Chapman BMW on Camelback

by yeewingyiu on 03/25/2017

We were shopping for a BMW X3 and visited two dealerships in Phoenix, AZ. Our first stop was at their competitor only 4 miles from where we live. Before purchasing a car we scheduled a visit to Chapman BMW because they participated in the Costco Auto purchase program. Joe Lena first contacted me via email to spell out what current deals they ran, then he followed up with a phone call explaining they offer a no-haggling experience. We met Joe at the dealership and he proved to be very professional, patient and knowledgeable. We ran through many different options available and whether we purchased from the inventory or a factory build. My wife and I went back and forth on this several times. Joe did not rush us to make a decision, he was able to navigate between two differing personalities and priorities to a solution that worked with our needs and budget. Through the process of selection, delivery and after delivery, Joe took part in it. We found a couple items on the car that didn't meet our expectation and he took care of it immediately. Mr. Lena works hard to solve problems is the best way to describe it. He honors his word and follows through to make sure we were happy with our purchase. At the end of the day, both dealers offered the same product and same pricing structure, but Mr. Lena was the difference which steered us to purchase our vehicle from Chapman BMW.

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by BrianGreenberg on 08/24/2016

I went to several dealerships and found Champman BMW to be the very best. Our sales person Kim Reid and the whole staff at Chapman were amazing. We left with a new BMW X1 and the whole experience was professional and welcoming.

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by ranger68 on 06/23/2016

Selling maintenace contracts w/o disclosures that re not redeamable. Scam dealership-please stay away. US Army 1989-2016 Retired

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by balanced77 on 10/29/2015

Purchased vehicle the evening of Jan 15. At the time the vehicle had a slight pull to one side notated at time of sale as an item they would resolve. Dealer noted fresh tires had just been installed by them. Feb 2nd dealer notified that per a known tire store in the valley that the front tires were under the load rating per Mercedes specs. Feb 4th dealer came back with genuine concern about the load rating and stated that safety is a critical item to them. Dealer asked I bring the vehicle in to be inspected. Dealer ordered replacement front tires with a higher load rating. These new tires arrived and were installed Feb 6. After the install, the tech found that the larger diameter tire rubbed the factory suspension and the original tires were put back on the car. I was advised that I could get quotes on having the fenders remolded larger so I could add wheel spacers and then move back to a larger tire. Sales rep advised me that if I were to blow a tire he would help me out on cost but there were no other options. Fast forward to Sept. I contact the dealership as both my front wheels had cracked on all 5 spokes. Dealer asked if this was a safety concern and I advise yes and that the wheels were leaking air at this point. I was advised the dealer would speak with management. 11 days passed without any response from the dealer. A local shop was able to assist me in tracking down the details of the wheel through a VIN search and calling around (cudos to them). The manufacturer was nice enough to extend the original warranty to me (even though I was the second owner) but I would have to pay freight. I agreed and picked up a rental car for a week while new wheels came to AZ and were installed and the original wheels went back to the manufacturer for inspection. I followed up with the dealer again and was met with a reply that they didn’t know what I wanted. I reminded them that they were “speaking to management” about the situation and had not replied. I advised them that in the interest of safety and time I took on the cost of a rental, labor to install and freight charges. I explained that I would like to know who to send the invoice to for reimbursement since they made no attempt to mitigate. Two managers were copied into the email string at this point by the dealer. Another week passed without response and I again reached out to the dealership asking who I should escalate my matter to. Another week passes without a response and I ask for the general manager’s contact info. I finally get a reply that the store owes me nothing because I accepted the tire option. I ask that since their solution did not fit the vehicle, was there a solution I was unaware of. I remind them that I am not asking for tire replacement as I did put miles on what was installed, even if it was substandard, but it was their installed tires that lead to the defect of the wheels. Further, despite my communication, their continued silence caused me to need to remedy the situation on my own. October 21st I receive an email from David Schmall with the following parties CC’ed: Nicholas Buzzetta, BJ Geisler, Jason Howard and Alan Jones. Below is a portion of the email I received: “Any time you are selling used cars problems come up. It has been our companies position to address these problems on a case by case basis and try to exercise the best discretion possible to take care of customers and at the same time protect the store from that policy being abused. We initially would cut a check for almost any complaint that came up and as you can imagine this policy was abused and just overall not a good market plan. With used vehicles we had to set some boundaries due to mitigating factors we could not control, like the way certain customers drove their vehicles, abused their vehicles and cared or failed to care for their cars with proper maintenance ect. So, with that we had to get some definitive policies in place. The policy we applied mirrors the state of Arizona’s law that is of a 15 day limited powertrain warranty. Specifically anything that would affect the vehicle from driving forward or back ward. With that our General Manager has allowed us to exercise discretion on a case by case basis for other problems that arise in the scope of 30 a day period or 500 miles. Outside of those parameters are hands are tied. Now I understand that the vehicle was sold with aftermarket wheels (quite common on used cars) the wheels and tires were inspected at our facility, prior to sale and delivery and were deemed safe. I replied to remind them that the issue was brought to their attention Feb 2nd and not resolved and asked them to reconsider their position. No reply again from the dealership for a week and I followed up once again. Due to their inability to communicate and lack of effort to even inspect the vehicle when I followed back up with them I am going to share my experience with the buying public. I noticed in their replies to most negative reviews they state they cannot find record of the customer. I am happy to scan and attach my purchase record for them and share the entire email string.

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by bimmergirl2 on 04/09/2015

Robert Mills sold me a certified 2012 X5. I specifically asked about the car fax, which was clean. However I also inquired about whether any bodywork had been done. I was told that they would not certify a car if there was any evidence of extensive bodywork. I purchased a black car at night, upon taking it to be waxed I was shown that the entire back half had bad runs in the paint, illustrating that it had gone through major bodywork. I never once received any follow up from the dealership on how I was liking the car, which I believe is standard customer service protocol. Then when I emailed asking if they might be able to look at the vehicle to check into the paint, and if there may have been evidence of body damage that they missed, Robert Mills called me and told me that he had in fact made me aware of "inconsistencies in the paint." Which the only thing we discussed was a scratch on the hood, not the entire back half being repainted. He yelled at me, refused to listen when I tried to speak, and handled a simple question and request with pure anger, defensiveness, and angst. I asked if he thought a better way to handle it would be to ask me to bring it in so he could have someone take another look (which would have appeased me just fine) and he said a manager would call me and hung up on me. This is the worst customer service I have ever received. I would never recommend this dealership, and if they are a last resort to get the car you are looking for I WOULD CERTAINLY DISADVISE SPEAKING WITH ROBERT MILLS.

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by JaredS on 10/24/2014

I went into Chapman BMW towards the later part of September 2014, this was my experience: First of all the salesman Dustin that helped me AWESOME, no issues with him at all, he is fantastic! Showed me a few BMW's we finally found an awesome 08' 335i White, and I was sold. He did a perfect job. Going into finance is where things started to go sideways. A gentleman named Steve helped me and was very kind. I asked specifically "is this loan approved?" "No, but I am 99% sure it will go through." Steve said. I voiced that was apprehensive about taking delivery of a vehicle when financing wasn't secured but he claimed "this is BMW, we'll make it work don't worry about it." I took delivery and loved my new BMW 335i. Showed it to my friends, co-workers, family. Then I got a call 2 and half weeks later from Lyle the Fleet Manager. "I'm sorry but we'll need you to bring the car back you aren't approved"... So apparently Steve had no clue what he was talking about... Lyle went on to say "However we have a 328i that's in great condition that we can approve you on." I had traded in an old Jeep and I much rather would have a lesser BMW than take my trade back so I played ball. Went down, turns out the car was AWESOME! I loved it! However Chapman had me sign all new paper work, agreeing to an INSANE APR of 29.99%, agreeing to have a tracking device in the car, basically making me feel like a criminal for not having the best credit score on the planet. However I agreed and jumped through their hoops. Steve in a rush and obviously looking annoyed and embarrassed that I was back, rushed through the paper work. I asked him again, "So is this approved, are we good?" He replied "yes, this is approved you are good to go." Never once manning up & offering an apology or recognition of wrong doing or over promising, instead he treated me as if I was a pain to deal with. A couple more weeks went by, I showed the second BMW to my friend co-workers, family etc. Bought a decal for the back window, took a road trip in it, the car was mine. I loved it! Well into October I had an amazing job opportunity open up, so I quit my previous job accepted the new offer. Lyle from Chapman called and said "The lender can't approve your loan, they need to verify employment" I explained the situation, and he made me feel assured that there would be something they could work out for me. I sent over my offer letter from my new job, as well as contacts to legally verify employment. Keep in mind this was Chapman BMW's "In house" finance group... Apparently a legal offer letter and a direct line to HR to do a standard verification of employment doesn't satisfy Chapman BMW. Never mind the fact the "lender" was slow in their verification of employment. Lyle called back explaining his job was on the line and I needed to return the BMW. I obviously didn't want to cost anyone their job over a car, so I returned the car and took back my Jeep. Later that day I get a call from Lyle telling me that Chapman now has a problem because my Jeep (registered in CA) had the title transferred to AZ in their names. Since the registration was expired, they needed to either get the Jeep registered for me here in AZ, or make the deal with the BMW work. He suggested that Chapman pay for a rental car, and when I find out when my I'll have my first pay stub from my new job, to let him know. Then they'll pay for my rental car and we can get the deal worked out on the BMW. GREAT! It maybe a weird and stressful situation but hey at least they are working with me. A week went by and Lyle called me and asked when I would be getting a pay check, I explained the soonest I would see one is Nov 7th. He then explained that Chapman would be unwilling to pay for the rental car until then and I needed to return the rental car and pick up my Jeep. Finally fed up with the insanity of all of this, I took back my Jeep. Magically Chapman had an AZ Title for the Jeep in my name, not sure how they did that but okay. Then they let me drive my Jeep off the lot with a broken Wheel Hub which I had to pay to fix on my own. Thank God I did, I might have died on the way home. In closing: My credit might not be the best, but it won't always be that way. I make great money, and I am very capable of bringing money to the table to make this work. Not once was that suggested, or the option was ever given. Chapman is not the only BMW Dealership in town, and after all the hoops I had to jump through, I would expect them to look at me not as a pain but as a chance to establish a good customer relationship. Exceptions can be made, deals can be done, and people can wait for pay stubs. Not a good look Chapman.

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by Angel_X5 on 07/24/2014

Went in for oil change. When I received my vehicle back, the oil lights had not been reset. Took the vehicle back in and asked that they verify that the oil had been changed. Was informed that the tech forgot to reset the lights. My oil is still black. I have been taking my vehicle to them for 2.5 yrs. During this time period, the measurement on my brakes have been constant. On my last visit, the pad thickness decreased to 5mm, half of previous measurement. The current measurement was confirmed. I was told previous techs must have eyeballed the measurement. Considering the vehicle goes thru a 31pt inspection during each visit, eye balling is not acceptable.

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by StellBell on 06/23/2014

I recently found myself in an undesirable situation where I had to roll two cars into one. After visiting a few dealerships around town, I was directed to Chapman BMW on Camelback. I never thought I could turn this bad situation into a BMW but the guys here made that happen for me. We tried a couple different models that did not appeal to me and just when I was about to give up hope they suggested an X3. I took it for a test drive and loved it. The numbers worked for me and I have to say the whole thing wrapped up pretty easily from there. Bottom line, give these guys a shot. They have a huge selection of certified and pre-owned vehicles to choose from so chances are you will find something that works.

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by n8phx on 06/18/2014

I will preface my review with I have not had experience taking a non-warrantied vehicle in for service and I can greatly appreciate the difference this can make due to quotes versus work performed and value received. However, I have had nothing but fantastic, award worthy service from my service adviser, Bobby S. Even with service calls that were difficult to diagnose or required extra attention, he had me in my loaner and on my way in no time. The work has always been excellent. I would highly recommend this dealer over the Benz dealer I used to to visit with my MB.

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by n8phx on 06/18/2014

This was my fourth purchase from Chapman, however my first time with Kim R as my client adviser. I have only had good experiences with Chapman, but Kim was even better. She took the time to help me through several pre-owned options and then finally several new models. She is clearly patient, but also knowledgeable, friendly and little to no pressure. She is great to deal with via email and text and I have referred several others to her. If your next car is a BMW, make sure and give Kim a call. She is quite simply the best.

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by bmwfan14 on 04/11/2014

I just recently purchased my dream car, a BMW 535i. Savas M is truly a BMW ambassador. His knowledge of the BMW brand was truly exceptional and made it easy for me to decide between Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Savas is able to accurately portray the BMW image as intended by the manufacturer. Throughout the process he was extremely informative and addressed every question I had about the 535i. It was a truly pleasant experience as the entire time I never felt like I was being "sold something" but rather that Savas was trying to help me get my dream car. I left the dealer feeling extremely happy and grateful that I was referred to Savas because his combination of professionalism, BMW know how and pleasant demeanor made it a very easy choice for me.

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by HeatherAz on 04/07/2014

Savas is an excellent sales person, because he doesn't come across as someone who is 'pushing' you to buy. Instead, he comes across as a good listener; someone who has recently purchased a car (similar to the one we were interested in) and is enthusiastic about telling you why he likes it! He has a great smile and a good sense of humor. Empathy is the key to all good relationships, and Savas understands how it feels to be a 'buyer' vs. a 'salesman.' Without losing his professionalism, he was able to share some of his own experiences, which made us feel comfortable. He has patience; no matter how many times we asked him to explain something we didn't understand, he did so -- as if he had all the time in the world just for us. Savas has obviously done his homework. We found him both knowledgeable and trustworthy.

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by carnaught on 08/15/2013

I leased a brand new BMW 328i with the dealership agreeing to buy-out the last payment of my lease ending on my previous car. They were anxious to have me take delivery the same day as our agreement, but I told them I couldn't until two days later. So, two days later, I then picked up the car, signed the papers and paid the agreed fees. Less than 24 hrs. after taking delivery of the car, the dealership's finance office called me and said that they no longer wanted my trade-in car as the buy-out for the car was different than they told me. Within an hour of their phone call, I called them and told them I was on my way back with the car and would take back my trade. Despite this, when I arrived, they didn't have the car. It was a few blocks away at their used car location. The dealership failed to do their due diligence at checking out the correct buy-out figures on my trade and told me because of it, I would owe them $3-5000 more. Moreover, they had an additional two days to do so. They seemed genuinely surprised that I brought the new car back to them, and I got the impression that they wanted me to get attached to the new car and would be willing to pay them whatever extra they wanted. This situation, unprecedented to me in owning dozens of cars, was through no fault of my own. I have both a top credit rating and reputation, and I was appalled at the reprehensible way they did business with me, a new enthusiastic customer to their dealership , much less ANY customer. The sales manger really had no excuses nor offered any admission of a mistake on their part nor offered any apologies. I discourage anyone from doing business with this dealership, who at best was incompetent, and at worst deliberately deceitful.

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by topmanron on 07/20/2013

I tried to order a simple part- a gas cap, online from Chapman-which is apparently impossible. I was prompted to a 3rd party to assist me-and after being forced to provide excessive demographic information- I was promised a call from Chapman Parts Dept for help to complete my purchase- but Chapman never called- and after wasting hours of time and being interviewed by their 3rd party assistants-extensively and against my will (I answered their questions in the hope of getting a chance to buy my elusive gas cap-feeling I had no other choice) Since several days had passed- I finally contacted Chapman by telephone and waited for a parts dept rep to give me the well guarded info- they had one unit in stock, and it was 20 dollars. I went to the dealership literally ten minutes after they opened- and as I approached the counter of the parts area- I made eye contact with the man behind the desk- who immediately went into a back room and out of sight. Eventually- he returned and faced the burden of making a cash sale for the gas cap I needed- but it was 35 dollars- not 20 dollars-which I mentioned being quoted and was given a non-verbal response of a look on his face which I understood conveying his belief that I must be ignorant to the fact that he didn't care what I was told on the phone, and I needed to pay the nearly double amount-or try to find the part elsewhere-which seems inconceivable. As he asked more demographic information - my name- address, etc and processed the paperwork for this gas cap acquisition- I politely inquired about an adapter to convert a power outlet inside my glove box- which was designed for a small flashlight and can be used as a phone charger with the adapter I was interested in. Without checking his computer- he told me Chapman had actually been believed to have sold the last one in existence a long time ago- and the adapter is no longer available -not even through BMW in Germany! I asked him if he knew of ANY possible way of purchasing one and he again gave me that look in his eye that reminded me I was just a BMW owner, and he was Chapman parts God- He then reiterated his "final answer" indicating that I can forget about obtaining such an item- they have been eradicated from the universe and Chapman was the last known source who hasn't had one for years. I thanked the representative and decided not to ask to see a BMW wristwatch that caught my as I waited for him to return from the "customer avoidance area" in the back (when I initially arrived and caught his eye) I collect wristwatches, and I am a BMW fanatic...so it was difficult for me to leave with the watch which was clearly priced in plain view in the glass display case-- I knew I had already caused the man behind the counter too much work already- I didn't dare suggest he step out from behind the counter and into the "public area where the dreaded customers are waiting for the privilege of paying premium retail prices for the merchandise they reluctantly sell. I left the parts area and proceeded back through the building to leave- and nodded hello to the multiple service reps who gazed at me over their cubical dividers expressionless but unaffected by my unfamiliar friendly face- a face they would see three more times in the coming minutes because I decided to screw the gas cap onto my vehicle because it is a pressurized system and I consider the cap to be important to the older car's performance- "Long story-even longer" I had to go back to the parts department a second time to apprise the Chapman rep of the fact that production dates of my model year- often affect parts- and he must have sold me the wrong cap because it didn't fit. His response was "Whats the vin number- as he started punching keys to process the exchange- I doubt the model year had more than two gas caps to fit the car- but I went ahead and made my way back out to the parking lot to retrieve the vin number (I wondered if people actually memorize that long alpha-numeric code- as I again passed by the service rep desks behind the cubical dividers they use to shield themselves from being at risk of someone like me-who might inquire about scheduled maintenance needed on a car old enough to incur customer costs for being well beyond its warranty period...Anyway- I grab my insurance card and complete my required errand to obtain a vin number for the Chapman rep to determine the part number for the other gas cap which was also used on my 1997 car (which is virtually flawless- except for the missing gas cap) Needless to say- I caused much strain and grief when I asked for my cash back- since they sold the last available gas cap I needed "just yesterday" I asked if there was anyplace he would suggest I try to find one- and an open screen in his line of vision prompted him to tell me there was only one available at "their sister dealership" which was located in an East Valley Suburb - quite a long distance from my Central Phoenix neighborhood. I asked if there was any other possible source (because I was afraid the "one unit available" might have been "sold yesterday" and it seems likely that The other Chapman location might be a sister location that employs this representative's brother!) He didn't bother to inform me of another BMW dealer or BAP or even Ebay as alternatives to correcting my car problem- which is now crucial because my registration renewal is due and cannot be renewed without passing emissions testing- and the gas cap is a required part which the emissions test will result in automatic failure if it is missing- especially since the lack the cap has caused the "Check Engine" light to be illuminated on the dashboard- another factor which results in automatic emissions test failure. I still don't have a gas cap, and I still want that BMW watch I didn't dare ask to see closer...and I doubt if I flashed the Rolex I was wearing that day-would have prompted the Chapman rep to offer to have the gas cap transferred from the other Chapman location either- so I went home without my gas cap- and found the power adapter I was told no longer existed on the planet- on eBay---but I didn't buy it- because I'm now considering trading the BMW on a new model - perhaps a convertible to make me less aware of the fact that this visit to Chapman BMW on Camelback was on my 50th birthday! I won't be trading my car at Chapman though I'd rather switch to Mercedes.

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by sndinwiddie on 06/25/2013

I purchased our second BMW from Chapman and the issues began there. I bought a used BMW 328i and the sales person told me it did not come with floor mats - when I complained to BMW North American - magically I got used floor mats. They were not for my car, but I got something. I also have another BMW, an older X5, and they are known to last a long time. Every time I took it Andy S there was one more problem - we were going there monthly for things that my husband and I thought should be identified on previous visits. I will never forget sitting in the lobby waiting for my car when I heard him talking to another customer and letting that person know how much their repair bill would be. The customer was upset, but in a fluid motion Andy picked up the phone and got him to Sales for a test drive of a new BMW. I am not one to believe in conspiracy, but I think the Service department is a main line to Sales. Also, it does not make sense that there was one issue after another with the same system - the air intake/fan belt had problems, then the alternator - I have a hard time believing that when connected to diagnostic equipment that those two systems that are so closely related were not noted as possibly failing, but it was not mentioned and we spent close to $1500 within 2 months. Finally, we had our brakes done in May of last year. I thought there was a warranty on the brakes, so I took it to Chapman and I was told it was the calipers that caused the brakes to wear down on the passenger side front. I did not believe it, took it to another repair location that works on BMWs in Peoria and they said there was nothing wrong with the calipers - they did replace the parts that BMW put on about a year ago and refused to replace. I am disgusted with them and if I ever buy another BMW it will not be from Chapman. Take a word of advice - if you want your older BMW to continue working, and they are work horses, don't use the service department at Chapman BMW and know they will deny any possible support of the warranty support they are to give to customers. Extremely disappointed, will not go back and plan to attempt to recover my money for brakes placed on the car and inaccurate assessment of what was wrong with the car.

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by wchristie1 on 08/06/2010

I have visited Chapman BMW's service department several times and they have been very friendly and timely about taking care of me. They give me the option of a BMW loaner or van service to my office. None of my service repairs have required a return visit. My service rep is Taras Mishenko - Taras is professional, returns call timely and always takes care of me. Chapman BMW and Taras make the dealership service experience the best it can be.

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by praz on 01/26/2008

My wife wanted to drive a BMW so thought of presenting her 3 series for 07 christmas. Talked to Ben and schedule an appointment. He quoted me $1,000 over invoice but his attitude changed when I mentioned that I want to buy with zero down. Later, the finance manager quoted me 7.9% APR when the bank rate was 6.25% for Tier 1 credit. I thanked them for their time and bought ES350 for $500 more than invoice ($1,000 down) but they gave me free XM kit installed, window tinting, clear floor mats and touch-up paint and also gave me bank rate. My wife is happy and so am I.

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by notmethere on 08/18/2007

I purchased my 330I in Chicago 3 years ago, two weeks before moving to Phoenix. I gave Chapman BMW in Phoenix the opportunity to acquire my business at the time and they were no where even close on price. To be frank, I would have preferred to have purchased the car in Phoenix to save the expense and trouble of transport but Chapman was thousands of dollars more expensive. As for service, they are and have been for the last 3 years, hands down the worst service I have ever experienced. Unfortunately they are just about the only game in town that is reasonably close to me. They do not return phone calls; no one comes out to greet you when you pull the car in to the maintenance area forcing you to guess what you need to do; no one (except the receptionist) ever, ever answers the phone, it always goes to voice mail; they nickel and dime you to death on everything; my loaner car for service was a Ford mini-van; lastly the reason I am going through the trouble of even writing this is because I have been waiting six hours for the finance representative to get back to me, even though I told them in multiple voicemails that it was very important that they get back to me as soon as possible, today. If this was somewhere other the BMW, maybe I could understand. But when I pay a premium price for a vehicle I expect premium service. The service at Chapman BMW on Camelback has been sub-par at its best and downright rude at its worst. Not only will I not recommend them for service, I will not recommend them for purchase based upon my experience three years ago. Chapman BMW on Camelback has soured me on the BMW brand, I will not buy a BMW in the future, I am selling the BMW I own and I will make it a point to tell everyone I socialize with in the future not to purchase a BMW.

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by celkan on 07/31/2007

I hve bought five new cars in my life. This was by far the worst experience. I live in California, but the only car with the options I wanted happened to be at this dealership, Chapman BMW on Camelback. All the local dealerships were friendly and reasonable with me. The one that located this car said they could get it for me on a dealership trade, something that is quite routine. After several days, they apologized that the car was unavailable because it had been sold by Camelback BMW. This was a plain lie--the story continues. I called Camelback BMW and spoke to Ben Majidi, the Internet sales manager. He told me the car was *not* sold, but then the best word to describe his attitude is "toxic." I felt like I had to hold the phone at arm's length from my ear, to mitigate his spewing rudeness. He was impossible to negotiate with reasonably. Next, I called a contact at a different BMW dealership near me. Again, he said he could get the car for me. Again, he apologized a couple if days later that Camelback BMW had said the car had been sold. Again, this was a lie. I called Camelback BMW again on a different phone number. This time I reached a perfectly friendly salesman named Glenn Sullivan, and I reached a deal with him to buy the car. I gave a credit card deposit and he faxed me written confirmation of the deal. Glenn also told me I would get a special Arizona three-day permit and I would have three days to drive the car back to California and register it here. What happened next? Glenn called me back and reneged. He said his manager thought the price we had negotiated was too low and they might sell the car to someone else before me. Of course, they did not succeed in selling the car at a higher price, so I arrived the following Saturday to buy the car. The car was fine, but the finance manager surprised me by asking me to pay Arizona sales tax. Glenn had never mentioned this, and I thought registering it in California meant paying tax there. The finance manager was unpleasant and unapologetic. So was the general manager. Both managers looked me in the eye and assured me I would not have to pay tax in both states. However, both cynically refused to put their statements in writing. They lived up to all the worst car salesman stereotype: making promises but refusing to be bound by them. At the time I am writing this, I still don't know if they were telling the truth. Glenn was completely mistaken about the "three day permit." It turns out I have a 90 day temporary Arizona permit, and I can't register the car where I live until Arizona sends me the title; the sales people couldn't say when this will happen. Camelback BMW dies frequent out-of-state sales, but they don't know what the laws regarding them are, and they don't care. Good customer service requires good knowledge and making customers feel comfortable; Carmine Grassi (Camelback general manager) and his staff don't care about this. Two final negative notes: The car I bought had pre-installed low-quality window tinting, which is not recommended by BMW, for which Camelback BMW wanted me to pay $289. They still live in the old days of dealer-installed garbage addons that are just hidden profit for them. Similarly, they add on a "junk fee" of $259 for so-called documentation to the final price that they say is non-negotiable, another lie.

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