Khon Kaen woman aims sledgehammer at her BMW - then thinks better of it

[pentap]

I've a good idea how she must have felt.

I had a BMW and it was sxxt!

Always breaking down!

I wouldn't give BMW or Mercs a second glance!

Both brands are over priced, expensive to maintain, poorly constructed and have a low resale value.

Waste of money.

Honda. Toyota. Ford, Mazda etc are much cheaper and far better vehicles all round.

This report made me smile from ear to ear.

Good for her.

[abab]

Next time she buys a Benz. Everybody knows how unreliable are BMWs.

 

 

[abab]

11 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

She paid well over twice the UK price, do Thais not realise how much they are being ripped off through import tax? There is one born every minute, and buying luxury cars is one sure way of impoverishing yourself. Thailand is Toyota land, great value for money, very reliable, and state-of-the-art service centers are in every town.

 

Thai are not all cheap charlies like most farangs...

 

 

[metisdead]

An offensive post has been removed. 

[KhunBENQ]

4 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

If she has used a little garage then that could well be the reason she has had problems.

She parks just in front of the official BMW representative in Khon Kaen.

About here:

https://goo.gl/maps/s7rB3BAA8UM2

(fancy BMW showroom on the right)

 

So I bet she used this garage.

 

Some posts are simply stunning, like low resale value for Mercedes Benz.

For Germany at least this is .....

 

[Ulic]

Best off luck to her. If she has the paperwork from the BMW dealership including

the problems and the length of time the car is off the road being serviced/repaired

it is hard for BMW Thailand to argue against. If the car is a lemon, it is a lemon.

 

[Si Thea01]

21 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

Flower pots on the roof, that will make BMW think twice about annoying her again.... Obviously not confident about winning the court case, otherwise she would have waded into it with the sledge hammer :)

I'd say she thought twice, as any damage inflicted by her would reduce the amount of compensation sought or could, at the worst, void any claim lodged.  She is seeking 7 million therefore, the car must be intact and in good order, damage it, regardless of the mechanical problems, would see, at the least, substantially reduced compensation.  Would be a bit dumb wouldn't you say, were the court to find in her favour? 

[Aussieroaming]

12 hours ago, pentap said:

I've a good idea how she must have felt.

I had a BMW and it was sxxt!

Always breaking down!

I wouldn't give BMW or Mercs a second glance!

Both brands are over priced, expensive to maintain, poorly constructed and have a low resale value.

Waste of money.

Honda. Toyota. Ford, Mazda etc are much cheaper and far better vehicles all round.

This report made me smile from ear to ear.

Good for her.

Horses for courses i guess but i cant agree with you that mercs and BMW are "poorly constructed", expensive yes, over prices in LOS, yes. What i do like about the mercedes is the attention to crash protection, suspension and braking ability.. I've driven BMW's and Audi's and wouldn't give 2 bob for them personally, but i think ford sucks too (only due to owning a couple of lemons years ago)

[Si Thea01]

12 hours ago, pentap said:

I've a good idea how she must have felt.

I had a BMW and it was sxxt!

Always breaking down!

I wouldn't give BMW or Mercs a second glance!

Both brands are over priced, expensive to maintain, poorly constructed and have a low resale value.

Waste of money.

Honda. Toyota. Ford, Mazda etc are much cheaper and far better vehicles all round.

This report made me smile from ear to ear.

Good for her.

 

I agree with you on a number of points.  Had a BMW 3 series back in Australia. Cost A$90,000. Had a horrible vibration at 100 KPH, despite many trips to the dealer it was never completely eradicated.  Traded it on a Mercedes, after 1 year got A$50,000.  However, with the Merc, never had a problem.  After 3 years traded it with 60,000 k's on the clock, got A$70,000 trade for a car that cost A$140,000.  So, yes, poor resale and a waste of money.

 

Bought a 2013 Honda CRV here,  cost A$55,000 (B1.6m) now done 92,000k's still original tyres and brake pads, serviced every 10,000 and, touch wood, have never experienced any problems, mechanical or otherwise.  A brilliant vehicle but unfortunately over priced and under specs in comparison to the one sold in Australia but no sleepless nights like the Khon Kaen woman.  She has my sympathies. 

[Peterw42]

33 minutes ago, Si Thea01 said:

 

I agree with you on a number of points.  Had a BMW 3 series back in Australia. Cost A$90,000. Had a horrible vibration at 100 KPH, despite many trips to the dealer it was never completely eradicated.  Traded it on a Mercedes, after 1 year got A$50,000.  However, with the Merc, never had a problem.  After 3 years traded it with 60,000 k's on the clock, got A$70,000 trade for a car that cost A$140,000.  So, yes, poor resale and a waste of money.

 

Bought a 2013 Honda CRV here,  cost A$55,000 (B1.6m) now done 92,000k's still original tyres and brake pads, serviced every 10,000 and, touch wood, have never experienced any problems, mechanical or otherwise.  A brilliant vehicle but unfortunately over priced and under specs in comparison to the one sold in Australia but no sleepless nights like the Khon Kaen woman.  She has my sympathies. 

I would also agree, I had an M series Merc in Australia and the first service was $3000. Normal driving, kids to school etc, with no offroad, and the discs needed to be replaced, ongoing problems with noisy pwr steering that never got rectified. Also had an E class that needed a new catalytic converter after only 60,000 klm. I wouldn't have one if it was given to me.

[madusa]

On 2017/5/4 at 6:56 PM, Frenske said:

I doubt the car is the problem, but the Thai mechanics are. Instead of fixing it they just create more problems.

The new BMW today has computerised just about everything, so if the mechanic doesn't know or trained in this aspect they can't do much.

[PatOngo]

 

[Si Thea01]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

I would also agree, I had an M series Merc in Australia and the first service was $3000. Normal driving, kids to school etc, with no offroad, and the discs needed to be replaced, ongoing problems with noisy pwr steering that never got rectified. Also had an E class that needed a new catalytic converter after only 60,000 klm. I wouldn't have one if it was given to me.

Me too, no more of the BS that Merc and BMW put out. Most expensive service for the Honda.  B5000, around A$200.00, the normal services around A$100, B2500.   Would hate to think what they charge here for the BMW, and then have the hide to give it back with ongoing problems.  They should have been tracked down whilst the car was still under warranty.  But then where are we, oh I forgot for  minute, LOS. 

[Si Thea01]

32 minutes ago, madusa said:

The new BMW today has computerised just about everything, so if the mechanic doesn't know or trained in this aspect they can't do much.

 

BMW and Mercedes have computers that they used to diagnose everything and each mechanic is fully trained in their use and rectification of any problems that arise.  The cannot work on the cars unless they have a certificate issued once they are qualified. I can assure you that although they have problems, each company would soon de-franchise any company that did not adhere to the standards set.  And yes, both companies have had their share of lemons.  

[Peterw42]

40 minutes ago, Si Thea01 said:

Me too, no more of the BS that Merc and BMW put out. Most expensive service for the Honda.  B5000, around A$200.00, the normal services around A$100, B2500.   Would hate to think what they charge here for the BMW, and then have the hide to give it back with ongoing problems.  They should have been tracked down whilst the car was still under warranty.  But then where are we, oh I forgot for  minute, LOS. 

In Australia both Merc and BMW both push, and hide behind,  the facade of "if you cant afford the servicing or repairs, then you shouldn't buy a Merc or BMW". Consumers are to embarrassed to complain as they will be seen as not being able to afford a Merc. Its part of the prestige of owning one, I am rich enough to pay outrageous servicing costs, and repairs on a lemon new car.

The brands are a marketing persons wet dream, sell a crap product for a lot of money then get the customers to repair it for more money.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Peterw42

[NCC1701A]

lets hope she puts that photo on her Thai Friendly profile.

 

you know, fair warning.

 

 

[NCC1701A]

you don't know sh*t about expensive cars until you own a Range Rover.

 

I had two in Los Angeles. The second you are out of warranty you get rid of it.

 

But they are really beautiful if you want a SUV. 

 

and you are treated like royalty at the service center.

 

 

[Naam]

On 5/5/2017 at 8:21 AM, webfact said:

She wants 7,270,095 baht back - the cost of the vehicle as well as time wasted and repair charges.

the cost of the most expensive X1 in Thailand is 2.6 million. 4 million for wasted time and repair cost? 

[gandalf12]

14 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

She parks just in front of the official BMW representative in Khon Kaen.

About here:

https://goo.gl/maps/s7rB3BAA8UM2

(fancy BMW showroom on the right)

 

So I bet she used this garage.

 

Some posts are simply stunning, like low resale value for Mercedes Benz.

For Germany at least this is .....

 

I agree she park it in front of the official outlet but that doesn't mean to say she ever had it serviced there. If it was serviced by BMW then they should be ashamed of themselves but if not then she cant realistically blame them.

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, gandalf12 said:

I agree she park it in front of the official outlet but that doesn't mean to say she ever had it serviced there.

1. something about likelyhood

2. the Thai Rath report states that she bought it at the Khon Kaen BMW center and had it repaired repeatedly at the "center"

 

The report also says that in April this year (last month) she requested to have it replaced by a new car from the dealer which was declined.

[anotheruser]

Funny we can't even complain if a bar drugs us robs and rapes us. Yet, this is allowed. I hope BMW sues her for defamation.

[daiwill]

161,625 Quid?  I know taxes on imports is high in thailand , but come on?????

[ttrd]

2 hours ago, daiwill said:

161,625 Quid?  I know taxes on imports is high in thailand , but come on?????

Do you really know? 

 

For imported (new) cars, there are 4 taxes that apply:

* Import Duty (80%)

* Excise tax (See table below)

* Interior tax (which is 10% of the calculated excise tax value)

* VAT (7%)

 

Pls start to calculate...;)

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Thailand's taxation system for cars is a bit confusing, so for the value oriented buyer it's important to understand how much of your new car's price is tax, and how much of it is car and profit.

If you've ever wondered why Thai car prices just don't align with the same vehicles in foreign countries, why a double cab pickup costs so much more than the same spec in an extra cab, why pickups are so comparatively cheap compared to passenger cars, or why relatively small increments in engine capacity make so much difference to the price of a car here in Thailand, this article is for you

 

How tax is calculated on Thai market cars

For domestically produced cars, or cars that are import-duty-free under a free-trade-agreement, there are three taxes that apply:

* Excise tax (See table below)

* Interior tax (which is 10% of the calculated excise tax value)

* VAT (7%)

 

Calculations:

Excise Tax: Factory Cost * Excise Tax Rate / (1-(1.1 * Excise Tax Rate))

Interior Tax: Excise Tax * 0.1

VAT: (Factory Price + Excise Tax + Interior Tax + Profit) * 0.07

Total Taxes: Excise + Interior Tax + VAT

 

For imported (new) cars, there are 4 taxes that apply:

* Import Duty (80%)

* Excise tax (See table below)

* Interior tax (which is 10% of the calculated excise tax value)

* VAT (7%)

 

Import Duty: (Cost + Insurance + Freight) * 0.8

Excise Tax: (CIF + Import Duty) * Excise Tax Rate / (1-(1.1 * Excise Tax Rate))

Interior Tax: Excise Tax * 0.1

VAT: (CIF + Import Duty + Excise Tax + Interior Tax + Profit) * 0.07

Total Taxes: Import Duty + Excise Tax + Interior Tax + VAT

 

Thai Excise Taxes

As you can see from the above calculations, the official excise tax is not applied directly - as a result the effective tax rate is substantially higher than what the published numbers suggest.

In the listings below I have calculated the effective excise tax rate and put it in brackets after the published rate.

 

Pickups :

Single and extended cab (inludes 'smartcab', 'opencab' and 'freestyle') < 3250cc: 3% (effectively 3.1%)

Double cab < 3250cc: 12% (effectively 13.8%)

3250cc or greater: 50% (effectively 111.1%)

Note: Tax brackets are defined by cubic capacity only, there are no HP limits on pickups.

 

Passenger Cars:

Hybrid, fuel cell and electric vehicles: 10% (11.2%)

Cars < 1300cc gasoline powered, approved under the eco-car program: 17% (20.9%)

Cars powered by motorcycles engines < 250cc: 5% (5.3%)

Cars powered by NGV: 20% (25.6%)

E20 Compatible Cars < 2000cc and < 220HP: 25% (34.5%)

E20 Compatible Cars < 2500cc and < 220HP: 30% (44.8%)

E20 Compatible Cars < 3000cc and < 220HP: 35% (56.9%)

E20 Compatible Cars > 3000cc OR >= 220HP: 50% (111.1%)

Other Cars < 2000cc and < 220HP: 30% (44.8%)

Other Cars < 2500cc and < 220HP: 35% (56.9%)

Other Cars < 3000cc and < 220HP: 40% (71.4%)

Other Cars > 3000cc OR >= 220HP: 50% (111.1%)

 

Notes:

Hybrid, Fuel cell and electric vehicles have no limits on HP.

Different tax brackets have been defined for Hybrids < 3000c and 3000cc+, but at present both share the same tax rate.

A tax bracket for diesel powered eco-cars < 1300cc has been defined, but no tax rate has been applied to it yet.

Vehicles used as offical ambulances are excise tax exempt.

 

Passenger Pickup Vehicles (PPV):

PPV's < 3250cc: 20% (25.6%)

PPV's >= 3250cc: 50% (111.1%)

Note: Tax brackets are defined by cubic capacity only, there are no HP limits on PPV's.

In order to compare the relative value of cars in different tax brackets accurately, we would need to know the profit margins applied before VAT is added, and of course that's going to be difficult to get

Some basic calcs will get you close enough to understand relative value though, and you will be surprised at how much (or indeed little) car you're getting for your money as you compare the difference excise tax brackets.

References/Further reading:

http://www.excise.go...ndex.php?id=136

http://www.excise.go...ndex.php?id=137

http://www.customs.g...Nme=PersonalPer

 

Source:

 

Edited May 6, 2017 by ttrd

[elgordo38]

Flower pots was a good idea lemons are rather expensive to cover the car hood with them. 

[mortenaa]

On 5/6/2017 at 9:44 AM, Si Thea01 said:

Me too, no more of the BS that Merc and BMW put out. Most expensive service for the Honda.  B5000, around A$200.00, the normal services around A$100, B2500.   Would hate to think what they charge here for the BMW, and then have the hide to give it back with ongoing problems.  They should have been tracked down whilst the car was still under warranty.  But then where are we, oh I forgot for  minute, LOS. 

Service in Thailand is free for first 5 years, and unlimited warranty for 5 years. 

[DrTuner]

Stop taking it to Somchai's garage. He'll "fix it" as in causing two new problems and never actually fix the original cause. Unfortunately 99.99% of the mechanics here are Somchais.

[kannot]

On 5/6/2017 at 7:46 AM, Si Thea01 said:

 

I agree with you on a number of points.  Had a BMW 3 series back in Australia. Cost A$90,000. Had a horrible vibration at 100 KPH, despite many trips to the dealer it was never completely eradicated.  Traded it on a Mercedes, after 1 year got A$50,000.  However, with the Merc, never had a problem.  After 3 years traded it with 60,000 k's on the clock, got A$70,000 trade for a car that cost A$140,000.  So, yes, poor resale and a waste of money.

 

Bought a 2013 Honda CRV here,  cost A$55,000 (B1.6m) now done 92,000k's still original tyres and brake pads, serviced every 10,000 and, touch wood, have never experienced any problems, mechanical or otherwise.  A brilliant vehicle but unfortunately over priced and under specs in comparison to the one sold in Australia but no sleepless nights like the Khon Kaen woman.  She has my sympathies. 

Had the BMW 120 in the UK pile of Junk, broke down 2  days after brand  new delivery, the dealer said they would  lend me a MINI but I had to pay for insurance..told em to eff off, get endless warning lights on for brakes and abs and other things which they cant seem to eradicate.......got  rid  of the pile of  junk..also had stupid run flat ( bloody hard  ride) tyres............get a puncture and they were scrap...useless

Never again, always get Japanese now they ALWAYS come tops  in surveys for reliability.

[Si Thea01]

1 hour ago, mortenaa said:

Service in Thailand is free for first 5 years, and unlimited warranty for 5 years. 

On what, the BMW?  Sorry I should have checked, of course the BMW and according to BMW. 

 

"BSI covers the costs of all major services, maintenance and wear-and-tear repairs for the first 5 years or 100,000 km**, including all Genuine BMW Parts required." all at no additional cost. 

Edited May 7, 2017 by Si Thea01

[mortenaa]

On 5/7/2017 at 0:40 PM, Si Thea01 said:

On what, the BMW?  Sorry I should have checked, of course the BMW and according to BMW. 

 

"BSI covers the costs of all major services, maintenance and wear-and-tear repairs for the first 5 years or 100,000 km**, including all Genuine BMW Parts required." all at no additional cost. 

The service agreement (BSI) is just for 100,000 km, but the warranty itself is for unlimited mileage. 

[Si Thea01]

19 hours ago, mortenaa said:

The service agreement (BSI) is just for 100,000 km, but the warranty itself is for unlimited mileage. 

Your are right, thank you for knowledge.