Last week I posted a message asking about GPS/SatNav on the cheap and had a number of replies (thanks Don!) that convinced me to go for the (much) more expensive BMW Navigator III option.
When I phoned my dealer in Sunderland (UK) I was told by the receptionist that the person I needed to speak with wasn’t available so I left a message. No reply so I did the same thing the next day and this time spoke to someone in the Parts department who told me the price for the GPS unit (£450ish) but that didn’t include the bracket or fitting; for which I would need to speak to the Service manager – the same person I’d left a message for the previous day. I was told he would be given the message to ring me back and to expect a call on Friday morning.
By this time I’d given up on getting SatNav for my trip down to London this weekend so arrange to borrow a friend’s TomTom which I would just plug some earphones into and listen to instructions to guide me through the city streets – Problem solved!
Or so I thought!
I set off this morning for London, but forgot to pop in my ear plugs, so stopped in a lay-by about 15 miles from home. When I tried to restart my bike it just wouldn’t even try to tick over; the display was blank and the light-check didn’t happen. I immediately rang the BMW emergency number on the back of my key ring and gave my location. They told me someone would be with me as soon as possible.
I’d read on here a few posts about the EWS problem, and had actually stalled while accelerating (about 60mph) about 3 weeks ago when a EMS message popped up on the display (but the bike had been fine since so I thought nothing of it). So I knew it was something to do with the immobiliser so rang my ‘trusty’ local dealer – this time I asked for someone in the Sales department, as I now they are at least interested in trying to help. The lone salesman told me that BMW emergency services usually fix the EWS problem at the side of the road and so I should be on my way when he got to me.
By 6.30pm the recovery driver arrived and told me straight away that he couldn’t fix the problem and that it would need to be repaired by my local dealer. While he was loading my bike into his van I rang the dealer again to ask if I could be booked in to have my EWS repaired – the receptionist put me on hold while she spoke to the illusive service manager and came back to tell me that the service centre was closed until Monday and I should just bring it along then.
It wasn’t until I rang my friends in London that I found out they had a the whole weekend planned, with a trip on the London Eye, tickets to see Mouse Trap in the West End and even tickets to see The Dark Knight in the IMAX theatre which are so popular that the cinema has gone 24 hours. All of these would be going to waste, as I was not going to be able to make it.
So when I got home I rang BMW emergency services to arrange for my bike to be taken to the dealers on the Monday and explained all this to a really nice young lady name Nicky, who proceeded to enter all my details and arrange the pickup for Monday.
Just out of interest I asked Nicky if there were any other dealers around that I could try as my ‘local’ dealer (35 miles away) wasn’t up to much – she told me that my next nearest was in York (46 miles away) but the name of this dealer was Barry Robson MOTORCYCLES… in other words, unlike my current dealer, only sells and services BMW bikes. AND they are open Saturdays!
So after some (very little) time talking to her manager, Nicky was able to book my bike’s recovery down to York tomorrow morning, which is well on my way to London!
If Barry Robson turns out half as good as I’m hoping then my local dealer has just lost themselves a customer, and this customer is going to make sure every single one of his BMW bike owning friends know where to go next time they want a new bike or servicing! I guess there is more money in car sales and servicing – or at least that’s te impression I get!
I’ll let you know what happens tomorrow!
My dealer sucks A$$
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