I have always bought our cars from Vista in Coconut Creek, FL and had good service experience with just one exception. That is out of something like 30+ visits there since 2003. Then we've moved so I started to use Braman in Palm Beach. I had one extremely bad and long ordeal with them with my 330i last year. But mainly due to their closeness I still ended up getting a new 650i from Braman a few months ago. Let me tell you I had an OUTSDANDING experience with their sales department dealing with Mr. Ceresa there. So what comes next is a real shame because I am done buying cars from Braman.
Repair service at Braman is plain HORIBBLE:
1. Advisors at Braman are bad returning phone calls or keeping you up to date on a daily basis. This is happening with me with the 2nd technician in a row. She finally did call me the 2nd day to let me know it will not be done today. I did not even ask her why did she not call me yesterday. We went through that same story with a different advisor a year ago and got nowhere. Whatever.
2. Braman free loaners are dirty, unsafe, cheap, and old rentals from Enterprise. When it comes to free loaners I am not picky. Give me a clean Jetta, base model and I will be happy. Go buy a 650i at Braman and get a Dirty Chevy and an Enterprise agent trying to sell you their insurance for 10 minutes. Lovely. First time around I have said nothing. So I got a crappy Impala but fixing a hose on a windshield wiper tank will take only a few hours. I drove that impala for 3 days. So this time around I have complained and they gracefully gave me a 328i. I get that at Vista as standard. Once I even got an X5 there as a loaner.
3. Extremely long repairs at Braman. I have set up an appointment 3 days prior for 10AM, for a flat tire, and I have expressed that I needed the car back today. But time permitting I have also asked them to check on a mirror. Apperently it will take Braman 3 days to do this (or more?)! Why???
Here is why:
This is Braman's repair policy (I just had it explained me, yet again, 10 minutes ago):
When you make an appointment with Braman, the appointment is not for your car, but for you to see the service advisor. You cannot make an appointment with Braman for your car. When you leave your car there, even for the smallest thing, be ready to wait days to get it done. This is unacceptable. Especially for minor repairs, and especially if you have an appointment. I guess Braman does not realize that the rest of the business world makes appointments, and ETAs because that is the standard.
So it happens that my wife 335i's high pressure pump crapped out last weak and I had the car towed to Vista. Guess what. We got a 328i as a loaner, a phone call each day, and an ETA that they have kept. That is how it is supposed to be.
See you Braman! I am sooooooooo going back to Vista.