BMW Dealer Cold Calling at door

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Odd one tonight. 7:20 on a saturday night, trying to settle the kid and have a beer......

Young chap call to the door claiming to be from a BMW dealer in blackrock offering a piece of card with a free health check (fantastic :roll eyes: ). Then he wanted some personal details to compile a list of owners......having had a car swiped of the drive recently I am paranoid however rang the guards to request a drive by and see what the story was. I told the young fellow at the door that BMW ireland were well aware of me and wounding leave me alone most of the time. He scampered rapidly without argument.

So either
1. They are trying to fish for personal information. And have nothing to do with BMW or
2. BMW dealers have taken up annoying people at night in the dark, which in itself is obnoxious.

Iam I correct to be a bit suspicious of this???? Anyone else been bothered by this sort of stuff?

matt-dublin

id say you just got cased, a lot of things lke this happening recently

Marcusm

Frank Keane took over the Maxwell Motors site on Temple Rd as a BMW, maybe give them a ring on Moday ad see if it was them. If not, maybe take more precautions.

Buffman

matt-dublin wrote: »

id say you just got cased, a lot of things lke this happening recently

My thinking exactly.

You should always ask for their photo ID if you're suspicious. A genuine caller won't have any bother showing you.

I would be surprised if BMW are so stuck for business that they have to drive around looking for BMW's!

Nissan doctor

There is no way on earth would BMW, or any manufacturer, be operating like this.

I'd do more to disable your car at night if I were you.

Jemma Faint Newscaster

Jemma Faint Newscaster wrote: »

............

Young chap call to the door claiming to be from a BMW dealer in blackrock offering a piece of card with a free health check (fantastic :roll eyes:)...........................

Will be interesting to see will you be the only one contacting them on Monday. Seems a really strange way to go about casing out a car, coming face to face with the owner etc.

Voodoomelon

Sounds super dodgy to me.

Oral Surgeon

I'd sleep with one eye open.....

btkm8unsl0w5r4

RoverJames wrote: »

Will be interesting to see will you be the only one contacting them on Monday. Seems a really strange way to go about casing out a car, coming face to face with the owner etc.

My thoughts exactly, why bother calling to the door Would say a lot of people will be calling that dealer on Monday.

-Corkie-

Jemma Faint Newscaster wrote: »

My thoughts exactly, why bother calling to the door Would say a lot of people will be calling.

Did he give you his name by any chance..

copacetic

Very dodgy. I'd be tempted to call the BMW emergency support number if you still have it. They will probably be able to check up on it for you.

Jammy Donut

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

I'd sleep with one eye open.....

I wouldn't sleep.... Do an all nighter, unlikely to be tonight though. Too suspicious but possibly tomorrow night.

Stay awake with a golf club, and whack em if they come back.

Oral Surgeon

Jemma Faint Newscaster wrote: »

RoverJames wrote: »

Will be interesting to see will you be the only one contacting them on Monday. Seems a really strange way to go about casing out a car, coming face to face with the owner etc.

My thoughts exactly, why bother calling to the door Would say a lot of people will be calling that dealer on Monday.

Highly unlikely that they would do such a thing, you would expect a more professional service from BMW Ireland or a main dealer... Take the battery out of your 1 series tonight!!

omb0wyn5ehpij9

That sounds incredibly dodgy. I would be beefing up the security asap

Nissan doctor

Perhaps getting you to open your door so they could see if your keys are kept near the door or hanging up etc??

Oral Surgeon

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Perhaps getting you to open your door so they could see if your keys are kept near the door or hanging up etc??

Or to see if you were in or out in the pub watching the match that never happened...

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I am not going to get paranoid, and my security is pretty good after the last time. However its all a bit dodgy, the guards have done a couple of nice drive throughout the estate with the lights on to let the fellows know that suspicions are up.

Also didn't feed my dog tonight so any burglars will look super tasty.....

Care to share where you live OP?
General area obviously.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

South Country Dublin near to the afore mentioned dealers.

Fiona

I'd offer him to take him out for a spin out in the E30 and drop him into Garda station sideways.

rev2.0

Unfortunately from what i've heard from a few other people, it is the mentioned dealer cold calling..

Nissan doctor

rev2.0 wrote: »

Unfortunately from what i've heard from a few other people, it is the mentioned dealer cold calling..

I'd have a few choice words to say to a dealer who called to my house at that time of the day toting for business!:rolleyes:

Oral Surgeon

Nissan doctor wrote: »

rev2.0 wrote: »

Unfortunately from what i've heard from a few other people, it is the mentioned dealer cold calling..

I'd have a few choice words to say to a dealer who called to my house at that time of the day toting for business!:rolleyes:

Me too, release the hounds....

no1beemerfan

Its definitely dodgy. No dealer would send out people door to door to sell a car. Especially BMW/Merc/Audi.

Did you ask neighbours who have expensive cars if they got calls too?

copacetic

rev2.0 wrote: »

Unfortunately from what i've heard from a few other people, it is the mentioned dealer cold calling..

I've heard that too, sorry Fitz, first reply I assumed you were down in south east at weekends. If local to them it cold well be them.

If it is complaint to BMW Ireland and themselves saying wtf they think they are doings sending people out like airtricity doorsteppers.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I'd have a few choice words to say to a dealer who called to my house at that time of the day toting for business!:rolleyes:

I have a few select words prepared for the manager on Monday if this is the case. To think a seller of a premium car brand would sink this low,:mad:

Marcusm

Jemma Faint Newscaster wrote: »

I have a few select words prepared for the manager on Monday if this is the case. To think a seller of a premium car brand would sink this low,:mad:

You need to contact godtabh as over on the New M5 thread he discloses that his neighbour works in that dealership and takes the new M5 hoe at nights; that presumably means he doesn't just clean the cars!

We could turns boards into a social networking site!

kc66

I don't think a thief/burglar would show their face at your door and make themselves completely identifiable. Far easier methods out there. Times must be hard for the dealers now govt support has reduced

paddydriver

Frank Keane VW were doing same in our area few weeks back - I live near Sandyford so must have been casing for ex Foster's customers. I came out to my car to get something.. a GTI.. and he was over to me asking if I owned it and if I wanted to sign up for more info.

Think they were legit (by the cut of his jib:D) but really bad way of going about getting business. Told him to more or less fcuk off in a nice way.

Buffman

kc66 wrote: »

As if a car thief/burglar would show their face at your door and make themselves completely identifiable. Far easier methods out there.

It's not uncommon for them to call to the door with some bs excuse to see if you're home. If you answer the door you're generally ok, as you've seen them they mightn't chance it, in the short term anyway. A burglar was caught around my area with a little black book of houses with notes on each, alarms, dogs, peoples working patterns, etc.

From the other posts above, the OP's case seems to be relatively legit. I know I wouldn't be going to anybody cold calling for a free check anyway, if they're desperate enough to be at that who knows what 'problems' they'll invent find on your car.

the_syco

Jemma Faint Newscaster wrote: »

Iam I correct to be a bit suspicious of this???? Anyone else been bothered by this sort of stuff?

Write down approx height, hair colour, colour of skin, eye colour, his accent, and any other characteristics that could be helpful in identifying him, and hand them into the Gardai as someone who cold called to your house asking about your car. Even if he works in the local BWM garage, it's still very dodgy.

I'd also wonder where he'd be keeping the list of BMWs, their addresses, and the owners details? On his laptop, or in a book on his desk?

C Eng

OP Are you able to block your car in some way using a neighbours car maybe that way they wouldn't be able to move the other car to easily.

Have to agree its bad form if it does turn out to be a BMW dealer, I thought they had a better sales technique, and I would be very surprised if they would even attempt to make contact with you in this manner.

mfceiling

Please check my thread from Friday morning.

BMW 520 stolen....window pane taken out of window so alarm wouldn't go off.

Please OP stay on your guard for the next few nights.

Stinicker

Lets just hope it is just some idiotic new business practice. Oh the joys of having a driveway and being able to hide ones car behind the house out of nosey peoples sight.

mfceiling

Stinicker wrote: »

Lets just hope it is just some idiotic new business practice. Oh the joys of having a driveway and being able to hide ones car behind the house out of nosey peoples sight.

Unless they are watching your house for a while like the guards reckoned with my place:(

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Thank guys, not my first time at this see here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056252316

Anyone that steals a car of mine will get caught. I don't want to block them in or disable the car on my driveway so they can visit me and my wife in bed for the solution. Sound like this was probably legit, really bad move by the dealer and I will be voicing my displeasure on Monday.

johnos1984

Jemma Faint Newscaster wrote: »

Sound like this was probably legit, really bad move by the dealer and I will be voicing my displeasure on Monday.

:eek::eek:

How did you find that out?

Bloody hell the dealer should be picking shoe laces out of his hole for a week if it's true

Raiser

Oh for gods sakes - This isn't new - Its just a step forwards, upwards and onwards for the BMW Dealers Nationwide, it all started with the 'free' 15 point BMW super duper checkup...... Where they invited dopes in and then accidentally found wads of cash for themselves under victims bonnets - Oh sorry Sir, we've discovered your exhaust manifold has gone uber-nuclear, please shell out €900 and Hank will mend it up real gud.......

- Also you can smell the desperation, any sales tactic looks sweet if the only other alternative is to whitewash the windows......

Dinging

Hi OP,

Let us know how you get on with BMW dealer as mentioned. Same guy called on a neighbor who just happened to have a visitor who drove a 3 series, as does my wife who's car was parked in our driveway (and still is now), this happened 3 weeks ago today. Same story, guy was looking information but neighbor was not convinced so she ran the guy. Neighbor was suspicious and called my wife who then called Dundrum garda station who also sent a car around. This was in Stillorgan.

It seems this dealer is creating a bit of work for AGS, you'd feel sorry for the staff if they are being tasked with this sort of business strategy.

Cicero

Well, if the Guards keep getting called every time one of these guys is calling on people in the evening time, I don't think it will just be disgruntled customers phoning the dealership Monday morning....theres ways of promoting your business and trying to create new market share but this isn't one of them if people are feeling uncomfortable about it..

copacetic

Agreed, it's some BMW business policy that involves increasing the guards nightly business.

johnos1984

copacetic wrote: »

Agreed, it's some BMW business policy that involves increasing the guards nightly business.

That's a practice the customers have been doing for years

Big Nasty

So BMW dealers are now sending out staff to canvas neighbourhoods at night looking to sign up Bimmer drivers!?! :eek:

Sounds well dodge to me.:cool:

corktina

not a good way to do business...maybe a flyer on the screen might be OK but if it seems at all dodgy , how is that going to promote a legit business?

keithclancy

If someone calls to my front door and I don't know them, they can see me sitting on the couch.

I just won't answer.

If you call to my door, make the dog go mental (great alarm) and then expect me to listen to whatever speel you have for selling sh*t then i'm quite within my rights to ignore you until you go away.

We had a 'member of the Irish Travelling community' call to our door, we live in the Netherlands ffs, my missus never had a need to pretend she didn't speak english before :pac::pac::pac:

Was asking if we had any old furniture, appliances etc for him to take away, while trying to get into the house for a look.

Something to be said for Neighbourhood Watch, Neighbour across the road strolled over and asked if everything was ok.

alias no.9

Maybe Frank Keane is finding out that it's not as simple as taking over someone else's showrooms, that the contacts book is the most valuable bit, and he didn't get that so now is desperately trying to cobble one together for ex-Maxwell customers. What is it they say in the add, 57 years in business? lol

Henry Ford III

A couple of thoughts on this:-

1/. Odd carry on from the BMW man. Business must be bad. I actually feel a bit sorry for the poor bugger.

2/. Bizzarely it's good news for the OP that he was who he said he was. If he'd been a bogey, and was casing the place, especially after a previous car had been robbed from there, it might have been time to consider moving home?

Joe 90

alias no.9 wrote: »

Maybe Frank Keane is finding out that it's not as simple as taking over someone else's showrooms, that the contacts book is the most valuable bit, and he didn't get that so now is desperately trying to cobble one together for ex-Maxwell customers. What is it they say in the add, 57 years in business? lol

Just doesn't sound like Frank Keane's style. I remember him from when he started selling BMWs in Ireland in the 60s, a gentleman. He was a decent race driver too.

Owen

I've zero tolerance for this kind of bullcrap. My elderly neighbour is a softie and she'd let anyone into the house - my dog goes mental as soon as anyone goes near our shared entrance, so I always go out for a look to try and warn off anyone there. It's happening with more regularity now, Irish Travellers, Roma Gypsies, even just your constant barrage of Eircom/Airtricity/Vodafone reps, or the guys who claim to be doing surveys wanting to come in and ask you questions.

My two project cars are in my Mother's garage. She left the roller door up one day and a Traveller spotted both cars in there and my tool chests, since then she's constantly being plagued with them calling over and asking if they're for sale. People just don't know how to take no for an answer, or realise they're indimidating others.

I'd be phoning the Garage first thing in the morning, it's unacceptable to have your downtime and homelife interrupted like this, and I genuinely hope no garage is after taking up this tactic. You'd think it'd cost them sales, not increase.

C Eng

OP heres a mobile contact No for Frank Keane BMW I copied it off their web site. Might be worth a call today to see if they know anything. For peace of mind at least.


Tel: 01 240 5666 (Out of Hours 087 7986104)