XSeries-forum

[quote="X Box"]
[quote="Chompers"]
[quote="X Box"]
I must say I've purchased from a fair few BMW dealers but would NEVER buy from Sytner again!

I hope you enjoy your car once it's sorted.
[/quote]

It should be noted that the OP did not by from one of Sytners main BMW dealers, but from a used car site owned by them. There is no way this car would have  come from a main dealer in the condition it was in when sold  >:D
[/quote]

After my experience, I'd say don't be so sure!
[/quote]

Oh dear  at least you have the back up of the AUC warranty that other dealers can sort out if more local to you.

I know it would probably be frownd upon, but we really should get a forum section on dealers and indies for both service and sales so that future owners could be advised for and against on service levels of these garages.

There is a good garage guide for main dealers and bmw independents here courtesy of Mr Burns. I see no point in starting our own as this is the best I have ever seen on a uk bmw related forum

[quote="AW8"]
There is a good garage guide for main dealers and bmw independents here courtesy of Mr Burns. I see no point in starting our own as this is the best I have ever seen on a uk bmw related forum
[/quote]

Thanks for the link AW8  had note come across that site before  :-[ Comments/dealer details could do with updating/cleansing some what. But an interesting read.

Still think a sub-topic could be helpful to current/future 'X' owners but that is IMO of course

This is all too familiar to me. I bought a BMW from a very large BMW Main dealership , so AUC and the car was sold to me with pre existing faults, so dealers DO sell cars,  with faults that they hope wont surface for a while and then rely on the warranty to pay for it if they do. Saves them a fortune.  Makes it much cheaper for them . My " new " car  spat its pre-existing dummy out after 2 days and BMW AUC refused to pay saying car had pre-existing faults. Pan roof broke and valve tronic levers all neded replacing . BMW AUC  did a full paper trail and proved it. However when it came to geting the car sent back for a full refund  , they were not interested. All they did was prove faults were pre-existent so that  they avoided paying and the rest was down to me. F*****g disgrace really, the dealer should have lost his franchise for being a lying/disingenuous mother you know what , and should have taken my car back for a full refund. Of course I had sold my car by then so that was another issue.  Had the dealer been nearer I would have gone in there and it would have got very ugly. The dealer principal refused to speak to me. In the end , under threat of going to the press and court action ( not the small claims court as thats only good for £5K,  as both the car and the work required were over £5k ) they came , collected the car and repaired it, taking just over 3 weeks. I will never again buy a car long distance. I know many of you have  bought long distance, but I was badly bitten , by a main BMW agent , and not taking any chances. Most of them are lying mother you know what.

Not to be trusted,

Regards,

Nat.

Is this in your opinion again 

Yes indeed, + factual experience too.

Nat, a poor show from the dealer.  I bought my X from the midlands, even though I live in NI.  I have had some minor warranty issues but the local dealer has been first class, including a free curtesy car each time. I will consider long distance again.  Although the local dealers sales director and principle were both interested to hear my reasons for purchasing on the mainland.

Now that's said, I had a lemon of an X5 in 2006 and the dealership I bought that from we're Shiite.  Even the threat of legal action didn't get me anywhere, so in the end I threatened to have one of my lorries sign written and parked outside the dealership got the response I needed.  I don't know what happened to that car but wouldn't have been surprised if it ended up on heir forecourt.

Don

I have had some terrible experiences which is irritating and why i don't trust anyone.
I accept cars are mechanical devices and from time to time they will go wrong. Howevere as in tortugas case or mine, when someone sells you a car with pre-existing faults, there are few excuses  that cut it. Honestly  it imediately smacks of a dealer being disingenuous. In my case the service dept sent a report to sales with a " To do list " , sales ignored it. The repair bill was around £5 K, obv they didnt check the car well enough when they took it in.  They didn't even bother clearing the codes.  Its hard to believe it was an honest mistake. Once they have your money its normally a battle. In Tortugas case, other than a blind man, even the unqualified can spot a bald tyre. It would have been interesting had Tortuga been stopped on the way home by the Police and given 3 points for each illegal tyre.
Needless to say I have never bought a car from a dealer, where it was delivered as it was supposed to be. The last X5 I bought from Chandlers BMW, had a faulty parking sensor and a non BMW motorola so the battery kept going flat, both despite me telling them these were faulty at the time I viewed the car and being promised it would be fixed befor sale time. I keep being ribbed for saying IMHO all the time, but as far as I am concerned most second hand car dealers are lying key hunts...............IMHO.

Regards

Nat.

Unfortunately, as in your case there are far to many unscrupulous dealers out there, and while our legal system remains unchanged, these guys will continue to try it on!  No-one in their right mind could defend their action.  I do believe in a name and shame forum, but this just isn't practical as it would be too easy to abuse. 

Maybe, dealers who are serious about customer service should have an open and honest remarks forum on their websites. I for one would be more trusting of a site that is prepared to so negative comments as well as positive.  That is so long as they can show they sorted the issues in the end!

Don

I can echo that. Snows of Portsmouth sold me my car with faults that I had pointed out! After much gnashing of teeth, they did some of the remedial work, but the car shoukd never have gone out with the faults in the first place.
BMW UK were sympathetic but otherwise useless. Previous AUC cars have been fine but I don't trust any of them now.

[quote="Nat"]
This is all too familiar to me. I bought a BMW from a very large BMW Main dealership , so AUC and the car was sold to me with pre existing faults, so dealers DO sell cars,  with faults that they hope wont surface for a while and then rely on the warranty to pay for it if they do. Saves them a fortune.  Makes it much cheaper for them . My " new " car  spat its pre-existing dummy out after 2 days and BMW AUC refused to pay saying car had pre-existing faults. Pan roof broke and valve tronic levers all neded replacing . BMW AUC  did a full paper trail and proved it. However when it came to geting the car sent back for a full refund  , they were not interested. All they did was prove faults were pre-existent so that  they avoided paying and the rest was down to me. F*****g disgrace really, the dealer should have lost his franchise for being a lying/disingenuous mother you know what , and should have taken my car back for a full refund. Of course I had sold my car by then so that was another issue.  Had the dealer been nearer I would have gone in there and it would have got very ugly. The dealer principal refused to speak to me. In the end , under threat of going to the press and court action ( not the small claims court as thats only good for £5K,  as both the car and the work required were over £5k ) they came , collected the car and repaired it, taking just over 3 weeks. I will never again buy a car long distance. I know many of you have  bought long distance, but I was badly bitten , by a main BMW agent , and not taking any chances. Most of them are lying mother you know what.

Not to be trusted,

Regards,

Nat.
[/quote]

I now leave  no deposit or pay an absolute minimal deposit, like £100. Then when the car is ready I go and inspect the car , and if it is not exactly as expected with all the niggles/faults/agreed issues sorted I ask for my deposit back. I then walk away. If you try to stuff me when I first buy it, you will do it repeatedly.  I have done that once already. Walked into the showroom and dealer wanted to do all the paperwork. I said NO, lets go look at the car first and make sure you have done everything you agreed to do. It wasn't done so i told him I didnt want the car. He said sorry, we will get it fixed for you. I said you are not listening. I don't want the car, not today, nor tomorrow nor next week. I don't want it full stop. You lied to me. You told me all was fixed and the car was ready and it is not. Good bye. His face was an absolute picture. When the manager called me later that day i told him the same. Sale didn't go through because you are liars. I did everything I said i was going to do. Did you ? No..........therefore I do not wish to do business with you.

I don't suppose they have changed, but at least I had the satisfaction of walking away and not having the stress and anger related to getting all the issues fixed at a leater date.

Its the only way .

Regards,

Nat.

Completely agree Nat. I have no time for dealers as all of them lie to a greater or lesser degree.

The problem is finding a car if you don't want to use dealers. I'm quite confident in my ability to spot a dog so I am happy to buy privately but the private sales are so few and far between. On PH at the moment there are 450 X5's for sale. 50 of them are private and no doubt 40 are bullshit ads. So thaty leaves 10 cars in the country that may be worth a look. Not a lot is it and a refelction of most punters want a "safe" buy and see the dealer as the route.

So bloody frustrating.

I hear you.................Im thinking that leaves a large gap in the market.

I am seriously thinking of starting a business selling cars. I know how to give good service. Get premises and take cars in on sale of return basis . Car comes in and gets inspected. List made of all known faults. Owner made aware of faults. Car can either be sold with issues fixed or priced accordingly to account for faults. All faults clearly listed with cars  entire history . If customer agrees to proceed with sale, customer pays  say £500  which covers the cost of the  inspection and preparation of the car for sale.  Non refundable. ( otherwise everyone would bring their cars in to me for a free fault assesment and a valet )  Customer agrees to minimum period of 8 weeks for us to have car for sale. If car sold customer pays a % of sale price to us.  If car not sold, customer can take it back or we discuss reasoins why its not sold etc etc. The idea is we make a reasonable living, provide excellent customer service and a great selection of used cars , not the crap they buy at auction because its cheap or cars offered for sale because there is something wrong with it , and hopefully the  owner gets a much better price for his car.  The business can survive better than most dealers as there should be little or no cost of funding stock , and we don't have to tear the arse out of every car to make it pay because we have high overheads or are just bandits. Of course we also have a second side to the business where we can just buy stock outright, but thats secondary. The idea is to change the way cars are sold and bought with as best a return for you with as little hastle as possible.

Just an idea.

Regards,

Nat.

@ the OP
Any update?

[quote="Nat"]
I hear you.................Im thinking that leaves a large gap in the market.

I am seriously thinking of starting a business selling cars. [/quote]

Interesting idea.  Would only work for people who could part with their car for up to 8 weeks.  I use mine everyday and couldn't leave it on a forecourt while I was trying to sell it.  Back to the drawing board Nat....I think there's definitely an ember there.

B