[Hasek9339]

Hi.

I am right now in the process of ordering a car from Irv at Motorwerks in Chicago. Towne BMW in Buffalo is my local BMW dealer but they are saying that if i purchase my car from another dealer they will not provide me with a loaner when I come in for service. Can a dealer do this and can I complain to BMWNA. Just wondering ?
TOWNE BMW =

THANKS

[BzsBimmer]

yes they can do this since loaners are at the discretion of the dealer. There's nothing bmwna can or will do about it

[peakpro]

Yes they can do it. Many dealers do.


You can complain but it will get you no where.

[742]

Yes, they can. And if I ran the dealership I would do the same thing.

For many reasons I buy the car from the dealership that I will have it serviced at. There are these courtesy issues (which a loaner is), the degree to which the dealer will go to bat for you in a questionable warranty situation and the simple truth that service is not a black and white exercise – and I want the decisions in the gray areas to fall in my direction.

[alex2112]

I've heard that some dealers do not offer BMW loaners during service if you didn't buy from them, but the fact that they are telling you this outright before you even buy a car as a way to get you to buy from them is pretty shitty.

[bavarian19]

The million dollar question is that is it worth saving a few bucks at one location if your service dealership won't give a loaner. Some say yes, some say no.

I say work for a better deal at the dealership you want to get service at.

[UdubBadger]

I purchased in Chicago but I get serviced here in Madison most of the time. I didn't buy from them but basically they told me that if there is a loaner available for me I can have it but they give priority to people who purchased from there. I understand, however you are also essentially paying for the service (assuming its more than just a quick oil change) so wouldn't you still be considered a customer? You could essentially go to ANY other BMW dealership for service so them giving you a loaner is only in their best interest, it's not like they don't make any money on doing service to our cars either, not everything is free on these things.

[dchen2]

My dealer doesn't provide loaners for service even if you bought a car from them for the once every 10-15k oil changes. They only give out loaners for the jobs requiring more than 4hrs such as the once every 40-50k brake jobs.

Considering that, and the fact the North Chicago dealer offered me over $2,500 more in discounts on my 335xi cp, I took the better deal. In my situation for that one time I get my brakes done gratis during my in warranty period, I think I can find a rental car or friend to drive me/drop me off for less than $2500 .

Unlike my previous Lexus GS430 maker, I am pretty sure BMW corporate does not promise loaner cars for service, much less BMW loaner cars.

Though BMW beats the pants off Lexus on the fun to drive category, my old Lexus dealer far surpassed my local BMW dealer. Think free carwashes/mini details whenever, catered self serve breakfast/lunch in the lounges, leather sofas/plasma tv's (even several years back when plasmas were really extravagent), and extremely pleasant sales/service writers in addition to the guaranteed Lexus loaners or service appointments where the dealer will actually pick up your car within a 25mi radius and drop it off when done.

The scary part is I heard before Lexus came along in the 1989 and forced them to be more competitive, Merc/BMW dealerships were even worse!

[dchen2]

Man, that is a large number of simutaneous replies within a short period of time .

[Hasek9339]

Thanks for all the help looks like no loaners for me !!!

[positiveions]

Here is what you do: extend the right arm. Extend the right middle finger, and with a gesture move the arm up and down to the service manager. Tell the service manager to keep the change. Looks like he doesn't want to make money from servicing your car. Everytime someone brings a vehicle under warranty for servicing, that service is extra money in their pocket.

[AtoB]

i live in boston, bought my Z4M in PA last December.
A couple of weeks ago it was time to lease my wife's next BMW (328xi), one of my stipulations was that i also would have access to their loaner cars when i came in for service... it wasn't about the money, it was about the convenience.... although saving a few bucks on visits is nice too.

[seanl]

Originally Posted by eatrach73

Here is what you do: extend the right arm. Extend the right middle finger, and with a gesture move the arm up and down to the service manager. Tell the service manager to keep the change. Looks like he doesn't want to make money from servicing your car. Everytime someone brings a vehicle under warranty for servicing, that service is extra money in their pocket.

+1...sort of.

With 10+ BMW dealers here in the Bay Area, I shopped for the best deal on the car, regardless of which dealer. After buying my car from BMW SF, I took it to the local dealer near my house (rear ashtray door wouldn't stay closed) and met with Service Advisor. I was very clear that I was giving them an opportunity to EARN my service business. They were indeed quite receptive, and when my car went in for the ubiquitous HPFP replacement, they gave me a 528i loaner.

Yes, the Bay Area is a competitive environment, but you also have choices. Let your local dealer in Buffalo know that you would love to bring your car to them for service (where they make $) but you'd expect to be treated as a valued customer. Do you have another dealership in Buffalo that you could work with on warranty service? Ask them politely if they'd like to earn your service business...if not, well at least you tried.

[UdubBadger]

Originally Posted by dchen2

My dealer doesn't provide loaners for service even if you bought a car from them for the once every 10-15k oil changes. They only give out loaners for the jobs requiring more than 4hrs such as the once every 40-50k brake jobs.

Considering that, and the fact the North Chicago dealer offered me over $2,500 more in discounts on my 335xi cp, I took the better deal. In my situation for that one time I get my brakes done gratis during my in warranty period, I think I can find a rental car or friend to drive me/drop me off for less than $2500 .

Unlike my previous Lexus GS430 maker, I am pretty sure BMW corporate does not promise loaner cars for service, much less BMW loaner cars.

Though BMW beats the pants off Lexus on the fun to drive category, my old Lexus dealer far surpassed my local BMW dealer. Think free carwashes/mini details whenever, catered self serve breakfast/lunch in the lounges, leather sofas/plasma tv's (even several years back when plasmas were really extravagent), and extremely pleasant sales/service writers in addition to the guaranteed Lexus loaners or service appointments where the dealer will actually pick up your car within a 25mi radius and drop it off when done.

The scary part is I heard before Lexus came along in the 1989 and forced them to be more competitive, Merc/BMW dealerships were even worse!

yep Zimbrick sucks which is why I went down to Chicago like you did. They didn't want to every TRY to get me the car I was looking for (there were 2 within a 3 hr radius). Their service I hear is ok but nothing spectacular... I think I'll just do my oil change when I go back to Chicago for winter break.

[lib]

It's Buffalo... what do you expect?

Having grown up in Buffalo all I can say is "GTFO.... fast"

[canucklion]

.

Originally Posted by Hasek9339

Hi.

I am right now in the process of ordering a car from Irv at Motorwerks in Chicago. Towne BMW in Buffalo is my local BMW dealer but they are saying that if i purchase my car from another dealer they will not provide me with a loaner when I come in for service. Can a dealer do this and can I complain to BMWNA. Just wondering ?
TOWNE BMW =

THANKS

[K330i]

your input is heard at BMWNA...it's called the follow up phone call.

i bought mine used and when i went in for the first issue (seat sensor) my SA gave me the "you didn't but it from here" line.

so when BMWNA called for the service Q&A i told them i didn't appreciate being treated like a second class citizen. i also told them a used car customer is most likely a future new car customer and the way they are treated is just as important.

next service call (oil change...i called ahead) the SA asked if i would be needing a loaner and i told him yes...thanks for asking. i talked it up with him and we see eye-to-eye now. i get offered a loaner everytime and when i needed a top off once he ran and grabbed the oil and did it himself.

[R608]

I'm curious how you came to learn that they wouldn't offer you the loaner. Was that sales or service (even Service Manager) talking? I bought my car out-of-state and the local dealer has been nothing but accommodating so far; light-years ahead of the service I received for my previous VW. I needed a loaner for a few days once while it was in for work -- no problem at all. I don't know that I'd want to do business with a dealer who plays those kinds of games, regardless of where I ended up buying my car.

Good luck to you!

[RouterGuy]

The BMW Store in Cincinnati charges 25 cents per mile now. What's next, charging for test drives?

[bsamoul]

it wouldn't surprise me if dealers started doing that to be honest...

[Fraggy]

Originally Posted by eatrach73

Here is what you do: extend the right arm. Extend the right middle finger, and with a gesture move the arm up and down to the service manager. Tell the service manager to keep the change. Looks like he doesn't want to make money from servicing your car. Everytime someone brings a vehicle under warranty for servicing, that service is extra money in their pocket.

No shit man, who cares where you bought the car from.

[E90330iS]

it's normal that the dealers in SoCal not providing loaner cars for cars bought elsewhere