[bordeaux]

PreScript: I or anyone in my family have never owned a luxury car. So, I have no idea how things are at a German luxury brand. But the expectation is that they should be better than what you see at Tata/Honda/Mahindra etc.

I had been looking for a new/used car to accompany my now almost beater grade Honda City (2009 / 1,75,000 KMs). Had looked at all sorts of cars from various segments and form factors but found nothing that was suitable for our "traveler’s lifestyle". This persistent search brought us to a corner where we were really impressed by one BMW 320D GT Luxury Line (2017 / 60,000 KMs) in the signature blue color with cognac interiors. Really well maintained and the interiors almost felt new. The GT shape is supremely impressive, the kind that makes you fall in love at first sight! Such a shame that BMW no longer sells this marvel anymore.



Anyway, while the car looked absolutely gorgeous, if I have learnt anything in life so far is that your partner must be good at heart for a “lived happily ever after” relationship. Loaded with this information, decided to put her through a polygraph and a narco test (AKA BMW 360 degree checkup). It was going to be an expensive affair but if I have learned anything from my short post-corona trading stint is that it’s always better to buy call options if you want extremely high leverage. You have a very high probability of a small loss but on the flip side you are rewarded with a low probability of making a fortune. Here, approximately 18,000 INR expense to ensure a future investment worth ~30L looked like a really good risk/reward play.

The car was at a stockyard in Madhapur. The dealer checked with the owner and the owner agreed to allow me to take the car for a thorough checkup. Though he tried to discourage it citing it as an unnecessary expense because the car was serviced only three months back at authorized BMW service center. He even shared the detailed service report. It was genuine and had all the details for services performed and parts changed. Still, I wanted nothing less than a thorough checkup. The dealer asked me to get an appointment at the service center.

Called up the BMW service center and booked an appointment for 10:30 AM two days later. A day before the appointment, I got a WhatsApp message saying my appointment is confirmed for 8:30 AM. I was like WTH! I replied asking for a 10:30 AM appointment and no sooner. It was set alright by the CRE. It felt odd but I let it go as a glitch in the German discipline.

The dealer assigned a driver and he drove us to the BMW service center at RTC Crossroads, Hyderabad. We reached around 10:50 AM. We walked in and were received well and assigned a service advisor (Referred to as SA henceforth) immediately. But that’s where the niceties ended and things quickly started going downhill. We were informed that cars are attended as per a FCFS queue (First Come First Serve). That pissed me off immediately. Why in God’s name would you pretend to have an appointment system at all then?! [Major Red Flag #1]

As the SA tried to use the car key to identify our car, it didn’t work. After struggling for 15 minutes, he concluded the key FOB needed to be updated. That took him another 30 minutes. So, we have already wasted almost an hour since arrival to just generate a job card to enter the FCFS queue. We probably lost a couple places. We were told that the work will start soon. [Minor Red Flag #1]

Once the job card was done, we were requested to sit in the customer lounge instead. Boy oh boy, where do I even start! It was a small 10’x10’ (probably smaller) room with a couch, a center table with a few India Today magazines, a couple newspapers and a large TV. It was a fairly congested room and had a door to the company restroom which was used by all the employees (except by the mechanics). Maybe I have the wrong expectations from a luxury brand but my definition of luxury is a bit different and doesn’t involve me sitting next to a restroom being used by the employees, all the freaking time. The customer lounge at my Honda service center is much bigger, better and not next to a restroom! [Major Red Flag #2]

Approximately 30 minutes after we moved to the lounge, the SA pops in and tells us that the charges for this are going to be 17,000 + GST. I got really irritated with that but kept my calm. I told him that I was quoted 15,000 + GST for the checkup by the CRE on the phone. Asked him to go and check with her. To my surprise, he never showed up again to confirm the pricing. This felt like an attempt to fleece an innocent customer. A giant corporation like BMW ought to have a standardized price list for such jobs and SAs can’t charge whatever they feel like. [Major Red Flag #3]

Every time we enquired, we were told that the work would start in 10-20 minutes. Soon it was lunch time and I decided to head out for lunch. Returned around 1:30 PM and upon enquiring I was told that the work hadn’t started. This was the moment when I started regretting even considering a BMW. I don’t mind when things take long but I do prefer the SAs to be honest about it so that I can keep my expectations under control.

Anyway, around 2:00 PM, the vehicle was finally pulled in and lifted up. The mechanics started the inspection. I hung around the bay for a while to see what they were up to. Now, what I am going to say is probably nitpicking but I was pretty pissed by now and had earned the right to nitpick. The mechanics were using the flash torches on their smartphones instead of proper torches to inspect the underbody and deep crevices. That is perfectly acceptable and preferred at your neighborhood garage but BMW mechanics/engineers should be equipped with proper equipment called torches. Anyway, after a while I was asked to leave the service area. Went back to the luxurious customer lounge. To be honest, the service bays felt like a better environment than that customer lounge. [Minor Red Flag #2]

Around 3:30 PM or so, the SA finally popped in and said that the mechanics were done with the inspection and he escorted us to the service bay. They found a couple of issues. The front left alloy wheel was bent. And magically, the shock absorber on the same wheel was leaking fluid. When I asked the mechanic if the wheel can be straightened, he replied positively. IMMEDIATELY, he was shushed by the SA claiming that alloy wheels can’t be straightened and it must be replaced by a new wheel. Boy, that was embarrassing for me as well as the mechanic. SA also insisted that the entire suspension must be replaced for that fluid leak on one of the shock absorbers. This whole conversation had red flags all over the place. This was starting to feel less of a service center and more of a sophisticated scam. Was quoted 45K for the alloy wheel and 150K for the suspension. [Major Red Flag #3]

We walked back to the customer reception. I thought we were done and should be heading back home soon. We were requested to “relax” in the customer lounge in the meantime. It was starting to feel like a prison where I was ending up time and again despite my best efforts.

Nearly half an hour later, I walked into the reception area and checked the status with SA. To my surprise, I was informed that it’d take another hour or so. What kind of clock system or parallel universe these people were operating in was now getting beyond my limits of imagination! I just wanted things to end now. Helpless, I retreated to the customer lounge and tried to relax.

Finally, around 6:15 PM, it was all done. They didn’t find any other faults with the car. That was a relief. While the SA prepared for the checkout, I asked if he could retrieve the price list for any service packages they may offer for the car given its current condition. And will they be willing to offer a warranty even if at a premium? He needed to check with another person who was constantly on his mobile phone for some reason and roaming around the office. The SA had to literally beg him several times for him to finally walk to us and explain the service packages. This felt like incredibly rude behavior and was definitely another red flag for me. I did get the details on the service packages in the end though. [Major Red Flag #4]

We were finally able to leave the service center around 6:45 PM. Having spent nearly 8 hours to achieve something that should have taken no more than 4-5 hours felt like an incredible waste of time. Anyway, we drove back to the stockyard and then I finally hauled an auto to get back home. I left home at 8:30 AM in the morning and reached around 10:00 PM. The money spent hurt much less than the precious time I ended up wasting on this endeavor.

At the stockyard, I met the dealer and stated my bid. I underbidded empowered by the discoveries we made. But deep inside, I was just hoping that the owner would reject the bid and I’d be saved from the future horrors of owning a BMW in Hyderabad.

But as they say, all’s well that ends well. We did not come to an agreeable price and the deal was dead. That INR 17,700 (plus INR 500 towards diesel expense for the journey to the service center) saved me from a potential disastrous ownership of a BMW. I ended up making a resolution to not own a BMW in the near future.

To clarify, I still have no idea how the car really was as I never drove it. I was determined not to drive the car till I was 100% sure I was going ahead with the purchase. I have nothing against the BMW brand as such apart from the fact they don’t provide torches to the mechanics I really like some of their cars and will probably own one sometime in the far future but for now I am done with them.

Also, the service center is shared by Rolls Royce and Mini. So, if you were to get your Phantom serviced there, you’d probably just fire everyone. I understand that nobody who owns a Phantom takes it to the service center themselves but still!

Credit where it's due. The staff was soft spoken and polite throughout even when we pestered them for updates. There was tea/coffee available on request but they served it in cutting size paper cups. Come on BMW!!!! I didn’t opt for it as a form of protest. I don’t think they cared,

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by bordeaux

Loaded with this information, decided to put her through a polygraph and a narco test (AKA BMW 360 degree checkup).

You did right to get the check, and it was probably wrong for the service centre not to give you timelines for job completion. This is a thorough check and takes a couple of hours. But, due to the normal routine, they mayn't be able to start the work immediately.

I saw the report on my M5 when I sold it recently, and they did a good job going into the minutest details of finding a small nail in the tyre. Unlike in your case, I insisted the buyer to get this done and even split the costs 50-50. I won't feel good if someone comes back to me and points out to something wrong later, so it's a small price to pay for a large transaction.

The best is to leave the car with them, you should have just gone at the time when the report was completed. BMW Dealers won't get influenced by sellers in any way.

But if you liked the car and there were no major issues, you should have gone ahead with the purchase. I haven't felt the need to sit at the customer lounge while the car is under service as they will never start the work immediately, so I usually drop by and then pick next day. If you have left the car just because of this experience, think it over again, and if the car is otherwise Ok, you should go ahead with the purchase.

[Akshay1234]

Apart from the customer lounge, I'm not sure what was really awful here? I'm also not sure what was the reason to be waiting there all day, since the car could have been sent there by the dealer and you would have got the report by the evening in any case.

With regards to the wheel being bent, yes they can be straightened but BMWs policies only allow them to sell a new wheel.

Also you didn't drive the car? That should be the first thing one does. How can you be 100% sure of the purchase without driving the car or getting it driven by a known person?

[Nalin1]

That is a typical day out at any service centre .

BMW might be a luxury brand, but the people working there are not 'luxury' mechanics or 'luxury' technicians!.

So please tone down your expectations and concentrate on the car purchase and not whether they use their phone torch or some special torch!.

[bordeaux]

The service center is approximate 90 minutes from new city area I live in when the traffic levels are moderate. The quoted time for the job completion was 3 hours. Give or take an hour, it should be 4 hours which is why it didn't make no sense for me to get back home and then go over there again. But how that 4 hours turned into 8 hours was a surprise for me.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

But if you liked the car and there were no major issues, you should have gone ahead with the purchase. I haven't felt the need to sit at the customer lounge while the car is under service as they will never start the work immediately, so I usually drop by and then pick next day. If you have left the car just because of this experience, think it over again, and if the car is otherwise Ok, you should go ahead with the purchase.

To be honest, I didn't quite like the level of professionalism there. Buying an out of warranty German that already has issues will result in visits to this service center (as it's the only service center that serves entire Hyderabad and probably nearby smaller cities). I simply don't have that sort of time to spare. Hence dropped BMW entirely. Again, not blaming BMW as such. Maybe the Kun Exclusive is managing it real bad and giving BMW a bad name.

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

Apart from the customer lounge, I'm not sure what was really awful here?

Also you didn't drive the car? That should be the first thing one does. How can you be 100% sure of the purchase without driving the car or getting it driven by a known person?

Well, they could have communicated better. The SA could have not tried to overcharge me for a standard item. They could have informed me it's a FCFS queue and not pretended to take an appointment. The list goes on.

I didn't want to drive the car till I was 100% sure it was mechanically fit to even go ahead for a purchase. But then BMW experience put me off entirely and I didn't even want to drive it.

Originally Posted by Nalin1

That is a typical day out at any service centre .

BMW might be a luxury brand, but the people working there are not 'luxury' mechanics or 'luxury' technicians!.

So please tone down your expectations and concentrate on the car purchase and not whether they use their phone torch or some special torch!.

Well, I am not sure what to say to this. If I am to expect the same level of experience whether I stay at a highway lodge (Tata/Mahindra/Maruti) or a Taj Hotels property (Mercedes/BMW), I'd rather not go with Taj and save a fortune. I wonder why the customers always have to tone their expectations down instead of these luxury brands getting their sack together and delivering the experience a luxury brand ought to deliver.