[Icarium81]

My wife took the car in for an oil change, not only did it take over THREE AND A HALF HOURS, they were exceptionally rude and belittling of their customers.

So she showed up a few minutes late, 8:05 for the 8am appt, no big deal, she goes in and sits down to wait, and they take the car in immediately.
Also there is an older man in his 60s or 70s, having his winter rims and tires put on his arm that is about a decade old. Just some old crap steel rims. And this is where the employees forget that my wife is sitting there, and they go ahead and talk about how anyone who has a BMW should only have high end BMW quality rims on their car, and nothing else....because if you own a "prestigious" car, you shouldn't put crap on it...
At this point my wife speaks up to them and tells then that it's exceptionally rude to talk like that about anyone, let alone a customer who's paying for a service.
They argue with her and tell her that she misheard them.
They then proceed to tell her that she should buy some winter rims and tires from them, for nothing less than $3500!!! I'm not sure how much you may think their rims are worth, but 3500 for some plain 18" rims is ridiculous for what are basically stock.

So my wife tells the older man what the employees had been saying, understandably he's quite upset, he tells them that he's been bringing his car in for over 8 years for any and all maintenance, then he tells them to get his fkn car out of the bay and that he's never bringing his business back.

After all that, our car is basically forgotten about, just under 4 hours have gone by since she showed up for the appointment, they offer to clean the car, complimentary of course, 10 minutes later the guy who's washing the car, comes in and tells her that the car has a 'waxy substance' on it..... well fk me, I can't possibly be the only bmw owner who has ever waxed their car can I? He goes back to cleaning the car, 45 minutes in total....

I've washed cars before at a dealership, and of course on my own over the years, even when I washed, clayed, dried AND waxed it(first time claying and waxing), it only took 70 minutes.

Another point, this oil change was covered under the warranty, and the price would've been
$215 +tax. Even with fully synthetic oil it seems like they want to live up to the name of stealership.


So that was a long and wandering post, but is this the kind of shit other people have experienced at their dealership?
I know the perception is that bmw is a high end car and all that, but should the dealership truly be so condescending of their own customers?

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by Icarium81

My wife took the car in for an oil change, not only did it take over THREE AND A HALF HOURS, they were exceptionally rude and belittling of their customers.

So she showed up a few minutes late, 8:05 for the 8am appt, no big deal, she goes in and sits down to wait, and they take the car in immediately.
Also there is an older man in his 60s or 70s, having his winter rims and tires put on his arm that is about a decade old. Just some old crap steel rims. And this is where the employees forget that my wife is sitting there, and they go ahead and talk about how anyone who has a BMW should only have high end BMW quality rims on their car, and nothing else....because if you own a "prestigious" car, you shouldn't put crap on it...
At this point my wife speaks up to them and tells then that it's exceptionally rude to talk like that about anyone, let alone a customer who's paying for a service.
They argue with her and tell her that she misheard them.
They then proceed to tell her that she should buy some winter rims and tires from them, for nothing less than $3500!!! I'm not sure how much you may think their rims are worth, but 3500 for some plain 18" rims is ridiculous for what are basically stock.

So my wife tells the older man what the employees had been saying, understandably he's quite upset, he tells them that he's been bringing his car in for over 8 years for any and all maintenance, then he tells them to get his fkn car out of the bay and that he's never bringing his business back.

After all that, our car is basically forgotten about, just under 4 hours have gone by since she showed up for the appointment, they offer to clean the car, complimentary of course, 10 minutes later the guy who's washing the car, comes in and tells her that the car has a 'waxy substance' on it..... well fk me, I can't possibly be the only bmw owner who has ever waxed their car can I? He goes back to cleaning the car, 45 minutes in total....

I've washed cars before at a dealership, and of course on my own over the years, even when I washed, clayed, dried AND waxed it(first time claying and waxing), it only took 70 minutes.

Another point, this oil change was covered under the warranty, and the price would've been
$215 +tax. Even with fully synthetic oil it seems like they want to live up to the name of stealership.


So that was a long and wandering post, but is this the kind of shit other people have experienced at their dealership?
I know the perception is that bmw is a high end car and all that, but should the dealership truly be so condescending of their own customers?

Typical

[BEM-S4]

Reach out to BMWNA they take this sort of thing VERY seriously. You should also get a survey those are given a lot of attention as well.

[Billfitz]

Regarding the survey, anything less than a '10' is considered unacceptable by BMWNA, and it is reflected in their paychecks, so don't get mad, get even. Start shopping about for an indy skilled in servicing German cars. Other than warranty work you never want to have anything done by a dealer.

[bimmer456]

I know it can take a day or more to do an oil change. You can ask for a loaner next time you schedule an appointment so they can take as long as they want while you put miles on their loaner rather than your own car.

[Desertnate]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

I know it can take a day or more to do an oil change. You can ask for a loaner next time you schedule an appointment so they can take as long as they want while you put miles on their loaner rather than your own car.

This.

I'll never take my car to the dealership without a loaner lined up. Even at my family mechanic, oil changes can take an hour or two depending on their workload for the day and how quickly they can get the car in to start the work.

With the value pricing the dealership is only about $30 more than a BMW indy or our trusty family run garage we use for our other cars. The ability to get a loaner from the dealership is worth it to me for the convenience of still having transportation and flexibility in when I drop off/pick up the car.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Desertnate

This.

I'll never take my car to the dealership without a loaner lined up. Even at my family mechanic, oil changes can take an hour or two depending on their workload for the day and how quickly they can get the car in to start the work.

With the value pricing the dealership is only about $30 more than a BMW indy or our trusty family run garage we use for our other cars. The ability to get a loaner from the dealership is worth it to me for the convenience of still having transportation and flexibility in when I drop off/pick up the car.

It's not much cheaper even if you DIY the oil change assuming you use BMW oil and filter/o ring/drain plug. Since the car has more liters per fill than typical as well as BMW synthetic being more expensive.

[Fliplegend]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

It's not much cheaper even if you DIY the oil change assuming you use BMW oil and filter/o ring/drain plug. Since the car has more liters per fill than typical as well as BMW synthetic being more expensive.

That's why many of us that DIY don't waste our money on BMW branded oil.

[Billfitz]

If you accept the premise that time is money then doing your own oil and filter change for $60-$75, and that's using BMW oil and OEM filter, in an hour or less is a lot less expensive than having anyone else do it, let alone a dealer who's in no particular hurry about it. I skipped the last two no-charge oil changes I was entitled to for this very reason.

[PK2348]

Originally Posted by Icarium81

My wife took the car in for an oil change, not only did it take over THREE AND A HALF HOURS, they were exceptionally rude and belittling of their customers.

So she showed up a few minutes late, 8:05 for the 8am appt, no big deal, she goes in and sits down to wait, and they take the car in immediately.
Also there is an older man in his 60s or 70s, having his winter rims and tires put on his arm that is about a decade old. Just some old crap steel rims. And this is where the employees forget that my wife is sitting there, and they go ahead and talk about how anyone who has a BMW should only have high end BMW quality rims on their car, and nothing else....because if you own a "prestigious" car, you shouldn't put crap on it...
At this point my wife speaks up to them and tells then that it's exceptionally rude to talk like that about anyone, let alone a customer who's paying for a service.
They argue with her and tell her that she misheard them.
They then proceed to tell her that she should buy some winter rims and tires from them, for nothing less than $3500!!! I'm not sure how much you may think their rims are worth, but 3500 for some plain 18" rims is ridiculous for what are basically stock.

So my wife tells the older man what the employees had been saying, understandably he's quite upset, he tells them that he's been bringing his car in for over 8 years for any and all maintenance, then he tells them to get his fkn car out of the bay and that he's never bringing his business back.

After all that, our car is basically forgotten about, just under 4 hours have gone by since she showed up for the appointment, they offer to clean the car, complimentary of course, 10 minutes later the guy who's washing the car, comes in and tells her that the car has a 'waxy substance' on it..... well fk me, I can't possibly be the only bmw owner who has ever waxed their car can I? He goes back to cleaning the car, 45 minutes in total....

I've washed cars before at a dealership, and of course on my own over the years, even when I washed, clayed, dried AND waxed it(first time claying and waxing), it only took 70 minutes.

Another point, this oil change was covered under the warranty, and the price would've been
$215 +tax. Even with fully synthetic oil it seems like they want to live up to the name of stealership.


So that was a long and wandering post, but is this the kind of shit other people have experienced at their dealership?
I know the perception is that bmw is a high end car and all that, but should the dealership truly be so condescending of their own customers?

Minding your own business is the path of least resistance

[eugene89us]

I disagree that DIY costs are similar to dealership. My local dealership quoted gasoline vehicle oil change at $120. I am sure LLE12 for my diesel will be charged higher. However, I got 6 qt of BMW LL12FE for $7.13/L = $42.78. Oil filter cost me $15. Drain plug was $2. That brings by total to $59.78. That in addition to me knowing that I will do my oil change right, I won't have to deal with incompetence at the dealer, and I will allow my old oil to drain longer instead of rushing. And I can drain it and remove oild filter, go inside and be with my family, come back out an hour later to plug it back in and place new filter, fill up the oil, and move with my day. Not much effort there for a $60 savings plus tax.

[chuckr]

I use Classic BMW in Plano Texas. That is 5 hours away ! I live in Louisiana.
Worth the drive, looking forward to my next oil change!
Always get a nice loaner, very nice people, beautiful dealership.
My local BMW dealership got shutdown by BMW for “unusual business practices “
Last year.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

If you accept the premise that time is money then doing your own oil and filter change for $60-$75, and that's using BMW oil and OEM filter, in an hour or less is a lot less expensive than having anyone else do it, let alone a dealer who's in no particular hurry about it. I skipped the last two no-charge oil changes I was entitled to for this very reason.

I might be willing to pay $100-130 for the dealer to do it if it includes a nice loaner like a 430i GC m sport or x5. Even more so if it's a free oil change.

[Gen13 F36]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

If you accept the premise that time is money then doing your own oil and filter change for $60-$75, and that's using BMW oil and OEM filter, in an hour or less is a lot less expensive than having anyone else do it, let alone a dealer who's in no particular hurry about it. I skipped the last two no-charge oil changes I was entitled to for this very reason.

Nothing beats a free oil change... plus loaner for me. My last year on the free program.

[Billfitz]

If I got a loaner the only use I'd have for it is to drive home and then drive back to the dealer again when my car was ready. Doing my own I get to choose when I do it, and I don't have to drive anywhere. Obviously not everyone has the option of doing their own oil changes, but I'll stop doing mine when they pry my socket wrench out of my cold dead hands.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Gen13 F36

Nothing beats a free oil change... plus loaner for me. My last year on the free program.

If time is money the loaner is faster than DIY

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

If I got a loaner the only use I'd have for it is to drive home and then drive back to the dealer again when my car was ready. Doing my own I get to choose when I do it, and I don't have to drive anywhere. Obviously not everyone has the option of doing their own oil changes, but I'll stop doing mine when they pry my socket wrench out of my cold dead hands.

There is the question of whether or not they actually did the oil change. A couple of times I got my car back the CBS was not reset. But I figure if the engine seizes that's on them. I have warranty and proof all the maintenance as performed by the dealer for any warranty claim. Just check your CBS before you leave as the system determines when you're eligible for free services and that all maintenance was performed as needed (in addition to receipts).

[eugene89us]

Billfitz do you use ramps to get more clearance under your car or have you invested in a lift to squeeze under there? I am contemplating portable 120v lift for Christmas, sounds a lot nicer than using plastic ramps.

[Billfitz]

I use ramps. If I did more work underneath than a yearly oil change and AC coil cleaning I might consider a lift. A lift would be nice for when I rotate my tires and do brake work, but I have four jacks, so I can still get all four wheels off the ground if need be.

If time is money the loaner is faster than DIY

I can do an oil change in less time than it takes me to drive to my dealer. Add in the drive back home, then another trip to and from the dealer once they've finished, and at a minimum I'm out five hours that I otherwise could be working. My billing rate is $100 per hour. That means a free oil change costs me $440, give or take.

[bpwj76]

Originally Posted by chuckr

I use Classic BMW in Plano Texas. That is 5 hours away ! I live in Louisiana.
Worth the drive, looking forward to my next oil change!
Always get a nice loaner, very nice people, beautiful dealership.
My local BMW dealership got shutdown by BMW for “unusual business practices “
Last year.

Interesting... I never had heard the reason for them leaving. They left town shortly after I purchased my two CPO BMW's from BMW of Montgomery.

I am from WM and I have been using Orr in Shreveport and have been very happy. Had my oil and spark plugs changed last weekend there and they gave me a 2020 X5 as a loaner.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

I use ramps. If I did more work underneath than a yearly oil change and AC coil cleaning I might consider a lift. A lift would be nice for when I rotate my tires and do brake work, but I have four jacks, so I can still get all four wheels off the ground if need be.

I can do an oil change in less time than it takes me to drive to my dealer. Add in the drive back home, then another trip to and from the dealer once they've finished, and at a minimum I'm out five hours that I otherwise could be working. My billing rate is $100 per hour. That means a free oil change costs me $440, give or take.

If I decided to go all out and get a lift as a DIYer I would also do my own alignment and install tires myself to switch between summers and winters. Not sure how many folks can install their own tires at home. Tavarish still has his tires installed by a pro, but it doesn't seem too difficult to DIY as there are hacks that can avoid the need for heavy duty equipment.

[AK415]

My local dealer is 15 min away and they usually have oil change promotion for $100 out the door.

I drive about 5k miles a year so I only change the oil once a year. To me $100 well cover the cost of buying parts + labor, and I get to keep a service record and grab a free coffee. That $100 in some sense is ... very reasonable.