[LRS]

Originally Posted by 330cdsport

I just got a letter yesterday about renewing my Assist package since my 6 month trial period was up. I rang up the number and told the girl that I was aware it had been extended to 2010 and she was having none of it. She said it is only cars that were bought after Sept 07 that have the 3 year package and that the car price from Sept 07 includes the 3 year fee. I cannot have it since I did not pay it with the purchase of my older car.

So bugger that, they can stuff it!!

330cdsport

I’m in the same boat as you regard this 3 year entitlement as I bought the car back in June 07 and was only entitled to the pathetic 6 month term. This tactic by BMW UK sounds all too familiar e.g. Sky + subscription packages.

Unfortunately, BMW UK has us ‘pre Sept 07’ buyers, over a barrel. I wish I could just go to another Assist provider, like I could with a pay TV subscription!

I think a letter to BMW HQ is now in order as this seems very unfair to us loyal BMW customers, besides it can hardly break the bank for BMW to give us the entitlement until 2010 as it’s a service cost that BMW has to cover anyway.

[CrimsonRedE93]

I can confirm 330cdsport is right, I bought mine end sept 07 and the 3 years was packaged in the 'delivery package cost'.

Cheeky Buggers charge you for everything

[NFS]

Originally Posted by 330cdsport

I just got a letter yesterday about renewing my Assist package since my 6 month trial period was up. I rang up the number and told the girl that I was aware it had been extended to 2010 and she was having none of it. She said it is only cars that were bought after Sept 07 that have the 3 year package and that the car price from Sept 07 includes the 3 year fee. I cannot have it since I did not pay it with the purchase of my older car.

So bugger that, they can stuff it!!

My car was bought in Sept 2006 and I have the 3 year package. So the young lady you spoke with, in Viv's immortal words, was 'full of shite'.

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by 330cdsport

I just got a letter yesterday about renewing my Assist package since my 6 month trial period was up. I rang up the number and told the girl that I was aware it had been extended to 2010 and she was having none of it. She said it is only cars that were bought after Sept 07 that have the 3 year package and that the car price from Sept 07 includes the 3 year fee. I cannot have it since I did not pay it with the purchase of my older car.

So bugger that, they can stuff it!!

Originally Posted by LRS

330cdsport

I’m in the same boat as you regard this 3 year entitlement as I bought the car back in June 07 and was only entitled to the pathetic 6 month term. This tactic by BMW UK sounds all too familiar e.g. Sky + subscription packages.

Unfortunately, BMW UK has us ‘pre Sept 07’ buyers, over a barrel. I wish I could just go to another Assist provider, like I could with a pay TV subscription!

I think a letter to BMW HQ is now in order as this seems very unfair to us loyal BMW customers, besides it can hardly break the bank for BMW to give us the entitlement until 2010 as it’s a service cost that BMW has to cover anyway.

Originally Posted by CrimsonRedE93

I can confirm 330cdsport is right, I bought mine end sept 07 and the 3 years was packaged in the 'delivery package cost'.

Cheeky Buggers charge you for everything

I suggest you all speak to someone at BMW Assist who actually knows what they are talking about.

When I say all BMW subscribers, irrespective of when they bought their car / subscribed to Assist, will now receive BMW Assist for free until 2010, I do actually mean all.

I bought my car in 2005 & started the subscription in September 07, without paying a penny for the service.

BMW Germany made the decision to provide the service free to all Assist customers from August 07, in order to promote the service until they start charging for it in 2010. I think they would be quite annoyed to hear that some Assist personnel in the UK are providing bogus information to customers.

My advice to those affected would be to speak to someone a little more senior- I'm sure the CEO, Jim O'Donnell, would be able to sort this matter out pretty quickly!

All the best.

Viv

[BC4J]

Originally Posted by vivekk

My advice to those affected would be to speak to someone a little more senior- I'm sure the CEO, Jim O'Donnell, would be able to sort this matter out pretty quickly!

All the best.

Viv

Thanks Viv. Mine's up for renewel come January. If they try to charge Mr O'Donnell will hear about it.

[CrimsonRedE93]

Viv, I think I will have a chat with my dealer when I am passing next and see what he says

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by CrimsonRedE93

Viv, I think I will have a chat with my dealer when I am passing next and see what he says

I'm sorry to say your dealer will have less of a clue about BMW Germany's intention to provide Assist free until 2010, than the staff you all seem to have spoken to at BMW Assist UK.

Viv

[330cdsport]

Originally Posted by vivekk

I'm sorry to say your dealer will have less of a clue about BMW Germany's intention to provide Assist free until 2010, than the staff you all seem to have spoken to at BMW Assist UK.

Viv

I have just come off the phone for a 2nd time with BMW Assist and they are totally adamant that only cars with the Connected Drive system from Sept '07 are eligible for the 3 year free package. They said that they are taking ongoing payments of £120 from old customers and that that is how it should be.

FFS this is turning into an annoying steaming pile of shite. One thing is certain, any chance there was of me paying the £120 is long gone, with this sort of discrimination.

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by 330cdsport

I have just come off the phone for a 2nd time with BMW Assist and they are totally adamant that only cars with the Connected Drive system from Sept '07 are eligible for the 3 year free package. They said that they are taking ongoing payments of £120 from old customers and that that is how it should be.

FFS this is turning into an annoying steaming pile of shite. One thing is certain, any chance there was of me paying the £120 is long gone, with this sort of discrimination.

Have a word with LRS- he's managed to make himself a little happier.

Personally, I think BMW UK are taking the complete & utter p*ss, by charging those customers who have subscribed before Septemeber 07.
This was never the intention of BMW Germany & I think a few words need to passed on to BMW UK's MD- Jim O'Donnell & BMW Germany's CEO- norbert.reithofer@bmw.de !

The whole point of providing Assist FOC to ALL EUROPEAN customers with the Assist/ConnectedDrive option, was to let them try it out until 2010, at which point BMW would be in a position to charge for an 'improved' system, based on the views of users over the preceding 3 years.

At this rate, nobody will want it.

Viv

[NFS]

Originally Posted by 330cdsport

I have just come off the phone for a 2nd time with BMW Assist and they are totally adamant that only cars with the Connected Drive system from Sept '07 are eligible for the 3 year free package. They said that they are taking ongoing payments of £120 from old customers and that that is how it should be.

FFS this is turning into an annoying steaming pile of shite. One thing is certain, any chance there was of me paying the £120 is long gone, with this sort of discrimination.

Not very consistent is it.

As said before, my car was purchased new in Sept 06. I never activated BMW assist, until I heard about the 3 year trial.

When I called BMW assist they told me that the trial applied to new accounts only - i.e. newly purchased vehicles or existing ones which had not yet subscribed to the service.

I qualified, because I had never subscribed. However it's clearly inequitable to expect existing customers to continue to pay for something that all new customers get free. Vivs information suggests that BMW agree that this would be wrong.

[Serjames]

Again this brings me back to another point HOW the HELL are we supposed to be feeding back our findings, user comments...

They have a sorted group of enthusiasts, here who would be very willing to help them improve the interface.

I'd place a Huge bet that NOBODY fully understands the potential of the system as well as Viv or the e90post gang.

Between us we probably represent a fair whack of the user group, hence the decision to let it go free from now on to encourage use.

Dumb thing is even the Dealers can't use iDriver properly, so how are the punters expected to learn unless they use an enthusiast site like this one....

er... rant over

SJ

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by Serjames

Again this brings me back to another point HOW the HELL are we supposed to be feeding back our findings, user comments...

They have a sorted group of enthusiasts, here who would be very willing to help them improve the interface.

I'd place a Huge bet that NOBODY fully understands the potential of the system as well as Viv or the e90post gang.

Between us we probably represent a fair whack of the user group, hence the decision to let it go free from now on to encourage use.

Dumb thing is even the Dealers can't use iDriver properly, so how are the punters expected to learn unless they use an enthusiast site like this one....

er... rant over

SJ

I don't think you should stop ranting, James- carry on!

I would quite like to speak to someone at BMW UK about some means by which we could all help them to help us.

It really is a pain in the ar*e for me, listening to the problems, IT-related in particular, which could so easily be sorted out, if there were some means by which we could 'properly' communicate with BMW UK.

By that, I do not mean ringing up Customer Services, to hear the same old 'stuff', again & again & again....


I think this forum is a great way of identifying & sorting out our own problem- it's just such a shame our 'knowledge' isn't currently being utilised by those who could actually make a practical difference to our 'BMW lives'.

James, we need to sort a meeting out with Tony & Jim O'Donnell, early February in London, if that's ok?!

Viv

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by vivekk

I don't think you should stop ranting, James- carry on!

I would quite like to speak to someone at BMW UK about some means by which we could all help them to help us.

It really is a pain in the ar*e for me, listening to the problems, IT-related in particular, which could so easily be sorted out, if there were some means by which we could 'properly' communicate with BMW UK.

By that, I do not mean ringing up Customer Services, to hear the same old 'stuff', again & again & again....


I think this forum is a great way of identifying & sorting out our own problem- it's just such a shame our 'knowledge' isn't currently being utilised by those who could actually make a practical difference to our 'BMW lives'.

James, we need to sort a meeting out with Tony & Jim O'Donnell, early February in London, if that's ok?!

Viv

Did I hear my name being called? Oh, ok, wondering why my ears were getting hot. Hi Viv, hope you're ok - been stupidly busy at work with no time to even take a dump. Many apologies!! I take it the original ISO got well and truly lost? I'll make another one tomorrow morning as I'll be at home (for the first time in two weeks).

I've been thinking about this full postcode search thing. Well surely that's just a database issue, or a lookup table. Given that Navteq provide this database for TomToms etc, can we not just port over the data within and hack the existing partial postcode database on the BMW discs?

I too am hacked (!) off by the deficiencies in the IDrive system, when with a little extra thought could be made to be fantastic.

ps.. shall I send a Xmas card to Jim O'Donnell from all of us at E90Post.com ?!

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

Did I hear my name being called? Oh, ok, wondering why my ears were getting hot. Hi Viv, hope you're ok - been stupidly busy at work with no time to even take a dump. Many apologies!! I take it the original ISO got well and truly lost? I'll make another one tomorrow morning as I'll be at home (for the first time in two weeks).

I've been thinking about this full postcode search thing. Well surely that's just a database issue, or a lookup table. Given that Navteq provide this database for TomToms etc, can we not just port over the data within and hack the existing partial postcode database on the BMW discs?

I too am hacked (!) off by the deficiencies in the IDrive system, when with a little extra thought could be made to be fantastic.

ps.. shall I send a Xmas card to Jim O'Donnell from all of us at E90Post.com ?!

Hi Tony- no problem.

As for the Christmas card- oh yes- why not- with a shot from the UK4 meet on the front, just so he doesn't forget who we are!

Viv

[Serjames]

hey good idea... Lets take him for lunch at Big Tony's "

* "Big Sony's" pronounced with a new York twang *

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by Serjames

hey good idea... Lets take him for lunch at Big Tony's "

* "Big Sony's" pronounced with a new York twang *

..and here's Jim's Christmas card from all of us!

Viv

[Evil Diesel]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

Did I hear my name being called? Oh, ok, wondering why my ears were getting hot. Hi Viv, hope you're ok - been stupidly busy at work with no time to even take a dump. Many apologies!! I take it the original ISO got well and truly lost? I'll make another one tomorrow morning as I'll be at home (for the first time in two weeks).

I've been thinking about this full postcode search thing. Well surely that's just a database issue, or a lookup table. Given that Navteq provide this database for TomToms etc, can we not just port over the data within and hack the existing partial postcode database on the BMW discs?

I too am hacked (!) off by the deficiencies in the IDrive system, when with a little extra thought could be made to be fantastic.

ps.. shall I send a Xmas card to Jim O'Donnell from all of us at E90Post.com ?!

Here is a suitable e-card for sending ......

[Serjames]

How about THIS one...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1536449836

[330cdsport]

Originally Posted by Serjames

How about THIS one...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1536449836

Lookin' good lads!!!!

LOL - that is brilliant

[ROCKETRON]

I Bought my car new in Jun06 and used the Assist for the free 6 months and then didn't renew. I have pro nav and bluetooth. Is the general concensus then that i can now have it reactivated free until 2010.

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by ROCKETRON

I Bought my car new in Jun06 and used the Assist for the free 6 months and then didn't renew. I have pro nav and bluetooth. Is the general concensus then that i can now have it reactivated free until 2010.

Ethically, you SHOULD get it for free until 2010, but practically, it looks like BMW UK are saying 'NO'.

Viv

[BC4J]

Originally Posted by vivekk

Ethically, you SHOULD get it for free until 2010, but practically, it looks like BMW UK are saying 'NO'.

Viv

Viv:

Has BMW AG stated that the intention is that Assist should be free to 2010 both new and existing users? If so is this documented anywhere? I would want to use it when I protest (vehemently!) to them about having to pay come January.