BMW Assist sending Flat Bed trucks for recovery work

[Slowcoach]

I have used BMW Assist three times in 7 years.

One flat "duff" battery
One puncture I couldn't repair
Most recent was an oil leak on a one week old 1250 GS

First call, BMW Assist "forgot" to send anyone. I only called them a second time to ask for an ETA only to be told they had not sent anyone and were very sorry.

BMW Assist have sent dedicated motorcycle vans in the past. For this call out they sent a "flat bed" recovery truck.

This particular truck had obviously been to a car recovery prior to coming to me and the flat bed was covered in dirty engine oil and coolant.

I refused to allow my bike to be winched onto this filthy, slippy surface.

Only to compound the felony the flat bed truck driver then drove off with my bike keys! Another "mistake".

I complained to BMW Assist who agreed to send a dedicated bike van and organise the return of my keys. But only able to make it the following day.

I have sent a snotty note to BMW Customer Services encouraging them to improve the service for motorcycles and to ONLY use dedicated bike vans to do bike recoveries.

Anyone else had these issues? I think if enough of us complain to BMW might just get the message about their poor Assist service!

 

[JJH]

Why did you give him the keys if you weren’t going to let him take it? JJH

 

[JJH]

They might have sent a oily flat bed knowing that your oil leak was going to mess a nice shiny one. JJH

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

I once used them on the Donegal/Fermanagh border & they sent a flat bed on that occasion. As soon as we started moving my bike fell off.
There was surprisingly little damage to the bike or panniers.

 

[Mr Bean]

Anyone else had these issues? I think if enough of us complain to BMW might just get the message about their poor Assist service!

Nope, used once and "Bike SOS" came out and all good.

 

[stever1]

BMW assist is shocking. They took my 3 months old GS away on a flatbed with the bike being lashed down by 2 ratchet straps TIED TO THE ENGINE BARS.
Last year they took my 2 month old GS away by lifting it by hiab using the handle bars and pannier rails then didn’t have any idea what was happening to the bike. I had to sort it out myself in the end. I complained to BMW via my dealer when I got home. I got 1 phone call and no follow up.
That’s why I now don’t ride a beemer, who do Great designs, shoddy build quality and don’t give a flying f*** about back up or customers.

 

[Rowle]

I had a bike fall off an AA trailer a few years ago - caused loads of damage and the insurance was a nightmare.
Specific bike trailer for me from now on or it wont be moved.

 

[Wapping]

BMW Assistance are obliged to use car recovery service agents, as (surprisingly enough) there are very many more of them than specialist motorbike movers. Look at the pictures on UKGSer of the happy folk, having their bike carried away. The vast majority will be on car type flatbed trucks, whether in the UK, Ireland or on the mainland of Europe.

Of corpse you can arrange the move yourself or wait for a bike mover to become available.

 

[Neil W]

I have used BMW Assist three times in 7 years.

One flat "duff" battery
One puncture I couldn't repair
Most recent was an oil leak on a one week old 1250 GS

First call, BMW Assist "forgot" to send anyone. I only called them a second time to ask for an ETA only to be told they had not sent anyone and were very sorry.

BMW Assist have sent dedicated motorcycle vans in the past. For this call out they sent a "flat bed" recovery truck.

This particular truck had obviously been to a car recovery prior to coming to me and the flat bed was covered in dirty engine oil and coolant.

I refused to allow my bike to be winched onto this filthy, slippy surface.

Only to compound the felony the flat bed truck driver then drove off with my bike keys! Another "mistake".

I complained to BMW Assist who agreed to send a dedicated bike van and organise the return of my keys. But only able to make it the following day.

I have sent a snotty note to BMW Customer Services encouraging them to improve the service for motorcycles and to ONLY use dedicated bike vans to do bike recoveries.

Anyone else had these issues? I think if enough of us complain to BMW might just get the message about their poor Assist service!

At least they turned out when the ESA went t*ts up on my then 4 month old 2014 GSA making it unsafe to ride (locked solid ), contacted them and was told if it was rideable (which they deemed it was over the telephone) I would have to get it to the dealer under my own steam (over 80 miles ).
Ended up using a bike transportation company

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I have used BMW Assist three times in 7 years.

One flat "duff" battery
One puncture I couldn't repair
Most recent was an oil leak on a one week old 1250 GS

First call, BMW Assist "forgot" to send anyone. I only called them a second time to ask for an ETA only to be told they had not sent anyone and were very sorry.

BMW Assist have sent dedicated motorcycle vans in the past. For this call out they sent a "flat bed" recovery truck.

This particular truck had obviously been to a car recovery prior to coming to me and the flat bed was covered in dirty engine oil and coolant.

I refused to allow my bike to be winched onto this filthy, slippy surface.

Only to compound the felony the flat bed truck driver then drove off with my bike keys! Another "mistake".

I complained to BMW Assist who agreed to send a dedicated bike van and organise the return of my keys. But only able to make it the following day.

I have sent a snotty note to BMW Customer Services encouraging them to improve the service for motorcycles and to ONLY use dedicated bike vans to do bike recoveries.

Anyone else had these issues? I think if enough of us complain to BMW might just get the message about their poor Assist service!

You poor delicate flower
I feel your angst
CN moved my GS bike 300 miles by flat bed truck from Stranraer to home
Guess what?
It never fell off
I strapped it down myself
There were plenty of old T shirts to protect it from the straps too
Glad I wasn’t stranded in Stranraer too
If in doubt take charge
Pah....today’s namby pamby bikers

 

[RedRick Esq.]

Ducati at least have the decency to use the AA specialist bike recovery vans

 

[malcopopolo]

Ducati at least have the decency to use the AA specialist bike recovery vans

With the amount needed probably negotiated a good rate

 

[ChazzyB]

BMW Assistance are obliged to use car recovery service agents, as (surprisingly enough) there are very many more of them than specialist motorbike movers. Look at the pictures on UKGSer of the happy folk, having their bike carried away. The vast majority will be on car type flatbed trucks, whether in the UK, Ireland or on the mainland of Europe.

Of corpse you can arrange the move yourself or wait for a bike mover to become available.

BMW used SOS when my GS started clanking badly last year. The fact the driver 'thought' I was somewhere 70 miles away from where I really and then took 1.5 hours longer getting to me than promsied is neither here nor there. Yeah, right. It's *very* boring standing at the side of the road on your own for 2.5 hours. He then dropped me 5 miles away at a pub in Caversham, where I didn't even have time to finish my pint before a Prius taxi with knackered suspension arrived and drove me 50 miles home. You could hear the shagged suspension bushes knocking around every roundabout.

 

[RedRick Esq.]

With the amount needed probably negotiated a good rate

In my case it always seems to be at the 4k miles point then from Thereon in they are faultless or have been for me

Then from that point Ducati are very good at trying to appease you.

 

[ymfb]

Over something like fifteen years of BMW bike ownership, mine have been collected three times

K1300S by North Oxford, own van and CW again their own van.

R1250 collected by BMW Assist’s contractor who is a specialist bike transport co. Returned by Dick Lovett own van.

Excellent service

 

[JJH]

3 times on flatbed. No problems. Flat battery puncture crash. JJH

 

[Poley]

Of corpse you can arrange the move yourself or wait for a bike mover to become available.

Dead serious?

 

[landmarkjohn]

If you're lucky you'll get a matching livery flatbed (Not mine BTW)

 

[Tinytim]

You poor delicate flower
I feel your angst
CN moved my GS bike 300 miles by flat bed truck from Stranraer to home
Guess what?
It never fell off
I strapped it down myself
There were plenty of old T shirts to protect it from the straps too
Glad I wasn’t stranded in Stranraer too
If in doubt take charge
Pah....today’s namby pamby bikers

Didn't you have an err, incident with a BMW, trailer, plank and a floor in the dim and distant past?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Didn't you have an err, incident with a BMW, trailer, plank and a floor in the dim and distant past?

No, not me
But the seller who was trying to sell me his GS did
Pity he used a rotten plank to unload a 250kg bike
His problem
Lucky for me as I bought a much better Adv, 2 weeks later