I've noticed lately that there have been a rash of "dealer is screwing me" posts. While we all have occasional hiccups or irritations with our respective dealers (so far I like mine) it seem there are a few which are habitual in their abuse.
Maybe it's time to form a list of Dealers to Avoid.
Offenses worthy of making the list could include; Consistent pricing over MSRP, chronic failures in proper servicing, not covering or consistently fighting warrentied repairs, consistently ordering extras not requested, overly aggressive or shady sales tactics,etc.
I'm sure there will be disagreement over which dealers deserve to be on the list, but it seems there are several which would garner some consesus.

Ideally, if an alternative dealer could be suggested in the same local, that would be even better.

In this way we can reward good dealers and punish bad ones collectively.

Just an idea.

 

The problem is you can just never be too sure about any dealer. I have a 2002 Nissan truck which I bought new from a dealer just a few miles from my house. They always treated me really well from the original sale to all the scheduled maintenance visits. However, the last time I went in they had a new guy in the service department who was a total jerk and tried to rip me off. Luckily I caught it and got my money back for the extra parts I did not order. But then he still acted like I was the one being a jerk. After three years of great service one bad day has tainted the whole experience to such an extent that I am not sure if I'll ever go back.

With my MINI dealer being over an hour away I am sure not looking forward to having to deal with a bad service department. I am not sure any car is worth that kind of hassle. But I am hoping for the best.

Kris

 

Oh, I completely agree.
I view dealers as akin to surgery. You know it's gonna hurt, you'd rather not get involved with it at all, but sometimes there is no other option and in the end you hope its all for the best.
That being said, I'm sure that there are dealers out there who are the equivalent of a really lousy surgeon to boot. Either through incompetence, simple neglect and disregard, or outright profiteering, you'll end up screwed if you need them.
If we condemed every dealer on this sight due to a one off problem, we'd all end up buying wholesale or maybe building our own.
And after all, they are car dealers. Some degree of slime has to be allowed for.

 

I think it is a great idea to share your experience, good or bad and let the chips fall as they may. I have been in business for many years and you should have to earn peoples business regardless of your profession. The reason we have problems with poor business practices is we stopped expecting it. I tip my waitress/waiter according to her/his service not because I am expected to. If everyone would do that, service would improve, or at least the good hard workers would get payed more.
I ordered my Mini from Motorwerks Mini in Edina/Bloomington Minnesota and so far so good but all I have done is spend money I have not asked them to take care of something that might be an expense to them.
Recently I purchased a slightly used van for work and after having it a week we noticed there was a small chip in the windshield. No one had driven it much at all and felt it was there upon delivery. I called the salesman and asked if he would be willing to help out on this? I thought he might argue that it could of happened after delivery, but he responded with absolutely! Have it fixed at your convenience and send us the bill. Needless to say the next time I am looking for a vehicle (other than a mini) he will be the first person I call.

 

NAM used to have a dealer ranking section where people were welcome to share their experiences (good and bad) about any and all MINI dealerships. I thought it was an extremely useful tool and it is one of the main reasons why I registered on this site in the first place. When NAM's format changed about a year ago, the dealer rankings section went bye-bye and I haven't seen it since. I won't speculate on the reasons behind that situation, but I would like to see it return. A section like that can be invaluable to future MINI owners especially.

In the meantime, there is an outside dealer ranking site but the number of reviews is somewhat lacking, depending on your location. My dealer, for instance, only boasts one review.

 

My dealer has always been good to me.From purchase off the lot,it was what I wanted,10 miles on the odo,through many problems,my dealer has been great.MINI Winnipeg

 

Yeah,
I never had an opportunity to see that. I'm sure there could be sensitive situations created, particularly if there were negative reports about certain vendors (not that I'm suggesting anything or anyone specific). That set up though sounds like it would be do-able and retain an individual random comment format(as suggested by someone above) but be in a more search friendly and thus accessable place.

 

When I got to My dealer, Motor City Mini, in Michigan, I get played the whole time. They act like my Yellow Bomber is cool because it is loud and well it hauls @$$, but when it comes to servicing, they just totally outright down to the left over to the right up over the hill and to the moon play me. . I only got good service once and that was from a guy in the BMW department who said he would rather treat me nicely than those MINI people over there. But then I was told My windshield crack was from a stonechip, but it had a leak. Now only one Wiper works, and it is 100 miles till service and I am dreading the 250 mile trip there. Plus, I don't get a loaner? Nuh uh, I don't think I am going back there. I am going to do the work on my own or with the help of my best buddies over at Detroit Tuned.

 

OK. So start it and don't debate it!!!

ALL YOU DEALERS - LISTEN TO THIS... and you to MINIUSA.

 

Well, for California, it will be a much shorter list if we only name the few good ones

All I know is everytime I need some parts, Classic MINI has my business

 

That must be terrible for you. If it was me, I would have writen a letter to the owner of the establishment explaning what had happened and your feelings about it. I am sure the owner would want to know about these things. Bad service is not good business.

 

Dealing with dealers is tricky and I was hoping to avoid it for as long as possible, but recently got in the new car mood and spent a lot of time with Knauz BMW in the Chicago suburbs and there's one salesman who is really cool. I was thinking of getting a new 3 series and spent about 3 hours talking to him. He laid down everything to me, wasnt hinding anything.

I ended up getting my used 02 Mini from Bill Jacobs VW in Naperville, IL. Also, a pleasant experience. I didnt get to bring down the price, as I also felt it was fairly priced for the low miles and being heavily loaded. I think Im lucky to have good experiences so far. Dont know about maintenance, havent gotten that far yet, but being a bit car savvy, Im hoping they cant take me for a ride.

Also, I was thinking of a getting a Ducati last year and also had a pleasent experience talking to the salesman in Austin, TX. My friend who I went with just bought a new Mustang and said the buying process was the worst experience of his life and he was stunned at the thruthfullness of the Ducati salesman. I think the higher-end dealers have a bit more appreciation for enthusiasts and after conveying your enthusiasm, they might treat you better. Dont know.

 

Bad Bad Service. Didn't buy my car there yet its 10 miles from me. Told me people who buy their cars from them get high prority. Told me they couldn't fix my leaking convertible and carry a towel in the car. Left the inside of my car oily and dirty.

Mini of Towson = Rocks

 

Momentum Mini of houston (www.momentum-mini.net):

Chevis is the salesman that I dealth with, and he was extremely helpful. The entire Momentum family in houston (Momentum audi, bmw, porche, vw, mini, ect) are all run extremely well, and I've had good dealings with the entire company in past jobs as well. Its a shame you cant really talk down the price on the Mini, but its still rather affordable to begin with!

 

Well, to date, our experience with Towne MINI in Buffalo NY has been first class. From the minute we stepped into the showroom just to browse, to our actual buying experience and subsequent servicing (thanks Adam !) I haven't a bad word to say about them. Our MA (Greg Korduba) is a great guy and he keeps me constantly updated on the new JCW parts (sending me MINI bulletins) even before they're launched. I've bought many cars in my time (inc. Porsche), but this has got to be one of the best experiences so far. These guys are highly recommended and generally have a decent stock with no mark-ups