[des16]

I was looking at a very well priced 535 x-drive GT. The carfax was clear, but I was curious that the car only had 1500 miles. I did some investigating, and found that the car was sold by a dealer in the Chicago area and was a BMW buy back. I do not know exactly why, but, my BMW dealer did some investigating and said that the car did have some repairs done the tailgate and bumper. When I confronted auto xchange the story they gave me was yes, there was some body damage, but it was before the car was initially sold and that the reason it was a buy-back was that the customer found out after the fact and was angry, and BMW took the car back. Again, I went back to my dealer and he said that was a complete fabrication. The car was delivered clean, and the repairs were done several months after the care was purchased.

[04ImolaZHP]

Hi all, below is a recap and a review of the events that transpired at Luxury Auto Xchange last week: Worst buying experience EVER. I guess things have not changed much over there...

I called Saturday afternoon and spoke with Michael who was nice enough. I had two questions: 1. Are the two cars I am interested in available for sale?; 2. Are the cars available for a test drive? After getting a yes to both questions I told Michael I will come in Monday morning. I asked him to give me a call if either of these cars sell to save me the 70 mile trip.

Monday morning I get a call from Luca to check if I am still coming. I said yes - literally leaving now, but please confirm that: 1. Both cars are still available? 2. Both cars are available for a test drive? I get a yes to both questions - "please come in, we will have them ready for you."

I drive up to the dealership with my wife and it immediately strikes us that the building is located on a degrading property with literally no space for customers to park.

We walked into the building and were greeted by Luca who took us to see the first car. After looking that one over we go on to see the second car located in a "different warehouse". We get there and the second car is literally jammed between a wall and another vehicle. There is barely enough space to squeeze into the driver's side. Furthermore, the vehicle battery is completely dead.

We told Luca we need to see the car in a better location and he starts complaining that the process will take at least a half an hour because he has to get someone to move it and move other cars out of the way. I told him that we drove here because we are interested in making a purchase and suggested that we take the first car out for a test drive while they pull the second car out.

At this point Luca starts getting irritated and tells me that there are no test drives on vehicles unless we have agreed on a purchase price. I explained to him that I cannot agree on a purchase price when the vehicle is jammed between a car and a wall (thus making it impossible to inspect) and is literally dead. He once again tells me that this is the dealer policy: "No test drives until we agree on a purchase price. Besides, if you've driven one of these before - they all drive the same."

At this point my wife is dismayed and tells me we need to go. I continue our conversation and asked Luca: "remember when you called me this morning, I specifically asked you if we can test drive these cars - don't you think this would have been a good time to tell me that the only way to test drive a vehicle is by first agreeing to buy it?" Now Luca literally raises his voice and is nearly yelling at me: "I am not going to keep repeating myself - no test drives until we agree on a purchase price".

Obviously we left and are never going back.

Just as a reference point, I have owned about 30 high end cars in the last 15 years (including an MB S65, BMW M5 and M3, Audi S6, Range Rover, Porsche 911, etc. etc.). I have purchased from various dealers and private parties from coast to coast. I have never ever been treated this poorly at any other dealership in the country.

[tambat]

^ wow. that sounds like an absolutely terrible experience. i can't believe a company would expect customers to agree to a purchase price (aka committing to a purchase that could be $30k+!!) without actually driving/inspecting the car first! i purchased my e90 a few months ago, and i went through a few dealers before i made my deal, and i unfortunately had to deal with some pretty bad experiences myself. yours takes the cake though.

[04ImolaZHP]

Originally Posted by tambat

^ wow. that sounds like an absolutely terrible experience. i can't believe a company would expect customers to agree to a purchase price (aka committing to a purchase that could be $30k+!!) without actually driving/inspecting the car first! i purchased my e90 a few months ago, and i went through a few dealers before i made my deal, and i unfortunately had to deal with some pretty bad experiences myself. yours takes the cake though.

This was actually on $70k plus and $50k plus vehicles. It was by far the worst I have ever dealt with...

I went and test drove two other vehicles after that and the experience was as one would expect: "take the car for a drive, see if you like it, if you like it we can talk numbers, but be sure you like the car first".

I can understand how a dealer would be hesitant to let me drive a Lamborghini Gallardo Balboni or a 458 Speciale... but your run of the mill two year old BMWs ... come on! And then raise your voice at a customer? Unacceptable on so many levels!!!

[Fillyo75]

My friend bought a 2011 BMW 750 with 1500 miles from them in 2012. They told him the vehicle was used as a demonstrator vehicle in Germany which is why it had low miles. Drove great, he bought it, and once taken to a BMW dealership, they told him it had a remanufactured title or something of the sort. He comes to find the vehicle was damaged on the barge, sent back to Germany, repaired, and sent back over. He ended getting Perilllo to buy the car back and sell him a discounted 2012 750LI, but is was a huge process with lots of threats and shadiness. Stay away from them.