My dealer showed me the prices on ED and US MRSP in the US. I see that the 330 conv ED is only $3000 more expensive than the US MSRP of 325 conv. Will I save even more money if I deal directly with Germany? Anyone knows the contact address/tel? thanks
Purchase prices for Volvos you buy this way are clearly listed on the website. For the S40 you might knock two to three grand off the dealer price.
The hidden costs associated with the Volvo European Delivery program are twofold: insurance... and odd-city pickup/dropoff costs. Temporary insurance over there is mandatory even if you don't drive the car when you're in Europe; this costs hundreds of dollars. Also, as long as you pick up and drop off the car in Gothenburg, Sweden, there are no extra costs. But if you do it in another European city (and Volvo offers to deliver the car almost anywhere, or drop it off at about 15 designated shipping centers) the add-on fees run to many more hundreds of dollars. London, for example, is $235 extra to drop off the car; Barcelona is three or four times as much. Arrange to pick up your S40 in Paris and drive it to Barcelona and you've blown your whole cost advantage.
Volvo does usually offer one free plane ticket to Europe to sweeten the deal (which, if you bought it yourself, would cost you about what the mandatory insurance charge comes to). And if you fly to Sweden, get the car in Sweden, and leave it in Sweden, you still come out ahead. Watch out for the fees though.
"... Temporary insurance over there is mandatory even if you don't drive the car when you're in Europe; this costs hundreds of dollars..."
WILL IT COVER THE CAR DURING SHIPPING TO U.S.?
"... Also, as long as you pick up and drop off the car in Gothenburg, Sweden, there are no extra costs..."
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THEY CAN ARRANGE SHIPMENT TO THE U.S. (AFTER You've "PICKED UP" THE CAR AND MAYBE DRIVEN IT AROUND EUROPE A BIT). HOW MUCH WILL THEY CHARGE EXTRA FOR OCEAN FREIGHT...?
Any tips will be appreciated! Has anyone actually bought a Volvo this way? Please share your experiences!
I can't speak for Volvo but I have done Tourist deliveries for Saab and Porsche...We did 2 trips a year with apx 10 buyers each time....the price included insurance and temp tags while in europe, shipping back to the US and US prep back at the dealership in your hometown... the only extras would be your hotel, airfare, food, gas, international drivers lic (get in U.S.) etc.... The key is to find a dealer who is experienced with European deliveries and they will handle all the details and make the trip a lifelong experience...
newheels, the European insurance is completely separate from the marine insurance used to cover your car during transit. It is apparently a Swedish law that requires you to buy a insurance for at least a minimal period of time even if you don't drive the car. I wasn't going to drive my S80 T6 since I was only going to be there for a weekend but since I had to pay for insurance I kept my car over the weekend and bummed a local CD ROM for the navigation system.
Regarding shipment, it is free for pickup and drop-off in Goteborg. You can arrange pickup and or drop-off at one of a couple of dozen major cities in Europe but there is an extra charge that varies with distance from Volvo's shipping ports (typically a few hundred dollars).
By the way, in reference to post #107, Volvo pays for air fare and first night hotel charges with their program for now (they have for the past couple of years but may stop some day).
thanks for clearing up some of the volvo differences...When we did the tourist deliveries for Porsche they really made it exciting and fun for the buyers.
Yes, I bought a V70AWD through European Delivery in the summer of '99. Overall a very satisfactory experience. You pay well below dealer invoice for the car, it's built expressly for you with exactly the options you want, Volvo flies you to Europe for free to take delivery, and ships it home free of charge when your vacation is over. On the negative side you do have to pay for European driving insurance, you have to pay for the car in full weeks and weeks before you see it, and shipping it home to North America takes five to eight weeks. (Marine insurance is included though.) Feel free to email me with specific questions: tomf@zaaz.com.
tom123, I bought a '99 S80 T6 this way as well and do agree with your comments with a couple of exceptions.
If you finance through Volvo you pay for the car 6 days prior to delivery date. If you live East of the Mississippi then delivery should take no more than 3 weeks from port to port. At the time, Volvo was shipping cars for East Coast delivery every Monday. It generally takes 15 days for a car to arrive at the first U.S. port (the FAPS facility in New Jersey). In my case I picked my car up at the port since I was running a project there for a client but depending upon where your dealer is located I could see it taking several additional days to get your car from port to dealer.
All in all, you save quite a bit as you mentioned and you will definitely have to be patient by comparison to running out and buying off a dealer's lot. We bought our '01 V70 T5 off a dealer's lot because we bought it on the West Coast and couldn't wait for a custom order. Hopefully my next car (S60R?) will be met at the factory!
Is is possible to buy this terrific van (bubble top, 4 wheel drive synchro, TDI diesel engine, etc.) for european delivery and have it shipped back to the U.S.?
Hi vwvan. I looked into this for you, and I didn't see anything that stated the Eurovan could not be purchased through the European Delivery program. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to buy one this way. Still, you will need to check with your local Volkswagen dealership or Volkswagen of America to be certain. Here is VW's telephone number if you are interested in giving them a call, 1-800-444-8987. If you wouldn't mind, please come back and let us know what you find out. Thanks.
According to VW of America, they discontinued the european delivery program a few years ago because it wasn't "cost effective". It's a shame because they used to have a great program. I think VW has gotten too "corporate" for their own good. I love my Passat wagon, but I had to wait two years for 4 motion because of internal squabbles with Audi. Anyway, I guess I could contact a dealer in europe, buy a eurovan, then contact an import/export company, make sure the van conforms to US specs, who knows what those are, and just pay, pay, pay for all this extra stuff. Doesn't sound very promising. How about this: does anyone know a good way to rent a smallish camper van for 6 months in europe? Thanks.
Thanks for the information, vwvan. That's too bad. I have a feeling that purchasing a Euro-spec Eurovan and importing it to the U.S. may be more trouble than it's worth.
Thanks to everyone who answered my post! Volvo's ED program looks like the the most comprehensive and attractive out there.
When does Volvo roll to the new model year...? Late summer or early fall? Considering the fact that Volvo requires ED orders to be placed ~3 months in advance, I wonder when will they start accepting orders for 2002 cars...?
I think the model year build ends in the late spring of that year. Our '99 V70 was one of the last off the '99 line (which is located in Ghent, Belgium) and was built in late April.
Hi all, I am a Ex-Pat working in Switzerland. I was very interested in purchasing either a Volvo or BMW, but the in country taxes would add an additional 11% to the cost of the car. Apparently, foreign gov'ts a trying to "discourage" this type of activity realizing that if you are living in their country for any period of time, in my case I have a 3 year contract, they should be able to make some $ out of you. Anyone else ever gone through this? Thanks J!
sandejx, I bought my Volvo S80 T6 through the European Delivery program and saved thousands (and highly recommend the experience for the savings and free trip to Europe). However, I live in the U.S.
As I recall, you are only supposed to keep your car for up to 6 months in Europe under this program (the limit may be different for military orders though). For program details follow this link:
Thanks for the helpful link, rollie. For those of you who are interested, BMW also has quite a detailed section that provides information on their European Delivery program in the "Virtual Center" section of their www.bmwusa.com site. For some reason it is difficult to link to, but it is not difficult to find once you are on their main page.
Although it is not exactly a European Delivery program, Porsche has an interesting section on their Web site called the Porsche Travel Club. They have all sorts of interesting European trips that include the use of a Porsche which you can set up through them. Here is a link to that page: Porsche Travel Club.
Has anyone been able to get for the Euro Delivery on the S60 a dealers euro delivery cost invoice price ( NOT THE EURO DEL MSRP ) plus the AOL $2,100 options included????? kelfg@aol.com
kelf, the Euro delivery price is the FACTORY invoice for the car (same price the dealer pays) + MSRP for options (what you normally pay for options at the dealer). The dealer doesn't earn a traditional profit (nor does the salesman get a commission which is why most of these orders are handled by the fleet manager) but does receive a 5% fee from Volvo for the order.
So there is a 5% profit for the dealer. This explains why some dealers will give you a second air ticket or extra hotel nights. Question is which dealers do it now?
Some posters have asked whether a U.S.-spec car can be bought in Europe, driven for an indefinite amount of time and eventually brought back to the U.S. I have recently checked into this, and here are some comments:
1) Yes, it's possible to do it. You would need to take European Delivery (if such a program exists), or speak to the Military/Diplomat factory representative (if you fall into these categories) for the respective company. 2) Automobiles in Western Europe tend to be 30% cheaper than they are in the U.S., with the exception of in the U.K. 3) Upon returning to the U.S., you are subject to substantial costs for freight ($2-3,000), duties and fees. 4) Getting a U.S.-spec car registered and insured in Europe does not seem to be a problem, even in the U.K, where the cars have right-hand drive. 5) Expect to pay substantial VAT, as well as U.S. taxes, on U.S. delivery, and you do not get the VAT back. (On a Boxster it runs about $6,500)
In short, it can be done, but the American government is on a different and more legalistic wavelength than is the rest of the world, and doing it would be a time-consuming and expensive headache. Why does this not surprise me?
I'm strongly thinking about picking up my CLK320 through MB's European Delivery program. I'm looking for some recent experiences others have had with the program.
Basically, you're getting 2 free nights, saving on your destination charge ($645), and use of your car in Europe, plus the factory tour. Any hotel recommendations or travel suggestions?? Any must-go places or things to skip??
I posted this message on another thread, but I think it is appropriate here also.
This past summer I bought a new Saab 9-3 using their IDS (European Delivery) program. I had purchased a Saab convertible through the same program and same dealer (Blue Grass Motor Sports, Louisville Kentucky) in 1996, and at that time the total experience was very satisfying. So I decided to do it again.
At the time I placed the order (August) the prices for the 2001 models had not yet been set. So Saab US added $750 to the 2000 price with the stipulation that, if the actual price increase were less than $750, I would be refunded the difference. I agreed and paid the additional sum.
When I returned from Europe in November, I learned that the price increase had been less than $750 and called Saab US to request a refund. I was told that they had sold the car to the dealer at a predetermined price and that any refund would have to come from the dealer.
I contacted Blue Grass and asked about a refund. They agreed it was due me and that it would be mailed to me. This was early November.
In December I was advised by Saab that my car had arrived in the US and had been shipped to the dealer. I called the dealer to let them know and also reminded them that I had still not received the refund due me. I was told that it would be processed immediately.
Three weeks passed and I had received neither a call from the dealer telling me that the car had arrived, nor a refund check. I called Saab USA again and was told that the car had arrived at the dealer some time ago. They called the dealer who then found my car sitting among all the other new 2001 Saabs, but without a window sticker and with 5000 miles on the odometer. They never apologized, but merely explained that someone had taken off the Swedish license plates and they didn't recognize that it wasn't a new car (no window sticker, no plastic seat coverings, etc, that come with the new cars.)
By February I still has not received a refund. So I called again. And again. And again. At first the sales rep said he didn't know what the problem was and he would check. He never called back. This happened several times, and then he suggested I call the sales manager directly. I did this several times also. He was never available to take my calls, nor did he return them as requested.
By mid March my patience had worn thin and I wrote to the sales manager complaining about the treatment I had received and advising that if the refund weren't issued, I would take legal action. No response. So I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. My check arrived in the mail the day after the Bureau contacted them.
So much for customer relations. I sold both the Saabs and now have a vey nice Volvo S60 T5.
I know dealers and sales reps read these messages. I'd really like to know what would prompt behavior like this. I was a good customer (emphasis on was), had all my service done at their shop, and I thought I had a good working relationship with these people. They knew I was interested in an Audi, which they also sell, yet for five months they showed absolutely no regard for me as a customer or as a person.
As to pricing. All the paperwork indicates that it is a direct sale from the Manufacturer (Saab) to me, unlike domestic sales in which the manufacturer sells to the delaer who then sell to the customer. The car title showed a direct sale from Saab to me. Yet Saab told me that they had "sold" my car to the dealer. What seems to happen is that the dealer charges the "fixed" price but then is required to send less to the manufacturer. I don't know what the actual spread is, but the invoice price from the factory listed on the import papers for duty assessment is almost $2000 less than the European delivery price listed by Saab on their web site. Despite what they tell customers, Saab dealers do make money on these sales.
I contacted a local BMW dealer on the earliest delivery of a 2002 Convertible 330i and he indicated a January or February 2002 delivery. I then contacted the BMW web site number for BMW and they said I could get the same car in late September of 2001. But, the very polite woman I was talking to on the web site phone number said they only get an allocation of 10 of the above mentioned convertibles a month and they (the European Delivery people) support over 300 BMW dealers thou the US so you have to place a fully refundable order now. Refundable until prices etc for the 2002s come out. Then you must firm up the order in order to maintain your spot on the production line.
I would appreciate any comments from BMW owners that have gone through the European delivery system. The only downer I see is I personally would not care to take delivery in the snowy season. Top down in the Alps?
You can save big bucks if you have frequent flyer miles to get you to Munich. For instance business class from Los Angeles to Munich roundtrip is 80,000 miles.
Does anyone know of a phone # or web site, that I can check to see how long it will take, from the start of ordering, to get a 2004 325CIC? I would like to pick it up in late May, or early June, otherwise, wait till after the summer. Also, do they sometimes have cars that are availble but not assigned for pick-up? If so, is this only available to a dealer? Thanks Kevin
I am a Canadian living in the States as a resident (hold a permanent job here). Does my status qualify me for ED? I know they need to see your passport when you place your order through ED. I just don't know if being a resident in the States is enough.
It is doubtful that you would be able to procure a late-May delivery date for your 325CIC as it is already late March, but you might get lucky. June might be possible. I am picking up my car May 9th, but I ordered a month ago. I think BMW might build a few extra for ED each month that you might pick up at an earlier date, but it would not be built to your specifications. You would have to check with your dealer for this.
Thanks for the info. I was at a dealer on Fri., and I thought I had a deal for $1000. over invoice, they even checked with BMW, and they said I may get a May 14 date. After doing some paper work, the salesperson came out of the managers office, and said the price was going to be 2000 more, but if I get in writing, they would match it. I got ticked off and walked out. Another dealer just e mailed me asking for 1750 over invoice. I have not replied, but I will turn that down..Now I wonder if I should just lease and not bother with ED
BMW finances your car. There is a problem. You start paying your lease one month before European pickup. It might make sense if you are on East Coast but I doubt that paying for 1.5-2 months when your car is in transit to West Coast is good.
Thanks. I wasn't exactly thinking of leasing via ED. You said that BMW finances. Do you still have to go through a local dealer, and also pay the $ over invoice to them for the service?. Also, I guess the price of the lease would be based upon the ED price. Other than losing the possible two months, is there a big savings for doing it this way, or would it be better to lease it straight up from a dealer? Thanks Kevin
BMW site for info. You can find ED invoice prices on www.roadfly.com (edmunds does not provide pricing info for ED). What I learned is: ED vehicles are not coming from dealer inventory/allocation. You can haggle the price, some dealers might not be willingful to do ED because it involves more paperwork than "normal" sale. It is better to find a dealership which knows what ED is, what is the process and sells for less than MSRP.
Good luck.
Krzys
PS My ED is still waiting for me in the future (hell, my BMW is still probably not designed yet) - other expenses are more important.
Anyone knows the price (EDinvoice)of getting an auto top on 325Cic.I know the standard top which comes is manual and you get an auto ragtop with the PP.
Try eurobuyers.com which gives the uptodate euro invoice pricing.Just pay the dealership doing the ED for u around 1000-1400 above the ED invoice. any questions feel free to email me.
I just wanted to get some feedback on the european delivery process and what kind of experiences people have had. Does it really save a good deal of money (7%)? The other somewhat related topic: has anybody used a middleman (eurobuyers.com) to save more money (10-12%) for european delivery or local purchase? Is this website and the service they offer valid and worth the money?
Many BMW owners here in TH say they took ED and saved a lot of money AND got a European vacation as well--all in one step. Im sure that in reality it probably does not save too much, but at least you get to go to Germany (or wherever).
I know the ED cost of some of the vehicles. I can get them from BMWUSA web site. Are there any discounts above that, as offered on eurobuyers.com. Some of the models I'm considering are 330cic manual, 545 6-sp and 645 6-sp. All with sport and nav options.
probably best to figure out which car you want to buy and when first. Right? As far as I know, and I've done many ED's, the car must be paid for through a US center. It's cheaper, It's a fantastic experience but it's not too good to be true.
Hi sandeep5. Many consumers find that they are receive substantial discounts on vehicles by purchasing them through manufacturers' European Delivery programs. In fact, even though consumers are lead to believe that these programs have fixed prices, dealers are often willing to negotiate. The following links will lead you to relevant discussions that are available here in the Edmunds.com Town Hall. One is an active discussion on taking European Delivery of BMWs and the other is an archived discussion on European Delivery in general. Check them out, they may contain some useful information for you:
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thanks
The hidden costs associated with the Volvo European Delivery program are twofold: insurance... and odd-city pickup/dropoff costs. Temporary insurance over there is mandatory even if you don't drive the car when you're in Europe; this costs hundreds of dollars. Also, as long as you pick up and drop off the car in Gothenburg, Sweden, there are no extra costs. But if you do it in another European city (and Volvo offers to deliver the car almost anywhere, or drop it off at about 15 designated shipping centers) the add-on fees run to many more hundreds of dollars. London, for example, is $235 extra to drop off the car; Barcelona is three or four times as much. Arrange to pick up your S40 in Paris and drive it to Barcelona and you've blown your whole cost advantage.
Volvo does usually offer one free plane ticket to Europe to sweeten the deal (which, if you bought it yourself, would cost you about what the mandatory insurance charge comes to). And if you fly to Sweden, get the car in Sweden, and leave it in Sweden, you still come out ahead. Watch out for the fees though.
"... Temporary insurance over there is mandatory even if you don't drive the car when you're in Europe; this costs hundreds of dollars..."
WILL IT COVER THE CAR DURING SHIPPING TO U.S.?
"... Also, as long as you pick up and drop off the car in Gothenburg, Sweden, there are no extra costs..."
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THEY CAN ARRANGE SHIPMENT TO THE U.S. (AFTER You've "PICKED UP" THE CAR AND MAYBE DRIVEN IT AROUND EUROPE A BIT). HOW MUCH WILL THEY CHARGE EXTRA FOR OCEAN FREIGHT...?
Any tips will be appreciated! Has anyone actually bought a Volvo this way? Please share your experiences!
the only extras would be your hotel, airfare, food, gas, international drivers lic (get in U.S.) etc....
The key is to find a dealer who is experienced with European deliveries and they will handle all the details and make the trip a lifelong experience...
newheels, the European insurance is completely separate from the marine insurance used to cover your car during transit. It is apparently a Swedish law that requires you to buy a insurance for at least a minimal period of time even if you don't drive the car. I wasn't going to drive my S80 T6 since I was only going to be there for a weekend but since I had to pay for insurance I kept my car over the weekend and bummed a local CD ROM for the navigation system.
Regarding shipment, it is free for pickup and drop-off in Goteborg. You can arrange pickup and or drop-off at one of a couple of dozen major cities in Europe but there is an extra charge that varies with distance from Volvo's shipping ports (typically a few hundred dollars).
By the way, in reference to post #107, Volvo pays for air fare and first night hotel charges with their program for now (they have for the past couple of years but may stop some day).
All program details including charges for European cities should be available with a little digging at http://www.volvocars.com/overseas_new/
Hope this helps.
-rdo
rdollie@home.com
Rich
tom123, I bought a '99 S80 T6 this way as well and do agree with your comments with a couple of exceptions.
If you finance through Volvo you pay for the car 6 days prior to delivery date. If you live East of the Mississippi then delivery should take no more than 3 weeks from port to port. At the time, Volvo was shipping cars for East Coast delivery every Monday. It generally takes 15 days for a car to arrive at the first U.S. port (the FAPS facility in New Jersey). In my case I picked my car up at the port since I was running a project there for a client but depending upon where your dealer is located I could see it taking several additional days to get your car from port to dealer.
All in all, you save quite a bit as you mentioned and you will definitely have to be patient by comparison to running out and buying off a dealer's lot. We bought our '01 V70 T5 off a dealer's lot because we bought it on the West Coast and couldn't wait for a custom order. Hopefully my next car (S60R?) will be met at the factory!
Thanks.
-rdo
rdollie@home.com
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When does Volvo roll to the new model year...? Late summer or early fall? Considering the fact that Volvo requires ED orders to be placed ~3 months in advance, I wonder when will they start accepting orders for 2002 cars...?
Thanks again,
Newheels
sandejx, I bought my Volvo S80 T6 through the European Delivery program and saved thousands (and highly recommend the experience for the savings and free trip to Europe). However, I live in the U.S.
As I recall, you are only supposed to keep your car for up to 6 months in Europe under this program (the limit may be different for military orders though). For program details follow this link:
http://www.volvocars.com/overseas_new/
Good luck.
-rdo
rdollie@home.com
Also, here is a link to the European Delivery section of the Mercedes-Benz Web site Mercedes-Benz European Delivery.
Although it is not exactly a European Delivery program, Porsche has an interesting section on their Web site called the Porsche Travel Club. They have all sorts of interesting European trips that include the use of a Porsche which you can set up through them. Here is a link to that page: Porsche Travel Club.
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kelf, the Euro delivery price is the FACTORY invoice for the car (same price the dealer pays) + MSRP for options (what you normally pay for options at the dealer). The dealer doesn't earn a traditional profit (nor does the salesman get a commission which is why most of these orders are handled by the fleet manager) but does receive a 5% fee from Volvo for the order.
Hope this helps.
-rdo
rdollie@home.com
1) Yes, it's possible to do it. You would need to take European Delivery (if such a program exists), or speak to the Military/Diplomat factory representative (if you fall into these categories) for the respective company.
2) Automobiles in Western Europe tend to be 30% cheaper than they are in the U.S., with the exception of in the U.K.
3) Upon returning to the U.S., you are subject to substantial costs for freight ($2-3,000), duties and fees.
4) Getting a U.S.-spec car registered and insured in Europe does not seem to be a problem, even in the U.K, where the cars have right-hand drive.
5) Expect to pay substantial VAT, as well as U.S. taxes, on U.S. delivery, and you do not get the VAT back. (On a Boxster it runs about $6,500)
In short, it can be done, but the American government is on a different and more legalistic wavelength than is the rest of the world, and doing it would be a time-consuming and expensive headache. Why does this not surprise me?
I'm strongly thinking about picking up my CLK320 through MB's European Delivery program. I'm looking for some recent experiences others have had with the program.
Basically, you're getting 2 free nights, saving on your destination charge ($645), and use of your car in Europe, plus the factory tour. Any hotel recommendations or travel suggestions?? Any must-go places or things to skip??
Thanks
This past summer I bought a new Saab 9-3 using their IDS (European Delivery) program. I had purchased a Saab convertible through the same program and same dealer (Blue Grass Motor Sports, Louisville Kentucky) in 1996, and at that time the total experience was very satisfying. So I decided to do it again.
At the time I placed the order (August) the prices for the 2001 models had not yet been set. So Saab US added $750 to the 2000 price with the stipulation that, if the actual price increase were less than $750, I would be refunded the difference. I agreed and paid the additional sum.
When I returned from Europe in November, I learned that the price increase had been less than $750 and called Saab US to request a refund. I was told that they had sold the car to the dealer at a predetermined price and that any refund would have to come from the dealer.
I contacted Blue Grass and asked about a refund. They agreed it was due me and that it would be mailed to me. This was early November.
In December I was advised by Saab that my car had arrived in the US and had been shipped to the dealer. I called the dealer to let them know and also reminded them that I had still not received the refund due me. I was told that it would be processed immediately.
Three weeks passed and I had received neither a call from the dealer telling me that the car had arrived, nor a refund check. I called Saab USA again and was told that the car had arrived at the dealer some time ago. They called the dealer who then found my car sitting among all the other new 2001 Saabs, but without a window sticker and with 5000 miles on the odometer. They never apologized, but merely explained that someone had taken off the Swedish license plates and they didn't recognize that it wasn't a new car (no window sticker, no plastic seat coverings, etc, that come with the new cars.)
By February I still has not received a refund. So I called again. And again. And again. At first the sales rep said he didn't know what the problem was and he would check. He never called back. This happened several times, and then he suggested I call the sales manager directly. I did this several times also. He was never available to take my calls, nor did he return them as requested.
By mid March my patience had worn thin and I wrote to the sales manager complaining about the treatment I had received and advising that if the refund weren't issued, I would take legal action.
No response. So I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. My check arrived in the mail the day after the Bureau contacted them.
So much for customer relations. I sold both the Saabs and now have a vey nice Volvo S60 T5.
I know dealers and sales reps read these messages. I'd really like to know what would prompt behavior like this. I was a good customer (emphasis on was), had all my service done at their shop, and I thought I had a good working relationship with these people. They knew I was interested in an Audi, which they also sell, yet for five months they showed absolutely no regard for me as a customer or as a person.
As to pricing. All the paperwork indicates that it is a direct sale from the Manufacturer (Saab) to me, unlike domestic sales in which the manufacturer sells to the delaer who then sell to the customer. The car title showed a direct sale from Saab to me. Yet Saab told me that they had "sold" my car to the dealer. What seems to happen is that the dealer charges the "fixed" price but then is required to send less to the manufacturer. I don't know what the actual spread is, but the invoice price from the factory listed on the import papers for duty assessment is almost $2000 less than the European delivery price listed by Saab on their web site. Despite what they tell customers, Saab dealers do make money on these sales.
2--Any idea when the earliest possible date to pick up 2002 models at the Factory under Euro Delivery?
I would appreciate any comments from BMW owners that have gone through the European delivery system. The only downer I see is I personally would not care to take delivery in the snowy season. Top down in the Alps?
You can save big bucks if you have frequent flyer miles to get you to Munich. For instance business class from Los Angeles to Munich roundtrip is 80,000 miles.
I am a Canadian living in the States as a resident (hold a permanent job here). Does my status qualify me for ED? I know they need to see your passport when you place your order through ED. I just don't know if being a resident in the States is enough.
you'll find it.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Krzys
There is a problem. You start paying your lease one month before European pickup.
It might make sense if you are on East Coast but I doubt that paying for 1.5-2 months when your car is in transit to West Coast is good.
Krzys
You can find ED invoice prices on www.roadfly.com (edmunds does not provide pricing info for ED).
What I learned is:
ED vehicles are not coming from dealer inventory/allocation.
You can haggle the price, some dealers might not be willingful to do ED because it involves more paperwork than "normal" sale.
It is better to find a dealership which knows what ED is, what is the process and sells for less than MSRP.
Good luck.
Krzys
PS My ED is still waiting for me in the future (hell, my BMW is still probably not designed yet) - other expenses are more important.
any questions feel free to email me.
Is this website and the service they offer valid and worth the money?
- BMW Owners: European Delivery
- European Delivery
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