[Razor]

That's a real bummer, I'd have been gutted if that had happened to me.

Like a few people have said, get them to re-order your MINI to your exact spec (and with a few extras thrown in for free perhaps ) and in the mean time try to get a loan car out of them.

I can't believe the dealer has this "Couldn't Care Less" arttitude, is that your particular sales person or their attitude overall?

I can imagine had you been spending £80,000 on a new Beamer they'd have made damn sure the spec was right before you took delivery, so I can't see why you should have to put up with it because you've ordered a MINI.

[dinger]

Quote: Originally Posted by Simon James

The 'good feeling ' will return when they start to offer me something...at the moment the sales manager is considering my requests.

So why is the sales manager considering as they should be bending over backwards to try and make up for what is a very BAD mistake which is of there own making.

I can imagine the frustration you must be feeling,but with the attitude they appear to have...I would use another dealer.

[Shamster]

Par for the course if its them. They're not far from me at all but I haven't used them for 4 years.

[No Golf Clubs at all]

I do really feel for you on this one, tell them that you reject the car. Not sure if you need to do this in writing or not.

My dealer conspired to screw my order up, only no ASC+T, worst part is that it gives me only 5 switches). I have to take some of the blame as she showed me the order and I agreed to it. D'Oh!

You will not be happy with the car unless it has what you want on it. Mine is a point in question, I still love the car but there is something niggling in me that says "should have checked the order, no ASC!!".

As for freebies, if there is no incentive then walk away, there are plenty of other dealers who do care. Just make sure that BMW/ Mini are completely appraised of the fact. They get a score sheet and if they fall below a certain level it affects the Sales peoples salaries AND the allocation of cars to that dealership. Don't miss, give the *******s hell!

[Twobit]

Oh my gosh! That's rediculus! Sorry to hear about this.

[Simon James]

Thanks for all the really kind replies and advice folks.Feels like i've had some good therapy!
Their initial reaction from the salesman was that he'd spoken to the sales manager and there was no way he could take any money off the price of the car. I said I wanted my aero kit fitted for nothing and a check roof supplied and fitted for free. He is considering this. Even if they accept this I still think I may reject the car after hearing all your advice....Overall their attitude was that the salesman who originally took the order had mysteriously "left' and I could order another car
to get the correct spec.
As razor says they should be bending over backwards to make amends but they certainly are not. I will contact BMW MINI-has anyone got a location of the HQ in the UK or a phone number?
Thanks again all.....

[PMM]

When I ordered my MINI, I thought that the order paperwork that they supplied was rather muddled and confusing.

Therefore to try to ensure that there was no mistake, I wrote to the dealer after placing the order. In the letter, I listed the specification down to the last detail, and asked that they confirm that the order they had placed matched this.

That way, if there was any problem on delivery day, I would not just be relying on their paperwork, or the word of a salesman (who might not be there any more). If you did this, and they failed to deliver the correct car, you would have a better claim for breach of contract. If I was in Simon's position, with the dealer unwilling to solve the problem, they would have received a solicitor's letter by now, pointing out the error of their ways.

I think that MINI bring some of the problems on themselves. The combination of having a very long options list, a long delivery time, and allowing customers to add (or remove) from their specification in that period is a recipe for mistakes to occur.

[mhoutman]

PMM I fully agree with you; except that MINI are not the only ones with 'long' option lists. Think about Audi, BMW, Mercedses and even VW as well. With all above brands you can change your car while ordering.

(Here in the netherlands) I allways ask a 'screendump' from the computer order. So at least I can check it myself and have some legal evidence.

[ABG]

Sorry to hear about this nightmare - it's got to be a worry for everyone waiting for their cars tomorrow.

It's hard to believe that we are spending around £20K and yet there is almost no real interest fromm most dealers in the "service" they offer buyers.

I don't know what I'm going to do if mine is screwed up when I go to collect next week - and I really hope I don't have to find out.

Good luck & keep us updated on what happens.

[Michael Caine]

I think this is really bad but based on my experience (see below) i think you should get the car they have supplied and re-order.

I ordered a MCS which i should be taking delivery of on the 10th but when i called last week to find out when the delivery was they noticed a mistake. They had ordered Blue/black interior instead of all black. I sais it was unacceptable even though they did drive me round other local dealers to show me the interior colours as they didnt have one in the showroom.

Anyway, they offered that i take delivery of the car with the blue interior and that they would re-order me one to my exact spec which they said they would get in 4 weeks. I could then swap the cars when the 2nd car was was in!

I thought that was excellent idea but in the end i settled for the the blue interior as i quite like it now and some mini luggage as a gesture of goodwill.

I think based on this you should get the same offer as me atleast as yours is a sunroof which is more of a mistake than interior colours and atleast my dealer noticed the error before i took delivery.

If you want print this post off to show them and i can provide you my dealers name as proof if you like

Good luck

[LMB]

My car was actually ordered from the wrong spec sheet as well. Luckily all that was different was that I'd dropped the Chrome Mirrors - since I didn't order them I ended up getting them for free.

[No Golf Clubs at all]

I actually hoped that they would screw the order up so I could reject the car!! I know this sounds mental but I wanted ASC on the car and was part to blame for why it didn't come on it. So I wanted there to be something wrong, then I could re order one to the right spec. Unfortunately the car came perfect as ordered.

But don't settle for anything other than your exact preference, you have to live with the car for a long time (unless you are really posh) and like me will keep wondering what if.....

[Michael Caine]

Quote: Originally Posted by smspjs

Unless of course you end up with something better than yer preference! There are options that can be retrofitted that may swing the deal ( Like leather )

My dealer told me that leather couldnt be reto-fitted??

[Dave]

Get what you really want. Don't get free stuff to make up for it - you know what you want and after the satisfaction of getting something thrown in on the deal wears off you'll be wondering what ever happened.

Dave

[Simon James]

Ok folks, here's the update as of Friday afternoon.....

After calling the branch I ordered the car from (Watford) endlessly and
being fobbed of with "in a meeting " or the pnone just ringing I drove to
the main office (Borehamwood) to see the sales manager who also had not
retured my calls.
He said he could not meet my demands, ie: supply & fit check roof, and fit
aero kit for free as they would, " make nothing on the car" but would do one
or the other. The other option was just to order a new car which they could
get by October 7th.
I was not happy with this and re ordered the car on one of their 3 remaining
slots for this months allocation. I had phoned around several other dealers
who all said they could not supply a car until mid November.
The incentive to re order was that he would fit the aero for nothing on the
re-ordered car.
However, this is still not set in stone as he has to check with a senior
manager on Tuesday.
After reading all the good advice posted, for the sake of 4-5 weeks wait, I
decided to hang on for the car I really wanted in the first place.
I will still be asking for a loan car on Tuesday- and would appreciate the
details from Michael Caine-can you PM me the details of your dealer? That
would be much appreciated.
The sales manager almost went white when I told him I'd contacted BMW MINI
so I may follow up this line as well.....let you know how it pans out....

[ABG]

Simon,
I know EXACTLY how you feel. I've just had a call from the garage to say... THEY HAVEN' T FITTED THE SUNROOF!!!!!!

I can't believe it - I was reading your problems and sympathysing and now I'm living it!

I've been offered money back and the car delivered but I'm gutted. My wifes company car goes back next week and we need two cars. The "I'll take it until we get the right one delivered later in the year" option suggested above was a non-starter.

So - the wait isn't just the worst bit - this could happen to you (especially if you ordered a sunroof!)

I'm off to have a sulk

[dietcokeplease]

Simon you should have asked for a bit more and then settled on what you wanted. If you wanted the check roof and aero kit, then you should have added spotlights too. Then throw away the spotlights in the negotiation. And you should have spoken to the dealer principal.

Quote: Originally Posted by Simon James

He said he could not meet my demands, ie: supply & fit check roof, and fit aero kit for free as they would, " make nothing on the car" but would do one or the other.

Typical Sales Manager - complete waste of oxygen. I've worked in Service Industries before and I'd bend over backward to help a customer if it was our mistake - even if we made zero profit or a small loss.

[Rakey]

Just been reading all of this, wow, do feel for you all that have issues with the wrong cars arriving.

Not to gloat, but just so anyone reading the thread knows that this is not true to every order, I got the spec I ordered, the only issue I had was the tax disc was a month short, so I got a free fill up instead. Oh and I have a battery issue which is to be re-solved shortly, well when I get time to srop it in there.

Oh yes and it was Watford, I have found all the sales staff there totally useless and un-interested, well that is apart from Chris, so if you do go there ask for him, unless he is the guy that has left.

Hope it all gets resolved for you.

[Simon James]

AGB- Oh no! Not another one. I really feel for you. I am at least pleased that they offered you money off the car, although I know it's no consolation for such a large error. I think that if their attitude is just to shrug and suggest you order another car, in truth there's no t much you can do....

dietcoke- you are right I should have added a truck load more and then settled on the two options I wanted. Already had the spots on though(!)

Rakey- I am sure they are not all bad, it's just that customer satisfaction doesn't seem to be top priority. Martin King was the name of the useless disappearing salesman.

I am speaking to them again tomorrow- re the free fitting of the aero kit on the new car and will also ask for a loan car as suggested. After that it's serious communication with BMW MINI and Scotthall head office.
Should be out in the sunshine driving my new Cooper today, but still hanging in there......

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by Simon James

AGB- Oh no! Not another one. I really feel for you. I am at least pleased that they offered you money off the car, although I know it's no consolation for such a large error. I think that if their attitude is just to shrug and suggest you order another car, in truth there's no t much you can do....

dietcoke- you are right I should have added a truck load more and then settled on the two options I wanted. Already had the spots on though(!)

Rakey- I am sure they are not all bad, it's just that customer satisfaction doesn't seem to be top priority. Martin King was the name of the useless disappearing salesman.

I am speaking to them again tomorrow- re the free fitting of the aero kit on the new car and will also ask for a loan car as suggested. After that it's serious communication with BMW MINI and Scotthall head office.
Should be out in the sunshine driving my new Cooper today, but still hanging in there......

Well keep us all informed, it does feel alot of the time with these dealers that even if you spend 20k with them, its not enough to get service you deserve. I think it is a serious issue that BMW needs to address, as no matter how much we love these cars and want them, there will come a point that it just is not going to happen as the dealers don't know how much feeling goes into a Mini.

Hope it all gets sorted, but make sure you are totally 100% happy and not compromsing. Maybe you should arrange a Flash Mob or Sit in by fellow mini owners to help get across your point to them!