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      10-04-2012, 11:23 AM   #1
Theodoros
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BMW service and foreigner in France just don't match

Let me explain:
I work in an international organization across the Swiss borders but i live in France.
A couple of months ago i reared my X3 slightly onto a pole and since I have a mixed insurance and well since it is a brand new car i decided to go to BMW to fix it.
The car was bought in Switzerland, with the dealer being near by BUT I have a French insurance meaning that I have to go to a French dealer if something outside the guarantee happens! Well I did not foresee that the closest dealership would be 20km away.
There would be no problem if BMW would give me a replacement car. But they didn't. And this is the fun part. Since I have a foreign driving license their insurance doesn't cover it and they did not bother finding any other means to bring me back (I was willing to pay of course). What aggravates me is that there is a huge number of foreigners in this area that own a BMW and like me live in France and in case of an accident they will actually be told to walk 20km. How can this dealership or BMW France have neglected this huge amount of customers?
Furthermore when someone rears slightly a car the technician and the insurance expert have to check two things : cosmetic work + if the boot closes properly. Of course they did not check the later and when I actually handed it in and I pointed it out they said they would take a look and the guy was surprised that it was not noticed.. I left the car there last Thursday and they told me that it would be ready by Tuesday, then yesterday, then today and now "normally" tomorrow with the delay being caused by the fact that they had to call the expert again and that they want to fix this but "it is very difficult".
This delay is their mistake and they accepted it but they just do not care whether I have no car and this is a huge problem to my work.
Now i started having doubts whether they will do a good job and not introduce rattles..
I am really disappointed. They really make it very difficult for a person like me to live with a BMW in France.
So.. just a friendly warning : keep away from BMW Saleve Automobiles in Annemasse

Last edited by Theodoros; 10-04-2012 at 02:33 PM..
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      10-04-2012, 06:27 PM   #2
wrp
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My experience has been in southern parts of Europe cash bribes to appropriate people will always work - maybe this requirement has moved north?
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      10-05-2012, 03:33 AM   #3
Chris55
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I'm amazed that the local BMW did not provide you with at least a ride. I know the Dielsdorf dealer (main import for Switzerland) would not have handled it the same way and you might want to give them a call. I also believe some insurances have a repatriation thingy if your car breaks down in a foreign country. You might want to check into it and hope you won't need it again.
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      10-05-2012, 04:16 AM   #4
Rodion
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Try speaking French and yelling? It has helped me.

Case: I had to buy two tickets to train in Paris. I went to the ticket cashier and said where and two adult tickets. With poor English, the cashier said "no tickets for that train". Well, I was amazed and left.

I explained this to my wife and she got mad. She has excellent French. She went to the same cashier and yelled that she needs the tickets right now as the train leaves soon. Cashier gave her the tickets and she payed. No problem at all.

Funny place that France...

edit: I got feeling that you are not French, but I might be wrong...
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      10-06-2012, 03:44 AM   #5
Theodoros
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So after having sent an upset e-mail to the BMW customer care I was contacted by BMW France. They told me that they communicated with the dealer and they cannot intervene to his policy although they understand my points, have recorded my complain for future reference blah blah. They told me though that I was to be contacted by the manager of the dealership.
Anyway yesterday i got the car. They did a ~good job, meaning that if you look really close and i show it to you you will see a small flaw in the repair. I can live with that and also being really tired after all this ordeal i will not bother.
The manager told me after discussing all these issues that there were 2 workarounds to my problem (not having a French driving license) that we could have worked out..When i told him "and you tell me now??" he said that he was sorry that the employee was not properly informed and that he has discussed that with him already..
Also he told me that if you had bought your car from us we have an option that saves you from all this trouble.Really noble of him right?
if -knock on wood- something like that happens in the future i will try to avoid going there again and try covering the expenses myself and going to Switzerland..the cost/inconvenience ratio, in this case at least, was one!
Also i learned that all the good technicians of the area are going to work in Switzerland because the salaries are better.so France has to do with the rest..
@ Rodion : no i am not French. You are absolutely right about yelling. This is how things work here. Constantly call, protest, yell, threat until your job is done. This was the advice that i got from French people as well (!) on other aspects of the daily life.
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