BMW dealers[im in shock]

[pokerjoke]

As some are aware I have had a problem with my central locking on my BMW and after taking it to an independent who could not get the doors open at all he suggested taking it to a main dealer as their diagnostics would be better.

The funny thing is after being deadlocked for 2+ weeks all of a sudden the doors were opening off the key fob an absolute mystery why.
Anyhow because I was booked in already and my radio was not working I took it to BMW this morning to check out the doors and radio.

After about 4 hours I got a call from the guy who started going on about all my tyres needing changing,my rear windscreen wiper was split and a bulb was out of my boot compartment then he mentions that the problem with the radio was the amplifier and they had found the problem with the doors but didn't specify what.

When he had finished and before he mentioned a price I told him that I had not booked in for a service and I didn't want all these things done and I would not buy tyres off him anyhow.

He told me it was standard practice that when a car came in we check everything.

The price for everything £1600 was he serious.

How much without the tyres,wiper and bulb I said.

1100 he replied so I said that will be nothing then as im not paying that.

Going to pick my car up tomorrow with no work done to it and costing £285 plus vat I presume.

Ive just got the feeling I have been robbed.

 

[MarkA]

As some are aware I have had a problem with my central locking on my BMW and after taking it to an independent who could not get the doors open at all he suggested taking it to a main dealer as their diagnostics would be better.

The funny thing is after being deadlocked for 2+ weeks all of a sudden the doors were opening off the key fob an absolute mystery why.
Anyhow because I was booked in already and my radio was not working I took it to BMW this morning to check out the doors and radio.

After about 4 hours I got a call from the guy who started going on about all my tyres needing changing,my rear windscreen wiper was split and a bulb was out of my boot compartment then he mentions that the problem with the radio was the amplifier and they had found the problem with the doors but didn't specify what.

When he had finished and before he mentioned a price I told him that I had not booked in for a service and I didn't want all these things done and I would not buy tyres off him anyhow.

He told me it was standard practice that when a car came in we check everything.

The price for everything £1600 was he serious.

How much without the tyres,wiper and bulb I said.

1100 he replied so I said that will be nothing then as im not paying that.

Going to pick my car up tomorrow with no work done to it and costing £285 plus vat I presume.

Ive just got the feeling I have been robbed.

Not quite sure what your bleating about here as all dealers do this - I had a similar experience with my wife Mini when i took it in for a service on the TLC package the day after it passed its MOT and they said it needed four new tyres and new brakes and discs all round.
Trouble is if you need their diagnostic equipment you've got to pay for it and a mechanics time!

 

[Deleted member 1740]

As some are aware I have had a problem with my central locking on my BMW and after taking it to an independent who could not get the doors open at all he suggested taking it to a main dealer as their diagnostics would be better.

The funny thing is after being deadlocked for 2+ weeks all of a sudden the doors were opening off the key fob an absolute mystery why.
Anyhow because I was booked in already and my radio was not working I took it to BMW this morning to check out the doors and radio.

After about 4 hours I got a call from the guy who started going on about all my tyres needing changing,my rear windscreen wiper was split and a bulb was out of my boot compartment then he mentions that the problem with the radio was the amplifier and they had found the problem with the doors but didn't specify what.

When he had finished and before he mentioned a price I told him that I had not booked in for a service and I didn't want all these things done and I would not buy tyres off him anyhow.

He told me it was standard practice that when a car came in we check everything.

The price for everything £1600 was he serious.

How much without the tyres,wiper and bulb I said.

1100 he replied so I said that will be nothing then as im not paying that.

Going to pick my car up tomorrow with no work done to it and costing £285 plus vat I presume.

Ive just got the feeling I have been robbed.

What will you do when your door won't open again?

 

[HDID Kenny]

Thank goodness mines a company car :thup:

 

[jdpjamesp]

a bulb was out

Probably the indicator. All 4 of them will be out. That's standard though isn't it for a beemer?

 

[Norrin Radd]

Probably the indicator. All 4 of them will be out. That's standard though isn't it for a beemer?

are beemers fitted with them?

 

[Joff]

VW is the same. Tried up-selling to me in May. I went in to have 2 windows repaired at a cost of 525quid (!) And they reeled off a load of problems that would make the car unsafe to drive... No thankyou and it was all brakes/tyres/discs/bushes/bulbs/rods huge list. Car passed the MOT no issues 5 months later. Crooks.

 

[Tashyboy]

Had the same with the wife's Mazda CX-7, the central locking would not open doors.
It was the battery in the key plip. She had the battery's changed in both and a few months later they went again.
know exactly what you are saying about BMW. I have had the same experience with Vauxhall, they have had my last penny.

 

[chrisd]

These days I've only got an Astra diesel car. Come the MOT all discs and pads needed doing the front were 65% down but I agree the rear were on the limit, quick guesstimate was getting near £900. Got the local garage to do the rears for a little over £200 and fronts are still fine

 

[USER1999]

Main dealers are not referred to as main stealers for no reason.

 

[sawtooth]

Do as much as you can yourself, that's what I do.

Google the issue and get the part from flea bay. Chances are its a common fault and its all over the BMW owners forum. Check YouTube also for how to guides.

For pads, brakes, discs, alternators, bulbs, auxiliary belts, oil, filters, plugs, etc DIY and save yourself a fortune.

 

[bladeplayer]

Something to remember when you drop your car in , you should be asked to sign a repair order/ job card , read what the repair description is & that is what you are liable to pay for , nothing else unless they have contacted you & u agreed & it was added to repair order ...

If you drop your car in for say " check doors not locking " & they fit 4 tyres or brakes without confirming with you , they are not allowed to do the extra repair ..
Most (all) will try upsell extra repairs , its good business to , not good business to scare ppl away tho

 

[gregers]

as above,any car ive owned ive joined a dedicated forum for that particular car.
the experts on these forums are a god send and have saved me loads dosh over the years.
unless you have long arms and short pockets i see no reason for pouring your hard earned into a dealer ship.
dont complain if you dont research your problem 1st,you can buy obd11 interfaces your self to check for any problems,narrow the problem down then as a last resort you take it to a stealers armed with the correct knowledge you wont end up having your wallet raped.

 

[Tashyboy]

as above,any car ive owned ive joined a dedicated forum for that particular car.
the experts on these forums are a god send and have saved me loads dosh over the years.
unless you have long arms and short pockets i see no reason for pouring your hard earned into a dealer ship.
dont complain if you dont research your problem 1st,you can buy obd11 interfaces your self to check for any problems,narrow the problem down then as a last resort you take it to a stealers armed with the correct knowledge you wont end up having your wallet raped.

Trouble is Gregers, I joined the vxr forum for the corsa Arctic vxr, I had a noise on my car did the research and told them a bearing was going down on the gearbox. Vauxhall had changed hundreds. What did the dealers do, change everything bar the gearbox. The car spent more time in there garage than mine.
Guess what happened eventually. They changed the gearbox coz it it was from a bad batch. no **** Sherlock. How comes it took six moths to find out.

 

[Lump]

They are not all bad, it just hard to find a decent one. Owners groups are often the best to ask for a decent main dealer.
My dad has just had £850 out of a BMW main dealer down south after they buggered up an order for a roof box several times (only days before it was needed for a trip abroad), before admitting fault and telling him to go and buy one from halfords and put the receipts into them for a refund and the original roof box and bars!

 

[pokerjoke]

I had already took the car to a BMW specialist and even though they had a diagnostics machine they couldn't find the answer to the problem.

Anyway back to the dealers this morning and decided to get the doors done and nothing else no change out of 500 notes.

 

[Tashyboy]

I had already took the car to a BMW specialist and even though they had a diagnostics machine they couldn't find the answer to the problem.

Anyway back to the dealers this morning and decided to get the doors done and nothing else no change out of 500 notes.

What was the problem pj

 

[pokerjoke]

What was the problem pj

He wouldn't give me a definitive as basically he was the service desk guy not the mechanic.

Basically they charged me £267 for doing there diagnostics yesterday and another £234 for fixing the doors.

Even though 3 doors open now the passengers side does not and he said this was why the car deadlocked itself.
To be honest he could be pulling a fast one but I don't have any experience with cars at all.

However the last garage I took it to spent 3 hours on it and couldn't find the problem at least they only charged me £54.

Trouble is I have 2 kids and I cant risk crashing and the doors not opening.

It will be done now but I will get the tyres done somewhere else and the car radio which they said was the Amplifier will stay broke.
He did give me a price for a new Amplifier and labour of £743.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Owning a "luxury" car does come with the added higher maintenance costs.

In the grand scheme of things a monkey isn't that bad.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

He wouldn't give me a definitive as basically he was the service desk guy not the mechanic.

Basically they charged me £267 for doing there diagnostics yesterday and another £234 for fixing the doors.

Even though 3 doors open now the passengers side does not and he said this was why the car deadlocked itself.
To be honest he could be pulling a fast one but I don't have any experience with cars at all.

However the last garage I took it to spent 3 hours on it and couldn't find the problem at least they only charged me £54.

Trouble is I have 2 kids and I cant risk crashing and the doors not opening.

It will be done now but I will get the tyres done somewhere else and the car radio which they said was the Amplifier will stay broke.
He did give me a price for a new Amplifier and labour of £743.

Surely they can give you a copy of the diagnostic test?