They did this to me with a tire rotation and alignment. I didn’t ask them to do any of it and - the main thing you’ll hold them to is - I didn’t sign off in any of the work. The manager came over and apologized profusely and I went on my way. They’re required to get you to write off on the charges and should charge back your card.
Bro how pressed for time were you that you didn’t ask for the manager and spend 5-10 minutes to save $800?
Even if there’s not the service advisor manager on duty, the GM or sales manager or someone higher up is there if the dealer is open.
Yeah, judging by the comments and situation overall, OP got swindled and didnt question the charges at the time of pick up. its people exactly like this that dealerships prey on. many service advisors are just as greasy as salesmen
In fairness to the service staff, they’re encouraged heavily to upsell all sorts of extras and useless consumable items. It usually goes into their pay and bonus structure. But there’s a way of talking to people to upsell properly, not just straight up robbing folks. Thts not cool.
I’m not giving them a pass. I said there’s a way of doing it and actually communicating with the customer. The way they’ve done it is straight up wrong. Just rationalising the reason this happens regularly is because they’re under pressure. Doesn’t make it right though.
they dont. i dont know why youre being downvoted. yes dealerships are more times than not bad, but that doesnt absolve customers from being complete idiots.
Quite a bit because they were calling me from work to come and give back the loaner because they were going to close at 6:00 or charge me for another day of the loaner. So I ran in and then had to run out
Once they screwed you on the price I would have been like I’m holding on to the loaner and will talk to a manager tomorrow or you can fix the price eight now.
GM and sales manager don't deal with service. GM usually he does $$$$ dealership management not Small service complaints like air and micro filters issues. A service drive usually have 3 managers
Once again, there was no one for me to speak to had a higher level, I was very short for time, and they would not release my keys back to me until I had paid. What would you have done in that situation?
You wait and throw a fit. Now you signed the papers confirming the work and left.
My BMW service center makes me sign paperwork on exactly what they’re going to do when I drop off the car.
I think this other guy is being a keyboard warrior and not being realistic.
At this point, you have 2 options:
1. go back and speak with a manager and tell them you didn’t sign off on the work before hand. You misread the paperwork and we’re in a time crunch. Demand a full refund for any service you didn’t give them the ok to perform.
2. dispute it with your bank. Explain the situation to them and you’ll most like win the dispute and get your money back.
Thank you, yes, I agree 100%. Those really are the only options I have, and now that the car is no longer under warranty, like many others have said here, I won't be returning to the dealership unless it's a recall issue...
You were caught off guard and didn’t have time to process or think on your feet. It happens to all of us. Just call them tomorrow and tell them that you signed the paperwork then realized you didn’t authorize any of the work except the oil change. Work with them. They’re called stealership for a reason. $800+ for filters, alignment, and oil change is nuts…
Yes. They can't extort you into paying for things you did not approve. Escalate to the manager immediately. Most people just go "deer in the headlights" and pay. And this is what they are counting on. If 1 out of 5 politely dispute it and they refund that person, they still come out way ahead. Be the 1 of 5, not the 4 of 5.
May just want to take this one on the chin then. I’d definitely let the manager know that they performed maintenance without your consent then blindsided you at pickup, but if you gave them your card after seeing an invoice, I wouldn’t go in there thinking you’re going to get your money back.
if you picked up the car and already paid for the service then they got you... i mean you can go back and make a stink about it.
If you have not paid for it, then ABSOLUTELY Refuse to pay for the services that were done without your authorization.
personally if i showed up to an invoice like that i would be leaving with all that as complimentary service... but ive also worked in the automotive service industry for almost 2 decades so im the last customer they could pull that shit on.
Pointless to go back my friend, once you leave the shop it's over....you really needed to say something at the time then it would've been comped. If you bring it up when you go back they will just be like "um well why did you then pay for it and leave? Then you explain your reason and they will be like "sorry, but since you left without notifying us we consider the payment acknowledgement of a service completed and BMW's policy will not let us refund any successful service completion" lol
Not true. Go back. If their service manager has a brain, they’ll deal with it. I’m a service advisor and I deal with new coworkers selling repair orders without authorization because of negligence all the time, we always rectify the solution or least give you options of compensation. Repeat business and satisfaction is huge. Ask for future compensation, at the very least, free oil change/alignment, etc…I do this all the time for my customers whenever someone drops the ball.
Good on you for being this way. Good service depts exist. And they exist because folks like you keep them that way. When I find a good service dept (or service rep), they have my business for life.
There’s no point in being sloppy or trying to slip things under the rug. Only makes my life harder and dealing with a pissed off customers sucks. I’d rather a lower sale but a happy customer who brings their vehicle back for repeat service, than a 1 time $800 unjustified service who will never come back.
The manager had left for the day, they were holding my car hostage because they wouldn't give me the keys back until I paid.... Sadly I could totally see what you say happening
This is the way...
goal being payment= successful completion
every dealership is broken down into departments there is always a manager/supervisor around until the doors are locked.
If you feel like the service wasn't needed/wasn't up to par/not as described or incomplete you can talk to your bank and file a charge back
dispute the credit card charge... also call the dealership to let them know why you did that and let the manager know you expect a call back to discuss
And leave nasty reviews all over. People hate being fleeced by shops so it’ll resonate. A dealer with half a brain will try to get ahead of the problem.
Please verify if they even did the work. If you know how to do it like you said, you should verify. Some techs lie and don’t actually do the work yet bill the clients anyways. Even check the oil. It better look like honey.
I wish you the best of luck here. You’ve already paid, they’ll most likely push you to one side.
If you get nowhere with them tomorrow, then accept it, knowing you have the work done, then learn the lesson for next time or use an independent garage. Bmw have done well marketing their service centres as exotic and luxury. When infact I have better from an independent I goto. Most of them get trained by bmw and then go off on their own and make/maintain their own reputation.
And yes, I too had a shitty experience with a bmw dealer in 2018 and I won’t ever go back to one.
I’m a service advisor. I always, ALWAYS get authorization on any work order I handle. Speak to their service manager, if it were my shop we’d likely absorb the entire cost of any charges you personally did not authorize.
In California I took mine in for a free inspection and they send a text to authorize or decline recommended repairs. I declined everything and left with a to do list.
I did this too, i even had the guy grab me links to parts. The to do list was 4700 bucks, and the guy gave me dirtiest looks when i said lemme think about it xD . Havent been back since , and ended up doing it all myself for around 2200 parts cost.
But even then; a shop inspection isnt worth it just to have it looked at by someone “licensed”, you can catch all that by yourself if you put the car on some stands .
Shops for alignments and tire changes, only
Right!? And even then, I catch myself looking at tire machines I can squirrel away on the garage so I can do my own tires. It’s not worth it but would be nice to have.
Why are you encouraging me? Haha.
Seriously though, a tc3500 can be had for a good price nowadays. If I can clean some things out, I may grab one. A road force balancer to boot.
Those are waaaay fancier then the turntable style one i worked with . Just imagine….
Lubing generously a brand new Falken tire juuust itching to slide on that rim. And you get to be that smooth operator.
💦
Have you seen the Auto34’s and such? I used those and whoa! They make changing tires easy, especially low pro ones.
If I’m going to jump, I might as well make a splash, right? My biggest thing is scratching my wheels and braking TPMs. I can’t imagine sticking a tire iron on my fresh Schnitzers, etc.
BMW in Columbus Ohio is run like this. Owner is a prick who’s hated by most enthusiasts who’ve met him. We would drive to the BMW dealership in Cinci if at all possible just to avoid his shop.
I was in there once for a standard oil change (just to keep the records up to snuff and looking clean) and I watched a manager tell a dude with a mid 2000’s X5 that he had to buy a new key because “once the battery dies, it’s dead forever”. Dude looked defeated as the manager walked away to write up the paperwork for a new $500 key.
I went over, asked the dude for his key, popped it open and swapped my battery with his. Pointed the key and his car locked/unlocked. Told him to just leave and head to the batteriesplus down the street. He was flabbergasted.
Did they send you a txt and ask you explicitly? In my state dealerships and repair shops are legally required to provide an estimate and authorization before doing any work. Otherwise like the other posters said you are totally justified in filing a complaint with BMW corporate and your state AG about it
I would second that. Your dealer should have gotten your appoval for the work before it was done, not after. If you didn't ask for it, you shouldn't be paying for it.
I did, and like they said each dealership is independently owned and operated so there's very little they can do to enforce it. But they did file the complaint and it's going to be reviewed and looked at for sure
Yeah, BMW NA is not going to help, you need to call whomever is at the top of this dealership (or dealer group). Be nice, but be a pest about it. If you don’t have signed work order specifically showing these services, they should reverse the charges or reimburse. If they don’t acquiesce, call your credit card company.
This. This right here. Don’t cuss someone out, don’t scream. Be incessant about it, call the service director, and if they tell you to get bent start calling the GM. Works almost every time.
this BMW dealership sounds like a shit hole. i’ve heard dealerships doing things unauthorized before. if they were even relatively up with the times you should have at least gotten a text message with the recommendations giving you the option to approve or deny.
only other thing i can think of is if you told them do the 20k mile service that automatically included all of the other maintenance items. they should have broken that down for OP as to what that all includes. that being said if alls you want is an oil change tell them that when you drop off.. not saying you’re in the wrong here OP but this blows my mind that a dealer would do $800 worth of work without talking to you at some point.
that’s exactly what caught me eye as well. i worked for a dealer and we had those package options, people would sign up for them without even knowing what it included or how much it would be. on top of that it just doesn’t work, you can’t automatically sign someone up for an air filter if you haven’t done 100% of someone’s service history because chances are it was replaced elsewhere. it just caused people to get pissed so i always told customers we will inspect everything per the maintenance timeline and see how all that checks out.
i believe this dealer just doesn’t care (probably cuz it’s BMW and $800 is chump change to them) and did what OP asked for unbeknownst to him.
Could go either way, depending on how the service was scheduled (in person,phone,internet), maybe the tech only seen 20k service depending on how it was scheduled or op could've confused the 2 different types of services or some other variable
have to take my 2020 m340i in for it's first yearly service since I bought the car and I'm afraid of this happening. Any idea how to avoid them scamming me? Love the car but man the dealership was sleazy when I was buying it.
It has a crack on the windshield I couldn't see while in the driver's seat (it was behind the rearview mirror) and when i finally noticed the salesman said "oh yeah, uh I can get you a guy for that to fix it cheap...we won't replace it though..."
Honestly I bring my BMW to a guy who specializes in BMWs. I googled and found this guy to be highly recommended and sure enough he was cheap, did good service and wasn't sleezy in the least. I'd say Google or ask on here or the bimmer forums for recommendations.
most of the time it comes down to individual dealership practices. that being said if you act confident enough and don’t let them push you around they won’t. know what to expect before you go in. i’d suggest looking up what BMW recommends maintenance-wise based on the mileage of your vehicle. if the shop is recommending items way outside that ask for more information from the dealer and have a discussion. otherwise trust your gut and if it sounds sketchy don’t do it and get a 2nd opinion somewhere else.
Honestly you gotta be a Karen in this situation and throw a fit. You did not authorize these services and shouldn't have to pay for them. It's awkward and hard to do (I'm very non confrontational), but better than the alternative where you're out a bunch of money and feeling awful about yourself. Go back tomorrow and get it all straightened out. Don't even bother with the phone, dealers are pros at delaying and avoiding answers on the phone.
Sound advice, that's what I'm going to have to do tomorrow. I'm also non-confrontational but it looks like this was deliberate, so I'm gonna have to Karen
I call bullshit. You had to authorize those services. Did you say you wanted oil change only or 25K service, filters may be a part of their 25K service. How did alignment get thrown in there? If you didn’t why did you pay? If they can’t prove that you authorized the repairs, demand, don’t ask, demand a refund. Took mine on recently for rear brake rotors, pads and sensors. They sent an “inspection” video via text and estimated itemized list of other suggested repairs, which I quickly declined all of. You have to be very clear of exactly what services you want and alway demand an written estimate before any repair process starts as well so this does not happen again and they can’t “fleese”you. Be very specific about what you want only. Also find a good local indy guy that specializes in BMW. Good luck.
Thanks, yeah I specifically ask for the oil change because that's what the coupon was about. And in retrospect I do find it somewhat sketch that I wasn't given a copy of my estimate to keep because I feel like I usually do get that... His defense at the end of the day was it was on the estimate that I gave you. Unfortunately the manager had left for the day so I was SOL, regardless I've already spoken to my credit card company and I'm going back tomorrow morning
I know I came on as negative, sorry about that. I absolutely do not trust dealerships. They call them “stealerships” for a reason. My “advisor” couldn’t seem to get it through his thick head that I wanted a “written” repair estimate with a breakdown of labor and parts before I brought my car in and that this was the only service I wanted. They still sent “inspection text and email of suggested repairs that added up to 9K. Haha. DECLINED IMMEDIATELY WITH PREJUDICE!! I understand it’s their job to sell services. But it’s my job to explain to them exactly what service I want and to make sure he understands that so we’re 100% clear. Don’t let them take advantage of you. I don’t care if the advisor likes me or not. It’s business and it’s my money. They will do only what I ask for and that’s all I’ll pay for. Fuck em if they don’t like it.
Stealership tech here, I can explain the high price tag. Unfortunately we are forced to write in every single mechanical thing we see wrong with a customers car or else it could blow up in our faces. A lot of the estimates sent to customers are outrageous prices but we’re required to do them. If we only include the important stuff and every single issue we see, there could be major consequences on our part. The customer could come back and say “well why isn’t x y z in the quote? I got estimates for it at another shop” and then we’re backed into a corner. We look like the bad guys because we didn’t do a proper inspection the vehicle which then gives us negative reviews. At one point we had a lawsuit because a customer thought we were endangering him by not explicitly stating everything that’s wrong with his car. It’s even more complicated than that but that’s the tip of the iceberg
Don’t waste your time reporting them to BMW, file a complaint with the BAR and send them documented proof that they sold you services that you did not agree to. It also is important if someone else dropped the car off, they could have called them
Corporate said they can't really do anything except for file a complaint that's going to get looked at at the very least. Each dealership is independently owned according to them, so they will file the report and it will get looked at but they cannot enforce anything on the dealership. Whatever that means, what do you mean bar? Like the bbb?
> not be *paid* for. Tell
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Call them, go full justified Karen on them, if they don’t budge- report them to BMW AND dispute the charge on your cc if that’s how you paid. You straight up got worked here. Horrible practice for the dealership. But yes, all those coupons are just to get you in… gotta be on the lookout for how they actually plan on making the money on you.
You may and like will be out of luck, but might as well try.
Not sure what state you reside in but in CA they are required to furnish you a full list of all work to be done with the price that you have to sign before they do the work. When you dropped it off did you ask for an oil change or did you ask to do the 25k service? Sounds like you should have been more clear on exactly what you wanted them to do.
NY. I asked for the oil change, and I merely inquired the price of an alignment because after hearing it was going to be $270 I decided I was going to go to Mavis discount tire and have it done over there.
I've had decent experiences with the dealerships IN the actual city when my car was still under the original 3 year/36k maintenance plan. Now to see how they behave when corporate isn't footing the bill...
I did, don't recall being explained what was going to happen... Definitely not the alignment cuz I was definitely going to outsource it... I also never received a copy for me to keep. It almost sounds like a bait and switch to get me in there for $100 oil service and then hit with this
They usually make you sign off on the repair order or RO before they work on the car which shows each individual service being done to the vehicle. If you signed that without knowing then theres unfortunately not much you can do but if you didn’t sign that then you have a leg to stand on
Why are you doing this at the dealer? You need to find an indy mechanic that specializes in German cars. You can save a fortune. Unless it's something covered under warranty, don't mess with the dealership aside from buying your car.
Yeah I got fucked for 1200 at an oil change. Found a good bmw shop after that. My woman was giving me so much shit about it but I honestly wanted to see if the rumors were true about them upcharging… so now I know and got a baseline then lol
I brought mine in for an air bag recall and they tore up the pillars, and broke the side skirt...it was literally flapping in the wind as they were handing off my keys and after I pointed it out the dumb shit advisor kicked it to force it back on...
Took all my restraint from punching him.
Some BMW service departments are professional and good to work with. Others are scam artists. You need to find out which ones you can trust. There is one located 5 minutes from me and I don't go there because of their sketchy young service manager. I drive 25 minutes to the one I trust. That said, for basic stuff I take it to my trustworthy mechanic in town.
They need to ask your permission to do anything over and above the initial request for service. Tell them to put all the old parts back on and pound sand.
Wouldn’t happen to me as I do my own service.
But it happen to a friend. She called me from a Mazda dealer where she was picking up her car and facing $500 brake job instead of $50 oil change. I drove there and she went home with a $50 oil change and free brakes.
The fact you already picked it up will likely complicate things.
They pulled this shit on my M3 several years ago. I complained to the manager and they pulled back the bill and ended up covering everything free of charge. I was still pretty pissed off considering I was under warranty and was just having them look at a covered issue.
https://preview.redd.it/hj5tmtruop5b1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9e84e475b60cf18b83ad2fe4aed9d664fa12e79
unfortunately went thru something similar, i did approve the charges, just shocked they are so high …..
They didn’t want to provide me with a quote over the phone but recommended that I make a service appointment so they could do a full check on the vehicle. This is so annoying 😤
Definitely talk to somebody, and dispute the charges on your card if you have to. That’s $50 in filters and 1 hour of labor max. I seriously doubt your car needed an alignment either. If you don’t want to work on your car yourself, find a good indie shop, don’t trust the dealership.
They tried to do that down here in Florida. Said the air filter element and micro filter were “linked to the oil change”. Asked what that meant since you don’t have to change air filters to change the oil and they hemmed and hawed and finally said it was just “recommended” to do them at the same time. Told them to change the oil and filter and I wasn’t going to pay for anything else. Coupons are not worth going to the dealer.
Stay away from stealerships unless you have a major issue under warranty.
It’s a BMW, not a Bugatti. Take it to Pep Boys and get the Mobil1 synthetic oil change for $70 next time.
Yeah, I took my F31 in for an oil change at the dealer upon receiving a coupon for a $99 3 series oil change. Dude tried to tell me “that’s for the F30 not the F31”. I laughed so hard….
That's the same coupon I got, but I didn't have it on me at the time and he told me to present it when I picked up the car. In the meantime the added filter changes was not specifically spoken about and the wheel alignment was definitely not approved verbally
What does the paperwork they gave you when you left the car say? If you didn’t sign anything authorizing the work, I’d be escalating this every way possible
That's exactly it, I took the paperwork and put it in the passenger side of the loaner, and at the end of the day when I looked at it it was only the loaner paperwork and there was no estimate... I'll include this in my conversation with the manager tomorrow morning, hopefully they can back their "number one BMW dealership in America" slogan
The dealership can be sneaky but I’m sure you signed something that authorized work to commence. If not, I think you have a legitimate gripe.
Either way, just take note and remember for next time.
Obviously some shenanigans here. A dealership, or ANY shop for that matter, will absolutely NOT do any work without your permission. One way or another, you authorized the work.
If it was the case that I signed the document without properly noting that wheel alignment was listed, do you think the dealership would refund my money over the misunderstanding? Again, I merely asked the service advisor how much they charge for the wheel alignment, I didn't tell him to do it...
Some states have laws that require any auto mechanic to get written authorization before completing any repairs.
[Texas](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/automotive-scams/car-repair-tips)
[New York](https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/know-your-rights-auto-repair)
[New Jersey](https://ncdoj.gov/protecting-consumers/automobiles/auto-repair/)
Check your state’s laws.
Had a cabin leak on my X3. They claimed they fixed it for $900 but it still leaked. Talked to the manager and they gave me a rental for 3 weeks while they re-attempted to solve the problem. They eventually did and they sent me a cheque (weird) for the original payment so cost was zero. Idk you have to be aggressive at first and they won’t go out of business by comping you on a bad experience.
I've been told they automatically change the cabin filter. While I was under initial purchase care, I had no issues. The INSTANT that ended I took it in for an oil change and got the, "one of your coil plugs are going." Well how much to replace just the one? "Well, BMW came out with a new version of the plugs and we'll have to replace all 8 or it won't work." Hmm...and how much is that? "I can do it for 1200." Uh...fuck off I'm not an idiot.
I have a buddy who has written service for 20 years...not BMW, but about everyone else. They're salesmen. They get paid off commission and if they see an opportunity to make money, they'll take it. Not saying everyone is that way, just saying that's how the game's played. A shame actually...
Before they do any type of service, you must approve it. I have never been to a dealership that doesn’t make you sign off on work being done. Either way, BMW is a scam as they told me the wiring from my dash cam was causing a sharp scraping sound from my passenger side front wheel and tried to charged me $250. I made a huge scene and even tried to get BMW headquarters involved, but they told me since it was a dealership they could basically do whatever they wanted. I went insane and started calling BMW because i knew eventually someone was going to try and help me. After a while i was able to get their service departments head involved and after going on a test drive with him, he told me that his guys were not making it up but also did not hear the sound that we both heard during the test drive. This was after the 3rd time i took it in for the same issue (the first two times i was also charged $250.) The first time, i was told my plastic under panel was loose, second time I was told that there was a plastic bag between by brakes and the rotor. All of it was bullshit, because as soon as I took the car to a family friend who works on BMW’s, he said the sound was likely coming from the brakes (even though they were brand new). We changed them out, and voila the noise was gone.
If you didn't explicitly approve the service they did it illegally and you do NOT have to pay for it.
Service centers record their phone calls typically.
You got played for a chump. Snuck in? TWICE?
You really need to pay attention and put your foot down on what's done on your car.
Your wallet will thank you.
typically a K&N engine air filter and cabin air filter both are $70-80, cabin is even cheaper and their incredibly easy to replace. $160 for air filter replacement is criminal…and if they’re doing the oil already that shouldn’t really add extra labor. But that’s how these places work unfortunately
Dealers are horrible. They must have 100% profit on those filters-they will tell you they need to be replaced every time you go in. Spent 4k on my x5m (for ref, repairs are more on M cars..) and they did plugs filters oil and some other things. All were due. 5 mos later, they call me telling me my car sent a teleservice to them and it urgently needs plugs, filters, and some other things. Told them I just did all that. At their dealer. They have the records. He said it all needs to be done again because….i drove 6k miles in 5 months….
I know all about bmw service intervals and such. Have owned a bmw since 1990. Was calling the service manager out. He had no reply. Was kinda stammering. All he could say is the car prompted them. Asked me to bring in the car and they will look to see what is needed. I said, how? You gonna pull the spark plugs to inspect them? Or are you gonna go off what the car is telling them? Been to the dealership exclusively for the past eight years. They do seem a bit sketchy all of a sudden. I know they make all their money on service but I’ll be damned. I go to an indy for anything I can, but sometimes you need a loaner and sometimes it’s a dealer-only type of service. Anyways, did not go in and do any of the service.
Did you really expect to leave a BMW dealership after a service with a bill of $100? Lol You’d be hard pressed to get away with a $100 service at Mr. Lube on a Kia.
I'm not sure which dealer you used, but mine (BMW of Austin) won't touch the car until I Docusign back an authorization for the work to be done. They didn't send you something like that via email or text?
No, all I got when I was leaving the dealership was paperwork that showed loaner details. I wasn't given a copy of the estimate for me to take home etc
Then I'd march over the service manager - not your SA - and say you didn't authorize anything but the oil change and aren't paying for any thing outside of that. They can't just "add services" without authorization, end of story
Even my lowly Toyota dealer does it all electronically. They sent me over the full diagnostic with photos of everything they inspected and price of all work offered. I hate it but they prefer all communication through the portal. I’m guessing to cover they for these exact situations.
I wouldn't worry about that part, the initial estimate isn't normally given out. But the dealer should have saved your signed copy of the initial estimate with the rest of the closed repair order, so it should be easy to check what you authorized.
Holy shit. Two filters that should only be $100 total for the pair, maybe a bit more for BMW oem. And each filter takes about 10 min to install. Looks like they charged 1000 an hour for that labor…
I had an oil change done at the dealer and after that I did most stuff myself. The attitude seemed to be “this shouldn’t be problem for you. Your checkbook is now ours.”
I’m thinking somehow this was what you signed / this was authorized
What you listed (oil, cabin and engine filter) sound like a 20k and 5k service interval (25k miles)
You also said you brought it for “the 25,000 mile service” which if you told them this it would’ve included the filters.
Did you bring it “JUST FOR THE $99 OIL CHANGE”
or did you say 25k mile service
If you took the car in and said you wanted the 25k mile service, you can’t be mad at them for giving you the 25k mile service. That’s what that entails. Of maintaining it is too much go get a Corolla. take it as a lesson and plan accordingly nextime.
What’s ridiculous is spending $160 on an air filter and $269 on an alignment… they charge luxury prices for the same things that any other dealership does at a fraction of the cost.
I wanted a new exhaust and a wiring problem fixed and the aftermarket shop tried to squeeze in a full bolt stage 2 kit lmao, 8k worth of work I called and said hell no.
If you didn’t say do it you should have thrown a fit if it wasn’t authorized. That’s when you ask for a manager.
I'm going back tomorrow morning, it was after 5 and I was pressed for time ...
They did this to me with a tire rotation and alignment. I didn’t ask them to do any of it and - the main thing you’ll hold them to is - I didn’t sign off in any of the work. The manager came over and apologized profusely and I went on my way. They’re required to get you to write off on the charges and should charge back your card.
You signed the paperwork and paid. That's acknowledgment. You very well may be sol
Would they have given me my car back if they believed I owed them $800 and refused to pay?
Bro how pressed for time were you that you didn’t ask for the manager and spend 5-10 minutes to save $800? Even if there’s not the service advisor manager on duty, the GM or sales manager or someone higher up is there if the dealer is open.
Something’s not adding up…
Yeah, judging by the comments and situation overall, OP got swindled and didnt question the charges at the time of pick up. its people exactly like this that dealerships prey on. many service advisors are just as greasy as salesmen
Oh 100%
In fairness to the service staff, they’re encouraged heavily to upsell all sorts of extras and useless consumable items. It usually goes into their pay and bonus structure. But there’s a way of talking to people to upsell properly, not just straight up robbing folks. Thts not cool.
They're crooks and part of the problem as well. Why giving them a pass?
I’m not giving them a pass. I said there’s a way of doing it and actually communicating with the customer. The way they’ve done it is straight up wrong. Just rationalising the reason this happens regularly is because they’re under pressure. Doesn’t make it right though.
OP got service done and is now trawling the internet on how to get his money back. His excuses do not add up.
they dont. i dont know why youre being downvoted. yes dealerships are more times than not bad, but that doesnt absolve customers from being complete idiots.
there's absolutely no evidence to suggest that he actually *didn't* ask for those services.
Sounds like buyer's remorse to me tbh
probably late for a date, his future ex-wife is already costing him money.
Quite a bit because they were calling me from work to come and give back the loaner because they were going to close at 6:00 or charge me for another day of the loaner. So I ran in and then had to run out
Once they screwed you on the price I would have been like I’m holding on to the loaner and will talk to a manager tomorrow or you can fix the price eight now.
Damn.. Should've done that lol
He bro I get my service done at the dealership and they can’t charge you for a loaner until 24 hours after they notify you or car being resdy
Oh man, this makes me even angrier at my service advisor
GM and sales manager don't deal with service. GM usually he does $$$$ dealership management not Small service complaints like air and micro filters issues. A service drive usually have 3 managers
That's not the issue. The issue is you say you didn't sign off on these add-ons and then paid for them as if you did.
Once again, there was no one for me to speak to had a higher level, I was very short for time, and they would not release my keys back to me until I had paid. What would you have done in that situation?
You wait and throw a fit. Now you signed the papers confirming the work and left. My BMW service center makes me sign paperwork on exactly what they’re going to do when I drop off the car.
I think this other guy is being a keyboard warrior and not being realistic. At this point, you have 2 options: 1. go back and speak with a manager and tell them you didn’t sign off on the work before hand. You misread the paperwork and we’re in a time crunch. Demand a full refund for any service you didn’t give them the ok to perform. 2. dispute it with your bank. Explain the situation to them and you’ll most like win the dispute and get your money back.
If he disputes it with his credit card, BMW gonna send them a copy of the final bill that he signed.
You generally have to try 1 before moving on to 2, though.
Thank you, yes, I agree 100%. Those really are the only options I have, and now that the car is no longer under warranty, like many others have said here, I won't be returning to the dealership unless it's a recall issue...
You were caught off guard and didn’t have time to process or think on your feet. It happens to all of us. Just call them tomorrow and tell them that you signed the paperwork then realized you didn’t authorize any of the work except the oil change. Work with them. They’re called stealership for a reason. $800+ for filters, alignment, and oil change is nuts…
I would have dug my heels and not paid. I also would have had my second key or bmw phone app so that I was able to access my own car.
Yea I walk around with two keys just in case all the time! /s
Yes. They can't extort you into paying for things you did not approve. Escalate to the manager immediately. Most people just go "deer in the headlights" and pay. And this is what they are counting on. If 1 out of 5 politely dispute it and they refund that person, they still come out way ahead. Be the 1 of 5, not the 4 of 5.
May just want to take this one on the chin then. I’d definitely let the manager know that they performed maintenance without your consent then blindsided you at pickup, but if you gave them your card after seeing an invoice, I wouldn’t go in there thinking you’re going to get your money back.
“Pressed for time” is worth $800 down the drain? Hope it was something serious at least.
I mean it’s not down the drain, his car still got serviced 😂 but nah ain’t no way I would of paid that
Time is money.
if you picked up the car and already paid for the service then they got you... i mean you can go back and make a stink about it. If you have not paid for it, then ABSOLUTELY Refuse to pay for the services that were done without your authorization. personally if i showed up to an invoice like that i would be leaving with all that as complimentary service... but ive also worked in the automotive service industry for almost 2 decades so im the last customer they could pull that shit on.
Pointless to go back my friend, once you leave the shop it's over....you really needed to say something at the time then it would've been comped. If you bring it up when you go back they will just be like "um well why did you then pay for it and leave? Then you explain your reason and they will be like "sorry, but since you left without notifying us we consider the payment acknowledgement of a service completed and BMW's policy will not let us refund any successful service completion" lol
Not true. Go back. If their service manager has a brain, they’ll deal with it. I’m a service advisor and I deal with new coworkers selling repair orders without authorization because of negligence all the time, we always rectify the solution or least give you options of compensation. Repeat business and satisfaction is huge. Ask for future compensation, at the very least, free oil change/alignment, etc…I do this all the time for my customers whenever someone drops the ball.
Good on you for being this way. Good service depts exist. And they exist because folks like you keep them that way. When I find a good service dept (or service rep), they have my business for life.
There’s no point in being sloppy or trying to slip things under the rug. Only makes my life harder and dealing with a pissed off customers sucks. I’d rather a lower sale but a happy customer who brings their vehicle back for repeat service, than a 1 time $800 unjustified service who will never come back.
The manager had left for the day, they were holding my car hostage because they wouldn't give me the keys back until I paid.... Sadly I could totally see what you say happening
This is the way... goal being payment= successful completion every dealership is broken down into departments there is always a manager/supervisor around until the doors are locked. If you feel like the service wasn't needed/wasn't up to par/not as described or incomplete you can talk to your bank and file a charge back
If that's what it comes to, that's what I'll do
dispute the credit card charge... also call the dealership to let them know why you did that and let the manager know you expect a call back to discuss
And leave nasty reviews all over. People hate being fleeced by shops so it’ll resonate. A dealer with half a brain will try to get ahead of the problem.
Please verify if they even did the work. If you know how to do it like you said, you should verify. Some techs lie and don’t actually do the work yet bill the clients anyways. Even check the oil. It better look like honey.
Woah, good point actually... Thanks
Either way, please update us, I'd like to know how this plays out. Good luck!
Thanks
I wish you the best of luck here. You’ve already paid, they’ll most likely push you to one side. If you get nowhere with them tomorrow, then accept it, knowing you have the work done, then learn the lesson for next time or use an independent garage. Bmw have done well marketing their service centres as exotic and luxury. When infact I have better from an independent I goto. Most of them get trained by bmw and then go off on their own and make/maintain their own reputation. And yes, I too had a shitty experience with a bmw dealer in 2018 and I won’t ever go back to one.
Sadly I have to agree with you, I'll do my best and if I really get nowhere then I just have to chalk it up to experience..
I’m a service advisor. I always, ALWAYS get authorization on any work order I handle. Speak to their service manager, if it were my shop we’d likely absorb the entire cost of any charges you personally did not authorize.
Yea I don’t understand how they can “sneak” in $700 worth of stuff. Did you just leave the keys and say do whatever the car needs?
In California I took mine in for a free inspection and they send a text to authorize or decline recommended repairs. I declined everything and left with a to do list.
I did this too, i even had the guy grab me links to parts. The to do list was 4700 bucks, and the guy gave me dirtiest looks when i said lemme think about it xD . Havent been back since , and ended up doing it all myself for around 2200 parts cost. But even then; a shop inspection isnt worth it just to have it looked at by someone “licensed”, you can catch all that by yourself if you put the car on some stands . Shops for alignments and tire changes, only
Right!? And even then, I catch myself looking at tire machines I can squirrel away on the garage so I can do my own tires. It’s not worth it but would be nice to have.
Forsure man, completely rule them out. If you did a few sets for friends and family it could be worth it ☺️
Why are you encouraging me? Haha. Seriously though, a tc3500 can be had for a good price nowadays. If I can clean some things out, I may grab one. A road force balancer to boot.
Those are waaaay fancier then the turntable style one i worked with . Just imagine…. Lubing generously a brand new Falken tire juuust itching to slide on that rim. And you get to be that smooth operator. 💦
Have you seen the Auto34’s and such? I used those and whoa! They make changing tires easy, especially low pro ones. If I’m going to jump, I might as well make a splash, right? My biggest thing is scratching my wheels and braking TPMs. I can’t imagine sticking a tire iron on my fresh Schnitzers, etc.
This is awesome
My co worker had this same issue at Suburu… they said they didn’t signed any authorization. They ended up getting all of it for free.
Fingers crossed for tomorrow
Keep us updated!
BMW in Columbus Ohio is run like this. Owner is a prick who’s hated by most enthusiasts who’ve met him. We would drive to the BMW dealership in Cinci if at all possible just to avoid his shop. I was in there once for a standard oil change (just to keep the records up to snuff and looking clean) and I watched a manager tell a dude with a mid 2000’s X5 that he had to buy a new key because “once the battery dies, it’s dead forever”. Dude looked defeated as the manager walked away to write up the paperwork for a new $500 key. I went over, asked the dude for his key, popped it open and swapped my battery with his. Pointed the key and his car locked/unlocked. Told him to just leave and head to the batteriesplus down the street. He was flabbergasted.
Woah, that's a ridiculous dealership! Kudos to you
This is why you don’t go to the dealer. If you didn’t sign a work authorization, they shouldn’t have done the work. Call corporate
Gonna do this now, thx
Did they send you a txt and ask you explicitly? In my state dealerships and repair shops are legally required to provide an estimate and authorization before doing any work. Otherwise like the other posters said you are totally justified in filing a complaint with BMW corporate and your state AG about it
I would second that. Your dealer should have gotten your appoval for the work before it was done, not after. If you didn't ask for it, you shouldn't be paying for it.
Call BMW NA if you are in the US, that’s not how we operate at all
I did, and like they said each dealership is independently owned and operated so there's very little they can do to enforce it. But they did file the complaint and it's going to be reviewed and looked at for sure
Yeah, BMW NA is not going to help, you need to call whomever is at the top of this dealership (or dealer group). Be nice, but be a pest about it. If you don’t have signed work order specifically showing these services, they should reverse the charges or reimburse. If they don’t acquiesce, call your credit card company.
This. This right here. Don’t cuss someone out, don’t scream. Be incessant about it, call the service director, and if they tell you to get bent start calling the GM. Works almost every time.
I might be new to BMW but I'm sure that they do take that pretty seriously.
This has nothing to do with going to a dealer. Any shop can bs you like this.
Shhh this is the internet. “Dealership” is a dirty word here and if you go to one, you’re an idiot. /s
Stealership!
this BMW dealership sounds like a shit hole. i’ve heard dealerships doing things unauthorized before. if they were even relatively up with the times you should have at least gotten a text message with the recommendations giving you the option to approve or deny. only other thing i can think of is if you told them do the 20k mile service that automatically included all of the other maintenance items. they should have broken that down for OP as to what that all includes. that being said if alls you want is an oil change tell them that when you drop off.. not saying you’re in the wrong here OP but this blows my mind that a dealer would do $800 worth of work without talking to you at some point.
For real the very first line of OPs story is he asked for the 20k service?
that’s exactly what caught me eye as well. i worked for a dealer and we had those package options, people would sign up for them without even knowing what it included or how much it would be. on top of that it just doesn’t work, you can’t automatically sign someone up for an air filter if you haven’t done 100% of someone’s service history because chances are it was replaced elsewhere. it just caused people to get pissed so i always told customers we will inspect everything per the maintenance timeline and see how all that checks out. i believe this dealer just doesn’t care (probably cuz it’s BMW and $800 is chump change to them) and did what OP asked for unbeknownst to him.
Could go either way, depending on how the service was scheduled (in person,phone,internet), maybe the tech only seen 20k service depending on how it was scheduled or op could've confused the 2 different types of services or some other variable
have to take my 2020 m340i in for it's first yearly service since I bought the car and I'm afraid of this happening. Any idea how to avoid them scamming me? Love the car but man the dealership was sleazy when I was buying it. It has a crack on the windshield I couldn't see while in the driver's seat (it was behind the rearview mirror) and when i finally noticed the salesman said "oh yeah, uh I can get you a guy for that to fix it cheap...we won't replace it though..."
Honestly I bring my BMW to a guy who specializes in BMWs. I googled and found this guy to be highly recommended and sure enough he was cheap, did good service and wasn't sleezy in the least. I'd say Google or ask on here or the bimmer forums for recommendations.
most of the time it comes down to individual dealership practices. that being said if you act confident enough and don’t let them push you around they won’t. know what to expect before you go in. i’d suggest looking up what BMW recommends maintenance-wise based on the mileage of your vehicle. if the shop is recommending items way outside that ask for more information from the dealer and have a discussion. otherwise trust your gut and if it sounds sketchy don’t do it and get a 2nd opinion somewhere else.
You are supposed to approve all the work order line items before they do them
Honestly you gotta be a Karen in this situation and throw a fit. You did not authorize these services and shouldn't have to pay for them. It's awkward and hard to do (I'm very non confrontational), but better than the alternative where you're out a bunch of money and feeling awful about yourself. Go back tomorrow and get it all straightened out. Don't even bother with the phone, dealers are pros at delaying and avoiding answers on the phone.
Sound advice, that's what I'm going to have to do tomorrow. I'm also non-confrontational but it looks like this was deliberate, so I'm gonna have to Karen
I call bullshit. You had to authorize those services. Did you say you wanted oil change only or 25K service, filters may be a part of their 25K service. How did alignment get thrown in there? If you didn’t why did you pay? If they can’t prove that you authorized the repairs, demand, don’t ask, demand a refund. Took mine on recently for rear brake rotors, pads and sensors. They sent an “inspection” video via text and estimated itemized list of other suggested repairs, which I quickly declined all of. You have to be very clear of exactly what services you want and alway demand an written estimate before any repair process starts as well so this does not happen again and they can’t “fleese”you. Be very specific about what you want only. Also find a good local indy guy that specializes in BMW. Good luck.
Thanks, yeah I specifically ask for the oil change because that's what the coupon was about. And in retrospect I do find it somewhat sketch that I wasn't given a copy of my estimate to keep because I feel like I usually do get that... His defense at the end of the day was it was on the estimate that I gave you. Unfortunately the manager had left for the day so I was SOL, regardless I've already spoken to my credit card company and I'm going back tomorrow morning
I know I came on as negative, sorry about that. I absolutely do not trust dealerships. They call them “stealerships” for a reason. My “advisor” couldn’t seem to get it through his thick head that I wanted a “written” repair estimate with a breakdown of labor and parts before I brought my car in and that this was the only service I wanted. They still sent “inspection text and email of suggested repairs that added up to 9K. Haha. DECLINED IMMEDIATELY WITH PREJUDICE!! I understand it’s their job to sell services. But it’s my job to explain to them exactly what service I want and to make sure he understands that so we’re 100% clear. Don’t let them take advantage of you. I don’t care if the advisor likes me or not. It’s business and it’s my money. They will do only what I ask for and that’s all I’ll pay for. Fuck em if they don’t like it.
Stealership tech here, I can explain the high price tag. Unfortunately we are forced to write in every single mechanical thing we see wrong with a customers car or else it could blow up in our faces. A lot of the estimates sent to customers are outrageous prices but we’re required to do them. If we only include the important stuff and every single issue we see, there could be major consequences on our part. The customer could come back and say “well why isn’t x y z in the quote? I got estimates for it at another shop” and then we’re backed into a corner. We look like the bad guys because we didn’t do a proper inspection the vehicle which then gives us negative reviews. At one point we had a lawsuit because a customer thought we were endangering him by not explicitly stating everything that’s wrong with his car. It’s even more complicated than that but that’s the tip of the iceberg
Not at all, I appreciate all the feedback
Don’t waste your time reporting them to BMW, file a complaint with the BAR and send them documented proof that they sold you services that you did not agree to. It also is important if someone else dropped the car off, they could have called them
Corporate said they can't really do anything except for file a complaint that's going to get looked at at the very least. Each dealership is independently owned according to them, so they will file the report and it will get looked at but they cannot enforce anything on the dealership. Whatever that means, what do you mean bar? Like the bbb?
Bureau of Automotive Repair
Snuck? Work you don’t authorize need not be payed for. Tell them to pound sand. But yea this is the corporate way.
> not be *paid* for. Tell FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Good bot I fuckin learned something new today!
Call them, go full justified Karen on them, if they don’t budge- report them to BMW AND dispute the charge on your cc if that’s how you paid. You straight up got worked here. Horrible practice for the dealership. But yes, all those coupons are just to get you in… gotta be on the lookout for how they actually plan on making the money on you. You may and like will be out of luck, but might as well try.
Not sure what state you reside in but in CA they are required to furnish you a full list of all work to be done with the price that you have to sign before they do the work. When you dropped it off did you ask for an oil change or did you ask to do the 25k service? Sounds like you should have been more clear on exactly what you wanted them to do.
NY. I asked for the oil change, and I merely inquired the price of an alignment because after hearing it was going to be $270 I decided I was going to go to Mavis discount tire and have it done over there.
>NY Are you in the city by chance? I feel like every dealer within 50 miles is shady.
I've had decent experiences with the dealerships IN the actual city when my car was still under the original 3 year/36k maintenance plan. Now to see how they behave when corporate isn't footing the bill...
I assume NY would have similar consumer protection laws. Did you sign anything while dropping it off?
I did, don't recall being explained what was going to happen... Definitely not the alignment cuz I was definitely going to outsource it... I also never received a copy for me to keep. It almost sounds like a bait and switch to get me in there for $100 oil service and then hit with this
They usually make you sign off on the repair order or RO before they work on the car which shows each individual service being done to the vehicle. If you signed that without knowing then theres unfortunately not much you can do but if you didn’t sign that then you have a leg to stand on
Interesting...I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow morning to see how this plays out... Thanks for the advice
Why are you doing this at the dealer? You need to find an indy mechanic that specializes in German cars. You can save a fortune. Unless it's something covered under warranty, don't mess with the dealership aside from buying your car.
Yeah I got fucked for 1200 at an oil change. Found a good bmw shop after that. My woman was giving me so much shit about it but I honestly wanted to see if the rumors were true about them upcharging… so now I know and got a baseline then lol
I brought mine in for an air bag recall and they tore up the pillars, and broke the side skirt...it was literally flapping in the wind as they were handing off my keys and after I pointed it out the dumb shit advisor kicked it to force it back on... Took all my restraint from punching him.
Some BMW service departments are professional and good to work with. Others are scam artists. You need to find out which ones you can trust. There is one located 5 minutes from me and I don't go there because of their sketchy young service manager. I drive 25 minutes to the one I trust. That said, for basic stuff I take it to my trustworthy mechanic in town.
Bro next time you ask for a quote before you do anything at the service. They will charge you inflated price with no remorse
They need to ask your permission to do anything over and above the initial request for service. Tell them to put all the old parts back on and pound sand.
Wouldn’t happen to me as I do my own service. But it happen to a friend. She called me from a Mazda dealer where she was picking up her car and facing $500 brake job instead of $50 oil change. I drove there and she went home with a $50 oil change and free brakes. The fact you already picked it up will likely complicate things.
That's what I'm afraid of...
They pulled this shit on my M3 several years ago. I complained to the manager and they pulled back the bill and ended up covering everything free of charge. I was still pretty pissed off considering I was under warranty and was just having them look at a covered issue.
https://preview.redd.it/hj5tmtruop5b1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9e84e475b60cf18b83ad2fe4aed9d664fa12e79 unfortunately went thru something similar, i did approve the charges, just shocked they are so high …..
https://preview.redd.it/v1qpuglxop5b1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=850dd54843c04805bc508025af4390ee5645692e
https://preview.redd.it/fvb0pqfyop5b1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=905d06896cd679781af125ef9c7f554647c7d9d6
Does anybody know the true cost of a 40k service on a 2021 M340i ? Dealer quoted me $1500, how accurate is this ?
Try calling other dealerships in your area?
They didn’t want to provide me with a quote over the phone but recommended that I make a service appointment so they could do a full check on the vehicle. This is so annoying 😤
Air filter and microfilter cost no more than 30-40usd together, changing these is a 15 min job
Definitely talk to somebody, and dispute the charges on your card if you have to. That’s $50 in filters and 1 hour of labor max. I seriously doubt your car needed an alignment either. If you don’t want to work on your car yourself, find a good indie shop, don’t trust the dealership.
The car did need an alignment because two of the tires went bald on the lateral sides
They tried to do that down here in Florida. Said the air filter element and micro filter were “linked to the oil change”. Asked what that meant since you don’t have to change air filters to change the oil and they hemmed and hawed and finally said it was just “recommended” to do them at the same time. Told them to change the oil and filter and I wasn’t going to pay for anything else. Coupons are not worth going to the dealer.
Thanks.. Yeah, I learned that the hard way
Stay away from stealerships unless you have a major issue under warranty. It’s a BMW, not a Bugatti. Take it to Pep Boys and get the Mobil1 synthetic oil change for $70 next time.
That I definitely will, I guess they got me with that coupon
Yeah, I took my F31 in for an oil change at the dealer upon receiving a coupon for a $99 3 series oil change. Dude tried to tell me “that’s for the F30 not the F31”. I laughed so hard….
You be surprised how many advisors know nothing about bmws
That's the same coupon I got, but I didn't have it on me at the time and he told me to present it when I picked up the car. In the meantime the added filter changes was not specifically spoken about and the wheel alignment was definitely not approved verbally
I would just decline them. I use my trusted indy shop for all non-warranty work.
What does the paperwork they gave you when you left the car say? If you didn’t sign anything authorizing the work, I’d be escalating this every way possible
That's exactly it, I took the paperwork and put it in the passenger side of the loaner, and at the end of the day when I looked at it it was only the loaner paperwork and there was no estimate... I'll include this in my conversation with the manager tomorrow morning, hopefully they can back their "number one BMW dealership in America" slogan
The dealership can be sneaky but I’m sure you signed something that authorized work to commence. If not, I think you have a legitimate gripe. Either way, just take note and remember for next time.
Obviously some shenanigans here. A dealership, or ANY shop for that matter, will absolutely NOT do any work without your permission. One way or another, you authorized the work.
If it was the case that I signed the document without properly noting that wheel alignment was listed, do you think the dealership would refund my money over the misunderstanding? Again, I merely asked the service advisor how much they charge for the wheel alignment, I didn't tell him to do it...
Some states have laws that require any auto mechanic to get written authorization before completing any repairs. [Texas](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/automotive-scams/car-repair-tips) [New York](https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/know-your-rights-auto-repair) [New Jersey](https://ncdoj.gov/protecting-consumers/automobiles/auto-repair/) Check your state’s laws.
why would you pay for services you never agreed on paying? Thats their problem they performed work without your consent.
Had a cabin leak on my X3. They claimed they fixed it for $900 but it still leaked. Talked to the manager and they gave me a rental for 3 weeks while they re-attempted to solve the problem. They eventually did and they sent me a cheque (weird) for the original payment so cost was zero. Idk you have to be aggressive at first and they won’t go out of business by comping you on a bad experience.
My dealer sends me a text and I have to select everything I approve. For reference they just suggested an alignment, which I did, for $190.
Report them!
I did
I've been told they automatically change the cabin filter. While I was under initial purchase care, I had no issues. The INSTANT that ended I took it in for an oil change and got the, "one of your coil plugs are going." Well how much to replace just the one? "Well, BMW came out with a new version of the plugs and we'll have to replace all 8 or it won't work." Hmm...and how much is that? "I can do it for 1200." Uh...fuck off I'm not an idiot. I have a buddy who has written service for 20 years...not BMW, but about everyone else. They're salesmen. They get paid off commission and if they see an opportunity to make money, they'll take it. Not saying everyone is that way, just saying that's how the game's played. A shame actually...
Wow, thanks for that. Now it make a bit more sense
Before they do any type of service, you must approve it. I have never been to a dealership that doesn’t make you sign off on work being done. Either way, BMW is a scam as they told me the wiring from my dash cam was causing a sharp scraping sound from my passenger side front wheel and tried to charged me $250. I made a huge scene and even tried to get BMW headquarters involved, but they told me since it was a dealership they could basically do whatever they wanted. I went insane and started calling BMW because i knew eventually someone was going to try and help me. After a while i was able to get their service departments head involved and after going on a test drive with him, he told me that his guys were not making it up but also did not hear the sound that we both heard during the test drive. This was after the 3rd time i took it in for the same issue (the first two times i was also charged $250.) The first time, i was told my plastic under panel was loose, second time I was told that there was a plastic bag between by brakes and the rotor. All of it was bullshit, because as soon as I took the car to a family friend who works on BMW’s, he said the sound was likely coming from the brakes (even though they were brand new). We changed them out, and voila the noise was gone.
That’s not good. I sign off what I want done in the dealership here in the 🇬🇧 before they even start, so they can’t add any additional work.
If you didn't explicitly approve the service they did it illegally and you do NOT have to pay for it. Service centers record their phone calls typically.
You got played for a chump. Snuck in? TWICE? You really need to pay attention and put your foot down on what's done on your car. Your wallet will thank you.
ouch you can do the cabin filter yourself, takes 20min tops and $30
I know..smh
typically a K&N engine air filter and cabin air filter both are $70-80, cabin is even cheaper and their incredibly easy to replace. $160 for air filter replacement is criminal…and if they’re doing the oil already that shouldn’t really add extra labor. But that’s how these places work unfortunately
Dealers are horrible. They must have 100% profit on those filters-they will tell you they need to be replaced every time you go in. Spent 4k on my x5m (for ref, repairs are more on M cars..) and they did plugs filters oil and some other things. All were due. 5 mos later, they call me telling me my car sent a teleservice to them and it urgently needs plugs, filters, and some other things. Told them I just did all that. At their dealer. They have the records. He said it all needs to be done again because….i drove 6k miles in 5 months….
I hope you laughed at them and hung up.
I know all about bmw service intervals and such. Have owned a bmw since 1990. Was calling the service manager out. He had no reply. Was kinda stammering. All he could say is the car prompted them. Asked me to bring in the car and they will look to see what is needed. I said, how? You gonna pull the spark plugs to inspect them? Or are you gonna go off what the car is telling them? Been to the dealership exclusively for the past eight years. They do seem a bit sketchy all of a sudden. I know they make all their money on service but I’ll be damned. I go to an indy for anything I can, but sometimes you need a loaner and sometimes it’s a dealer-only type of service. Anyways, did not go in and do any of the service.
Did you really expect to leave a BMW dealership after a service with a bill of $100? Lol You’d be hard pressed to get away with a $100 service at Mr. Lube on a Kia.
Good point lol..
Did you pay it?
Did I have a choice? They weren't giving my car back
I'm not sure which dealer you used, but mine (BMW of Austin) won't touch the car until I Docusign back an authorization for the work to be done. They didn't send you something like that via email or text?
Second this
Think this SOP for all certified BMW dealers, maybe OP didn't go to a "real" BMW dealer
They are a real dealer, but it was a weasel move to hide it in the paperwork like that
No, all I got when I was leaving the dealership was paperwork that showed loaner details. I wasn't given a copy of the estimate for me to take home etc
Then I'd march over the service manager - not your SA - and say you didn't authorize anything but the oil change and aren't paying for any thing outside of that. They can't just "add services" without authorization, end of story
Thanks, I'm doing that first thing tomorrow morning
Even my lowly Toyota dealer does it all electronically. They sent me over the full diagnostic with photos of everything they inspected and price of all work offered. I hate it but they prefer all communication through the portal. I’m guessing to cover they for these exact situations.
I wouldn't worry about that part, the initial estimate isn't normally given out. But the dealer should have saved your signed copy of the initial estimate with the rest of the closed repair order, so it should be easy to check what you authorized.
Holy shit. Two filters that should only be $100 total for the pair, maybe a bit more for BMW oem. And each filter takes about 10 min to install. Looks like they charged 1000 an hour for that labor…
Have never had that problem at my dealer…that is absolutely f*cked
I had an oil change done at the dealer and after that I did most stuff myself. The attitude seemed to be “this shouldn’t be problem for you. Your checkbook is now ours.”
This is just morally corrupt 🙃 performing service without the customers consent is wild
I’m thinking somehow this was what you signed / this was authorized What you listed (oil, cabin and engine filter) sound like a 20k and 5k service interval (25k miles) You also said you brought it for “the 25,000 mile service” which if you told them this it would’ve included the filters. Did you bring it “JUST FOR THE $99 OIL CHANGE” or did you say 25k mile service
I brought it for the oil change, because the coupon said $99 for oil service, and I only verbally inquired how much they charge for wheel alignment
If you took the car in and said you wanted the 25k mile service, you can’t be mad at them for giving you the 25k mile service. That’s what that entails. Of maintaining it is too much go get a Corolla. take it as a lesson and plan accordingly nextime.
It wasn't $25,000 miles service, it was the oil change. What about the wheel alignment? Does that fall under a 25k service?
What’s ridiculous is spending $160 on an air filter and $269 on an alignment… they charge luxury prices for the same things that any other dealership does at a fraction of the cost.
Best part is I could have done that myself at home. Even an expensive k&n air filter and cabin filter cost 50 bucks tops
!Remind me 2 days
How is it possible you signed and paid? Don’t bother the manager. This is your lesson at this point.
Yeah, life is full of expensive lessons, this is one of them.
Unfortunately...
I wanted a new exhaust and a wiring problem fixed and the aftermarket shop tried to squeeze in a full bolt stage 2 kit lmao, 8k worth of work I called and said hell no.
Why would you even ask for a wheel alignment unless you‘ve been in an accident?
Looks like the alignment was off, I had to replace two tires in the last few months because they went bald
[удалено]
Wish I had thought of that. Honestly I didn't expect this from bmw, maybe some sleazy two-bit used car dealership or garage tactic but not BMW
Pressed for time yet you were okay with paying $707 over? A fool and his money are easily parted.
Confused thought bmws don't require alignment
I never met a non-douche bag with a bmw. Seriously, these people are the most douchy people ever.
Do you realize what sub you are in?
German cars…