Help...........We're due to collect our MCS in a few days. We received an e-mail from MINI listing all the dealer programmed memory options we could choose (e.g. daylight running lights, automatic door locking, convenience operation etc.) to which we duly replied. We then received an e-mail from our dealer asking if we wanted the daylight running lights programmed for a charge of around $43.....not sure whether he knows about the other options we wanted programming. So, my question is.......should I be charged to have these functions activated or not ? I didn't have to pay on my last two cars for these things. I'm a little upset after dropping nearly $30k that this isn't included in the vehicle prep. (especially since I'm paying full MSRP).....am I over-reacting to this ? Do most people normally pay the dealer to have these functions activated?

 

We didn't pay on our 2002 and we didn't pay on our new 2005 either. My understanding is the first round of programming is free. Anything after that, then they charge...:smile:

Chow!

Donna

 

Donna,
Thanks for such a quick reply. I can't believe that I'm actually questioning $43 worth of charges (I feel a bit like Scrooge), but then again they tried to charge me $500 for paint sealant & rubber mats (I politely declined ).

 

LOL!! I wouldn't call it being a "Scrooge". I'd call it being smart...:smile: When it's coming out of MY pocket, I question it all...

Chow!

Donna

 

I didnt pay a thing for my 1st programming. If I were you, I wouldnt give them anymore money. But thats just me.

 

They had the nerve to try to charge you for convieniance options .

What sort of dealer is that

You should have been asked by your MA what YOU would like activated .

The convieniance options ARE YOURS , not theres to sell back to you . If as stated you require changes then ok it could be your dime ,but often as not the good service centers waive the charges.

 

I requested the daytime running lights a few weeks after I picked up my Cooper. I wasn't charged a cent, although I noticed that the service department invoiced sales about 4,300 of them to make the change! BTW, the salesperson had not explained the options to me when I picked up the car originally.

 

I think that the option was explained in the owner's manual or on some other piece of documantation that came with the car. When I took the car in for its first service and I had the dealer program mine for day-time running lights and to turn off the automatic door lock feature (which annoyed me) and they did that for free.

 

Don't feel like Scrooge, don't feel like you're being cheap, don't feel bad. It is absolutely NOT normal for a dealer to charge for programming convienence options on delivery.

 

I did not pay for the reset of these options...they were set to my preference when I picked the car up, and I had to have one thing changed (DRLs were on when I wanted them off). No charge for any of it. I think your dealer is squeezing you for every cent, honestly. I watched the tech make the change--literally took him three minutes to reprogram it.

 

that's supposed to be a part of the car..thus why miniusa sends u an email asking u how u want it...next your dealership will want $85 to set your radio stations for you!!!


i'd call miniusa and ask them about this...that way you can verify if it's supposed to be complimentary or not...and if it is, they'd prolly be happy to know the price gouging this dealership is doing...

i'd take it to a different dealer and ask them to do it...i'm sure if u told them that u never got the initial programming done, they'd do it for free

 

Thanks for all your replies. I feel a lot more confident disputing the charge now

 

For what its worth I never received an e-mail from MiniUSA regarding the available programmable options. And yes, they did have my correct e-mail address as I received other updates from them regarding the car.

Oh well, I didn't need to have anything programmed/reprogrammed as the car came exactly the way I wanted it to. I am guessing they just read my mind

Peter

 

I didn't pay anything for my programed options. Think dealer is trying to rip you off. Who is the dealer? I'd be careful with future dealings with them.

 

I have had my dealer program my car several times with no charge. Each time was due to my research to find out what was available and then made the request. I believe this dealer is trying to stick it to you. Don't let them.

I have complained about the lack of a dealer prgrammable list since the day I picked up my car. Seems different dealers have different options. This makes absolutely no sense to me. Why can't there be one list for all the dealers to allow the customers to program their cars the way they want. For example, I had my car for several months before I found out the dealer could prgram the doors to unlock when I turned off the car. I had been doing the double-pull to exit the car until then.

Good luck. There is no reason you or anyone else should have to pay to get your car programmed the way you want it, especially when the dealers don't seem to have a list to choose from when our cars are picked up. As for the email, I never received one either.

 

If they are stubborn about it, wait until a new version of sofware comes out, and take the car in complaining about whatever it fixes. The programmable options will be set to default, and they should set them to whatever you want for no charge.