My daughter is TRYING to purchase a Mini One from a BMW agent, but she has had to do ALL the chasing. Any one else had similar problems with BMW/Mini franchise????
Their main interest appears to be BMW Corporate and a mini sale is of little interest - trying to find an email address so we can deal with BMW HQ direct any one out there have a contact???
K2
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Old Oiler. - If nothing else I think you ought to write to BMW(GB) Ltd and express your concerns to their Customer Services Dept, about the lax attitude you have received from your local main dealer.
The address is :-
BMW (GB) Ltd
Ellesfield Avenue
Bracknell
Berks RG12 8TA
Tel 01344 426565
There is no Email address and their Regional Customer Service Manager is called Bramwell Waring.
Hope this will be of help.
Dude.
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Can't speak for the Mini - but I agree that they are mainly interested in corporate sales. A private buyer of one of their up-market models (7-series) is treated no better than your daughter (I speak from personal experience). The few times I went in to have it serviced it was blatantly obvious that the company car owners were considered more important.
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There few private buyers of new executive barges. Most rich people have worked out the value of money and are not going to throw it down the drain on huge depreciation on a new car. Hence most barges are sold on leases. Garage knows it, so you get the situation you are in.
Re new Minis, its simple really. They can sell more than they make. Hence the salesman gets little commision on a mini. In his mind, why should he spend time on something that walks out the showroom on its own and gives him little reward when he could be spending time on something that nets him a big bonus.
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Many thanks for your help will contact BMW and let you know what happens.
K2
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..but she has had to do ALL the chasing. ..>>
Simple. Laws of supply and demand. Complain as much as you like, but they have enough waiting buyers not to *really* care about your complaint. The Dealer also knows that MINI buyers who buy the all-inclusive sericing package are not going to bring in much income later.
Having had a taster of their attitude, you can decide whether you still want a MINI or buy something else. Some while back, there was the story told here of the guy who wanted to buy a top of the range £100,000 fully loaded Merc S600. He was treated like the sale to him did not matter - but he still went ahead and bought it. It seems most MINI buyers are doing the same.
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Well and truly with you here eMBe - if I get shoddy service at a garage (or anywhere else for that matter), that's the last time they'll see me crossing their threshold or parting with money in their direction. My question is, if you don't like the attitude or way you're treated, why not vote with your feet.
I can only think for garages such as BMW that have enjoyed such a lengthy "honeymoon" period and have many eager buyers, it's almost a game to see how nonchalant or failing that rude they can be before a customer really will not bother coming back.
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Typical dealer behaviour that's even more annoying as you climb the prestigious brand tree.
BMW's corporate attitude was summed up with the Rover fiasco back in 2000.
Rant over
Charles
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Choose the colour,choose the options,go into the BMW/MINI dealers and place your order with your deposit.What is so difficult about that?
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BMW dealers aren't accustomed to having to sell cars - simple as that. There's really nothing to complain about. My father finally traded in his ageing Saab 9000 a few weeks back, and was seriously considering the new 5 series and E-class.
The lack of interest displayed by the BMW and Mercedes dealerships was (as well as the £8k premium similarly fast and well equipped Beemers/Mercs would have demanded) all the excuse he needed to buy one the first 2004 model-year 9-5 Aeros. A highly amusing car it is too. The Saab dealer was gagging to do a deal from the off, because if your product isn't class-leading you have to offer other inducements.
The basic Mini combines fashion-object status with high class engineering and a value price tag. So the story's the same; to paraphrase a call-centre waiting message, `Your business is not important to us'.
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HJ's last auction report (17 Oct 03) has two second hand MINIs which sold for apparently quite high prices.
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Well, it does not appear difficult at all, but when you are advised with one delivery date which is subsequently changed to a earlier date (which they will update you of course)then to find that the car has been sitting at the garage for a week!!.
Any one know why we still pay for a pre delivery check.
I don't have one when I buy a TV or washing machine - but I have heard of some stories of cars that would fail a MOT if they were check as they come off the production line or has that all gone now?
K2
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Sorry to hear you're having problems with the dealer, but I can understand exactly what you're saying. Whilst buying mine I was staggered at the disinterest of the salesstaff in some dealers and horrified at the lack of product knowledge in many of them.
I just kept trying other dealers in the local(-ish) area until I found someone who was interested, knowledgeable and understanding. For me, that was Scotthall at Leeds (Keiron). If you're not in the Yorks area, let me know where you are and I'll have an ask around for a helpful dealer in your neck of the woods.
FWIW, it really was worth all the research and hassle as I've got, as HJ accurately described, "The most fun car there is".
--
Lee
MINI adventure in progress
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Thanks Citroenian,
We are down in Wiltshire and so are limited to two dealerships that deal with the Mini And I'm sure if my daughter had not checked up on the various web sites she would have been charged extra for the "standard" bits - which in its self is a nightmare as it was she produced her Mini build spec, printed it out c/w costs and gave this to the dealer, who was not aware of some of the "freebee's" (so much for product knowlege)
K2
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Before Mrs Vansboy decided on her Mx5, we visited the Mini/BMW dealership in Stevenage.
The all female sales staff were VERY clued up on their product & most helpful.Lots of brochures & open cars. No silly, long delays, if you wanted one, either.
Contrast this to the inter-connected BMW showroom, un-attentive salesMEN, not really interested in letting us loose on any of their, row upon row, of silver cars!
Even the service customers sitting silently drinking complimentary coffee & watching the giant plasma screen tv, looked miserable.
Probably just thinking of how hard the credit card was going to be hit!!
VB
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