[Cooperesque]

I'd be interested to hear what people thought of this dealership, as I'm at loggerheads with them over certain issues about my buying experience.

[flipper]

can you be more specific?

[Cooperesque]

It felt like I was having to continually call them to get any updates on my order/test drive/delivery date.

At one point I was calling them up (not getting through to the MINI section) and leaving messages every other day. Very few of my calls were returned so I began to get quite cross.

I gave up on a test drive when they told me they weren't allowed to take the showroom car out, yet a sales director swanned around in a Cooper S of his own. Confused? I was too.

I'd asked if it was possible to take delivery in August, months in advance after it was apparent I wasn't going to be one of the first in June I asked to try and get my car on 17th August (my birthday). They naturally said they'd try but suffice to say I had to call them, to hear the news that I wasn't getting the car. The ordering system confirmed my car was scheduled to be built and delivered by 17th of September. So I put that date in my calendar.

Don't hear a peep out of them and I'm busy working (I run my own business). Suffice to say I try to call the dealership about a week and a half or so before the delivery date to ensure everything is going smoothly as I needed to arrange insurance and money transfers, etc.

Surprise, surprise I can't get through to anyone that works on MINI, but the salesmen I speak to tells me that the car has actually been delivered to the dealership but nothing has been organised for PDI or collection! You gotta worry when the MINI people don't even realise when a customer's car (of which they receive only 3 to 6 of these made-to-order cars a month) has been received!

To cut the story short, they 'manage' to do the PDI but then lose my insurance certificate on the way to the DVLA (a Friday) so the car can't be taxed. I can't get a replacement certificate until Monday so they do lend me a Cooper S over the weekend.

Certificate arrives on Monday but then the DVLA computers crash and the car eventually gets taxed a week later (26th of September). I take delivery on the 27th and find out I've paid for a year's car tax, yet only get 11 months and 3 days! Also find out that there are no Euro spec number plates (which I asked for) on the car, and there are a small number of scratches on the black roof, revealing the electric blue paintwork underneath.

No flowers, champagne or talk of a discount (I, like probably everyone else, paid list). Just a Sytner Chelsea keyring, red faces and some meaningless apologies.

[Johnboy]

I ordered through Sytner City.... IMHO it was a mistake I will not be repeating (i.e. Using Sytner City).

If you have the time, it's well worth the drive down to William Jacks MINI (COBHAM).... I stress, the Cobham dealership.
[ They were previously "New Central" ... some of the others in the group were from different named franchises ]

It's a bit of a drive, but I have since found them to be popular amongst my peer group here in South London.

They are miles ahead of the other dealerships i've visited, both in terms of sales and service/warranty work..... Get your warranty work done by these guys.

You did well to get red faces and a loan car.

I recognise your problems with them

[McprS]

Cooperesque I have PMd you

[Cooperesque]

Thanks for your replies. Thing is I've been waiting for 2.5 weeks for the branch manager to call me to give me a proper explanation or any goodwill gesture of any kind. They know I've given them a bad rating when the MINI customer services rang me with a feedback questionnaire. Yet my phone remains silent, despite my vocal intention to write to BMW/MINI head office to air my opinions of the somewhat lacklustre service.

I collect my (GB) number plates from the dealer tomorrow (which they got right, second time around), so perhaps they'll talk to me there, face to face. What gets me is I was originally going to order a M3, until I got put off by the two-year waiting list. Do they treat people that order 40k cars with the same ambivalence as somebody parting with (a not inconsiderable sum) the best part of 18k?

[flipper]

You have been badly treated.
Demand some compensation - I hate this sort of arrogance from dealers, sadly I have come across it far too often
We were given a wildly over optimistic delivery date by a salesman in order to get our order. When we found out he was lying we complained to the dealer principal - asked and got free tlc.
Be polite but firm and have some idea of what you would accept as compensation.

[Rich-UK]

I cancelled my order with Sytner Gerrards Cross 'casue the salesman (Nick) didn't feel the need to keep me infomed or find out about any of the details I asked him. They also seemed to have a fault with their phone system whereby they couldn't return calls for some reason, I mean, how difficult can it be

[Cooperesque]

Had a very unsatisfactory meeting with the branch manager today. He seemed to think by talking incessantly about how good they were normally, would solve the problem. No talk of any financial compensation or something as mundane as perhaps some complimentary valeting in the coming months. I mean it's not as if he's going to be able to offer me discount servicing as I have TLC! For crying out loud he even baulked at the suggestion that I get a second radio key (For free? I can'd do that. You can have it for cost - how very generous).

Am writing to BMW direct to air my disappointment and also calling his boss at head office. Also going to meet some of the MINI people at the motor show on Press Day, as I'm actually a journalist by trade, although don't do an awful lot of motoring.

Wish I'd cancelled my order and bought the car from Oneswoop as when I realised they had Cooper S on their system I could have taken delivery only a month later (October) and saved at least £1500! He rather unhelpfully suggested I sold my car and ordered it off the net! Suffice to say I wouldn't recommend my worst enemy to buy a car from Sytner Chelsea...And to think I nearly ordered a M3 coupe from there...

[flipper]

This is a disgraceful way to treat a customer
What an earth is the matter with them
Take your case as high as you can.
If you persist I think you will some satisfaction
You certainly deserve it

[Cooperesque]

Well I had an interesting meeting on Tuesday with some MINI people at the Motorshow. You see I'm actually a journalist and am planning to write up my experience of a MINI (mis)adventure up for publication.

Yes I am a somewhat disgruntled by my own personal experience, but I think the ambivalence of the dealers, and perhaps individuals who think it beneath them to sell a brand like MINI in a showroom of £30k+ cars should be flagged up and addressed.

Plus I would hate to see anybody have to go through the various mis-managed processes and broken promises I had to endure in order to eventually get my hands on what is ostensibly a great little motor car.

[Johnboy]

On our travels looking for two new cars (which ended in me purchasing a MINI), I visited several dealers including:
Saab
Mercedes
BMW
VW

I think, for comparison and research purposes, you should do some mystery shopping at.... Skoda!....
These people were refreshingly good and sell a good product to people who don't give a t*ss about name-badge engineering - Just in a good quality product.
I wonder if there is a link between "trendy" cars and the levels of customer service?

J.

[flipper]

I have a very cynical view of dealers over many years, therefore it was no surprise to discover that BMW/MINI dealers were no different - pleasant but greedy, why should't they be, after all we are all paying top bucks for our great little mini's.

[Cooperesque]

I never got any trouble like this when I bought a Mercedes SLK a few years ago. Admittedly I had been recommended to a particular person and dealer by one of the PR people at Mercedes UK. Maybe I should have done the same at MINI???

[flipper]

Yeh Strange really.
Its almost as if some BMW dealers resent having to sell the Mini at all. Its not as if they aren't making loads of money out of it. Too many of them have a poor sales attitude or is it a problem with all new car sales?.
There's a documentary in there somewhere

[Cooperesque]

Minor update. Met with the head of dealer sales support for MINI Uk, Trevor Smithers at the Motor Show. Aired my views and the talk of my proposed article on a MINI Mis-adventure. Haven't had the time to email him the specifics, however have mentioned my postings on MINI2's forum so no doubt he's possibly logged on for a mosey. But he's going to look in to the matter, which is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick I guess.

[Red Cooper]

Cooperesque, I hope you marked them accordingly when you got the call from MINI asking to rate your experience with the dealer...

They seem to act very much like my current dealers - Rydale Newport.

[Cooperesque]

You bet I did. They didn't seem too bothered when I met up with the manager.

[McprS]

Quote:

Originally posted by Red Cooper
Cooperesque, I hope you marked them accordingly when you got the call from MINI asking to rate your experience with the dealer...

They seem to act very much like my current dealers - Rydale Newport.

I also gave them very poor 'scores' when I got the call, not sure if it counts for anything but made me feel a bit better, especially as the salesperson said to me as I was leaving having picked up the car 'Please make sure you give me good scores in the survey'.

[miniads]

i have also bought my cooper from chelsea!!! what a mistake!!!! it has the dreaded pure mottled silver paint and they dont want to replace it. they only seem to do anything when i phone them and even then it their help is of no use. i found out today yhat the wrong person has been dealing with my problem for over a week!!!! all i can say is they were willing to take my money but not willing to help me once i collected the car!!!!!