BMW European Delivery

postoak

I financed through PeopleFirst. It was very easy. If you have a trade-in, you'll have a problem regardless of who you finance with -- that is the main gotcha. I kept my old car until my BMW arrived back in the U.S. and then sold it privately. If you need the money from your old car to buy the new one then you have a problem.

bimmer3i

PeopleFirst is really offering a good rate. I got a 4.99% for 60 months (10/2002).

A week before I pick up my car, I faxed the copy of the PeopleFirst blank check and the letter to the salesman so he could verify it ahead of time. The day before I pick up my car, the salesman called me up and offerred a matching rate from their bank. I accepted the offer since this will lessen the paper works.

matt333

I've had of at least one person who found something (actually the dealer pointed it out) in the fine print of a peoplefirst loan that doesn't let it be used for euro delivery..

this is what the site says:

"Saturday, October ?
Stuff: We make a trip to Passport BMW to sign all the papers. We tried to use our PeopleFirst "Blank Check" but after reading through the fine print with Joern we discovered that they would only transfer the funds after PeopleFirst had been added to the title of the car. Since the car wouldn't be titled until after its arrival in the US, and since Passport wasn't too keen to wait over 2 months for their money, I wrote two personal checks. One for a reasonable "good faith" amount which I knew I could cover, and the second one for the remainder although post-dated for the following week. The following Monday I scrambled and got a quickie loan at the credit union, promising myself that I'd refinance it later with a home equity loan.

Lesson Learned: Don't plan on using a PeopleFirst car loan for an ED Bimmer."

Upon reading the previous 2 posts, did you guys take Euro Delivery?

bimmer3i

I ordered mine through the dealer last August and picked it up about 10 days ago. I heard other stories that BMW dealers are matching the rate of PeopleFirst but even though they have the same rate, BMW calculation is about $1 more in monthly payment. I'll call their bank to know why there's a difference in paymnet for the same rate.

postoak

PeopleFirst finances EDs. I financed my ED with PeopleFirst. If you read the post that was quoted it was the buyer and the seller getting together and deciding that PeopleFirst wouldn't finance an ED, NOT PeopleFirst telling them that they wouldn't finance an ED. ALL PeopleFirst requires is that the VIN of the automobile be written on the check at the time it is given to the dealer.

ipatty13

Has anyone who used ED purchased/installed an Alarm before shipping back to the U.S.? I'll have my BMW in Europe for a full month and would like to put an alarm on it in Germany.

I have thought about purchasing the alarm in the U.S. and bringing it with me to Munich, since installation seems to be pretty easy. Any thoughts?

pcbrs

Hi-
Postoak is correct. PeopleFirst does indeed finance ED. Just give their office a heads up, and they'll tell you exactly what was posted by our esteemed colleague here.

Jeff

seivwrig

I never did myself but you will have to do the following:

At the ED center, make sure that they have you your clown nose flashing. This will signify that the alarm is active. Therefore, if you add the alarm, it will chirp after installation. Your interior sensor and tilt sensor will not be active. They must be activated by a dealer. If you get them activated in Europe, you will need to deactivate it before drop off. This would not be worth it because you have to pay for it to be activated, then deactived then activated in the States. The clown nose might be enough of a deterrent unless you car ends up on a flatbed.

ultrarunner

Enjoyed my 325iT for 30 days in Europe (Well 29 days if you don't count the Harms drop off day)

The BMW delivery center is not new or elegant, but the staff is thorough and efficient in getting you on your way. My delivery associate, Judith, went above and beyond by even calling hotels for me and providing local road information.

Having now done both, I prefer the BMW ED program over the Mercedes program because BMW does NOT include the cost of 2 airline tickets into the price of the car. This was important to me because I always use frequent flyer miles when I travel and appreciate the additional savings.

I think that the only way BMW could improve the program would be to include all of the U.S. models in the program. My ultimate driving experience would be a new 330i M convertible purchased through European Delivery. Maybe next year. BMW are you listening???

330iii

Hey guys and gals does the 1200-1500 dealer profit include the destination charge or is that added on after the fact?

matt333

it's not that PeopleFirst won't finance a euro delivery, it's the fact that the dealer will not take it since PF won't pay the dealer until they (PF) are added as the titleholder and that won't happen until the car is in the u.s. anyone else have experience financing a ED with PF?

markjenn

When people talk here about some dealers being willing to do 1200-1500 over ED invoice, they include the destination charge in the invoice. IOW, most dealers are unwilling to go any lower than 1200-1500 over their cost and you must include the dest charge in their cost.

Of course, everything is negotiable. There is nothing magic about the 1200-1500 over rule-of-thumb - it just appears to be about the best most are able to negotiate. In fact, you'll probably have to work a few dealers to get this - the average run-of-the-mill BMW dealer generally won't go much below ED MSRP.

Good luck.

- Mark

kennrs

I'm curious about one thing on a European Delivery. When you pick the car up in Germany, is the radio set to European frequencies (AM stations have 9 instead of 10 KHz spacing, and FM has 0.1 instead of 0.2 MHz spacing), then reset to U.S. frequencies when it gets here? Or is it delivered to you with U.S. settings, and you're just out of luck if you want to listen to radio while you're in Europe?

postoak

I can't answer your question other than to say that I listened to the radio over there.

postoak

A little bit off topic but tell me a little bit about the MB ED experience. Is it true they put you up in a hotel for 2 nights? Any other included items?

postoak

I was under the impression that the check you give to the dealer is a negotiable instrument that the dealer can cash immediately. I could be wrong, but if so, then all I can say is that some dealer's have no problem taking it and PeopleFirst will definitely do it.

seivwrig

You radio will be set up for the U.S. I will try to find the instructions to change the radio for the European settings. I know it can be done for the Navigation system and I think it can also be done for the BMW Business radio. Give me a couple days for the answer on this.

seivwrig

I actually have the info for the MBUSA ED program. Saab and Volvo have similar programs. MB has a fancy looking center for their ED (BMW probably will not be finish with their new bldg for a couple of years). MB put you up for one night in Stuttgart and an additional night in one of eight cities. The key is that MB does not cut any discount on their cars for ED. It could be worse, you pay for ED with a Porsche. Based on what is received, Saab and Volvo give you more, then BMW, then M-B and last is Porsche (they give you nothing but the opportunity to drive the autobahn, everything else is a la carte)

postoak

Danke!

seivwrig

With MB delivery there are two packages.

1) two night lux accomodations at a choice of two hotels in Europe. One of those night is already chosen for you unless you travel like me (just get the car and go, who needs rest???). So your first night is at the Inter-Continental in Downtown Stuttgart. You get info from MB before your trip (this sound familiar). Get a voucher for a free taxi ride from airport to Hotel. While in Stuttgart, you can check out the Mercedes Museum and the M-B Classic Center (at your own cost). Next day, go to the Sindelfingen Delivery Center (you pay for the taxi unless you go from the airport to the delivery center. You can freshen up at the facility).Breskfast or Lunch is on M-B at one of two full service restaurants. You do a factory tour, then pick up your car.. They do the final inspection and you get your papers. Go to next location for your other free night. Pay for the rest of your stay and drop your car off at E.H. Harms

2) same as 1) but pay for six night tour starting in Stuttgart head to Austria and end in Munich. This includes meals. Cost is about $1200. I don't think this includes airfare but I really don't know.

http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container.jsp?/edp/index.jsp

Here is a minimal info on the Porsche program:

http://www2.us.porsche.com/english/usa/financial/tourist.htm

Here is a little on the Volvo program. If you are buying a S60 T5, wait for the invitation for the driving program, you must get on their mailing list for this.

http://new.volvocars.com/overseas/

Here is the link for the SAAB delivery program:

http://www.saabusa.com/main/US/en/services.xml

click on European Delivery

Personally, I wish that Audi and VW would implement delivery at AUTOSTADT. That would be an experience.

http://www.autostadt.de/english/home.html

buffagm

Hi everyone,
I will be pickup delivery of a 330i on Dec. 9th in Munich. I am going to arrive in Munich Sun. Dec 8th and leave Tues. Dec. 10th. If anyone has information, please advise me on an economical from which both the delivery center and airport(or train station) is accessible and the going rates. By the way, BA and Lufthansa and offering excellent rates to Europe from the US. My ticket, which is JFK-Lon, stay in london for 4 days, then Lon-Mun and the Mun-JFK totalled $345. Thanks in advance for any replies.

seivwrig

The real question is how much luggage are you carrying. When I did my delivery, I already had a round trip ticket to England. I added an extra leg to Munich. I took the S-Bahn from the airport to the exit before the Marienplatz and took the U-Bahn to Friemann(sp?). It was cheap and took a 1 hr and 15 mins. The taxi will trim the time by about 30 mins but is substanially more. If you have are travel with a lot of luggage/kids and want to pick up your car the same day. Do the taxi. Otherwise, take the U-Bahn/S-Bahn to your hotel then get the car. To tell you the truth, you have a lot of options. You are not travelling at a busy time of the year. You could go to the Delivery Center if you don't have room reservations, and they would help you out. It depends on how adventurous you are.

seivwrig

to change radio settings from US to European settings.
close door
turn key to ignition 1 setting
turn off radio
pull out the key
put the key back in the ignition on setting 1 or 2
hold down RDS button and turn the radio on
hold RDS button for about 10 secs
to move from setting to setting , press the > button.
You will get to a setting that says USA, using the button 1. Press it until you get to Oceania. Turn off radio to keep settings.

ipatty13

I'm not sure where you'll be staying the night before you take delivery of your bimmer, but take the public transportation from the airport to your hotel if possible.

When you clear customs at the airport, follow signs to the S-Bahn (usually a white "S" with green circle background). An all-day ticket that will allow you to travel from the airport to anywhere on the public transportation is about 9 Euro for one person and 15 Euro for up to 5 people (very cheap).

You can purchase this ticket just before you take the escalator down to the train tracks. Look for the information kiosk, where you can pay by credit card. Else, you can use the machines and pay in Euro. Activate the ticket before getting on the train.

To get to the delivery center from the city center, take the U-6 North from Marienplatz or Odeonsplatz to the Freimann stop (approx 9 stops).

If you'll be using public transportation for 3 days, just buy the 3-day ticket that covers the outermost regions. It's probably 20-something Euro for all three days.

Have fun!
Steve

gohuskies

I had the BMW factory team install a USA alarm system on my 330CI Convertible, which was ready when I picked it up in Munich. It was operative in Europe and required no uninstall when shipped back to California. The system also included the Homelink options.
I was told by BMW that the high end vehicles, like 745s, come with an alarm system but it is optional on the 3 Series. Big hearted BMW.
Also, public transportation is very good and reasonable in Munich, your BMW documentation will include a map showing the different routes and numbers. With gasoline at $4.00+ per gallon they ride bikes and public transportation. The bier is the best on the planet. The American hotel chains have very good rates for their European properties through their web sites or on Travelocity, Expedia.
If you do not have navigation and belong to AAA they have agreements with services in Europe that will supply maps and driving route directions via email. You can also go to "Driving Directions" in Expedia and other services and get European driving directions in English with miles between locations.
Please email me at CascadeTelcom@msn.com if you need additional information or European email addresses.

buffagm

Thank you all for replying. I am planning on traveling very light, and on taking the train between the airport and the delivery center. Let me know if anyone has had good experiences at any of the smaller hotels near the delivery location. Also, any tips on interesting activites or places to visit that are easily accessible will be much appreciated. I'm sure though, that most problems I will run into on the trip wont be nearly as trying as the wait to get to Dec. 9th.

ipatty13

Since you'll be here in December, my recommendation is to attend the Christmas market. It's basically a compilation of food/drink stands & kiosks of hand-made/carved items (such as manger scenes). They line the streets of the city center all day and into the night. You must try the Gluhwein (warm, spiced wine), which will help you manage the cold.

Another attraction at this time of year is the winter Tollwood Festival (basically a bigger christmas market) held on the theriesenwiesen, which is where Oktoberfest is held.

Being here such a short time, you won't get to see much of anything. If you stick to attractions in the city center, you can't go wrong. I'll be living in Munich until April, so if you'd like more info., let me know.

jbian

Could someone tell me how to calculate the ED
invoice price, say for a 330cic base price?
Thanks a lot.

markjenn

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/pricing/2003/2003_330.pdf

- Mark

kennrs

Thanks for the information. I'll save it in case I do an ED next year. Hopefully, though, BMW will set the radio right for where the car's being driven without asking.

jbian

Many thanks, Mark. We will get one next fall.
We will have be married for ten years by then.

matt333

i was going to wait for the coupe facelift and pickup the car in late april/early may.. but how much do the airfares run around that time?

if i go in january like my original plan, you can go for like $500/person but i just tried pricing april trips on orbitz, and i get $1000 and up... is that about right? or would the rates get lower as april gets closer?

seivwrig

The prices for flight to Europe go up round about Easter. Easter is the official start of the tourist season in Europe. That is about the time that most attractions open or extend their hours. This will continue up the start of Fall (Autumn) when the prices go down with a short spike for Christmas.

vegastm

Matt,
IS there going to be a facelift for the 2003 330 in late april or early may because I was planning on taking ED delivery at that time. How did you hear about that coupe facelift for 2003.
Thanks. vegastm@msn.com

matt333

there's a bmw forum where a general sales manager is an administrator. he posted a fax from bmw headquarters that showed that production would start in march with april/may launch..

also, people in europe have had their dealers actually call them and ask if they'd want the old design or the facelifted version.

either way, it's supposed to be very minor, not as drastic as the 2002 sedan facelift. the kidney grill has a different shape and the bumper is different.. i've seen 'spy pics' but i don't know how accurate those are..

ggoodloe

Just returned from picking up my 330Ci. Arrived mid afternoon, took train($8) to central train station and walked to Hotel Uhland(average class $70). Next AM walked from hotel to subway($2)to EO delivery Center. First Class operation!Two beautiful fraulines took my luggage and gave me an expresso, filled out necessary paperwork, shopped at gift shop(total time 30 minutes) and then escorted to large garage where about 12 new, all variety, bimmers were. The girls gave me a detailed demo of all the features on the car,plus a picnic lunch and I was on my way! My local dealer could learn a lot from this operation. I spent 5 days in Garmisch and 5 in the Berchtesgaden area, all in Bravaria. While there took day trips all over southern Germany, the Alps and Austria. Mountain roads and high speed(125-130mph is not uncommon, but I had to hold it at 80mph)highways was good way to test and enjoy the car. Reluctantly,turned in the car late afternoon and took cab ($35) to Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich. Hotel is expensive ($140), but is quality and convenient for an early morning flight. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful experience. Now the wait! Anyone know of how to track shipping other than BMW Owners Circle?

postoak

You can get more up-to-date information by phone:

1-800-334-4BMW.

jcivitello

Ggoodloe, Great to hear about the trip! I am off at the end of the month, and staying at the Uhland as well...one question for you...upon landing at the airport, how long did it take until you left (get bags, customs, etc.) and then how long was the train ride to the central station? I am just trying to work out my timeline...thanks for the help.

Here is the website to track you BMW being shipped...

http://www.2wglobal.com/WEP/Toolbox/Appl/CargoTracking/CargoTracking.htm

jb_shin

I have not been through the Munich customs since I always fly from another European city, but it should not take too long. Most of the time will probably be spent on waiting in the immigration line, unless you are connecting from another European city. Baggage should be ok, but if you are flying in on a 777 or 747, be prepared to wait at least 20 30 minutes.

Walk down stairs, and board S-bahn, and you should be in the city center in just about 45 minutes, or so. Below site has the Munich S/U-Bahn route map and guide.

http://www.metropla.net/eu/muc/muenchen.htm#s-bahn

jb_shin

If you need to borrow European BMW Navigation CD's, I can work something out with you. I have all of 2002 CDs for Europe, except Spain/Portugal.

johnny330i

I just got back from ED 2 weeks ago. From the time I got off the plane from Heathrow and walked to the immigration desk, I waited only 2 minutes for the stamp, my luggage was already spinning in the baggage area. Total time was not more than 10 minutes.

Thanks again for the parts numbers, I got the birch trim, alarm, cargo net, keyless lug nuts and a few gifts. I almost bought the rear clears but I couldn't fit it into my luggage.

Have a great time in Germany!

ggoodloe

Munich airport, customs about 20minutes, train to central station 41 minutes, station to hotel 10 minutes walking. Hotel to subway 10 minute walk, ride to ED Central 20 minutes. Recommend carry on, if possible. Our luggage was misplaced and didn't arrive until midnight at the hotel-airline took care of sending it through customs and taxi to hotel. Car turn-in took about 30 minutes, they called a cab which took 30 minutes to airport. Forgot to tell you that my first gas fill-up cost $75. It cost $4.30 per gallon. Enjoy the trip, it was a wonderful experience!

jcivitello

For the ED input and info...
Less than 3 weeks!

run310

I've asked a few dealers around here and they stand firm with the ED MSRP. Anyone have any luck with dealers in Boston or NEw ENgland (willing to drive as far as NYC but would prefer closer)

Thanks
Chris

pcbrs

Hey-

I think I can help you out. I'm picking up a 2003 330ci through ED in December. I actually got a few Boston dealers to accept $1500-$1700 over invoice. I'm surprised you're having such problems. But, I chose to go with Wagner BMW of West Springfield, even though I live in Boston, since they responded to my offer first, and were sincere from the very beginning. I'm glad I did.

I highly recommend them, as they have been superb thus far. Great service, and they haven't even met me in person yet. Everything was taken care of via e-mail and regular mail. An honest dealership, as they helped me work through the numbers and my car specs. I'll be going to the dealership for the first time when I pick up the car in January after my ED trip.

Contact Bob Morin at BobMorin@wagnerbmw.com. He's a great salesman and knows his stuff. He really cares about making his customers happy, as I changed my specs a few times, and he was always ready to help. You can tell him Jeff C. recommended him to you. Nothing in it for me, but I always like steering people in the right direction. I didn't get the same warm feelings from the Boston dealerships...

-Jeff

run310

I'll check them out. It would be a relief to find an honest dealer (?oxymoron) Also I haven't really formally made any offers yet so maybe when they see I'm serious they'll bargain. What $$ would you suggest offering over the invoice?

pcbrs

I would say you should aim for $1500-1600 over invoice, and you should be fine. ED is great, because you don't have to pay MACO and training fees like normal delivery cars, which also saves you several hundred dollars. But expect to pay around $200 for dealer registration fees, which is applied to all car purchases. It's legit.

Anything below $1500, and I can see why most dealers won't accept it. And remember, it's a lot of work, so it's only fair the dealer makes some money. I'll let you know how ED goes for me. I'm getting really psyched about it. I'll be in Munich in mid-December.

Jeff

ultrarunner

Speaking from experience, the hardest part about European Delivery is continually being asked, "Where is your car."

Not a day goes by where someone doesn't ask why I am not driving my new BMW.

I just received a letter from BMW that November 16 is the day the ship is expected to arrive.

The wait is really the hardest part!!

run310

This may be a silly question, but I've heard different stories on this and was wondering if any of you who have completed your purchase found a way around your state sales tax with ED? I was told by a dealer that the tax applies no matter what but I wanted to be sure he wasn't giving me a line.

hgeyer

Generally, you pay the state sales tax when you get your license plates - no way around it. Your dealer is probably correct.