[Phish]

I just got off the phone with Baron MINI here in KC. They sold both of their demo S's to customers. Now they expect customers to commit their deposit by placing an order for a car they've never seen OR driven. This really angers me. I was also told that they will never (at least until the demand dies down) have an S demo or showroom car. They will continue to sell every car they receive.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but those first two cars were allocated to each dealer as a showroom and demo car respectively..

The entire experience of buying this car is really beginning to turn me away from the MINI. If service before the sale is this crappy, I can't imagine what service after the sale is going to be like. "Engine won't start? Ok, bring it in, we'll see if can get to it by the middle of next month." Maybe I should just get my deposit refunded.

Are there any dealers near me (like St. Louis or Denver) that have S's that I can at least look at?

Man, I'm ****ed.

[Kinster]

You should complain to MINI USA

[Direwolf]

Maybe bmwmini2000 can give you a ride, since it sounds like he bought one of Baron's demos. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Phish]

yeah.. like he's going to let the 160 S customers on Barons list step up and trash his car.

[stanMINI]

I tend to agree with Phish. I took a day off work and made a special trip to KC to drive a MINI. I am waiting for the S and wanted to drive one so I can decide if I want to wait for it or buy something else. I did get to see a Dark Silver one that was sold and waiting for delivery, but did not get to sit in or drive one. That is annoying.

[MGB Boy]

That would really cheese me off if that were my dealer. A "no test drives" policy on a $20K vehicle is unacceptable. I don't think my dealer plan on selling thiers, it's a portable billboard...

[Tom D]

I have written to the Baron General Manager and E-mailed MINIUSA about Barons questionable "customer service". Please consider doing likewise if you agree that what they did was inexcusable. I will not order a "pig in a poke" and cannot determine if the "S" qualifys until I have had a chance to drive it. I was initially told by Baron that when the first two "S" cars arrived, one would be kept for display and the other for test drives. I feel like I have been "violated", fill in whatever word you like there...
I'm sure you get the point, so did all of Barons potential "S" customers!!!

Tom

[kshapiro]

What Baron did was just bad business sense. The ONLY reason they would have done that was that they needed the profit on those two cars THAT badly. That in and of itself is enough reason to look elsewhere...those guys have got to be in dire financial straights. I would not have wanted to buy one of those as they were all slated to be driven as demos and later trashed. My understanding is that none of the "S"s were ever to be sold at all.

[Clutch Cargo]

In the early frenzy there are a lot of people willing to buy the car (at a premium price) before they ever see it or touch it. It is unrealistic to think that a business will forego revenue just to provide a service that won't improve sales, at least for a while.

The frenzy will pass, don't worry. In the meantime, you can drive the Cooper and get a feel for 90% of what an S is.

I think it would be bad if the dealer were lying to you, that the Ss hadn't arrived or some such. But they're telling you straight up what they're doing and why. It would also be bad if it were a ploy to get you to switch to a Cooper they happened to have in stock. If they keep this up past the frenzy phase, you should take your business elsewhere.

[tsipple]

Quote:

Originally posted by bmwmini2000
I have to agree with the customers that are upset with Baron mini. I think the two demos (I own the EB one and saw the DS one) would have given people on the list as well as potential customers a good idea of the different options available for the car. I also think it is wrong to expect people to buy a car without being able to test drive one first. I felt kind of strange paying for a car before I could drive it. The mini community is a pretty tight knit group and I dont think that the dealers playing this game are doing themselves any favors. I was also upset about being forced to buy the 762 dollar 6 disc cd changer. I had been on the list since mar17 2000 and no one said a word about having to buy extras, as a matter of fact I believe there was an article in the Kansas city star about how they wernt going to gouge people by charging over sticker for the car...whats the difference if I have to buy add ons I dont want. Anyway I will sell my mini back to Baron with the 6disc cd player for 5 grand over sticker so you guys can have a test drive!!!

Definitely not your fault, BMWMini2000, and I don't think anyone begrudges you for it. You were #1 on the list, and you bought the first Cooper S sold by your dealer. That's what you're supposed to do. And the CD changer might have been installed in any dealer demo car, to show off yet another possible option to customers -- although, as a purchaser, you should have had the choice.

I'm just surprised like everyone else that your dealer sold the two Cooper S cars they received. I thought the dealers had an agreement with BMW on that point, to maintain test drive capability at all times for both models. (I can certainly understand why BMW would want its dealers to provide this basic sales service.)

You're very fortunate indeed. Aside from some anonymous (so far) Hollywood celebrities, you're evidently one of just two "ordinary" Cooper S owners in the U.S. (How does it feel to be ordinary? ) Happy motoring!

[davehg]

While it sure bites that the dealer has no Demo S's, most people here put down deposits way in advance to buy without driving. Heck, I ponied up my $1000 advance in January last year, site unseen and resting only on the info and fact that BMW was behind the MINI. I probably won't have chance to demo the S since my dealer is out of state and the local dealer won't open for a month or so, but there is NO WAY I would change my mind after such a long wait and certainly given the demand for this car.

[Arizona Cooper S]

Kind of related, I'm on 300 on the list at the Phoenix MINI dealer, who hasn't taken any deposits yet since they're showroom won't be done till May. But the MINI rep there told me he would NOT give any test drives to anyone who didn't stay on the list with a $1000 deposit. So I'm flying out to the Las Vegas dealer on the 8th, who is more than happy to let me drive one of his S's. I'm 40th on his list. I guess the Phoenix dealer, with over 500 people on his list, figures he's got enough customers lined up to last for a couple of years that he can get an attitude.

[MINIHAHAHA]

I would not be suprised that the MINI dealer in Harford, Ct hasn't done the exact same thing. (sold all the demos and salesroom cars) Both coopers in the showroom had sold stickers on them and the S was "in for service" and could not be test driven. I did see it on the road, however, and it looked pretty sharp.

I'm pretty annoyed with them as neither hand seems to know what the other is doing. I had an appointment to drive both on the 28th and it came as a total shock to the salesmen with the person I had talked to not being there. The lists were non existent(I had been told I was 9th). Now suddenly there were many lists that could not be found. I was in the process of politely threating to tear the salesman's head off when suddenly a prespec S was offered to me. An eb with sports package and leatherette. I dumped the space cloth and cold weather package in a nanosecond and am now promised a car by late May. I am happy I have the car but ****ed at the way they tried to blow me off.

[Colorado "S"]

Quote:

Originally posted by Phish
Are there any dealers near me (like St. Louis or Denver) that have S's that I can at least look at?

Ralph Schomp MINI here in Denver has two Dark Silver Cooper S's. One is in the showroom and the second one is available for test drive (you'll need to call ahead to schedule). I test drove the Cooper last week, and yesterday was the first day for "S" test drives here in Denver, so I got one of the first test drives in that.

So if you want to travel to check it out, there is a MINI Cooper S here to test drive.

[Phish]

Quote:

Originally posted by Colorado "S"


Ralph Schomp MINI here in Denver has two Dark Silver Cooper S's.
So if you want to travel to check it out, there is a MINI Cooper S here to test drive.

Thank you very much Colorado S! I might make a roadtrip there in the near future.

[Mini Chopo "S"]

Amigos you have been slammed and I ashamed of this. I have driven the "S" twice and I love it , I even have the future accesories list avail on hand, Tom Bush Dealer here in Jacksonville, Florida are very professional. This past Sunday I saw 9 avail regular coopers and no "S". The Ice Blue "S" was not avail, but there is a Dark Silver already in the streets here in Jax. The price on the 6 cd changer is $500, lets get together and fight these guys, they are not worthy of representing MINI.

[bmwmini2000]

Im not sure where Ken got his information on the demo s models being crushed but according to bmw officials this is a silly rumor. There response to me was "It would be very expensive to demolish upwards of 200 cars valued at 23 to 25 thousand dollars" The only cars that were not meant to be sold were ones without vin numbers. Congrats on the fact that your getting your S early Ken, I hope your not subject to the same negative comments I got. Oh by the way Baron just managed to stay out of bankruptcy thanks to the profits from the two demo s models so at least I will still have a place to have mine serviced!

[kshapiro]

Quote:

Originally posted by bmwmini2000
Im not sure where Ken got his information on the demo s models being crushed but according to bmw officials this is a silly rumor. There response to me was "It would be very expensive to demolish upwards of 200 cars valued at 23 to 25 thousand dollars" The only cars that were not meant to be sold were ones without vin numbers. Congrats on the fact that your getting your S early Ken, I hope your not subject to the same negative comments I got. Oh by the way Baron just managed to stay out of bankruptcy thanks to the profits from the two demo s models so at least I will still have a place to have mine serviced!

Maybe I didn't read all your responses critically enough, but I didn't think anybody gave you negative comments (really...maybe I missed them). Folks thought you were playing a joke maybe (it was close to 4/1) because we all "knew" that the DS and EB demos the dealers received were not supposed to be sold. Hey, your dealer played by his/her own rules and you benefited...I'm happy for you...wish I had mine now. FOUR MORE WEEKS!

And yeah, I was wrong about the crusher. Can you imagine the poor saps who get these demos later on? Everybody I know who has gotten a test drive has done everything NOT recommended in the running in instructions.

[stanMINI]

I agree with Ken. I don't think anyone blames you. If someone offered me a car I wanted I would jump all over it. I am glad to hear you saved Baron. You can tell they on the edge, what with only BMW's and VW's to sell and that dump of a facility and that bad location. I just hope they can make it to December when I am supposed to get my car.

[rockymountainpenguin]

Ralph Schomp MINI..i was there last week and they let me and 2 of my buddies take a mini out for an hour...i was very suprised, tomorrow i go back with the generious funder of my soon to be car to try to convice him to BUY ME A MINI!!!!

P.S. so far its that or a WRX...who has good arguements i can pass on? i mean the wrx is cool and all...i wont complain one bit if i get it...BUT ITS A MINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!