BM Exclusif refus de faire réparation

[Munnz]

Bonjour à tous,

Aujourd'hui j'ai appelé chez BM Exclusif pour faire changer, mon thermostat, housing et pompe à eau (pièces que j'ai commandé de Corner 73) en plus d'un changement d'huile et quelques autre réparations mineures. On m'a refusé parce que j'ai déjà les pièces. Ils ne veulent pas faire les réparations parce que se ne sont pas leurs pièces et qu'ils ne pourront pas faire de profit dessus. Est-ce normale? Il me semble que refusé de la business ça pas une attitude très gagante pour 20$ quelques piasses de cote sur 3 pièces versus quelques heures d'ouvrage et fidélisation de la clientèle.

Est-ce que quelqu'un connaît un bon garage qui accepterait de me poser les pièces sans chialer.

[bmwqc]

Try calling Helmut's place 482-1636



Bonjour à tous,

Aujourd'hui j'ai appelé chez BM Exclusif pour faire changer, mon thermostat, housing et pompe à eau (pièces que j'ai commandé de Corner 73) en plus d'un changement d'huile et quelques autre réparations mineures. On m'a refusé parce que j'ai déjà les pièces. Ils ne veulent pas faire les réparations parce que se ne sont pas leurs pièces et qu'ils ne pourront pas faire de profit dessus. Est-ce normale? Il me semble que refusé de la business ça pas une attitude très gagante pour 20$ quelques piasses de cote sur 3 pièces versus quelques heures d'ouvrage et fidélisation de la clientèle.

Est-ce que quelqu'un connaît un bon garage qui accepterait de me poser les pièces sans chialer.

[Emre]

Norbert is good at what he does, but he generally refuses to do any custom work, even if it's just swapping parts from one model to another. For example, when the steering rack on my E30 318is died, Norbert refused to install an E30 M3 rack (even though it's a direct bolt-on replacement). He only uses parts that are "correct" for the car according to the VIN. This is challenging if, for example, you've got a car with an engine swap (as I do) or upgraded parts (a many of us do).

I have never brought parts to Norbert's shop and asked him to install them. But, it is not uncommon for repair shops to refuse such requests. It's generally considered poor form to show up at a repair shop with parts in hand. And Norbert is a bit "old school" about that kind of thing.

There are other places you can try. Henry mentioned one. There's also Georges Moutafis at 7165 Rue de Nancy: (514) 343-3776. It's just off Jean-Talon O., one block west of Cote-des-Neiges.

[McNihil]

Malheureusement Norbert chez BM Exclusif m'a déjà donné exactement la même réponse...il m'a dit que c'était "comme apporter sa propre nourriture au restaurant" ! J'ai pas osé lui parlé de restos "apportez votre vin" :D
Je trouve ça dommage moi aussi puisque j'suis vraiment nul en réparation/installation et ses pièces sont habituellement très cher versus ce qu'on peut trouver sur internet. Par exemple mon fameux "fuel filler pipe" dont j'ai déjà parlé sur ce forum...680$ chez BM versus 350$ d'un supplier OEM sur internet, et évidemment il n'a pas voulu l'installer.
Reste que Norbert est néanmoins un excellent mécanicien, sympatique et très bon en diagnostiques. :(

[Chow Mein]

Some garages, especially busy ones, may refuse to work on your car if you bring your own parts. Time is money, instead of working on your car they could be repairing other cars (making more profits on both parts and labor).

Some refuse because they don't want to deal with customers coming back with problems due to cheap quality parts. What happens if the install goes wrong and the part breaks or wrong part or if stuff is missing?

To us it's easy "I pay you to do a job for me...etc., why refuse?", to the garage it's not always as simple.

I don't like it either, but I can understand from a business perspective.


Bonjour à tous,

Aujourd'hui j'ai appelé chez BM Exclusif pour faire changer, mon thermostat, housing et pompe à eau (pièces que j'ai commandé de Corner 73) en plus d'un changement d'huile et quelques autre réparations mineures. On m'a refusé parce que j'ai déjà les pièces. Ils ne veulent pas faire les réparations parce que se ne sont pas leurs pièces et qu'ils ne pourront pas faire de profit dessus. Est-ce normale? Il me semble que refusé de la business ça pas une attitude très gagante pour 20$ quelques piasses de cote sur 3 pièces versus quelques heures d'ouvrage et fidélisation de la clientèle.

Est-ce que quelqu'un connaît un bon garage qui accepterait de me poser les pièces sans chialer.

[blacksheep]

hmmmmm

try Mike at Rombotis garage. He's an excellent mechanic and if you explain the situation to him in advance (that you have your own parts) he'll probably help you out. (514) 270-4023

tell him you're from BMW Club

[Gregster]

Ugh you guys have no idea how it works.. Usually parts mark up is 15-20% depending on the part etc etc. We charge whatever a customer would get charged if they walked into the parts store. Before giving a quote we call around 2-3 places for parts and actually try getting the best price for the customer.

The real reason has to do with warranty and time. Lets say you bring me your own parts, I install them. A few days later there is a problem with the part, you'll come back to me bitching but there isn't much I can do because the part was never bought from me in the first place. So now your car is stuck at the shop while you run around.There are also those times when you leave me the car for the day and the parts you brought along are wrong. Car being stuck on lift= LOTS of lost money for me. A normal rate for a lift should be operating at double what the hourly rate is in sales PER lift. This is why turn around must be quick.

Last week I had an E350 on our large lift for most of the day because the customer was bringing his own parts... We took the job because it was our neighbor. They brought all the wrong parts and the van spent most of the day just sitting.. Finally at around 2pm they called us saying "Oh go ahead and just get what you need" :mad:.

I can also understand why he won't use parts off other cars.. it's called covering his ass in case something goes wrong down the line.

At work we do make exceptions from people if they bring their own parts if the car is modded or they are really really good long time friends etc. But all work is done with no warranty.

[Emre]

Ugh you guys have no idea how it works.. Usually parts mark up is 15-20% depending on the part etc etc. We charge whatever a customer would get charged if they walked into the parts store. Before giving a quote we call around 2-3 places for parts and actually try getting the best price for the customer.The difference is that BM Exclusiv already has a fully-stocked parts department. Lots of guys go there just to buy OEM parts. It's cheaper than the dealer and Norbert actually knows about the parts he's selling (unlike some of the guys working at dealer parts counters). If you order a part from BM Exclusiv, Norbert's not going to be running around trying to find it. He either has it in stock or orders it from his OEM suppliers.


The real reason has to do with warranty and time. Lets say you bring me your own parts, I install them. A few days later there is a problem with the part, you'll come back to me bitching but there isn't much I can do because the part was never bought from me in the first place. So now your car is stuck at the shop while you run around.There are also those times when you leave me the car for the day and the parts you brought along are wrong. Car being stuck on lift= LOTS of lost money for me. A normal rate for a lift should be operating at double what the hourly rate is in sales PER lift. This is why turn around must be quick.

Last week I had an E350 on our large lift for most of the day because the customer was bringing his own parts... We took the job because it was our neighbor. They brought all the wrong parts and the van spent most of the day just sitting.. Finally at around 2pm they called us saying "Oh go ahead and just get what you need" :mad:

I can also understand why he won't use parts off other cars.. it's called covering his ass in case something goes wrong down the line.Makes sense to me.


At work we do make exceptions from people if they bring their own parts if the car is modded or they are really really good long time friends etc. But all work is done with no warranty.Again, that makes sense. If you have a good relationship with a particular shop and you trust each other, then they'll be more willing to work with you. Even Norbert has done a tiny bit of custom work for me (installing Euro ellipsoids on my E36 323is) after we worked together for a while.

For those types of jobs, I wouldn't expect any warranty at all from the shop that does the install. If you're asking them to bend the rules on your end, then you can't demand that they stick by the normal rules on their end.

[Karim E36]

Jonathan,

Appelle George Moutafis chez TC Automotive. 514-343-3776. Dis lui que Karim t'envoie. :)

[TritonX]

Seems to be the norm now, some legal ******** but its always possible to find someone who will do the job, and you might even save the taxes :P. You don't always have to comply to stupid policies.

[Gregster]

The difference is that BM Exclusiv already has a fully-stocked parts department. Lots of guys go there just to buy OEM parts. It's cheaper than the dealer and Norbert actually knows about the parts he's selling (unlike some of the guys working at dealer parts counters). If you order a part from BM Exclusiv, Norbert's not going to be running around trying to find it. He either has it in stock or orders it from his OEM suppliers.

Makes sense to me.

Again, that makes sense. If you have a good relationship with a particular shop and you trust each other, then they'll be more willing to work with you. Even Norbert has done a tiny bit of custom work for me (installing Euro ellipsoids on my E36 323is) after we worked together for a while.

For those types of jobs, I wouldn't expect any warranty at all from the shop that does the install. If you're asking them to bend the rules on your end, then you can't demand that they stick by the normal rules on their end.

Then I can see why he really frowns on "Bring your own parts" he wants to move out his inventory. I can understand that since it's just money sitting there. We keep quite a bit of stock at work as well. Mostly for Honda's, Toyota's and Mazda. Having common parts in stock makes life easy, no having to deal with auto part stores and wasting time.

I bought a new computer just a few hours ago. I could have saved 15% if I bought the parts and cobbled it together myself. But then if something went wrong I'd have to runaround for warranty service... However since it will be built at the store that extra 15% is worth it because of the 3 year warranty.

Same deal with buying Snap-On tools, yes they are expensive but it's quality and if you do manage to break a tool the guy comes to work to fix it. No having to runaround at night to Sears or Canadian tire.

Paying a tad more but getting a good solid warranty behind the work/product makes sense to me. However sometimes customers see this as you are trying to screw them over:confused:

I am reminded of another story.. once a customer brought his own alternator for a 2000 Maxima. We installed it because it was a Friday afternoon and there was nothing to do. Well he brought some "Made In China" part bought off Ebay.. needless to say we had to change 3 alternators that kept blowing voltage regulators... finally at the end we installed one from our supplier.. Hasn't been back since.

So he paid 1hr each time at 70$ an hour = 280$ plus the hassle of returning the parts. We charged him 160$ for the Alternator.. Had he would just have bought it from us it would have set him back 230$ plus tax....

[Emre]

Then I can see why he really frowns on "Bring your own parts" he wants to move out his inventory.Exactly. That's why I have no problem with it.

[Gregster]

If you bring me cool cars such as a super charged Camaro SS or MR2 turbo then it can be worked out :p

http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/24010947/sn/406208158/name/van+024.jpg

Escalades also
http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/24010947/sn/152921229/name/van+015.jpg

[Andrei]

If you bring me cool cars such as a super charged Camaro SS or MR2 turbo then it can be worked out :p


I heard that bringing decent parts helps, too.

It's one matter when you get a kit that just bolts in with clear instructions and a totally different job when you get a pile of parts that have never been mounted on such a car.

[PassatVR6]

Among other things, I have done a lot of suspension installs on many cars, from spring+shocks, to coilovers that the customer brings in second hand. Several times there are bolts missing with different thread size from oem and different hardware missing. It's very frustrating having to run around locating these missing parts.

I can see why garages turn away people who bring in their own parts.

On the other hand it's very frustrating when the garage marks up the parts 50%.

[FrankyGoes]

Buying your own parts is a good way to save money. I respect Norbert's position. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

When I buy my parts I install them myself. And when something is missing or does not match who do you think sells me the correct part to finish the install ? Yep, Norbert. His prices sometime matches Internet suppliers when shipping and exchange is worked in.

Probably the best shop I dealt with (When I'm too lazy to do the work myself) in Montréal along with Garage Prélude. But they don't fix BMWs...

[Gregster]

Among other things, I have done a lot of suspension installs on many cars, from spring+shocks, to coilovers that the customer brings in second hand. Several times there are bolts missing with different thread size from oem and different hardware missing. It's very frustrating having to run around locating these missing parts.

I can see why garages turn away people who bring in their own parts.

On the other hand it's very frustrating when the garage marks up the parts 50%.


The prices given to the customer are set by auto parts stores. When we call it's our price and customer price. Sometimes the mark up is a tad high but we aren't going to charge the customer 50$ for a distributor cap for a Civic when our price is 7$... Customers aren't stupid either... We have to work within reason.

[bmwqc]

The prices given to the customer are set by auto parts stores. When we call it's our price and customer price. Sometimes the mark up is a tad high but we aren't going to charge the customer 50$ for a distributor cap for a Civic when our price is 7$... Customers aren't stupid either... We have to work within reason.

Somehow I can't help but feel the prices charged at a garage is higher than if the customer were to buy the same part from the same auto parts store/supplier. But if that is the case, it is understandable. Someone (the mechanic or service manager) has to spend the time to identify the part, call in the order and then the supplier has to deliver the part in a timely fashion. I guess this is a value-added component to the make up of garage parts-pricing?

[Gregster]

Somehow I can't help but feel the prices charged at a garage is higher than if the customer were to buy the same part from the same auto parts store/supplier. But it that is the case, it is understandable. Someone (the mechanic or service manager) has to spend the time to identify the part, call in the order and then the supplier has to deliver the part in a timely fashion. I guess this is a value-added component to the make up of garage parts-pricing?


I doubt that.... Customer price is customer price regardless of if you pick it up at a parts store or garage. However I suggest making friends at parts stores to get garage prices :). Then again it depends on the parts store... If it's UAP/Napa then you will be gouged for no reason(Customer and Garage). We don't get parts from Napa for that exact reason because everything is 2x-3x more.

We started ordering from our suppliers through the internet. Makes life simple and doesn't waste time. Some places understand a timely fashion while others don't.. It drives me nuts when they send the wrong part. I was changing the steering rack on a Neon the other day (Living the dream, getting paid to work on Neons!) A simple 2 hour job turned out to be an all day event because they sent the wrong rack. :mad:

[bmwqc]

If it's UAP/Napa then you will be gouged for no reason(Customer and Garage). We don't get parts from Napa for that exact reason because everything is 2x-3x more.


I have had a bad experience with NAPA once. Their prices ARE high, but I wonder how did they got that big if they overcharged everyone?

[PassatVR6]

I have had a bad experience with NAPA once. Their prices ARE high, but I wonder how did they got that big if they overcharged everyone?

Same way Bose does it I guess

[bmwqc]

Same way Bose does it I guess


Bose may charge high prices for their products, but so would any other company selling relatively high end products. You can knock them but there is a lot of R & D money that goes into their products. And they are selling products originating from their own design facility.

UAP on the other hand is selling what every other parts store is selling. Where is the added value?

[tinindian]

I had a similar experience with bring your own parts at RPM Autotech a couple of years ago. I was using his services and letting him supply the pieces. I had already given him business a couple of times and I was happy with him until the time came to replace my shocks and stut inserts. He actually suggested getting them through the US since it would cost a lot less. I ordered a set of Bilstein Touring for 209.00 from Shox.com and went to see Alex. At that time he was charging $50.00 for labour which is very reasonable, when I told him I had my shocks he told me that since I have my own parts the rate is $75.00 an hour and the job could take 4 to 5 hours, needless to say that is the last time he ever saw me and he will never see my business again.

I gave Norbert a call and told him I had my shocks and needed his service for the install, he accepted the job, his rate was $65 but he said it would be a 3 hour job which is what it was. At least Norbert is strait with you from the start and when he does a job you know it will be done right. He may not be the cheapest but he is fair and he will charge you what he needs for the job and not try and get your money with a dishonest quote.

[Gregster]

Bose may charge high prices for their products, but so would any other company selling relatively high end products. You can knock them but there is a lot of R & D money that goes into their products. And they are selling products originating from their own design facility.

UAP on the other hand is selling what every other parts store is selling. Where is the added value?

What was the bad experience you had a Napa besides the high prices?.

If you get garage price at Napa their pricing isn't too terrible but still not the best. Once I needed a timing belt idler pulley for my car and went to the Napa in town. They charged me 23$ garage price compared to the 65$ list customer price. Dealer wanted 99$ for the same gates part.

I've found the best places to get eurocar parts from are WorldPac and Mike at Camping.

[bmwqc]

What was the bad experience you had a Napa besides the high prices?.


It was at one of their CMax stores. The buggers sold me the wrong paint. I had specified I wanted a single stage paint (in aerosol can) but when I sprayed it out about a month later, it turned out to be base coat. I went back to the store and they refused to do anything about it.

[PassatVR6]

Bose may charge high prices for their products, but so would any other company selling relatively high end products. You can knock them but there is a lot of R & D money that goes into their products. And they are selling products originating from their own design facility.

UAP on the other hand is selling what every other parts store is selling. Where is the added value?

Bose and high end just do not go together. It's common knowledge in the audio community that bose make inferior products. They have a few good things, like their noise canceling headphones but for the most part bose is overpriced. I don't know if you have ever referenced any of their system but you can build a system for half the price that can sound twice as good. Jl audio spends tons of money on in house rd and have lots of patents to show for it, bose spends their money on advertising, so does napa.