Just tried to get a courtesy car-won't insure me.

hollydays

Yes,it is a the main bmw dealership (the £25 was detailed on the back of my policy) I asked them (my insurer) was it an admin charge for changing the insurance over,they said yes.
Think I am going to sneakily ring another dealer to find out if they say the same.
The company was dial direct.

When they rang me upto tell me my service was due,THEY asked me did I want a courtesy car,then reminded me to bring my insurance in. I don't normally bother with one,and I will be checking out the situation because I might replace the car in a few months.

TomsMom

When my OH has our car serviced and uses the garage's courtesy car, he always has it on our insurance as the garage's insurance has a VERY high excess.

codger

hollydays wrote: »

Yes,it is a the main bmw dealership (the £25 was detailed on the back of my policy) I asked them (my insurer) was it an admin charge for changing the insurance over,they said yes.
Think I am going to sneakily ring another dealer to find out if they say the same.
The company was dial direct.

I'm not familiar with BMW's aftercare provision but I'm wondering if this has anything to do with some kind of free maintenance programme that (I think!) was -- or perhaps still is -- offered in respect of BMW-made Minis??????

If that is the case, then it's probable that the programme came with various caveats and exclusions and pre-qualifications. My own experience of BMW, several years ago now, was in the days when no free maintenance was available, so I took in my 320i, had it serviced, and whilst it was in the service bay went off for the day in a loaner from the dealership, on the dealership's insurance. All I needed to produce was my driving licence.

Nowadays I'm fortunate enough not to have to use main dealers; the lady on reception at my little local garage simply drives me home when I bring my current car in for a service. Old fashioned, but nice -- and cheap!

Good luck with sorting out what might be something rather more complicated than the usual service / courtesy car scenario.

hollydays

Could it be that although i was having my cars final free service,the car was no longer under warranty? (i am not asking you,I know it is no longer under warranty)

Clive_Woody

hollydays wrote: »

Just took my car into the dealership for a service.They had offered me a loan car for part of the day.

Of course its not until you get there you know which car they will give you.

My car is a minicooper s-the loan car was a miniclubman.

We spent ages on the phone to the insurer (edit-my insurer) being transferred back and forth,seemingly to be told there would be a £25 charge. Ok i said.

Then more time-then-no we wont cover that car.The salesman asked for a reason-they didn't seem to know,still kept hanging on (later told they were trying to get through to the underwriter).

Feeling i was was wasting way too much of the dealerships time at this point,we cleared down,(we were left holding on,)so I had to make other arrangements and I have no car today.

When I got home I again rang just to establish why ,and they seemed to think it would be because the car offered was too new compared to my own (mine 4 years old i think) . or because it was a different model. They said the underwriter often wouldn't tell them.

I don't feel this was great service because had they explained this while i was there maybe the garage could have offered me something that fitted their criteria,it was far too time consuming.

Any way of avoiding this happening next time I get offered a courtesy car (different insurance company next time maybe)

Whenever I have had a loan car before the dealership has provided the model, registration, trim level so that I could get my insurance company to provider a cover note. Any half decent sort of dealership should be able to tell this information in advance so if there is a problem you can resolve it before you come to drop your car off.