Chandlers BMW - 2 uncharged batteries **RESULT**

[robert_harper_2000]

8 months ago bought a battery paid for it to be delivered. It arrived flat/under charged ( no green ball showing ). Someone came round and changed it - acting so "surprised" trying to make out the recharge date was the date of manufacture. This is rubbish. So my brother fitted the new one himself. Fine.

 

Present: MOT done at Chandlers had £400 of work done... brother mentioned it did fail to start sometimes. They found nothing. 2 weeks later it failed again - I left the car with them, they replaced the alternater and said the 8 month old battery was no good after charging me to test it another £400 of work on top of the other. I thought this should be it. The day I drove it off my stereo flickered on and off and the lights dimmed. I telephone Chandlers and was told the alternater and the new battery just fitted would have thrown up a new fault. I wasn't convined as it seemed a common battery fault. On opening the boot and removing several panels I looked at the battery and there was no green ball; in need of a charge. I took my car back at 11:50 saturday morning and this was agreed by a member of staff, I asked for a new battery and offered to fit it myself! He agreed and took it into the service area then in the car park I was confronted by another member of staff and told to bring it back monday and they would test it and see if it could be done under warranty! I thought he was joking he was slightly imtimidating, I asked to speak to someone in charge. I explained everything to her. The lady in charge said she would try to arrange for someone to come round to where I work.

 

This is terrible service and surely there must be something I can do. Under the sale of goods act? As this isn't what I'm paying for?

 

Any Advice appreciated

Thanks

[M the Merciless]

0800 777 111 if your car is under warranty, that's BMW emergency services. Make sure you say you want one of their own techies to check the fault, they carry a very sophisticated portable diagnostics machine.

 

Or if you don't have the assistance package anymore, call them anyway, explain the problem and tell them you want Head Office number to complain (in Bracknell).

 

BMW want to keep the image of the product where it is, they hate it when they get complaints about their franchises. Making a BIG fuss, especially is staff's been rude, is more likely to get you somewhere with BMW than with most companies. ;-)

[robert_harper_2000]

Thanks phoned the number above and was given customer service 0870 5050160 - She said she doesn't know why they didn't just change it there and then, especially as it was already on the ramp!!! so she admits it stinks!

 

She suggested wait till monday get them to fix it and then phone up and explain about service.

 

Also is it possible for an alternater to destroy a new battery in 8 months??

It was apparently running 1% below what it should be

[buzby]

I've had the same situation - not with a car, but a motorbike. I ended up having 3 new batteries fitted, each one not lasting more than 16 weeks or so. Each time I started the bike after 3 days in the garage, it wouldn't start and I had to top-up charge the battery. I gave the dealer all sorts of abuse for sourcing carp batteries and charging me top whack for them. The swaps were free, but the problem continued.

 

Eventually, the bike failed its MoT test - they couldn't start the engine to put it on the rolling road, and I went ballistic. We now just couldn't start the thing, even with a charged battery. Stripping down the bike in the workshop the dealer found one of the main cables that takes the power from the battery to the handlebar control panel was seriously corroded, so much so, all power from the battery was leaking to earth inside 12 hours. The battery just didn't have a chance!

 

This is the first I'd heard of this problem, and thought it worthwhile passing on - it MAY NOT be the battery that's the cause of the problem, an earth leak is more likeley due to the repeatability of the problem.

[robert_harper_2000]

I have gone through hell with this lot! They have since come out again replaced the alternator and not the battery!!

 

I don't want to go into it all over again. However as I paid with a credit card couldn't I just ask my credit card company to refund this to me?

 

As I have paid for something and it hasn't been done.

 

Thanks

[buzby]

Touble is the merchant could say that it has, and you say it hasn't - the card company wouldn't entertain a Section 75 refund on that basis. You'd need to go to a different garage for a written statemnt that the part was or was not a recently fitted item.

[robert_harper_2000]

Well as I rang Head office I got call back and whereas before I was offered £1,000 part exchange even though I had just spent nearly a grand!! Head office arrange for £1,000 off straight off and another £1,000 if I want part exchange.

 

 

Thanks!

[Bookworm]

Result!