Folks,
First post and some advice if you would please.
The dealer offered me £200 for fuel costs
This is an email I've sent..
'With reference the BMW 5 series touring I purchased from your garage, I would like to query with regards to the outcome of the proposed compensation we spoke about when I collected the vehicle on 19 January 2015.
As you are well aware, I was contemplating a refund on the vehicle due to the failure to deliver it within a reasonable time with all the faults rectified, but you reassured me that they would be rectified on that final visit, or you would refund the purchase price. You also stated that you would discuss some form of recompense after I was happy with the vehicle.You stated you would send me a cheque for £200 to cover fuel and I said I would like to discuss the options around an extended warranty.
I saw the used BMW 535 d Touring on your website and as it was the specification I wanted, I did some basic checks and spoke to Matthew. During negotiations with Matthew he offered me a service pack on the vehicle, which I already knew was included! Matthew explained to me how BMW have extremely high standards and that the car would be prepared to meet this very high standard. Due to this and previous experience with a used BMW from another dealer, I was confident to pay a deposit on 7 November 2014 without viewing the vehicle.
I explained to Matthew that I live 60 miles away and would take him on his word and collect the car the following week. Matthew explained that the vehicle needed preparation including the wheels and paintwork on the rear bumper and would not be ready for around 2 weeks.
Towards the end of November, Matthew called me and said the vehicle was ready for collection. Due to an impending holiday I was unable to collect the vehicle until Saturday 6 December 2014. I was unable to come after work, as at that time your opening hours did not facilitate any collections after 6 pm.
I explained to Matthew that I needed to collect the vehicle promptly due to a prior commitments and arranged to collect it at 9.30 am. Upon arrival the vehicle was not ready and was with the valets. He suggested we complete the paperwork now as it would speed things up. We completed all the paper work and I paid £34500 for the vehicle. I had still not seen it, but was unconcerned as I trusted BMW to ensure the vehicle was correct.
Around 45 minutes later the vehicle was bought around to the side of the building and I had my first look. I immediately noticed that the nearside mirror surround had deep scratches and some of the paintwork had some noticeable chips that had clearly not been touched up. I also noticed 4 fish eye defects in the paintwork on the rear bumper. I pointed these out to Matthew and he explained that he would get these sorted out in due course, lets just get me in the car and any issues can be sorted later.
As I was now late for my appointment, I agreed and got in the vehicle to drive the 60 miles home. I immediately noticed that there was no fuel in the vehicle and the needle did not move off empty. The range on the vehicle did not even show 0 miles, just ---. I returned in to the dealer and spoke to the receptionist and asked for the location of a fuel station. She told me where it was and asked why I needed one. I explained I had just purchased the car and it was totally empty. She said that was unacceptable and she would call Matthew out to speak with me, but not to tell anyone it was her suggestion. Matthew came out and apologised and accompanied me to the fuel station where he put £25 worth of fuel in. I returned to the garage and dropped him off returning the 60 miles home. Needless to say I was disappointed that a vehicle would be handed over with absolutely no fuel in.
I returned home and parked outside my house having now missed my appointment. During this journey home, the vehicle steamed up and I could read the names of the previous owners children on both the rear windows and sunroof of the vehicle.
My 12 year old son had a look around the vehicle and a short while later called me out. He had spotted the following defects.
1) Wheels – had not been prepared correctly, there were some scrapes and chips, particularly on the rear nearside wheel,
2) Rear Bumper – there were fish eye defects in numerous places on the rear bumper,
3) Front Bumper – there were 2 grazes on both the front corner and nearside lower, both around 3-4” long,
4) Mirror surround – there were deep scratches in the paint finish as if a person had scrapped it with a screwdriver,
5) Stone chips – there were numerous stone chips (12-15) on the vehicle which had not been touched up, some of which were completely through the paintwork,
6) Dent – there was a small 10p size dent on the offside rear quarter,
7) Bird dropping stains – there were numerous bird dropping stains both on the roof, rear nearside quarter and front offside door,
8) Boot lid – the boot lid spoiler was raised 15 -20mm above the roof line. I initially thought the spoiler was loose, but it transpired the boot lid was out of alignment on the offside causing the glass and spoiler to sit proud.
I immediately called Matthew as it was now around 1 pm as I was extremely disappointed with the state of the vehicle. I left a message for him to call me back that day.
I received no call on the Saturday or the Sunday, by which point I was furious with the poor customer service I’d received.
On Monday 8 December 2014 I took the morning off work and drove the 60 miles back to Gloucester to return the car. I spoke to Matthew who explained he was unaware of the defects and asked the body shop manager Adrian to have a look. Adrian looked around the vehicle and questioned Matthew if the wheels were like that when I collected the vehicle, suggesting I’d done the damage. I explained I’d driven the car home and back to the garage and that was it, so it would seem extremely unlikely. I had certainly not made all the other defects occur in the less than 48 hours I’d been in possession of the vehicle.
Matthew agreed to take the vehicle back and rectify the issues. The garage lent me a vehicle as I had now sold my own car and would have no transport.
I awaited contact and had none until the 17 December when Matthew called and said the vehicle was ready. I again took a morning off work and on 18 December drove the 60 miles to the garage to collect the car. I was shocked to see that the wheels still had damage on, the rear bumper now had runs in the paintwork, the front bumper had been partly corrected but missing the 4” scratch on the lower front and the bird dropping stains and dent were all still present along with the untouched stone chips.
I now spoke with John sales manager who explained he could not understand why the faults had not been rectified as he had paid to have the wheels re-done, so was disappointed himself. I was told I could leave the vehicle with them but they were unable to do any more work on it over Christmas and it would be early January 2015 until they would have time to once again attempt to rectify the issues. John stated they had filled the car with fuel for me. This was a kind gesture but as I had filled it myself on the return journey home from collection, there was over 3/4 tank in it when I dropped it off.
I agreed to take the vehicle home and return in the new year. I drove the 60 miles home once again arranging for my car to be collected rather than having to take another half day off work.
On 6 January 2015 a driver came and collected my vehicle and left a loan car. As this didn’t happen until 11 am rather than the 9.30 am I’d been told my wife had to take the morning off work, as she had no transport to get there. My vehicle then travelled the 60 miles back to the garage.
I once again heard nothing until 13 January 2015 when Adrian called and said the vehicle was ready for collection from that afternoon. I told him I could not come down that day but would come down straight after work the following day. I confirmed I would let him know on the 14 January as I would have to finish work early.
I called Adrian at 12.30 pm and stated I would come down after work and would be there around 5 pm. I asked him if it was ready this time and he said it was, I asked about the rear bumper and he explained he had seen the bumper and it was all correct.
I left work early at 3 pm and noticed I had a missed call and message from Adrian at 1 pm. I checked the message which was blank, so I assumed he had accidentally called me by mistake without realising, explaining the blank voice mail.
I drove the 65 miles from Birmingham and arrived at the garage at 4.45 pm, asking for Adrian who had gone home. I explained I’d come to collect my car and the parts manager contacted Adrian to find out where my car was. It then transpires that my car had been overlooked and the rear bumper had not had any work done on it whatsoever. I found this to be unbelievable as Adrian had told me on the phone that he had seen the bumper and it was perfect. All that had been done in the 9 days they had been in possession of my vehicle was the wheels!
I was now furious as they were happy to send me home with a promise that Adrian would call me the following day. I asked to see the dealer manager and spoke to him.
You stated the vehicle would be personally handled by you and reassured me that this was not normal behaviour for a prestige dealer and that your body shop had received an award the previous year. You apologised and said you would now make it right and asked for one final chance as I stated I was on the verge of requesting a refund and return of the car.
I drove the 60 miles home and did not get in until 7.45 pm due to sever traffic problems on the motorway.
The vehicle was finally collected on 19 January when I drove the 50 miles to the body shop where I was handed the car back. You explained the rear bumper and front bumper had been re-painted along with the marks and chips having been rectified. The vehicle had been properly cleaned. You stated that you would send me a cheque for £200 towards fuel and I told you I would prefer to do something around an extended warranty.
You stated he would contact me the following day once he had explored the options.
As yet I am still waiting for that contact a month later.
I’ve driven a total of 660 miles of which 420 were in my car and the remainder in your loan car coming to and from the garage.
Between collecting the vehicle on the 7 Dec 2014 and it’s return on the 19 Jan 2015 I had the vehicle for a total of 21 days whilst the garage had the vehicle for 23 days, not including the 30 days they had it prior to my final collection on the 7 Dec after I’d paid the deposit. A total of 53 days to prepare an 18 month old vehicle for sale.
I’ve taken time off work, as has my wife and spent over 15 hours driving up and down to your garage to drop off and collect a car that was either not ready or not even at the premises. I’ve been lied to, treated like a fool, even having it implied that I had damaged the wheels.
The only point I was treated with any type of respect was when I handed over my £34,500 for the vehicle and when I spoke to you at the end of this fiasco.
You stated that you would make this right and as yet, other than delivering me a car in a condition it should have been in to start with, I don’t see how you have made it right'
Am I been unreasonable in expecting a little more than the cost of the fuel in travelling to and from the garage?
This is a main BMW dealer and the car is 18 months old with 27k, originally supplied by them.
Thanks P
Edited by playtent on 23/02/2015 at 13:38
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