Sleazy service at BMW of Columbia, SC

[JimD]

I dropped my bimmer off for it's last "free" service this morning and to get the battery recall done. I just got a call from the service advisor stating that the warranty ran out on 7/8 at midnight - last night - and they will do no maintenance work. She wanted to sell me an extended warranty. I told her to finish the battery recall and I won't be back.

They knew what this was for and said nothing when I made the appointment. I didn't get the car until 7/21 at the Performance Center. I don't know how BMW decided the warranty/free maintenance ended the 8th.

I'm irrated. The SA must have understood my irritation and they just called saying they would do the service for free as "good will". Maybe they are OK after all. But it is a lot of excitement unnecessarily.

Jim

[MuNkY6913]

I was told months ago mine ran out July 11 or 12 and I called on the 1 st to make a last appt and they said it ran out the 26 of June. I said we'll that's sucks. I had been having an almost what felt like a misfire issue that never got solved and they never adjusted the headlights on the last service. They said they'll do the headlights for me but I'm doubting they will do anything else. I never even was offered the extended warranty.

[JimD]

I suspect you will get an offer of the extended warranty. They make money on them. If you brought the car in for a complaint during the warranty period they are obligated to fix it. It doesn't matter if the time period for repairs goes outside, it only matters when you document the issue.

I guess a point to be made about both our experiences is that it is necessary to know when BMW says your warranty expires. Mine was very unobvious when I didn't get the car until the 21st and they said it expired the 8th. I think the SA should check but it seems they don't always. They may have said it to me but I didn't write it down. It would be a good thing to have on the calendar.

Jim

[doublevanosrc]

That's silly sounds like they tried to take advantage of the situation to push the extended warranty on you.

[Lexington]

I received a credit card sized card from BMW which had the VIN, road side assistance number and original in service date printed on the card. The original in service date coincided with the delivery date at the Performance Center.

Interestingly the warranty booklet with the car indicates:

Warranty Begins

Coverage begins on the date of first retail sale
or the date the vehicle is first placed into service
as a sales demonstrator, service loaner (SLP) or
company vehicle, whichever is earlier.

Seems like plenty of potential subjectivity in the "date of the first retail sale"
in some situations.

[MuNkY6913]

Originally Posted by Lexington

I received a credit card sized card from BMW which had the VIN, road side assistance number and original in service date printed on the card. The original in service date coincided with the delivery date at the Performance Center.

Interestingly the warranty booklet with the car indicates:

Warranty Begins

Coverage begins on the date of first retail sale
or the date the vehicle is first placed into service
as a sales demonstrator, service loaner (SLP) or
company vehicle, whichever is earlier.

Seems like plenty of potential subjectivity in the "date of the first retail sale"
in some situations.

i dont like that. i got that same card. i ordered mine the end of may and it was built the end of june and i didn't get it until july, probably first week or so. whole lot of time that could be messed around with. i'm going to have to ask them if they are still going to sort out the problem i had them look at when it was under warranty. i doubt ill get an offer for extended warranty this dealership isn't very up on its game. i did get the roadside assistance offer in the mail though.

[rking117]

Call BMWNA. they will help you get through this or at least tell u Y.

[MotoWPK]

Originally Posted by JimD

I guess a point to be made about both our experiences is that it is necessary to know when BMW says your warranty expires. Mine was very unobvious when I didn't get the car until the 21st and they said it expired the 8th. I think the SA should check but it seems they don't always. They may have said it to me but I didn't write it down. It would be a good thing to have on the calendar.

Jim

There shouldn't be any mystery to the date warranty begins; it's the date of the of the sales contract, which should be the same as when you accepted delivery of the vehicle.

[MuNkY6913]

Originally Posted by MotoWPK

There shouldn't be any mystery to the date warranty begins; it's the date of the of the sales contract, which should be the same as when you accepted delivery of the vehicle.

I entered contract with payment before mine was built.

[pinmagic]

I did Euro delivery - ordered and paid months in advance.

[JimD]

I ordered mine in May. It made it to the states late June or early July (see my sig below). I took delivery at the Performance center on 7/21. You have to go to your dealer and pay at least a week or ten days before PCD. My dealer wanted paid by 7/1 so it was well in advance. I don't really know how they picked the date they did.

I feel bad about labeling the service as "sleazy" at this point. Suddeningly announcing that the warranty was gone so they owed me nothing bit I could buy an extended warranty seemed pretty bad at the time. But in the end, they provided me the free service. I will shop there for our next purchase which may not be too far off.

Jim

[DanG]

Dealers have a lot of latitude in telling BMW when the car was sold. My girl friend's 1 series was reported as sold 6 months before she bought it "new" from the dealership. On the positive side they disclosed up front that they had done this and give her extended warranty and extended maintenance.

[MotoWPK]

Originally Posted by JimD

I ordered mine in May. It made it to the states late June or early July (see my sig below). I took delivery at the Performance center on 7/21. You have to go to your dealer and pay at least a week or ten days before PCD. My dealer wanted paid by 7/1 so it was well in advance. I don't really know how they picked the date they did.

I feel bad about labeling the service as "sleazy" at this point. Suddeningly announcing that the warranty was gone so they owed me nothing bit I could buy an extended warranty seemed pretty bad at the time. But in the end, they provided me the free service. I will shop there for our next purchase which may not be too far off.

Jim

We purchased our 128i out of dealer inventory, but our 328ix was ordered last October 5 and we took delivery December 1. Reviewing documents, there was a "Vehicle Buyers Order and Sales Contract" on the day of order, but the dealership re-printed it, dated and executed on the day of delivery, which was the actual in service date. Other documents, such as the Bill of Sale, also reflect the December date.

From bmwusa.com; "The warranty period begins either on the date of first retail sale, or the date the vehicle is first placed in service as a demonstrator, service loaner or company vehicle, whichever is earlier."

In the case of our 328ix the date of retail sale is clearly the day we took delivery, not when we ordered the vehicle or some other, earlier date.

Vehicle warranties typically start on the in service date and, in my experience, retail sale occurs on the date physical possession of the vehicle is taken. I suppose if BMW is going to treat the warranty period start as the date of retail sale rather than when you take possession of the vehicle, then one should not execute sale documents until you do take physical possession.

[JimD]

You cannot do the sale paperwork at the performance center. I doubt you can do it in Munich during ED either. At the performance center they have no business manager to do commercial paperwork. All that paperwork has to be done at the dealer who then notifies the performance center. If you do the other forms of delivery, the warranty could reference the date you take delivery but in my case and apparently some others it did not. It was not the date I gave them the check for the car either. It was a few days after I gave them a check and about 2 weeks before I got the car.

I got taken care of by the dealership after complaining but I don't think it should have been such an issue. Warranties should start when you have the vehicle. I wonder if what BMW USA does is even legal. It certainly doesn't make a lot of sense to say my car was under warranty while still in BMW's care, custody and control.

[MotoWPK]

Originally Posted by JimD

I got taken care of by the dealership after complaining but I don't think it should have been such an issue. Warranties should start when you have the vehicle. I wonder if what BMW USA does is even legal. It certainly doesn't make a lot of sense to say my car was under warranty while still in BMW's care, custody and control.

You're absolutely correct - it should not have been an issue at all.

I don't know about legality, that is a good question, but it certainly is not correct for warranty to start prior to physical delivery of the vehicle.

I think the lesson here is to insist the date of sale on the various documents accurately reflects the delivery date, even if that means post dating them, or that BMW provide written confirmation that the warranty start date is the date of delivery (rather than some earlier date).

[1addyfan]

Originally Posted by JimD

I told her to finish the battery recall and I won't be back.

lol Props to you for that... I always tell people to vote with their feet when unsatisfied with service.

[DouginNC]

Is Johan still at Columbia BMW? He was my service advisor in Charlotte and he was always fair. He may be able to get the dealership to give a day or two leeway.

[swmrdrn]

It was explained to me by a friend who owns a BMW dealership that. The warranty starts when they "punch the card". Often a dealer will "punch the card" and claim they have put the car into loaner service or as a demo. They actually do this because it is the measurement that BMWNA uses to call the car sold. The more cars a dealer "sells" the better their allocation is on hard to get (i.e. profitable) models. So the dealers punch the cards on cars to move up the ranks and the forget to tell the buyer that the warranty was began before they ever purchased the car. Very very sleazy.

[jkoral]

Originally Posted by JimD

I guess a point to be made about both our experiences is that it is necessary to know when BMW says your warranty expires. Mine was very unobvious when I didn't get the car until the 21st and they said it expired the 8th. I think the SA should check but it seems they don't always. They may have said it to me but I didn't write it down. It would be a good thing to have on the calendar.

At the couple dealers I have been to for warranty work, both had two clear boxes at the top of the invoice/work order:

In Service Date: 27MAR2009
Warranty Expires: 27MAR2013

Which I assume they pull from the VIN/key. In this case March 27, 2009 was the actual delivery date (no euro/perf center delivery).

I take it other dealers do not print similar information? I've always liked it because it reminded me (at every service) of when my warranty officially expires. No need to put it on a calendar, or look back at old paper work, etc.

[Lexington]

Had the "opportunity" to take the car in to BMW of Columbia this week for the battery cable recall and to have the 3rd brake light replaced (#2). Also, asked for a quote on an oil change since I was due. The quote was $99 as they had a special, I'm pass the free maintenance period. So, I made an appointment on-line and requested a loaner car. The print out estimated the charges to be $79.

They did a good job at check in and provided a nice 2012 135 convertible as a loaner. The brake light was replaced no problem under the two year warranty on replacement parts and as far as I can tell the battery cable connection was replaced without incident. Went to check out with the cashier and the bill was $154. I responded, I was quoted $99. The cashier went to the back of the office to check with someone and came back and said yes, $99 is ok. Hmmmm... Guess I should have asked about the $79 quote on the on-line confirmation.