The Cosmic Tap - Latest Comments

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Cameron — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:29:15 -0000

Is there a lawyer interested in a class action suit against Herb Chambers? They wouldn't let me review any paper until I signed it electronically.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Aly G — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:53:37 -0000

Wow see now I completely disagree with this blog. I have bought my '09 Ford Fusion from their Braintree location and couldn't be happier! My car is beautiful and I have had nothing but excellent treatment. I went in for my free oil change and they took great care of my car and changed all fluids, checked my car over as well as alerted me to my next approx date for inspection for my warantee. i would buy another car from Herb Chambers, without even a doubt in my mind.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Dave — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:37:11 -0000

I have to agree with all the negative press about Herb Chambers. I purchased a 2004 SL500 in Feb 2010 with 16K miles....the price was great and I should have been suspicious then. Well, the closer I look at the car the more I am suspisious of the mileage...as well as the small body repair they claimed to have done (had runs in the paint) now 4 months later is cracking and am told by my local body shop the they repair was poor...probably just to get the car sold. I live a few hundred miles away so difficult to take back and judging from all they complaints doesn't look like it would be worth my time!!!
WARNING!!!!! Do not get involved with Herb Chambers!!!! WARNING!!!!!

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

duteros — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:05:48 -0000

I POSTED THIS TWO WEEKS AGO - I WAS OBVIOUSLY PRETTY UPSET! I FEEL STRONGLY THAT I SHOULD COMMUNICATE THE FOLLOWING: I AM THRILLED WITH THE CAR I PURCHASED AT HERB CHAMBERS MINI ON COMMONWEALTH AVE. AND WHILE I WAS INITIALLY QUITE UNHAPPY, I FEEL THAT RICH T. WAS AND IS AN EXCELLENT SALESMAN ( I WAS NEVER PERSONALLY UNHAPPY WITH HIM). BUT WHAT I REALLY NEED TO REPORT IS THAT I JUST HEARD FROM THE OWNER OF HERB CHAMBERS IN BOSTON, WHO KNEW ABOUT MY POST. THIS PERSON WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO INSIST THAT MY EXPERIENCE WITH THEM WAS A GOOD ONE
AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THIS! AND I WAS MADE QUITE HAPPY
BY THE GESTURE TO COVER MY EXPENSES FOR THE MISTAKE WITH THE TITLE.
IT'S VERY EASY TO LOOK AT THESE POSTS AND GO "YUCK", AND IN NO
WAY AM I SAYING ANYTHING TO NEGATE THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS.
BUT HERB CHAMBERS IMPRESSED ME THAT, IN FACT, AT LEAST AT THE
COMMONWEALTH AVE LOCATION, THEY DO CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS. I WOULD DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AGAIN.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Mike — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:57:45 -0000

HERB CHAMERS SUCKS.... i bought a 07 honda si about a month ago and they said i was able to pick it up friday and when it was time to pick it up they said i couldnt. they said call us on monday.... so i called them on monday and they said there waiting on the title.... i ended up waiting for about 2 more weeks till finally i called them and bitched them out... and there GM had the nerve to come back at me arguing back and forth.... but i finally got some answer from them and there gm told me the car was under payments of some sort and there waiting on the title which takes about 3 week and he told me i can get a refund and i said yes... they told me i could pick up the check on saturday at 11... i went there and they said they sent the check through the mail.. so im like WTFF!! (wtf was point of telling to come in and pick it up??) HERB CHAMBER SUCKS!!! THEY LIKE FUCKIN WITH YOU AND PLAYING STUPID LITTLE GAMES!!! and still waiting for my refund to come through the mail....

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Richard Cueman — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:14:17 -0000

almost purchased two cars at one of herbies dirty chambers this week. i backed out after noticing the BBB 'F' grade and...reading some of these detailed testimonies. its just not worth the headache.
-thanks all for your reviews

Re: The State Murder of Peter McWilliams

Peter's Page — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:23:51 -0000

Ohmygosh I love this blog, I just discovered it and am re-posting it after I type this comment. I am a young person who recently discovered Peter--way too late; ten years after his tragic death; and I decided to erect a tribute page in his honor. Please visit my site, and please do email me, because I would love to hear from you! Thank you so much for this.
http://www.myspace.com/pete... AKA affectionately dubbed "Peter's Page"

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Dave — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:32:38 -0000

I worked at Herb Chambers Hyundai in Hartford, CT in 1986 for about 10 months. I'm not sure if this dealership was his second or third but it was in CT. I don't think he is in CT anymore. We had to work 9am - 9pm every day. We never got a company car and was spotted $200.00 a week which we had to pay back at the end of the month when the commission checks came out. I saw many people quit or get fired that owed money because they didn't sell enough cars. It was cutthroat then with people racing out to the customer trying to open their car doors before they were parked. Sales people trying to take your customer away when you went to get brochures. It was chaos. I hated lying to the customers but you were badgered so bad by upper management. Herb Chambers used to drive in with his Ferrari Testarossa or fly in with his helicopter and his managers would run to him and kiss his ass then he would leave. I got two peptic ulcers for Christs sake. That was a long time ago and it seems as though nothing has changed. Good luck to anyone working there or anyone purchasing a car there.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Duteros — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:23:13 -0000

Oh YES... it's my turn:
I just returned from Herb Chambers, where I got treated pretty badly I must say. Sadly I didn't read about Herb Chambers before I went there with a bank check. I drove THREE hours to Boston only to be told by cell phone they didn't have the title to the Mini I was buying! I was 20 minutes from the dealership. I could not believe it. How can a dealer get that wrong? I turned around to go home, and 20 minutes later the phone went off again. It was a Herb Chambers sales rep calling.
"We're sorry about that". So I said, "After all this, the only way I would turn around and go back was if they would take $300 off the purchase.
They agreed. So I went back to Boston. Now it's important to own that they discovered the trade in I was bringing them had been in an accident. So I knew they had me: rather than paying $300 less I wound up paying $400 more than I was expecting. But when I agreed to purchase the car, they were just completely uninterested in doing anything at all for the unbelievable incompetence of not knowing there was no title! I wasted a total of six hours and drove home to Vermont in my trade in. I really thought they should ship the car to me, or do SOMETHING to make me feel better for driving all the way down there.
They said they would give me no $$ off, would not ship the car, and that was it. I wasn't buying a new Porche, and I feel I got treated that way.
In the two and a half hours I was at HB in Boston, I was asked three times "Would you like a cup of coffee?" and I said "Yes thanks" to each
request. I never got the coffee.....
THAT pretty much sums up my experience with Herb Chambers. I don't feel I got "ripped off" and I will be happy with the Mini.
My question is this: I just paid Herb Chambers Mini $!5,400.00.
Why, as a customer, do I feel that I need to take a shower after my experience? Within reason, I think a customer should be made to at least feel good like it was a positive experience.
I just feel stupid - I would have preferred if Herb Chambers had done something, anything, to make me feel a little better about this experience. Too bad..
Enjoy that Gulfstream, Herb.

Re: An Accidental Interview with Lieutenant Phil Dreyer | The Cosmic Tap

Barbara — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:00:56 -0000

I have had several experiences with Bexar county Sheriffs deputies and none have been begative. Now San Antonio PD.. that is a whole nother story..

Re: Rainbow Head, SNL, Christopher Walken

brad — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 05:12:15 -0000

Yes goddammit!!! this is a travesty!

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

white159 — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:17:45 -0000

I agree completely with this guy. I bought a BMW from Herb Chambers a couple of years ago. I nade the huge mistake of dropping the vehicle at their Braintree location to be repaired. That was in Mid Feb. I was told three to four weeks. It is 4/1 and I have yet to be given a completion date. I am simply told to call back in a couple of days by Melissa. She is a joke. She never takes your call because she is always busy or in a meeting. The immigrant who answers the phone runs 50/50 with dropping your call or putting it through to a dead extention that just rings until the phone disconnects. Staring about a month ago I was told my car will be done in a week. It wasn't and I was told a couple of more days. So basically Herb Chambers Collision has me calling every couple of days because no one there presumably has the slightest idea of when my car will be completed.
I spoke directly with Melissa and stated to her that not having a car was something I had to plan for so I just needed to know when the car would be completed. She has yet to provide a completion date. I presume it is just to make my life more difficult. Otherwise it would me she is completely incompetent.
4/1/10 7:15 am. It has been six weeks and I just spoke with Melissa. She still does not have a completion date. She will have to call me back.
.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Rafal K — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:39:30 -0000

So I found a car on the Herb Chambers of Lexus website. A 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero AWD with 12K miles for $19K. I called in to get info on the car as I was more or less ready to purchase it. There were no pictures on the site so I requested pictures and some other basic info (Transmission, Colors, options). I was told I'd have the information "shortly". 2 days go by with no info. So I call back and once again go through their system to find out info about the car. Once again, no response for a day. I finally get through to the original person again and she tells me that the car was a fresh trade in and I'd have first crack at it as soon as it came out of detailing (how do they not have basic info on a car that was traded in I don't know, but whatever). In the evening, I receive a call telling me that unfortunately the car did not pass the safety check (really? CarFax says it just did) and will be sent to auction. I asked if I could first get a crack at it at a reduced price so that I could fix it up myself and save a bit more again.

"No problem, the used car sales manager will call you in the morning as he's left for the day"

Next "morning" I wait until noon and call them back. Apparently the car was afterall sent to "auction". So I ask myself...why would a dealer, who has a potential sale right on his hands, go through the hassle of sending a car to auction and possibly get even less for the car? I half-heartedly ask

"The car isn't going to show up in your dealership again in a couple days with a jacked up price is it?"

"Of course not, we at herb chambers don't do business like that"

Just out of curiosity, I kept the VIN# of the car and occasionally did a google search on it. Sure enough, 5 days later, the car shows up at Herb Chambers Chrysler with fresh pictures, 'immaculate' condition with 'Herb's Guarantee' and a price tag of 3k more.

Why does a dealer go through such lies to deceive a customer is beyond me.

I sent an e-mail on their "Talk to HERB" form and received the following reply:

Dear Mr. X,

I sincerely apologize for any errors regarding the pricing of our 2008 Saab by our Lexus dealership. I know and trust that it was done unintentionally. I can only determine that the accounting department listed the actual cost as the sale price (again, unintentional). If you still have an interest in the vehicle I will sell it to you for $21,993 (as it is accurately priced and lower than Kelly Blue Book which is $24,640) less our $400 internet coupon. Your price would then be only $21,593 ($3,047 less than Kelly Blue Book). Please contact me at 978-774-8840 or email me directly if you wish to coordinate an actual viewing of the vehicle.

Sincerely,

Jim Klimas

So...they ignored the fact that i was blatantly lied to, made a 'guess' as to what happened, and told me in return they'd sell me the car for the price advertised. What a steal of a deal...I would be stupid not to accept it!

So much for 'talking to HERB'...

Re: An Accidental Interview with Lieutenant Phil Dreyer | The Cosmic Tap

Thomas — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:46:35 -0000

Too bad you didn't get an attorney to file a civil lawsuit against the lieutenant, his supervisor, the sheriff, the sheriff's department, and Bexar County. The preponderance of evidence would be in your favor and they would have to prove against the charges, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the Lt. didn't overstep his boundaries. In fact, your lawsuit would include a charge of "failure to supervise" and "failure to train" against the Lt's superiors, right on up to the county level. Chances are, you'd win for the harassment and threatening nature, as well as court costs, attorney fees, and pain and suffering (having to take time off from work to pursue the case). In all, you might be entitled to a hefty sum of money after all was said and done. The county's insurance carrier would have to pay out that money and I'm certain the Lt. would have been disciplined to the point of being reduced in rank and put back in uniform and on a normal shift, or given an administrative job away from the public.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

MR — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:23:13 -0000

HOW ABOUT A PROSPECTIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY STORY!!!!!!! And read the misleading job posting.... REALITY IS VERYYYYYYYYY DIFFERENT.

AUDI/PORSCHE OF BURLINGTON, MA

To whom may concern,

I have NEVER in my 36 years of life have been in such a pile of NON-SENSE of an interview. Very unprofessional for the guy to use the words like "BULLSHIT", "FUCK", "I DON'T GIVE A SHIT"... the list goes on.... and THIS PERSON MAKES 6 FIGURE INCOME???

Never did I expect to be shown that this company is number 3.... NOT number 1... and this is the kind of people that make this a number 3 company? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Shame on you people, if you wanna promote the very best it should ONLY be NUMBER ONE!!!!!!

Take a look below, I have yet to get a response from any of the HERB CHAMBERS EMAILS... Did somebody hack into the server to disrupt the email system? I would look into that.

Please look at the posting below, CLEARLY reality is WAY MORE DIFFERENT, not even half of the money... THE AD IS NOT WHAT THE ACTUAL INTERVIEW IS ABOUT... Shame on the person that MISLEAD PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THIS CRAP...

I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH the treatment of this prospective opportunity. You call this professional? And if you do, what is NOT professional, honestly.

I assume that this company is number 3 of 3 companies listed on the brochure I saw at the location, which makes you at the bottom of the pack, and even that is promoted very well...

From this point on, I hope SOMEBODY HAS THE AUDACITY TO AT LEAST ANSWER MY FEEDBACK VIA EMAIL, I AM AXIOUS TO KNOW WHO AND WHAT WILL BE SAID.

In conclusion, it's not cool to offer people $350, plus bonuses, a week, when the ad states otherwise, and above all, people that use PROFANITY MAKE 6 FIGURE INCOMES... NOT COOL.

If you leave it to me, I would FIRE THIS IDIOT... STEVE BOSTON FROM MB of Natick, NO CLASS TO EVEN RETURN A SIMPLE PHONE CALL... The CORE of Herb Chambers, the phone....

What a little bit of finesse can do for your company, but knowing the kind of people that hold jobs with this corporation, seems I should look elsewhere to be dealing with cars i.e. selling, leasing, or anything involving cars.

Let me know when THE GOOD PEOPLE come around to hire the right people, as I consider myself to be competitive enough to contribute to increasing sales for this company. Hence PRIDE will interfere, I guess my chances are slim.

If I am proven wrong, I am READY FOR THE CHALLENGE WITH THE RIGHT TEAM, preferably MB of Natick. And if you want a world class MB experience, visit MB of Freehold, I have done business with this dealer, they are STRAIGHT A+. These guys all know the class I bring.

What a disgusting experience!!!!!!!!

REGARDS.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Roger — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:08:21 -0000

Who is in charge of HR? Jim Xerios? I'm telling you there is NO HR dept. Any complaints go directly to your GM who ignores them and then tells you to get back to work and stop being a crybaby. That is the way it is at Herb Chambers

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Joe Schlager — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:10:28 -0000

I just completed a search for a car -- it was to be the Lexus RX or the BMW X5. Unfortunately I had the experience of going to Lexus of Norwood and Herb Chambers BMW. Both dealerships are run the same.

Lexus of Norwood - or Herb Chambers Lexus - has the typical car salesman attitude. All they care about is selling you the car as fast as possible. I saw little patience, not any compassion, and money-hungry salesmen.

Herb Chambers BMW is another story. These salesmen are even worse. They wrote up a deal, ran my credit (very good 760) and then came back to tell me they made a 'clerical error' and that my payments were going to rise by $96 a month.

Don't bother going to either of these dealers.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

John Happierdoe — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:13:49 -0000

I worked for Herb Chambers Lexus for 8 years under the former general manager who is now at Lexus of Watertown. I can relate to long hours,cheating the customers and favoritism.It all comes from the top.Im in my own Business now and much happier.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Herb Chambers Ira Porsche — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:32:27 -0000

I agree with PaulKaz.

My dad and I had a very similar experience with Herb Chambers Porsche a couple of years ago. I tell anyone who will listen to STAY AWAY from Herb Chambers anything.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Lexus Guy — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:36:28 -0000

I agree with bill I have been a loyal customer of Herb Chambers Lexus, although I can not atest to the buying part, the service is wonderful and I have found the staff to be very nice and parts department is always helpful, But everyone has their personal expirences, so mine was diffrent.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Jane Doe — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:21:07 -0000

I'm currently an employee at herb chambers, although it isn't the greatest place to work for. i know for a fact we do have a human resource dept.

Re: flickR works against photographers by stripping EXIF data

Jeff Johnston — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:05:17 -0000

Keep up the good work. They should have no basis to strip the data.

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Herb Chambers Porsche — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:05:05 -0000

to paulkaz

Why would any dealership treat a customer this way?

I hope the Herb Chambers service folks at least tried to make it right at some point.

Re: Train to Paris | The Cosmic Tap

Jane Jacobsen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:42:04 -0000

I want to go from Budapest to Paris via Trieste and Venice

Re: Herb Chambers complaint, commentary & update

Roger — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:34:53 -0000

There is no human resources department. I worked for Herb for 5 years. Long hours, constantly changing pay plans (never for the better) and a hostile work environment.