March 13, 2005
An Open Letter to BMW, Chubb Insurance and Daniels BMW
Here’s the scenario:
* 2003 BMW M3
* Daniels BMW, Allentown, PA
* Chubb Insurance
I used to drive a 2003 BMW M3. I say used to because the morning before Thanksgiving 2004, while stopped at a traffic light waiting to make a turn, my car was rear-ended. I was hurt and the car suffered extensive damage to the frame, gas tank, and rear axle and body panels.
I played exactly by the rules; report the accident, call your insurance agent, have the car towed to the nearest body shop. That same morning, the car was towed to Daniels BMW in Allentown, Pennsylvania and I was given a rental car from Enterprise.
The insurance adjuster went to look at the car 6 days after the accident. Estimated damage, about $12,000.00. Repairable, I was told. Here’s where things got dicey.
TIMELINE:
Early December, 2004:
I asked Chubb for a list of parts that were going to be replaced—one rear tire! Definitely not four, surely not two, just one. So began about two weeks of haggling with a customer service associate who knew no more about tires and my performance vehicle than I do about how to perform brain surgery.
December 19th, 2004:
I went to the Daniel’s BMW body shop, met with the manager, Bob, and was told that repairs would start on my car right before Christmas. I should expect to have my car back in mid-January. I also discussed with them the problems convincing Chubb insurance that two tires needed to be replaced, not just one. He told me that was something that I have to deal with, not him.
Finally, after doing all the research myself and faxing documents explaining the importance of having at least two of the same rear tires(!), I was able to connect to a technical expert at Chubb who agreed with me. Two tires were ordered.
Late January 2005:
My insurance carrier started calling me telling me to return the rental vehicle.
I had exceeded my $3,000.00 rental vehicle reimbursement. I asked how they expected me to get to work and also asked why they were not demanding the insurance carrier of the at-fault driver to pick up the tab. I was informed that all that is handled after the case is closed! So, in other words, my car was hit, I was hurt, the car still wasn’t repaired and now they wanted me to return the rental car. Yes, that was the answer.
February 16th:
I sent a letter to Gary Daniels, owner of the dealership. He never responded. Instead, Bob, manager of the body shop, called me to say they found supplemental damage. He told me that my insurance carrier had spoken to him and that he would have a loaner car for me. Repairs to my car would be completed in about two weeks.
February 19th
I returned the rental car to Enterprise. Daniels, gave me a Buick Century loaner car.
I had had the rental car from Enterprise for a total of 87 days at a price tag of just under $4,000.00. (Chubb picked up the tab only after I faxed complaint letters and made phone calls to their corporate office.)
It’s March 13, 2005 and I still don’t have my car back.
This is unreal. It doesn’t take 4 months to repair this car. The lack of empathy and understanding by both the dealership and the insurance carrier is unbelievable.
Obviously, this car should have been totaled. Between supplemental damage, rental fees and doctor visits, the insurance adjuster and Chubb have made an error. Never mind the diminished value of the car—a topic no one wants to address.
I’m even more dismayed by Daniel’s BMW. After purchasing two cars from them, you would think that there would be a certain level of expected customer service. No.
You would think that I would get periodic updates as to the status of the repairs. No.
You would think that it would have been the dealership that would have assisted me in negotiating with the insurance adjuster over the tire issue. No.
It boils down to this: NO ONE CARES. Everyone spouts marketing rhetoric about delivering exceptional customer service and detailed workmanship. It’s not true. I’ve had 4 months of hell. But who cares, I’m just another statistic.
It’s an experience like this that makes me sour on a brand that I’ve long admired and a car I used to truly enjoy driving. Will I stay with BMW? I want to but if this is the type of service that is allowed by your dealerships than I will have to think twice.
An Open Letter to BMW, Chubb Insurance and Daniels BMW
Here’s the scenario:
* 2003 BMW M3
* Daniels BMW, Allentown, PA
* Chubb Insurance
I used to drive a 2003 BMW M3. I say used to because the morning before Thanksgiving 2004, while stopped at a traffic light waiting to make a turn, my car was rear-ended. I was hurt and the car suffered extensive damage to the frame, gas tank, and rear axle and body panels.
I played exactly by the rules; report the accident, call your insurance agent, have the car towed to the nearest body shop. That same morning, the car was towed to Daniels BMW in Allentown, Pennsylvania and I was given a rental car from Enterprise.
The insurance adjuster went to look at the car 6 days after the accident. Estimated damage, about $12,000.00. Repairable, I was told. Here’s where things got dicey.
TIMELINE:
Early December, 2004:
I asked Chubb for a list of parts that were going to be replaced—one rear tire! Definitely not four, surely not two, just one. So began about two weeks of haggling with a customer service associate who knew no more about tires and my performance vehicle than I do about how to perform brain surgery.
December 19th, 2004:
I went to the Daniel’s BMW body shop, met with the manager, Bob, and was told that repairs would start on my car right before Christmas. I should expect to have my car back in mid-January. I also discussed with them the problems convincing Chubb insurance that two tires needed to be replaced, not just one. He told me that was something that I have to deal with, not him.
Finally, after doing all the research myself and faxing documents explaining the importance of having at least two of the same rear tires(!), I was able to connect to a technical expert at Chubb who agreed with me. Two tires were ordered.
Late January 2005:
My insurance carrier started calling me telling me to return the rental vehicle.
I had exceeded my $3,000.00 rental vehicle reimbursement. I asked how they expected me to get to work and also asked why they were not demanding the insurance carrier of the at-fault driver to pick up the tab. I was informed that all that is handled after the case is closed! So, in other words, my car was hit, I was hurt, the car still wasn’t repaired and now they wanted me to return the rental car. Yes, that was the answer.
February 16th:
I sent a letter to Gary Daniels, owner of the dealership. He never responded. Instead, Bob, manager of the body shop, called me to say they found supplemental damage. He told me that my insurance carrier had spoken to him and that he would have a loaner car for me. Repairs to my car would be completed in about two weeks.
February 19th
I returned the rental car to Enterprise. Daniels, gave me a Buick Century loaner car.
I had had the rental car from Enterprise for a total of 87 days at a price tag of just under $4,000.00. (Chubb picked up the tab only after I faxed complaint letters and made phone calls to their corporate office.)
It’s March 13, 2005 and I still don’t have my car back.
This is unreal. It doesn’t take 4 months to repair this car. The lack of empathy and understanding by both the dealership and the insurance carrier is unbelievable.
Obviously, this car should have been totaled. Between supplemental damage, rental fees and doctor visits, the insurance adjuster and Chubb have made an error. Never mind the diminished value of the car—a topic no one wants to address.
I’m even more dismayed by Daniel’s BMW. After purchasing two cars from them, you would think that there would be a certain level of expected customer service. No.
You would think that I would get periodic updates as to the status of the repairs. No.
You would think that it would have been the dealership that would have assisted me in negotiating with the insurance adjuster over the tire issue. No.
It boils down to this: NO ONE CARES. Everyone spouts marketing rhetoric about delivering exceptional customer service and detailed workmanship. It’s not true. I’ve had 4 months of hell. But who cares, I’m just another statistic.
It’s an experience like this that makes me sour on a brand that I’ve long admired and a car I used to truly enjoy driving. Will I stay with BMW? I want to but if this is the type of service that is allowed by your dealerships than I will have to think twice.
