New car spec not correct

Another first world problem i’m deliberating over. We picked up a brand new car the other day – the first brand new car we’ve ever had, so we were all excited and had a family outing to the dealership for the ‘grand reveal’ expecting drum roles, dancing girls and the full red carpet treatment!. Well we didn’t quite get that but it was a very pleasant experience all the same. Anyway, now the initial excitement is over i’m in the process of working out how to work all the many on-board gadgets. As part of the deal we effectively got £8k’s worth of options chucked in including Adaptive Cruise Control. Anyway it turns out that we’ve actually got fitted is normal cruise control without the adaptive bit. This was one option £8k’s worth of options that was chucked in as part of the deal. So i’m not quite sure what to do. I don’t feel I can go into the dealer ‘demanding’ something as I didn’t request and pay for that option, but by the same token the additional optional extras they chucked in was a big part of the deal clincher and I want to raise it with the dealer as an issue. I realise its probably not something that can be retrofitted, and I don’t want to reject the car and wait another 2 months for a new one. So what would be a reasonable ask in recompense for the missing gadget? It’s a BMW so maybe a set of wheels with winter tyres?

if they agreed to supply it they need to rectify

Don’t ask don’t get – although as you say an alternative to the same value (winter wheels) would be worth asking for

* btw anything can be retrofitted if you want it enough – remember this, it can be expensive so don’t let them fob you off with a cheap alternative

What was on your order form?

Shame though, I really like ACC

The product is not as promised. Take it back and get the dealer to sort it.

BMW did this with Dads car a few years back, but it was power fold mirrors they missed off. He ended up getting a set of winter tyres on steel wheels. They did scrimp though as the car had run-flats and no spare but they supplied normal winter tyres.

I suspect the winter tyres will be their offer as it’s easy and they probably have a surplus ready.

Do you have another car if you have to wait 2 months? You could always insist on them rectifying the mistake and throwing in winter tyres as compensation for the delay 🙂

Personally I would ask them to sort it.

Yes it was definatley on the spec sheet and I was looking forward to it as I have normal Cruise Control on the SMax and use it a lot, so one of those things where I wasn’t that bothered about, but once we were getting it I was looking forward to having it, moreso than the other gadgets they included. If it is retrofittable i’ll probably ask for it to be fitted, but i’d imagine it would be a big mod – basically a new steering wheel due to the additional buttons, the radar sensor in the front grill/bumper and all the associated wiring and software integration.

Personally I would mention it, although I wouldn’t expect it to be retrofitted as this can be costly, it may also mean taking apart your new car. Something I’d avoid unless necessary.

Years ago I had a new car from BMW, the dashboard came in a different colour to what I had ordered, but it was much nicer and I prefered it, I still mentioned it and got a few £££’s of easy to fit extras thrown in, i.e. Spoiler and what not

as I didn’t request and pay for that option

Sounds like you did, I’d be having a polite word with them

^^^ That. Don’t be shy 🙂

Thanks Andy, i’ll look out for that. The addition of the additional £8k’s worth of options was actually due to another cock up by the dealership which, to be fair, they were quick to rectify and the £8k’s worth of options was part of the rectification. I don’t necessarily judge organisations if they make mistakes – I judge them on how they rectify mistakes and I was quite happy with their response after the first cock up, but this is a disappointing development so I’ll see what their appetite is to rectify.

We have it on ours its a right pain on the motorway. Got it switched off

We have it on ours its a right pain on the motorway. Got it switched off

Yeah damn thing won’t let you get up to normal BMW following distances. 😉

Does the missing radar thingy have other functions that are missing as well then, like low speed collision avoidance for example?. That would be a missing safety item, not just a convenience upgrade.

You may have to drive towards a wall at 5mph with you eyes closed to make sure. 😀

Not to my knowledge tthew. I’ll go through the rest of the spec sheet before raising it with the dealer. cheers all.

I couldnt live without my ACC. I’d be lodt without it.

I thought that would’ve been your satnav…

***gets coat***

A friend of mine recently ordered a new van. It was specced with electric mirrors but when they went to pick it up it had manual adjust mirrors.

They rejected it as it wasn’t as spec. It doesn’t sound like the biggest deal in the world, but his van it used by several drivers and for the next 4 or 5 years they’d just have that little annoyed feeling every time they had to adjust the passenger mirror!

My friend bought an audi S3 a few years ago, it was under a cover in the showroom and they did a grand reveal…. he stood there and said that’s nice but where’s my car. The salesman gave him a blank look. My mate had ordered a 3 door and the dealership had somehow managed to order a 5 door!

Forgive me if I’m misunderstanding here, but…

got £8k’s worth of options chucked in

implies that you got those FOC.

And you’re complaining?

Well he’s not getting them FOC really, it’s just part of the deal he struck, and by the sounds of it not a bargain basement motor. I don’t know that I’d be that bothered personally, (probably never get the chance to spec a brand spanking BMW) but if the OP is, he should definitely get a fair resolution.

If nothing else that optional extra may be worth a few bob or an attractive selling point come trade in or second hand sale time.

opposite here, i told the sales guy last year i want something with less electronic as possible and gave me with all electronic version of the car my kid wants and also cruise control..i still yet to find a road that cruise control to be useful 😡

“implies that you got those FOC. And you’re complaining?”
Free………Free…… Wtf.

Top tip for you. There’s nowt free in car deals.

Regardless of if it was “free” or not, it was a part of the deal. If it’s on the spec sheet, then I’d suggest that it forms part of the “contract”.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/cars-and-other-vehicles/problems-with-the-car-you-bought/the-vehicle-you-bought-doesn-t-match-its-description/the-vehicle-you-bought-doesn-t-match-its-description/

Cars are like houses – the sticker/asking price doesn’t bear any resemblance to the final selling price. I doubt anyone walks into a car showroom and pays the full asking price for a car – or if they do they make sure they get some extra’s thrown in – so i’ve not got anything FOC in reality – we agreed a price for a particular product.

I’d have liked the ACC – it was by far the gadget that I was most looking forward to using. I’m not pissed off or angry and otherwise over the moon with the car, but ultimately have not been given a car to the correct and agreed spec. so will raise it with the dealer, I was just pondering what a fair and reasonable ask is in lieu of the ACC recognising its probably not possible to get it retrofitted. I would be perfectly within my rights to reject the car outright and get them to order me a new one to the agreed spec. leaving them lumbered with effectively a used car to shift, but I won’t do that.

I think a set of winter wheels is probably a fair trade. I would have probably looked to buy some anyway at the first sniff of a cold winter given the reputation BMW’s have in wintery conditions.

Yeah, that’s not on. ACC is a massive improvement over standard cruise control, which frankly is a bit useless in this country.

personally I would push for the ACC. Tyres will eventually wear out, ACC will be something you use all year round for as long as you own the car.

You would be better off shopping around for a deal on Winter tyres yourself and some 2nd hand wheels if you really want them.

My current BMW was ordered with front parking sensors but when it arrived they were absent….

On the plus side, it did come with xenon headlamps and the ‘lighting kit’.

A) headlamps were far more expensive (list price)
B) it’s only a company car
C) won’t have it for too long

German efficiency 😉

In your case, don’t accept it!
(Winter tyres can be your additional request for the inconvenience)

ACC is ace. Single best gadget on my car. The collision avoidance aspect, not so good, gets the odd false positive that frightens the life out of you and your passengers occaisionally. But, it might save my ass one day, so it’s staying switched on.

My last company car was delivered without a £250 drivers comfort pack option which consisted of an electric lumbar adjuster and a couple of extra manual adjusters. Got a courtesy call to check I was satisfied with the whole process, mentioned it and said I wasn’t that bothered but got told to stop driving it. Car got collected the next day and I had to wait another four months for a replacement. So I guess it depends how badly you want the ACC,you may need to be prepared to wait

Still running my winter tyres here in Scotland. Hoping it will be warm enough to justify switching to the summer wheels soon….

MIL ordered a Q5 with a number of extras, Audi owned up to forgetting to order the curtain air bags in the back, after some decisions they let her use the car for 6 months (paid for the tax and insurance) while she was waiting for a new car to be ordered.

Car got collected the next day and I had to wait another four months for a replacement. So I guess it depends how badly you want the ACC,you may need to be prepared to wait

Did they lend you one in the meantime?

Yeah of course. Wasn’t the end of the world although the loaner had higher emissions so had to pay a bit more BIK. I probably should have argued it but didn’t bother

sounds like they have a track record of getting spec’s wrong. In that case i’ll be less sympathetic when I raise it with them. It’s proper poor quality from one of the supposedly premium manufacturers out there, i’m very surprised. When I was doing my degree we studied car transfer lines and how they operated and I struggle to see how they could have got something as fundamental as the car spec wrong – they must have some proper issues with their supply chain management.

wobbliscott – Member
sounds like they have a track record of getting spec’s wrong. In that case i’ll be less sympathetic when I raise it with them. It’s proper poor quality from one of the supposedly premium manufacturers out there, i’m very surprised. When I was doing my degree we studied car transfer lines and how they operated and I struggle to see how they could have got something as fundamental as the car spec wrong – they must have some proper issues with their supply chain management.

Assuming it wasn’t the dealer that didn’t tick the right box when ordering.

properbikeco
* btw anything can be retrofitted if you want it enough – remember this, it can be expensive so don’t let them fob you off with a cheap alternative

This is not always the case especially with dealer spec retrofit.

If it was part of the offer and it made you but it, I would not even take it off the dealer.

Would you drive it home if it was the wrong colour?

Grow some and complain politely!

I wouldn’t be standing for that. The fact that it was part of bundle “deal” of optional extras doesn’t matter.

My car has normal cruise control and TBH it’s a bit pointless unless the roads are very quiet.. I never use it as you constantly have to switch it off to slow down/speed up with traffic or use the little buttons to slow/down speed up. It just seems an awful lot of button pressing when you can just use your right foot instead.

ACC on the other hand is VERY good – the one in the VW’s I’ve experienced with automatic collision detection etc. is quality.