|
|
DECEITFUL UNETHICAL DEALERSHIP -- DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!
|
Purchased a "new" BMW from this dealership that was listed on cars.com website. Called them to inquire about the car and its condition and was told it was "virtually brand new, only 4000 miles!; never been in any accidents, no repairs, service, or damage
to the car". "Wait; someone's looking at the car right at this moment; first come first served." The next day, I called them back and lucky for me, it did not sell, but "better act fast". I decided to investigate further. Was told the reason for the short
ownership was that the car was too small, they upgraded to a 7-series so that was the "kind" of driver/owner they were (ie. they were mature and did not abuse the car). The owner was also a non-smoker and did not have pets in the car. Carfax checked out fine.
I asked for closeup pictures of every inch of the car inside and out (especially of any scratches, dings, or dents) and also for the service/repair records, even if nothing was ever done - I wanted to see that in writing. Instead of providing "professional"
pictures of the car, I was sent a few wide angle cell phone pictures taken from several feet away which showed little if any detail. Service records were not sent since "there wasn't anything ever done". Against my better judgement, I decided to put a deposit
on the car (and wait 3 weeks until I could go see it in person) but was told that they couldn't hold it for me. If I wanted the car, I would have to pay in full and the car would be shipped to me immediately because "CA state law prohibited them from keeping
the car on the lot for too long after a sale". Besides, the car was "new" and "I shouldn't waste my precious time coming down to see it". Unfortunately, I succumbed to their sales pitch. As it turned out, from the time that I paid for the car to the time it
was shipped, at least 3 weeks had passed. When the car finally arrived, the true colours of Valencia BMW emerged. Items missing included a key fob, the car manuals, iPod adapter, tonneau cover, front and rear carpet floor mats, cigarette lighter/electrical
outlet cover, tow hook, and tools set. Obviously, there was no pre-delivery inspection and the dealership was just trying to flip the car to an unsuspecting internet buyer. In addition to missing items, the car was not detailed as it was dirty inside and out,
including dog hair present and the stench of heavy cigarette smoke inside. Inspection of the car exterior revealed that the passenger side front and rear doors and the front bumper were hastily repainted as paint runs and peeling were present around the trim
and door handles which were never removed for the job. Inside the doors, scratches from sanding and buffing the body were everywhere. The front driver's side wheel well trim and bumper were gouged in an accident. With respect to the tires, the driver side
front tire sidewall was cracking and was slashed, possibly when the car was loaded onto the delivery truck. The passenger side rear tire was punctured by a nail and was flat (though not immediately apparent as the tires were run flats). Besides the flat tire,
tire pressures on the other 3 each measured differently, all inflated to over 40 lbs plus. Obviously, a safety inspection was not performed before the car was released. When questioned about these damages, everything was either denied or I was told that it
was a used car, "what do you expect?". As well, the car was missing the promised full tank of fuel due to "safety issues" during transport. After escalating my complaints with numerous phone calls (which were ignored or when answered, they would transfer me
from one person to another), the dealership finally relented and couriered me a copy of the service records as well as the shipping invoice, both of which were supposedly sent by mail even before I had paid for the car. When asked why they weren't couriered
initially, the sales rep said that I was out of their region so they had to mail it instead (even though the bill of sale was couriered to me). Again, obviously they never sent me the paperwork and they were withholding/hiding information in order to make
a quick sale. The service records did show a 4 wheel alignment was done, though they would not say why, and that the car was in an accident which required repainting of the whole passenger side of the car. Had I known this information beforehand, I definitely
would not have made the purchase as this dealership cannot be trusted. In summary, Valencia BMW and its AutoNation group of partners are not to be trusted. They operate deceitfully and unethically, well below the standards one would expect from a BMW dealership.
They quickly flip vehicles by internet without safety checks, pre-delivery inspections, and preparation/detailing to unsuspecting , far away customers who then have no recourse due to their distance away from the dealership. They withhold items from the car,
including the paperwork, they are untruthful, they don't follow up when called, and they don't even make repairs to their cars up to standard (i.e. the paint job). A vehicle of this nature would normally have been auctioned off to a used car lot instead of
being sold at a "reputable" BMW dealership (unless they were willing to recondition the car). It is obvious from this experience that this is how Valencia BMW operates and that NO ONE SHOULD BUY FROM THIS DEALERSHIP!!! For the record, I had an estimate of
over $8000.00 in repairs to bring this car back up to BMW selling standards which included repainting the doors and bumper, replacing the unsafe tires, missing items, and damaged trim pieces. AGAIN, AVOID VALENCIA BMW LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!
|
|
|
|