IS THIS THE WAY BMW SOUTH AFRICA AND BMW UMHLANGA TREAT CUSTOMERS

To whom it may concern.

I bought my BMW four series, ND325042 from SMG BMW Umhlanga, and from inception, I had all sorts of electronic related issues on various occasions. I had often contacted the salesman, Luke Stoffels and told him that the battery was dead and something was wrong. He kept saying that I wasn't using the vehicle enough and which was the truth. And I accepted that because this vehicle wasn’t used daily. I bought a second hand car from BMW because I expected it to come with the full 55-point check, which should be Peace of mind. The car was merely to do buying for my restaurant when my wife was busy. Also to travel literally, a few hundred meters between My Restaurant in Morningside, and my home in Musgrave.

I basically accepted the fact that I wasn't using the vehicle enough and the battery may be keep running down. Trusting the Knowledge and Experience of the dealership. I had used this vehicle to Underberg on Friday, the 14th of January 2022. On my way back, I hit a pothole on the R617 and the Entire front Suspension was Damaged. I contacted BMW on Call, and they dispatched a towing service.I asked if the vehicle could be towed to BMW Umhlanga, where it was bought and serviced but was told that according to BMW Rules the vehicle needed to be towed to the nearest authorized BMW Repair Center, which was BMW Supertech in Boschoff Street in Pietermaritzburg. Again, when trying to get a courtesy car to get back to Durban, I asked them whether it would be at all possible to return the vehicle to BMW Umhlanga, as they had my full service history and I had purchased my vehicle from them. But unfortunately, BMW South Africa said, that, that it is not allowed. I then left my car at BMW Supertech, for a very long time, to be repaired.

I was generally housebound and my wife was running the business, so on the when and need basis, the vehicle was used in 2022. Fast forward to January 2023, and I start using the vehicle daily, in order to take over the Restaurant from my wife, so that she may concentrate on her business and her practice. I started using the vehicle to do the buying for my restaurant. I had for the first time go into Durban CBD and Heavy traffic. At every intersection that I went to where the robot was red, the car would cut off completely. I do not exaggerate, I've had to sit there, pray,wait a few minutes, pray and if lucky it starts. Intermittently, it might start if not, I've got to wait a little longer and then start whilst all the other vehicles and taxis around me were being very rude and vulgar. This caused tremendous amount of stress upon me and I called Luketo say this has become unbearable. Please can you assist? He said, let us book the vehicle in and it was booked in on the Thursday 19th 2023. I got into my car at 7 o'clock and it took me literally one hour to get from Musgrave in Durban to Umhlanga BMW. When I went there I was greeted by Vishal the service advisor that booked the vehicle in who seemed to be genuinely concerned, as to why this vehicle, the four series was cutting off. To him it was very unusual form for the four series specifically to be doing this. And he seemed to be a learned man on the BMW and I could genuinely see that he tried digest as I gave it to him the details.

Thursday afternoon, Vishal calls me and says they suspect, that It's the battery. They were going to have to keep the vehicle overnight so that they can charge up the battery. Then run some tests and give me the car on Friday morning. I called Vishal my service advisor at 7:30am on Friday to check if I can get it earlier in the day, then later, to do the buying for my business. He said to me that he was about to call me, and whether, this vehicle involved in an accident? I said, yes, on the 14th of January 2022,I I was involved in an accident on the R617 and the front was damaged and it was repaired that BMW Supertech in Pietermaritzburg. His response was one of shocked and rep**** ,front nothing in the back and I said absolutely nothing in the back. He said, his reason for concern was someone had patched up and repaired incorrectly where the battery sits. Someone had welded the earth cable and this was an incorrect procedure cos this is normally Bolted. They needed to do a bit of investigating.

I was under the impression that this was going to be a quick thing. But I requested from inception, please to be assisted with a courtesy car. Whilst this matter is ressolved. I had no problem in waiting for this to be a resolved but I needed to be mobile to buy stock for my business. Already I was using UBER to go buy stock. The answer was they awaiting paperwork and I was brushed off. It ended in a loop between BMW staff,This continued for the rest of the day. I was asked to speak to Luke Stoffel's who referred me to Vishal.

Vishal kept saying they had to get the paperwork etc, low and behold later on, after my wife had contacted Luke, for a courtesy car, he suggested we speak to Aseed Mthini, who was the sales manager. I Spoke to him giving him the exact details as stated above. I told him that my suspicion was that they had sold me a vehicle, which they didn't properly check with the 55 point check, when the vehicle was traded in by the only owner before me, a Muslim gentleman from PMB. Which I found out when I bought the car. I explained that he may or may not have been deceptive.I did explain to him, it could have been an oversight because it was clearly cleverly disguised. And the only thing that had given them reason to inspect that area was that the earth cable was now welded, which supposed to be according to BMW standards attached by a bolt and nut. I was told the cable was overheating so badly that you could not touch it with your bare hands, according to the Service advisor.

I left it with him , and waited as the hours passed on Friday afternoon. He continued to avoid my calls and eventually blocked me on whatsapp. And on my telephone. Out of sheer desperation, I Googled and found out that the dealer principle of SMG was Kirsten who had taken over from Shaun McCarthy. I called her giving her the entire story. And she asked me to afford her, the opportunity to f call all her stuff. Luke Stoffels, Vishal and Aseed. She would get them together and find out what was going on. I did indicate that Vishal had said that. Now they wouldn't be repairing it as it was not done by them and there was a R6,000 estimate cost incurred and someone had to foot the bill. With that being said, she said she will assemble her people and get back to me. I waited for an hour, no response. I phoned her back and she said that they were still awaiting for the paperwork from the relevant people, and she will come back to me, but unfortunately, they do not have a courtesy vehicle to assist me with and I must please wait for them on Monday. When they would receive their vehicles that have been loaned out. And then they will gladly assist, me low end behold. Nothing had happened on Monday morning. Only to have nobody to take my calls,

I then phone BMW, South Africa. And I spoke to Mohsin Basha from customer care. Explained everything in detail to him, asked him to make contact with the service advisor from BMW. Umhlanga by the name of Vishal. I then called Vishal. And shared Mohsins details. Vishal was more than willing to assist because he had the paperwork VIN number, and paperwork on hand. I then waited for him who said it will take 24 to 48 hours for them to report back. Whilst the Mohsin made contact with BMW Supertech and BMW Umhlanga. I, then Google and I found the number for BMW Supertech in Pietermaritzburg. The call was answered by a Kelly, Kelly then took it upon herself for a listen to my problem, saying that she will escalate to management but did nothing further. Another day has been wasted and I had nothing and received, no joy. I then asked my wife, whom the vehicle is registered under to please phone. She was the one liasing with Superech when it was in for repair in 2022, she was referred to Vee. Who said that if her until the following morning in which to come back to her with regards to her report,

I then phone be the following morning, and was escalated me to Selvan Govender the branch manager.Selvan then reported that he had pictures photos, even videos of the vehicle idling and there was nothing done by them and we have to be logical here. Nobody is going to repair something at zero charge to the back of the car when the front was involved in an accident. and secondly he had a video of the the instrument cluster idling when it arrived for repair, so it dispels, the story by BMW. Umhlanga, saying that the during the impact of the accident, the earth terminal had jumped of as asafety mechanism. Let me just clarify that feature with you, BMW does have that feature, but it has nothing to do with the negative terminal when the airbags are displayed in a major impact. In order to safeguard all the occupants the positive cable pops, cutting power to the vehicle.

This is Sort a safety feature built into the BMW 4 series.The minute, the airbags are deployed, the power cable, not the negative cable, pops off from the battery terminal and it cuts off the vehicle. When the vehicle was towed from the R617 by an authorized BMW service provider, it was still starting and idling. In PMB , videos and photos were taken of the vehicle. So thereby clearing the fact that BMW Supertech had done anything relating to do with the earth Cable.

Selvan Govender then made contact with a senior service advisor someone by the name of Dhiren, whom, he had a history of experience with in the industry with BMW and had discussed the matter. Dhiren had accepted the video footage and now understood that BMW Supertech well within their within the means in order to say that they weren't the guilty party. Dhiren still did not contact me yet but contacted Selvan Govender to tell me that they accept that there's a problem, and they are going to absorb the costs and are ordering the part from Johannesburg, and Selvan said it will take 20 minutes or so to repair. After the part arrives on Thursday morning, they will have it fitted and test drive the vehicle. And I would have my vehicle. I also received a phone call from Mohsin Basha from BMW South Africa. I must stae state for the record my perception, was that Mohsin was merely a mouthpiece, and very partial to SMG BMW Umhlanga, rather than the customer that was paing for a car, that he did not have possession off. A very, very typical thing of the past. Whereby these large corporate white dealerships have preferential treatment with BMW. I've seen it with previous BMWs that I've had over the years and I have seen this in social media with the complaints that I've been received. I humbly ask that you take into account that I'm now stuck with a vehicle that carries a full history of being in an accident and I was deceptively, I repeat that, I was deceptively, sold the vehicle, whether they knowingly or unknowingly had known the fact. But I am now with a vehicle that has a depreciated in value further because it was involved in a second accident, which is now going to affect my price and the vehicle is coming to an end on the motor plan, which ends on the 27th of April 2023. I was going to replace the car with them anyway. On the day that I booked the vehicle in. I asked the service advisor, if it was possible for me to go and look at a replacement vehicle downstairs, but the driver dropping me back was in a hurry, but Vishal will be able to testify the truth and honesty of whatever I've said, here.

I thank you. And I, I pray that we reach a resolution in my favour. I've done Nothing Wrong but comply with their Rules. Am I also Not Protected under the Consumer Protection Act. I plea that your take into Account the trauma that we as the working class endure at these ruthless dictators that hamper Service Delivery for Financial Gain. What’s happened to the Saying “the customer is always right”, maybe I am Old School, but we have Ethics, Morals and Principals.

Regards

Des Moodley