SPC under new ownership

pauly · Oct 11, 2006

motomartin said:
Really ?? BMW UK told you this ?

Most cars go for 10k miles before a first service - why would anywhere between 500 and 1000 miles be a problem ?

just ride it- or go to CW's before they get swamped.

Yes. I phoned them yesterday and the BMW guy said he would check it out. When he phoned back he said that as the R1200S was a new model they didn't consider it safe to go over the 600 mile mark and advised me not to ride the bike any further. I'm already slightly over and obviously don't want to invalidate the warranty, or do any damage although that seems unlikely. It's just as well I have other transport or I would be stuffed.

I've just tried phoning SPC and the number is now unavailable

PJ1200 · Oct 11, 2006

Hope things work out for them soon. They've always been very friendly and helpful to me. I dont think BWM would want to see one of there best dealers disappear.
Just glad i got my service in earlier than i normally leave it.

and i was going to call in there on my way past today to order some bits...bugger!

judge · Oct 11, 2006

tyronem said:
I find it a bit of a coinsidence, I called BMW Coppers in reading yesterday to see if they could book my bike in; I was told that as of the end of September they no longer service Bikes

It's been known for some time Cooper Reading are closing the bike department and will be moving the operation to Cooper Tunbridge Wells instead, not much use for people in Berks, Hants but you still have North Oxford and Vines Guildford and I be very surprised if SPC didn't re-open soon.

It was the BMW dealership with the biggest turnover in the UK, so if they do have the administrators in that mean the management which killed it has gone, the creditors will be 'checked' leaving the new owners and management a clear playing field to continue trading.

As Motomartin said to have got into trouble with the customer base and turnover they had means they must have heamorraged money, and suggests business decisions were not made n the best interest of the business.

SPC was a 3 way partnership and over the years two of those partners have gone which might give an indication of why it struggled, if the departing partners were bought out that must have hurt financially.

As a punter I've always enjoyed being a customer and I hope I can continue to do so, not least as there are a decent bunch of chaps and chapesses there whose livliehoods depend on its ongoing success.

Steptoe · Oct 11, 2006

I hope they manage to keep it going -

If they do, it has the potential to be THE dealer .

Invicta Moto · Oct 11, 2006

judge said:
It's been known for some time Cooper Reading are closing the bike department and will be moving the operation to Cooper Tunbridge Wells

Andy,

Any more news on Tun W? I was told that the dealership was going to be at High Brooms near the station. Makes it a good bet if you want to drop a bike off and get into London to work....

speedyellow · Oct 11, 2006

My reposnse from BMW GB

Thank you for your e-mail dated October 10, 2006. We are sorry to learn that the BMW HP2 motorbike you purchased from SPC Motorbikes appears to be missing some optional extras you ordered and we would like to apologise for any concern that this may have caused you.

We can advise that due to unforeseen circumstances SPC have ceased trading with immediate effect. New owners for the business are currently in the process of being appointed by BMW Motorrad and any customer enquiries are being addressed by BMW UK. We would like to confirm that your enquiry has been escalated to a BMW Customer Service Manager, who will contact you shortly to address this matter.

We are sorry that you have had cause to contact us under such circumstances and we can assure you of our continued attention to ensure that this matter is resolved.

judge · Oct 11, 2006

Invicta Moto said:
Andy,

Any more news on Tun W? I was told that the dealership was going to be at High Brooms near the station. Makes it a good bet if you want to drop a bike off and get into London to work....

That's my understanding, not up in the original town location where Mini have taken up residence, I understood there would be a lapse between Reading shut-down and Kent opening, no dates known though.

Deleted Member I · Oct 11, 2006

If SPC doesn't reopen like the other SE dealer earlier in the year ... does that mean you will lose all your warranty support?

So if you are a SPC customer like me than you are f**ked! Any warranty work and no one will give a damn?

Shep · Oct 11, 2006

Novice said:
If SPC doesn't reopen like the other SE dealer earlier in the year ... does that mean you will lose all your warranty support?

So if you are a SPC customer like me than you are f**ked! Any warranty work and no one will give a damn?

Your warrantee should be honored by BMW or any of its agents

y2blade · Oct 11, 2006

Novice said:
If SPC doesn't reopen like the other SE dealer earlier in the year ... does that mean you will lose all your warranty support?

So if you are a SPC customer like me than you are f**ked! Any warranty work and no one will give a damn?

you warranty is with BMW unless its a old shitter,then your limited warranty with ANY dealer would be out the window IF that dealer shut

iirc

HTH

judge · Oct 11, 2006

Novice said:
If SPC doesn't reopen like the other SE dealer earlier in the year ... does that mean you will lose all your warranty support?

So if you are a SPC customer like me than you are f**ked! Any warranty work and no one will give a damn?

Tom the 2 year BMW warranty as others have said is with the entire UK BMW network, if you bought a (as Y2blade puts it so eloquently) an old shitter with a warranty insurance policy, the underwriters should still honour it irrespective of the supplying dealer going AWOL, so long as they have received payment for it from the dealer before the Administrators arrived.

shugie · Oct 11, 2006

y2blade said:
you warranty is with BMW unless its a old shitter,then your limited warranty with ANY dealer would be out the window IF that dealer shut

iirc

HTH

So glad I didn't take up Ron/Bob's most generous offer of 5K for my low miles W reg 1150 as part-ex for a 2004 1200 this last August, the warranty with that was an SPC own I think.

EasySushi · Oct 11, 2006

Anybody got any more news ?

jenks · Oct 11, 2006

I heard through contacts in the banking world that he's gone down for over
£1 1/2 m. How come the largest in terms of new bike sales dealer has had the plug pulled. It was mentioned that BMW were going too pull there dealership because of a very poor payment record, and have been looking for a new dealer in the area for over a year.

I guess that the moral story is always buy your Bank manager lunch. Personally I alway found SPC useless, they couldn't even sell me a bike when I really wanted one then and there.

There have been a few casualties recently HD in Dorking, another within the Majic group, a major equipment distrutor etc etc hard times I guess.

Andrew

shugie · Oct 11, 2006

jenks said:
I guess that the moral story is always buy your Bank manager lunch.

For that sort of money you can buy your bank manager meals every day for a fortnight, but once the regional office think the debt exceeds their security life gets very tricky. I've been there, thank you Barclays, although the hole my firm left after it was a little smaller. Not the most fun you can have with your clothes on, although meeting the bailiffs was a very interesting experience. I did explain retention of title clauses to them, but they didn't listen, so two lots of transport costs, plus the storage. Oh how I laffed!

Deleted account 210609001 · Oct 11, 2006

Novice said:
If SPC doesn't reopen like the other SE dealer earlier in the year ... does that mean you will lose all your warranty support?

So if you are a SPC customer like me than you are f**ked! Any warranty work and no one will give a damn?

Not only should any BM dealer do the warranty work, I think other dealers are quite keen to do it - BMW are apparently "good payers." I'm in the long queue to have my alternator cover replaced. Ended up going to Cannons in Braintree, just awaiting a date.

I'm in a similar siruation with first L&C T/Wells and then Prestige closing. I hope the new dealer in T/Wells opens soon, although once my warranty runs out, I think I'll be sticking to an independent specialist.

Deleted Member I · Oct 11, 2006

From my experience this is what BMW warranty means ...

1. Cannont contact BMW directly .. they are not interested.
2. Can only contact the dealer that sold you the product ...
3. Other dealers seems uninterested if you did not buy from them .. quite logically not their problem.

Just want to know actual experiences (e.g. former customers of prestige) and what you have to do if things go wrong. I am worried that you end up the back of the queue being fob off by BMW and any other dealer.

Eastriding2002 · Oct 11, 2006

I was talking to a salesman today who said the owner of SPC has now closed down his 3rd bike business. He told me a story or two which made the guy out to be a bit of a cowboy. I feel sorry for any poor bugger who's lost money to fund his lifestyle, apparently he always gets to keep his Porsche!!

ELIMINATOR · Oct 11, 2006

I always thought he a miserable git anyway. Tried to haggle with him when I bought my bike.

"I told you what the price was", was his stroppy reply. No saving graces at all, always came across as a grump to me.

BBB61 · Oct 11, 2006

Novice said:
Just want to know actual experiences (e.g. former customers of prestige) and what you have to do if things go wrong. I am worried that you end up the back of the queue being fob off by BMW and any other dealer.

I bought my 1200 from Prestige and I was very sorry to see their demise. I took the bike into SBW Motorrad at Hertford for its 6k service. I had a warranty issue which I raised with them and it was sorted out promptly with no quibbling at all. I had fears that because the bike was bought elsewhere that I would get problems, but these were never realised.

SPC under new ownership

pauly

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What a waste.

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