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BMW did a number on my alloys

6K views 68 replies 22 participants last post by  Major_Sarcasm 
#1 ·
Before we get started, the dealer in question (who will not be named at this stage) are working with me to rectify the issue, but I felt I needed to vent this.

Long story short, I've had a ballache having two new rears fitted. Not getting callbacks, no updates, car not moving all day etc. and losing two days wages (that's after waiting for them to arrive in stock, so two days to actually fit the tyres)
This is what BMW did to my alloys... Thankfully I inspected the car before leaving.
BMW have offered a refurb, however having had a BMW refurb before which failed within a year, I'm still dubious...

So take this as a warning everyone, always always always check your car over fully before leaving!!
Pics:





UPDATE:
Should mention as well, they left 63psi in one of my tyres and I only realised when the pressure monitor system reset as I got home... Now the tyre says "do not exceed 40psi" so is this tyre now unsafe to use also??
 
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#28 ·
Martin Keeton said:
Same dealership that I used to have my recall work done. (Last week)

Honestly the service guy that I dealt with was quite arrogant and dismissive.

I met with the Dealer Principal who was much more understanding and willing to hold his hand up.

I can't remember his name right now but I would be asking for a sit down with him.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Was his name 'Mat' by any chance? If so, same one I had, and he was the exact same with me.
 
#29 ·
Billy1mate said:
I'd just call BMW UK.
Is the car still in warranty? If it is leave the refurbed alloys in your car and get them replaced under warranty when they corrode
Called BMW UK, who said it's down to the dealership to sort, not BMW UK (lol)
Also, yeah 1 year old, so still well in warranty.
 
#30 ·
Stegosaurus said:
Martin Keeton said:
Same dealership that I used to have my recall work done. (Last week)

Honestly the service guy that I dealt with was quite arrogant and dismissive.

I met with the Dealer Principal who was much more understanding and willing to hold his hand up.

I can't remember his name right now but I would be asking for a sit down with him.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Was his name 'Mat' by any chance? If so, same one I had, and he was the exact same with me.
No, Terry is the fella that I was appointed. Sat at the first desk closest to the reception desk.

Apparently they are all the same!

Seriously ask to talk to the principal- he was good as gold with me.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#31 ·
Martin Keeton said:
Stegosaurus said:
Martin Keeton said:
Same dealership that I used to have my recall work done. (Last week)

Honestly the service guy that I dealt with was quite arrogant and dismissive.

I met with the Dealer Principal who was much more understanding and willing to hold his hand up.

I can't remember his name right now but I would be asking for a sit down with him.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Was his name 'Mat' by any chance? If so, same one I had, and he was the exact same with me.
No, Terry is the fella that I was appointed. Sat at the first desk closest to the reception desk.

Apparently they are all the same!

Seriously ask to talk to the principal- he was good as gold with me.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've had Terry a couple times, bit moody, but otherwise alright.
Ashley is the one you want, super understanding when it comes to not washing etc, really friendly and makes you feel welcome.
Sadly he's moved to quick lane service now though :(
 
#32 ·
I'm in Australia, so rules may be different. The challenge you have is dealers usually get tyres done at an outside tyre place. And the tyre place would give them the same BS you're getting - "Wasn't us". That means any cost is fully on the dealer. And they'll fight to avoid that.

I'd push BMW UK - It's their appointed dealer, and you're an unhappy customer. They can and should get involved. Tell the dealer you're not accepting their position and you're escalating to BMW UK, and if necessary, you'll continue escalating within BMWUK until you get you're car back to the same condition it was when you put it in their care - which was with unmarked & "unrefurbished" alloys.

On the refurb, be wary. If you just leave it to the dealer, they'll get a cheap & dirty job done - the same as they do with used cars before they put them out on the yard. Just enough to get them sold. Usually done with the tyre on the rim. Some even do them on the car. So it's simply a cheap patch job. In Oz, they cost under $A100 per wheel. The finish will usually fail within 12 months.

By comparison, about 4 years ago, I had a wheel done properly - it wasn't really bad, but it was more then a surface scratch. Wheel off the car - Tyre off the rim - media blasted old finish off whole wheel - rim surface refinshed to new standard ( I couldn't see the repair, and that was before it was painted) - resprayed entire wheel with original paint (Brand & colour) - wheel baked - then polished. Cost $A380 for the one wheel. Lifetime guarantee.

Best of luck.
 
#33 ·
bfi2906 said:
I'd push BMW UK - It's their appointed dealer, and you're an unhappy customer. They can and should get involved. Tell the dealer you're not accepting their position and you're escalating to BMW UK, and if necessary, you'll continue escalating within BMWUK until you get you're car back to the same condition it was when you put it in their care - which was with unmarked & "unrefurbished" alloys.

On the refurb, be wary. If you just leave it to the dealer, they'll get a cheap & dirty job done - the same as they do with used cars before they put them out on the yard. Just enough to get them sold. Usually done with the tyre on the rim. Some even do them on the car. So it's simply a cheap patch job. In Oz, they cost under $A100 per wheel. The finish will usually fail within 12 months.
It's nothing to do with BMW UK. They have no responsibility in this case at all. It's the dealer.

I've lost count of the amount of times the topic alloy wheel damaged at the tyre fitter comes up. I've suffered damage a couple of times myself. It happens and it is annoying.

However, I've genuinely never heard of a single person getting a standard alloy wheel replaced with a brand new wheel. Even Trading Standards ruled that a refurbishment is a satisfactory offer to someone that took it that far.

These wheels are poorly finished as it is. A good refurbishment is a satisfactory repair. I know it's not nice, but legally nobody has a leg to stand on to demand a brand new wheel for cosmetic damage that can be easily fixed.
 
#35 ·
marco_polo said:
What has the tyre manufacturer advised when you told them someone put 58% too much pressure in? Will they still guarantee it's fine to use?
Spoke to Bridgestone yesterday who have said the tyre would still be ok to use, but to still get it checked out anyway just incase.

As Kerr says, I contacted BMW uk, who have said its down to the dealers
 
#36 ·
Ah, it's a Runcrap. Most tyre fitters struggle to fit them, makes more sense now.

As much as I don't like Smart repairs, I'm wondering if you'd be better off (from a time/loss-of-earnings point of view) to have a tyre-on smart repair done? You'll be chucking chairs about if they do a bare metal paint refurb, and then scrape it off with the solid Runcrap once again. :(
 
#37 ·
marco_polo said:
Ah, it's a Runcrap. Most tyre fitters struggle to fit them, makes more sense now.

As much as I don't like Smart repairs, I'm wondering if you'd be better off (from a time/loss-of-earnings point of view) to have a tyre-on smart repair done? You'll be chucking chairs about if they do a bare metal paint refurb, and then scrape it off with the solid Runcrap once again. :(
If they damage it again though, they'll be repaint into it again lol.
Yeah I run with run flats as I do 30k a year atleast, so need the backup of being able to try to limp it somewhere, which is exactly what happened this time :)
 
#39 ·
marco_polo said:
How's this for a solution, swap your dodgy wheel + tyre with one from a demonstrator. You get a new wheel and tyre in zero time, and they get to repair your dodgy one however they see fit at their leisure?
I put this idea forward however they seemed reluctant and said it depends on what they get in, as a lot of them are shadows with the black wheels :/
 
#41 ·
Stegosaurus said:
I put this idea forward however they seemed reluctant and said it depends on what they get in, as a lot of them are shadows with the black wheels :/
And what's wrong with that as far as you're concerned?

I couldn't care less about the colour of a temporary wheel.

Save the stress and hassle. Get the refurb with a temporary wheel and tyre from them then move on. You'll probably get cut up in a few days and scrag the same alloy on a curb....
 
#42 ·
mouse140i said:
Stegosaurus said:
I put this idea forward however they seemed reluctant and said it depends on what they get in, as a lot of them are shadows with the black wheels :/
And what's wrong with that as far as you're concerned?

I couldn't care less about the colour of a temporary wheel.

Save the stress and hassle. Get the refurb with a temporary wheel and tyre from them then move on. You'll probably get cut up in a few days and scrag the same alloy on a curb....
No, swap the alloy out with another as a permanent solution lol.
 
#43 ·
I havent read the whole thread. I work for a BMW bodyshop and we have a dedicated alloy department. However I would suggest that as ferric grey is a difficult colour to match unless they have the LE-905 Glasurit/bmw tinter you would rather get both alloys on the same side painted so they match or all four. As a cosmetic blow in wont last and will degrade.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 
#44 ·
marco_polo said:
Ah, it's a Runcrap. Most tyre fitters struggle to fit them, makes more sense now.

As much as I don't like Smart repairs, I'm wondering if you'd be better off (from a time/loss-of-earnings point of view) to have a tyre-on smart repair done? You'll be chucking chairs about if they do a bare metal paint refurb, and then scrape it off with the solid Runcrap once again. :(
I had this (tyre on wheel refurb) carried out at a BMW dealership on my last chariot. From memory I think it was £65 a corner (not that the OP should expect to pay anything of course). It was a great job and when I flipped the car the following year it was still as good as new.

Tyre was deflated and pushed back on the wheel, masked and then the usual repair / paint. Once baked the tyre was reinflated and I drove it home no probs. All carried out in a morning whilst I sipped the free coffee in the showroom.
 
#45 ·
Menace said:
marco_polo said:
Ah, it's a Runcrap. Most tyre fitters struggle to fit them, makes more sense now.

As much as I don't like Smart repairs, I'm wondering if you'd be better off (from a time/loss-of-earnings point of view) to have a tyre-on smart repair done? You'll be chucking chairs about if they do a bare metal paint refurb, and then scrape it off with the solid Runcrap once again. :(
I had this (tyre on wheel refurb) carried out at a BMW dealership on my last chariot. From memory I think it was £65 a corner (not that the OP should expect to pay anything of course). It was a great job and when I flipped the car the following year it was still as good as new.

Tyre was deflated and pushed back on the wheel, masked and then the usual repair / paint. Once baked the tyre was reinflated and I drove it home no probs. All carried out in a morning whilst I sipped the free coffee in the showroom.
Hoepfully mine will last the remaining few years that I plan to keep the car for...

Still awaiting to hear back from both BMW UK, and the dealership. Spoke to BMW UK on Monday and was promised a response within 24 hours, but haven't heard back.

Spoke to the dealership last Wednesday, then had to actually go in on Monday to chase, and was again promised a response 'shortly'...

Also called the dealership again today, but no-one picked up.

Getting fed up with chasing them constantly now, makes me feel like they're not really all that bothered at the fact they've damaged my car, lost me wages and caused me a bunch of hassle I neither needed or expected.
 
#46 ·
Stegosaurus said:
Menace said:
marco_polo said:
Ah, it's a Runcrap. Most tyre fitters struggle to fit them, makes more sense now.

As much as I don't like Smart repairs, I'm wondering if you'd be better off (from a time/loss-of-earnings point of view) to have a tyre-on smart repair done? You'll be chucking chairs about if they do a bare metal paint refurb, and then scrape it off with the solid Runcrap once again. :(
I had this (tyre on wheel refurb) carried out at a BMW dealership on my last chariot. From memory I think it was £65 a corner (not that the OP should expect to pay anything of course). It was a great job and when I flipped the car the following year it was still as good as new.

Tyre was deflated and pushed back on the wheel, masked and then the usual repair / paint. Once baked the tyre was reinflated and I drove it home no probs. All carried out in a morning whilst I sipped the free coffee in the showroom.
Hoepfully mine will last the remaining few years that I plan to keep the car for...

Still awaiting to hear back from both BMW UK, and the dealership. Spoke to BMW UK on Monday and was promised a response within 24 hours, but haven't heard back.

Spoke to the dealership last Wednesday, then had to actually go in on Monday to chase, and was again promised a response 'shortly'...

Also called the dealership again today, but no-one picked up.

Getting fed up with chasing them constantly now, makes me feel like they're not really all that bothered at the fact they've damaged my car, lost me wages and caused me a bunch of hassle I neither needed or expected.
Have to say that I had an unsavoury experience with Cooper Thames Ditton last year and didn't get anywhere until the Dealer Principle and Head of After Sales became involved, both of whom seem to be nice chaps. The experience has put me off going there, despite them being my local dealer. Instead I drive half an hour up the A3 to go to Vines of Guildford, whose service department actually seems to know what they're doing.

Really hope Cooper Thames Ditton sorts this issue to your satisfaction!
 
#47 ·
ranjan15 said:
Stegosaurus said:
Menace said:
I had this (tyre on wheel refurb) carried out at a BMW dealership on my last chariot. From memory I think it was £65 a corner (not that the OP should expect to pay anything of course). It was a great job and when I flipped the car the following year it was still as good as new.

Tyre was deflated and pushed back on the wheel, masked and then the usual repair / paint. Once baked the tyre was reinflated and I drove it home no probs. All carried out in a morning whilst I sipped the free coffee in the showroom.
Hoepfully mine will last the remaining few years that I plan to keep the car for...

Still awaiting to hear back from both BMW UK, and the dealership. Spoke to BMW UK on Monday and was promised a response within 24 hours, but haven't heard back.

Spoke to the dealership last Wednesday, then had to actually go in on Monday to chase, and was again promised a response 'shortly'...

Also called the dealership again today, but no-one picked up.

Getting fed up with chasing them constantly now, makes me feel like they're not really all that bothered at the fact they've damaged my car, lost me wages and caused me a bunch of hassle I neither needed or expected.
Have to say that I had an unsavoury experience with Cooper Thames Ditton last year and didn't get anywhere until the Dealer Principle and Head of After Sales became involved, both of whom seem to be nice chaps. The experience has put me off going there, despite them being my local dealer. Instead I drive half an hour up the A3 to go to Vines of Guildford, whose service department actually seems to know what they're doing.

Really hope Cooper Thames Ditton sorts this issue to your satisfaction!
The old DP and HoAS were nice guys, met them in passing. New guys are only 3-4 months into the job and so far haven't really assisted me. Will have to try Vines next time. Almost bought my first 1er from them lol
 
#48 ·
GeoffCollins said:
HN1989x said:
OMG.

This just made me cringe.

I have a slow puncture that needs to be repaired and I am stressing at the thought of anyone touching my alloys lol
I have a place near me that has one of those auto machines, means a hand will never touch the alloy, always ask them to use that! Might be worth having a look around and seeing if anyone has one of them
Thanks. I've taken my car to a place called Protyre in Enfield. The guy was extremely careful and not a single mark on my alloy! :)
 
#49 ·
HN1989x said:
GeoffCollins said:
HN1989x said:
OMG.

This just made me cringe.

I have a slow puncture that needs to be repaired and I am stressing at the thought of anyone touching my alloys lol
I have a place near me that has one of those auto machines, means a hand will never touch the alloy, always ask them to use that! Might be worth having a look around and seeing if anyone has one of them
Thanks. I've taken my car to a place called Protyre in Enfield. The guy was extremely careful and not a single mark on my alloy! :)
Glad your experiance was event free. I've still not heard from the dealership and it's been a week since I last went in to chase them about not hearing back from them... I think some MD's of Inchcape might be getting a letter in the next few days, and this dealership clearly give 0 f*cks, even about refurbing my alloys anymore.
 
#50 ·
You will find twitter very useful at times like these, companies hate being publicly shamed. Keep it nice, just get the service experience out there.
 
#51 ·
Motley2012 said:
You will find twitter very useful at times like these, companies hate being publicly shamed. Keep it nice, just get the service experience out there.
Yep but polite, truthful and firm is the way to go. Big companies don't want the bad press, don't be too confrontational though. Just straight to the point with relevant pictures and something along the lines of how dissapointing it all is.

I got nowhere with Magnet kitchens a couple of years ago after a terrible kitchen install. After months of letters a polite post on Facebook warning others of their poor work, including lots of evidential pictures resulted in it being shared over 1000 times and near enough 600 comments got it sorted.

Within a week it was sorted and we ended up with a 25k kitchen once the original mess was removed.

Maybe not the on the same scale as a damaged wheel but the cost of a new wheel or a decent repair would prevent the loss of future customers.

Shame it has to come to that though.
 
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