From: MBolgeB1@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 1998 1:29 AM
To: Lemonlink@BMWLemon.com
Subject: Revenge

Dear friend:

I really, really identified with your frustration.  Not with my BMW, but in
fact with my 97 Grand Cherokee Limited.  A nightmare.  But, being a BMW lover
and refusing to let go of my own 1992 325i convertible, I think I can share
something with you that I really believe will help your case and get you a new
car immediately!

When visiting Ocean Motors in Santa Monica for service after numerous
purchases,   I can't even describe what a struggle it was to get anyone to
raise a finger for their customers.  Made me absolutely crazy.  I couldn't
believe anyone was paying for this kind of abuse, but guess what?  We were all
lined up like idiots for it, waiting for our cars.  Well, one day I just
happened to be passing the dealership on my way to a meeting to see an
enterprising and obviously unhappy Ocean Motors customer take his unanswered
complaints to a brilliant new level.  The unhappy owner had parked their 525
in a metered space directly in front of the dealership window.  Now, that may
sound normal, but when every square inch of the car is painted yellow that
reads - "LEMON" - one takes note.  The owner went even further by taping
actual lemons to the car for good measure.  Pure genius.  It was a beautiful
sight.  A brand new, black 525i with "lemon" screaming from it.   I
intentionally drove back the same route just in time to catch the owner
placing more change into the meter and to see he was causing quite a stir with
the staff of the dealership.  I stopped my car and waited until he broke free
from the small lynch-mob and asked how it was going.  He said they've offered
him "any car on the showroom floor if he'll just move his own car right now".
Even though he agreed, he decided to leave the car in place for a few more
hours just to teach them a lesson, after all, the paint was waterbase and they
were assholes for months leading up to that day.  

So, hope this helps in some way. This customer got more than his way.  He hit
them where they lived - in sales.  I'm lucky now, since getting the hell out
of Hollywood and moving to Del Mar, California, I have an independent who
often doesn't even charge me for little things here and there.  I've really
had my eye on a new M3, but I absolutely dread the idea of having to deal with
dealers when it comes to basic maintenance, and humanity for that matter.
Plus, I've still got to figure out how to unload this damn and far too
expensive mistake known as a Jeep.   Oh well.  

Good luck and hope to hear good news in the future.  
Michael