Santa Monica BMW

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Santa Monica BMW has a long history of borderline criminal business practices (outright criminal in my opinion). They are no stranger to criticism, small claims courts, or terrible ratings from the Better Business Bureau. In my situation, I took the car in for repairs. To make a long story short, even though my car was covered by warranty, they found ways to avoid fully fixing my car and found ways to add in charges that weren't covered by warranty. My car still doesn't work and I intend to deal with them in small claims. I don't know how these guys continue to get away with the crap they pull. Only do business with these guys if you want to get robbed.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Arrogant, dishonest and difficult to deal with. I would drive 50 miles to avoid Santa Monica BMW.

-Bruce Guthrie
Santa Monica CA

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
On 06/07/07 Chris Myer¡¦s telephoned me and advised me regarding repairs needed to the air conditioning system that would cost approximately $300 and to the turn signal that would cost approximately $160. I gave Chris Myers authorization to proceed with these repairs. The amount for the air conditioning repair (approximately $300) did not appear on my invoice. The air conditioning did not feel any different when the vehicle was returned to me so I felt as though no repairs where actually done to the air conditioning system.

On 06/20/07 Chris Myers agreed to repair, free of charge, the dent on the driver¡¦s front door that happened when the car was in the Santa Monica BMW service department. This was never done. On 6/21/07 I telephoned Chris Myers to follow up on this. Chris Myers stated that Michael (from Santa Monica BMW) telephoned me and discussed the issue with me. I never heard from Michael.

On 06/21/07 at 3:07 pm Chris Myers telephoned me for authorization to proceed with additional repairs to which I agreed. I was then telephoned at 4:00 pm and advised that work on my car was complete. I am disputing the labor charge of $445 for this additional repair, which took less than one hour to complete. Furthermore, upon inspection after receiving the car back from Santa Monica BMW, the engine compartment showed no signs of any work having been done. Thick layers of dust on engine components were undisturbed. Leaves that had accumulated under the hood were still there. The vehicle shows no signs of the hood ever having been opened while in the Santa Monica BMW Service Department.



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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Went in for simple things.. service engine soon light and my regular scheduled service...No loaner, 30 minute wait for the shuttle, and $3000 rip off (10 times more than the estimate). Told I had to get new brakes and was charged $600 for a brake diagnostic that I didn't even ask for. When I questioned this on pick up. They told me that there was no discussion, if I wanted my car, I had to sign the bill. Basically, they coersed me to sign the bill without questioning the charges. I will never go there again. Stay away, they are truly as bad as all the comments all over the web. I wish I would have stayed away from SM BMW

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
We had difficulty resolving a fuel problem with another dealership and an independant BMW mechanic. Brought to SMBMW - at first a little rough with the Service Writer Rey, but once we were on the same page Rey has been a godsend concerning our car and having maintenance completed right the first time. Sure a delay in timing of service - but you have to remember a lot of dealerships don't hold complete inventory of all parts for all cars and you have to expect a delay for non stocked parts to be transferred to them. I say that dealing with service through Rey was awesome, the receptionist, weekend service manager, and some of the lot attendants leave a lot to be desired. Most of our service scheduling has been during the week and Rey was available to answer any questions and actually allow us to speak to both Chris and Hans the two mechanics that resolved our cars issues. I have no hesitation scheduling my maintenance for my BMW 5-series wagon through Rey, knowing that he will oversee the maintenance to my car as if it was his own. One comment I can make concerning Sales, they are slow to respond to request - we were considering purchasing a new BMW, but the service department reasonably repaired our wagon so we are going to run in it for a while longer.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I bought my car used from a Mercedes dealer, so when it was time to get it serviced I used SM BMW since they were the closest dealer. Everything was horrible from start to finish for my first service. When my car was making a strange noise, I tried to give them another chance, but again, they tried to rip me off and were so unbelievably rude! I will never use them again. In fact, my boyfriend lived in Orange County at the time and took my car to Shelly BMW instead. They were so helpful and kind that i am now willing to drive 45 miles to get my car taken care of (my warranty requires a dealer) instead of put up with that awful Santa Monica BMW anymore. BEWARE!!!!! IT"S NO WONDER THEY TRIED TO GET ON THIS SITE TO SEND FAKE POSITIVE REVIEWS!!! THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNETHICAL!!!!

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
WARNING!!! DONT SHOP HERE!

This dealership sold me a certified pre-owned X5 that we later discovered was in a very serious front end collision that involved frame damage to the front end. The accident was covered up with a new bumper cover leaving the frame bent, the engine mounts bent and a misaligned front end. We discovered the damage accidentally while the car was being worked on at another BMW facility and now have serious concerns about the safety of the car, the reliability of the airbags and the condition of the engine and transmission. This was no minor fender bender, the front end was depressed about half a foot underneath a brand new front bumper cover.

The dealership was made aware of the issue, has come and inspected the vehicle, admitted that they made a major mistake and has done nothing since. It has been over 4 weeks since the were made aware of the circumstances and now they are not returning my calls.

We are drafting the paperwork with our attorney to take them to superior court. In speaking to other BMW mechanics, I have been made aware that the people at BMW Santa Monica do not care and routinely give customers the middle finger if there are problems.

You have options, excercise them and go elsewhere.



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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Do yourself a favor and stay as far away from Santa Monica BMW as possible. You might be lured to do business with them since their on the Westside but you'll be RIPPED OFF in more ways than one. Check the Better Business Bureau website bbb.org., they have an "F" !!! From sales to the service, the experience is a total nightmare. Everyone is rude patronizing, and incompetent!!!! After I bought a CPO 530i I was told that the car had new tires placed on it, as well as the car not having any accidents. After I took delivery and saw the repair records none of it was true!! Their sales and service staff are "Ultimately Rude" After having this car for 5 months with it still being under the "new car warranty" SM BMW won't honor work to be completed under the terms of the CPO contract, which were told to me at the time of the sale. They are deceptive beyond belief.... You're left with such a bad experience you don't even want to own much less drive a BMW..

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I bought a 1972 3.0CS at the predecessor to this dealership - Ocean View Motors. Had great experiences, but over the years things deteriorated. Went back several times as the dealership changed names and owners and moved (3 times). But the nadir of my relationship came in 2003 when I went in to buy a new Z8. The sales staff had no interest in serving me even though I was seeking to buy a car worth over $100,000. (And I drove there in my new Mercedes CL55, so they knew I could afford it.). It appeared that the dealership was just a hobby for the current owner, a way for him to get new cars he could drive, and that everything else was done in a lackluster fashion just to keep up appearances. Perhaps the worst run delaership in the history of the automobile. A joke.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Rated F by BBB for a good reason. They mislead me about the service being done on my car and gave me misinformation about the reason I need to replace the all the rotors on on my car. They said that new BMWs need the breaks/rotors replaced everytime for BMWs 2000 onward because they increased the size of the rotors and the speed of the car increased. Asking on multiple BMW forums this was disproved.

Link to BBB site Company ID 45015

http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=45015

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Santa Monica BMW is now a thing of the past far as we're concerned. Have had to return our 5 series several times needlessly for routine service repair work to be done over again because their quality control flat out sucks. They offer nothing but excuses for the dealership's numerous failings. Complaining will not make a difference, either. We have thought about contacting the owner, but what for? BMW NA has been notified it got so bad. At this point, Bob Smith is getting all our future BMW business unless they start behaving like Santa Monica BMW! Bob Smith is like a complete opposite experience altogether. If they ever fail us, we're leaving the brand for Mercedes! SM BMW has lost our trust and several hundred thousands of dollars in future automobile sales & services from our family and friends.

SM BMW tried the fear tactic to sell the extended 100k full maintenance warranty before we reach the 50k mile mark. Bob Smith's policy was $1,200 versus $1,800 at SM BMW! A $600.00 difference for what exactly? When confronted, the finance dept. person was rude and insisted we were getting a competitive offer. We think not, either on treatment or financial cost. We paid a large check in cash for the vehicle (nearly $50,000) and this is the thanks we get? Thats a lot of money to be treated like you're at a low rent used car dealership! And boy were they rude! Talked down to on several occassions. No respect, not into excelling at their jobs, gross mismanagement. The sales dept. is no prize either. The only reason they stay in business is probably because of location. BMW NA needs to intervene and clean house. This is the last and final straw!


Interestingly though, the owners have recently invested thousands in upgrading their restrooms with marble vanities, etc. Not investing money where it counts - like customer service and respect.

Nickel and dime mentality. Used to give a free 325 loaner, then upcharged $35 / per day, then now shuttles customers to Enterprise. Thats another thing - the shuttle service consists of getting into a dirty van from a third world country, smashed like sardines with their other customers; ie: some of these don't fit into the demographic profile of a BMW client. Think of low lifes reeking of nicotine and no consideration for other passangers. Dealership unwilling to shuttle just one set of customers at a time. They only seem to have one van for shuttle purposes. Took two hours for the shuttle service to pick up back up with the car was ready. The shuttle service is absolutley only to be used in a last resort situation. We don't want to be jammed in with other people and tour half of Los Angeles against our will. Wasted our time and dodn't care. Never again!


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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I bought my BMW here 3 years ago and have been back about 8 times overall for maintainence and the only time I received any service at all was the day I bought my car. It's like pulling teeth trying to call to have someone book you for an appt. Each appt I have had there only came as a result of a minimum at least 5 calls into the service dept to finally get booked, and they don't sound particularly thrilled that you are coming in either. The last straw came when a couple months ago I received a notice from them that my warranty was about to expire and that I should stop by to inquire about extending it. So I stopped by and asked the receptionist who I should speak to about it. She called the finance mgr in the back and he told her that he would see me. I waited about half hour to see him which I didn't mind since I hadn't made an appt. However, when I arrived in his office he was in the middle of a personal phone call. Without so much as a handshake or introduction or a greeting as most professional people would he just asked me how many miles I had on my car. I replied something like 51K and he just said I can't help you, Good bye. I assumed it's because I had gone over the 50K limit however I was hoping to negotiate something since I was barely over by 1K. I was even willing to pay extra for the extension. So I asked him whether there was anything we could do and again he replied "I can't help you" and went back to his phone conversation as if I wasn't even there. All in all, it was a horrible experience and I will not purchase my next BMW there.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Recently, I bought a 2004 Lexus Rx330 at the Santa Monica Lexus dealership and had the most wonderful experience buying the car. After coming back from a trip that broke in the Lexus...I wanted to test the Lexus legendary quality of service by going in one monday morning for service without an appointment and completely unannounced. The car, needless to say, was mega filthy after a 1500 mile trip around Utah. Millions of bugs were glued to my windshield and bumper. Needless to say, the dealer took me in without question and promised me the car would have its 1200 mile tune up and be ready by 3PM. The dealer also asked me if I wanted a ride home or a courtesy car - a Lexus of course. I declined the car but accepted the ride. 5 minutes later I was on my way home. At 2:45PM the 'same' day, I received a call from the dealer saying it was ready and they had gone beyond the call of duty replacing parts on the car that I only wanted tightened. The gentleman on the phone also told me their driver was on the way to pick me up at home. Sure enough, 10 minutes later - I get a call from their driver and he drops me off the dealership where they washed and cleaned the car impeccably. One signature and I was on my way..... You are all wondering why I am talking about a Lexus when we are in a BMW Column..... I also happen to own a 2004 BMW M3 convertible that needed a tune-up and which had a recall on the SMG transmission. Having had mediocre service there before, I decided to do the same that I had done with the Lexus dealer....

I show up unannounced on monday morning at the Santa Monica BMW dealership and talk to a lady - Alicia Brooks - about getting my car serviced immediately. Needless to say...she quickly makes me understand that they are too busy and that we should reschedule another day....thursday morning. We go through the list of things I want checked together on her workstation and take off soon after to go home. Thursday morning 8:00AM - I show up in the M3 and talk to Alicia who barely seemed to remember that I had an appointment. She never cracks a smile that woman....strange for somebody that works in service. Anyway, I soon find out that my service requests have been lost in their logs....go to cyberspace heaven.... Frustrated, I go through the list in my head as best as I can remember it.... Mostly minor things.... updating the computer (SMG), little turning light loose, a squeak etc.... They offer me a ride all while being very unpleasant as If I am bothering them. BTW, Santa Monica BMW only offers a one way courtesy ride for their clientele. So if you happen to have no car to drive back to their dealership - this is LA after all - you are F***ed! Besides this obvious shortcoming in client service logic, I waited more than 1 hour and a half to finally get a ride. When I got in their little van (not a BMW) - other customers were complaining about the half hour wait for a ride... I laughed sweetly and told them how I had been waiting a bit longer.... They couldn't believe it!

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I have dealt with three Southern California BMW dealerships and the Santa Monica BMW dealership was hands down the worst of the three. In fact I would say they have the worst service of any dealership I have ever dealt with. Let me summarize my service experience that lasted three days.

I brought my 2004-530i into the Santa Monica service center to inspect an airbag light. I arrived at my scheduled time and everything went smoothly that morning. I did not receive an update call the entire day from my service rep. After a few attempts in contacting my rep, he finally got back to me in the early evening. I was told that they could not work on my car that day because they were busy with other cars. Despite my displease, I gave them the benefit of the doubt (mistake!).

I picked up my car and returned the following morning for a new appointment. The first hint of an issue was that my representative had no idea who I was and went on to ask what I needed done on my car. After a few minutes of explaining that my appointment was the day before and that he told me to come back that morning, he finally remembered. I made it clear that I needed the car done that day, and he assured me that my car would have priority. Once again I received no calls all day. I contacted the rep in the afternoon and was told to call back about an hour later, I did. I was then told that the car would be ready at about 5pm and everything looked great. I called back at 6pm to confirm that it was ready, the service rep told me the car was all done. Upon arrival I was told that they just had to finish some paper work and it would be ready in a few minutes. A few more minutes went by and my service rep came out to tell me that the car was in fact not ready and they needed it for another day. He went on to say that they will have to load new software that takes hours to do and they will have to do it in the morning. At this point I was livid and just wanted my car back. I knew this would cost me big because I had to ask my wife to drive an hour down to Santa Monica to pick me up.

Finally on the third day the car was ready, BUT they could not find my car. The id tags were switched and it took them 20 minutes to locate my car. I thought the nightmare was over, only to discover the next day that they did not fully reattach my dash. I have yet to go back.

This experience is unacceptable, especially at the premium paid for this car. I don’t know about the sales side of Santa Monica BMW but I know I would advise everyone to avoid the service department, if possible.


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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Sales experience was horrible. Made me feel like I was a cheapskate for not ordering additional options on an already $44K car. Service even worse. Car took 25 minutes to come back from the "test drive". When it came back, 2 mechanics got out and the car smelled like McDonald's french fries. The service contact was so rude he got in the car and said "it's fine, I can't smell anything". I get all my service done at Beverly HIlls BMW now and its great.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Was interested in buying a 545i and roamed the lot looking at cars for about 30minutes. We were ready to buy but none of the sales help bothered to say "hello." We went into the showroom and sat in a 545 while the saleshelp talked to each other. After another 10 minutes, it was time to close so they turned off the lights and stood by the door, as if to say "time for you to go home." My wife actaully said sorry for keeping them from closing promptly and the salesperson replied "oh don't worry about it." They were so uninterested in helping us, I suspect they don't work on commission and instead just take orders like a low paid clerk at Best Buy.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Jeff Rinna (sales)& Jeff Baker (service) made my total experience of buying my first BMW, convertable I might add 2001 325ci, a pleasant and rewarding venture. I am a medical professional locally and the professionalism they showed gave me peace of mind that the money I spent was well worth it. The articles I read in the DealRater stating that SM BMW is a bad dealership is not true. What I`m stating may be just one man`s opinion but I think there are more satisfied customers, just not on this website. So take it from me, do business with the 2 Jeff`s and you`ll leave with a car of your dreams. Thanks, Nate Mosley ( proud owner of a BMW convertable)

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
This dealership was so rude to me! I recently lost my ‘03 M3 to theft. So I went to this dealer to buy a replacement. I had to drive my girlfriends old Accord and they looked at me as if I could not even imagine affording a BMW. The snotty sales associate made some rude comment about my 10-year-old Honda and would allude to my ability to pay for such a premium car. He started in with the qualification right after the hello. I said that I was interested in the M3 and he replied something to the respect that the car has a lot of power and that I should consider an entry level “325”. In the showroom they had two Z8’s with about 50K in additional markup. I asked about the price of the M3 and he quoted that 5K over sticker should do it if his manager was in a good mood. Needless to say I did not buy my BMW here. In fact this turned me against the BMW brand. This is why people think BMW are cars driven by rude people. Not because of the drivers but due to the poor image of the Dealership. They scare away new customers. I think it is time to go test-drive the New Audi S4.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I stopped off at this dealership (as it is closest to home) to see about ordering an M3. A few minutes after I walked into the dealership I asked the receptionist to get me a salesperson. She looks up form her desk and tells me that it Sundays are their busiest days and most people make appointments. No other comments. Was I to wait, make an appointment to just leave? Again I asked, and this time she said she would try. 20 minutes later I went back again to politely inquire about a salesman and the receptionist looked at me and gave me a nasty look. She let me know very firmly that there are other customers there, ahead of me and to just be patient. Well I figured I can take my hard earned money somewhere else. I don't need to be lectured by a 20 year old. I used to have my other BMW serviced at this place. I should have known that some things don't change.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I live down the street yet I drive 45 minutes away because I want to stay away from them!

Lets summarize: Rude, dont care about you if you didnt by your car there, no responses to inquiries, scheduling, unprofessional, shady.

They wouldnt program my key (takes 3 minutes!) when I first bought my car at another dealer even!

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Service manager (Bill) was very curt & rude to me when I was trying to find out about warranty options for my car, which was nearing the end of its warranty period (50k miles). Of the 6 problems I've brought the car in for, roughly 1/3 of the work was not done, or done incorrectly. I'm going to take my car to Century West to get it done right, the first time.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
The service dept gave me a hard time because I did not have an appointment this morning, and did not care that the new 2005 745I stopped running with a major malfunction and they did not know if they could help...I felt that I was not wanted there so was my vehicle, and the dealer did not have a loaner for me to drive, so here I'm having paid $85.000 for a vehicle and getting stuck at Santa Monica BMW.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I've purchased 3-new BMWs from this dealership over the past 3 years (and 2 other new BMWs from other SoCal dealerships over the past 5 years) and have had good/bad experiences will almost all of the BMW service departments throughout SoCal. Santa Monica has certainly been NO WORSE than other BMW dealers in the LA/Orange County areas, and in some cases was much better. A few of my observations

1) They are a small dealership and therefore don't have a high sales volume as compared to SouthBay, Crevier or New Century. Their stock of new 3's, and 5's is usually nowhere near that of the other dealerships. Even though they're willing to get a vehicle from another dealer, pricing will generally not be as competitive given the much lower volume. However, they've really stood heads and shoulders above other dealers for me whenever I've been looking for a hard-to-find model (e.g., an M5, M3 Cabrio, and a Z8). When the other dealers have had maybe 0-1 of them in stock in most cases, SantaMonica must've l had at least 5 of each "hidden" in a warehouse someplace.

2) There were substantial dealer markups posted on those M's and Z8's, and I did get the "if the sales managers in a good mood today" line when trying to negotiate with them. However, I was able to negotiate down those substantial markups AND I was able to drive out of the dealership in a new M or Z8 within an hour or two. It sure beat the special order, or waiting-list process I was being offered by some of the other larger dealers

3) SMBMW seems to have a fairly large percentage of high-profile celebrity clientele and as a result the place can seem a bit snooty at times (particularly if they don't "know" you). I've been in there on several occasions when there has only been MAYBE 2-3 sales people (on a weekday afternoon or early-evening), and a famous celebrity (or even 2!) buying cars. Fair or not, it was a little difficult getting some attention - even when planning to spend $75-100K all at once - with that sort of competition.

4) I know a lot of people that buy their BMWs elsewhere and then end up bringing them into Santa Monica for service because of the location. As a result the service department is way overloaded with customers and they can be difficult to deal with (difficult make appts & get return calls, abrupt & inflexible at times, etc.). I've also received some of that famous "take it or leave it" attitude BMW service departments seem to be able to dish out around Southern California (no more so than from others). In spite of that, whenever I've had a problem the dealership has always recognized that I was one of the customers that actually bought my cars from SantaMonica and have then actually gone out of their way to make things right when asked.

5) A good sales person has been invaluable in assisting me at this delearship. Every time I've been in the dealership - for service, parts, or whatever - my sales person has never failed to stop and find out if there is anything he can do to improve my ownership experience. He has even interceded on my behalf when I've not been there to resolve issues with say obtaining a service appointment, or resolving a difficult service issue. My Lexus and MBZ sales people have NEVER done that.


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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
over the years, i have worked basically with everyone at the dealership. they are condescending, rude, and patronizing. they cannot get work done in a reasonable amount of time - or, in many cases, in the amount of time promised. they treat you like a second-class citizen if you buy your car at another dealership and have gone so far as to say that if i want the warranty work done on my car in a timely fashion, i should go back to new century where i bought my car. they only give loaners to people who buy from them and will only give you a ride one-way. after waiting a week, each time, for an appointment, it's ridiculous to have to wait an entire day for them to hook up the computer to your car to check error codes (a 5-minute job, literally). sort of defeats the purpose of a warranty when you can't get anything fixed in a timely fashion and have to pay for the rental car in the meantime. if it weren't for the warranty, i'd never step foot in the dealership again. rude, horrible people who will NEVER return a phone call...

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
This dealership is full of incompetent fools. My property has been stolen from my car on two different occassions and the Service Manager stated, "my guys don't steal." I told him I wanted to see the video surveylance and he refused. If he was so confident about this then why was he so unwilling? Obviously doubt. In any case a pair of $400 sun glasses and a $1000 camera were stolen.

There IS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE, RESPECT, OR COMPETENCE at this dealership. They make you wait and wait before you get helped, make you wait even more for an appt., and then tell you there is nothing wrong with your car when something obviosuly is wrong. I had issues with my fan for months and months and they kept on replacing it and the same noise occurred, until they finally gave up and said "some fans are louder than others." Well I doubt some fans sound like air blowers and jet engines.

On top of all this I have a 540ia with 53k miles and the reverse gear on the transmission is gone and now the dealer wants $5,400 to replace it, saying the entire transmission is gone, when in fact the car drives beautifully in 1-5. Please tell me how the transmission can not be fixed?

It seems BMW dealerships are the pits, especially the jerks in service. I will never buy a BMW (after 3 owned) I will go back to Mercedes where the cars are more reliable and the customer service is great.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
After reading the other post, I feel like I am not the only one that after making an appointment a WEEK ahead that somehow that appointment was not in the system. Maybe, they are just saying it for the hell of it. I have had Many BMW's in the past, went to SM BMW for the first time in 04/2004 with a car still under warranty. They kept me for about 45 min. before they even talked to me, then comes all this issue with not the appointment being set up. After a heated argument they tried to make me feel good by "arranging" the next available slot. Pissed as hell, I took off that place never to return. I have been to Beverly Hills BMW and Pacific BMW (Glendale) who have treated me and my wife wonderfully. So why take my car to place where none cares ? Everytime I pass by the dealer, it gives me the shiver!

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
left car for routine service, and noted a couple of minor warranty repairs. Car was returned marked all work performed, but the two warranty problems still persisted. I went to the dealer, and the mechanic told me they did not look at the warranty items because they "did not have time" and I would have to make another appointment to have them looked at, even though the paperwork said otherwise. I would not trust these guys at all, and will never take my car there again.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Hard to know where to start. I can say I have never had a worse experience. The irony is that they have signs on their desks that say "Listen, Solve, Care."

An example: My X5 died on a Tuesday - wouldn't start - no click. BMW road svc was dispatched - got a 90 min estimate. In the mean time, the 3rd attempt at jumpstarting started the car, but numerous warning lts were lit. Called RoadSvc, and was told it was safe, but to bring it in to SM BMW in the AM. When I did, I was asked what the problem was. I told the svc rep, and was asked if the car was working now. When I said it was, he refused to write up a ticket. I told him that the car had died, and even had pictures of the warning lights. He would not write up a ticket. He said I should wait for it to fail again.

Finally, after 20 minutes of arguing, he wrote up a ticket with a due date of 4p later that day. He would not provide a loaner. I did not hear back, so I called that afternoon, Thu and Fri. Finally I got a call back saying "just like I thought, it was the battery." Of course, this warranty battery (2nd time for the car) cost me $160 in rental car charges which they refused to pick up even though they were late. On the failure to call back, the svcrep said "I didn't have anything to tell you so I didn't call you back." Listen, Solve, Care indeed.

Also: When you ask for the Svc Mgr's manager, they give you the number of their attorney.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
They charge exorbitant rates for service. A brake job costs twice as much as a brake job at Century BMW in the valley. This is not an exageration. The total at Santa Monica BMW was $990.31 for 4brakes/rotors. The total at Center BMW was $501.54 for exactly the same service. They clean your car; however, they leave water marks all over the car bad enough that a real car wash is necessary. My gas tank was 1/4 full when I dropped off my car. When I picked it up, the yellow light was on.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I've have owned my new 325i for 3 weeks. This morning, the engine started to make a "rattle sound", the Service Engine light illuminated . I proceed 1 block to the dealership. Upon arrival, I had to ask around for help and was directed a Service Consultant. Charles Hicks immediately informed me he could not help until Monday! And could not offer a loaner car. I replied that I just purchased the car 3 weeks ago and you're telling me "I'm screwed?" Charles responded that even the Space Ship Columbia fell out of the sky. I asked him not to humor me, and he responded that a lot more expensive cars and wealthier people require his assistance. I stood up to ask for a manager and he smiled like an I was a waste of his time offered a rental car. I signed the service papers and proceed to the rental shop. A few hours later; I received a call from Charles Hicks. Charles informed me that my BMW "is a car with movable parts and a complicated engine. It seems to be running fine and he cleared the codes that indicated a miss-fire". I requested a greater explanation; Charles responded his expertise is with his experience at Mercedes. I requested to speak with the manager. Charles informed me that the manager is off on Saturdays. I replied I will right in to speak with the acting manager. Charles responded that I make sure I spell his name correctly. He then disconnected the line. I picked up the car at about 2:30 PM, drove 100 ft and the car immediately miss-fired. I turned around and pulled right into the Santa Monica BMW service center. I did not turn the car off. The car was rattling and shaking. Charles was with-in 10 ft and refused to speak with me. I'm lost my temper and yelled out in front of other customers "this is my fixed car!” A man named Bill emerged and claimed to be the manager. I explained to Bill the problem and re-iterated the story with Charles Hicks. Bills response over the entire conversation was: "Yes the spaceship can fall out of the sky""Yes the car has an engine". Realizing Bill was of no help. I requested to know what the tech did to give my car a clean bill of health. Bill responded that BMW provides a VERY expensive machine that tells them exactly what is wrong with the car. My response was that I drove 100 ft and the problem returned, the expensive machine is obviously wrong. Bill informed me that the machine was always correct and BMW policy is to trust the machine and NOT TEST DRIVE the car. I requested that he test drive the car this time. Bill moved in with-in 1 inch of my face, told me that I have a poor attitude, he likes me so he is going to take care of the car. Feeling threatened my immediate response was "I can feel the love". I backed-up and walked away to the sales floor. I found my original salesman and regurgitated this story. He informed me that I am not the first person to have this problem with those particular individuals. He will immediately talk to Dell Jr. the owner and take action. This is the worst service I have ever experienced. It is obvious that BMW of Santa Monica regards its customer’s as non intelligent beings that can be taken advantage of. Thank you for taking the time to read this messege. I hope you think twice before dealing with Santa Monica BMW.

HiPowerWeb.com



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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Santa Monica BMW provided some of the worst service I have ever seen. I had to return my car three times to repair a malfunctioning convertible top,...finally, I got so fed up I took it to another dealer, who explained that Santa Monica had installed it incorrectly.

They have rude service managers -not just one- but several. I'm not that hard to please, -this is the worst service I've ever seen!



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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
Recent (11/03) visit to SM BMW for 1st service on 540ia and to fix alarm intermitent problem as well as an interiior panel part that broke. Very friendly service from Frank, adn they called me to say the car was done. To my surprise, they found and fixed the alarm prob. Car was cleaned. No costs. I was very pleased with the experience. My coworker uses them quite a bit and has been pleased also. Years ago I used this dealer for service on my E36 M3's and was not so impressed.
MUCH better than Bob Smith BMW.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
All right guys, my experience takes the cake. I bought a 2002 745 i, luckily not from these idiots (and I'm being polite). I took the car in for a software update, add features, oil service, and a general overall checkup. I was rushed out of the service area when I finally did get my appointment (before they lost my appointment), left the car there for a week (took it in clean mind you), paid them $98.00 to add three features onto the car. Got the car back after a week, dirty nonetheless, and of the three features (pathway lighting, auto door lock, and seat/key memory), only the pathway lighting worked. Was told by BMWNW to go to any dealership to activate/transfer the concierge service, and basically I was told by Mr. Montell (moron), to get out of his dealership and because I did not buy my car from them, I should go to the dealership where the car was sold; amazing since the car is till under manufacturer's warranty and service warranty. Needless to say, I got into a yelling match, filed a compliant with the BBB and BMWNW and DMV investigative services. These people, with the exception of Rey in service are a bunch of morons; how the hell do they stay in business. I will NEVER AGAIN BUY a BMW; I knew I should have stuck with Mercedes. Too bad these ratings that this site offers don't go below 0. I have never, and I mean never been treated so badly; if this is how they treat a customer who bought a car close to $100K, I would hate to see how they treat customers who buy they entry level models. Go to other dealerships, eg. Nick Alexander. Also, I had an emergency with the car, the electronic computerized parking brake would not release and they simply told me that I couldn't get it in till Nov, 2003 and this took place in the early part of Oct 2003; it's a good thing that Nick Alexander Imports got me in!

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
After the first service on my BMW, I swore myself never go back there again, the service advisor was arrogant and absolutly not helpful in explaining what need to be done. Since, I live and work in the Santa Monica area, I said to myself let's give them a second chance. It was worse, first; I went on a city tour on the courtesy shuttle, which I had no time for it, second; nobody called that the car was ready, third; the service advisor (an other one) being arrogant and just plain unfriendly. Something needs to be done in regard to the Santa Monica BMW Dealership. I read the other feedbacks nobody is satisfied.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
I had a service appointment at this dealership for 2 in the afternoon. The appointment was made about a week ahead. I have been to this dealership for the last two years. When I drove up, I found a sign in the driveway saying that lot is full, to make another appoinment and to come back another time. No aplogies just a nasty note. I parked my car in front of the driveway, and went inside thinking it was some stupid joke. After all this is a dealership, how can the lot be full. Lo and behold my service adviser first cant find my appoinment in his computer, but I found it on a printout of the days appointments. Then he starts telling me that they got backed up and I should come back another time. No apologies, no nothing just go away. They had my phone, but never bothered to call. I waisted an hour driving, about another half hour fighting with them, bottom line is that they will never see me there again. I have had many cars and still have several cars in the family, but never have been treated this way before.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
SM BMW is the nearest BMW Center to me, so when I started shopping for a new E46 M3, I went there first. I had done a lot of research on the car, so I knew what I wanted and was prepared to buy one (or at least place an order) on the spot. The sales staff were incredibly arrogant; they had no interest in dealing at all. All of the M-series cars had substantial markups over MSRP ($7500+, which is the highest I've seen in the area), and they were completely inflexible. I guess they don't need the business.

Fortunately, I walked out and tried several other deals in the area (South Bay BMW and Cutter BMW), and had a much better experience with both. I bought a car from South Bay a week later.

Then, at my car's first service, I decided to give them another try. The service writers were apathetic, and when I spoke to the technician regarding a special request for my key coding, his attitude was dismal.

Don't go here.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Santa Monica BMW:
This dealership wouldn't bargain on price even on an unsold model sitting on the lot for 2 years. They must figure there are plenty of rich but ignorant people in their area who will pay anything without realizing you could pay full price for the newer, better model. This dealership isn't serious about doing business with anyone except the type of person who walks in, hands over their checkbook, and says "Take whatever you need, just give me my car." If that's how you like to buy cars, fine, but if you like to bargain, go check out other dealers.

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