pvr said:
Would you buy a car without FBMWSH?
Of course. My last 3 (up to the Z4) BMWs (all ///Ms) were bought with BMW history up to about 60,000 miles and then specialist/indy history after that.
If I'd bought my car with 3-4,000 miles on the clock then the only 'history' would be the free running in service :wink:
Even on my Z4MC I am doing interim oil services at about 6,000 miles (doing 12,000 between official services) as I drive the car hard and use this interim service to have a good check over the car.
It's not who does it that I'm worried about, but I am worried about whoever does it is actually doing it, and I've got too many examples of BMW saying they've done things and then finding out they've not. I suppose initially I was stupid to keep taking my cars to BMW - i.e. the first 3 years of my e34 M5 on which servicing is every 6,000 miles and I was doing 30,000 miles in some years. I kept going back to BMW because whilst they were expensive, weren't doing what I was paying them for, and were doing other maintenance without my permission, I didn't know where else to take it.
Since then I've tried 4 dealers with 40 miles and have had issues with them all - sometimes something as basic as finding no coolant in the system (and I don't mean 1 litre missing) - but it's the downright lies they tell you when you ask them how something this critical could have happened as they'll tell you that every job that one of their trainees (they all have to start somewhere remember) does is checked by a supervisor. Well if the trainee didn't fill it with coolant, and the supervisor has ticked the box to say it has been done, then neither of them have done their job, and I'm paying £120/hour for this incompetence.
(I've got plenty more stories and I can name names, but I'd slit my wrists - vertically - if I started recalling them all)
Then it comes to payment and I ask them for my Plus Four and/or BMW Car Club discount, but of course it's already been included, even though the price I've been given for an Inspection II is the same as they quote before you ask them for a discount (i.e. when you call them up for a booking and ask the price - before they've even ask you your name or reg).
If you can't trust the dealer, then how can you trust a full BMWSH? However, I've also seen some indy's set up by ex-BMW dealer technicians who carry on exactly the same way as they did at the dealership but just charge 50% less. Imaging getting your M back sitting 4 inches higher than it should because they don't have the tools/info to reset the ride height - and these are the ones that would have been in the dealership a few years back screwing around with your car.
If I was to renew my BMW warranty in December, do 24,000 miles, and do my regular interim oil services (at BMW of course) then I'd be looking at £900 for the warranty, £600 for 3 oil services and £1000 for an Inspection 2, so a total of £2500 a year for 'peace of mind'. If I take an aftermarket warranty at £500, and take it to my indy and do the interim oils myself then I'm looking at £200 for 3 oil services and £400-£500 for an Inspection 2, so a total of £1100-£1200 a year. Plus of course whatever BMW 'find' that's wrong with your car while it's with them :roll:
Specialists live & die by their reputation. BMW dealers just change name, say they've got rid of 'those members of staff', and lie through their teeth - and you're paying them for that pleasure. BMW just want the masses to meekly believe their brainwashing - which is working as lots of people are put off by the sight of non-BMW service stamps - fools!
Sorry, I'm starting to sound like SittingBull
