I would like to share my story of absolutely terrible customer service from Tom Bush MINI in Jax. Please go to http://homepage.mac.com/clintmcintosh/FileSharing.html and download the TomBushMINI.pdf file and read. Please share with anyone you know who might be thinking of buying a MINI from there.
You can send your comments to me at clintmcintosh(at)mac(dot)com

Clint

 

It's just too bad there are too many people out there to steal a buck, provide bad service and just make our lives a living hell at times. Car salesmen are the worst it seems. Sorry to hear about your problems.

On a side note, you should not make the mp3 file public. It is a terrible rendition. That along with the movie you should keep to yourself.

 

I think you missed your own point when you said,
"nobody held a gun to my head."
My wife once paid $100 more for the same car
at a different dealership because she didn't like
the salesman at the first. I think you should
maybe change your buying habits.

 

The problem with going somewhere else is that there wasn't anywhere else I could go. The only MINI dealership within 150 miles and the car I had at the time really wouldnt have made the trip. so I was between a rock and a hard place. That did not give them the right to treat me how they did. Yeah I could have walked out and bought a Kia or chevy or anything else under the sun but I wanted the MINI.

 

Let me tell you something...this story sucks.


If there is one thing that will kill the mini it will be the bad customer service. It has been reported to be the worst in the industry.

 

this is ringing a bell with me too.Aside from the spare key with remote that was quoted to me for $75 ,but mysteriously became $125 when i went to pick it up(I got it at the lower price by threatening to walk out the door),but I was told by the same person(SA) that there was an extended warrentee available that I could purchase any time up to 36,000 miles,for $400 which would be refunded if I never used it.Needless to say, when I went recently to talk to someone about that,it was non existent and I seem to have grown the same tentacles as you.They were quoting me $1200 to $1700 depending on duration and DEDUCTIBLE.I walked.$1700 will buy you quite alot of service,and I like you put some serious miles on my car,so it's never a question of time,more of mileage.

 

This scares me.

I bought from Tom Bush, mostly because it was the closest dealer and would do MSRP. I've yet to have my first service appointment.

I really hope they don't screw me.

What ever happened to that rumor about BMW dealers in towns without MINI dealers starting to service MINIs?

 

Bad service experience? Well, quit complaining, whinning publicly, etc...[gives us all a bad name, too!] and call MINI USA.......1-866-ASK-MINI.

That's the proper place to register complaints!, or directly with the dealer, probably that first!

Personally, I have had no bad service experience - Best of Luck !

 

I bought my MINI from Tom Bush. I have completed my first service interval. No problems here. Nicolas was my Motoring Advisor and I was very pleased.

Just my 2 cents.

 

pbraun,
you apparently did not read the letter. I tried MANY MANY times to get this straightened out with the dealer and with MINI USA, but NO ONE wanted to help me. If you read the letter you will see that I mailed it to Tom Bush and to BMW of North America (both via certified letter).
When I posted the letter here in the forums, it was to share my experience and to warn people what kind of service Tom Bush gives. I still recommend going anywhere but Tom Bush to buy your MINI.

 

People often lose site of the historical perspective of car sales. If you ask the average person why a truck driver is called a "teamster," they just stare at you.

Car salemen are the direct decendents of horse traders, and their ethics and morals are equivalent. The reason that car prices are not fixed is that most of the money that dealer's make is made by ripping off unwitting consumers. You must have "sucker" written all over your puss, because they saw you coming from a mile away. Too eager to buy the car, unknowledgeable about the process and costs. First new car maybe?

Like a lawyer that never asks a question that he does not already know the answer to, you should have never entered that dealership so unprepared to buy a car. You should have known what the warranty was, what the invoice price was, what the MSRP was, and how much of a premium the car could demand due to the limited number available. You should have known about warranty issues and have already priced one on the internet.

As a rule, extended warranties are marked up 100%, so an extended warranty they want to sell you for $1500 costs them $750. This is common knowledge you should have known going in.

If you walk into a dealership with a checked suit and a piece of hay in your mouth, you will be treated accordingly. Its like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

The best advice I can give you is never buy a house. The real estate guys make car dealers seem like pikers.