Beware!!

[leasky]

A little ditty about my recent annual and 30k mile service at John Clark BMW Aberdeen.

The bike is a 2000 on a W plate, currently 29k on the clock. I bought it in Feb 06 from a private seller in England although she had full Vines history.

Anyhow, booked her into the local dealer yesterday for the above-mentioned and asked the price of an annual service plus the 30k one "Oh well, I am not sure about that" says the girl in the service dept. "Fine" says I. I left the bike and asked her to call me with a price, explaining that if it was silly money I would be going elsewhere for the work to be done as there are a couple of good independants up around here.

Gets a call this morning telling me that the bike is ready having sailed through the lot. The bill quoted over the phone was.............£693 including VAT!!!!
You can imagine my response.

I went in and saw the service manager. These boys are charging £83 per hour plus a set fee of £192 for the annual service!!!

Anyhow, they still have the bike and I am refusing to pay the money. I have offered to pay £320, which I think is a more realistic figure. However I realise that they have my bike and I am due them money.

I have called the dealers in Inverness and Glasgow and they are about the £280/ £300 mark. I have also been in contact with Trading Standards here in Aberdeen and they advise me to pay the money and then try legal action but that wont be cheap.

Whats the feeling boys; pay up the full amount, try to haggle a deal and if so, how much should I pay???

All comments greatly appreciated.

Yours, a penniless Leasky.

[tripe]

I sympathise with your plight on this one.

a good tack to take that can work is to; ask for the breakdown on the list of items/work that they did without your authorisation.Go and see the service manager in person and tell him that you have taken advice. BMW usually get client authorisation for any additional work(phone other dealers to check this). When they present you with this list inform them that it was unauthorised work to your bike and that you require them to put the old parts back, but of course you expect and insist on paqying for the service as quoted.Do not make an offer first, you must let them make an offer to you. Stand there and politely keep repeating yourself.

Good luck

[adamski49]

Ouch I hope they kissed you first.

Just an idea but a lot of the items on the annual service duplicate items on a standard service so I would look at omitting the annual cost and introducing the actual costs for work over and above the service. This might bring it down a fair bit and should be acceptable to the dealer as they are still getting paid for work done.

Personally, I think the annual service is an excuse to screw the customer for more cash. I always made sure that I only had the service (minor or major) and asked for brake fluid, clutch fluid etc on top if I thought it was due.

I take it you have the genuine S maintenance manual? This identifies the various work required for each service.

Good luck.

Adam

EDIT: I've just checked what forms part of an annual service but not a 6k and it is as follows:
1. Change gearbox oil (2 years).
2. Change rear drive oil (2 years).
3. Battery acid and level check, greas posts.
4. Change brake fluid.
5. Change clutch fluid.

Jeez! £192 for that little lot!

[leasky]

Update on bill.

Took Adamskis advice and sure enough, they had double charged on most timed items. This coupled with the advice from Tripe about unathorised work and what seemed to be a change of heart from the Service Manager has resulted in the bill now being £320. As I had originally offered.

I agreed to pay it in full and when I got there an hour ago, cash in hand, I got nothing but bloody sarcasim from the assistant service manager about "old BMW bikes" and "If you cant afford to maintain a BMW then dont buy one". Bloody cheek!!

Anyhow bill paid, book stamped and away; never, ever to return to John Clark BMW Aberdeen.

Thanks for the advice guys, it has saved me a packet.

A happier, slightly less penniless Leasky.

[Gromit]

Good result Leasky - but definitely an experience not to be repeated.

I'd suggest you inform this assistant service manager blokey that his (or his colleagues') incompetence at doing sums has now been publicised to several hundred other BMW owners. Teaspoon full of sand into his bike's* oil filler hole should be suitable revenge...



*If he owns one of course.

[Boxadog 2000]

Personally I would write to BMW GB and state the facts in the politest of terms emphasising the bit about OLD BMW's.

And ask BMW GB what they class as an old bike and should they be regarded as disposable after 5 years.

[tripe]

glad to see you got a result. If you write to BMW GB, which you must,get in touch with head office and get the name of the MD and write to him directly. you might like to show them this statement on their website. (http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/gb/en/index.html)
Also get the name of that lovely assistant manager and quote his name in the letter. Should waste a few hours of his time as he justifies his incompetence.

[Boxadog 2000]

And mention the fact that you have posted youre findings to the 400+ members of the site that you donate to who mostly have BMW's more than a year old.

Mind you mine is new

[Archie]

Mind you mine is new

Hello, Hello, what's all this then???

Something to confess to Bob??

Spill the beans...

[theseadog]

That's absolutely out-fecking-rageous, I've heard some bad reports about Clarks before, but that's just a shocker. I'd agree I would certainly be dropping BMW GB a line and I'd certainly mention this assistant manager's name. I'd also find out the name of the MD for clarks and copy him on it, highlighting your displeasure at being talked down to by this oik and that you didn't appreciate his sarcasim. What was his name ?

But 83 an hour for fecks sake that's more than my local BM car dealer charges in Glasgow !

Anyway good result, but don't let it lie


Toodle Pip

[leasky]

After carefully drafting a full and comprehensive letter, detailing everything that has occured (including the response and help from here, not to mention the exposure) I have sent same to BMW UK and a copy to Mr John Clark (MD of garage).

In it I named both the Service Managers and the unbeleavable attitude of the latter.

I have no intention ever to darken the door of John Clark BMW again and with this in mind I made contact yesterday with an Independant BMW garage in Aberdeen. They are able to obtain all BMW parts I may require and are a LOT cheaper.

I explained my tale of woe and the owner of the garage could tell me the assistant service managers name at John Clark and that he (the ass serv man) had been there for atleast 15 years and was widely known as an arse who losses the company numerous customers per year! Further to that; several companies had apparently cancelled fleet hires of BMW cars due to the guys attitude and confrontational manner. (these companies are now at the independant).

With this in mind I doubt if my little letter will make any odds.

Anyhow, I shall provide a final update if and when I get a reply from any of them.

Leasky.

[Blackal]

Glad to hear you got a result on the bill, at least.

If they didn't re-check the bill from the first time you expressed amazement at the cost, you can quite legitimately accuse them of deliberate fraud.

I've used the following as a means of getting satisfaction with a car dealer before:

"Tell you what, I'll park outside your dealership every Saturday - and intercept everyone that approaches your door. How many do you think I will manage to turn away before you see my point of view?"

As long as you keep it factual, when they eventually cave in - they wish they had done it from the outset!

Why limit boycotting of Clarks of Aberdeen - make it the entire organisation. To55ers!

Al

[leasky]

Following on from my rant last May about the deplorable service at the above mentioned establishment; it is with great pleasure that I am proud to announce that they have just lost the BMW bike franchise for Aberdeen!!! Ya Hoo!! There is a God!

Apparently, there has been a catalogue of complaints from customers and the few good guys they had, have left due to the attitude and lack of support from the managers and service staff.

The entire operation has been transfered to the BMW garage in Dundee. I understand that the BMW bike guys down there are a better breed and as yet untainted by the ar**holes from Aberdeen. Long may it continue.

I hope this has not resulted in any mechanics or salesmen losing their jobs but I do hope that the little shite who upset me is now selling the Big Issue in some piss-stained back alley.

Anyhow, thats my tuppence worth. Off to thank the Gods for working in their mysterious ways.

I thank you.

Leasky.

[Blackal]

It sounds like a result, but you may find that they were happy to see the bike section close?
They'll be quite happy with the Aberdeenshire car sales/servicing, I'm sure.

If they maintain a good bike section in Dundee, they may not even lose many sales in all?

Al

[Me-109]

Being a mechanically-minded tight-ar5ed Northener, though not a Scot mind, I question the value of dealer-maintaining a bike out of warranty?

Glad you got a result at the time and you now have an alternative servicing venue.