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:P
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I made more this year than last, but maybe a higher wage year fell off the back end.
My real estate taxes have gone up every year. I don't see that changing.
Of course, if you are already 75, and just retiring, maybe you'll need less...
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We live on an average of $4,000 per month with no house payment and no car payments. That amount includes life insurance and long term care insurance. Our medical is free from our pensions. Many people don't have that luxury. Some months, we spend up to $5,000. It depends on what we buy or where we go. This month will be more. We spent roughly $2,000 on Christmas gifts for our small family and ourselves. Those are the kinds of things that you want to allow for during the year.
You'll need savings for things like a new roof, a new heating system, a new car, plumbing or electrical bills, new tires for the family buggy, etc. I would not have retired at even 40 years, but i realized that my retirement would be a little more than what i was making. It seemed crazy to put up with the stress at work and make the same money. After six months, they asked me to return. i refused because they couldn't meet my salary demand. I did some consulting work for the first four years, but finally gave it up completely. Still, it was a nice transition into retirement.
Many people can give you advice on retirement funding. Still, you're the one who must decide how you wish to live and what you can afford. Keep a monthly budget and track your expenses. You'll soon discover what retirement will cost you. Best of luck.
Richard
The same goes for dishwashers. We learned that one the hard way.
Glad that you are home and feeling better. You really are my champ.
Richard
Amen to that! Don't forget the dishes as well.
Richard
Yes, the fact that you had better not count on it. (Grin)
Richard
He stopped when he said he would be there. The salesman was available and they walked over to the car and looked it over. When my son got in for a test drive and started the car he saw that it had 13,000 miles on it.
He told the salesman that this must be the wrong car because he was told it was a new car. The salesman said it is a new car; the sales manager had just been driving it.
That was the only V6 TSX they had.
Needless to say, my son was not very happy that he had to drive over to Annapolis to look at a new car that really wasn’t new. Untitled – yes. New – no.
He told the salesman that his dealership was off his list as far as ever buying from them. The salesman acted like he didn’t understand why.
If I was a new car dealership owner and I found out my salesmen were doing that, they would be fired on the spot. I suppose they are able to get many people to buy something else though. Integrity seems to be something that passes some people by.
Now – is he a serious buyer? The lease on his BMW ends in three weeks and he just put four new tires on it and had a 4-wheel alignment done on it.
He’s young and will be buying many cars in the future; just not from that dealer.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
1) My Rolex knockoff watch story. Several years ago at a garage sale, we found a fake Rolex. The nice lady told us it only ran for a short time after her husband gave it to her. We only paid $1 or $5 for it. It is a lady's 'President' (solid gold look) model, and I told my wife it could be worn for 'the look', so it did not matter if it ran or not. We tried a new battery a few times, and it would run for a couple of days then stop again. Lately, my wife dug it out and took it in again for a new battery. I think even tried a couple of them. We've been using this jeweler for several year and they do watch repair, in house. He told my wife he could replace the entire movement for about $25! So she let him. He gave the old movement back to me, and it is one plastic piece. He wrote the model number, PC22, on a piece of paper in the bag with the old movement. I googled 'watch movement PC22' and was talken to a place that sells the movements. The cost of a new movement is $6 or $7!!!!!!! Other movements are listed, with the highest price I say was $25. On the web page, it indicates these movements will fit Seiko watches.
2) For body parts that itch or scale, try Cornhuskers Lotion. It's mainly lanolin, and will vanish into the skin in about 1 minute after application and is not oily or sticky. Good stuff during the dry, cold winter months.
Incredible story! What I find amazing is he is trading in a BMW for an Acura?
There must be something wrong!!!!! :sick:
Actually, I doubt if the manager cares whether the salesman did this little stunt. He probably makes the policy that says just get the potential customer in. I think this philosophy of selling dates back to the cave days. Just get the customer into the store one way or the other and we will deal with it once he gets here - and the other rule is, if you don't get the customer to come in any way you can...you aren't going to make a sale, so do whatever it takes.
We were looking for a carpet. We called a store about 50 miles away and he said he had it. When we got there he actually started to look around for it and found he didn't have it....would we be interested in another one that's similar!!!!!! :sick:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Watch movements are all basically the same. When you buy a good watch you are really paying for the shell, the band, the materials used on the face, the design, and of course the name.
But if everyone paid $50 for a Rolex, it wouldn't be a Rolex!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It is so well made that an expert watch guy spent at least ten minutes looking it it closely, shaking it etc before telling me it was the best fake he had ever seen.
When people woul admire it, I always came clean and told them where I bought it and how much I had paid for it.
It's a self winder and it just now quit working. Maybe it's worth the price of a cheap movement.
Trouble is, most jewlers the fakes and refuse to work on them!
I forgot to include in my original post that the cost of the TSX mysteriously increased $2,000 too.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Craig understood that benefit. Some just don't get that the more they build a long term customer base, the easier their job gets, and the more money they will make.
About watch movements. There are only a few manufacturers that make movements, especially manual/automatic movements (as come in Rolexes or fake Rolexes). There are the Swiss variety, which comprise of ETA (owned by the Swatch group) and Selita.
There are some companies that still make their own movements based in the U.S. (Timex uses some, but not all, of those).
Then there are the Japanese, comprised of Miyota (who will sell to anyone), Seiko, Citizen and Orient (my favorite).
There are some Chinese movements (as was probably the one used in the fake Rolex).
Recently, there have been a couple of Russian movement manufacturers, too.
Sounds like run flat tires. I suppose regular tires and an alignment might cost half that, but that is the cost of driving the bimmer. Too bad they need replacing just when the car gets turned in.
cost of the TSX mysteriously increased $2,000 too
I thought sales of the TSX might be slow so the dealer is trying to sell whatever it can, however it can. But, the opposite seems to be true, sales are up a lot...so I think there aren't many around, and the dealer is trying to sell whatever is leftover. In any case, I wouldn't buy from that dealer, and you might google the name of the dealer and see what others have said.
Acura car sales were led by the TSX sports sedan with 2,589 units sold, a 16.7 percent increase compared to November 2009. The TL performance luxury sedan tallied 2,431 units sold, an increase of 13.1 percent. Acura total car sales for November were 5,188 which represent a 14.0 percent increase.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Some of my so called loyal customers would sell me out for 100.00 if they thought they could. Many of them would nervously call me almost embarassed to let me know they were shopping elsewhere too. If they did this, I cojuld always match or beat any number but I think many were just too embarassed to give me a crack at their business.
So, a lot of sales people don't really try to build a customer base. They are only interested in the "now" sale.
I know I sold a lot of cars to customers who could have cared less about building any kind of rapport with me. They didn't care one bit if they ever heard from me again.
That was fine with me. I could deal with these types of people too.
Looks like another glitch they can work on.
I just find it incredible that they would keep a new car in demo service that long. It can't be financed through Honda and it can't be leased.
And why lie to someone overr the phone? All you will end up with is an angry customer who will storm out and tell the world as they should.
Did they think the customer would say..." Oh, 13,000 miles? that's not a big deal, I'll take it?"
Just makes no sense at all!
There must be something wrong!!!!!
Why? I would bet that people trade BMW's for other cars all the time. I have said it before, most of the BMW drivers I knew in the 80's and 90's are now driving cars that are not BMW's. Not that they couldn't afford them but that they decided to go with something different.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Richard
Some people just want to make a change and others fear the maintenance costs as these cars age.
Breaks
More
Wallets
Seriously among the European cars, BMW's are by far the most reliable.
Worst are Audi's and Volvos!
Isell, that sounds very reasonable and I would have gone along with that philosophy at one time. But, the way I think now is a little different.
I'll go back to my usual dealer and get a price. If I don't think they are giving me, a loyal customer, a reasonable price i will try one or two other dealers.
If they are considerabley less, maybe $400 to $500 dollars or more (I won't tell them the price my original dealer gave me), I wouldn't give the original dealer a second chance. I feel, they are taking me for granted at that point, and they think I'll just go with any price they give.
The world has gotten more dog eat dog, and that is what you have to do to protect yourself. I have to do it in business. We got a new shipping company that can ship from England for half the price ($100000 a year). I told our original company that we did business with for over 10 years I have to go with them. They said, give us a chance to match the new guys. I said, give me the extra $50,000 a year over 10 years we paid you and we'll talk.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
There was a jeweler in the far NW suburbs of Chicago where the owner hand made watch movements (an art that is rapidly dying). Of course he would just put in a mass manufactured movement for a timex up to a Rolex but bring in an antique watch and he hand made the parts to fix it. He has repaid a few of my antique watches by hand making the needed parts.
You just cannot go out and buy parts for a key wound, key set eggshell watch from the 1850's.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I agree, tastes change and body parts might change too. Lifestyles change. So what we desire at one time can change a lot down the road (so to speak).
On the other hand, a lot of people change the other way too. BMW sales are up this year so I think, overall, more are changing in the other direction.
The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported November sales of 22,883 vehicles, an increase of 27.1 percent from the 18,002 vehicles sold in November 2009. Year-to-date, the BMW Group has sold 238,157 vehicles, up 9.3 percent from the 217,840 units sold through November 2009.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
OK so you, my "loyal" customer comes back to me for another car.
I'm trying to make some kind of a profit yet I know my "loyal" customer is going to shop my number to death and there is a very good chance I'll lose the deal. Nevermind the fact, I went on a lengthly test drive, answered tons of questions on a busy Saturday.
Thanks for reminding me why I didn't stick it out a few more years as I had planned to.
"I wouldn't give the original dealer a second chance"
Amazing...thanks again for the reminder. Sometimes, I actually miss the business. Enjoy your dog eat dog world!
Most have switched to Buicks and some have gone to the higher end of mainline manufactures like Toyota, Honda, Ford and the like.
Seriously among the European cars, BMW's are by far the most reliable.
Thats not saying a lot.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I would, if I am going back to a dealer I did business with before (and there are a few I would if I am looking to buy their make) I would give them the last chance to get my business. I returned to them for a reason and I will give them a chance.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
If I had a customer call me and say..." Craig. listen, I shopped around and XXX Honda will sell me that CRV for XXX..I would rather buy it from you, can you match that?"
Providing the customer hadn't been lowballed, I always could.
I once had a customer get lowballed by a store in Oregon. I knew something was wrong and that it was an impossible deal.
But, he didn't believe me and he drove to Oregon and back, a 450 mile trip for nothing.
It was hard not to say.." I told you so" but I knew better.
In most, not all just most, cases when they told me why they made the switch was that they just got tired of paying for the hype. Their reason was that there were other cars out there that will do everything they get out of their BMW's for less money and not have the potential high cost of repairs.
BMW sales are up this year so I think, overall, more are changing in the other direction.
Wow 238,157 vehicles through November 2010, do you think they can sell enough in December to make the apporiximatly 300K in sales they had in 2008? or the over 335K in 2007?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Others could care less. For many, loyality means nothing.
Thanks for reminding me why I didn't stick it out a few more years as I had planned to
Remember, I am not going to go to another dealer to try to save $100 or $200. As, I said if we get into $500 or more I would consider it. My current dealer is 20 minutes away, the next closest is about 45 minutes away. It wouldn't make sense to go that far for even a $500 difference, normally, but I don't like being taken advantage of.
You can see it that way from your point of view isell...spending time and taking test drives, but from the customers perspective, what he knows, is you had first chance - he trusted you and you overcharged him. Don't blame me, I am just the messenger.
It would take a lot for me to go to another dealer and have to drive an extra hour round trip for servicing, but I don't want to be taken advantage of either.
I started to think this way because a friend of mine switched to the further away dealer because they gave him a much better price. I think dealer 1 knows people don't like to drive to far for service, so why give them a break on pricing....I don't know for sure, so i will check it out.
One thing about your situation. I wouldn't switch dealers for $100 or $200, but if it is up near $400 or $500 then I think your price was too high, and you aren't being fair to your loyal customer.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
" Being fair" would be calling your first store and asking them if they would be willing to match a better price you received.
I never felt guilty for making a decent profit on the cars I sold.
This is EXACTLY why we never sent customers on their way with numbers to go shop and I don't know what you mean about "overcharging" someone.
What sort of a profit do you think a store should make on a 30,000 car?
It's no wonder some stores lowball customers!
My guess is that the upside-down lease deals BMW was so famous for back then made much of the difference. Those days are done, I believe.
BMW has learned that there's more money to be made ignoring their enthusiast base that likes to work on their own cars and would prefer the simpler models sold in the rest of the world. Load 'em up and sell only the most expensive models. The Roundel (BMWNA car club magazine) letters to the editor & tech questions section make for very interesting reading. Most of the enthusiasts have older (sometimes much older) cars that they love. The new ones. . .not so much.
What sort of a profit do you think a store should make on a 30,000 car?
I have no idea what a fair profit ona $30000 car would be. If I were to guess I would say 5% or $1500.
I have been in sales too, and now in most situations I am on the other side. I was once told the easiest person to sell to is a salesperson, because they know how hard it is to sell.
But, the fact is for up to $200 or so, I won't change dealers. Same as I tell the shipping guys that call on me...for 10% I am not going to change shipping companies,......but when you are talking 50% my loyalty (and I am an extremely loyal customer) goes out the window. Because the trust has been broken. You have to make a profit to be in business, you are asking me to trust you, but you expect me to be loyal to you when you are going to sell me a car for $400 or $500 more than your competitor. Where is your loyalty to me, the guy who came in no questions asked, and trusted you to sell me a car at a comparable price in the market place.
I know you are a nice guy and all that, but business is business, and that's reality.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
BMW realized the recession would affect car sales so they cut shipments to the USA. If you play your cards right, you can cut production, and actually increase profits. By cutting shipments, the cars retain their value and there is less discounting.
Meanwhile, I would imagine, overall sales worldwide are going up because the Chinese seem to love getting BMWs. Sales are booming in Asia. Maybe, they aren't tired of them yet and trading them in for Buicks.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
If that jeweler were putting a mass manufactured movement in a Rolex, he would be in a world of trouble. Rolex makes their own movements, as do many other expensive Swiss and German makers.
If anyone has an interest in watches, I recommend timezone.com, which is to watches what Edmunds is to cars.
Yes, I am a nice guy but I can hold my ground with the toughest out there.
Maybe I grew up in a different time when doing business was giving everyone a fair shake and expecting the same in return.
But, I suppose "Business is Business" pre empts everything else these days?
Don't hold back because it is Christmas....I wouldn't say what I said if I couldn't take back your answer.
I am the last person to go to another salesperson, but I take it even harder when that trust has been broken. You have been trained to believe you are entitlled to make a sale at full MSRP because you have spent sometime with your customer. It isn't enough in the real world.....if you are really fair then give me the best price you can so the other guy can't undercut you by $500.
My Jeep guy always gave me an incredibly good price, and I never went anywhere else to even check. Once I brought in a newspaper ad from another dealer that I asked him if he could match it...if he could I would buy from him - it was a really exceptional price. He said, I can do better than that....so we wrote it up. But, if I ever found out I could have bought that car for $500 less from another dealer I would never have gone back.
And, that is the way I do it. I have lots of trust and loyalty, but mess around with me and I will be gone....because you have abused my trust.
So, just say it....you would actually be upset if you gave me a price $500 higher than the competition.......I go and buy it down the street, save $500, and you think I should give you a second chance....
For one thing, the other salesman is not going to let me out without signing up at that price!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Let's just say that the two of us think differently. I really don't like you putting words in my mouth by saying I expect MSRP because I spent time witgh a customer.
Earlier you said that you felt a 5% markup on a 30,000 car is "fair". Well, guess what? On Hondas it's about 8% if someone pays MSRP.
I'm done with you!
Two years ago this day I was in the hospital all day getting blood. Last year I was in chemo. This year I went shopping, watched Miracle on 34th Street for the first time in years and am about to go check out the nine year olds in their Christmas pageant.
Life is good. Merry Christmas everyone!
Can you furnish a link to back this up?
I'm inclined to believe that if BMW cut shipments to the US, it was because the company wasn't selling as many cars. That's the simplest, most coherent explanation.
I'm done with you!
I think I was very reasonable in what I said. I am surprised that there is an 8% mark-up! obvously, few cars are sold at full MSRP so probably a discount of $1000 to $1200 is in the ball park.
But, like I say, if a dealer is going to take another $500 more off that discount (especially on a $30000 car), I would probably go to that dealer, unless the salesman had really gone above and beyond the call of duty for me. It would depend on distance and reputation and whether I trust the salesperson etc., but I think at that amount it is time to think about it.
I don't feel any loyalty to the salesperson who sold me my BMW. I asked and he said there wouldn't be any rebates issued when I signed, but BMW announced one about a week after I signed. I had to fight to get them to hand that over ($3000)....so I don't owe him anything.
"I am done with you". Hope that isn't what you told your customers who left when they got a lower price. That isn't nice, I am only expressing my opinion.............I have respected yours.
When I buy a car I don't give any one a hard time. The negotiations can be short and to the point. I don't haggle, but if you haven't been fair to me, I am out the door really fast. I wouldn't go dealer to dealer trying to save $500, but on a $30,000 car that would be a dealbreaker for a lot of people.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I'd probably give him a chance. "Hey, you're $500 higher than Scrooge McDucks dealership. Why is that and can you match it?" Depending on the answer will determine whether you can continue to trust him or not.
You are blaming your BMW salesperson for someting he had no control over and probably knew nothing about.
Honda for one, isn't stupid enough to announce pending rebates or low finance rates. Why ruin today's business and give away money they didn't need to?
We used to find out the actual day it happened and every time we tried to guess what they might do we were wrong.
In your case, I'm really surprised BMW gave you the rebate after the fact.
Where do they draw the line?
BMW has done some dumb things with some of their leases. Morgage tomorrwo for today's sales. BMW isn't alone in doing this but theyu just may be the worst!
Can you furnish a link to back this up?
I read it in a business newspaper about a year ago. It was BMWs strategy to import fewer cars since there was a recession going on. I have tried, but it is hard to pick out key words to find that particular article.
If you think I made it up, then just forget it and believe what you want to.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Why give away profit if you don't have to but on the other hand...
" Tis better a small chicken than an empty pot"
We will take the small chicken rather than lose a sale and a customer but if the buyer draws a hard line in the sand and refuses to run those numbers by us we have nothing.