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BMW FMW and Peabody in Boston area
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12-26-2007, 11:46 PM | #1 |
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BMW FMW and Peabody in Boston area
Well, despite the fact that many people had great experiences with both of
these dealership, i would still like to share some of my own experience with both of them. What i basically did was i filled out options online and try to get quotes from couple of dealership in the boston area. With Peabody, when one of the internet sales decided to give me a call, he was not only pushy, but was certainly unprofessional and impatient. He started out by asking me to guarantee to buy it from them and refuse to give me the quote for the car i wanted. Which, then i decided to end the conversation. Due to this fact, they never call back. As for BMW FMW, again it was with one of the internet sales, everything was fine until i went into the dealership and decided to talk to him in person. Instead of dealing with me directly, he put me with one of sales person. Ends up that the price he gave me was not the car i wanted and does not even have the car i waned, furthermore, the sales person was giving me crap and bs about that it was my fault for not providing the right information. Due to these factors, my whole process of car purchasing is still in progress and hopefully by the end of the year. The reason of thie post, is not just for me to complain but to show a different experience even among such highly praised dealerships. It could be simply a personal experince and no one should be discouraged by it.( But Herb Chamber does suck and people should really stay away from it) I was just hoping some inputs of bad experience with any dealership, not just HC so that we can provide prospective buyers from looking at as many prospectives as possible, not just a one sided bad or good dealers. |
12-27-2007, 11:55 AM | #3 |
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Call BMW of Stratham, we are about an hour from Boston and well worth the trip. We really need to get our numbers out before the end of the year to satisfy BMW NA. No one will beat my price if it is paid for before we close on 12/31. You won't be dissappointed. Speak with me directly!
603-395-2738 -Brian
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12-27-2007, 12:33 PM | #4 |
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I have heard this before about BMW Peabody Sales department. They aren't willing to deal very much, and I found them to be on the aggressive side. Their service department, on the other hand, is supposed to be excellent. Most of the good things that I've heard about BMW Peabody have been about the service, not necessarily the purchase. As for FMW, they are now owned by Herb Chambers, so this might not work out so well- time will tell. BMW Gallery is probably your best bet in the Boston area. Once you get well outside of Boston, in areas that aren't as much in demand, the BMW dealerships get a lot nicer and are much more accomodating- they actually want your business, which is the way that it should be. In Boston, it's my impression that none of the BMW dealerships are really hurting for business, so they tend to give customers more "attitude." So far, the best interactions that I've had have been with BMW Gallery.
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12-27-2007, 02:06 PM | #5 |
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I shopped between Peabody and FMW. I have to say, I found my CA at BMW of Peabody to be much more knowledgeable about the car and more of a "motorhead" generally than my FMW CA. But, after trading bids back and forth for a week or so, FMW finally won my business. They were simply willing to go lower on the price and lease package than Peabody was.
The folks at BMW of Peabody were definitely more aggressive than FMW, but not to the point of being offensive. I respect a hard-working CA who is being tough but fair on the price, and who is willing to walk away from a sale if he thinks he can sell the same car to someone else for more money. That's his job. I would walk out on a purchase if I thought I could beat the price, and my Peabody CA did the same to me. We parted on amiable terms, with no hard feelings, and we each said we'd look forward to trying again in a few years. I had a generally pleasant experience at FMW, although the finance guy was a bit annoying. I was in after closing, and he clearly wanted to go home. He agreed to the lease package I wanted, but he wasn't happy about it. I, on the other hand, was pleased enough that he agreed to what I wanted that I didn't hold his attitude against him. Herb Chambers, on the other hand, is simply offensive. They are, however, a typical high-pressure, high-volume dealer, and they are predictable as a result. I didn't shop them for my BMW, but I bought a Honda from them a few years ago. Their sales folks were dripping with sleaze, and tried almost every shady trick in the book (including the old "this price is only good if you buy right now" trick). However, it is possible to get a good deal out of them if you play hard ball. If you don't have the time or patience for those sorts of games, I'd stay clear of them.
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12-27-2007, 02:18 PM | #6 | |
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12-27-2007, 06:12 PM | #7 |
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Went to Peabody service center. Great service center very nice and new.
Although the next day my brake light comes on and says I need servicing. Now besides the fact that they ddint fix it that day or atleast say I would need it soon the guy also tried to sell me tires for a total of $900. I know its their job but its annoying how he had no problem trying to have me pay $900 for tires but didnt even fix the brakes. Oh well, I'll probably still go there for the brakes, the Nashua dealer annoys the hell out of me. They just now are building it and creating a nice service area, they never have any cars, the sales man suck and they wanted me to pay cash and not go through my insurance when I had windshield issues.
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12-27-2007, 06:14 PM | #8 |
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I bought my current vehicle through BMW of Peabody and had a great experience with them. My CA was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and was never pushy or aggresive. I appreciate that. To this day (1 1/2 years later) he still checks in with me occasionally. I bought my first BMW at BMW Gallery of Norwood, and did have a very positive experience with them as well. I was originally going to purchase my next (current) BMW through BMW Gallery, but thought I'd stop by BMW of Peabody because I'd heard good things about them. After they heard I was already working with Gallery, they put a deal together that Gallery wouldn't touch. Plus since the car was special ordered, he would routinely keep me updated on its progress (not that I wasn't checking the 800 number every 5 minutes! ) PM me if you'd like the name of my CA. I strongly recommend him.
On a side note, both BMW of Peabody and BMW Gallery of Norwood in my opinion have excellent service departments. You just need to build a positive relationship with your SA and stick with that person. My current SA is absolutely phenomenal, and the new facility on Centennial Drive in Peabody is very nice and comfortable. I never had a reason to give them anything less than all 5's on their questionnaire. And no, this wasn't paid testimony. I have honestly had top notch experiences with both BMW purchases. However, I'm sure there are also bad reps at both places to balance out the good ones, but I guess I've been lucky. As for FMW, I heard as well that they are now owned by Herb Chambers. From everything I've heard and from personal experience, I wouldn't go near a Chambers dealership for anything. Bad customer service and hyper aggressive salespeople.
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12-29-2007, 07:05 AM | #9 |
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I have bought 5 cars from FMW in Natick...all before Herb Crappers bought them. I tried to buy my latest from them but it was not the same. I ended up at Wagner in Shrewsbury and had a great experience...In fact I went there just looking and ended up signing on the dotted line. Mark, the general manager used to be a lead salesman at the Gallery group in Norwood where my family had purchased several cars. I was impressed with the new showroom as well as what seemed to be an orgainized service area although I have not to bring in my car yet.
I am satisfied.....at least for the moment.
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12-29-2007, 10:51 AM | #10 |
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I bought my CPO'd E90 from BMW of Peabody. My CA was knowledgeable, and was definately not pushy. He let me make the decision and even after I test drove my 330i, he let me drive an 05 M3, and 04 ZHP. I bought my car on the last day of the month, he needed to sell one more car for his bonus so i got an extremely good deal.
Now the SA I deal with for service has dissapointed me a few times, he is getting better though. Wish they had more loaner cars, everytime I drop my car off they give me a non-bmw loaner.
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12-29-2007, 10:45 PM | #11 |
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BMW Shrewsbury - I had an excellent experience with purchasing recently. Ask for Mark Daniels. He's a good egg.
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12-29-2007, 10:54 PM | #12 |
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In general, all the Herb Chambers dealership suck. FMW used to be good when they are independently owned, but now that they are bought out by Herb, I would not even consider initiating contact with anyone at FMW.
I leased my car from Peabody and everyone has been very nice. We went over the numbers, and went back and forth a couple times before we finally sealed the deal. Pick up was simple and quick, no BS. For service I also go back to Peabody. My SA is nice and courteous. They always have a loaner ready for me to go to work and keeps me updated throughout the day about the car. Couldn't be happier than that.
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12-30-2007, 11:28 PM | #14 |
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+1 for Tulley. I just picked my car up last Thursday. Keith Cox was my CA ... very easy to work with and extremely responsive through out the process.
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01-02-2008, 06:31 PM | #15 |
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To the OP....
one thing you must understand is NEVER contact "Internet Salesman" aka Phone sales...etc You should find a Sales Advisor and deal with them
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01-02-2008, 10:02 PM | #17 |
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BMW Norwell
Try BMW of Norwell more than a half dozen transactions and they are outstanding. Jim Gable is they guy I deal with over there he's been around for quite some time real honets guy. I travel there from RI because Inskip is soo bad and they're only 2 miles from my home. Good Luck.
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01-03-2008, 12:36 AM | #18 |
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Well, I ended up buying from BMW Norwell. I will have to say i am not very satisfied with my CA. He seems to be a nice guy, but not very professional and responsive. I had to constantly reminded him of what needs to be done. Which was never the case in any of the dealer i have dealt with.The only reason why i bought it from him is because he has the car that i want in the lot. But after this experience i don't think i would go back for any purchase in the future. One thing i have learn is to never limit yourself in your own area, because often you will surprise to find how great of a deal people are offering other than your area.
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01-03-2008, 05:38 AM | #19 | |
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In my opinion and experience I can recommend - Tulley in Nashua/NH - great service department with plenty of enthusiasts - Stratham BMW in Stratham/NH (Brian (great guy) is working for them and is a forum member) - very friendly service department (haven't had my car serviced but talked to their shop foreman a number of times) - Brian is a straight forward guy and good to deal with - Peabody BMW (Peabody/MA) - many people are pretty happy with them , but haven't dealt with them The real problem is that BMW is no longer selling cars but "distributing" them, ie you come begging for a car .... Their whole system on customer satisfaction is seriously flawed and really doesn't provide a way to give honest and constructive feedback. Some dealers such as Norwood will no longer service your car if you don't give them "all 5's" in the customer satisfaction survey. Oh well , enough ranting .... - Jan
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01-05-2008, 02:01 PM | #20 | |
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edit: Thanks for the props Jan! I look forward to seeing you at the first spring meets!
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UUC EVO 3 SSK I SHADOWLINE TRIM I HYPERBLACK CSL 19X8.5 235/35 19X9.5 265/30 I BLACKED OUT GRILLES I UMNITZA PREDATOR CHROMIUM HALOS I BAVARIAN AUTO SPORT SPRINGS I BAVARIAN AUTO DARK BURL WALNUT SHIFT KNOB AND EBRAKE HANDLE I COLOR MATCHED PAINTED ROUNDELS I SS BRAKE LINES |
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01-10-2008, 07:04 PM | #21 |
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+1 for Wagner BMW in Shrewsbury, they have treated me very well. They had no problem matching other dealers prices. Service dept is excellent.
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01-11-2008, 08:08 AM | #22 |
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What if you buy outside of your area via ED? I know I can also do a Performance Center Delivery, get a mini driving school session, free hotel, dinner, and breakfast Via Performance Center delivery you could pick any dealership in the country. What would some of the downside be by buying a car from somebody and not meeting them in person. In the internet age people buy many things without going into a store. If you have all the correct paperwork that should be enough?!?!? I guess the question then would be what type of paperwork would a buyer be looking for? In my previous car dealings, I simply established a rapport with a CA and trusted him in giving me the correct paperwork. I just assumed the forms he filled out were what was needed . . . Purchase Agreement. For my next car I am thinking of leasing, no real idea of the required forms in this type of transaction.
But if do a dealership delivery I would think it has to go to the dealer you bought the car from, which could be miles away from your house. |
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