Need your opinion about smthing really f***d up that happened today, Thx

[Sadd]

Since the day I got my car ( 3 months ago), I never wanted to have a front license plate on that nice M bumper, eventhough front plates are required where I live. But I didn't really care, I just put it on the front dash when I park. I get tickets from time to time for not having it on the bumper, but I dont have any pblem with that since I am the one who decided to not put it (even my salesperson advised me to not put it when I got my car).
So I took my car yesterday for the 1200 miles services, and guess what, when I took it back today, I couldnt find the plate inside the car, so I just ran to the front and I see it on the bumper, I was so pissed. The only thing I wanted was "SERVICE", that's it.
Unfortunately I couldnt talk to anyone because it was too late in the afternoon, and they told me that the manager will call me tomorrow morning, so I wanted to catch this opportunity to know what would u guys do if you were me. (btw it wasnt the dealership I bought my car from)

Best, Sadd

[McLuVan]

tell them to give you a new bumper

[Z4M///ike]

+1

[TLud]

I'm normally pretty calm and take things in stride, but this would cause me to explode. No way should they do anything like that without talking to you first. I agree with McLuVan -- I'd demand a new bumper.

[masmole]

that's so effed up!!!!.... they definitely owe you a new bumper.... sad part is that most dealers will probably not make this easy for you and weasel around it or even try to talk you into a repair + repaint instead of replacement considering how much a new bumper will cost them. But hopefully, your dealer is one of the good ones that will own up to their own mistakes. Good luck.

[MysticBlue]

That's bizarre. I can't imagine them doing that on their own with no instruction to do so. So do you have holes drilled in your bumper now? If so, they owe you a new bumper.
I've not had a front plate on my cars for quite a few years now and I do not put it on my dash. I would think that putting the plate on the dash would just make it more likely that someone would notice that it's not on the bumper. I have been pulled over plenty of times but the lack of front plate has never even been brought up. Apparently, you're getting tickets anyway, so you really have nothing to lose. I bet you would get less tickets if you put it away.

[gthirtyfizle]

Thats messed up. Demand a new bumper. And if not minimum they should do is fix it perfectly. But thats only after u know there is no possible way of getting a new bumper out of it.

[TLud]

Originally Posted by PencilGeek

I can't stand many of these threads where something goes wrong, and first thing everybody says is: "get a lawyer" or something like that. I couldn't begin to describe the battles I've fought during my adult life with multi-billion dollar businesses, the IRS, banks, etc., and I'm proud to say I have a 100% win record (I'll spare the details, but one of my battles made international headlines and my sister saw it on CNN). But I've never had to sue anybody. I would say part of the key to my success is knowing which battles to fight, and which to ignore. This is a battle worth fighting.

Now, with that said, I'm still not going to say "sue somebody." But I am going to say, don't settle for anything except a new bumper. I would simply call tomorrow when the service manager is there, and say something like this: "I brought in my car for service, and against my desires and without my permission the service technician drilled holes in my bumper, installed the front license plate, and ruined the aesthetics of my car. I'm not calling to vent my frustration or negotiate with you, and I'm not giving you any choice in this matter. I'd simply like to know when we can schedule my car to come back in and have the front bumper replaced."

Very well said.

To the OP, the obvious argument for the dealer to make is that you have to have the license plate on there anyway to be in compliance with the law, so you have no basis to complain. Don't let them push you around with this argument. First, there are non-bumper-damaging ways to attach the front plate. Second, it is not their place to attempt to enforce that law.

If forced to negotiate for a new bumper, let them know that they're lucky that you aren't demanding that they pay you cash for the dimunition in value in addition to the new bumper, but if you're forced to take further steps, you will add that to your demand.

[aut0sh0cker]

shoot them? Well, that's what I would do...

[spectrumphoto]

If they refuse a new bumper then just have them swap a nice clean untouched bumper from their new car inventory with your now defaced bumper. Since obviously the dealership prefers to have front plates on their cars they should not mind doing the switch.

[ideliver]

Stealerships....FTMFL....

They probably charged you for the installation too!!!

[Big Windy]

THAT IS ABSURD. Absolutely demand a new bumper. They cannot just do things like that to your car without your approval. They are going to try and claim that it is the law or something like that, but that is not their place. I would remain calm but be persistent that the only way to make this right is a new bumper (and try to give them the euro part number )

[E. Honda]

Go rip holes in all of the bumpers in the show room.

[Strax]

The only way to really fix this, is if they swap your bumper with another one from a new M3.

A respray would surely be inferior to the factory paint, even on a new bumper.

[M-Maika]

That is a bad situation.
I think you need a new bumper.

I know what they are going to do.
When they receive a new car they will remove the new bumper and a new costumer will take your bumper already with plate on. No worries for them.

Best Regards, Maika

[M3Drivincraze]

OP - please fill us in on the progress....

[Buschy]

Why Dont you jsut wait and see what they offer to do? Don't demand anything, sometime people do take care of thier mistakes.

[Radiation Joe]

I agree with going in calm. Lets be honest, they assumed you wanted the plate on your front bumper. Did you left it on the dash of the car? This wasn't incompetence, just a misunderstanding.

I think replacing your bumper with one from stock (when one comes in if not currently available) is a reasonable compromise. You might even have to wait a little while for one to come in.

A calm and reasonable approach always yields better results than ranting. You certainly wouldn't want 4 technicians to urinate in your trunk, would you?

BTW, I refuse to put a plate on the front of my cars, either. But I'm not so anal as to keep it with me.

[mkoesel]

Euro bumper time!

[dawgdog]

The sales manager at my dealership does not have a front license plate on his car! The dealership never installs without permission. I have been without a front bumper since 2002 on my e46M3, 550i, 335, and e92M3. No tickets etc etc. Good luck in your negotiations.

[watrob]

Yeh, that happened to me too. I had a standard number plate on the front, told them to make sure the holes for the screws were placed in close to the centre of the number plate as I was going to put a personalised small plate on.

Well you can guess what happened, they put the screws on the very outer edge on the number plate so now that the small persnalised plate is on I have a small hole in the front bumper on each side of my personalised plate.

Going to the dealer tomorrow to get it sorted.

[monsta]

Originally Posted by PencilGeek

Now, with that said, I'm still not going to say "sue somebody." But I am going to say, don't settle for anything except a new bumper. I would simply call tomorrow when the service manager is there, and say something like this: "I brought in my car for service, and against my desires and without my permission the service technician drilled holes in my bumper, installed the front license plate, and ruined the aesthetics of my car. I'm not calling to vent my frustration or negotiate with you, and I'm not giving you any choice in this matter. I'd simply like to know when we can schedule my car to come back in and have the front bumper replaced."

very well said....make sure that when you call you have this statement in front of you...