Reason #1 - it was done in the context of a required state inspection that they would have failed him on had they not replaced the bulb. They had him over a barrel and leveraged the situation, knowing it would have cost him a great deal to come back another day for them to repeat the inspection or do whatever would have had to be done to get the required sticker.

Reason #2 - he was told it would cost "only a few dollars". $40 is more than "only a few dollars", and absolutely egregious given Reason #1.

If he went in asking them to diagnose a weird or annoying electrical gremlin, or if he specifically brought the car in to have the bulb replaced and didn't care what it cost, I'd be inclined to agree with you. That's not the case here, and he apparently even asked how much it would be to replace.

There's a reason why car dealers lobby governments to have annual "safety" inspections - it's so they can to upsell customers on work that may or may not be necessary - this dealer obviously was trying to squeeze extra money out of the situation that it would never have earned otherwise.

 

They would have charged him the same amount if he was in for a oil change.



It is not the techs job to do quotes, His job is to work on the cars. it is the job of the service advisor to do the quotes. Although not the customer's fault, techs are almost never allowed to do quoting.





I'm sure if given the choice the dealer would have charge a lot more than the $59.95 for the inspection. Why do you think many dealers have oil change specials?

Contrary to popular believe, techs at virtually all dealers in the US do not get paid when they are standing around. They also have to provide their own tools, their tool boxes are not full of harbor freight either.

 

Your point? He wasn't in for an oil change. He was in because he had to be, and the bulb is an incidental service.

Not the customer's business to know this, the tech is in this case an agent of the dealer who DID give a quote, but probably your best point.

Nothing says the dealer has to do the state inspections. They go through the process to become licensed because it's a forced way of bringing customers in the door, and it results in a lot of extra repair work.

They are welcome to go into a different line of business. The reason they have to provide their own base tools is that typically theft is a huge problem in dealerships of tools that aren't nailed down. Again though, it's unclear what your point is here.

I'm not saying the dealer CAN'T charge it, or even that the OP shouldn't have known better, or that it's immoral. I'm just saying that I understand the OP's being upset about it under the circumstances. I'm also saying that instead of making money by doing this, the dealer probably LOST money here, because the OP is unlikely to bring the car back to them. I've made similar calls at dealers who pull this kind of crap, and seek out dealers who aren't looking to take every last dime they can in pursuit of a relationship with the customer (me) that will be more profitable for them in the long term.

 

Haha I love this thread... argument about a bulb... this thread just cost about $25,000 worth of time and money between all of us.

 

I had the dealer do it because it needed done to pass inspection. As I said several times the brake light worked, it was only the idiot light that kept coming on. Now that I think about it the idiot light works on resistance. This bulb was probably ready to blow and was probably overheating causing the resistance to go out of the set parameters and threw a fault thus the idiot light coming on. Under State Inspection Laws all light on a vehicle must work (including driving/fog lamps stock or aftermarket). The stealer knows this and will do anything to make a few extra dollars. Most people would say nothing and be on their merry way. I've had this stealer do the same type of crap to me and a few close friends in the past (thus me asking how much). These people prey on their not so knowledgeable customers. They tell them this or that blah blah blah and that will be $500 Mr. Smith, Have a nice day.

My car was in 2 years ago for a rough idle that they said was caused by the battery. I was like huh, what? They said the battery was weak and could not keep the car idling correctly when cold. I was like when the car is on it runs of the alternator not the battery. Not so say the BMW master techs. The car starts fine, all electronics work great zero issues, it can't be the battery. Against everything I believe in I let them replace the battery and like a sucker paid them $450 to do so. Got the car back as soon as I started it up at the dealership same problem. I'm like WTF? They are like it did not do it for us. After countless times back and another service tech from another dealership comes in they figured it was a timing issue (exactly what I told them I thought it was). But their computers did no6t tell them that and their BMW master tech don't know jack about cars other then what that computer tell them. I am still in battle with them to get some money back for the battery mis-diagnosis. I don't see me getting anything and I don't feel like raising a ruckus over it but I will not let them get over me again. I would go to another dealer but the next closest one is almost one hour away and I do not have that kind of time.



On #1, actually under State Law they can "NOT PASS" the car and I pay the full amount minus the cost of the sticker ($2) then I am given the until the current sticker expires ti fix what did not pass and the inspecting station is obligated to pass the car (if said items were fixed) and only charge the price of the sticker ($2).

On #2 I figured $2-$3 for the bulb and maybe $5-$10 at MOST to replace it. I feel it is their responsibility to make the customer aware that it will cost that much for such a minor job.

BP

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm545i

Your point? He wasn't in for an oil change. He was in because he had to be, and the bulb is an incidental service.

So the cost would be the same regardless what you came in for

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm545i

Not the customer's business to know this, the tech is in this case an agent of the dealer who DID give a quote, but probably your best point.

Not really arguing this but the op did say it was the cost of the part not the labor involved.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm545i

Nothing says the dealer has to do the state inspections. They go through the process to become licensed because it's a forced way of bringing customers in the door, and it results in a lot of extra repair work.

There are plenty of dealers here that don't have smog stations. I don't see how they can operate that way but it is what it is.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm545i

They are welcome to go into a different line of business.

what is that suppose to mean?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm545i

The reason they have to provide their own base tools is that typically theft is a huge problem in dealerships of tools that aren't nailed down. Again though, it's unclear what your point is here.

My point is techs get paid only on the labor sold. no labor no pay. As far as tools is concern if you hire good techs and you don't have to worry about theft. Otherwise Techs buy their own tools (what are base tools?) Dunno what you are going with that though...

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm545i

I'm not saying the dealer CAN'T charge it, or even that the OP shouldn't have known better, or that it's immoral. I'm just saying that I understand the OP's being upset about it under the circumstances. I'm also saying that instead of making money by doing this, the dealer probably LOST money here, because the OP is unlikely to bring the car back to them. I've made similar calls at dealers who pull this kind of crap, and seek out dealers who aren't looking to take every last dime they can in pursuit of a relationship with the customer (me) that will be more profitable for them in the long term.

I'm glad we are in agreement with something. If you find a dealer you trust, it is the service writer and the manager you want to try to keep the same because as soon as those change or the policies change, nothing is going to be the same but the emblem on your car.

 

Sorry for your problems, for BMWs I only go to the dealer for the warranty, period. Otherwise either I do it or I take it to someone who knows how to deal with it. Whether it is a tech on the side or a independent. The dealer techs will always get the best training. finding that tech who knows how to use the info is the hard part.

 

That's why I stay away from dealers, I wouldn't even take my car in for a recall unless that part was broken and even then I'd be skeptical about what they would cook up. For me if it's not broken I don't fix it!