VOB BMW

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
Unprofessional, rude and uncaring staff AND Management.

Service staff try to pull fast ones on customers, cheating in parts replacing by saying new when it is not. No ears if you complain, I guess the staff are confident they will not be disciplined due to Management glorious absence or intervention.

Sales, Service and service manager not returning calls. Even their GM neglected a letter complaint addressed to him until I sent a messanger with another copy and made them sign for it. Even then when the GM called back he did not show any care or real interest in solving any of my problems/concerns. Stay away from VOB BMW Rockville

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of VOB BMW:
My recommendation is with strong reservations.

My service manager (Gint) is one of the nicest people you ever want to meet. He's a true professional, very responsive, honest, stands by his customers, works his butt off, a fellow car freak and makes an otherwise bad dealership pretty darn good. I've been going there (to him) for years and can't say enough about him. Without him I- probably- would never visit the place again (there are other good hardworking folks there).

But...the place reeks of greedy management and occassionally downright incompetence.

The latest saga- a broken hood cable. They can't open the hood and take it to their "body" shop who wants $523 to open the hood as they have to "break the grill" to get to it.

I'm alarmed, I pick up the car, go to the boys at Europros (a not inexpensive body shop famous for Porsche work) and they tell me there's a standard procedure for this- remove the front bumper, release hood latches from underneath with screwdriver-reinstall front bumper. Their price?? Less than $200- including replacing all three hood cables which are $20 apiece.

Incompetence? Surely.
Greed? Probably.
Credit to Gint for letting me know what was up and giving me a 3 series loaner whiile my car was in? Most definitely. Without him God knows what they would have done.

BTW I was taking it there for new brakes. Do you trust your brakes to people who don't know how to open the hood?

Caveat emptor.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
Awful, awful experience. Most passive agressive communication style I have ever encountered in a business environment. I would ask for an update on my vehicle (which they kept for 15 days), and ask that they call my work, and they would call my home. Asked to call home, they would call my cell. Anything to not speak with me. DO NOT USE VOB for SERVICE!

This is terrible, because in the past, I had used them (specifically, the Purple Team) and had great experiences. So much for that, they are now terrible.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
My family and I have long been customers of VOB BMW. While the sales staff has been nothing but nice the service department is another story. I recently had such a bad experience with their service department --brian blakeslee and Jed Tenhoeve--that I will never do business with this dealership again. I advise all to stay away from this horribly rude dealership!

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
On several visits to the parts counter I've had nothing but bad experiences, and with several different clerks. Counter personnel were aloof, disinterested, and argumentative, acting like I was a bother. I'm not a BMW tech and I don't always know the precise term for the part I need. Rather than helping me narrow it down or allowing me to study the on-screen diagram, they've asked, "if you can't tell me what you need, how can I help you?" The cashier is no better - snarling and nasty. No one smiles, no one says thank you.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
I called your dealership on August 1st 2006 to schedule a service appointment for my 2001 BMW Z3. Your representative set up an appointment for Aug 9th. I told that person that I wanted the 22,000 mile maintenance service and that I had 3 problems with the car.
Problem #1. The drivers side seat did not go up and down it was stuck in the up position. This is the third time this has happened and I had mentioned it on two previous service visits to the dealership.

Problem #2. The plastic shield on the underside of the car, which protects the engine, was cracked, hanging down and needed to be fixed.

Problem #3. Noise from engine when starting up.


I dropped the car off at your dealership on Tuesday night Aug.8 so the work could be done on Wednesday the 9th as I had scheduled it. I wrote what I wanted done on the drop off form. My service team is the silver team (Scott Cascone).

The only service the silver team did on my car was to provide me an estimate of $1350.00 to replace the tracks on the seat and tightened the belts on the car. They failed to do the scheduled maintenance and didn’t even bother to address the problem of the plastic shield. They did not even give an estimate or have the body shop look at it.

I did not receive any call from my service advisor on Wed. the 9th. I came by to pick up my car that afternoon (5 pm) only to find out that it had not even been looked at even though I had scheduled an appointment. Scott did offer me a loaner car which I declined.

The second day you had my car I still didn’t get a call from my advisor on the status of the car. I called the cashier 3 times to see if the work had been completed. Your receptionist finally called me at 5 pm saying that the work was done. When I went to pay the bill there was no charge for the maintenance service because they didn’t do it even though I had scheduled it on the phone and had it written down on the drop off form. Basically the only thing that was done was tightening the belts.

Your company has wasted 2 days of my time. There is a definite lack of communication in your service area on all levels. It is very frustrating as a consumer to experience a total failure of your dealership. I will personally talk to my friends and anyone else who owns a BMW about this matter and definitely will not recommend VOB BMW Rockville for a purchase, lease or service. You have lost another customer.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
I have owned many BMWs. I went to VOB with interest in a specific type of BMW after looking at the inventory on the VOB website.

When I walked in, it was obvious that I was judged immediately. I drove up in a BMW, but I was still looked up and down when I walked through the door. I may look young, but that does not mean that I do not have the funds for an expensive car. A salesperson came to my assistance and I stated that I was interested in a specific certified preowned BWM line (they had many on the website, quite a large selection which is why I went there over other places).

Although I stated my interest in the preowned stock, I was given prices for new cars. I was shown cars in a locked indoor area which required access through a salesperson. I had no time to look, I was ushered through. Finally, I restated my interest because I did not want to waste my/his time.

We went back to the office, and the salesperson continued to push the new car. He was rude, told me that it was a $50,000 car and that a certified preowned was not desirable. I discussed possibility of trade in of my current BMW. I was left in the office for almost an hour while he evaluated my car for trade in value, fortunately I found the coffee. After reading the reviews on this website, I better look in my car to see if anything was stolen.

Anyway, it was a waste of my time. I left frustrated, and I am glad that I have had good experiences at other BMW dealers or I would never buy another BMW.

Do not waste your time! In my opinion, they are not interested in providing "The Ultimate Driving Experience," just pushing their own agenda. I am not a fool, I know what I want and I will not be bullied into something else.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
Worst car shopping experience ever!

From the moment my wife and I entered the building we were treated badly. The salesman (Dave) insulted my wife and I on several occasions saying
1. I had a farmers tan
2. People drank while working where I work
3. My wife looked like a nurse

Though there is nothing wrong with being a nurse, telling someone that they look like they work in a certain profession is very, very rude. Though I could have told Dave that his shiny bald head and enormous belly made him look like a circus clown, I restrained myself.

In addition to insulting us but changing his tune once he learned my wife was a doctor, the salesman pushed a new car on us despite our interest in pre-owned inventory.

My wife and I have owned 2 BMWs and were very happy with the customer service experiences in dealing with Bimmerwerks (West Chester, PA), Foreign Motors West (Framingham, MA), and Peabody BMW (Peabody, MA). VOB seems to be a completely different place.

Avoid dealing with VOB BMW. In my opinion it is a complete waste of time.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
I went to VOB one morning in order to get a MD State Inspection done, since I moved into the state recently and needed to get MD plates. I had to leave my car there and was provided with a rental car, as expected. Sometime later in the afternoon, I received a call from VOB service stating that my car (2000 BMW 528i, 63K miles) had failed the MD inspection and that it needed major repairs that amounted to $3500. I couldn't believe this because I knew my car was in good-to-excellent condition and I had maintained it very well. I also knew that MD inspections were tougher comparatively and expected it to fail the inspections but did not expect the price to be more than 10% of the actual value of the car. I questioned the VOB service representative about the validity of the inspection report and received an arrogant response stating "so what" and "that is the way it is". In addition, the representative warned me that the VOB service is obligated to periodically report (inspection) failed cars to the authorities, as solicited, and advised me that there are severe penalties for not getting the car inspected so as to pressure me into getting it fixed at VOB. The next day, I took my car to another state certified inspection station and they, in turn, quoted me $750 (tires mainly were the expensive) total and they showed me in detail exactly all things that were needed on the car. This is a huge price difference and is not reasonable. Thanks for this site, at least I have a medium through which I can inform other customers.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of VOB BMW:
DO NOT BUY FROM THEM. THEY ARE THIEVES. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER BMW AGAIN. This car needed a new engine after nine months. They tried to say I down shifted prematurely. THAT IS A CROCK. Took them three months to do the ethical thing and replace the engine.

Car beeps on its own nonstop as if the door is ajar but they say its because of a seat belt not being worn. Again a joke because the car beeps non stop when ever it wants.

The display powers off all the time. I will be driving and poof!!! No speed no information whats so ever. Been telling them this for years but they could care less.

Was driving my car and it shut off on its own. They didnt tow the car with a flat bed truck and then when it gets there the airbag sensor is set off. Keep in mind that I have never even seen this light set off EVER. Only way according to for this sensor to be on is from an accident. Both an independent mechanic and my insurance company found no Evidence of impact but they still dont listen. VOB still fights it and wont repair this car. They probably shorted the battery terminal themselves and caused this to happen from what I have read online. I am turning in the lease and let me tell you If you buy from VOB or go to VOB you are an idiot for doing so and are asking for problems. The car is a z4.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No