[silverbmwz3]

I saw, while flicking through a BMW magazine, a press release from AC Schnitzer in Germany announcing that their collaboration with BMW was at an end and that Schnitzer would be imported into the UK via Rossiters (who originally imported Shnitzer stuff to the UK years ago).

I found this interesting for two reasons:

i) When I had trouble getting hold of a replacement dust cap a few years ago I went to Rossiters, who aren't a BMW dealer, and ended up speaking to Schnitzer about it and they were very "he is not an authorised schnitzer importer" - i.e. he was getting the stuff "grey" somehow via europe.

ii) The relationship with BMW and Schnitzer appeared to be non existant when I tried to get 2 dealers to sort an issue out with some badly corroding Schnitzer alloys a year or so ago. There was clearly no love there and no open channels of communication to support customers - very much "them and us".

So I guess this explains it. I like Schnitzer stuff, and I note that Rossiters (or AC Schnitzer UK as I believe they will now be called) will be doing the full range of services including Engine tuning etc. which I'm not sure was available in the UK before. Good luck to them.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

I saw, while flicking through a BMW magazine, a press release from AC Schnitzer in Germany announcing that their collaboration with BMW was at an end and that Schnitzer would be imported into the UK via Rossiters (who originally imported Shnitzer stuff to the UK years ago).

I found this interesting for two reasons:

i) When I had trouble getting hold of a replacement dust cap a few years ago I went to Rossiters, who aren't a BMW dealer, and ended up speaking to Schnitzer about it and they were very "he is not an authorised schnitzer importer" - i.e. he was getting the stuff "grey" somehow via europe.

ii) The relationship with BMW and Schnitzer appeared to be non existant when I tried to get 2 dealers to sort an issue out with some badly corroding Schnitzer alloys a year or so ago. There was clearly no love there and no open channels of communication to support customers - very much "them and us".

So I guess this explains it. I like Schnitzer stuff, and I note that Rossiters (or AC Schnitzer UK as I believe they will now be called) will be doing the full range of services including Engine tuning etc. which I'm not sure was available in the UK before. Good luck to them.

I saw the ad too..

Interesting in that it smacked of sour grapes between schnitzer and BMW.

I guess in the past BMW UK were importing the parts and distrubuting them from their warehouse at Bracknell.

Now AC will import themselves and sell a wider range through the BMW dealers.

Probably better for the customer in the end.

[Serjames]

did anyone else get the new BMW accesories catalogue ?

Through the post

No performance options though...

SJ

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by Serjames

did anyone else get the new BMW accesories catalogue ?

Through the post

No performance options though...

SJ

Seen some sneak previews at Grieb BMW (dealer in Germany) on the way through... Brembo brakes, suspension kits, strut braces (available already), different wheels, oh, and the likelihood of BMW remaps...

[Serjames]

.. oh, not the same one I got. Sounds interesting...

But then we do live in boring blighty - so i doubt we'll get that one

SJ

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by Serjames

.. oh, not the same one I got. Sounds interesting...

But then we do live in boring blighty - so i doubt we'll get that one

SJ

Oh, the accessories are Europe wide...

[silverbmwz3]

Are we talking about BMWs own accessories ?

I agree with NFS, I think this makes me more likely to go to ACS now than before but I'd get irect. I've experienced having 3rd party bits via a BMW dealer before although I guess if they had a direct link to Schnitzer they couldn't palm you off to BMW UK and would have to take responsibility?

I still reckon I'd cut out the middle man for anyting serious and go to Rossiters.

BMW tuning from BMW themselves? Now that would sell like hotcakes. Mind you..... It would effectively be like extending the models available with every tom dick and harry adding the 'performance pack' wouldn't it?

[dxb335d]

Yeah i heard about the AC thing when i popped in and he gave me a ACS Broshure followed with the comment ''But we are not affiliated with them anymore''

[silverbmwz3]

Hardly an inspiring sales pitch eh Carlos?

I hope this will be better for the customer but I can't help but see a similar situation to mine where the dealer says "AC Schnitzer say it isn't a warranty issue" and then you are between AC Schnitzer and the dealer. I suppose if you have to fight it then the dealer, as the retailer, is responsible under the Sale of Goods act.

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

Hardly an inspiring sales pitch eh Carlos?

I hope this will be better for the customer but I can't help but see a similar situation to mine where the dealer says "AC Schnitzer say it isn't a warranty issue" and then you are between AC Schnitzer and the dealer. I suppose if you have to fight it then the dealer, as the retailer, is responsible under the Sale of Goods act.

I know mate, pretty silly really, one would hope you wouldnt get that far downthe line, but obviously in your case with your e46 vert it did?!

the outcome?


Carlos

[silverbmwz3]

The outcome, a snotty letter to the dealer principal of my dealer saying I'd struggle to buy another car from them and that I was about to take legal action in the small claims court...... which resulted in them saying they'd refurb the wheels which resulted in me saying....hang on a minute, I'm thinking about changing my car anyway, why don't you do me a good deal and dont' deduct anything from the p/x for the state of the wheels.

I went in that afternoon and the rest (or at least the E46) is history!

[NFS]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

I suppose if you have to fight it then the dealer, as the retailer, is responsible under the Sale of Goods act.

Absolutely the right approach.

I'd not be even remotely interested in an original suppliers position regarding warranty.

The retailer is responsible for ensuring that the goods they sell are of merchantable quality.

[silverbmwz3]

NFS. Agreed except this situation became a little muddied in that you go to BMW dealers, who then pass the issue to BMW Customer Services / Local BMW reps who then try to get in touch with the manufacturer etc. etc. and like a good buyer you let this proceed for a period of time. In my case they had the car about 3 times at two dealers and either one or two BMW reps saw it twice - they came to my house once and took 3 sets of photos (across the various visits) which until the last set either sat around for ages or didn't have enough detail of the problem.

Then after about 3 months came the response from Schnitzer "It isn't a warranty issue". Full stop. I was livid.

It is how long you allow the dealer to progress the warranty aspect with the supplier and how effectively they do so that can be the pain.

I should've called the whole thing to a halt a lot sooner.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

NFS. Agreed except this situation became a little muddied in that you go to BMW dealers, who then pass the issue to BMW Customer Services / Local BMW reps who then try to get in touch with the manufacturer etc. etc. and like a good buyer you let this proceed for a period of time. In my case they had the car about 3 times at two dealers and either one or two BMW reps saw it twice - they came to my house once and took 3 sets of photos (across the various visits) which until the last set either sat around for ages or didn't have enough detail of the problem.

Then after about 3 months came the response from Schnitzer "It isn't a warranty issue". Full stop. I was livid.

It is how long you allow the dealer to progress the warranty aspect with the supplier and how effectively they do so that can be the pain.

I should've called the whole thing to a halt a lot sooner.

It's in the suppliers interest to persuade customers to take things up with the manufacturers.

Personally I just head straight back to the shop and return the relevant item on the basis that it's crap.

[silverbmwz3]

That works with teatowels, ipods, PCs even (unless it is PCWorld and a number of days have passed, been theree!) but not really with cars and wheels.

It should. But it doesn't.

You can't MAKE a dealer swop your wheel for another one on the spot. In fact, you can't make anyone do anything but retailers will act (unless they are good chaps) based on the policies of their suppliers (the manufacturers) UNLESS you take more serious action. Perhaps I should clarify - my wheels were outside the AC Schnitzer warranty (which I was told was 2 years but that wasn't explained when I bought the car, but within what would've been a BMW warranty) so I was relying on either good will or a fight in terms of them not being fit for purpose under the Sale of Goods act.

I found this in John Lewis. Took back a cordless phone just within warranty and they wanted to 'test' it. So we left it with them for the week. They look up in a little book what each manufacturers policy is on this, and with Philips it was that they had to test and prove that there was a fault. They couldn't reproduce it in store (it was intermittent - by definition not very easy to reproduce). In the end I think John Lewis took the hit (in their eyes) that perhaps Philips wouldn't refund them for accepting it back if they couldn't find a fault either.

You can obviously "head straight back to the shop and return the relevant item on the basis that it's crap." but that doesn't mean you are going to walk out with a shiny new one. The theory and the reality of consumer law in the UK still seem very different things.

I wonder how many people know that, for example, if your plasma TV dies outside the warranty you still potentially have a good case against the retailer that it was faulty at manufacture (although I believe after 6 months the onus shifts to you to prove that). That is one of the reasons I don't tend to buy extended warranties, I think if you made enough fuss they'd sort it.

In fact, to take the topic back to our old favourite - I experienced this with our Smeg fridge. Smeg honoured a repair outside the warranty, and a fairly prompt one too.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

I wonder how many people know that, for example, if your plasma TV dies outside the warranty you still potentially have a good case against the retailer that it was faulty at manufacture (although I believe after 6 months the onus shifts to you to prove that). That is one of the reasons I don't tend to buy extended warranties, I think if you made enough fuss they'd sort it.

I never buy warranties either.

A TV which fails within a couple of years was obviously faulty at manufacture.

It's a maintenance free product ... the only other possibility is sabotage