Opinions on work done

[my_e36 43]

+1

my dealings with BMW dealerships has been pleasant and trouble-free.

[tonylauno1 7]

We get trained technical stuff about the brand, fitting plastic shrouds is billy basic. Some people are incompetent. Can't be helped. Although when working for a premium brand attention to detail is rule one.

Incompetent and have the don't care attitude, it's not their own car and they really don't care. Do the work as quick as they can and move on, don't care whether they got their dirty hands all over your beige interior.

[tonylauno1 7]

So is this place an MTA member?

If I tell people which place this is, people wouldn't believe me. This place only does BMW cars, everyone here agrees they are one of the top guys. But the owner is let down by a few people that makes big mistakes.

[tonylauno1 7]

8 hours to do all of the above is excessive - you could hardly call misunderstanding on that part in my opinion. Personally I'd call it dishonesty.

3 to 4 hours for the above from a business is reasonable, twice that, no way unless they were seriously incompetent (in which case they shouldn't be working on other people's cars).

If you did this on a hoist on your own I'd say it's a 3 hour job tops.

I have nothing against specialist shops, but I do find that sometimes shopping around will help.

Dealership workshops aren't always the 'stealers' that people think they are. At least at the end of the day you know that they have the proper tools and diagnostics equipment (or at least access to them through BMW NZ directly) and the senior techs at least are updated with the latest training and have computer access to proper BMW repair process via online.

You know what, I asked the owner who everyone here agrees is very knowledgeable in BMW cars, and he said rear trailing arm bushes along would be 3-4 hour job so my invoice is correct. When I told him Glenn (someone who he has huge respect for) could do all in 4-5 hours, he said he doesn't take shortcuts, some he will take and some he won't and rear trailing arm bushes, he will not take any shortcuts. Some drivers could complete a lap in 1 min and other could complete a lap in 2 mins, it is what it is and that is it.

He also said his staff comes first and customers second, so no use complaining about this staff.

He also said if his staff worked on a car for 5hrs and it should be 3hrs then it depends on if customer is a regular, if customer is a regular then charge 3hrs and if customer is not a regular then 5hrs.

[tonylauno1 7]

+1

my dealings with BMW dealerships has been pleasant and trouble-free.

I'm sure the BMW Dealerships are pleasant to deal with but it's $120+gst vs $65+gst.

This workshop I go to has been great when they had a workshop manager, now its the owner who tries to take over that job but he is so busy with everything else, no one is supervising and doing quality control. When the owner use to take on the workshop duty and when he had a workshop manager things were great, now I tell the owner he needs to supervise and check everything. Most things his staff can get away with because other customers do not know but I check the work and if something is not right, I want it fixed.

ie went in to get new battery, and battery cover was not put back properly and two screws are missing. Yes it's not important but I like it to be there, I went in with battery cover properly installed with two screws, and I would like the same please when it comes back.

Perhaps it is worth paying $120+gst so I don't have to keep going back to get things done properly.

[tonylauno1 7]

I'm with you on this one Glenn,

there is usually some misunderstanding, this needs to be delt with appropiately, with the parties involved,rather than over the net

maybe tony you contact the business owner and get this rectified ,I understand that you are fustrated, but a thread like this may not help your problem, you do have rights as a consumer

other than that a "name and shame thread" on business' , will damage sponsorship and most likely discounts for bimmersport

If people still want to go back then that's fine, they have not had the same experience as me, they do not give discounts to bimmersport anyway, they only fix bmw cars so they do not need to give us discounts.

He said some drivers could complete a lap in 1 min and other could complete a lap in 2 mins, it is what it is and that is it. So that meant if he takes 3-4 hours to replace rear trailing arm bushes and if there are others who can do the whole list in 4 hours then so what...

He also said his staff comes first and customers second, so no use complaining about this staff.

He also said if his staff worked on a car for 5hrs and it should be 3hrs then he will charge a regular 3hrs otherwise it's 5hrs. We have to pay for his staff incompetence.

Bushing + labour let's say is $350 and he doesn't want to reimburse me for $350. Fine, it's $350 I won't starve, I will actually promote his business for him. I will make him famous, famous for all the right reason or not, that is up to him to decide not me and he has made himself very clear.

[Allanw 1071]

Last time I used a dealer, it was $72 plus GST per hour, and rates were fixed at the BMW book times It was a while ago). I assume the rate has gone up (and may vary with location too), but I assume they still do book times/rates per job???

In Dad's E30, clutch, gearbox and engine rear main seal, machine flywheel, bleed brakes/ABS and rear subframe bushes was just under $1100. I thought that was really good. We knew it was costing that BEFORE we started and agreed to it.

The dealer has always seemed quite reasonable for prices. Dad will need to replace his E30 one day, and will most likely get another 3 - auto next time though :-(. He had a Toyota prior to the E30, and won't own another, because the parts and servicing were stupid expensive (cambelt was $280... JUST for the belt!)

Some people (like my father in law) end up spending MORE on thier car, because they try to get everything done on the cheap. It just has to be done three times, or stuff fails more often, or the used alternators he paid to have fitted die every 6 months to a year, when a new or rebuilt one would have lasted AND had a warranty!

It just pays to compare.

[leithcm 0]

Perhaps it is worth paying $120+gst so I don't have to keep going back to get things done properly.

I think you have just hit the nail on the head...........

[NZ BMW 368]

I'm sure the BMW Dealerships are pleasant to deal with but it's $120+gst vs $65+gst.

This workshop I go to has been great when they had a workshop manager, now its the owner who tries to take over that job but he is so busy with everything else, no one is supervising and doing quality control. When the owner use to take on the workshop duty and when he had a workshop manager things were great, now I tell the owner he needs to supervise and check everything. Most things his staff can get away with because other customers do not know but I check the work and if something is not right, I want it fixed.

ie went in to get new battery, and battery cover was not put back properly and two screws are missing. Yes it's not important but I like it to be there, I went in with battery cover properly installed with two screws, and I would like the same please when it comes back.

Perhaps it is worth paying $120+gst so I don't have to keep going back to get things done properly.

My invoice from the dealer is $117 inclusive of GST for labour. Considering the place I usually take my car to is $90 plus GST I think I am going to start using the dealer more. Even after having some issues they were fixed promptly and without fuss - that to me makes a difference.

My one gripe is that they don't seem to give loan cars (They did drop me off at work) or is that because I was a first time customer? Also looking at my invoice it seems if you're a regular you can make payment on the 20th of the following month which can be useful if you want to stretch out the payment. But that might just be for corporate account holders.

[M3_Power 636]

You know what, I asked the owner who everyone here agrees is very knowledgeable in BMW cars, and he said rear trailing arm bushes along would be 3-4 hour job so my invoice is correct. When I told him Glenn (someone who he has huge respect for) could do all in 4-5 hours, he said he doesn't take shortcuts, some he will take and some he won't and rear trailing arm bushes, he will not take any shortcuts. Some drivers could complete a lap in 1 min and other could complete a lap in 2 mins, it is what it is and that is it.

He also said his staff comes first and customers second, so no use complaining about this staff.

He also said if his staff worked on a car for 5hrs and it should be 3hrs then it depends on if customer is a regular, if customer is a regular then charge 3hrs and if customer is not a regular then 5hrs.

You should ask him if he has a rear trailing arm bushing extractor tool and installation tool and a rear trailing arm carrier alignment tool (if he doesn't have the latter, then he's taking short cuts). I have all three and each trailing arm bushing takes circa half an hour to 40 minutes to drop, extract and reinstall with the proper tools:

Mark the carrier position on chassis with touch up pen, take off 3 x carrier bolt, 1 x brake line bracket, 1 rear shock bolt - down it comes, then the bushing bolt to remove carrier, crank the tool on, pull the bush out, crank the other tool on and press the new bush on, place the carrier bracket and alignment tool on trailing arm, tighten to spec torque, realign carrier to chassis markings prior, torque back to spec, put rear shock bolt on and hand tighten, rebolt brakeline bracket and tighten to torque. Drop car down underload and tighten the rear shock bolt (if he doesn't do this on the ground then he's taking a shortcut and will have damaged your rear shock bottom bush). You should ask him what the torque spec is on that rear shock bolt, carrier bracket and bushing bolt (they are all different with the bushing bolt being the hardest to torque without the right tool - they are 100Nm, 77Nm and 110Nm respectively).

I believe the official BMW charge out time for the rear trailing arm bushing is 2.5 hours for both sides (and even that in my opinion is far too long for such a simple job).

I agree without the correct tooling then it can be a bitch of a job, but with the right tools, it's a piece of cake.

The attitude speaks volume though.

Like many have pointed out - you are often better off with a properly factory trained tech and official service centres. Better service, better quality, better tooling and best of all, they actually care about their reputation and standard of work (as they get audited by Germany).

Edited February 1, 2012 by M3_Power

[cliffdunedin 8]

I think if you are so unhappy (and from your side, sounds like you have a right to be!) you should ask the MTA to have mediation with this company!

Here's a link that may be helpful, particularly the piece i have cut and pasted!

http://www.cab.org.nz/vat/tt/mvd/Pages/Generaladvice.aspx

I think my mechanic has been ripping me off. How can I prove it?

If you think your mechanic is charging too much or has done unnecessary work – or worse, claims to have done something but hasn’t - ask for a second opinion from another mechanic. If the second opinion is radically different from the first, you should ask for an explanation. Different garages charge different amounts for labour and the price of parts can also vary, so it is best to simply ask your mechanic for an account that lists each item the money has been spent on, i.e. labour, parts, shipping, etc. You can also ask to see any faulty parts removed from the car as proof of what they’ve done.

If you can’t settle a dispute with your mechanic, and they are a member of the MTA, you can ask the MTA to mediate (call 0508 682 633). For more information, see their webpage on mediation.

If things still seem unreasonable, you can take the mechanic to the Disputes Tribunal.

[tonylauno1 7]

I think you have just hit the nail on the head...........

In 5 years of owning BMW, this is the first time where it had failed, and it had failed when i change mechanics and use this BM Specialist who only fixed BMW Cars. Going back to my mechanic and asking the owner to supervise work on my car, if he is not going to supervise then I will certainly look elsewhere.

[tonylauno1 7]

You should ask him if he has a rear trailing arm bushing extractor tool and installation tool and a rear trailing arm carrier alignment tool (if he doesn't have the latter, then he's taking short cuts). I have all three and each trailing arm bushing takes circa half an hour to 40 minutes to drop, extract and reinstall with the proper tools:

Mark the carrier position on chassis with touch up pen, take off 3 x carrier bolt, 1 x brake line bracket, 1 rear shock bolt - down it comes, then the bushing bolt to remove carrier, crank the tool on, pull the bush out, crank the other tool on and press the new bush on, place the carrier bracket and alignment tool on trailing arm, tighten to spec torque, realign carrier to chassis markings prior, torque back to spec, put rear shock bolt on and hand tighten, rebolt brakeline bracket and tighten to torque. Drop car down underload and tighten the rear shock bolt (if he doesn't do this on the ground then he's taking a shortcut and will have damaged your rear shock bottom bush). You should ask him what the torque spec is on that rear shock bolt, carrier bracket and bushing bolt (they are all different with the bushing bolt being the hardest to torque without the right tool - they are 100Nm, 77Nm and 110Nm respectively).

I believe the official BMW charge out time for the rear trailing arm bushing is 2.5 hours for both sides (and even that in my opinion is far too long for such a simple job).

I agree without the correct tooling then it can be a bitch of a job, but with the right tools, it's a piece of cake.

The attitude speaks volume though.

Like many have pointed out - you are often better off with a properly factory trained tech and official service centres. Better service, better quality, better tooling and best of all, they actually care about their reputation and standard of work (as they get audited by Germany).

The thing is this guy who told me that rear trailing arm bushes takes 3-4 hours, is a BMW Dealer trained staff, and he is well known in the BMW circles and respected by many including people at Jerry Clayton.

Sounds like he needs to be train by you...

Glenn said he could do the whole thing in 4 hours, so perhaps 2.5hours is a bit long, and as soon as I told this guy this he went quiet and started saying people take shortcuts implying Glenn, the only reason I brought up Glenn's name is this guy said he has a huge respect for Glenn. I thought i might get somewhere speaking to the owner of this place in private, don't get me wrong he is very pleasant the whole time but the things that he says is not so pleasant nor is his attitude towards how he runs the business.

Edited February 3, 2012 by tonylauno1

[tonylauno1 7]

My invoice from the dealer is $117 inclusive of GST for labour. Considering the place I usually take my car to is $90 plus GST I think I am going to start using the dealer more. Even after having some issues they were fixed promptly and without fuss - that to me makes a difference.

My one gripe is that they don't seem to give loan cars (They did drop me off at work) or is that because I was a first time customer? Also looking at my invoice it seems if you're a regular you can make payment on the 20th of the following month which can be useful if you want to stretch out the payment. But that might just be for corporate account holders.

If I was you, I would go to $117 at dealers if others are charging $90. damn, not teven a nice new demo car to tempt you into upgrading. I guess that loan car is only an option if you had bought from them and I'm sure if you had an account at their workshop then it's 20th the following month.

[tonylauno1 7]

I think if you are so unhappy (and from your side, sounds like you have a right to be!) you should ask the MTA to have mediation with this company!

Here's a link that may be helpful, particularly the piece i have cut and pasted!

http://www.cab.org.nz/vat/tt/mvd/Pages/Generaladvice.aspx

I think my mechanic has been ripping me off. How can I prove it?

If you think your mechanic is charging too much or has done unnecessary work – or worse, claims to have done something but hasn’t - ask for a second opinion from another mechanic. If the second opinion is radically different from the first, you should ask for an explanation. Different garages charge different amounts for labour and the price of parts can also vary, so it is best to simply ask your mechanic for an account that lists each item the money has been spent on, i.e. labour, parts, shipping, etc. You can also ask to see any faulty parts removed from the car as proof of what they’ve done.

If you can’t settle a dispute with your mechanic, and they are a member of the MTA, you can ask the MTA to mediate (call 0508 682 633). For more information, see their webpage on mediation.

If things still seem unreasonable, you can take the mechanic to the Disputes Tribunal.

Thanks Cliff, I'll look into this.

[Lubed 55]

This thread has turned into a classic name and shame "Guess Who" edition with all these hints being dropped about who the workshop is.

[tonylauno1 7]

So at a different workshop to get rack-end and control arm bushing replaced, another customer put a dent in my door so the mechanic took to it a panel beater to get it repaired.

The panel beater got clear coat all over the interior, it smelled really bad. Clear coat on the window, rear view mirror, the fake wood veneer from driver to passenger were all rough, door handle on both doors you could also see grey specs of particle settle on window, vents and other areas of the car, the whole car was covered in grey and black hand prints. Wipe a wet cloth over the beige leather and you take a coating of dust off the seats which had been settle in so it wasn't dry dust.

Took it back to the panel beater with the mechanic, he didn't deny that it wasn't him but he had no idea how it had got into the car but did offer to get a full groom done by an expert.

I asked the panel beater if this has happened to his car how would he want his car fixed, he said a new interior but he couldn't afford it, he was genuinely sorry and scared about his mistakes but I'm still left with the problem and I still want him to pay for it.

At the same time, got the mechanic to take the car back to the wheel alignment place to get the steering wheel centered and found out they took the steering wheel out and move the steering wheel a tooth to the left on the gear to center it. Then they didn't plug the airbag connector in, the last wire on the connector had been broken as well as the end of the connector (look like they pull the wire 45degrees which broke the connector as well as broke the wire) and what alerted me was the airbag light was on and the airbag was not installed correctly. The mechanic said the airbag circuit in the clockspring are probably worn and broken which is common but it is too much of a coincidence. I installed the steering wheel so I know it was lined up correctly and luckily when the mechanic called the wheel alignment guys they did admit to taking the steering wheel out to center it, when asked why the mechanic has listen for a while on the phone which meant they were explaining why.

One simple problem with control-arm and rack-end which should have been diagnosed but two mechanics failed to notice it, had to get he car checked out three times with before they found the problem. All these problems had the same symptom, wheel was moving when you grab hold of it and shook it.

If a customer took the car in with a problem and the mechanic diagnose it with worn bushing, you would think they would check that the wheel has stopped moving, if it had not then continue to diagnose and they would have found the ball joint on control arm was worn too and repeat the same procedure then they would have found that the rack end was lose as well.

Both mechanics failed me, if these problems had different symptoms then I have nothing to say...

I think the two mechanics shouldn't be named because there is still a bit of grey area but what the panel beater and wheel alignment people did are 100% wrong and even deserves a website dedicated to them. I'm working on it too.

Church Street Panelbeater - put clear coat all over the interior, you could feel it on any rough surface

Church Street Motors - these guys took steering wheel out to center-align and broken a wire, didn't plug airbag connector back in and did install airbag in steering wheel correctly..

[tonylauno1 7]

Have owned cars for 10 years and European cars for 6 years but never had any problems with anyone until this one week and all sorts of unlucky failures all happens at once. On top of that, insurance claim on BMW bushing, two amplifiers and meeting dentist again on work done... All in the space of two weeks.

[shaneg 0]

Dude thats shithouse..

Id struggle not to hit someone in that situation.

Not rubbing salt in the wound but its onehunga..

In that area you shouldve driven 15 mins over to botany and gone to Glenn in the first place, then none of this wouldve happened.

[NZ BMW 368]

Dude thats shithouse..

Id struggle not to hit someone in that situation.

Not rubbing salt in the wound but its onehunga..

In that area you shouldve driven 15 mins over to botany and gone to Glenn in the first place, then none of this wouldve happened.

You do know that Evans European is there and they're one of the biggest Euro pannelbeaters in Auckland: http://www.evans.co.nz/

But generally lots of the smaller operations in Onehunga could up their game. This all sounds extremely frustrating to say the least.

[shaneg 0]

You do know that Evans European is there and they're one of the biggest Euro pannelbeaters in Auckland: http://www.evans.co.nz/

But generally lots of the smaller operations in Onehunga could up their game. This all sounds extremely frustrating to say the least.

Was generalising..

Ive been to German kollision haus which is in "shock horror" Glen Innes

I lived in pt england..

[sp8s 1]

The only mechanic that has done stuff to my car that has caused me grief is the one behind the keyboard.

[tonylauno1 7]

Dude thats shithouse..

Id struggle not to hit someone in that situation.

Not rubbing salt in the wound but its onehunga..

In that area you shouldve driven 15 mins over to botany and gone to Glenn in the first place, then none of this wouldve happened.

There are a lot of great business like Evans Europeans in Onehunga. Although this part is much closer to Penrose, it's a huge industrial area with all sorts of business, warehouse, head office.

Glenn is 15mins away during non-peak hours, it will cost me a lot of time getting there and back when dropping off the car in the morning and pick it up in the late afternoon.

[tonylauno1 7]

You do know that Evans European is there and they're one of the biggest Euro pannelbeaters in Auckland: http://www.evans.co.nz/

But generally lots of the smaller operations in Onehunga could up their game. This all sounds extremely frustrating to say the least.

Somehow I can only read one post at a time, didn't see that someone else had beaten to me about making the comment about Evans European. Sometimes I see one post at a time, sometimes it displays all the post on the same page. Not sure how to switch between the two. Anyone know what I'm talking about

[Braeden320 0]

There are a lot of great business like Evans Europeans in Onehunga. Although this part is much closer to Penrose, it's a huge industrial area with all sorts of business, warehouse, head office.

Glenn is 15mins away during non-peak hours, it will cost me a lot of time getting there and back when dropping off the car in the morning and pick it up in the late afternoon.

You can spend god knows how much time on here telling everyone about it, But can't spare say an hour total to take your car to a decent workshop??

You say it will cost you a lot of time, but in the grand scheme of things is it REALLY that big of a deal?

Sorry mate got to be said.