Bad service from Stratstone BMW Harrogate

Post by **sp3ctre** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:09 pm

I don’t usually post rants on forums, but I feel I must post regarding the poor level of service I have received from BMW Harrogate.

I took my car in for its MOT and to have it checked out prior to the warranty running out. I specifically asked them to check the roof, as it had marks on it and bulges and creases on the passenger side. I have been on the Z4 forums for a year or so and I know what a 3 year old roof should look like, and I do expect some marks, especially when it’s not clean. However, these are actual bulges (and are only on the passenger side).

My issues is two parts really, firstly the quality of the roof and secondly the fact that they have taken over 2 months now and they have still not resolved it.

On 5th April 2007 the engineer at BMW Harrogate looked at my roof and agreed that it had premature wear and tear and needed replacing. I saw the original report and discussed it with a member of the service desk. He also promised me the roof would be replaced. I took the car to them on 16th April as this was the earliest they had a slot.

I received a call from BMW Harrogate on 19th April stating that BMW had not agreed this work, as they believe it is a cleaning issue and it needs to be cleaned with the official BMW kit. I have since checked with the previous owner and this had been done already, prior to September 2006. The cleaning helped with the marks a little bit, but (no surprise) the bulges still remained!

To cut a long story short, I took the car in 4 times, engineers looked at it and they took digital pictures. I agreed to this as, as far as they led me to believe, they just needed to send pictures to BMW in order to get permission to fit the roof.

On 17th May I was told that they needed the car once again, as the Regional Technical Manager needed to see it. He came and saw it but told me it was due to the roof being put down when wet! I have never done this… and the bulges have appeared since I have had the car. Also, the bulges and marks are only on one side!!

I received the other day an email from BMW stating it is not a warranty issue and they will do nothing to assist me. I will supply pictures to back this up (they are at home), but this is a word of warning about BMW Harrogate… Their attitude all along has been “we’d be more inclined to help if you’d bought it from us”. That in my mind is condescending and rude. It’s a BMW warranty and I expect better quality and service from a supposed reputable marquee.

The long and the short of it is, they promised me a new roof, in my opinion it requires one, and they took over 2 months just to say flat out, “no”. Beware.

Post by **sp3ctre** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:23 pm

Just got a reply...

Dear Mr Sefton

I am in receipt of your email below and in the first instance, I apologise for the delay in my response to you. I acknowledge your dissatisfaction with the appearance of the convertible roof on your BMW Z4 and I regret any detrimental effect that this general experience has had on your faith in the BMW brand as a whole.

I have taken the opportunity to review your case, incorporating the feedback of David Harrison, Assistant Service Manager at Stratstone Harrogate and the Regional Technical Manager from BMW UK. The Regional Technical Manager is qualified in assessing and appraising all aspects of the BMW product and his findings are deemed conclusive. I can therefore only reiterate that any rectification work that you requested to be carried out on your vehicle's roof would not have been carried out under the terms and conditions of the warranty on the basis that it is a cosmetic concern, caused by the level of maintenance of this vehicle component. No manufacturing defect was determined to affect the roof of your BMW Z4.

Should you wish to progress this matter, I would direct you to your contractual partner i.e. the dealership that sold you this vehicle. Since your BMW Z4 was purchased outside of the Approved BMW Dealer network, it has not been subject to the stringent checks imposed under our company's Approved Used Car scheme; checks that ensure that all vehicles meet manufacturer's specification and the aesthetic expectations of the customer.

In closing, I regret that I am not responding as you might have hoped but I trust that I have adequately clarified our company position on this matter.

Yours sincerely

Marian Luff

Customer Service Manager
Region 7
BMW UK
V3-UK-A-1

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:16 pm

Not quite sure that it is a valid answer. He implies that if you had bought the car from an approved centre, the "stringent checks" would have fixed the roof as part of the warranty. However as you did not, the fault is then only cosmetic ...

Post by **sp3ctre** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:20 pm

Indeed... and what about all my time they have wasted, getting me to drive back to the dealer each time?!

I am v.unhappy with Stratstone Harrogate, as well as with BMW UK. They have offered me nothing at all to compensate me for this.

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:36 pm

ok, read this line a couple of times - what is he saying here?

on the basis that it is a cosmetic concern, caused by the level of maintenance of this vehicle component

Post by **sp3ctre** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:39 pm

mmm, yeah....

From my point of view marks are a cosmetic concern, bulges are a defect! What exactly do they think I could have done to cause it? Even if I put it down wet every day I would not expect it to deform?!

zee42 · Post by **zee42** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 2:34 am

problem solved.....burn the dealership to the ground,kill all the people inside except for the one that wrote the last letter,save her for last...and then salt the earth for at least 22 square miles around the dealership.
then simply go to another dealership and ask the same question,cross your arms and await their response....a newlevel of respect should be noticed straight away

or you can just show up with one of these

or wait till they close and sneak up on them with this

just a few suggestions....trying to be helpful and all

flyboyaj · Post by **flyboyaj** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 4:30 am

I have the bulges too. They are definately a defect. I know of others who have had them also during their initial warranty period and have had the rag tops replaced under warranty. I wish I could give you a case number or something to throw in that retard's face at BMW UK.

I recommend you keep fighting this, unfortunatly it sounds like you will be fighting the dealership who told you initially that the roof was defective and would be replaced as it sounds like BMW UK has washed their hands of it due to where you purchased the vehicle. Where did you purchase the vehicle?

I won't be raising a stink about my bulges cause they don't bother me just yet. I have accepted them as just a part of the vehicle, and realizing that nothing in this world is perfect, I am OK with that for now. Unless, of course, they get any bigger.

Rick Hunter · Post by **Rick Hunter** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:44 am

flyboyaj wrote:I have the bulges too.

I won't be raising a stink about my bulges cause they don't bother me just yet.

Why, oh why do you make it soooooo easy for us to

fun?

sp3ctre, how about just trading it in for an ///M?

Post by **sp3ctre** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:48 am

I purchased it from a local BMW specialist... very nice people. I didn't take it up with them as I could see the bulges when I bought it, and just presumed the warranty would cover it.

I would be interested to hear from people who have had the roof replaced.

I wonder if the fact that they promised it in the first instance gives me any leverage?

I have logged the complaint with http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

Guess i'll see what they say.

Post by **sp3ctre** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:00 am

I have logged my complaint with Consumers Direct, apparently I need to approach the dealer I got the car from under the Sales of Good Act. I am a little confused by this, as if it is a manufacturing fault then I see my case as being with BMW warranty, as surely that's the point of a manufacturers warranty?! Weird!

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:08 am

No - with all goods you have to contact the seller first as that is your point of contact. It is not a manufacturers issue.

Your seller has to redress the issue with their seller etc etc. There was a good article in the Which guide this month about this. They went to all the big chains with a faulty washing machine, just outside the warranty period and all of them, without exception, answered the question wrong. I.e, they all pointed them to the manufacturer or tried to say "that is why you need extended warranty"

Not true - they, as the sellers, remain responsible for the goods. And they remain so, even after warranty period, as the goods have a life expectancy of more then 1 year.

Post by **sp3ctre** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:10 am

Interesting point... I will go and see them this week. Thanks!

Post by **sp3ctre** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:17 pm

Sorry, I don't like to bump threads, I just wanted to let you know I got nowhere with this... BMW head office didn't want to know.. I got passed from pillar to post and nobody gave a damn! I think the only way would've been to take legal action, but I don't have the time or money to do that at the moment... guess I'm just left with a bitter taste in my mouth!

I will NEVER use BMW Harrogate again

zee42 · Post by **zee42** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:26 pm

I remember on Z4um that jinthekoreankid got his replaced for free...I just can't remember how many dealerships he had to burn to the ground to get it...I think he went through BMW north america

Z4-forum.com

Z4-forum.com

Bad service from Stratstone BMW Harrogate

Bad service from Stratstone BMW Harrogate