I simply must send a thank-you card to Moritz BMW

S

Scottwax

New member
Along with before and after pics.



I get so much business from them and their make-ready guys. Either I am putting on the car's first coat of wax because some people already know how horrible these guys are at prepping cars or they don't and I am taking rotary buffer swirls out of new cars they prepped. Either way, win for me!



I did an exterior detail on a brand new, black on black BMW 545 yesteday morning that was just covered in buffer swirls and you guessed, a 'Moritz' name plate affixed to the rear of the trunk. Instead of a 1.5 to 2 hour wash, polish and wax, it ended up taking me slightly more than 3 hours because I also had to go over the whole car with DACP and SFP...more money for me though and my customer wanted a receipt so he can try and get the dealer to reimburse him for swirl removal. Still, it put me an hour behind the whole rest of the day.



BTW, I'll have pics when I finish the roll of film in my camera, and as a side note, the new 5 series is a lot nicer IMO than the 7 series.
 
im sure its excellent work that you have done as always. its just a real shame how so many people still have in their minds that "main dealers are best for everything" type attitude.
 
K_Csaxo said:
im sure its excellent work that you have done as always. its just a real shame how so many people still have in their minds that "main dealers are best for everything" type attitude.
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Actually, he had no idea that Moritz would be buffing his car as part of dealer prep. One of my regulars took delivery of a 745 a while back from Moritz and already knew about them and told his saleslady that he didn't want them to even wash the car. She said that was probably a good idea since one of the makeready guys skipped a buffer across the hood of a 745 the week before and the customer refused the car. My customer then asked her "why the hell do you let them use a buffer just to wax a car?". She replied something like "us sales people have no control over that."



It is a shame the average person probably thinks buffer induced swirls are normal.
 
Actually, I have a question on dealer prep. I've been really thinking since I became an Autopia addict that I'll want to plan carefully for my next *new* car purchase (whenever that may be...), based on what I've been observing here. I'd like to be able to start everything off on the right foot for the next car.



Anyway, here in Canada (same as US?) when you purchase a new car you are required to pay a Freight & PDL charge. I'm not exactly sure what "PDL" stands for but it has to do with dealer prep. What that usually includes is a thorough inspection of the car when it arrives, installing things like mud guards, block heater, etc. (yes, this is Canada!), and obviously the washing aspects...



People here on Autopia are strongly discouraging having the dealer even WASH a newly delivered car based on their strong tendency to induce swirl city. So my question is, if they haven't even washed the car, how can you adequately assess the condition of your new car's paint when they first present the car to you. It may not have dealer-added swirls at least, but what if in its un-clean state you miss something else that's not clear, such as other misc. scratches, hazing or other paint defects?



And then if you take delivery of your new, un-washed car and drive away and do your first thorough detail at home and THEN discover something wrong with your paint, how are you going to have any recourse with the dealer? I could very much see the typical dealer saying "Well, you should have let US do the proper prep for your car. How do we know YOU didn't cause these problems yourself after you left?".



I'd appreciate some insight on this problem I've been pondering. Thanks!
 
InZane .. very good points ... and I have thought of these also.



I have purchased a new car roughly every 2 years or so for the last 20 years and about 10 years ago my interests went from racing dirt cars to keeping slightly modded street cars. What I started doing 10 years ago, and I do it "just" before the deal is finalized., is I *inform* the dealer that when the car is delivered I want to inspect it *as is* as soon as possible after the car leaves the truck. And in addition I request that *I* do the wash and exterior clean in *thier* shop. At that time acceptance is made or the needed paint/body deffects repaired.



This request has been made with GM, Toyota, Ford & VW dealers and only one balked ( insurance liability ) and when I said a) I will sign a waiver and b) I do it or no deal they all agreed.



Doing it in thier shop adresses the "find it later things" and I let them watch me do it so they can't say "she did it"



I just throw all my mitts/soap/MF drying towels in my pail and away I go.



There is very few sales people or dealers that will risk a sales loss to refuse a request like this.



Also doing this you don't end up with a dealer sticker on the trunk.



It ( I ) might be anal but after one incident of finding a black 88 iroc full of wash/buffer swirls after the glaze used to hide them washed out and the months of arguing and *My* hand buffing to resolve it I get anal.
 
I'd have to agree with Inzane...
And then if you take delivery of your new, un-washed car and drive away and do your first thorough detail at home and THEN discover something wrong with your paint, how are you going to have any recourse with the dealer? I could very much see the typical dealer saying "Well, you should have let US do the proper prep for your car. How do we know YOU didn't cause these problems yourself after you left?"
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As much as I would like to think that the dealer would "do the right thing" if there was a paint defect, unless you can conclusively prove that it was the manufacturers or dealers fault, you'll probably end up liable.



As long as there was no significant paint damage, I would use my Autopian skills to fix whatever the dealer caused than end up in a dragged out negotiation over "who will pay."



A tough call...
 
Whether you want it or not, BMW's are detailed at distribution centers even before they hit the dealers. It may be the case that those in the TX area aren't so good. Even if you tell your dealer not to touch the paint, they're simply leaving on the plastic for you that the port/processing center detailers put on. There is still the possibility of swirls when picking up a car undetailed by the dealer.



Here's the one that did mine:



372vpc37-med.jpg




372vpc40-med.jpg




http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48201
 
Ben-no, it is Moritz who is putting the buffer swirls in the paint. My customers who do not let them wax the car do not have rotary buffer holograms in their paint. Those who let Moritz wax their cars do. In addition, every car I've done that has been through their body shop also have had rotary induced swirls. They do very good paint and body (very minimal orange peel) and then screw it up using improper buffing techniques.
 
No matter what you tell the dealership when you buy a new car your gonna have scratches/swirl marks because they have to wash them all very quickly every time it rains. Even the ones in the showroom get wiped down. Your best bet would be to order one directly from the factory and then tell them not to touch it once it comes off the truck or no deal.
 
The buffer marks sound like what happend after I got the front end of my car repainted. I asked them not to wash it when they were done, because I figured they would screw up the rest of the car. Well when I first got it back, there were 3 spots where it looked like someone got happy with the buffer. I took it back and showed it to them, and they said, "Oh that's no problem, we'll get that right out." I go to pick it back up, and the whole hood looks like those three spots did. So I just said screw it im going to just fix it myself, like I should have done the first time.
 
My swirl problems are well-documented enough already but I have discovered that Renault UK have something like 8 "prep centres" located throughout the country.



Vehicles are delivered there straight from the boat from the factory where they are prepped. This means that the dealers no longer do anything to the cars other than a quick wash to make them ready for collection.



My damage occurred when someone at a prep centre polished the car wrongly and left marks all over it - it's taken me 15 months of hard work, getting it wrong, trying again, then finding autopia, to achieve 1/2 the finish which should have been there at day 1.



I actually plan to take all of my detailing supplies plus PC with me when I pick my car back up from the dealer next week and actually show them what I do - might be a non-starter but the sales manager has agreed in principal to let me have workshop space for a day (good opportunity to thoroughly detail my car in a warm building I say!) to show what I can do. He even noticed that the swirls were recued today and asked me what I'd "had done"
 
Scott is correct about Moritz. The only thing worse is their repair work. When they repainted a section of my car they actually tried to convince me that the imbedded particles of dirt present in the newly repainted panels cannot be avoided. I made them repaint the panels.
 
jwres0zvle said:
Scott is correct about Moritz. The only thing worse is their repair work. When they repainted a section of my car they actually tried to convince me that the imbedded particles of dirt present in the newly repainted panels cannot be avoided. I made them repaint the panels.
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Confirmation! :bounce



Don Davis Lincoln is even worse though....



Sewell is the best in the Metromess when it comes to dealer prep, no swirls that I can see, etc.
 
I think Ketch said way back that he help set up the BMW processing centers. I read about the LA BMWCCA tour on Vortex, and found the information to be interesting read. There was article in Roundel a couple a years ago about the BMW centers.

If I were to purchase a BMW I would go to the processing center and watch my car go through the center.



Some dealers are than other when it comes to dealer prep, but I thinks has to do with what is being done for dealer prep.





Eric
 
edschwab1 said:
I think Ketch said way back that he help set up the BMW processing centers. I read about the LA BMWCCA tour on Vortex, and found the information to be interesting read. There was article in Roundel a couple a years ago about the BMW centers.

If I were to purchase a BMW I would go to the processing center and watch my car go through the center.



Some dealers are than other when it comes to dealer prep, but I thinks has to do with what is being done for dealer prep.





Eric
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Dealer prep is like everything else, you can give them the supplies and all the training and if the employees don't apply it , don't care , have no pride, not treated well or thier hearts not in it the end results will show it no matter who sets them up..
 
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