[agibbsdesign]

After today, I am not sure which one sucks more. Let me fill you in on my situation: 05 Copper Convertible bought month and a half ago @ Long Beach MINI. Started showing roof wear days after. Month after, very visible white spots all over top.

Long Beach MINI:

Low pressure sale, paid MSRP plus a free iPod adapter. Not too bad. Service: sucks. Took my cooper in to have the roof wear checked out, Service manager said that it was completely normal, and there were no problems with my car. (I guess white marks all over the top is no problem?). I asked if he was going to help me with it at all, he said "I will not help you." They were completely rude and I had drove nearly 40 miles there, to have to turn right back around after being refused service. Great... Took it to Crevier for a second opinion.

Crevier MINI:

Made an appointment for later that week and came in. Service advisor Allison was great. Saw the wear, and said she would have a tech look at it. Dropped off by shuttle service at work. Later that afternoon I get a call from Allison and she said that the top would be replaced, and that they have ordered the parts. I didnt even have to ask. She did not inform me that the shuttle doesnt do pickups after 4:00, so I was stranded at work. I had to wait until on of the service advisors to pick me up. Little mistake, but they fixed it, no big deal. At least they are replacing my top. "Go Crevier!" I thought.

Today: I brought my car in this morning for the top to be replaced. They said it may or may not take longer than 1 day. I asked that if it does take longer than today, can I get a loaner later in the afternoon so that I wouldnt be stuck without a car, she said yes. So I get a call later in the afternoon from Allison, she said that my car wont be ready today, and I wont get a loaner because I didnt buy my car from there. ($5000 markup would you?) So I explained that I would be left stranded (again) without a car, and that it was not acceptible. She called me back, and offered to pay for a rental. Fine I said, at least I could get home from work and back in the morning.

So the rental place picks me up and takes me to their office. Well they find out im under 21 so they cant rent me a car unless they can talk to my insurance to verify, no big deal I though. Well, they couldnt get ahold of my insurance, and therefore no car. So there I was, stuck at a rental car place nearly 30 miles from my home. Called Crevier and explained my problem. I was quite frustrated at this point.

They did not offer to have somebody pick me up, basically they said I was screwed. I asked them if I could find a ride over to the dealer, would they give me a loaner so I could at least get home. They said no because I am under 21. (Im 20). After arguing and arguing with the service manager (who kept yelling at the car rental place), I told him that I was on my way over to the dealership to work this out and either A. I want a loaner or something so I could get home, or B. I wanted my car, unfinished if it was. Why should I be so badly inconvienced and left stranded? They told me they would give me a loaner, and they didnt, and now I was stranded in an unfamilar city with close to no options.

He told me that he wouldnt give me either A or B. He explained that my car wasnt finished and that he could not release it, and that they could no give me a loaner because of my age. After a few more minutes of aguing my point, he said what do you want, to take you car with an unfinished top? He didnt think I would say yes but I did, I had no other choice.

I got to the dealership and saw my cooper waiting for me at the front door, ready to go. Top on and looking good. Allison had apologized to me, and told me not to operate the top because they had just "put it back on" and that it was not finished. So after that gigantic waste of time (I was seriously stranded for 2 hours until my sister could pick me up), I have to take it back in the morning for them to finished. Allison promised that I would get a rental car tomorrow, do they not understand, I dont want a rental car, i want MY car. It SHOULD have been fixed the first time at Long Beach but it wasnt. You would think that buying a BMW product and servicing it at a BMW center you would get good service? I guess not.

What should I do about all of this?

I will keep you updated after I take my car in again tomorrow.

[StitchMINI]

I don't getcha IMO--you just professed Crevier had good service in another thread and here you are crying about them in this one? At least they agreed to service you...

[agibbsdesign]

They have good service to my car, but bad customer service, at least in my experience. I am 100% satisfied with the service they have done with my car, I have no complaints about that.

[StitchMINI]

Sorry to hear about the bad C/S... I got mine there and was treated great. It was weird when I went to go pick up my car, I only had dealt with one MA but yet every MA at Crevier seemed to know who I was & was congratulating me on the new purchase. Made me felt very special!

[CMC]

I can't get over Crevier's $6k markup on Mini's. I was there today and I just about hard a heart attack when the salesman told me that... Irvine Mini told me they "only" mark 'em up $2k..

Anyway, my wife has a Z4 from Crevier. They only give loaners to people who buy from Crevier, but they did botch the situation by 1) not verifying where you bought your car from and 2) by telling you they'd give you a rental and then leaving you high and dry. They really should have sent someone to pick you up.

About Long Beach Mini, though... did they order your car or was it on the lot? Because I'd love to pay MSRP and get a free ipod adapter on the Cooper S I'm lookin' to buy.

[waterway4]

I returned to Crevier to buy a t-shirt at least 8 weeks after taking delivery on my car. I was greeted by name by an MA who I don't ever remember meeting.

The infamous limp mode hit and I had to be towed to Crevier. Good service, good communication, free loaner -- though I did buy my MINI at Crevier and I'm well over 21.

And I know for sure -- MSRP works at Crevier. Ask nicely.

what's the trick to getting crevier to go MSRP? I called today, asked nicely, and the best the guy would say was "I can ask my boss to order you one close to MSRP" but no MSRP. =(

I know crevier usually doesnt give loaner cars to people who didn't buy from them....

[agibbsdesign]

Quote: Originally Posted by CMC

About Long Beach Mini, though... did they order your car or was it on the lot? Because I'd love to pay MSRP and get a free ipod adapter on the Cooper S I'm lookin' to buy.

I was lucky, I found it on the lot. You can order @ msrp but I hear the wait is crazy.

Update, I picked up my cooper from Crevier today with a brand new top, it looks great, and that alone makes it worthwile. All my frustration went away as soon as I put the top down and went motoring.

[waterway4]

[quote=candiecat]what's the trick to getting crevier to go MSRP? I called today, asked nicely, and the best the guy would say was "I can ask my boss to order you one close to MSRP" but no MSRP. =(


I have found the being very calm, knowing exactly what you want and being knowledgeable about your options (other dealers) is helpful. Let them know nonchalantly that you have done your homework. As you're talking with the MA or Sales Manager, say things like ...

"I was at Long Beach -- I know they'll do sticker, but I'd rather buy here. You're much closer to my house."

"The dealer in Salt Lake has almost my exact spec on his lot and he said he would sell at window, but if at all possible, I want to get my new car serviced where I buy it."

"Randy at Irvine will do MSRP on my order but my brother bought a BMW there and had a problems with the service department. "

It's important too to be certain your MA knows you are ready to buy RIGHT NOW. Be ready to walk away calmly if they won't do your deal. "Sorry, I'd like to do the deal TODAY, but I just won't pay that. Call me if you change your mind."

hmm NICE! I think i'll try that later today... I already have a MINI on order with Long Beach but I do prefer to buy where I want to get my car serviced.

I wonder how Irvine MINI's service is?

[CMC]

I checked with South Bay and they too will sell at sticker. I'm going to try to talk Irvine into it, because getting them to come off $2k has to be easier than getting Crevier to come off $6k. Irvine Mini is closer to my house, but Crevier is very close to my office. South Bay is a loooong way, but I'd do it to save the coin.

[StitchMINI]

I know my best friend's mom got a MCS at msrp @ Crevier in July. I got my MC in August, same place but with nearly $3k markup. They were going to give me the $6k but my MA helped me out.

[TCD8534]

I also purchased my MCC from Crevier MINI. They would not go down on there prices.
The sales person said there selling like hot cakes. The sales person was very nice. I ended up purchasing my copper $4k over MSRP. The free BMW rentals make up for it.

[StitchMINI]

Yeah, my MA said the automatics always sold so quickly when they arrived on the lot. I wanted to test drive a MCSAuto but no luck. Just wondering, who was your dealer?

[anf322]

I have the same ordeal at Irvine Mini, bad customer service, but servicing the car was good.

[EBMCS03]

I dunno what to tell you... But I had not had any problems with Long Beach MINI. They have been great. Abet there have been hickups but they've always pulled though, they put in their effort to try to fix everything, at least for me, and so far so good.

[tekt]

I would never buy a car at several thousand dollars over MSRP because of a free loaner car. A few thousand dollars ? I wouldn't buy a car that I thought would be in the shop so much that I needed thousands of dollars worth of "free loaner car time".

The purchase of the car, and the warranty related repairs are two separate things. Whatever dealer does warranty repairs will be paid by the manufacturer for any repairs performed under warranty, regardless whether they sold the car or not. They all want your warranty repairs.

Buy your car where you get the car you want at the best price you can get. Warranty repairs will gladly be performed by ANY authorized dealer.

[MLM]

Well, I don't know about Crevier but here's my second post about Long Beach Mini. Brought the car in a week ago for service and more importantly, finicky braking that has developed in the last 3 months. When slowing to about 10 mph (lets say while in neutral) the brake pedal "releases" (there is, what feels like, a gear disengaging from the system complete with a muffled crash box sound) followed by a momentary loss of deceleration...that's right, my stopping distance actually increases and the board lights up (flat tire, DCS, ABS). Allright, I've compensated my driving for this issue and had it under control. LB Mini tells me I have low pressure in one tire jinxing the system and there you have it. I share with them that I check pressure all the time because of the friggin' lights that come on 3-4 times a day. Yes, 3-4 times a day! By the 6th phone call to service that day pleading for a little more investigative tinkering they now say this braking issue is normal (so my car was defective for the first 13 months and "fixed" itself?). They challenge me to return when the lights set off which I do 12 hours later to a stunned service department. Quick diagnostic and, what..a bad wheel speed sensor! NO KIDDING! 1 hour to fix (which I had the time for YESTERDAY) and there you have it. The only good to come of it was meeting a MINI fanatic who gave the low down on mods.

[EBMCS03]

So you're saying LB MINIs torube shooting skills arnt to par... Hummm ya.. you can be right... I had to go back 4 times to get a head light working. BUT their service and coutesy of the staff makes up for it. They do put in their effort to really try to make things right. I have to give them props for that.

I know other dealers are no better. So IF all dealers suck in trouble shooting problems I rather pick and goto the one that provides good service.

So for me I'm sticking with LB MINI.