discussion Advice: Used BMW in motorplan issues

[mugikhan]

Hey guys first time posting here, looking for advice.

I'm posting here in case someone with more experience has maybe dealt with this before. I bought a used car a 2021 BMW 320i about two months ago. The car still has motorplan which was transferred to my name. I purchased this car from a dealership (not BMW) and they had the quality check done by BMW and BMW transferred the motorplan to my name.

Fast forward two months later, I have an issue with an emergency call system failure. So I take my car into BMW since it is under motorplan expecting to get it resolved. After a bunch of back and forth, they get back to me saying they couldn't do it under the motorplan because there is water/accident damage to that component. It's a telematics unit that sits under the antenna. This new unit would cost R24k out of pocket because of this excuse of tampering leading to water damage.

They insist the unit was tampered with and that's why they won't repair it in motorplan. I have taken it up with the dealer but they want me to pay some of the cost which doesn't feel right as I bought the vehicle two months ago.

Is there anything I can do? The car had a full check done by BMW before I bought the vehicle and the motorplan was transferred to my name, so why reject fixing the component under motorplan?

 

[Mrvaughng]

Best to use the ombudsman in these cases
What proof do they have of tampering

 

[TurboLlew]

Use the ombudsman and include everyone in comms.

This can just be caused by a seal deteriorating and water getting into your shark fin as well as defective batteries. It is not necessarily a sign that the car was damaged/abused. It sounds like BMW is trying to avoid doing this work. Document everything in writing and keep all the parties involved in the loop.

There is plenty of suspicious behaviour here to go round. By the time BMW SA has declined a claim they are also ready to cancel or suspend the plan and they already have all the evidence they need to back it up. This 'tampering' story sounds awfully vague. If they suspected the car had crash damage, they would suspend the plan pending repairs/evaluation.

Few elements to this one:

Firstly the selling dealer: If the repairs are not going to be covered and BMW provides reasons in writing, then within the CPA guidelines, the selling dealer is on the hook for repairs in the first 6 months. The supplier must repair, replace or refund the purchase for defective vehicles - it's black and white. They sold you a vehicle that the manufacturer now claims was tampered with... whatever that means. They need to sort it out.

There was another post that devolved into a meme thread but one of the interesting things that we didn't delve into was these independent or 'other brand' dealerships quite obviously colluding with a BMW dealer (maybe friends or dealers part of the same network?) to get a quality check done and motorplan transferred without following the right process. I don't believe this is the case, but it is possible, I guess.

Secondly BMW: Put your foot down now and ask for full disclosure on what exactly has been tampered with, how this affects the plan down the line (what is excluded/will it be cancelled etc) on other items and how the quality check/motorplan transfer was done if this car did not meet BMW standards, because they are basically implying one of their own dealers was negligent or committed fraud... There is a surefire way for a dealer to get investigated and in some cases even shut down: develop a pattern of defrauding motorplan... If they can't prove anything then BMW must simply pay for the repair under motorplan.