I picked up my Cooper S last Tuesday PM. Since I bought it from a local California Dealer, it had $3,500 in Junk fees tacked on to the price but they call it a "value package." When asked about what was included in the value package, they told me it includes the premier service - (an extended warranty & free car washes & rental car during service) along with shipping from an out-of-state dealership (I have to pay their shipping costs so they can make a profit). Also included in this junk fee was a $375 down-the-middle bonnet stripe – yippy! Well, this $375 bonnet stripe is a POS that was cheaply applied and is already peeling off! I am going back to the dealer Monday to have them fix it. Let's see how premium the $3,500 premium service value package really is! The more I think about the way California dealerships manipulate supply and demand, the more the word "antitrust" comes to mind.

 

Just curious - why did you buy it there? You probably could have ordered it for MSRP at a number of dealers throughout the country, gotten it just as soon, flew there, and had a nice drive home for a lot less than $3500...

 

I wish I had the luxury of taking a week off because driving cross country would be a blast. But I just don't have the time to shop around and doing so would cost me more than the extra I paid. I really don't have a right to complain because my impatience got the best of me.

 

What's done is done, but for other readers who are wanting a car NOW but don't want to deal with paying too much for the mandatory addons, and don't have the time to take a day or two off to drive it home.... you can have the car DELIVERED for not much.... for less than the cost of your bonnet stripes a dealer can arrange to have the car professionally transported to your dealer.

I know MINI of Nashville would be willing to help arrange transport, and they are at MSRP with no addons. Being a major airline hub, we are fairly cheap to fly into and they provide a shuttle to pick you up. Ask nice and they might even throw in a case of beer...

In any case, enjoy your car!

 

I agree. It was my stupidity for paying so much. It was just hard to take off work, I had sold my other car with no transportation, and my credit union wouldn't finance out of state. When I saw the exact car I want on the lot I went for it. In retrospect, I could have had a JCW for the same money. But I love my MINI regardless.

 

I guess all I would suggest is that you take photos of the shoddy work first as proof. Sounds like those of us outside of CA are pretty lucky!

 

my dealer also charged a similar fee, for rentals and carwashes that I don't need or want. I tried to argue, but to no avail. Apparently this fee is tacked on to any vehicle sold from their lot, be it Jag, BMW, Lexus or VW. I bit the bullet and succumbed to the fee, however mine was only $350.

I also had my dealership place a center running bonnet and boot stripe ordered from Cooper Flags. They charged nearly $200 to put it on and did a very shoddy job. The stripe is cut unevenly in several places, and rather than removing the badges to place the stripe, they tried to cut the stripe to the shape of the emblem and so there is this terrible looking cut-out where the MINI logos are, front and back. I was furious, but they made me sign a waiver stating that they aren't responsible for damage to my car or the stripe during the application. I assume that means they also don't feel responsible for a decent application job.

I ended up ordering another section of the stripe from Cooper Flags and will take it to an independent decal guy and ask him to fix the messed up areas around the logos. Total disappointment, but then again what could I do- they're the only dealership for miles and they know it. That's how they can get away with such crap.

 

I signed a bunch of papers and I hope that I didn't sign a similar one - they didn't give me copies of everything that I signed. The stripes were put on the same way - cut unevenly, around the badges and half-assed - a really shoddy job. I picked up my MINI at 9:00 pm - it was dark and I didn't have a chance for a through inspection. If they think I am going to accept it this way, they are insane.

 

Man do I feel for you guys in California getting ripped off left and right. To anyone out there reading this who hasn't already been trapped by this cr%p and are locked into a deposit....go on this site and find any number of great dealers who will charge you MSRP, ship it for a reasonable price and you'll get your MINI in less than 3-4 months...maybe less if they have what you want in stock. The fly and drive option is also a great adventure if you have the time.

Now, after writing all that, I know that those of us on the East coast might not be too happy if our dealers suddenly get their allotments sold out from out of town buyers. MINI should have prevented dealers who signed on as part of the early dealer group from doing this price gouging. The bad will created by these few dealers who are screwing folks over temporary supply and demand problems hurts the whole brand image of MINI. It won't be like this forever though and bad service and sales practices will invariably come back to haunt them...if there's any justice in the world!

 

>> In retrospect, I could have had a JCW for the same money.

Don't mean to make you feel worse, but you're right. And you would have paid 0% sales tax on the jcw. Mine's arriving next week, 7 weeks after ordering.

(And if you need to sell a used Cooper before your new car arrives, CA rocks!!)

 

It is too bad your first experience with the dealer and MINI was a bad one. Don't worry, as the miles grow, the memories will fade. In my personal opinion, I would remove the stripe altogether. It will only serve to remind you of the bad experience every day you look at it.
Just curious, does the 3500 add on mean you have money at the dealer for additional items, like driving lamps?

 

I did exactly that yesterday. I removed the single bonnet stripe, which I was not crazy about, and had the classic double bonnet stripes put on. They look much better IMHO. I however left the single stripe going down the back because I really like the look of it. As far as the markup goes, Crevier has what they call a "value package." It is their way of making you feel like you get something for the crazy markup they charge - a mint on the pillow. It includes various things, typically a clear bra, floormats, bonnet stripes, nd an extended warranty. Since mine was shipped from another dealer, they didn't give me the clear bra and said that "shipping charges" was part of the package. Gee, thanks. Overall, I am very happy with the car. Kirk, the salesperson that handled my transaction, was a good guy and was working within the parimeters set by the dealer policies.