I was recommended to L&C BMW when I bought my MINI Cooper (yes, I have written an opinion on my lovely car!) roughly a year ago. Before I go any further, I can say that so far, my dealings with the dealer have been nothing other than pleasureable. I'll explain.
STAFF
The human aspect ... Read review
Advantages: Everything about the place Disadvantages: Relatively expensive
I was recommended to L&C BMW when I bought my MINI Cooper (yes, I have written an opinion on my lovely car!) roughly a year ago. Before I go any further, I can say that so far, my dealings with the dealer have been nothing other than pleasureable. I'll explain.
STAFF
The human aspect of any car dealership is, in my book, one of the most important aspects when looking to purchase a car. When purchasing my MINI, ... ...various sundry items including the BMW Formula 1 range of clothing, toys and books, for the big kid and car afficionado alike!
When entering the dealership, there is a wide range of the BMW range of cars to look at; all are clean and tidy, with clear information on each model provided by way of a plaque next to the car. What’s better, they are all unlocked, and you are able to have a look round these cars at your leisure. In fact, staff are ... more
I was recommended to L&C BMW when I bought my MINI Cooper (yes, I have written an opinion on my lovely car!) roughly a year ago. Before I go any further, I can say that so far, my dealings with the dealer have been nothing other than pleasureable. I'll explain.
STAFF
The human aspect of any car dealership is, in my book, one of the most important aspects when looking to purchase a car. When purchasing my MINI, I did in fact intend to buy the car from a local dealership (L & C Tunbridge Wells is a good sixty miles from where I live!) but was put off by the unprofessional attitudes of the staff there – I won’t name any names here (perhaps another opinion on the dealership is needed!). Anyway, I’m very pleased to say that all the staff at L & C Tunbridge Wells are courteous, professional and best of all – well informed about their products and services on offer. This doesn’t just include the sales representatives and technical staff – this goes right down to the reception personnel. I was suitably impressed. Another thing that pleasantly surprised me – I’ve always been greeted with a smile and a handshake.
Whenever telephoning, I was never kept waiting; callbacks were made in a timely fashion and any queries I have had thus far have been answered completely and thoroughly. Written correspondance has, likewise, been excellent; all documents in order and letters well written. So their staff are definitely up to scratch. But what about the products on offer….?
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Being a car delaership, they sell cars. Bit of a no-brainer, that one. Don’t forget though, that they also carry out repairs, and sell after-market accessories, as well as various sundry items including the BMW Formula 1 range of clothing, toys and books, for the big kid and car afficionado alike! When entering the dealership, there is a wide range of the BMW range of cars to look at; all are clean and tidy, with clear information on each model provided by way of a plaque next to the car. What’s better, they are all unlocked, and you are able to have a look round these cars at your leisure. In fact, staff are only too pleased to give you a little sales pitch on the vehicles on show – well, come on, they are trying to sell their products, aren’t they! When you buy a car from this dealership, it really does feel like you’re getting the ‘red carpet’ treatment. For example, when I went to collect my MINI, it was displayed in the showroom (locked of course), with a plaque next to it with my name on it, and the make, model and specification of the car. Yes, it is an attempt to sell more cars, but it still makes you, the consumer, feel special. And that’s important when you’re trying to sell £30000 worth of metal to someone, isn’t it? OK, so this is a BMW garage, you might expect that sort of treatment from them…after all, the BMW brand does have a certain ‘image’ attached to it, I think! Well, expect it you might, but as far as the presentation of their product range goes, L & C are better than most I have come across. As far as aftersales service, this is also excellent. Any work done on your vehicle is to the highest standard; no dirty marks or footprints left anywhere. Your car will even be washed and vacuumed free of charge as a courtesy service, after work on it has been completed. Shoddy workmanship? Not in this dealership.
LAYOUT
Unimportant in a car dealership, you might think. Not if it’s laid out well…..behind the reception desk, you can see straight into the Servicing / Mechanics department, and actually watch your car being worked on. On one occasion, I was introduced to the mechanic working on my car, and listened as he explained what he was doing and how he did it. Call me cynical, but I thought you only got this level of service when purchasing a car for £130000, not £13000! I digress. You can never get lost at the dealership (you might be tempted with all those cars around!) and there is (thankfully) a coffee bar and lounge, equipped with a television, a childrens’ play area and a member of staff to serve you coffee or tea while you wait. Lovely – it beats standing around in a queue waiting to be seen! The décor is suitably German; polished metal, black and silver adorn the chairs and tables. Not a trace of untidiness in sight – this is ultra-modern through and through, yet very comfortable to be in at the same time. It doesn’t even smell (as many dealerships do); in fact I tell a lie, there is a faint smell of new leather from the many show cars dotted around inside the showroom!To sum up, buying a car, or even having it serviced / repaired at L & C Tunbridge Wells, is quite a pleasant experience. Actually, it’s very pleasant. Being a BMW Main Dealer, it is relatively expensive; but in this world, I am firmly of the opinion that you get what you pay for.
Well worth the sixty mile trip to get there, and well worth paying the slightly higher prices, if only due to the fact that I know that my car will be in the best possible hands when it's there. Higher praise than that, I can't give.
Almost forgot the contact details - contact as follows -:
internet - http://www.landctunbridgebmw.co.uk
e-mail - mail@landcbmw.co.uk
Address -
L&C Tunbridge Wells BMW House St Johns Road Tunbridge Wells Kent TN4 9TP
Advantages: Excellent customer service, nice atmosphere, good value for money, lovely cars!!! Disadvantages: Made me feel small when enquiring about discounts!!
Having recently just purchased a BMW and put it through it's 1st service I thought I would share my experience.
Upon changing changing jobs I lost my company car and found myself in the position of needing to buy my own car. To my Mums disappointment, I was not considering buying a Nissian Micra, but wanted something a bit better and with a bit more style.
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Babe90 11.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BMW
Advantages: I have seen none to date Disadvantages: A BMW approved used car from a main dealer proved to be a nightmare
...months ago, I purchased a BMW 323ci convertible from Vines of Guildford who are BMW main dealers. The car is 8 years old and had just over 47000 miles on the clock. It was sold with a BMW used car warranty but with certain exclusions due to its age, explained to me after I had paid a deposit on it.
In the last couple of weeks, knocking noises have started coming from the engine which have progressively got worse. I've owned three BMWs and I know ... ...both were very late yet BMW UK and Vines of Guildford clearly state on their websites that ''Only BMWs that have been maintained in strict adherence to BMW servicing recommendations can qualify as Approved Used BMWs'. I have now reported the problem to the salesman at Vines and he is arranging for their workshop 'to have a listen to my engine'. I also asked about the service history, it was checked as we spoke on Vines computer, and the last time ...
cravenh 09.11.2008 (24.11.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BMW
Advantages: Exceptional Offers - Fantastic Service and Competency of all within the business Disadvantages: -
...serviced at HR Owen Heathrow BMW in West Drayton and found the overall experience brilliant. I have had numerous BMW's and been to many dealerships but I found them to be very professional and thorough.
The pricing was competitive and they advised me on all the extra items my car needed after carrying out a FREE Maintenance Check.
The one thing I found unique about them was they offered me a Service While I Fly facility. I dropped my car off to ... ...courteous and professional and they offered a service that was "out of the box" with the service while you fly facility which would benefit anynone with a BMW that needed any work doing to it.
I would highly recommend them to all who need their BMW or MINI serviced ...
fashthebash 05.07.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BMW
Advantages: Some pretty cars to look at in the showroom Disadvantages: Poor after-sales, the ability to 'create' problems with your car (then refuse to accept liabilty)
...BMW, and knowing this information BMW decide only to check the brakes. I know from experience that even Vauxhall dealers would undertake a full (or at least the service that was due based on the vehicle's age) in this situation. They also explained that the fluid levels were not checked during this service, which makes me wonder why I even bothered taking it for a service at all. I could have checked the brakes. The dealer therefore refused to accept ... ...the service booklet says), and appears to provide the bare minimum of customer care since the TLC pack was purchased when the vehicle was new. If you drive a Mini that is out of warranty, beware. I certainly wouldn't consider a BMW when my car is up for renewal.... ...
thpba3 19.06.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BMW
Advantages: none Disadvantages: lack of knowledge, high prices, poor service
...same car from another UK BMW dealer for £1000 less he asked me why I had wasted his time asking for a quote in the first place and admitted Scotthall was not the cheapest BMW dealer. I decided to go with the other dealer, pay less for the same car and dealt with a salesman who was polite and interested in selling me a car.
Accepting that the service department might be better I took my car to Scotthall Cambridge for it’s first service. I took a ... ...Scotthall Cambridge to replace the BMW brush I use to clean my alloy wheels. They told me the only brush sold by BMW was a £20 set and did not recognise my description of my old brush. I went to another BMW dealer who sold me an exact copy of my old BMW brush for under £4. I went back to Scotthall and asked if they could get this cheaper brush. They admitted they could but said their policy was to sell the more expensive version. I already have the ...
rhillside 04.09.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BMW
Advantages: A good all rounder and relatively cheap to run. Disadvantages: None.
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Driving
BMW’s advert claim they are the “ultimate driving machines” and I would agree, This car is all about driving, one tends to ...
Shekera 20.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BMW 523i
This review is meant to focus more on the car's performance on the road, and not so much on the financial aspects and inusrance details.
The BMW 1 Series, is BMW's 2nd attempt to create a small, hatchback car, the previous one being the 3-Series Compact, which accroding to popular opinion was definetely not one of BMW's best. My family were in the market for a new car, and my father was looking to buy a small practical city car, and had practically settled on the VW Golf 5. However when we both attended a car exhibition, I completely fell in love with the looks of the 1 series. After constant haggling on my part, I managed to persuade him to take the 1 series for a test drive. And that was when he too fell in love with it and settled on it.
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Kostas_juve 07.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BMW 116i
Advantages: Fast, silky engine, good looks. Disadvantages: Expensive to buy, boot could be bigger
for a car which costs over £30,000 new. A newer one from a main BMW dealer wlll of course cost a lot more. The BMW warranties when buying from a dealer are bullet proof, just the same as the first year new car warranty, so well worth the piece of mind.
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honeygmonster 23.07.2009 (27.07.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BMW 330Ci
This is the best work of the car gods. This car not only looks like it is going 200mph,IT GOES 200MPH +
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