My Euro Delivery Disaster

[aajami]

I know it must be very disappointing to have gone through what you did, but I was always taught to judge someone not by the mistakes they make, but how they respond to those mistakes. From how you describe it, it sounds like BMW bent over backwards to accommodate you. Giving you an X1 loaner; prepping a brand new E92M in the correct exterior color; attempting to install the deviated stitching into said new car; letting you drive off with the incorrectly-prepped M3 anyway; and giving you a pair of free tickets to the museum. Ideally, they would have let you drive off with the Atlantic Blue M3 to the Ring, but it sounded like they needed some time to figure out the best course of action. And on top of that, it looks like your dealership is engaging BMWNA on your behalf.

I know something like this is devastating, but it really does look like BMW is doing the best they can given the realities that they live in.

[dreamspeed]

Throw it back if they don't make it exactly how you want it.

[Hyperjack]

Originally Posted by aajami

I know it must be very disappointing to have gone through what you did, but I was always taught to judge someone not by the mistakes they make, but how they respond to those mistakes.....

this is an admiral virtue....i completely agree with you.

here's the clincher in that though.....the response given to you by the party at fault has to help the situation in someway, not placate it.

someone i paid to paint my house light blue, makes the mistake of painting it navy. the painter responds to fix the problem immediately.....great. the fact that he made a mistake the first time is forgivable. no need to be upset.

but, if he does a shitty job the second time doesn't make it okay simply because he made a sincere effort to correct the mistake.

now, before you say anything....i wouldn't classify how BMW responded as "shitty".....BUT, it's no where near equivalent to someone who paid 80k for a car, waited months to get the car he paid in full for AND his travel expenses to get there.

while what you're stating is an admiral virtue....i don't think it represents the level of response from BMW.

[PhillyNate]

Though I don't think that color suits the car as well as some others, it's SO unique that I might take delivery of the car in lieu of some MAJOR compensation for time, inconvenience, expense etc.

[IND-Distribution]

Originally Posted by b-thumper

Thanks for the kind words. Steve Thomas BMW has been great through the process so far. Checa even called me while she was off attending a wedding to help work on a resolution during the delivery day.

I thank my stars every day that the error was made in Germany and not in the US. It seems like more leverage in getting the correct car built. You guys are my advocate and I feel well represented, regardless of outcome. I don't believe I'm asking BMW DE for the impossible, but I'm not in the business of building cars.

You bought from Steve Thomas? Good call, their customer service is outstanding as you have already seen. Could have been worse if you bought it from a different dealer. IMO

Keep us updated!

[gds52]

Thats sad man. Its hard to imagine your situation when you are all excited to receive your new car. This is your car, your money and you should get each & everything you paid for.
Don't compromise, let them make a new car.
How difficult is it to get new seats made with your specifications?
Good luck !

[malter2.0]

Why don't you negotiate CPO warranty and free maintenance to 100k? This is something that BMW could easily grant as oppose to refunding money.

[b-thumper]

Originally Posted by CodeBlu

OP, well I can believe this happened. I am currently waiting for my second E92 "Atlantis Blue" M3 - the first was painted the wrong color blue by the factory - but not Atlantic Blue like your car. My second car is now on a ship headed for port and my current nightmare is that this one will be painted Atlantic Blue - not Atlantis Blue. The BMW paint codes are different -- 207 for Atlantic Blue and 399 for Atlantis Blue -- but the German name for Atlantic Blue is "Atlantisblau", which seems un-necessarily confusing.

See link http://www.bmwforums.info/general-gu...code-list.html.

I hope this works out for both of us - it is a great color.

Interesting. I see 207 as Atlantic Blue, but when I pull the VIN on my car, it shows paint code A13 "Atlantic Blue Metallic".



Which also matches the touch-up paint at the the Welt. To further confuse matters, there is Atlanta Blue metallic.

Originally Posted by aajami

I know it must be very disappointing to have gone through what you did, but I was always taught to judge someone not by the mistakes they make, but how they respond to those mistakes. From how you describe it, it sounds like BMW bent over backwards to accommodate you. Giving you an X1 loaner; prepping a brand new E92M in the correct exterior color; attempting to install the deviated stitching into said new car; letting you drive off with the incorrectly-prepped M3 anyway; and giving you a pair of free tickets to the museum. Ideally, they would have let you drive off with the Atlantic Blue M3 to the Ring, but it sounded like they needed some time to figure out the best course of action. And on top of that, it looks like your dealership is engaging BMWNA on your behalf.

I know something like this is devastating, but it really does look like BMW is doing the best they can given the realities that they live in.

I have tried to maintain composure throughout the process, and I actually wrote most of the original post last Tuesday to let the words sink in. I just feel compelled to share my story since I am surely not the first and certainly wont be the last to be in this situation. Not to mention that venues like this can sometimes provide additional incentive for BMW to explore every avenue to resolve the situation.

To me, the bottom line is that it doesn't take 8-weeks to build the leather interior for the car. It only takes 8-weeks through the normal process. I am asking them to pull rank with the interior supplier to prioritize making a part for me. Might it be expensive or unusual to fast track a part like that? Yes, but I think it is there obligation to make it happen at this point. Surely SOMEONE at BMW DE has the weight and authority to fast-track an order for the interior.

If they can't make it happen, I will accept it, as I have no other choice, but I am not going to be silent in my displeasure.

[b-thumper]

Originally Posted by PhillyNate

Though I don't think that color suits the car as well as some others, it's SO unique that I might take delivery of the car in lieu of some MAJOR compensation for time, inconvenience, expense etc.

If they had accidentally painted it one of the other colors I had considered, I might say yes. I really like the exclusivity, but the interior really doesn't match well to me.

Originally Posted by malter2.0

Why don't you negotiate CPO warranty and free maintenance to 100k? This is something that BMW could easily grant as oppose to refunding money.

At this point, I'm not making any demands, other than build the car I have paid for. I ask the guy that gave me the X1 if he could put in a request for a tour of the M-facility, but I never heard back on that one.

I'm still in the mindset of allowing them to fix the situation, rather than making demands. Although at this point I am making some public disclosure of the situation.

[Tomislav]

Originally Posted by Curt2000

BMW will loose a substantial amount of money by eating this car and taking another production slot for individual after they have supposedly stopped individual orders. For this reason, I would see if they would cut their losses and give you a heafty discount on the car...if its a lease you may get it for like $200/month

Doubt it, it'll get sold as just another Individual car

[aajami]

Originally Posted by b-thumper

I have tried to maintain composure throughout the process, and I actually wrote most of the original post last Tuesday to let the words sink in. I just feel compelled to share my story since I am surely not the first and certainly wont be the last to be in this situation. Not to mention that venues like this can sometimes provide additional incentive for BMW to explore every avenue to resolve the situation.

To me, the bottom line is that it doesn't take 8-weeks to build the leather interior for the car. It only takes 8-weeks through the normal process. I am asking them to pull rank with the interior supplier to prioritize making a part for me. Might it be expensive or unusual to fast track a part like that? Yes, but I think it is there obligation to make it happen at this point. Surely SOMEONE at BMW DE has the weight and authority to fast-track an order for the interior.

If they can't make it happen, I will accept it, as I have no other choice, but I am not going to be silent in my displeasure.

Either way, I'm rooting for you. You handled yourself with more composure on here than I would have.

[DMW2315]

OP, I work for a BMW dealer so I hope BMW Corporate will make things right for you.

[Majin Buu]

Well, the OP paid a lot of money for his car so he has every right to expect it to be made exactly to his specifications and if bmw failed to do so, they should be responsible for rectifying the situation. That being said, OP is a bit on the anal and picky side. All this just for some colored stitching. I would have personally taken advantage of the situation and squeezed a lot of $$$ out of bmw and just taken the car they offered. And then used the extra $$$ to put some upgrades like exhaust, bbk, supercharger, coilovers, etc. which in my own opinion would do more to make the car enjoyable than colored stitching. But to each his own. we all have different preferences and tastes.

[W///]

Originally Posted by b-thumper

Honestly, once you see how a car is assembled, you don't want it done by a bodyshop in Germany. And I'm not paying to have (even an factory associated) bodyshop tear up my new car. The interior would not be swapped on the assembly line as a normal M3 is done. And I know removing/reinstalling an interior is not rocket science for a bodyshop, but I've worked with the interior on my car enough times to know that they don't go back the same twice.

And the deal breaker for the interior swap is the originality. You would pull up the VIN (on the replacement car) and there would be no mention of the Individual stitching. Imagine that you get a tear in your leather down the road and want a new seat skin? Good luck convincing them you had a "factory delivered" option that doesn't pull up with the VIN on the dealer computer.

If I wanted a car that was painted and assembled by a bodyshop, I wouldn't have bothered with the car at all. The beauty of Individual is that it's all OEM (the OE standing for Original Equipment).

It's a little anal, but having gone with a ton of OE part mods on my current Audi and BMW, I have a passion for not only factory parts, but also factory processes.

Not factory engineers. That's the problem.

I'm not trying to be obtuse, but I want them to build the car as specified, as any other Individual M3 is built. I don't want to find scratches in the paint and wear on the leather (other interior parts) because the car has been assembled/disassembled/reassembled.

Where'd you get contrast stitching? Is it only the seats? Or did you also get extended leather with contrast stitching?

Edit: Ok I just saw the build sheet. So only center tunnel and seats have contrast stitching? I definitely understand about your point that it wouldn't show up on the build sheet. But if you want the interior bad enough vs having a plain black interior, that's an extremely easy swap. These interiors are only held by a few screws. You don't need an engineer to rebuild an interior, I assure you. Of course the best solution would have to have another rebuilt to your spec, but I'm just saying the second option is to swap interior is not THAT bad.

Having a car repainted on the other hand is laughable.

Either way, good luck and keep us updated!

[CodeBlu]

OP, do you know what week your car was produced? My car was built week 15 (mid April). If both of our cars were painted in the same time frame - (I imagine BMW tries to lump individual car paint orders together) - then I may have the same color car on its way.

In any case, I can't imagine your pain and disappointment when the facts became evident, especially after traveling such a long distance and having such great expectations.

[track_warrior]

OP sad to hear your story, hope BMW steps up their game and at least refund you airfare and hotel. Whats 1-3k for them when they make millions each year. Subscribed for an update.

[w00tw00t]

Is there a way this story can be submitted to jalopnik to more pressure on BMW? This is really disappointing and I hope BMW does everything they can to fix this disaster..

[Marioalex24]

Sucks to here this news bro. Personally wouldn't accept anything less than what your contract states with them. I would talk to lawyer for advice just incase this gets nasty. Rather be prepared for the worste. Hope BMW realizes their error on there end just takes the extra step and just builds you a new one to your spects and at least helps you out on your new euro delivery. I dought their really hurting with this mistake, they make so much profit, that in the long run BMW should rather have satisfy customers than trying to say some money when they were at fault.

[Purple88Gold]

SIGH...

I am very sad for you. I'm with everyone here. This is highly unacceptable. You need to bring this out there in the public eye to put pressure on them. If BMW thinks that they can get away with this, then they will continue to try and get away with crime. It's BMW for goodness sake. I would think they kept a very high standard of customer service. Apparently not.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Marioalex24

Sucks to here this news bro. Personally wouldn't accept anything less than what your contract states with them. I would talk to lawyer for advice just incase this gets nasty. Rather be prepared for the worste. Hope BMW realizes their error on there end just takes the extra step and just builds you a new one to your spects and at least helps you out on your new euro delivery. I dought their really hurting with this mistake, they make so much profit, that in the long run BMW should rather have satisfy customers than trying to say some money when they were at fault.

OP, so sorry to hear this. Having done an Individual ED myself, I can only imagine the feeling of horror that must have overcome you when you came to the realization that the boring blue car was meant for YOU.

Being a lawyer, I can tell you its very doubtful that taking this to a legal level will help you. This is best approached as a customer service issue. Let them (diplomatically) know that you've posted about this publicly, and are looking forward to a satisfactory resolution.

If after you approach things congenially, all has failed then you can pursue this legally (but again, i would make this the LAST resort). You won't get the car you want that way, but you might get some kind of monetary reward (likely, your purchase money back, plus costs of your trip, plus pre-judgment interest).

That said, I think BMW will make this right. For what it's worth, I think you're completely justified in holding firm and demanding a brand new car, with brand new paint, and brand new seats. If for whatever reason, they can't make good on the contrast stitching, I would accept the swapped seats, and ask to see if they can update the VIN/Build details on the car to reflect that your new car came with the stitched seats from the line and/or for some kind of other remuneration - maybe some other individual element - like piano trim or something.

Let me know if you have any questions, and best of luck to you. Keep us posted.

-esquire

[zamboni]

Originally Posted by Curt2000

BMW will loose a substantial amount of money by eating this car and taking another production slot for individual after they have supposedly stopped individual orders. For this reason, I would see if they would cut their losses and give you a heafty discount on the car...if its a lease you may get it for like $200/month

BMW will ship this car to States and I'm sure dealers will not have any problem to unload this vehicle.

[Peahi]

Man, I hated reading this post.... It got worse and worse.

I commend you for having a reconciliatory, but firm attitude towards this customer service disaster.

I agree with most everyone...repainting won't work, and that custom interior is part of the whole deal. You deserve to get the exact car you ordered without a doubt.

I just hope that the tight scheduling of all the work that gets put into these cars can be somehow be tweaked to include production of one more car (yours). Lead times and all the dependencies are probably off the chart and the level of tight orchestration required to produce these tremendous cars is probably beyond our comprehension.

At the end of the day however, BMW makes thousands of cars and can take a financial hit because of their mistake. One person asleep at the wheel, so to speak, caused this. You shouldn't have to suffer for a mistake on BMW's part.

I hope they can get a new car somehow squeezed into production, and if they have to cause problems to other production lines, say F30, then so be it Attn individual F30 interior guys: " Your cars are gonna be delayed to prepare one last M3!!!"

I know the great folks at Steve Thomas BMW are advocating for you. I know they will pull out all the stops to get you the car you ordered.

Who knows, maybe your car will be the last, and final, M3...Best wishes!!!! After all you've gone through, they should also have the decency to go the extra mile and reimburse you 100% for the trip and all related costs. Your time is irreplaceable however....and since you can't get back for another ED trip...I'm not sure how they can remedy those.

BTW: that mistaken color is horrible! I'm sure someone will buy it quickly.

Hopefully someone at corporate takes notice of this and turn it into a Harvard Business Review case on how a large company moved heaven and earth to right a wrong for a customer!!!