were about to lose their dealership but they seem to have nine lives.

Can you tell me the name of this dealership with the bad rep? I just ordered my 330i from Parkview and had a positive experience with the guy that sold me the car. I'm not sure i will service my 330i there but I'd want to stay away from this dealer with the bad reputation you're referring to. Thanks in advance.

[icedragon]

UPDATE: Parkview BMW left 2 chips on my hood, but I'm pleased to say that they have successfully resolved this issue with me. The damaged area was resprayed, and the hood was recleared. Overall, I'm happy with the results.

So xyz123, which bad dealership are u referring to? I guess it's not Parkview BMW, since that is a relatively new dealership so they haven't been around long enough. Is it Town & Country BMW? or BMW Autohaus? Hmmm.

[MAlby7]

Anyone had any positive or negative experiences with Maranello BMW in Woodbridge? My dad gets his M3 serviced there and my brother bought his 2005 325i there and so far zero problems. The salesperson was amazing. He knew his stuff inside and out. Always available to talk with you and lets me go for a test drive whenever I come in. The service department replaced a rear wheel for my dad's M3 because the finish was deteriorating. They treat him like gold. So far we've had no problems there. Anyone else dealt with them.

[the*saint*]

icedragon, sorry to hear about the ordeal. i bought my e90 from Parkview; however, i have yet to return for any service/issues. It's sorta making me think twice about where to go. I figure that all dealerships will consist of mixed work ethic... good, bad and ugly. Maybe it's a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A co-worker suggested I find an independent garage specializing in bimmers but I wouldn't have the luxury of falling back on BMW Group Canada in case of a dispute or crisis.

Good to hear it was resolved to your satisfaction. There has to be a shift back to quality over quantity otherwise consumers will keep taking their business elsewhere. I just don't feel like sampling each one across the GTA.... Maranello, Town&Country, Mississauga, Budd's, Toronto, Autohaus, etc.

[the*saint*]

BTW, icedragon why did you bring your car to the dealership?

[AznBeemer23]

no matter what they do....you should give them some big donuts!!!