LUTFY
08-06-2004, 04:59 PM
Folks,
I am sharing my most recent service experience with Global Imports BMW. In mid June, I had a fender bender (driver rear). The wiring behind the amplifier was shorted (due to impact) and the surge damaged my CD player and the front 2 midrange speakers. After I got my car back from the body shop, I dropped it off at Global Imports folks. I got my car back after 5 days in the garage. The CD player was replaced and the labor to replace the CD and checking the wiring was $900. My insurance picked up the tab.
As soon as I got the car (it was a Friday), the speakers sounded 'horrible' and the front under panel below the steering wheel was almost falling apart. On top of that, my airbag light was on. The following week I dropped the car back to the dealer. They replaced the right front speaker, reinstalled the under panel and reset the SRS light (which they admitted was their fault since the technician forgot to reset it prior to delivery). I went to pick up the car, and only the front right front speaker was not replaced. I was infuriated. The service advisor (Steve
Andrews) had asked me to be there at 6PM and I was there 10 minutes before six to realize he was 'gone for the day' and I was now being helped by another advisor. This service advisor too agreed that the left front speaker was blown and that they will take care of it. The next morning I received a phone call from Steve informing me that I will be charged for the rental for one day since I did not show up to pick up my car. Funny when I told him about the night before when I "was" there, he apologized. I went to pick up the car and the speaker was STILL not replaced and I was told that it was working perfectly fine and that my CDs were not designed to be played on this BMW system hence the distorted sound. HUH??
At that point, I had lost it. I asked the service advisor to get his test CD and prove it to me that the speaker was not blown. After testing the CD he was convinced (not to mention embarrassed) and decided to change the speaker. Another half day of mine wasted. I paid the invoice on the spot which was also faxed to my insurance company.
Now the interesting part. Global Imports BMW had charged me $115.88 to reset the SRS light (I overlooked the invoice before picking up the car). I went back to the dealership. The incompetent service advisor called up my insurance and his explanation was "we apologize but someone had entered the system and put the speaker labor in the wrong column". Insurance company refused the payment and now I am short paid with no fault of mine. I will call up my credit card company and dispute the payment. Apparently they are taking care of this (whatever that means).
Overall my experience with Global Imports BMW has been 'terrible' (TOTAL five visits on a simple case). And oh yeah, the no longer offer 15% CCA discount. Its narrowed down to 10% "take it or leave it". Hope none of you have to deal with such mediocre service.
A.L.
Here is the response I received from another local club member:
If we are talking about poor Global experiences I will share as well. I won't go into details about the poor salesmen experience that we received when my father was looking at 7's a few years back (2000'ish). A few years ago I decided I would never go there again. I was in buying some parts and waiting for the parts guys to come back with my items. I started talking to this guy who had waited for 25 minutes on some control arms and other parts. He commented to me about how expensive Global was and he just felt so abused. I mentioned a couple mail order places for him to check for parts in the future and he was grateful. The parts guy came back and overheard our conversation. I got my parts and went on my way.
Fast forward a couple hours. My phone rings and it is this jacka$$ from Global (Mike something...had glasses and not much personality back in '00). He starts tearing into me and threatening me telling me it wasn't cool to take a sale from him. Evidently the guy waiting got pissed of being dicked around and it taking so long and left without buying any of the $1000 worth of parts that this jackass was digging up for him. I just laughed at his arrogance on the phone and thanked him for his very courteous phone call. I hung up and immediatly called the general manager of the dealership who was less than helpful and didn't seem to care how his employees treated people. At that point I vowed never to let Global have a penny from me and shared my experience with anyone who ever thought of being a patron there. YMMV...but this sounds like common behavior from Global. I hope your situation works out better than mine did.
R.
I am sharing my most recent service experience with Global Imports BMW. In mid June, I had a fender bender (driver rear). The wiring behind the amplifier was shorted (due to impact) and the surge damaged my CD player and the front 2 midrange speakers. After I got my car back from the body shop, I dropped it off at Global Imports folks. I got my car back after 5 days in the garage. The CD player was replaced and the labor to replace the CD and checking the wiring was $900. My insurance picked up the tab.
As soon as I got the car (it was a Friday), the speakers sounded 'horrible' and the front under panel below the steering wheel was almost falling apart. On top of that, my airbag light was on. The following week I dropped the car back to the dealer. They replaced the right front speaker, reinstalled the under panel and reset the SRS light (which they admitted was their fault since the technician forgot to reset it prior to delivery). I went to pick up the car, and only the front right front speaker was not replaced. I was infuriated. The service advisor (Steve
Andrews) had asked me to be there at 6PM and I was there 10 minutes before six to realize he was 'gone for the day' and I was now being helped by another advisor. This service advisor too agreed that the left front speaker was blown and that they will take care of it. The next morning I received a phone call from Steve informing me that I will be charged for the rental for one day since I did not show up to pick up my car. Funny when I told him about the night before when I "was" there, he apologized. I went to pick up the car and the speaker was STILL not replaced and I was told that it was working perfectly fine and that my CDs were not designed to be played on this BMW system hence the distorted sound. HUH??
At that point, I had lost it. I asked the service advisor to get his test CD and prove it to me that the speaker was not blown. After testing the CD he was convinced (not to mention embarrassed) and decided to change the speaker. Another half day of mine wasted. I paid the invoice on the spot which was also faxed to my insurance company.
Now the interesting part. Global Imports BMW had charged me $115.88 to reset the SRS light (I overlooked the invoice before picking up the car). I went back to the dealership. The incompetent service advisor called up my insurance and his explanation was "we apologize but someone had entered the system and put the speaker labor in the wrong column". Insurance company refused the payment and now I am short paid with no fault of mine. I will call up my credit card company and dispute the payment. Apparently they are taking care of this (whatever that means).
Overall my experience with Global Imports BMW has been 'terrible' (TOTAL five visits on a simple case). And oh yeah, the no longer offer 15% CCA discount. Its narrowed down to 10% "take it or leave it". Hope none of you have to deal with such mediocre service.
A.L.
Here is the response I received from another local club member:
If we are talking about poor Global experiences I will share as well. I won't go into details about the poor salesmen experience that we received when my father was looking at 7's a few years back (2000'ish). A few years ago I decided I would never go there again. I was in buying some parts and waiting for the parts guys to come back with my items. I started talking to this guy who had waited for 25 minutes on some control arms and other parts. He commented to me about how expensive Global was and he just felt so abused. I mentioned a couple mail order places for him to check for parts in the future and he was grateful. The parts guy came back and overheard our conversation. I got my parts and went on my way.
Fast forward a couple hours. My phone rings and it is this jacka$$ from Global (Mike something...had glasses and not much personality back in '00). He starts tearing into me and threatening me telling me it wasn't cool to take a sale from him. Evidently the guy waiting got pissed of being dicked around and it taking so long and left without buying any of the $1000 worth of parts that this jackass was digging up for him. I just laughed at his arrogance on the phone and thanked him for his very courteous phone call. I hung up and immediatly called the general manager of the dealership who was less than helpful and didn't seem to care how his employees treated people. At that point I vowed never to let Global have a penny from me and shared my experience with anyone who ever thought of being a patron there. YMMV...but this sounds like common behavior from Global. I hope your situation works out better than mine did.
R.