| 09-03-2018, 05:49 PM | #1 |
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Private First Class
 
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Drives: 2014 X5 50i M Sport/2016 340XI
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Avoid Automotive Testing and Development
I received a letter from a company called automotive testing and development a few months ago requesting to do in-service emissions testing on my X5 for BMW corporate. They said they would use my car on a dyno for 5-10 business days, provide me with a like loaner car and pay me $500 for my trouble. They ended up having my car for 22 days and provided me with a 2018 X5 to drive while they had my car. After having my car for 20 days they called me and told me their techs believed they lost a cover for my factory trailer hitch. I assured them they couldn’t have lost any cover as I have an aftermarket hitch that doesn’t use a factory cover. My wife took delivery of car when they returned it and she didn’t get down on her hands and knees to inspect it. I was cleaning it today and noticed they damaged my rear bumper skin cracking the paint and putting dimples in the plastic. They also marred the metal on the chain hookups on my aftermarket hitch. I’m assuming they used the aftermarket hitch as a tethering point when they secured my car on the dyno. In the end this was a negative experience. Hopefully they will resolve this but I doubt they will due to my wife accepting the car as being returned in same condition.
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| 09-03-2018, 09:16 PM | #3 |
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Captain
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They contacted me earlier this year, and I decided against it.
One never knows what's going on with your car, when someone who didn't pay for it, has the keys... Sorry to hear about your troubles, but it confirms I made the right choice.. Nice hitch btw, I have the same. Do you still have the "no hitch" plug for the stainless block, or could that be what they lost? |
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| 09-04-2018, 09:05 AM | #5 |
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Lieutenant General
 
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Sorry mate, but why would you accept $500 for a third party company to dyno your car for 5-10 days? Never in a million years would I consider that.
Since they kept it for twice as long, did you pay you $1,000+? |
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deutsch1003946.50 MysticBlue368.50 |
| 09-04-2018, 09:27 PM | #6 | |
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Private First Class
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Drives: 2014 X5 50i M Sport/2016 340XI
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Location: 5280 Feet Above Sea Level
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Quote:
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| 09-04-2018, 09:29 PM | #7 |
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Mmmmm…
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You'd have made more money offering it on Turo.
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2015 BMW X5 xDrive50i
BMW CCA 509766 |
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| 09-05-2018, 08:21 AM | #8 |
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Colonel
 
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I am just kind of speechless. 5-10 days for $500? They kept it 20+ days and you still only got $500? Once you hit the 10 day mark, I cannot believe you allowed another 10+ days and no monetary compensation!
You have no idea what and how they treated your engine, transmission, if they let you car idle and run for hours and hours, or god forbid days. HOW could anyone ever agree to this in the first place?! |
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| 09-05-2018, 05:31 PM | #9 | |
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Quote:
Though, the whole "BMW NA" aspect of the letter giving it a flair of "we really need your assistance for the greater good.." and possibly down playing what they are doing, makes it look like easy money. What the letter does not mention is that they probably charge BMW $5-10K per vehicle tested, and BMW gets test results of exhaust from used vehicles, without being responsible if anything happens to it. You get $500 and possible issues down the road, that could cost you a lot more than the measly $500... I do realize there might be a need for testing like this, but $500 doesn't cut it for me, not knowing exactly what they are doing to the vehicle. Example, if they don't have adequate cooling fans at the dyno, how hot will the vehicle run? You will never know! I don't know enough about this company, so I could be totally wrong, and what they do is totally safe. But so is driving without a seat belt, as long as you don't get into an accident! About the only incentive that would entice me, is if they had offered to pay for my extend warranty for 5yrs or something like that. |
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| 09-05-2018, 08:10 PM | #10 |
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Private First Class
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Drives: 2014 X5 50i M Sport/2016 340XI
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Didn’t turn out in a positive way for me. I read other reviews where people said favorable things so just wanted to share this with the BMW community in the event someone else is considering it. The rep for the company says they are reaching out to BMW of NA in regards to repairing my car.
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| 09-05-2018, 10:56 PM | #12 |
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Freude am Fahren.
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Isn’t it easier for BMW just to provide one of the lease returns to them?...
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MysticBlue368.50 deutsch1003946.50 |
| 09-30-2018, 04:48 PM | #13 |
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Private First Class
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Drives: 2014 X5 50i M Sport/2016 340XI
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The damage was worse than I originally thought. The also broke the removal handle off of my Stealth Hitch. The incompetence of these people is staggering. Still trying to work with them to fix all the damage they did but I’m not too optimistic it will be resolved without legal action.
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