For all your SoCal owners who bought and/or get their car serviced at Universal City MINI / Century West BMW ...

What do you feel about their no weekend service for MINIs policy? To me, that's terribly inconvenient, unheard of, and worst of all they're obviously putting the MINI a class below their beloved BMWs by not offering us all the conveniences other customers get.

At first I was told that "there weren't enough qualified mechanics to work on MINIs over the weekend". When I called today to ask about that, I was told that MINI owners wouldn't EVER be able to get their cars serviced on weekends. How pathetic is that !!!!??

With as many cars as they sell out of that dealership, needless to say, at a 6K markup for a MCS, it's simply arrogant of them. I didn't buy a MINI because I wanted a BMW, I bought it because I love the car. I expect to be treated like anyone else and receive the same level of customer service from a dealership. If some random person showed up in their 323, they would get better service from the dealership because I am made to feel like a "lesser" customer.

I wrote MINI USA and got the "each dealer is independtly owned and blah blah blah " crap.

Sorry, I had to vent

_________________
2002 Dark Silver MCS. Premium / Sport / Nav

 

Sambusik,
There's no weekend MINI service here in SF either. Honestly, I don't need it because I live nearby and can leave Ringo there during any weekday. The dealer pays for the cab ride to/from there to where I need to be.

However, I do understand that weekend work would be really convenient for many MINI Motorers. Start lobbying the dealership -- maybe they'll add weekend service hours.
Kensmini

 

You're lucky that SF is a nice compact city :smile:

I wrote a nice (but firm ) letter to their service manager, hopefully I will get a call back.

 

Hey Sambusik,

How about going to the Dealer Rating System portion of this web site and giving us a review of Universal.

Personally I am still trying to resolve the rage I feel towards this dealership. The no Saturday MINI servicing is just another example of this dealers arrogance. Especially since, as you say, they have had the nerve to charge $6,000 over sticker. I just have no trust for this dealership (and why should I they straight out lied to me when I was atttempting to buy my MINI). Although Universal is 5 min. from my house, I will be having it serviced where I bought it, Long Beach MINI (@MSRP thank you very much) and on Saturdays.

I have spoken with more MINI owners who have horror stories about Universal than I care to recount. This has to be among the very worst dealerships in America. I'm just glad there was at least one dealership in SoCal that is the polar opposite of Universal. Otherwise I might have missed out on one of the great experiences of my life, owning a MCS.

Peace to all

 

Thx! i posted a dealer review. Somebody summed it up about them, "good sales, poor service"

I'll prbly be servicing my car at Monrovia, or Assael, or even Bob Smith when they finally open.

South Bay BMW is gonna sell MINIs in 2004 ...

 

Hey Sambusik,

How about going to the Dealer Rating System portion of this web site and giving us a review of Universal.

Personally I am still trying to resolve the rage I feel towards this dealership. The no Saturday MINI servicing is just another example of this dealers arrogance. Especially since, as you say, they have had the nerve to charge $6,000 over sticker. I just have no trust for this dealership (and why should I they straight out lied to me when I was atttempting to buy my MINI). Although Universal is 5 min. from my house, I will be having it serviced where I bought it, Long Beach MINI (@MSRP thank you very much) and on Saturdays.

I have spoken with more MINI owners who have horror stories about Universal than I care to recount. This has to be among the very worst dealerships in America. I'm just glad there was at least one dealership in SoCal that is the polar opposite of Universal. Otherwise I might have missed out on one of the great experiences of my life, owning a MCS.

Peace to all

 

Sorry about the double post, I don't know how that happened.

So now Universal has 18 reviews and 15 give them one star, what does it tell you? I wonder if MINI USA looks at these results?

 

The Dealership Rating section is under utilized! We need to post the good, bad and the ugly!

 

i live in simi valley, and have purchased my MCS from universal mini
i have not had the pleasure to service the car yet, since it only has 400 miles on it
but given the recommendations this dealer is getting, it sounds horrible

my sales experience wtih them was excellent. i bought my mcs from them at msrp, and they were very curteous and knowledgeable. i first went on a friday night at 8:45pm, and they stayed with me till 9:30pm (after the dealership had closed) just to give me testdrives and information

i wanted to shop a bit more thus i didnt buy from them that night. the next morning i went to downtown la, test drove, price was outrageous, came back to universal, ordered mini, and got it delivered from universal. i give them two thumbs up.

:smile:

 

My sales experience with them was great. A nice bunch of people in the sales department.
Good luck with your service though

 

sam your my so cal guru from now on
so i will do service wherever you do yours first :smile:

 

You might want to check the lead time for service as well. Last time I checked it was more than 2 weeks wait due to lack of trained MINI techs.

 

hey,

im out in westlake village and i bought my cooper from Long Beach and i got it exactly the way i wanted it w/ no 6000 dollar mark up. red03mini how the hell did u get no mark up from Universal?? o ya my cooper is in the shop at LB, body shop, and they dont work on it on Sat, i dont know if that is just the body shop?? i too am not very fond of Universal service

 

Yea maybe red03minis should be the SoCal guru since I have never heard of anyone getting MSRP from Universal

Good job red03minis! Maybe you could be in charge of getting us Saturday service

 

I bought my MCS from Universal and I had a really great buying experience. Unfortunately, that is not a reflection of their service. I've had my car serviced there and really haven't had any problems except for the week long wait to take the car in. So now, I am taking it to Assael in Monrovia. I'm really not thrilled about this because I don't feel comfortable with them but, I don't have to wait to take the car in. They did save my butt recently though when I got a flat. I won't discuss what I paid for that tire...(lesson learned!) but they did help me out and they were nice enough.

 

>>Sambusik,
>>There's no weekend MINI service here in SF either. Honestly, I don't need it because I live nearby and can leave Ringo there during any weekday. The dealer pays for the cab ride to/from there to where I need to be.
>>
>>However, I do understand that weekend work would be really convenient for many MINI Motorers. Start lobbying the dealership -- maybe they'll add weekend service hours.
>>Kensmini

They pay the cab fair? Who did you arrange that with? I'll keep that in mind when I need service (if my car ever arrives.... It should have been here yesterday, but the truck is still in Oxnard and not leaving until Monday).

 

>>sam your my so cal guru from now on
>>so i will do service wherever you do yours first :smile:

MighyMiniz was recommending a great place that might be closer to you, you should PM him.
Otherwise, there's Sunshield Tinting on Van Nuys just South of the 101. Gotten 2 cars tinted there.

 

>>Yea maybe red03minis should be the SoCal guru since I have never heard of anyone getting MSRP from Universal
>>
>>Good job red03minis! Maybe you could be in charge of getting us Saturday service
>>

I agree, red03minis must have some serious persuading powers to get the MCS at MSRP from Universal!

>>You might want to check the lead time for service as well. Last time I checked it was more than 2 weeks wait due to lack of trained MINI techs.
>>

I called today to finally schedule them to install my CD Changer, I was told March 28th. I told her no thanks, hung up and called the service tech I was dealing with. He scheduled me for Monday.

Otherwise, definitely seems like something to be aware of, I would schedule service pretty far in advance.

Thinking of buying one of those runflats from TireRack and keeping it at home. I don't wanna be in a situation where I would have to pay 3 bills for a new one.
_________________
2002 Dark Silver MCS. Premium / Sport / Nav

 

>>Yea maybe red03minis should be the SoCal guru since I have never heard of anyone getting MSRP from Universal :smile:

thanks sam, i will go to the galpin ford place to tint like mightyminiz recommended
i will also go back to universal to get some things reprogrammed....maybe i will see you there sam

 

Going in tomorrow to Universal to get my cd changer installed. the sales manager (note: NOT the service manager) was nice enough to offer me a loaner vehicle.

Finally got my MCS tinted, 35% all around, will post pics tomorrow after I get her washed!

 

OK..my 2 cents
1st..SpyCar has a bug up his.....
so quit your moaning.....you love Long Beach MINI and you hate Universal City.
I bought my MINI at Universal MCS
ordered in August, delivered in Oct...paid $2500 oner MSRP...who cares..I got the car I wanted and did not have to wait 9 months like Long Beach to order the car I wanted
since then I now have 11,000 miles on it, took it in for minor problems and my oil change
dealt w/ Tony in service. Absolutly no problems!!
They took care of me, got me in and out.
Sorry they don't have Sat service, but not a big problem for me.
He did say they now have 4 techs and are in need of more.
I hate to see everyone complaining
Read my dealer review..and I am sticking to it
I am not affieated w/ Universal MINI
I am in the wine biz
and did shop at Assal, Long Beach and Nick Alexander
but went w/ Universal because of the great sales/service I have had with them from their sister store, New Century .
All in all..I have NO Complaints!!!

 

>>
>>Finally got my MCS tinted, 35% all around, will post pics tomorrow after I get her washed!
>>


sam where did you get urs done? how much did you pay? i am doing it tomorrow, would like to hear from you before i go

i was going to do 35% but wasnt sure if that was too light!!

let me know :smile:

 

pywine---i havent dealt with service yet

i need to do some reprogramming..and they told me to call their service dept tomorrow, so we will see how it goes

i dealt with nick alexander too (the worst imo, will do a write up sometime)

and i agree with you :smile:

 

Anyone willing to pay $6000 over sticker for a Mini
have I got a deal for you! And I'll deliver it...
Seriously.

 

>>sam where did you get urs done? how much did you pay? i am doing it tomorrow, would like to hear from you before i go
>>
>>i was going to do 35% but wasnt sure if that was too light!!
>>
>>let me know :smile:

Went to Sunshield tinting on Van Nuys, just south of the 101. Paid $125
35% is just enough for me, I didn't want the front and back windows to have a different tint %, so I went 35% all around. You can go darker, but then you risk getting pulled over Gonna do the front windshield soon after I peel off my registration sticker.