europiir2019
Autobahn Newbie
The BMW – A Big World of Swindle
Or how to buy a premium car for 122 thousand euros and be disappointed in people
This is the story of how you can buy a very expensive thing and face indifference from the seller, or, to tell the truth, just a banal pursuit of profit.
What do we usually expect from very expensive things? Quality, reliability, magnificence and ... an individual approach to the buyer on the part of the seller.
However, sometimes it is the other way round – the more you pay, the worse is the attitude towards you.
Nevertheless, it happened like that in our story. The Europiir Logistics OÜ purchased a BMW 750Li in the maximum configuration for work purposes, namely the provision of services for the transportation of VIP-guests with a driver. The car was bought not in a dingy shop, but in the official representation of the BMW brand – the United Motors – in September 2016.
At the time of purchase the cost of the car was 122,700 €, it was the demonstration car, and over the time when it was owned by the United Motors AS, it drove a little bit more than 15,000 km, which, in essence, indicates that the car was practically new. The buyer carried out a test drive, he liked everything, and the parties struck a deal. As it turned out later, they would rather hadn’t done so. At least, that is how the buyer feels now.
Anyway, at first, he was pleased with the purchase as the first 2 months the car did not cause any trouble and perfectly worked for the benefit of the company.
The clouds began to gather a couple of months later, at the end of 2016. First, in the seemingly new car, the driver’s seat ventilator broke. It happens, the owner thought, nothing terrible, there is a warranty. Yes, the warranty repair was carried out. It was the customer’s first warranty request to the authorized dealer. But, as it turned out, not the last.
To understand that life is not all beer and skittles (after all, you bought a car for “just” 122 thousand euros!), a month later, around February 2017, the car on uneven roads began to make extraneous noises that were heard somewhere under the driver’s seat. The car was again taken for warranty repair, which was performed. At the same time, the warranty team also changed the turbine cooling hoses on the run (NB!) of 23,205 kilometres. And why not? The new car – the new hoses!
This was the second part, as it turned out, of the Ballet de la Merlaison.
Our car decided not to stop in its claims for warranty repairs. “God loves the Trinity,” the old proverb says. The BMW thought the same, and in May 2017, it was waiting for (guess what!) the third warranty repair. Now the electronic air freshener has failed. In modern luxury cars, this option, by the way, is popular as the customer himself has the right to choose which fragrance will be spread inside the salon. Okay, the failed fragrance block was repaired under the warranty, changing the thermostat along the way. Why not to please a car with a mileage of 27 312 kilometres?
The magnificent four is not only a story about 4 superheroes, but also a story about the super-BMW.
After a while the aromatization of the salon again stopped working, as well as the adjustment of the driver’s seat. The buyer was alarmed by such a “reliability” of the premium car from a renowned German manufacturer.
Further, it went from bad to worse! As it turned out, the United Motors AS, which was the official dealer and representative of the BMW company in Estonia since 2000, ceased to be its representative in June 2017, and all obligations were transferred to another enterprise – the Inchcape Motors Estonia. This fact will be important in the continuation of this story.
Shortly, pined for a while in May, but this was not yet the end of the “adventures” of the luxury car. The story was progressing, with the minor warranty repairs in October and December 2017.
The coming year of 2018 was not an exception in this endless saga. Apparently, inspired by the glitter of New Year’s trees, the instrument binnacle – of course, completely electronic – began to flicker and blink. On the next short run of 43 559 kilometres a warranty repair again was carried out. The fingers of one hand is not enough to count which one was that time.
And then thunder struck. No, not thunder, but the collapse of the engineering feast of hundreds of the BMW employees. One “fine” morning, when trying to start a car, there was an incomprehensible sound and a loud noise from under the bonnet. It was decided to immediately go to the salon to the official BMW dealer, the nearest one was the United Motors in Peetri.
However, when the buyer, tired of mishaps with the car, arrived there, he was amazed to find that the United Motors AS is no longer the official BMW dealer since June 2017, and now it is necessary to contact the new official dealer – the Inchcape Motors Estonia OÜ. Holy cats!
It might seem: the car was bought from one company, which must fulfil the obligations. By the way, the United Motors continues to trade the BMW cars to this day. But dealers are not looking for easy ways. Everyone was confused here: including the client and even the employees of the United Motors and the Inchcape themselves.
The representation office of the United Motors on Paldiski mantee was miraculously renamed to the Inchcape Motors Estonia, while the enterprise in Peetri still existed under the name of United Motors. The brain was reeling – the United Motors, Inchcape, United Motors, but one thing was clear: the car for 122,700 euros became totally useless.
As a result, representatives of the United Motors took the car to diagnose the motor and came to the conclusion that the motor got such damage that it had to be COMPLETELY changed!
Sounds nice, especially when it comes to a luxury car with a run of about 45 thousand kilometres!
No wonder, the owner was shocked by the entire situation. How come that the car in the top-end configuration, the flagship of the BMW, a premium car – and out of the blue such things? A bit comforting was the fact that the warranty on the car covered 5 years, or 200 000 km of mileage. At least, it was what the owner believed, because these conditions were specified in the price offer and in the Internet correspondence. However, as it was later found out, the contract itself contained a mistake (whether conscious or not, difficult to say). So, according to the contract, the warranty for the car is valid (NB!) 24 months only, and not 5 years, as it was originally agreed and how it is normally positioned by the BMW manufacturing company and its dealers. This issue is still under discussion, because the client understands that he himself has missed this point, but how can you ever since trust such large automobile salons as the United Motors, who have been working for many years and should value their reputation? At the time of publication of this article, the Inchcape representatives confirmed by e-mail that the warranty is valid for 5 years.
Let’s go back to the car whose heart suddenly stopped. On March 14, 2018 the client notified that the car was out of order. He was told that the engine would be replaced completely, and it would take about 2 weeks. The United Motors claims that throughout the repair process the client was kept informed of the progress of the work. Though, according to the client, he called the salon a week before the date of delivery of the car to him, where he was told that a new motor had arrived, and they needed another couple of days.
A couple of days in the understanding of an adequate person are two or three days. But it would be too easy for the United Motors: in reality the car was ready only on April 28. That is, it spent much more time in the salon. The reason behind holding the car so long was indicated as a very voluminous and complex work on motor replacement.
The United Motors replaced the engine and invited the customer to pick up the car. The client, not having received an exact answer, for what reason the car was delayed for such a long time, doubts that the replacement of the engine went smoothly.
The thing is that the warranty for the new motor is old, that is, no one wants to give a new guarantee on the fundamental node of the car, which became useless after a run of 50,000 km.
Moreover, after the client’s refusal to take the car in the current state, the United Motors and the Inchcape Motors began to send him letters with warnings that if the customer did not pick up the car, they would tow it to a paid parking lot. Why did not the customer want to pick up the car after replacing the motor? Because I was not sure that the motor was really replaced, and not assembled from different parts. Lawyers joined the case, and while they competed in the knowledge of laws and eloquence, during the 2.5 months the client had to solve work tasks using other cars and taxis because he was afraid to take his luxury car, fearing that the engine might not serve even the promised 5 years or 200 000 km, not to mention September of this year, according to the contract. As a result, the client checked the VIN-codes on the details and accepted the car. BUT!!!
What does the customer who bought a premium car want? Nothing special: that he was either returned money for an obviously defective car at a real current market price or get it replaced with the equivalent one. As otherwise he will not be able to sell the car at a market price, with such a list of warranty repairs and engine replacement. This list of warranty works was fulfilled in the period until June 15.
The article comes out in the autumn and below there will be a couple of “delicious” and "cheap" tricks from the Combat Vehicle of Gazumpers.
What did the representation office offer in summer and does it offer today? For this particular car BMW 750Li Xdrive in the maximum configuration, purchased for 122 700 euros, in summer they offered as much as 64 000 euros. This is 2 times less than the amount for which the customer bought it in 2016. The car is equipped with everything possible, except for remote parking key. Although initially the client was told that this option is available for this car, but on the date of the car’s transfer the dealer said that there was no such option. The client decided that he could manage without it. The car is long-bodied, elongated, there are very few such cars in Estonia. And the client was offered for it 64 000 euros only? The customer can understand that the car has lost a little in price since the end of 2016 but could not become twice cheaper! At the same time, similar, but not exactly the same models stand on a well-known auto-portal for sale at about 105 000-110 000 euros. At the end of August, after very long correspondence, calls and meetings, the Inchcape agreed to raise the cost to 67,500. Plus 3,500 euros were won through many hours of negotiations. We remind you that the initial cost of the car was 122,700.
The second offer from the United Motors was: to choose something from the range of cars that are presented on their site, but today even the most expensive car there costs about 70 000 euros and it’s not the same as the customer bought a year and a half back.
A humiliating attitude towards the client, who stayed loyal to the brand and representation office since 2012.
Also, in the summer the Inchcape maked one more offer. To replace the customer’s car with another one. Diesel, and in the package, which is cheaper than the existing version of the available model by 10 000 euros! Nevertheless, at the moment (August 30, 2013), this car on the auto24.ee portal is being sold for 117 700 euros – the company’s earnings are evident.
The client said that such a proposal did not suit him, and in the correspondence, it was stated that the Inchcape will buy the car back for 85,000 euros. Of which 12,500 is a compensation from the BMW and 5000 is the so-called sales promotion. While, the exchange vehicle would cost 112,700. The client estimated that, right, 85,000 euros will be given for the former car, he will take a replacement car for 112,700, with a smaller mileage and a year younger. When the parties came to the bank, a new surprise was awaiting: a bank was willing to give for the car only 80 000 €, and not 85 000.
The client was furious. After all, there were agreements that were once again neglected.
Imagine, the customer bought a car that cost 173 220 euros when it was absolutely new, now he is offered to change the car for a model that costs 158 000 euros if new! The difference between the two cars makes 15 000 thousand euros from the start. Is it fair?
Further, his current car upon extremely long negotiations has been valued at 80,000 euros, although he bought it for 122,700, and he is offered an alternative in the form of a car whose package is initially poorer, but for the price of 112,700. Apparently, the customer “was sold down the river” and lost 42,700 euros. Notwithstanding the fact that now he is offered a car that is cheaper than the previous one. Not a bad business? I would like to ask the BMW, where is the equivalent exchange?
All right, if only the car would stop breaking, but NO! After replacing the motor, the steering rack failed! And it has run less than 60 thousand kilometres ... HOW COME? How can such things happen? Who knows which time the car was given for warranty repair again – the rail was changed.
Adventures should always last – decided at the BMW. After the engine was replaced, there were wild vibrations along its body. And now, attention please! The official dealer Inchcape does not know what to do to solve this problem. The new engine was already dismantled, it was immediately put back, the vibrations remained, but the fuel consumption … increased. Immediately after the motor replacement, the consumption, instead of 12 litres, grew to 19 L! And the errors! There is no error that has not lit up on the beautiful BMW electronic panel? So, for example, recently the on-board computer wrote – the CHASSIS error! How should the buyer react? ... Although, perhaps, you need to add a cherry on the cake: during the ride all the sensors cease to work – those of dead zones, lines, rain and others. Apparently, this BMW has the option “go back to the roots”. The car just collapses, and the representation cannot make an equivalent exchange for the same car. There seems to be no end to the countless warranty repairs.
To our bitter disappointment, it is impossible to use the unreliable vehicle and perform the work for which the car was bought, while the client has to look for alternatives for carrying out his work activities, spend money on lawyers, taxis for trips to the car salons. Nobody will compensate for the time, nerves and forces spent, and, most importantly, you cannot return the belief that by paying huge money, you will not be humiliated, being considered just another client in a line of customers, who suddenly needed something. It’s a pity that such large salons as the United Motors AS and the Inchcape Motors Estonia OÜ regard their loyal customers, who regularly buy their cars, as if we every day come to a posh shop and buy only a loaf of bread for 1 euro.
Buying a product of premium quality for big money, one certainly does not expect lies, omissions or disgusting attitude. To our great disillusionment, the BMW appears to be the Big World of Swindle.
Or how to buy a premium car for 122 thousand euros and be disappointed in people
This is the story of how you can buy a very expensive thing and face indifference from the seller, or, to tell the truth, just a banal pursuit of profit.
What do we usually expect from very expensive things? Quality, reliability, magnificence and ... an individual approach to the buyer on the part of the seller.
However, sometimes it is the other way round – the more you pay, the worse is the attitude towards you.
Nevertheless, it happened like that in our story. The Europiir Logistics OÜ purchased a BMW 750Li in the maximum configuration for work purposes, namely the provision of services for the transportation of VIP-guests with a driver. The car was bought not in a dingy shop, but in the official representation of the BMW brand – the United Motors – in September 2016.
At the time of purchase the cost of the car was 122,700 €, it was the demonstration car, and over the time when it was owned by the United Motors AS, it drove a little bit more than 15,000 km, which, in essence, indicates that the car was practically new. The buyer carried out a test drive, he liked everything, and the parties struck a deal. As it turned out later, they would rather hadn’t done so. At least, that is how the buyer feels now.
Anyway, at first, he was pleased with the purchase as the first 2 months the car did not cause any trouble and perfectly worked for the benefit of the company.
The clouds began to gather a couple of months later, at the end of 2016. First, in the seemingly new car, the driver’s seat ventilator broke. It happens, the owner thought, nothing terrible, there is a warranty. Yes, the warranty repair was carried out. It was the customer’s first warranty request to the authorized dealer. But, as it turned out, not the last.
To understand that life is not all beer and skittles (after all, you bought a car for “just” 122 thousand euros!), a month later, around February 2017, the car on uneven roads began to make extraneous noises that were heard somewhere under the driver’s seat. The car was again taken for warranty repair, which was performed. At the same time, the warranty team also changed the turbine cooling hoses on the run (NB!) of 23,205 kilometres. And why not? The new car – the new hoses!
This was the second part, as it turned out, of the Ballet de la Merlaison.
Our car decided not to stop in its claims for warranty repairs. “God loves the Trinity,” the old proverb says. The BMW thought the same, and in May 2017, it was waiting for (guess what!) the third warranty repair. Now the electronic air freshener has failed. In modern luxury cars, this option, by the way, is popular as the customer himself has the right to choose which fragrance will be spread inside the salon. Okay, the failed fragrance block was repaired under the warranty, changing the thermostat along the way. Why not to please a car with a mileage of 27 312 kilometres?
The magnificent four is not only a story about 4 superheroes, but also a story about the super-BMW.
After a while the aromatization of the salon again stopped working, as well as the adjustment of the driver’s seat. The buyer was alarmed by such a “reliability” of the premium car from a renowned German manufacturer.
Further, it went from bad to worse! As it turned out, the United Motors AS, which was the official dealer and representative of the BMW company in Estonia since 2000, ceased to be its representative in June 2017, and all obligations were transferred to another enterprise – the Inchcape Motors Estonia. This fact will be important in the continuation of this story.
Shortly, pined for a while in May, but this was not yet the end of the “adventures” of the luxury car. The story was progressing, with the minor warranty repairs in October and December 2017.
The coming year of 2018 was not an exception in this endless saga. Apparently, inspired by the glitter of New Year’s trees, the instrument binnacle – of course, completely electronic – began to flicker and blink. On the next short run of 43 559 kilometres a warranty repair again was carried out. The fingers of one hand is not enough to count which one was that time.
And then thunder struck. No, not thunder, but the collapse of the engineering feast of hundreds of the BMW employees. One “fine” morning, when trying to start a car, there was an incomprehensible sound and a loud noise from under the bonnet. It was decided to immediately go to the salon to the official BMW dealer, the nearest one was the United Motors in Peetri.
However, when the buyer, tired of mishaps with the car, arrived there, he was amazed to find that the United Motors AS is no longer the official BMW dealer since June 2017, and now it is necessary to contact the new official dealer – the Inchcape Motors Estonia OÜ. Holy cats!
It might seem: the car was bought from one company, which must fulfil the obligations. By the way, the United Motors continues to trade the BMW cars to this day. But dealers are not looking for easy ways. Everyone was confused here: including the client and even the employees of the United Motors and the Inchcape themselves.
The representation office of the United Motors on Paldiski mantee was miraculously renamed to the Inchcape Motors Estonia, while the enterprise in Peetri still existed under the name of United Motors. The brain was reeling – the United Motors, Inchcape, United Motors, but one thing was clear: the car for 122,700 euros became totally useless.
As a result, representatives of the United Motors took the car to diagnose the motor and came to the conclusion that the motor got such damage that it had to be COMPLETELY changed!
Sounds nice, especially when it comes to a luxury car with a run of about 45 thousand kilometres!
No wonder, the owner was shocked by the entire situation. How come that the car in the top-end configuration, the flagship of the BMW, a premium car – and out of the blue such things? A bit comforting was the fact that the warranty on the car covered 5 years, or 200 000 km of mileage. At least, it was what the owner believed, because these conditions were specified in the price offer and in the Internet correspondence. However, as it was later found out, the contract itself contained a mistake (whether conscious or not, difficult to say). So, according to the contract, the warranty for the car is valid (NB!) 24 months only, and not 5 years, as it was originally agreed and how it is normally positioned by the BMW manufacturing company and its dealers. This issue is still under discussion, because the client understands that he himself has missed this point, but how can you ever since trust such large automobile salons as the United Motors, who have been working for many years and should value their reputation? At the time of publication of this article, the Inchcape representatives confirmed by e-mail that the warranty is valid for 5 years.
Let’s go back to the car whose heart suddenly stopped. On March 14, 2018 the client notified that the car was out of order. He was told that the engine would be replaced completely, and it would take about 2 weeks. The United Motors claims that throughout the repair process the client was kept informed of the progress of the work. Though, according to the client, he called the salon a week before the date of delivery of the car to him, where he was told that a new motor had arrived, and they needed another couple of days.
A couple of days in the understanding of an adequate person are two or three days. But it would be too easy for the United Motors: in reality the car was ready only on April 28. That is, it spent much more time in the salon. The reason behind holding the car so long was indicated as a very voluminous and complex work on motor replacement.
The United Motors replaced the engine and invited the customer to pick up the car. The client, not having received an exact answer, for what reason the car was delayed for such a long time, doubts that the replacement of the engine went smoothly.
The thing is that the warranty for the new motor is old, that is, no one wants to give a new guarantee on the fundamental node of the car, which became useless after a run of 50,000 km.
Moreover, after the client’s refusal to take the car in the current state, the United Motors and the Inchcape Motors began to send him letters with warnings that if the customer did not pick up the car, they would tow it to a paid parking lot. Why did not the customer want to pick up the car after replacing the motor? Because I was not sure that the motor was really replaced, and not assembled from different parts. Lawyers joined the case, and while they competed in the knowledge of laws and eloquence, during the 2.5 months the client had to solve work tasks using other cars and taxis because he was afraid to take his luxury car, fearing that the engine might not serve even the promised 5 years or 200 000 km, not to mention September of this year, according to the contract. As a result, the client checked the VIN-codes on the details and accepted the car. BUT!!!
What does the customer who bought a premium car want? Nothing special: that he was either returned money for an obviously defective car at a real current market price or get it replaced with the equivalent one. As otherwise he will not be able to sell the car at a market price, with such a list of warranty repairs and engine replacement. This list of warranty works was fulfilled in the period until June 15.
The article comes out in the autumn and below there will be a couple of “delicious” and "cheap" tricks from the Combat Vehicle of Gazumpers.
What did the representation office offer in summer and does it offer today? For this particular car BMW 750Li Xdrive in the maximum configuration, purchased for 122 700 euros, in summer they offered as much as 64 000 euros. This is 2 times less than the amount for which the customer bought it in 2016. The car is equipped with everything possible, except for remote parking key. Although initially the client was told that this option is available for this car, but on the date of the car’s transfer the dealer said that there was no such option. The client decided that he could manage without it. The car is long-bodied, elongated, there are very few such cars in Estonia. And the client was offered for it 64 000 euros only? The customer can understand that the car has lost a little in price since the end of 2016 but could not become twice cheaper! At the same time, similar, but not exactly the same models stand on a well-known auto-portal for sale at about 105 000-110 000 euros. At the end of August, after very long correspondence, calls and meetings, the Inchcape agreed to raise the cost to 67,500. Plus 3,500 euros were won through many hours of negotiations. We remind you that the initial cost of the car was 122,700.
The second offer from the United Motors was: to choose something from the range of cars that are presented on their site, but today even the most expensive car there costs about 70 000 euros and it’s not the same as the customer bought a year and a half back.
A humiliating attitude towards the client, who stayed loyal to the brand and representation office since 2012.
Also, in the summer the Inchcape maked one more offer. To replace the customer’s car with another one. Diesel, and in the package, which is cheaper than the existing version of the available model by 10 000 euros! Nevertheless, at the moment (August 30, 2013), this car on the auto24.ee portal is being sold for 117 700 euros – the company’s earnings are evident.
The client said that such a proposal did not suit him, and in the correspondence, it was stated that the Inchcape will buy the car back for 85,000 euros. Of which 12,500 is a compensation from the BMW and 5000 is the so-called sales promotion. While, the exchange vehicle would cost 112,700. The client estimated that, right, 85,000 euros will be given for the former car, he will take a replacement car for 112,700, with a smaller mileage and a year younger. When the parties came to the bank, a new surprise was awaiting: a bank was willing to give for the car only 80 000 €, and not 85 000.
The client was furious. After all, there were agreements that were once again neglected.
Imagine, the customer bought a car that cost 173 220 euros when it was absolutely new, now he is offered to change the car for a model that costs 158 000 euros if new! The difference between the two cars makes 15 000 thousand euros from the start. Is it fair?
Further, his current car upon extremely long negotiations has been valued at 80,000 euros, although he bought it for 122,700, and he is offered an alternative in the form of a car whose package is initially poorer, but for the price of 112,700. Apparently, the customer “was sold down the river” and lost 42,700 euros. Notwithstanding the fact that now he is offered a car that is cheaper than the previous one. Not a bad business? I would like to ask the BMW, where is the equivalent exchange?
All right, if only the car would stop breaking, but NO! After replacing the motor, the steering rack failed! And it has run less than 60 thousand kilometres ... HOW COME? How can such things happen? Who knows which time the car was given for warranty repair again – the rail was changed.
Adventures should always last – decided at the BMW. After the engine was replaced, there were wild vibrations along its body. And now, attention please! The official dealer Inchcape does not know what to do to solve this problem. The new engine was already dismantled, it was immediately put back, the vibrations remained, but the fuel consumption … increased. Immediately after the motor replacement, the consumption, instead of 12 litres, grew to 19 L! And the errors! There is no error that has not lit up on the beautiful BMW electronic panel? So, for example, recently the on-board computer wrote – the CHASSIS error! How should the buyer react? ... Although, perhaps, you need to add a cherry on the cake: during the ride all the sensors cease to work – those of dead zones, lines, rain and others. Apparently, this BMW has the option “go back to the roots”. The car just collapses, and the representation cannot make an equivalent exchange for the same car. There seems to be no end to the countless warranty repairs.
To our bitter disappointment, it is impossible to use the unreliable vehicle and perform the work for which the car was bought, while the client has to look for alternatives for carrying out his work activities, spend money on lawyers, taxis for trips to the car salons. Nobody will compensate for the time, nerves and forces spent, and, most importantly, you cannot return the belief that by paying huge money, you will not be humiliated, being considered just another client in a line of customers, who suddenly needed something. It’s a pity that such large salons as the United Motors AS and the Inchcape Motors Estonia OÜ regard their loyal customers, who regularly buy their cars, as if we every day come to a posh shop and buy only a loaf of bread for 1 euro.
Buying a product of premium quality for big money, one certainly does not expect lies, omissions or disgusting attitude. To our great disillusionment, the BMW appears to be the Big World of Swindle.
