[Dang3r]

Right, I'll try to break this down to you and hope to get an idea how this may working into the US:
I'd bought an US-car, which is reimported to Germany. I got a numberplate slip from california, where is the last owner listed and also the period of validility of the term. According to the slip, the car enters first day of service at march, the 12th, 2014. No former owners known or listed at carfax.
Today I was at the dealer to complain about 3 items to let them fix under warranty and to charge of BMW.
I was more than surprised as the clerk told me, according to the BMW database the car was first released to service on Dec 2nd, 2013! That means, Im outta warranty period for 28 days.
The car was shipped and exported from Germany at the mid of november 13 and from there probably to a dealer.
My question: If a dealer imports a car from overseas, has he to go to your offices to get a few days numberplate or equal signs to enter the car into the US-market or is there another law to proceed so?
I cant find absolutely nothing to determine other data than listed into the papers of reimporting, declaring and examination, everywhere is march 14 as first time of usage written.
How to get more information? Every hint and idea highly welcome, thank you.

[smithf80]

I'd imagine in service date is the day that the first owner picks it up, could be wrong though.

Are you sure the car is 1 owner? Maybe it was a loaner for a few months and then sold.

[CalCarNut]

Dealerships can drive whatever car around. If its manager car, they typically install the 'Dealer' plate on any car and drive it around. I don't think the car is ever registered into service though until it's sold. No plate of any kind is issued on a Calif car until it's registered. It will have a temporary sale permit installed in the window to show its legal but that only applies if the car was purchased/leased. Strange.

[Dang3r]

The only way to get this information is writing a letter to the former owner and still hoping, that hes responding
The dealer (which was no BMW one) sold the car as first owned and the papers (as available) are showing that this is the truth.
Thank you for the first posts.

[CalCarNut]

Doesn't the dealer write in the 'in service' date in the books that come with the car? Did you get those? Maybe that can help..........

[tturedraider]

The date from the California registration is most likely the date it was sold to the first RETAIL customer. The in-service date is the date the dealer put the car into service and the date the warranty clock starts ticking.

In the U.S. dealers can use cars before they are sold at retail as "demonstrators", which are typically used by dealership management personnel, or as "loaners", which are lent to customers when their cars are in for service.

Demos can only be used for three months or 5,000 miles before they must be taken out of service. In the U.S. they get a three month / 5,000 mile warranty extension. Loaners are typically used for about a year or around 10k - 12k miles. They get no warranty extension, but are typically sold at a significant discount.

Based on the time frame you've given my bet is the car you have was used as a demo. If it was a demo there is a specific notation of that in the car's service record. Your dealer can easily tell if the car was a demo.

[Dang3r]

Whats really baffling me: Carfax shows the exact data of the car, whens it arrived at US, overtaken by the carhouse and the sale date plus the date of really first entering the service and thats exactly what my papers show.
Now, whatever happened at the German BMW dealer, Im affraid they have a mistake into their records. Carfax shows the name of the company so they should investigate whats went wrong. My car isnt shown as loaner or demo into no records.
Whats more: I went before to 3 different car dealers around my living place and no one of them informed me about the incorrect data. That was more a laughing one, when one told me, I got a F33 conv, the other said according the VIN it must be a vintage from '84 and the last one said it must be stolen and the number must be wrong...

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by Dang3r

Whats really baffling me: Carfax shows the exact data of the car, whens it arrived at US, overtaken by the carhouse and the sale date plus the date of really first entering the service and thats exactly what my papers show.
Now, whatever happened at the German BMW dealer, Im affraid they have a mistake into their records. Carfax shows the name of the company so they should investigate whats went wrong. My car isnt shown as loaner or demo into no records.
Whats more: I went before to 3 different car dealers around my living place and no one of them informed me about the incorrect data. That was more a laughing one, when one told me, I got a F33 conv, the other said according the VIN it must be a vintage from '84 and the last one said it must be stolen and the number must be wrong...

You can't rely on the info in the CarFax report.

If the car was a loaner, though, it probably would be sold as a CPO Elite, which would have a 1 year and 25k mi CPO warranty added on, so you wouldn't be in this spot.

[Dang3r]

What means CPO elite?
Btw I really appreciate all answers, but this fullquote habits here are really disturbing...

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Dang3r

What means CPO elite?
Btw I really appreciate all answers, but this fullquote habits here are really disturbing...

In the U.S. BMW North America offers two Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) warranty levels. The standard CPO adds 2 years / 50,000 miles of additional warranty after the 4 yr / 50,000 mile warranty expires; for a total of 6 yrs / 100,000 miles. CPO Elite is a shorter, less expensive warranty that adds 1 yr / 25,000 miles, for a total of 5 yrs / 75,000 miles.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by Dang3r

this fullquote habits here are really disturbing...

[Dang3r]

I cant relay on carfax? Ok, I see that this is no legal platform to claim any warranty demands to the dealer, but there are also listed how many mls the car has driven before sold and entered very first service since delivery into US: 20. So its nearly impossible the car was a loaner or a demo.
On thursday Im at the dealer and will discuss this with him, he should contact Bimmer north america and then they hopefully figured out, whats gone on there.

[Orient330iNYC]

Originally Posted by Dang3r

I cant relay on carfax? Ok, I see that this is no legal platform to claim any warranty demands to the dealer, but there are also listed how many mls the car has driven before sold and entered very first service since delivery into US: 20. So its nearly impossible the car was a loaner or a demo.
On thursday Im at the dealer and will discuss this with him, he should contact Bimmer north america and then they hopefully figured out, whats gone on there.

i leased a demo in 2010 that had 25 miles on it, it was a showroom car, never left the floor.
it had an inservice date of december the prior year, i picked it up in march of 2010. the US warranty had already started running in december ( it had the 3 month/5000 mile extension)

[Dang3r]

To close this case and give the response to ya:
BMW Europe/Germany had accepted the present data, which shows the very first date of entering the service was as listed into all papers March, 12th, 2014.
Whatever BMW North America has entered wasnt valid.
The only thing I have to deal with is the fact, that Im not be able to get an extended warranty caused by import, which is excluded within Europe.