No towbar as advertised, worth a discount?

corblimey · 21-09-2012 9:52am #1

The car I have my eye (520d) is listed on the dealer's website as having a towbar. This is big plus for me as I like to carry my bike around. However, the pictures on the site and the car itself both prove there's no towbar and there never has been.

Adding a towbar afterwards will cost about e700 + labour, so that's out of the question, but could I use the obvious mistake in the ad to get a few hundred quid off that price? But what's the source of truth in these ads, the text or the pictures? If the picture was of a blue car, but the text said it was silver?

AltAccount · 21-09-2012 10:01am

Call them for the source of the truth. If it's a factory towbar it might be very well concealed behind the bumper.

How does it compare in price to other similar cars without towbars?
If they're charging a premium for a towbar that's not there, then you'd be within your rights to expect them to drop that premium.
If they're priced competitively with the non-towbar cars, then you can't really expect any further discount.

kirving · 21-09-2012 10:16am

BMW do electrically folding towbars, so the car may have one but it's just hidden away in the pictures.

corblimey · 21-09-2012 10:23am

Kevin Irving wrote: »

BMW do electrically folding towbars, so the car may have one but it's just hidden away in the pictures.

And how would I know? Would there be something on the dash or idrive about unfolding it?

Kenny Logins · 21-09-2012 10:24am

corblimey wrote: »

And how would I know? Would there be something on the dash or idrive about unfolding it?

Call them?

Robbo · 21-09-2012 10:29am

Is it a detachable towbar that's just taken off for optics?

You wouldn't know some of them are there when they're detached. I was in the habit of taking mine off when not in use, then I started parking near a school and I started to leave it on as it was a most welcome defence against idiot parkers...

corblimey · 21-09-2012 11:18am

Robbo, can you give me an idea of how you detach it - it'd be nice to know before I go there in the morning. I have the car at the moment, so can check it out.

murphyep · 21-09-2012 11:25am

On the 3 -series, there is a button inside the boot on the right hand side.
might be the same on the 5 series.

AltAccount · 21-09-2012 11:38am

If you have the car, it should be in the owners manual.

corblimey · 21-09-2012 12:10pm

The only mention of towing in the manual is the towing eye thing, which I believe is used when the car is BEING towed. Perhaps it was added afterwards?

There's no obvious buttons in the boot, but looking beneath the back, it looks like there's something kinda stored away beneath the back bumper. Of course, I have no other BMW rear end to compare it to. I'll just ask about it tomorrow.

Fey! · 21-09-2012 12:53pm

The electric one may only be in newer model cars.

Usually you will see a receiver for the towbar if you look under or behind the bumper, with an electrics connection beside it or hidden under a detachable panel.

You'll then find the towbar in the boot beside or in the spare wheel (if you have a spare wheel!).

You could always ask the salesman...

No towbar as advertised, worth a discount?

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