ComplaintsforBMW of Sterling

• Initial Complaint

  09/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased a new vehicle, along with additional service and warranty packages from this dealer on 09/02/2022. For one of the packages, ElevateCare Bundle, the sales/business department claimed the package we paid ($2498) would include tire and wheel replacement, but it turned out it didn't: we paid ONLY for the cosmetics&curb for alloy. We also purchased another appearance care package ($995) that they promised to apply treatment upon pick-up of the car. Upon pickup, we were told that it was not ready, but we could come back for the service and they would make an appointment. No appointment was made despite multiple phone calls. At this point, we would like to ask for refund for these two packages. The sales of these two packages by this dealer were based on distorted information and scam.

  Business response

  09/13/2022

  We have reviewed the complaint and reached out to the customer. We have been unable to reach them by phone. In reviewing the coverage purchased, they do indeed have tire and wheel coverage. We are waiting for response from customer either by phone or email.

• Initial Complaint

  08/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased a 2020 ******** *** from ********.com/BMW of Sterling on 7/28/2020. The purchase priced was the online advertised price of $29,500.00 plus tax and fees. They got us very good rates on financing and then we gave them $500.00 down to secure the vehicle. We sent the $500.00 immediately and sent my drivers license and then we took a picture of me to verify it was me. So they told us the next step was for them to ***** the contract and setup the delivery date, should only take a couple days we were told. We called on Friday the 30th of July they told us they were still waiting on the delivery schedule and we should have the contract this weekend. The weekend goes buy no ***** with the contract. I called them and they reassured me it was my car and please don't worry its a done deal. After I talked to them I called my husband to let him know, he had someone that wanted to buy my ******** *** that I had. He sold the car that day and got a rental for a couple of days. Now its Wednesday 8-3-2022 my husband called them and nobody would answer the phone a hour later he got a text telling him that the car was sold to someone else before us. I called the manager he told me it was date stamped and the car should be ours. Now I looked online and my car was back on there for $39,500.00! After lying to me for 3 days they finally told me they made a mistake on the price. I told him I wanted the car I purchased at the advertised price of $29500.00 he said it was out of hands. I told him the law says he has to sell it at the advertised price he told me no I don't. Know I am in a rental car for 9 days. Nobody at either of the dealers will even talk to me all I want is the car I made the deal on for the advertised price.

  Business response

  09/13/2022

  There was indeed a pricing error. Previously this vehicle was priced just above $40k. The intent was to reduce the price to $39,500. We apologized and explained this. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We purchased a 2022 BMW from this dealership more than two months ago, and opted to keep the tags from our trade-in. We paid the required fees, and left with a registration for our new vehicle. Almost 2 months to the day, we received a letter from the state DMV saying they had been notified we cancelled the insurance on the vehicle we traded in and if we did not respond in the next ten days our licenses would be suspended. I contacted the DMV and discovered the vehicle we traded was still registered to us, and the new registration had not processed. We contacted the dealership right away and were met with transfers to voice mail with no returned calls. We spoke with our salesperson and never received a response back. We even drove to the dealership to get this resolved and were told no one will be there until the following Tuesday that is able to enter DMV data. We were given a 30-day temp tag, and assured we would be called and this would be fixed. We received no call or follow up communication and when I sent a text to the Assistant Manager I spoke with in person and he asked me what my VIN number was, then later said he found our file! Later that evening, I called the Finance Manager on his cell phone and he assured me that he would have it fixed and we would be contacted by 10:00 a.m. the following day confirming that. We received no call or communication stating this was accomplished. I had to contact the DMV to verify this was finally completed. Throughout all this, the lack of concern or desire to correct this from the dealership was appalling. We paid a $995 Dealer fee to cover processing and had we not contacted them 2 months after the sale, they would not have even realized this had not been completed. We feel the dealer fee should be refunded as clearly the sale paperwork was not processed in a timely manner, and greatly inconvenienced us as a customer. Not mention the legal implications where we stopped by law enforcement without valid registration.

  Business response

  07/13/2022

  We apologize for not getting your vehicle registered in a timely manner and will issue a refund.

  Customer response

  07/16/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me provided the refund is sent in a timely manner. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased a pre-owned 2018 BMW ***** on Saturday April 2 2022. At the time of sale I also purchased two additional extended service warrantees totaling $6,751.00. After sleeping on it, I reached out to Kirk P****, the Finance Manager we purchased the car through, and asked to cancel the two coverages. He sent me the paperwork, which I completed, signed and returned the same day 4/5/2022. He indicated that this processes takes up to 6 weeks for refund. The cancellation paperwork indicated it would be effective immediately - On April 26th, just three weeks into owning the car I had to put it in for service - knowing my extended warranty was cancelled by my choice I paid the $6,952.49 for the several items that need attention (these should have been identified before my purchase, but regardless - I paid it). On April 16th I reached back out to Mr. P**** to get an update on the status of the refund. He reminded me it can take up to six weeks, but would reach out to his cancellation department to get me an update. I never heard back. On Monday May 16th the beginning of week 6, I reached out to the extended warranty company to inquire and they had not received a cancellation, they were still in force. I asked about the service I paid for but they said it would have had to been pre-approved. I reached out to the dealership again and the response I received from Mr. P**** there was a ball dropped and the cancellation was now submitted and they would refund me after the dealership was paid - about 6 more weeks. I have emailed the GM a couple of times with no response - I also have been going around with them because they as of today have yet to provide me a clear title for the car I paid almost $50K in cash for - I have no title, no refund and no response - I need help please.

• Initial Complaint

  04/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Feb. 27, 2022- I purchased a 2015 ***** from Sterling *** for more than $19,000 (cash). In an email exchange with the sales person, I was told there was nothing wrong with the vehicle.13 days later, the engine blew. When I checked, there was no oil in the car. It was full when I drove the car off the lot (I checked). Clearly, there was a pre-existing condition that should have been caught and flagged.My attempts to resolve this with the dealership have been unsuccessful. I've had to fight to get a response and the best (only) solution I was offered was to have the car towed to Sterling for them to fix. They "might" be able to help with labor costs. I live 3 hours away- towing would be quite expensive. More importantly, my trust in Sterling is eroded. Either they knowingly sold me a car with a major problem or they missed the problem altogether. I have no faith in their ability to fix the car or to follow through on the vague offer to help with labor costs.I've had to make repeated contacts by phone and email to get any response from the company. They have yet to reply to the email I sent last week asking for an alternative solution. In the beginning, I was seeking a partial refund to help with repair costs. At this point, I'd prefer to return the car and receive a refund. However, I have no hope for reaching any kind of agreement because the company response seems to be silence until the customer gives up.** addition to filing this complaint, my wife and I will be using social media and every rating site we can find to ensure that people know about our experience and avoid using this business for their automotive needs. We will tell all of our friends and family to shop elsewhere and will encourage them to spread the word. We are reasonable people who understand the risk of purchasing a used vehicle, but the circumstances of this situation warrant action. It is disappointing that Sterling *** chose not to make things right.

  Business response

  05/05/2022

  For certain this is an unfortunate situation. However, Sterling would never knowingly retail a vehicle with a major oil leak. During our inspection process there was no indication of that. We have offered to assist with the vehicle repairs. In addition, the customer was offered an opportunity to purchase a warranty. We continue to offer our assistance in this matter.

• Initial Complaint

  01/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 10/22/2021, I purchased a vehicle from BMW of Sterling. As a ********** of ******* employee who is moving overseas on 01/30/2022, I was hoping to take my vehicle with me. I unfortunately found out however that my bank had not received the title to process my authorization to ship letter. Starting in early December, I repeatedly called the dealership to first, find out the exact issue, and second, get a timeline to when the process would be resolved. Every time I'd call, I'd be transferred to the wrong department or be forced to leave voicemails and never receive a call back. The only time I actually was able to reach someone (mid December), I was told that they sold the vehicle without a title and had supposedly ordered one and it would arrive in a few days. Fast forward to late-January and the communication process is still horrible and my bank has yet to receive the title. I'm also close to leaving permanently for Germany and unable to ship my vehicle over. I've called the DMV about this and was told explicitly that they should not have sold the vehicle without having a title in hand - they however were not able to give me an update on the status of the title request as it was supposedly filed by the dealership.

  Business response

  01/28/2022

  We have resolved issues for this customer and have made arrangements to have vehicle shipped.

  Customer response

  01/29/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: **** <******************>
  Date: Fri, Jan 28, 2022 at 1:44 PM
  Subject: Re: You have a new message from the BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern ************ in regards to your complaint #********.
  To: Better Business Bureau <[email protected]>
  

  
  

  Please consider my original complaint closed. The dealership clarified and fixed the problem. 

  
  

  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/21/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a 2014 ***** ***** ****** from this dealership and paid them for the vehicle and taxes, a total of approximately $185,000. The dealership agreed to register the vehicle in my home state of Arizona. It has now been 94 days and the vehicle is still not registered. The Arizona DMV has no record of the vehicle or any attempt by the dealership to register it. I have repeatedly called and emailed the dealership about this matter. The most recent communication to me from the dealership via email read as follows: "Good evening ********************, I apologize for the delay in getting back to you. Your paperwork has been forwarded to our out of state tag agency. There was a minor issue with the title of the car you purchased from the previous owner and the AZ DMV would not accept it. It should be handled within a few days. I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you. Please let us know if you have any questions. "It would thus appear that the dealership sold me a vehicle to which they do not have clear title and have not been able to obtain clear title. I am thus stuck with a vehicle 2000 miles from the dealership that I cannot register in my state. I have asked the dealership to provide me with contact information for the owner of the dealership and they have not complied with this request. I am in the process of filing a complaint with the police.

  Business response

  01/17/2022

  We regret that we were unable to provide the world class experience we strive to deliver. We have completed the registration process for this customer. We will use this opportunity to learn how to improve our communication and streamline our processes.

  Business response

  01/27/2022

  Now that the title issue and registration process has been completed the state will also be issuing a new title to the owner.

  Customer response

  01/29/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  The business could have created a lot less stress by just following through and keeping in touch with me. They handled the actual sales transaction well but then jobbed out the registration to a third party and did not allow me access to communicating directly with it.  
  

  Regards,
  *******************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩