How come early adopters are getting shafted?
#1
Hi Everyone!!
Just wondering if BMW will someday take care of those early adopters who were waiting for long time for Bluetooth to happen, and for mp3s to work in our cars. I actually got impression that, along with the delay of the Nav DVD and Bluetooth to function in our car, the Nav DVD did appear 2 months after we purchased the car in early 2004, but later found out that Bluetooth is impossible. Then the issue about mp3... now we are not sure if mp3s can function in our cars, even though it was mentioned in the manual that it could... also, there has been rumors before about some Bluetooth adaptor that is a cheaper alternative to the infamous TCU dilemma... anyone can shed anything about this? thanks again guys!!
Happy New Year to everyone here!!
Just wondering if BMW will someday take care of those early adopters who were waiting for long time for Bluetooth to happen, and for mp3s to work in our cars. I actually got impression that, along with the delay of the Nav DVD and Bluetooth to function in our car, the Nav DVD did appear 2 months after we purchased the car in early 2004, but later found out that Bluetooth is impossible. Then the issue about mp3... now we are not sure if mp3s can function in our cars, even though it was mentioned in the manual that it could... also, there has been rumors before about some Bluetooth adaptor that is a cheaper alternative to the infamous TCU dilemma... anyone can shed anything about this? thanks again guys!!
Happy New Year to everyone here!!
#2
Contributors
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 6,554
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2014 X5 xDrive 5.0 M Package Carbon Black Metallic/2008 M Roadster Imola Red
Originally Posted by Almighty JungleBoy' post='218197' date='Jan 2 2006, 05:00 AM
Hi Everyone!!
Just wondering if BMW will someday take care of those early adopters who were waiting for long time for Bluetooth to happen, and for mp3s to work in our cars. I actually got impression that, along with the delay of the Nav DVD and Bluetooth to function in our car, the Nav DVD did appear 2 months after we purchased the car in early 2004, but later found out that Bluetooth is impossible. Then the issue about mp3... now we are not sure if mp3s can function in our cars, even though it was mentioned in the manual that it could... also, there has been rumors before about some Bluetooth adaptor that is a cheaper alternative to the infamous TCU dilemma... anyone can shed anything about this? thanks again guys!!
Happy New Year to everyone here!!
Just wondering if BMW will someday take care of those early adopters who were waiting for long time for Bluetooth to happen, and for mp3s to work in our cars. I actually got impression that, along with the delay of the Nav DVD and Bluetooth to function in our car, the Nav DVD did appear 2 months after we purchased the car in early 2004, but later found out that Bluetooth is impossible. Then the issue about mp3... now we are not sure if mp3s can function in our cars, even though it was mentioned in the manual that it could... also, there has been rumors before about some Bluetooth adaptor that is a cheaper alternative to the infamous TCU dilemma... anyone can shed anything about this? thanks again guys!!
Happy New Year to everyone here!!
Others will disagree, but I think that I am owed MP3 capability. I was told my car would play MP3's, and my manual discusses playing such files (as you mention). Please understand that I am not a militant, but I am going to pursue the issue once cars similar to mine start receiving software upgrades allowing MP3 playback.
#5
Contributors
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Sunny California
Posts: 651
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2005 545i with everything
My philosophy is that the car is what it is as it rolls off the showroom floor to my home. Any additional features that are enabled in the future are a bonus but I don't expect it.
#6
Contributors
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 6,554
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2014 X5 xDrive 5.0 M Package Carbon Black Metallic/2008 M Roadster Imola Red
Originally Posted by rodneyremington' post='218336' date='Jan 2 2006, 02:38 PM
My philosophy is that the car is what it is as it rolls off the showroom floor to my home. Any additional features that are enabled in the future are a bonus but I don't expect it.
How would you feel if a salesperson told you that a car would play MP3's off the floor, your manual confirmed the claim, and then you found the claim to be incorrect?
#7
Site Founders
How would you feel if a salesperson told you that a car would play MP3's off the floor, your manual confirmed the claim, and then you found the claim to be incorrect?
[/quote]
I think what he's saying is that he, personally, doesn't expect any future "promised" features that don't yet work to necessarily ever come to pass.
And as for your situation, I think I would either 1.) take issue with it now, or 2.) not at all. If "other, similar" cars ever receive this functionality from a software upgrade, there's no reason to expect yours won't as well. But that software upgrade may never come. So it would make sense to me for you to begin to pursue this now, though I have a feeling it may be futile, given that the latest software does not add this functionality to pre-Sept 2005 vehicles, implying a hardware difference between pre- and post-Sept 2005 production - a hardware upgrade that someone is going to have to pay for. (I'm still holding out hope that there may be a future software upgrade that enables MP3-playback on pre-Sept 2005 vehicles.)
#8
How would you feel if a salesperson told you that a car would play MP3's off the floor, your manual confirmed the claim, and then you found the claim to be incorrect?
[/quote]
More business for me Znod? Fraud, fraud in the inducement, intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, breach of express warranty, and perhaps even unfair competition and false advertising.
As an aside, this isn't the first "slip of the tongue" that BMW has been guilty of. Way back when, BMW advertised the Z8 as equipped with VLSD -- even stated it on the brochures and the window sticker. But, alas, look under the underbelly, and no differential ... Ooops. BMW chalked it up, IIRC, to something being lost in the translation from German to English.
#9
Contributors
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 6,554
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2014 X5 xDrive 5.0 M Package Carbon Black Metallic/2008 M Roadster Imola Red
Originally Posted by rodneyremington' post='218336' date='Jan 2 2006, 02:38 PM
My philosophy is that the car is what it is as it rolls off the showroom floor to my home. Any additional features that are enabled in the future are a bonus but I don't expect it.
How would you feel if a salesperson told you that a car would play MP3's off the floor, your manual confirmed the claim, and then you found the claim to be incorrect?
As an aside, this isn't the first "slip of the tongue" that BMW has been guilty of. Way back when, BMW advertised the Z8 as equipped with VLSD -- even stated it on the brochures and the window sticker. But, alas, look under the underbelly, and no differential ... Ooops. BMW chalked it up, IIRC, to something being lost in the translation from German to English.
[/quote]ipse d, how bu?
We are having much fun. Brussels now. Have fun in Phoenix; it's coming up soon.
Yes, how about a class-action suit? I think it was frauduli ignorami. But, unintentional or not, .... My intention is not to hold their feet to the flame, but just to suggest that I am missing a promised feature. So, maybe ....
I think that the manual is the biggest offender since the whole universe is confused on the MP3 thing. I can't really blame a salesperson for being confused. But, being an innocent, I was not aware of the universal befuddlement. So, yes, please protect me. Sue the big bad company.
#10
Members
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 05 545i silver
I agree while you may feel cheated about MP3 functionality I felt cheated when they discontinued 545 for the 550 after two years. Software upgrades and adding features is one thing but a whole engine line change and rebadging thats really shameful on BMW, even non luxury lines don't discontinue a model in two years.
Any way I felt cheated enough to sell my car and go with another automaker. It wasn't worth the agravation on seeing my car every day and realizing it was discontinued after only one year of ownership.(plus the little annoyances like throttle lag, occational rattles and auto window errors helped make the decision). What do you think made BMW think that the 545 was so flawed that they needed to replace it with the 550i?
Any way I felt cheated enough to sell my car and go with another automaker. It wasn't worth the agravation on seeing my car every day and realizing it was discontinued after only one year of ownership.(plus the little annoyances like throttle lag, occational rattles and auto window errors helped make the decision). What do you think made BMW think that the 545 was so flawed that they needed to replace it with the 550i?