So my new (2nd) R56 S has arrived at the dealership and I scheduled to pick it up next Tuesday. Because I am buying it in another state, I had them send me the purchase agreement so I can pick up a temporary plate to drive it home.

In looking at the agreement, I noticed the option credit was not on there, so I had sent an e-mail to my MA last night to ask about it. He told me I was not eligible for it, and now I am getting different stories from different people there.

When I first talked to the MA to order my car, the option credit was available and I asked if I was eligible for it. He told me that if the offer was still valid when the vehicle was delivered, then I would qualify. That same offer has been available for March, April, and now May, and was available before that as well. So when he called me last night, he said that the car does not qualify because it was delivered to the dealership in April but I am picking it up in May. I said that makes no sense since the offer was valid both months. After a heated debate, he said he would talk to his manager and get back to me.

So his manager calls me a little while later. He proceeds to tell me a different story that the offer is only for vehicles bought off the lot. I explined that was not what the MA had told me and told him to show me where in all of the advertisements and disclaimers that was written. He then changed his story again and said that it would only be given if it was on the purchase and sales agreement, which I explained that the MA would not do because the vehicle was being ordered and he did not know when it would be delivered so could not confirm that the offer would still be valid. I also asked why I am getting different stories from different people, which he could not answer. After much heated debate again, I told him that I would be calling Mini corporate office to discuss it and then would be contacting the Better Business Bureau. He then said that he would contact Mini corporate first to see what he could do and would get back to me.

This is all very shady business and I am becoming very unhappy with the supposed "#1 Mini Dealership in the country", and if Mini Corporate does not back me up on this, I will be losing a lot of faith in them too.

Has anyone who has ordered a car gotten the option credit or been through what I am going through? Does anyone know of any fine print that I am missing from the MiniUSA website or dealer websites or anything that says it is not available for cars that are ordered?

Whether I get the deal or not, my inclination is still to contact Mini Corporate after this to discuss how the dealership has handled things. If corporate makes the decision that I do not get it and can show me a disclaimer that explains why I don't, then so be it. I still intend on contacting them to let them know that the people at the dealership lied to me.

This is my second car from this dealership, and things have not gone well. The first car they screwed up my paperwork multiple times and then ended up redoing the credit app and I ended up with a higher rate, and they did nothing for me. I told them several times abot the cold start issue in my car, and they just finally fixed it after 2 years of complaining about it. When they finally did fix it a couple weeks ago on the car that I am now selling, they broke the hood release and when I had someone looking at it who really wanted it, they said no because I could not get the hood open so they cost me the sale.

Anyway, enough of my ranting. There is a new dealership opening near my house in July, so hopefully I will never have to deal with this one again after I pick up my car.

 

Mini of Peabody is only 41 miles from Manchester, take a drive and talk in person.

Thank goodness, Mini of Baltimore is only 15 minutes away from me. I don't think I could ever live where there isn't a local dealer for a car I own... Seems like way too much hassle.

 

They screwed you on the first MINI you purchased from them and you came back to buy a second one from them? Why? Once a dealer has proven shady, I NEVER go back to them. I would have run from this deal when they first started jerking you around. Good luck with whichever way you decide to go.

 

"Bait & Switch" is I believe the appropriate term for this. Technically I think they can do this if you let them get away with it, as I believe the fine print says something about "participating dealers". It wouldn't surprise me if the paperwork that goes to MINI / BMW and BMW Finance shows the free package and the dealership just pockets the allowance as part of their profit. I am generally not that cynical, but this all sounds very fishy. I would run, not walk away. Of course that is easier said than done as I am sure you put down a sizeable downpayment to get them to order the vehicle.

I ordered my MCS in late January and took delivery in early March. I recieved the deal in place in March which included the free Premium Package and .9% financing. No hassle, not questions asked.

Best of luck.

 

First of all: THIS SUCKS!

There's no doubt here, your dealer is screwing you. Without getting the terms in writing, there's not much you can do.

To answer your question regarding option credit for custom order Mini. Yes, I got the option credit for my Mini. I just picked it up a couple of weeks ago. I got the credit for the Premium package plus extra $500 off. To the dealer, it's actually better this way for custom order cars. They don't need to take pay interest on the loan to buy the car, insurance, storing on their lot, and etc.. Custom order cars are pretty much sold, unless you change your mind at the last minute.

The incentive programs from Mini doesn't say not valid for custom cars, AFAIK.

 

That's a shame. I know that I did not like the way my whole purchase went down, so I never went back to the dealer I bought my car from. I now drive to Rhode Island to get all of my service done.

 

Well, just got off the phone with the dealer. Like I suspected, my complaints and threats paid off and they are giving me the option credit for the Premium Package and still giving me the $500 credit they were giving me at first as they had misquoted me on something and tried to be nice and give me a credit to shut me up.

As far as getting screwed the first time, my only other option was the dealership in Boston which I actually walked out of the only time I went vowing I would never go back. That is the reason I went back to Peabody, because I knew I had a relationship with people there and could do some negotiating. I am already locked in to .9% financing too.

All looks like it will work out, but I certainly am not going to forget this and still intend on writing a strongly worded letter to Mini Corporate. Dealership in NH opens up in July, so hopefully I am done with Peabody.

 

Glad it worked out for you. Before I even ordered my car (In Mar. Delivered in April) I told them without the .9% and the option credit, they could keep the car. I got both, plus some.

 

Phew!

 

Isnt the NH dealership going to be owned by the same people who own MINI of Peabody?