Service at a different dealer?

ptack · 05-12-2008, 02:14 PM

Anyone have any experience (good or bad) taking their new car in for the $0 maintenance package to a dealer other than the one you bought the car at? My company has an discount arrangement with one dealer which is fine for a few visits to purchase, but is too far to go to for regular service. Do the dealers care where the cars for free service come from?

SlapSmak · 05-12-2008, 02:37 PM

Any Dealer will do the 4yr/50k services as well as any other warranty work. The only negative you may encounter is that if you did not purchase from the servicing dealer, sometimes they will not give you a loaner. Our local dealer here is like that.

mistermojorizin · 05-12-2008, 03:23 PM

^I found out about the loaner thing after i baught the car and i was so shocked. i'm coming from infiniti where i could roll into any dealer, drop the car for an oil change, and pick up a g35 loaner for the day and pick up my car in the evening. I went for an unscheduled oil change in my 135 and they wouldn't give me a loaner, they made me sit there for 2 hours. I couldn't believe it.

IDBMW · 05-12-2008, 03:58 PM

I usually buy my BMW’s out of state since the dealer has no clue what they are doing and charge an area markup. I did buy my 135i from them since there was no below MSRP pricing. The CA wrote the options for a 135i convertible but I was buying a coupe. I had to show him what he was doing wrong. I have run into a few issues with the local dealer not wanting to fix warranty issues. They even ask me if I bought the car from them. A call to BMW fixed that. The next morning the local dealer is calling me to bring my car in. The dealer tried to pull the “but you get a loaner if you buy a car from us”. I told them with the $7K I saved going to another dealer I could buy a good used car to drive while my car is in the shop. Besides, My wife works one mile from the dealership so there is really no need for a loaner in my case.

If you have issues with the dealer just call BMW and the problem will be solved.

Larry_Legend · 05-13-2008, 09:22 AM

Where from in NJ? I know that Circle BMW will not give you a loaner unless you buy from them. I used to go to Freehold with my 1999 323i and they started giving me loaners once DCH bought them out. Not that it matters now, since I bought this car from Freehold, but I'm going to bring it to them in the future mainly based on the loaner car issue.

FYI, I think the reason I bought my 135i now and not in the fall as I wanted was because Circle did a bad brake job on my car, resulting in an issue years later. Issue cost $2800 to fix, so it wasn't worth it to me to fix it.

Andres G · 05-13-2008, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IDBMW

I usually buy my BMW’s out of state since the dealer has no clue what they are doing and charge an area markup. I did buy my 135i from them since there was no below MSRP pricing. The CA wrote the options for a 135i convertible but I was buying a coupe. I had to show him what he was doing wrong. I have run into a few issues with the local dealer not wanting to fix warranty issues. They even ask me if I bought the car from them. A call to BMW fixed that. The next morning the local dealer is calling me to bring my car in. The dealer tried to pull the “but you get a loaner if you buy a car from us”. I told them with the $7K I saved going to another dealer I could buy a good used car to drive while my car is in the shop. Besides, My wife works one mile from the dealership so there is really no need for a loaner in my case.

If you have issues with the dealer just call BMW and the problem will be solved.

I went exactly through the same scenario with my local dealership... only I had to call in several times to BMW NA and complain. Finally, as it was bound to happen, the dealership went broke and was sold to the Superior Group and most of it's CAs and Service Reps are new and willing to attract new business.

In the past, my main issues were related to them not being able to fix the car, rather than being willing to get me a loaner. In some cases, they even offered loaners from the other brands they manage if they were out of loaner cars with the roundel...

Sherifftruman · 05-13-2008, 03:00 PM

It is stupid for them to try and refuse warranty work due to where the car was bought. That is easy money for them as BMW pays the bills. The loaner is a different story though.

mistermojorizin · 05-13-2008, 03:31 PM

why's the loaner a different story? they make more from service than from selling the cars. and they should want to attract business. also, they should want to attract future car sales. i'm going wherever gives me a loaner. there's 6 dealerships within 20 mins of me.

Sherifftruman · 05-14-2008, 09:33 AM

Only because BMW NA is not supplying them to the dealers. The loaner is a cost to them. Some dealers feel (and they are wrong IMO) that since they are paying for the loaner, that they will reward only the customers who bought the car there with one. Again, this is short sighted and anti-customer service thinking IMO.

3toM · 05-14-2008, 02:01 PM

I bought my 3 series at one dealership, get it serviced at another one closer to my home, and haven't had any problems, and can get a loaner. In fact, one of the CA knows my lease is up next year and has already pledged that no other dealer will beat his price, because they don't want to lose local customers any longer.

05-12-2008, 02:14 PM	#1
ptack Brigadier General 269 Rep 4,470 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: May 2008 Location: NJ iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 135i [6.50]	Service at a different dealer? Anyone have any experience (good or bad) taking their new car in for the $0 maintenance package to a dealer other than the one you bought the car at? My company has an discount arrangement with one dealer which is fine for a few visits to purchase, but is too far to go to for regular service. Do the dealers care where the cars for free service come from?
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05-12-2008, 02:37 PM	#2
SlapSmak Private 4 Rep 96 Posts Drives: Join Date: Apr 2008 iTrader: (1)	Any Dealer will do the 4yr/50k services as well as any other warranty work. The only negative you may encounter is that if you did not purchase from the servicing dealer, sometimes they will not give you a loaner. Our local dealer here is like that. __________________ 98 Type R
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05-12-2008, 03:23 PM	#3
mistermojorizin Lieutenant Colonel 40 Rep 1,657 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	^I found out about the loaner thing after i baught the car and i was so shocked. i'm coming from infiniti where i could roll into any dealer, drop the car for an oil change, and pick up a g35 loaner for the day and pick up my car in the evening. I went for an unscheduled oil change in my 135 and they wouldn't give me a loaner, they made me sit there for 2 hours. I couldn't believe it. __________________ "KOPEYKA" /// Titanium Silver / Black Leather / Gray Poplar / Sport Package / Premium Package / 6MT / Feb 08 Production
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05-12-2008, 03:58 PM	#4
IDBMW Captain 41 Rep 825 Posts Drives: 2019 X3 M40i Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, ID iTrader: (0)	I usually buy my BMW’s out of state since the dealer has no clue what they are doing and charge an area markup. I did buy my 135i from them since there was no below MSRP pricing. The CA wrote the options for a 135i convertible but I was buying a coupe. I had to show him what he was doing wrong. I have run into a few issues with the local dealer not wanting to fix warranty issues. They even ask me if I bought the car from them. A call to BMW fixed that. The next morning the local dealer is calling me to bring my car in. The dealer tried to pull the “but you get a loaner if you buy a car from us”. I told them with the $7K I saved going to another dealer I could buy a good used car to drive while my car is in the shop. Besides, My wife works one mile from the dealership so there is really no need for a loaner in my case. If you have issues with the dealer just call BMW and the problem will be solved. __________________ 2019 X3 M40i - Black Sapphire Metallic - Mocha Lather - 21" 718M wheels - Every option except Sun Shade
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05-13-2008, 09:22 AM	#5
Larry_Legend Second Lieutenant 23 Rep 233 Posts Drives: 2008 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New Jersey iTrader: (0)	Where from in NJ? I know that Circle BMW will not give you a loaner unless you buy from them. I used to go to Freehold with my 1999 323i and they started giving me loaners once DCH bought them out. Not that it matters now, since I bought this car from Freehold, but I'm going to bring it to them in the future mainly based on the loaner car issue. FYI, I think the reason I bought my 135i now and not in the fall as I wanted was because Circle did a bad brake job on my car, resulting in an issue years later. Issue cost $2800 to fix, so it wasn't worth it to me to fix it.
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05-13-2008, 03:00 PM	#7
Sherifftruman Second Lieutenant 3 Rep 295 Posts Drives: Join Date: Aug 2007 iTrader: (0)	It is stupid for them to try and refuse warranty work due to where the car was bought. That is easy money for them as BMW pays the bills. The loaner is a different story though.
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05-13-2008, 03:31 PM	#8
mistermojorizin Lieutenant Colonel 40 Rep 1,657 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	why's the loaner a different story? they make more from service than from selling the cars. and they should want to attract business. also, they should want to attract future car sales. i'm going wherever gives me a loaner. there's 6 dealerships within 20 mins of me. __________________ "KOPEYKA" /// Titanium Silver / Black Leather / Gray Poplar / Sport Package / Premium Package / 6MT / Feb 08 Production
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05-14-2008, 09:33 AM	#9
Sherifftruman Second Lieutenant 3 Rep 295 Posts Drives: Join Date: Aug 2007 iTrader: (0)	Only because BMW NA is not supplying them to the dealers. The loaner is a cost to them. Some dealers feel (and they are wrong IMO) that since they are paying for the loaner, that they will reward only the customers who bought the car there with one. Again, this is short sighted and anti-customer service thinking IMO.
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05-14-2008, 02:01 PM	#10
3toM Lieutenant 18 Rep 511 Posts Drives: 2013 335i EB Msport Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	I bought my 3 series at one dealership, get it serviced at another one closer to my home, and haven't had any problems, and can get a loaner. In fact, one of the CA knows my lease is up next year and has already pledged that no other dealer will beat his price, because they don't want to lose local customers any longer.
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