Athens BMW

This will be a two part review. It’s a novel, but I promise, if you’ve taken the step to google reviews, it’s worth reading. I first want to highlight the salesmanship, profession It’s a novel, but I promise, if you’ve taken the step to google reviews, it’s worth reading. I first want to highlight the salesmanship, professionalism, transparency, and ‘give a darn’ factor from the sales representative, Alex Kidd. Should you be looking at Athens BMW, seek him out specifically. You’ll find it to be a pleasant and straight forward experience, something that isn’t always common in the car sales industry. As someone that has purchased 8 vehicles in 11 years, this has been the top sales person I have worked with. That said, there is a negative review and rating reflected here; not due to Alex, but his sales leadership team, namely Tolli Poff; a ‘30 year vet’ in the business. After negotiating a deal on a used vehicle with Alex over the span of 72 hours, we had final agreement on terms. I should note that I am an out of state buyer- so this was all handled virtually. After agreeing to the terms yesterday morning, Alex alerted me that there was a local client looking at the same vehicle, and to ensure it was mine, I needed to put down a deposit. He followed up with a phone call and him sending cc authorization forms and other paperwork. We had plans in place to do all paperwork same day to save time after my 6hr drive. He got the paperwork to me. Within 2.5 hours or so of his email, I had submitted everything, including formalizing insurance being put on the vehicle. Alex had mentioned he pulled the keys from the other sales rep and told them it was sold. He said that he had put in a time of sale already in his system, and had moved the vehicle off the lot. Roughly 30 minutes after submitting all the paperwork and deposit form, I received a text that the vehicle had been sold out from under me. You can imagine my confusion and frustration hearing this; having carved out the time from work to make the drive this week, sent in initial authorization paperwork, insurance coverage aligned etc. It seems Alex’s counterpart failed to follow up with his local client to tell them the vehicle was spoken for. It was shared with me that Alex was helpless in the situation, as his sales manager, Tolli, came over the top and approved the sale with the local client. Then came what I’m sure was a dreaded conversation with Tolli. As someone that has worked in sales and sales leadership, I know the script on working with frustrated customers. Tolli followed to a T. The ‘I’m sorry’s’ and ‘I understands’ were plentiful. At the end of the day, I had no leverage. I am an out of state buyer and they had money in hand; my opinion likely doesn’t impact their reputation or how they do business, as I don’t find myself in that market often to buy a vehicle. Their opportunity cost in selling the car out from under me was minimal, if anything. Ultimately - despite sending in the credit card auth form (because they couldn’t take it over the phone in the morning when I spoke with Alex), they hadn’t processed the deposit yet, so to their excuse, there was no money that changed hands that would dictate them holding the vehicle for me. Total bird in hand scenario, as others have echoed to me. Knowing that I had no leverage- I was now on the hook to start the process over again. They made a ‘valiant’ effort to find me a replacement vehicle over the span of two hours; but with what I was specifically looking for, came up empty handed. Which is exactly why I wanted the car they had on the lot in the first place. All this to say-sometimes the biggest difference in an already uneasy environment for most people in purchasing a vehicle- is character when nobody is looking, integrity, leadership, and being true to your word. Tolli, after 30 industry years didn’t display that. We all know the negative reputation of car sales - and this was right on the money. If you want to work with a dealership and sales leaders who put your mind at ease,because they present themselves as people of character-please take your money elsewhere More