[opnminded]

I am shocked! I have no intentions of buying a MINI, but this forum is actually an example of a bunch of socialists who need to move to a communist country where they no longer have choices and maybe then all you wining, grouchy old men will develope an appreciation for the free enterprise system. The same handful of concealed identities post day after day getting all worked up for what? Your opinions of these dealerships may be valid, but my goodness, get a life. Don't you have more important matters in life than to beat this dead horse month after month? Mr. Niello does not respond to your forum because noone wants to help you or listen to you because your attitudes are so immature and spiteful. Move on! Find a hobby that's productive. Go help a starving family, pick up some litter, donate to a charity. Isn't that what this MINI brand is supposed to exemplate. Or are you so focused on misspelled words, other peoples profit, and creating conflict that you've become mean-spirited and downright nasty to everyone you come across that does things differently than you would. If I were a part of this MINI click, I'd disregard you as part of the fan club. The handful of people who post to this forum are seriously in need of some good human friendship to redirect their focus to more important matters in life than a lousy couple grand. I wish you all the best. For those who do business with Niello keep your American Pride and thumbs up! This is the one and only post I will take the time to write. I have a family to feed. Warmest Wishes and Motor Your MINI's with a smile.

[katalack]

I chose East Bay MINI because I did not want to pay over MSRP. I chose East Bay MINI because of their friendly and honest reputation. I chose East Bay because I like my freedom of having a choice (which is one of the reasons I looked at the MINI). I chose not to deal with Niello because of their reputation. My right to choose where to buy my car is one of my rights as an American. This flag waving attitude is an embarrassment to me.
How funny it is that to be an informed consumer in the United States makes one a socialist. I do not believe that dissatisfied customers stating their displeasure should be offered emigration as an option. This thread was started on March 16th, 2002 and Niello's lack of customer service and respect to customers has continued to this date. Why is posting this considered whining? To remain silent about how Niello conducts business would be a disservice to potential MINI buyers.
I appreciate this forum because it allows me to be knowledgeable about my car, its behavior, and let's me "meet" other MINI drivers. Thank you.
Oh, and did you know that I can fit four 40lb sacks of dog food in my boot? I found this out when I took my donation to the local humane society. --kat

[dietcokeplease]

Quote:

Originally posted by opnminded
I am shocked! I have no intentions of buying a MINI, but this forum is actually an example of a bunch of socialists who need to move to a communist country where they no longer have choices and maybe then all you wining, grouchy old men will develope an appreciation for the free enterprise system. The same handful of concealed identities post day after day getting all worked up for what? Your opinions of these dealerships may be valid, but my goodness, get a life. Don't you have more important matters in life than to beat this dead horse month after month? Mr. Niello does not respond to your forum because noone wants to help you or listen to you because your attitudes are so immature and spiteful. Move on! Find a hobby that's productive. Go help a starving family, pick up some litter, donate to a charity. Isn't that what this MINI brand is supposed to exemplate. Or are you so focused on misspelled words, other peoples profit, and creating conflict that you've become mean-spirited and downright nasty to everyone you come across that does things differently than you would. If I were a part of this MINI click, I'd disregard you as part of the fan club. The handful of people who post to this forum are seriously in need of some good human friendship to redirect their focus to more important matters in life than a lousy couple grand. I wish you all the best. For those who do business with Niello keep your American Pride and thumbs up! This is the one and only post I will take the time to write. I have a family to feed. Warmest Wishes and Motor Your MINI's with a smile.

Good evening Mr Niello!

Part of this community is helping or warning others of the pitfalls and pros of dealing with one dealer over another.

If I were a potential MINI buyer in the States, I'd want to know who are the good guys and who sre the bad guys. But obviously you have your own agenda as to why a bad dealer should not be named and shamed - and that's not being openminded.

Anyway, MINI is a way of life.

[lotatoys]

Quote: Originally Posted by dietcokeplease

Good evening Mr Niello!

Part of this community is helping or warning others of the pitfalls and pros of dealing with one dealer over another.

If I were a potential MINI buyer in the States, I'd want to know who are the good guys and who sre the bad guys. But obviously you have your own agenda as to why a bad dealer should not be named and shamed - and that's not being openminded.

Anyway, MINI is a way of life.

Ditto! I wouldn't be surprised if "opnminded" were one of the Niello family. That's what happens when someone gets as desperate as they appear to be.
It didn't take long to see through Sasa's initial disguise as a "concerned and informed reader", later blowing her own cover by referring to her dedication to providing me great service. The fact that Sasa registered just after my complaints to MINI USA shows how well connected the Niello engine is to the readers of MINI2 and customer service.
And now with "opnminded" popping in (notince the registration date) defending Niello, it's apparently another use of disinformation and damage control. But hey, that's just my socialist opinion.

[mixdman]

"For those who do business with Niello keep your American Pride and thumbs up!"

What is that all about? I've never read such nonsense. It must come directly from the desk of Rick!

[mixdman]

This Niello post must not die! People really need to read the whole thread to see how bad this dealer is. MINI USA does not seem to care, but informed consumers should.
Niello sells BMW, VW, Porsche, Landrover, Infiniti, Acura and Audi and gouges, misrepresents, and poorly services the customer. Too bad Rick Niello and family have so much power in Sacramento. Some day the empire will crash... I can't wait.

[mixdman]

Rick Niello is a crook. If you want a MINI right away and want to pay extra to be shafted, buy from Niello. The same goes for a VW, a Porsche, a BMW.....all Niello brands.

[WillWander]

I guess I read this posting a bit late, but anyway,,,,, I ordered my Mini from Niello in June 2003, they quickly gave me my VIN and a month later delivered my car. My experience with Niello was pleasant, and I am very happy with the Mini, of course! I'd say any start-up bugs with this dealer have ironed out! So far, for me, Niello has been great.

[WillWander]

Whoa... okay, so I admit I'm new here.... and I should have read all 16+ pages of this thread before my last post. It is evident to me that there is more going on here than just a customer unhappy with their service at Niello..... like there are interests involved other than just "information". Anyway, I live over 350 miles away from Sac and I did my research for two months before selecting Niello. I looked into dealers from all over Northern Calif.,Oregon, and Nevada, and compared every factor involved in my purchasing this car including $$ over MSRP, destination charges, speed of delivery, location with respect to where I live, service scheduling wait times, etc. I went all-out 'cause I had the time. I even looked up information on individuals through license information issued by the BAR! Look, I am not an employee of, or related to, nor a personal friend of anyone from Niello, so I have no vested interest in giving some bogus testimony about my experience there. Sure, I spent the $995 for the protection package understanding that it was over the MSRP price. Niello wasn't trying to "rape" me....I already knew that some dealers don't charge this money. They made me aware of this extra charge from the beginning and nobody was holding a gun to my head forcing me to buy from them. The $995 was reasonable for me, even though I knew that it had just as much to do with "profits" than with "protection". (They're trying to run a business, afterall). They even have you sign a little paper that quotes the overall price of the car before they order it. I COULD have gone somewhere else, but I didn't..... They had the car ready in less than a month, just the way I ordered it, with less than 5 miles on the odometer, and I payed the agreed upon price. They even filled the tank with premium for me before I left.
So, where's the big surprise? I understand getting a bad "vibe" from a dealer. So, drop it and go somewhere else. I can understand if you think I was stupid for paying $$ over MSRP when I could have gone somewhere else, but the price was reasonable for me, AND I got exactly what I wanted. Why so down on Niello? They can charge whatever the heck they want for a car. Walk out if you don't like it. I bought from Niello, and I got my moneys worth. No tricks. 'Nuff said.

[SharkReef]

Quote: Originally Posted by WillWander

Whoa... okay, so I admit I'm new here.... and I should have read all 16+ pages of this thread before my last post. It is evident to me that there is more going on here than just a customer unhappy with their service at Niello..... like there are interests involved other than just "information". Anyway, I live over 350 miles away from Sac and I did my research for two months before selecting Niello. I looked into dealers from all over Northern Calif.,Oregon, and Nevada, and compared every factor involved in my purchasing this car including $$ over MSRP, destination charges, speed of delivery, location with respect to where I live, service scheduling wait times, etc. I went all-out 'cause I had the time. I even looked up information on individuals through license information issued by the BAR! Look, I am not an employee of, or related to, nor a personal friend of anyone from Niello, so I have no vested interest in giving some bogus testimony about my experience there. Sure, I spent the $995 for the protection package understanding that it was over the MSRP price. Niello wasn't trying to "rape" me....I already knew that some dealers don't charge this money. They made me aware of this extra charge from the beginning and nobody was holding a gun to my head forcing me to buy from them. The $995 was reasonable for me, even though I knew that it had just as much to do with "profits" than with "protection". (They're trying to run a business, afterall). They even have you sign a little paper that quotes the overall price of the car before they order it. I COULD have gone somewhere else, but I didn't..... They had the car ready in less than a month, just the way I ordered it, with less than 5 miles on the odometer, and I payed the agreed upon price. They even filled the tank with premium for me before I left.
So, where's the big surprise? I understand getting a bad "vibe" from a dealer. So, drop it and go somewhere else. I can understand if you think I was stupid for paying $$ over MSRP when I could have gone somewhere else, but the price was reasonable for me, AND I got exactly what I wanted. Why so down on Niello? They can charge whatever the heck they want for a car. Walk out if you don't like it. I bought from Niello, and I got my moneys worth. No tricks. 'Nuff said.

WillWander,

Glad to see someone else that has had a pleasant experience with Niello. I will be picking my car up within a week and I too have nothing bad to say about them. No one forced me to go to Niello, and like you this was going to be the best place for me to get my new Mini. I completely agree with your last post. Happy Motoring!!!!

[mixdman]

You have paid more than "just $995" for a product you don't need. You all must not be very educated at car buying. Niello does not sell at MSRP, Niello does not take "orders" for cars. I'd suggest you view this site before you buy a car the next time
http://www.carbuyingtips.com/

Niello is unfair in it's business practices and they have not "ironed out" anything. You'll just pay anything it takes to get a car you want. FOOLISH!

[SharkReef]

Quote: Originally Posted by mixdman

Niello does not take "orders" for cars.

I am not trying to flame you or start a fight in any way. But...I did order my car!!! I built it on the MiniUSA.com site sent my build over to the dealership they ordered it and I got my production # the next day. I have tracked my car online at the Owner's Lounge and WW Cargo site from the start. I even changed something before it got scheduled for production with no problems at all. If that's not ordering a car, I don't know what is!!!

[naparish]

Quote: Originally Posted by mixdman

Niello is unfair in it's business practices and they have not "ironed out" anything. You'll just pay anything it takes to get a car you want. FOOLISH!

If you're saying its "foolish" to pay over MSRP for a car, then you're saying that 90% [this is a SWAG] of the MINI owners in California are foolish. All but two of the California dealers require you to pay over MSRP if you want a Cooper or an MCS, so Niello is right in line with the rest of them. Admittedly, some of the dealers may be more straightforward in simply asking for extra dollars without anything in return, but Niello is clearly not alone in taking the market for what they can get. Personally, I couldn't deal with paying a markup, and bought mine from out of state, but to each his/her own!

[Sejanus]

Mixdman, lord knows I'm no fan of Niello's sales practices but that's no reason to put down others who choose to do business with them. Lets try and keep it civil.
As for the no order policy, that does seemed to have finally changed. Far too late in my opinion, but it is still a positive change.

[WillWander]

...I ORDERED my car also, I had the Vin# before the car was built, changed my mind on options twice, and was delivered exactly what I ordered. What's up, mixdman? You're telling us that we don't know what we're doing? You need to explain yourself better. Be careful, there are plenty of people here who, up to this point, for plausible reasons, have been very satisfied with Niello, so make your point. Again, I can understand if you had a bad experience, and we're willing to read your complaints and consider what you're saying. But, if you just start insulting people you're going to be ignored. I understand the fact that I paid over MSRP...Okay, okay, so you think I'm crazy. Is there any plausible reasons why Niello is at fault....are you in competition perhaps?

Cheers SharkReef! - You're gonna love your new car!

[NEMINI]

I just wish everyone would stop buying from any dealer who price gouges ... it's the only way to stop this very unprofessional practice.

[tavis1]

I believe its your money and you can spend it any way you want and I hope the car brings you pure joy. Me on other hand can not see spending over MSRP. To me its like going to Micky D's for a combo meal expecting to pay $4.50 and them telling me it will be $8.00. You can never get the money back when you sell it and God forbid it gets totaled you won't get it back from the insurance company unless you buy gap insurance. Just my thoughts and hope you enjoy your MINI
Tavis1

[WillWander]

Okay, That makes more sense. I think calling these practices "criminal" is a bit strong, but I understand your point that if less people were willing to pay over MSRP, then perhaps Niello would have less business. We can go to the Dodge dealer during "Truck Month" and complain about paying MSRP! Who sets MSRP anyway? And, why aren't we complaining about that?! From my short experience at Niello, it seemed they couldn't keep the cars stocked on hand long enough to show them off. Schucks, somebody tried to convince the dealer to sell them MY Mini right in front of me when I was there to pick her up! Hey, let's open a new Mini dealership in Sac! If people are waiting in line to buy cars, we may try to increase the profit margin a bit.....Whoops! Ah, capitalism! I'm curious, besides Mini, is there history concerning the owners of Niello?... it seems like some local Sac folks are rather steamed at these people! This is hard for someone from outta town (like me) to understand when he's been treated so well... and I admit one tends to loyalty where the place where you first set eyes on your joy-wheels is concerned. So far, all I've heard is that they're "unethical crooks" for "forcing" people to pay over MSRP.....I get that, but there's GOT to be something else afoot? Anyway, I'm not trying to invalidate any feelings against Niello, I just seek knowledge.....

[Sejanus]

Quote: Originally Posted by WillWander

so far, all I've heard is that they're "unethical crooks" for "forcing" people to pay over MSRP.....I get that, but there's GOT to be something else afoot? Anyway, I'm not trying to invalidate any feelings against Niello, I just seek knowledge.....

Well I don't know if you want to invest the time, but if you go back and read through the thread you'll get some sense of the history of growing disatisfaction for a number of reasons.

[olddad]

Hey Will, our unhappy experiences with our "local" dealer stem from their practices in early 02. In a nutshell, Neillo

1. Got us on a list to buy like the other dealers, then threw away the list. Getting on another list held up getting our cars for about 6 months.

2. Tacked on $3000 "additional dealer markup", mandatory $300 window etching (not needed), mandatory $1000 wax job and scotchguard spritz.

3. Would not spec cars off our printout from the MINI Build Your Car on the MINI web site, and would only sell cars they speced themselves.

4. Has apparently changed some practices as the newness of the MINI has worn off and market conditions forced the changes.

Those of us who followed the New MINI from first BMW rumors through final production and sale in UK in 01 were very dissappointed with our first experience trying to buy the cars from our local Sac dealer. We will always remember the crappy time at Neillo as well as the great relations with MINI of Murray, Portland, Eastbay, and all over the east coast. My "local" dealer for everything MINI is now Portland.