Do not buy a car from Joe Machens BMW.
On January 23rd I found a BMW 740 IL on E-Bay that was being sold by Scott Calhoun (Internet Sales Manager) and Joe Machens BMW. I had originally called about the 1998 that they sold me and a 2003 that Scott told me I should not buy. (He stated they had a lot of mechanical problems but the 1998 would run forever, he stated they had great engines.)
Needless to say after multiple conversations My wife and I drove 1 hour and 28 minutes from our house to sign the papers and purchase the car.in the Ebay ad it stated that the check engine light waas on however there service department had checked out the car and it was because pixels had burnt out in the dash.
As I was concerned they told me how the prior owners had bought the car from them and that there service department had maintained the car the whole time the prior owners had the car. Scott just knew it was a better car. When we test drove the car it ran fine but I did ask him about a rattle under the car. He said that was common with older 7's. What did I know this was the first BMW I had bought.
When my wife and I test drove the vehicle Scott was telling us how he had gotten his father i law to buy a 7 series and he loved it and still had it to this day. (I would find out later that was lie) I specifically asked him again if they were mechanically reliable because of the check engine light and again he reassured me that it was the pixels in the dash.
At the same time we were buying my wife another car. While I was in the finance office with Dwayne, Scott was trying to sell my wife a 325I. She told him we were already commited to another dealer.
Here is where the story gets interesting:
I am in the finance office when Dwayne was going over the numbers on the car. He was showing me the papers and the car that that Scott and Dwayne both told me was $6500.00 was now $7000.00 because e bay has a $500.00 early closing fee for sales (Never told about this). Funny enough when I contacted ebay they had no knowledge of the sale or the early ending. I was then informed he included a $2000.00 extended warranty, $500.00 gap insurance, and a death benefit in case I die. When I asked him about the warranty and what it covered he told me it covered electrical, engine, transmission, and was designed for higher milage cars. I asked him point blank is this going to let me get the dash fixed and he said, I can't say that, but nothing is written down being wrong with the car that was sent to the warranty company. (Sounds like fraud to me)
What makes it even worse is that I felt so taken care of that at 6:18 P.M. The same night that I bought my 7 series we Drove back and 1 hour and 28 minutes to buy another BMW from Scott and them. Because I felt they took great care of us. As we were waiting for her car it was funny, Scott told us how he made more money off of me buying the 7 series then my wife buying the 2004 BMW. (After everything I have been through it is good that he made more money on my car then the 2003 BMW that I was I had originally called about)
Fast forward to day 1 after leaving the dealer: The right rear shade was broke and got stuck in the window. Which then burnt up the motor that controls the window. That same evening when I moved the car there was oil leaking on the floor of my garage. I called Scott several times because he would not return my phone calls. When I did he said that he would talk to Dwayne and see what he could do but that the warranty did not kick in for 30 days.
In the coming two weeks, the check coolant light came on, both headlights burnt out, the transmission would not shift from first into second up to drive, it would bairly run or idle, the front brakes started squeeking like a rotor sensor, both catalytic convertors went out, and when I took it to another state certification shop they stated there was no way the car should have even been sold.
We are now at day 27, I have yet to pay the taxes or make a payment, have made several attempts to get a hold of Scott and again got nothing in the way of a phone call. I am driving in to work at five A.M. To a car that the thermostat froze closed and the bottom radiator hose froze and burst.
At Nine A.M. I called Joe Machens and again was told Scott was busy. Therefore I asked for Kevin Osbourne the general manager. I told him everything that was wrong with the car since I bought it. He said that he was sorry about that, but when I talked about the brakes, and catalytic convertor, he said that by law they were only obligated to take 1 tire off to verify that the pads were o.K. (Not what I would expect to hear from the General Manager of a dealership that in three weeks I had just bought (2) BMW's on the same day) This was how I was treated.
Kevin said that he was sorry, and would get a hold of Kevin to set up a car hauler inorder to get the car back to there dealership because if I called the warranty people they would take it to the closest dealership. I asked him about a rental vehicle and he said he would talk to Kevin. Needless to say 7 hours later Scott finnaly called me and let me talk to the guy that was going to come and get the vehicle. When I asked Scott about the rental car that I was supposed to recieve he said that if I needed one that I would have to find a ride 1 hour and 28 minutes to get one.
They got my car on Tuesday night, to be worked on Wednesday per Scott and Kevin and I would get it back by Thursday (I would have to go get it). Well the following week on a Tuesday Steve the service manager called me saying that the car was done and I could come and get it. He then told me that I owed 237.14 for the work they had done. When they picked up the car I put a list of all the things that were wrong with the car in the time that I had it.
When I picked it up the total to repair the transmission, the brakes, the catalytic covertor, the dash board, the rear window, the oil leak? $6000.00
While the car was at the dealership my frustration got the better of me. I called Scott and asked him how bad they would stick it to me if I wanted to trade the vehicle in. During that convcersation he told me again about his father in law, except this time his father in law had a 7 series for about a week that he sold him and he had to put over $3000.00 in repairs to the car and his father in law traded the car back in and got a new BMW from them. He then told me that they would be willing to take care of me and he had a black 535 I that he could get me into for $26000.00.
The more I thought about what had gone on, the inconsistency in Scott's stories, and there willingness to take the car back and get me in something else and how they would not accept responsibility both personnaly and financially for what they sold me, but they would be happy to put me in another vehicle for 5x what I paid, I could not very well buy another car from Scott Calhoun, or Joe Machens.
And to show how they take care of people, when I called and tried to reach
the President Gary Drewing, again nothing.
Do yourself a favor NEVER buy a car from Joe Machens BMW, or from Scott Calhoun, Kevin Osbourne, or Dwayne Browning, and god help you if you actually need any one above the General Manager. They will not call you.
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