Problematic 7

[andykoh]

What a joke! Paid so much for a 7 series & encounter countless problems with it. Bought it last May & since now has reported following problems:

1. Air Bag & Seat Belt Lights appearted after 2 wks of collection. (2004)
2. Wiper system defective & got stuck in the middle of the windscreen. (2004)
3. Loose mounting panel below Spedometer. (2004)
4. DSC light appeared when car was started. (2005)
5. Engine Oil Level Low message appeared. (2005)
6. Mounting bracket in the undercarriage was loose & needed to be changed (2005)
7. Key Slot defective (2005)
8. Air Bag & Seat Belt Lights appeared AGAIN (2005)
9. Loose mounting panel below spedometer AGAIN (2005)
10.Loose ventilation panel behind rear passenger seat (2005)
11.PDC volume become softer after repairing item 8. (2005)

My friends, being a very patient owner, I have enough of all these rubbish & have just written a letter to the MD (PML) stressing all my unhappiness towards the car! No reply yet after 4 days since I sent out. Till now, the mounting panels are still loose & PDC volume is still softer than usual, despite TWO attempts to PML to get them fix up. NO loan car was given though my car was a repeated visitor to their workshop. They simply don't show any sympathy & just treat all problems & defects as minor matter that don't warrant immediate attention.

Bros, anyone has the same setback as me in PML (of course, my is the worst so far) and got the same treatment like me before? Need your advice in resolving this issue.

Thanks.

 

[Orh LuLu]

Re: Problematic 7

I still strongly believe that the best way to complaint will be seeing those PML peacock brains face to face!

No courtesy car is rediculous leh!! I ask them to wash my aircon filter and i got a 745i.. I rev the 745i like a Lambo.. irrelavant.

 

[TripleM]

Re: Problematic 7

Lodging multiple complaints are the only way to go. Keep pestering ur CSA till he's tired of you and sort you out completely once and for all ( hopefully )

 

[saifywaify]

Re: Problematic 7

welcome to the club man

after months of pushing, and many more problems than your car has, they issued me with a 4 year, 150,000km warranty.

try to get that from them. don't go banging tables, be nice about it and have a solid case with good facts. you can push them over.

i'm sure you'd agree though, that the 7er is wonderful car to drive overall

good luck.

cheers,

saify.

 

[m3magic]

Re: Problematic 7

Andy,
If you PM me your contact and other details, eg car reg number, maybe I can get someone (senior management) to response to you.

Disclaimer: I have no personal nor any commercial connections with PML, just a fellow BMW owner

ns

 

[andykoh]

Re: Problematic 7

Thanks guys for all your advice! After waiting for almost a week, they sent a customer service manager to call me to apologise for all the inconvenience. He said he will investigate the issue and revert to me asap. Till now, after a week since he called me, I still haven't got any reply from him. Look like PML has no sense of urgency in treating my problematic car. They seems to be more keen in reving up their car sales than after-sales!

 

[WhyBMW?]

Re: Problematic 7

Thanks guys for all your advice! After waiting for almost a week, they sent a customer service manager to call me to apologise for all the inconvenience. He said he will investigate the issue and revert to me asap. Till now, after a week since he called me, I still haven't got any reply from him. Look like PML has no sense of urgency in treating my problematic car. They seems to be more keen in reving up their car sales than after-sales!

Same here... They customer service manager will call and apologise. They even sent me a letter telling me that they received my complaint and that view it very seriously.. and the "top management" will address it. No follow up... they returned me the car after more than 2 weeks in the workshop and that was it til today. For some reason, they keep using "top management". I really wonder who they are if they are even kept in the loop? Maybe its just a middle management gimmick to stall.

 

[waynechai]

Re: Problematic 7

I sympathize you.
If we spend so much money, particularly you who have a 7, we do a right of expectation.

The tale tells badly about PML.
Call and get the name of their CEO, and head of Customer Service-after sales, as well as head of technical department.
Do the same to BMW Singapore, and BMW AG.

1) Write to them again. Addressed directly to their PML CEO, cc the rest of the relevant people in PML.
2) Describe your bad experience, making it clear that as a premium car, the problems are totally unacceptable.
3) Describe current problem, and experience of "bad service"
4) Describe your next step, including circulating your complain to:
i) BMS Singapore, cc BMW AG
ii) CASE
iii) Straits Times Forum

Being a very demanding customer, I have had to go through the suggested routes. I have had near 100% in getting what I want, never needing to resort to step 4.

Just to makes you feel better:
1) Sing Post
I managed to get an official apology from them, and getting them to extend the service I need to me free of charge for a year.
2) Starhub
I managed to get them allow me to terminate my contract without penalty and refund 50% of the existing chargese
3) Citibank
I managed to get them pay me the interest I would have saved had they process my house loan application.
and many more....

My point is...
We as customer have rights. It is about exerting our rights.

 

[WhyBMW?]

Re: Problematic 7

You the man lah...
Next time I want to complain, can I have a draft of your complaint letters? I'll just cut and copy as required. But you are right, I think customer service emphasis is increasing, and our chances of getting recourse is getting better. Now we only need to change OURSELVES. People like me are either too lazy or too indifferent to pursue our rights... But I'll try to change...

 

[Mustard]

Re: Problematic 7

Had similar problem with another German made which I bought in '97. Spotted the problem after one week - a loose oil pump cover (screw missing). From that day on long list of problems cropped out - all unrelated. I wouldn't want to bore readers with the list. Visited the agent so many times that I said I should get a season pass. Wrote to maker in Germany after 6 months which makes the local agent to sit up. However, rectifying problematic car was beyond them.

I heard they say that this type of problem is called a 'Friday Car'. This is when the car was manufactured on a Friday and the workers did a bad job because they are rushing and looking forward to the weekend.

Sad part of the story (for the agent) is that they did not take advantage of the situation to give good service. Took countless visits (have to take leave), waiting in the service centre, argueing with consultants and writing mails before anything was done. The experience was so bad that I do not even visit the showroom anymore. If the agent had identified that this was a special case and gave a correct reponse, I would have gladly changed the car with another from the same make.

 

[hetraa]

Re: Problematic 7

wah 2 weeks in the workshop? PML really lazy n slow...take so long to fix problems.
they definitely gonna lose the pie to other workshops.

Best is to complain to the management face to face. Write to straits times or newpaper to make them wake up their idea...

 

[wallaby]

Re: Problematic 7

do you stil have the contact for pml senior management? if yes, i will pm you my contact for you to sms me please... please..

 

[Orh LuLu]

Re: Problematic 7

i m not good in writing.. so just walk straight up to their second floor office and hunt for the management. i dun believe u cant find them there. Calling waste time..

 

[e92alvin]

Re: Problematic 7

sad, any bad experience from pml... i have written in to complain, shared my sad stories in this forum but got to bear with it as this is just a damn nice car (at my budget) to drive. I did however sold a Swede car (top of the range) after owning it for 3 weeks... lost big one that time. so i think bmw is still "ke yi jiu", we just need to be more patience. if really cannot take it, change the car... been reading up on japanese made cars recently, i think they are really catching up fast to match with the german (quality, power and handling).

cheer up.