My Local BMW Dealer Bites The Dust

[marcopolo]

I was surprised to learn that my local dealer is going out of business 12 October. Motorsports World is a multi-line dealer, selling Yamaha, Suzuki along with BMW. While I've bought two bikes from them, I went out of town to buy my '06 RT. I'd had enough of them. I think things started going downhill a few years ago when the owner and top tech had a falling out. The tech set up his own independent shop, and most people now go there. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the franchise. There are about 900,000 people in the Ottawa area, and the biggest local bike dealer (Kawasaki/Ducati/Triumph) has been after the BMW line for years. Maybe now they'll get it.

[CraigT]

I can see the same thing happen in Glasgow too, if I had an alternative then I can assure you many others would follow to get some decent and professional service. Some folks don't deserve to be in business the way they treat people.

[jakfrost]

Hey Mark, can't say that I am surprised or sorry the dealer had to fold. He drove most potential customers away with his attitude, myself included.

 

But in the short term that doesn't leave yourself and other Ottawa residents with much choice.

 

Funny business this passion of ours, eh?

 

Jim W.

[bmwterry]

If this former tech has a shop, all you need is parts. Milan and Jeremy at Open Road in Newmarket give awesome service to bike people. Give them a call. Quick shipping too.

[marcopolo]

If this former tech has a shop, all you need is parts. Milan and Jeremy at Open Road in Newmarket give awesome service to bike people. Give them a call. Quick shipping too.

 

Our independent tech has his own shop, and has a ready source of BMW, and other, parts. The local dealer refused to sell to him, so he set up an alternate source of supply that's quick and reliable. Where there's a will, there's a way.

 

His business has been expanding, and like I said, I suspect it was one of the factors in the dealer's downfall. I can't see anyone else doing well with a BMW franchise unless they involve him in some way. I believe his ultimate aim was to get the BMW franchise, but I have no idea where he'd get the cash needed these days to do the "glass and chrome" thing that BMW would likely want.

 

I havn't used the local dealer for any kind of service since 2003. If I need warranty work on my RT, I take it to the selling dealer in Montreal (about 90 mins away for me). Many others started doing the same. One of my friends recen;y bout a new GSA, and went to Montreal to buy it, as he refused to do business with the local dealer.

[Sidmariner]

I too am not surprised. I visited Ottawa from the west coast twice a year for the last three years and always made a point of dropping in to see what's new or what's different. Many times I was prepared to buy a new helmet, or a jacket or some other fairly expensive article only to be treated with disdain and rudeness by the staff...particularly the snotty, self-important, know-it-all punk girls in the staff; that is, when I could get them to even raise their head and acknowledge that I was even in the shop. I don't know how they ever expected to earn any customer loyalty with their total lack of civility or customer care.

 

Sadly, this is all too common a tale in retail these days. In Canada, now that our dollar is allowing us to shop in the US, we can vote with our feet and walk away from places like this.

[L Rider]

I was driven away by the Ottawa dealer as well. Like Marcopolo, my last purchase was in Montreal, and all my servicing goes to the local tech shop.

 

At least now we may get a "real" dealership.

 

Cheers........Rod