10-17-2015, 02:08 PM | #1 |
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I’m writing this because there are so many others on these forums that I vicariously lived through, I want to continue to pay it forward. I hope others will find this helpful.
The first part of this thread outlines the purchase (and waiting) process. Please feel free to jump ahead for my European Delivery Adventure For the most part, I have been a Toyota/Honda driver. I bought my first car from my dad, and as I went on, I had many other vehicles that mostly reflected various stages of my life: 1977 Toyota Celica 1983 Toyota Mojave Truck 1985 Toyota MR2 1987 VW Golf 1990 Mitsubishi Montero 1997 Dodge Caravan 2001 Jeep Wrangler 2001 Honda Accord 2001 BMW (E46) 325i Touring Wagon (recently acquired) 2002 Toyota Prius 2004 Jeep Liberty 2008 Honda Odyssey With older kids that drive, I still own the Accord, Prius, Odyssey, and the BMW (which is my daily driver). My favorite cars have been the BMW, the Wrangler, and the MR2. I have been looking at purchasing a new BMW since 2011. Initially it started out as a used car search. Thankfully, my wife set me straight, "If you’re going to get a new BMW, then you will get a NEW BMW." So, I started looking at the new 3-series and comparing it to the 1-series. Back and forth I went, but with my older boys entering college, I knew it was going to be a long process where I had to really work at saving my pennies. When the 4-series emerged, I was immediately sold and would constantly study the 435i on the BMW site – building and rebuilding the vehicle. When my wife heard about the European Delivery program – that was it. ED would be the only way we were picking up our car! I kept my obsessive research hidden from my family, so as not to burn them out on constant reminders of the vehicle… although they knew. In some ways I’m reminded of A Christmas Story, “You’ll shoot your eye out… You’ll shoot your eye out!” One day I was watching a YouTube video review of the M4 – my wife asked, “Is that the car you want?” I told her yes, but it was only a dream. A few days later I admitted I really wanted the M4. Together we agreed to make it a reality, but it was going to take time to save up – going $80K in debt was not something we were prepared for. A couple months ago, I made the decision that next year was the year for our ED trip. Patiently I watched over the pricing forum, and all the other forums that were relevant to my future purchase. One day I needed to pick up some coolant for the E46, so I stopped by my local dealership. In the showroom they had a YMB 2015 F82 – I was standing in a puddle of drool by the time one of the sales associates approached me. I told him my plan for ED, and he was pretty much done with me at that point. I politely asked if I could sit in the car, to which he affirmed. As I slid into the soft black leather seats, I felt the car wrap itself around me in the driver’s seat – it hugged me! The car really hugged me! Ok, so maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but… wow! My next step was to start approaching dealers. I drafted a message that basically stated what I was going to pay, what the build was going to look like, and what I was prepared to offer in return: Perfect customer satisfaction survey, and servicing of the vehicle (NorCal) and/or purchase of additional accessories (SoCal). I pasted my message in the “contact us” box on every BMW Center website in California. For those that didn’t have a box to paste the message, I used the chat function, or found the Internet Sales Manager and approached that individual directly. Out of all the dealers in the state, only one agreed to my terms. I was so surprised that I had to send the message directly to the CA to make sure he understood – and again, he said he agreed to my terms and wanted to talk. Until this time, I would only deal with anyone via email – no phone contact whatsoever. I provided my number and very soon I received a call from Kelly Kimberly at Hansel BMW of Santa Rosa. Kelly has been fantastic – as a CA, I find him to be completely transparent, and very helpful – he is an enthusiast himself, having owned a BMW 2002 as one of his first vehicles and a current rider of BMW motorcycles. Initially I was weary and skeptical of working with a dealer, but in this case I find myself excited whenever he calls me. I can even say in one instance he called when he realized the OTD price he quoted was based on current ED pricing (only available until Dec 31), which was incorrect since my pick-up was not until April 2016, which is based on a new pricing structure. I understood the error, and so I was very understanding, but Kelly was very transparent and accepted responsibility for the error – we worked things out, and we are moving forward. I am definitely giving a shout-out to Kelly on this – he has been very helpful so far. My Build: 2016 F82 M4 Mineral Grey Metallic Black Full Merino Leather Driver Assistance Plus Executive Package Lighting Package M Double-clutch Transmission Adaptive M Suspension 19-inch Black Alloy Wheels Power rear sunshade Carbon Fiber Interior Parking Assistant Enhanced USB and Bluetooth My journey is just beginning – I will be submitting a deposit once we have a Production Number and date set for my delivery – still too early for that. Now I am re-reading all the ED forums – where to visit, where to park, how long to drive, which passes are best, which care wash to use, etc., etc. (btw – I think everyone on these forums is crazy – myself included). My wife and I are looking forward to our trip – and she is already shopping for her next car – a new Z4, which she wants in 1-2 years. All I say to that is an enthusiastic “Yes Dear!” I want to thank you all for the information I have received through these forums! Of course pictures will come after my ED, but that's not until April....
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10-17-2015, 03:46 PM | #2 |
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I also found all the NorCal BMW dealers not price competitive so I ordered from a dealer in New Jersey for $1,000 over ED invoice plus $750 courtesy delivery to my local dealer, which worked out fine. However, I did not contact Santa Rosa.
My 2015 M3 is very close to your specs, except I got the SO extended leather and the stock 18" wheels. My last two cars had black leather and I realized how boring it looked compared to SO which I love. This was also my first BMW after driving Toyota, Honda and Lexus. ED is the ONLY way to go for buying a BMW. I did a 3 week ED in July which might help you plan your ED and is located here: http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1175084 |
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10-18-2015, 02:08 AM | #3 | |
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Lufthansa has a non-stop flight from SFO to MUC that departs at 9pm and arrives at 5pm. I figure if we do this, we can hit the Welt and take delivery the next day, but stay a second night in Munich before doing any major driving. I'm checking various threads about parking - So far it sounds like the Meridian is a pretty ideal place to stay in Munich. I'm going to see if we can use timeshare points to book stays outside of the large cities. I have a concierge service I can use to find places for me based on our needs. I can always drive into a city or some outskirts and take public transportation, if needed. In terms of interior - yes, black is fairly conservative. I am planning to purchase a Z4 for my wife in a year or two - she wants a lighter color interior, so this will make up for my choice. I just wonder if she will want to go ED for her car too! I figure she'll be hooked after our trip next year! What a dream!
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10-18-2015, 06:41 AM | #4 |
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Great story!
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CURRENT///G80 M3CX | Isle Of Man Green | Kyalami Orange | Bi-Color 826M Wheels
FORMER ///F80 M3 ZCP | Yas Marina Blue | Black | DCT | Black 666M Wheels FORMER ///F87 M2C | Alpine White/Orange | DCT | Black 788M Wheels FORMER ///F87 M2C | Sunset Orange/Orange | 6MT | Black 788M Wheels FORMER ///F82 M4 | SSII | Full SO | 6MT | Black 437M Wheels |
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10-18-2015, 08:22 AM | #5 | |
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12-30-2015, 03:06 PM | #6 |
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Like so many others, the wait is killing me...
Decided to take a late-morning nap today. While I was trying to sleep, I heard a phone buzzing and ignored it, thinking it was my wife's. When I woke up, it was an urgent call from my CA - he has an M3 allocation that he is swapping with another dealer for an M4 allocation, and it's all mine!!! We went through the options to make sure he entered them correctly. He said it was a busy day while everyone was trying to get their last minute orders in. What I was told is that it would go in at status 112. He said he would send me an updated build sheet later today, and we would take care of other details after the first of the year. He also told me by entering it today, I would avoid the $300 retail price increase (not reduced ED discount). I swear I've been checking my email every 5-10 minutes ever since! Good thing I have several projects to do around the house to help take my mind off things! To add to this story, for Christmas we purchased our son a new Mini Cooper Hardtop S - I thought maybe it would help with the wait - it only made it worse - especially since I signed papers at the BMW dealership next door. When I got off the phone, my wife looked at me and excitedly said, "Happy New Year!" It certainly appears that way!!!
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12-30-2015, 03:21 PM | #7 | |
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CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ORDER!
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Best Regards, Robert (BMWCCA #471893)
Loreley 2015 / //M3 6MT SO over full SO, Exec,Susp & Lighting, HK & Blk 19's - ED 15 May 2015, Redelivery 23 July 2015 My photography: WWW.PBASE.COM/VONMAYR My ED Adventure http://www.vonmayredadventure.blogspot.com |
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12-30-2015, 03:37 PM | #8 | |
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I can only imagine (now). Thanks!
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12-30-2015, 04:02 PM | #9 | ||
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Best Regards, Robert (BMWCCA #471893)
Loreley 2015 / //M3 6MT SO over full SO, Exec,Susp & Lighting, HK & Blk 19's - ED 15 May 2015, Redelivery 23 July 2015 My photography: WWW.PBASE.COM/VONMAYR My ED Adventure http://www.vonmayredadventure.blogspot.com |
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12-30-2015, 09:59 PM | #10 |
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Oh no worries. I know you weren't, but I cringed when I read it.
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12-30-2015, 10:02 PM | #11 |
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Production number in hand and confirmed 112 status! Will visit CA next week to complete ED documents and request delivery date(s).
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01-03-2016, 10:30 AM | #12 |
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[UPDATE]
I called BMW Genius yesterday because I was curious. I was told my car was slotted for PW 4! As my jaw dropped, my wife overheard the Genius rep and quietly reassured me, "Yes, this is happening." I sent a quick email to my CA to let him know what I was told - he called back right away. I will be paying a visit to my CA at 10am this morning (now ~8:30 PST) to select my pick-up dates and get the paperwork started. Question for those that have previously done ED - I know BMW sends a Euro Delivery package with general info about the program - at what point in the process should I be keeping an eye out for that?
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01-03-2016, 10:56 AM | #13 | |
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Congrats and let the wonderful journey of your M4 and European Delivery begin! |
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01-04-2016, 08:17 AM | #14 | |
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Yesterday I confirmed my build, selected 3 possible delivery dates, and put down a $1,000 deposit. I was told next step will be to complete the purchase order, and then to go into contract. My delivery will be last week of April, but due to timing of other travel and such, I will go into contract around mid-March. Something my CA told me, which intrigued me, is that he locked in my pricing on two points, but he was a but unsure about the whether or not BMW would accept the second point: 1. After ED discount reduction (to 5%), but before $300 price increase 2. $1,000 lockable incentive in M4 I'm a bit unsure about the $1,000 incentive - while I will go into contract and pay for the vehicle within the lockable period, I will not take physical delivery at the Welt until the period has ended -- will I actually qualify for this? While it is not a deal-stopper, if anyone has any insights, would be great to know.
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01-04-2016, 02:38 PM | #15 | |
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On a separate note, what does the purchase order do? Are you obligated to buy the car after you sign the purchase order? |
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01-04-2016, 08:53 PM | #16 | |
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As far as the PO, not sure. I was told to go home and practice my signature a bit - that the PO will get kicked back if my signature on the document does not exactly match my Passport signature.
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01-06-2016, 08:16 PM | #17 |
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[UPDATE]
First and foremost, I must apologize. To all the impatient nutz out there - my journey is just beginning and I am one of you. I have gasped, sighed, and laughed at the impatient masses that either order their cars or participate in the European Delivery program. I humbly offer my apologies. Second, the website is useless. It does not recognize my production number. The 800# is somewhat better. It states my vehicle is waiting for production with no confirmed production date. BMW Genius has been the most helpful. I recently found out my vehicle's PW has changed from week 4 to week 15. I'm a little puzzled because I was told it would complete production the week of 4/24, which is week 17 by my calculation. I'm still waiting for a confirmed delivery date. I haven't heard from my CA and BMW Genius didn't have any information on this. I'll follow up with my CA toward the end of the week. I really want to start planning the trip. I told my wife I will take care of everything. I think that was a mistake because she and I usually plan our trips together. She plans the itinerary and I'm pretty agreeable. I have the itinerary, but I need to do some research on sites around Munich, Soltzberg, Northern Italy, and places on the way to Lucerne. My plan is to stay in each country for 2 nights, making the trip last up to 10 days (depending on delivery date). Anyway, that's my obsession so far...
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01-13-2016, 09:37 AM | #18 | |
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Did you hear back about your pick update yet? Curious to know how long this takes. |
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01-13-2016, 12:05 PM | #19 | |
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I was subsequently bumped from 112 status back to 111 status. The email had information for him to forward to me, which goes over some basic information:
I have started to plan my trip - April 27-May 7, including air travel. Initially I was planning a route from Munich to Austria to Italy to Switzerland, and back to Munich. I want to keep driving to less than 3 hours (not counting traffic), and try not to be on the move every single day. Because of this, I have cut Italy completely out of the trip, and I'm considering cutting back on the amount of time I spend in Switzerland. It's a vacation and I really can't see any reason to run ourselves ragged - so I am building a vacation around having time to see some sights and relax a bit. The hard part for me now is that there are just so many choices, and trying to prioritize what we want to see. I told my wife to relax and I will plan everything - maybe I spoke too soon! I am waiting for the Welcome Package to arrive so I can see what discounts are offered. I am also planning to travel via Lufthansa. I know I can find cheaper airfare, but we want to fly from SFO to MUC nonstop - no other airlines offer this service. I saw on the news that Wow! Airlines offered flights to Iceland for $200, but later learned it was only 10% of the seats on just a few flights. The story led me to believe they may offer this again, in case anyone is watching for cheap flights, but the ticket had to be purchased directly. Luggage fees were $48 per bag.
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2016 F82 M4 2016 E89 Z4 sDrive35is 2001 E46 325i Touring Last edited by m4recruiter; 01-13-2016 at 12:11 PM.. |
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01-13-2016, 02:34 PM | #20 | |
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We are planning on visiting some similar areas as well, Bavaria-Switzerland-northern Italy-maybe south France-and I really want to fit in the nurburgring as well. Thanks to all the posts from others who have done ED, it will help out a lot with research. I'm going to be very inefficient at work or home for the next 4 months. |
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01-13-2016, 03:24 PM | #21 |
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I hear that!
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01-16-2016, 04:15 PM | #22 |
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[UPDATE]
It arrived! It finally arrived! Well the European Delivery Welcome Packet. Filled with all kinds of information to drool over, I found the luggage tags to be the most exciting! Actually going to shop for new hard-side suitcases now. One disappointment is that it appears there is no longer a Lufthansa discount. It was never much, but anything that helps. The hard part now is being THE travel agent and planning he trip. So many options and everyone I talk to has an opinion. These are my thoughts: 4/27 Depart SFO 4/28 Arrive MUC at 5pm. Stay in Munich 4/29 10:20am delivery followed by factory tour 4/30 Drive to Salzburg/Berchtesgaden region 5/1 Salzburg/Berchtesgaden region 5/2 Drive to Aqua Dome (looks too cool) 5/3 Aqua Dome region (Austrian Alps) 5/4 Drive to bora HotSpaResort via Neuschwanstein Castle 5/5 bora HotSpaResort region (Switzerland) 5/6 Drive to Munich 5/7 Log InOut to drop of vehicle and return home I am trying to limit major driving to every other day and maximize relaxation with sightseeing mixed in. I figure since most of our time is spent outside major cities, there is no need to make a rush for major tourist attractions, but we will hit some. I've already managed to utilize points and timeshare exchanges for booking some accommodations. Thoughts?
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