BMW Roadside assistance causes chaos & $$$$$$

buerkletucson said:

1. Good luck with BMW.....I don't know about you or anyone else but I sure don't want to fight BMW in court when the contract clearly states they are not liable. No win there...hardly worth the hassle, time or money.

2. Nobody ever directly blamed the op for the damages to his bike. He executed a contract for support on a very simple issue and it failed......you pick your exposure to risk....you rely on everyone else to perform the simplest of repairs then you expose yourself to suffer the possible consequences.

Did the OP have the chance to learn some very basic repairs to help himself?
Did the OP have the chance to purchase some very basic tools?
Did the OP have the chance to purchase a simple tire plug kit?

I think a YES can be answered to all above if he cared to look the slightest bit beyond the end of his nose rather than relying on everyone else to do the simplest of tasks.
Bet he feels different now...

I said it before and I'll say it again.....I think it's ridiculous for anyone to call RA to bring out a tow truck for a new bike siting in your very own garage with a simple flat tire. I wouldn't even consider it a remote possibility.

Should RA always be a perfect experience and go without incident?......we would want to think so........but we should all know better than that!

IMHO, RA should be considered an absolute last resort when no other options exist.......even then, I'd be damn sure I was present to make sure the unknown tow operator had a clue what he was doing. Not leave an expensive bike to some possible bozo.
Simple common sense would tell anyone that a tow operator more than likely doesn't make a living towing motorcycles and therefore is probably not experienced on the proper technique to do so.

JMHO....

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The OP isn't responsible and shouldn't eat any part of this. The tow has primary responsibility and BMW shares a piece, regardless of what it says on a contract. I love it when people jump on the BMW bandwagon and blame the victim. BMW doesn't need defending here, neither does the tow.

motorcop@wi.rr.com said:

Just because BMW makes a statement that they are not responsible for any towing damage to a motorcycle doesn't mean they automatically exempt from any legal action. Anyone can say almost anything as anyone can sue anyone for almost any cause. Because this is a program administered by BMW for their customers they have a certain amount of responsibility to make sure the independent tow firms have a clear understanding of how the various BMW motorcycles are to be towed or hauled. Clearly the ultimate responsibility lies with the tow firm for placing tie downs where they do not belong and causing substantial damage, but this doesn't preclude BMW from having some input in proper towing procedures to towing firms employed by BMW in their own program.

To another point, certainly it would be advantageous if we were all mechanically inclined and were capable of removing the wheels from our motorcycles. Unfortunately, not everyone has that ability nor does everyone have the necessary tools, jacks or lifts to accomplish this type of task. I think it grossly unfair to find fault with someone for not removing their wheels when they may not have the knowledge or tools to accomplish such a task. Would those critical of the OP for not being able to remove his own wheels have been happy if he in fact performed such an operation and then had a wheel fall off because it wasn't mounted properly or torqued to correct specs? Did those of you that do your own such work just wake up one morning and say " I'm going to change my own tires today" or did you watch and perhaps help someone more knowledgeable than yourself perform this type of work first? If you are like most of us you had some help from someone experienced in this work who showed you the correct procedures. I think it is arrogant and ignorant to find fault with someone for not doing something like removing their own wheels, when they may not have the knowledge and ability to perform such work. That has to be one of the dumbest criticisms I have ever heard.

Rick H.

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Hey Rick, great post and I am all over this w agreement. First of all I don't have the tools to complete he job, second of all tire insurance would cover me for a replacement for the tire if it was required. I also had recall on the switch which was to be replaced so yes RA is warranted, if anyone feels arrogant enough to say they wouldn't even think about well goody for you, your a star! A dumb criticism is an understatement! I don't have the tools and experience so being covered by RA and tire repair is rt in my wheel house! BMW is responsible for ensuring that their contractors hav e the rt equip and resources to complete the job! RA has contacted but we r moving slowly but I have a time table on the next step that I am going forward with. As far as BMW.ca customer service goes I have had no contact w them to this day! Pretty pathetic standards by all accounts, they r going to hear more from me on other media venues! I am pretty pissed at their arrogance and in the future Iam sorry to say that I will be moving on from this manufacturer!

ponch1 said:

The OP isn't responsible and shouldn't eat any part of this. The tow has primary responsibility and BMW shares a piece, regardless of what it says on a contract. I love it when people jump on the BMW bandwagon and blame the victim. BMW doesn't need defending here, neither does the tow.

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+1 thx,

Korotro said:

BMW is responsible for ensuring that their contractors hav e the rt equip and resources to complete the job!

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Sorry you had the incident...I am def not defending BMW's RA program...however that wishful thinking of contracted towing process and responsibilities by anyone other than the towing contractor is a leap.

Good luck in the future with whatever you ride.

buerkletucson said:

Some of you seriously need to take a reading comprehension class.

Nobody here has defended BMW or the tow outfit....
It's all about being self-supportive and not relying on the rest of the world to complete the simplest of tasks.

Not sure what world you all live in, but if you depend on everyone else for even the simple things then you expose yourself for big time failure.
We aren't talking about an engine failure or catastrophic meltdown..........it's a rear tire that went flat in the owners own garage..........and you call for a flatbed tow, seriously?
Then, can't even be present to make sure it's loaded properly? In your own garage?

If the OP wants to continue to rely on outfits like RA for every simple thing......sitting in your own garage nonetheless...........and not get smart by learning a few basic tasks, then we'll all look forward to the next thread with a similar outcome.
Forget BMW and move on to something else.....good luck on that being any different......other RA plans would more than likely use the exact same towing outfits.

Just by the OPs own remarks in this and other forums show me he hasn't learned much.....such a pity.
But, hey......good luck in the future!

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They have higher exposure, but it doesn't mean they deserve it or shouldn't have recourse.

buerkletucson said:

Some of you seriously need to take a reading comprehension class.

Nobody here has defended BMW or the tow outfit....
It's all about being self-supportive and not relying on the rest of the world to complete the simplest of tasks.

Not sure what world you all live in, but if you depend on everyone else for even the simple things then you expose yourself for big time failure.
We aren't talking about an engine failure or catastrophic meltdown..........it's a rear tire that went flat in the owners own garage..........and you call for a flatbed tow, seriously?
Then, can't even be present to make sure it's loaded properly? In your own garage?

If the OP wants to continue to rely on outfits like RA for every simple thing......sitting in your own garage nonetheless...........and not get smart by learning a few basic tasks, then we'll all look forward to the next thread with a similar outcome.
Forget BMW and move on to something else.....good luck on that being any different......other RA plans would more than likely use the exact same towing outfits.

Just by the OPs own remarks in this and other forums show me he hasn't learned much.....such a pity.
But, hey......good luck in the future!

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OH I've learned some however very little from ur comments! sign off and walk away!

akbeemer said:

I got the impression that the tracking was done by a government entity rather than a commercial enterprise like Carfax. Perhaps a well informed Canadian will enlighten us.

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In British Columbia (I assume the OP is from BC since he mentions Vancouver) any damage over $2000 is flagged on the motor vehicle registration (Liability insurance and the licensing/registration of motor vehicles is looked after by a Crown Corporation called ICBC - Insurance Corporation of BC). There isn't anything like a Crown Corporation (to my knowledge) that exists in the US but is a common operation in Canada. It is an entity that theoretically operates separate from the government (like a corporation), has a certain defined responsibility (like providing vehicle insurance, electric power or lotteries) but whose sole shareholder is the government. The $2000 damage declaration has existed since the 1980's and has unfortunately never had the value changed. So what started out as a means of flagging fairly major accident damage to a vehicle now ends up as flagging just about everything that was claimed through insurance, even minor scrapes (on a new vehicle it doesn't take much damage to exceed $2000). You can find out what the damage was but in this case it might be hard to tell if the damage was done by the tow truck driver not fastening it properly or by a low speed tip over.

I don't know who BMW uses in Canada but.....

The car club in the states as well as the Volkswagen Group use Allstate. My experiences (2) with them made me feel like I was caught in the sequel of Dumb and Dumber. Poorly trained people on the phone, rude people and people who in my case sent a tow truck about 30 miles in the opposite direction of my location. Many of the car and motorcycle companies use the Roadside Assistance as a sales tool but they obviously decided to do it on the cheap. In general, unless someone REALLY embarrasses BMW, they will simply blow you off. Be polite but raise as much hell with as many people as you can find and consider bringing in outside sources if BMWNA is unresponsive.
Best,

Will

What is with all the vitriol here???

Everybody relax, take a breath and have a laxative. The guy obviously was treated badly and now he has to listen to some pompous ass lecture him about it being all his fault? On what planet?? It's called respect Grasshopper; (You should try it sometime).

Did his bike get fixed? Did he sue everybody? Did he win? Is BMW going to go under now? Does the Canadian BMW Customer Service department still have a listed phone number and does anyone care to attempt using it any more? What model bike is the OP now riding...I assume his BMW, with the flat tire, was sold or traded away at a loss because it had it's handlebar and gas tank replaced - right?

Is the tow truck driver still towing? What did his last quarterly review by management indicate? Has he been promoted? Does he now head up the Canadian BMW Customer Service area?

Can we get some answers on these hot topics?

I hate it when the story gets cut off before everyone can give a "final" opinion on it.

Motodan said:

Did his bike get fixed? Did he sue everybody? Did he win? Is BMW going to go under now? Does the Canadian BMW Customer Service department still have a listed phone number and does anyone care to attempt using it any more? What model bike is the OP now riding...I assume his BMW, with the flat tire, was sold or traded away at a loss because it had it's handlebar and gas tank replaced - right?

Is the tow truck driver still towing? What did his last quarterly review by management indicate? Has he been promoted? Does he now head up the Canadian BMW Customer Service area?

Can we get some answers on these hot topics?

I hate it when the story gets cut off before everyone can give a "final" opinion on it.

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Yes

Motodan said:

Did his bike get fixed? Did he sue everybody? Did he win? Is BMW going to go under now? Does the Canadian BMW Customer Service department still have a listed phone number and does anyone care to attempt using it any more? What model bike is the OP now riding...I assume his BMW, with the flat tire, was sold or traded away at a loss because it had it's handlebar and gas tank replaced - right?

Is the tow truck driver still towing? What did his last quarterly review by management indicate? Has he been promoted? Does he now head up the Canadian BMW Customer Service area?

Can we get some answers on these hot topics?

I hate it when the story gets cut off before everyone can give a "final" opinion on it.

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He should have had Donald Trump handle it.

ponch1 said:

He should have had Donald Trump handle it.

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A pick up truck backed into my 2014 k1600GTL a couple of months ago and when I took it to the dealer in Manitoba, they had all of the parts overnight. OVERNIGHT!!! $10,000 worth of parts. Upper fairing, lower fairing, headlight fender, and damage to the exterior of the engine, driving lights, muffler and much more was all taken care of for me. Yeah it took a while to fix it once it was in the shop (5 days) but i cannot complain about the service at all. It makes me wonder who your dealer is. Something is terribly wrong.


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I feel bad for the OP, very frustrating when you think a simple service such as a tow cannot possibly be screwed up. I had a similar experience having a bike towed. The guy shows up and I helped him move the bike onto the flatbed, and to my surprise he had a front wheel chock which dropped into the tow vehicle bed, I thought good, a professional. He then explains to me how knowledgeable he is at towing bikes and how important his bike is to him, unfortunately I was back in the garage getting something, the whole time he's talking and ratcheting down straps. I then hear this sickening crunch and snap. I came out of the garage and asked him what was the snapping sound, he shrugged, I examined the side fairing and their was a long crack from front to back as he had pulled the straps so hard they collapsed the fairing, the bike was pulled down so tight it was only about 2" off the deck. Needless to say, words were exchanged. I told him to call his boss, which he did and sent him photos. It was priceless seconds after he emailed the photos, his phone rang again and he held it at arm's length for about 3 minutes after which he handed me the phone, "its for you he said". His boss told me the tow driver is an idiot, but he shows up every day which is more than three quarters of the rest of his drivers do. He then informed me that he would meet me at the dealership and give them all his contact information as he was going to pay for all the damages no questions asked and he then apologized profusely for what had happened. He wanted to do whatever it took to keep this out of the hands of his or my insurance company, he couldn't afford his rates to be increased. I agreed, and rode with the driver to the dealership. The owner of the tow company was there, and meet with me and the service and parts managers, we all four surveyed the damage, developed a list of parts. The guy even left a deposit for the parts before he left. He told the dealership to call him promptly upon completion of the repairs, and he would come in a pay the balance in cash, which he did.

Hopefully your bike will be fixed soon and you'll be out enjoying it and this will all be a bad memory. Thanks for the heads up on "Mitchell's Towing", their the only bad guys here.

Let's hope it gets fixed soon....it has been over 4 months since OP initially posted

I keep a plug and air up kit on all my bikes (about $20). It is not a permanent fix, the GTL will show your air pressure on the dash if you set it. My last fix lasted 2 months before a had a slight drop in air pressure. I hated to change the tire with only 3000 miles on it. I do not do hard riding on less than perfect tires.