[yukclee]

For some of us that are about to have the first year birthday for our beloved MC and MCS, BMW Hong Kong is offering the second year maintenance program (HK$6000 for MC/M, $8000 for MC/CVT, $9000 for MCS).
I am still scratching my head on the decision.
Do you still have the 2nd year warranty if the 2nd year maintenance program is not joined?
Any pros and cons?
Throw in your thoughts!!
YCLee

[wongakh]

YC,

What does it include in the 2nd year maintenance program?

Alan

[ar75]

YC,

According to the service advisor of BMW, the amount you pay will include an annual check-up, oil, oil filter, air filter and labour, and those induced by normal wear and tear where neessary, namely spark plugs, brake discs, pads and shoes. The most important of all is that you cannot join the HK$13,200 plan in the third year if you don't join this HK$8,000 second year plan. The advisor said that the price is higher because the manufacturer warranty lasts for 2 years only and the amount you pay will include the so-called manufacturer warranty provided by the dealer.

It's all up to you guys.

regards,
Manho

PS: Ada, I know that you've joined the plan. Could you give us more information?

[yukclee]

Ar75,
Looks like most of the parts they covered in the maintenance have been replaced by me sometime ago
And $13200 for the third year maintenance, I don't think I'll join it anyway. I used to pay about 3k-4k for maintenance when I had my Toyota Prado. Spending up to 8K for some oil change and brake pads seems to be on a high side for me. I am a cheap guy

yclee

[yukclee]

Just had my car to BMW for the service before my first year maintenance ends. Quite unexpectedly it's one of the most unhappy experience in my driving history.
One of the things I asked them to check is on the brakes, which we all know is the weakest link in Mini. I had a second air-intake device installed in the air path. When they find it, they put all the blames on it. That's fine with me as I forgot to take it out and it gave them a good excuse to blame on others.
What's frustrating is they said they cannot test the car after the tuning as they feel 'unsafe'. They advise me to replace with a new hose, of which I turned down and I said I can replace it when I have my car back. Then the CS person started to blame everything on the car and said they would not trust the car's safety and they even suggest me to tow the car out instead of driving it out! I asked if the CVT can be upgraded to CD33. Their reply is they have to consider the whole car's overall integrity (bah..bah) and refused to do any further work until the hose is fixed. I asked how much for them to replace the hose. A hefty $2200!!!
That ends my relationship with BMW CS. One of my bad habits is I never stand any rip off and hazzle!!!
Men, think twice before you pay your money to BMW Service. God, this company is a vampire!
YCLee

[kfchicken206]

What should I say YC. I asked about some price quotes from BMW Service today. They charge $26000 for a respray and baked paint, without changing colour nor engine removed. You can normally have this kind of service done within $12000. Since the roof lining of my 850i is collpsing, they quoted me $3500 for repair without original BMW material. While my friend in a garage asked for around $2000. When you walk in BMW, all those extra staffs are paid out of their sky high charges. BMW aims to sell the Mini cheap, and earn more from service, parts and labour.

Nelson Chen
MC M IB

[yukclee]

In a free market, a supplier can charge whatever he likes and the market will determine its value of existence. So I don't have any problem with BMW's charging.
What's made me unhappy is as I don't want them to replace the hose, they refuse to upgrade my CVT to CD33. The excuse was they cannot, and dare not, to test the car as they are uncertain of the brake and they treat the car as a whole, blah..blah..blah. Yet when I had my car back, my driving seat was all adjusted. Height of the seat, the inclination of the back, everything! If they really have so much worry and dare not to take the car out, why bother to adjust my seat??!! And how CVT is related to the brake?!
All in all, a very unhappy customer.
Not just the money, but the service aptitude. It's that 'either let me do everything and I charge you skyhigh, or I'll do nothing for you' aptitude that stings.

YCLee

[KarmanS]

sorry to hear about your bad experience, YC.

Just too bad to read about such improper practice by a well known dealership. Being the sole BMW distributor in HK does not help the situation any better either in terms of service and warranty options for owners (pure monopoly=$$$$). However that doesn't mean their service have to be as you described as well. Perhaps you should pay a visit to the consumer affairs association and have a letter written to the senior executive(s) of BMW HK to voice your dissatisfaction from your experiences. Afterall, they are a consumer business and consumers can only be brand loyal to a certain extent if the service is not up to par. Let the right channels know of your experience and hope they can get it right.

Good luck and hope things turn better for you so you can motor on!

Regards,
Karman

[cliffywong]

As a first time car owner in H.K.. Are there alternative reliable and non vampire like Garages that we can bring our mini's to.

And most important - who actually knows how to work on Mini's.

[ar75]

YC,

That'why I just put on the new antena even I've got new spark wires and air filter months ago. I won't give them any excuse because the CVT issue is still pending. Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly on your side. Go straight to the COnsumer Council and Douglas Chau of BMW, just for its lousy service.

Please check your PM.

Regards,
Manho

[yukclee]

Ar75,
You are right, Manho. You simply cannot allow any opportunities for them to take any excuse.
I will not join the $8000 package as I don't want to pay the money and then later they say something is not included as someone has put on something they don't know and it will 'change the whole car's performance that they cannot control'.
It is a typical behaviour when you have a monopoly. Everything to their dislike have to be removed before they put their golden hands on. Microsoft is a well-known example of this.

YCLee

[hermanszeto]

Quote:

Originally posted by KarmanS
sorry to hear about your bad experience, YC.

Just too bad to read about such improper practice by a well known dealership. Being the sole BMW distributor in HK does not help the situation any better either in terms of service and warranty options for owners (pure monopoly=$$$$). However that doesn't mean their service have to be as you described as well. Perhaps you should pay a visit to the consumer affairs association and have a letter written to the senior executive(s) of BMW HK to voice your dissatisfaction from your experiences. Afterall, they are a consumer business and consumers can only be brand loyal to a certain extent if the service is not up to par. Let the right channels know of your experience and hope they can get it right.

Good luck and hope things turn better for you so you can motor on!



Regards,
Karman

By the way, u would send an email to Germen BMW and point out those u faced via their website. I did so b4 and they replied to me asap.

Calm down and gd luck.

Cheers,
Herman

[ar75]

Herman,

I did that before also, but I received a reply stating "your request will be carefully assessed and will be referred to relevant departments and you will be contacted in due course".

Manho

[yukclee]

AR75,
Ha! I like the clause. I must note it down somewhere and be my 'official' answer to questions that I don't want to reply.
yclee

[Wayne]

Hi YC, Manho,

I have my last check sometimes last month and not joined the maintenance package as they are really expensive to me.

I want to share my experience here. I have changed spark plugs, spark plugs wire, suspension, silencer, air filter so far (at the time of car check). They had not declined to preform any services supposed they had to do. Of course, I have ask them to reset the alignment after I had replaced the suspension and they refused. This was acceptable to me. They had also provided a free oil change at last when my car was over 10,000km.

I think owners had the right to enjoy the warranty provided we also obliged all the reasonable regulations. Since I replaced the first parts of my car, I had been ready that some day it would be an excuse for them not to perform the services. Luckily, they had not use that right. I personally think it is fair to both of us. (might be we should take the role of dealer and ask yourself what should do on such situation)

Just want to reminder the other owner when having the last check. Do remind the CS to check the air-conditioner and ask them to refuse the "refrig..." I just forget to do so when I have mine. Then I found the air-conditioner is not so cool as before. As a result, I have to pay some shop to perform the service as two weeks after my warranty end.

Might be our New Mini Club could find some shops to do services for our members at some special rate. (Edmund, Uncle Pong & Derick please consider)

Regards,
Wayne

[Andy8]

I had terrible service from them also, I have no modifications to my MC when i had it and they would forever make up excuses for them not doing things properly. I think they use the language thing as a trick also. But its the salemen that are the worst vampires. I would prefer to import directly from UK in future and bypass all the dramas in dealing with the local company here.

[yukclee]

Andy8,
Nice to hear from you again! Hope you will be back soon and get a new MCS.

Wayne, Manho and others,
I think I made enough complaints and I should stop here. Anyway, it is a personal thing and others may have better or different service than me. And one should make his/her decision base on his/her own judgement.
I do suggest to find an alternate service channel that respects our 'add-ons' to the car, serve in OUR interest rather than BMW's interest. Most important is that channel have access to the part numbers that can do the ordering. May be Lexion, Derrick and others can make some recommendations when we meet in June.

YCLee

[hermanszeto]

Quote:

Originally posted by Wayne
Hi YC, Manho,

I have my last check sometimes last month and not joined the maintenance package as they are really expensive to me.

I want to share my experience here. I have changed spark plugs, spark plugs wire, suspension, silencer, air filter so far (at the time of car check). They had not declined to preform any services supposed they had to do. Of course, I have ask them to reset the alignment after I had replaced the suspension and they refused. This was acceptable to me. They had also provided a free oil change at last when my car was over 10,000km.

I think owners had the right to enjoy the warranty provided we also obliged all the reasonable regulations. Since I replaced the first parts of my car, I had been ready that some day it would be an excuse for them not to perform the services. Luckily, they had not use that right. I personally think it is fair to both of us. (might be we should take the role of dealer and ask yourself what should do on such situation)

Just want to reminder the other owner when having the last check. Do remind the CS to check the air-conditioner and ask them to refuse the "refrig..." I just forget to do so when I have mine. Then I found the air-conditioner is not so cool as before. As a result, I have to pay some shop to perform the service as two weeks after my warranty end.

Might be our New Mini Club could find some shops to do services for our members at some special rate. (Edmund, Uncle Pong & Derick please consider)

Regards,
Wayne

Hi Wayne,

Totally agree with u and thanks for your advice. I think we must put our MC/MCS into the original setting b4 going to BMW during warranty.

Cheers,
Herman

[hermanszeto]

Quote:

Originally posted by ar75
Herman,

I did that before also, but I received a reply stating "your request will be carefully assessed and will be referred to relevant departments and you will be contacted in due course".

Manho

Hi Manho,

I was lucky that I didn't rec'd the clause as mentioned. I was quite satisfied to their replies about what I had complained and suggested. However, maybe they have different attitude for the maintenance or after-sales services.

Herman

[ar75]

Herman,

I complaint against the malfunctioned CVT and MFSW's missing features and asked for the name and address of the chairman of the management board of BMW and I got an answer with similar wording. They said that they had referred the case to HK BMW, which is not helpful or capable enough to solve my problem. So disappointed.

Manho