New BMW Owner - 2012 X5 xDrive 35i Sport Activity

[F150 Duke]

Hello All,

Well the deal is finally done, or at least agreed to at this point. Now it’s just time to place the order once week 18 build allocations come out this week. I know they are taking week 16 builds but PCD was not available for those builds so we’re pushed to week 18. Worked out a deal with BMW Minnetonka through a SCA that was referred by a member of this site. Overall we got a respectable deal on the vehicle price and a less than favorable (but that’s the way it is) deal on our trade. Good news is I have until PCD to try and sell the trade on my own. Then the fall back is to just trade it in.

Both my parents and my wife and I purchased X5s through this two car deal. Theirs is a Vermilion Red/Oyster Premium X5 with Cold, Convenience, Premium Sound, Nappa Dash, running boards and then a few accessories. Our X5 is a Platinum Gray/Oyster Sport Activity with Cold, Convenience, Premium Sound, Technology, Nappa Dash, 3rd row (for the self-leveling suspension), running boards and then a few accessories.

The only sticking/frustration point has been a bit of contention around the dealer accessories. We negotiated to have the accessories (winter floor liners, rear cargo floor liner, and base support system) purchased from the dealer at “dealer cost”. Afterwards the SCA sent us the retail pricing from BMW’s website as the cost for which we would be charged. When I called to clarify why there was no mark-up on their accessories or was I now being charged retail prices I got a huge string of excuses and comments that bordered on rude/smart-alec. The primary excuse was they meant new car department dealer cost. Meaning that the new car department has to pay that price to the parts department to get the accessories for the new car buyer. That is the new car department dealer cost. However, my retort was we negotiated dealer cost and not new car department dealer cost. Which means the cost of the accessories that is incurred by the dealer. His response is that eats into his profit on the new car purchase (amount referenced above invoice) and that it couldn’t be done. My response was that was what we agreed to and that I know it’s not eating into the profit of the price above invoice as there is profit also below invoice in the difference between dealer cost of the vehicle and invoice pricing. Not only that, if the accessories are at dealer cost there should be no loss on the cost of that accessory and it will not eat into the bottom line of the sale. I think what happened is he got approval on the deal but overlooked what he had written and committed to with regards to dealer cost. Now he has to go back to the Manager and get approval/push it through since we have an agreed upon deal. There have been several snide comments through this discussion by the SCA with things like “I’ll speak with the Parts Department and see what additional discounts I can get you above the pricing I provided.”. Those are frustrating but I’m looking past them at this point and just want to be done.

Other than the questionable comments, the SCA has been a joy to work with and I’d recommend him and the dealer. I do find the comments extremely odd though as when my parents and I were visiting the dealer my father bumped into his co-worker (CFO at a local corporation in the Twin Cities where my father is the CIO) who is looking at buying a second 7-series. They spoke for a while with the SCA, so the guy has to know there is potential for future purchases from both of them and myself. Why make comments over what is probably $200 total in accessories mark-up that you agreed to forfeit and risk potentially aggravating future customer purchases to push us somewhere else?


In any event, the orders should be placed this week and we should be a week 18 build based on what we were told. Then it’ll be a PCD for both vehicles in the end of May per what we were told. I look forward to the trip and reporting back with pictures. Thanks again to everyone’s help and opinions during the process. Now the search for winter tires and rims begin. I already have my list and will be posting that, along with example pictures in the upcoming months.

[Richard in NC]

Will you still need winter tires the end of May?
Or can you search in the summer and get them in October/November?

SC should have great weather in May.

[F150 Duke]

Originally Posted by Richard in NC

Will you still need winter tires the end of May?
Or can you search in the summer and get them in October/November?

SC should have great weather in May.

Absolutely have plenty of time and won't need them. Just figured it would be nice to get it out of the way so I'm not stuck in the "we don't have them in stock b/c everyone bought them" rush that seems to happen in MN in the fall for winter tires. Might also be able to score a better price this summer too.

[F150 Duke]

Well this deal might not be as done as I thought. The SCA was a bit too much of a smart-alec in his responses to my Mom when she was speaking with him yesterday. I'm a bit pissed off about the matter.

Combine that with the fact that a competing local dealer just emailed me a written follow-up offer that undercuts the current dealer by $5,000 net on my vehicle and $2,000 net on their vehicle transaction.

The only signed paperwork has been the financing paperwork and a $500 check deposit for my parents vehicle. But no orders have been placed and the dealer has not submitted anything to order either vehicle. Might ask for the deposit back and go elsewhere. Bummer since I really liked the actual dealership better. But these verbal jabs and $7,000 total is worth walking to me.

[Lubehead]

Are you looking for someone to support a decision to allow a dealer to abuse you? Seems like there are red flags and you're choosing to overlook them. In my mind there is no deal, it's been undone, and even if you had to leave $500 on the table, who cares.

Vote with your feet and tell 'em to have a great day!

[F150 Duke]

Originally Posted by Lubehead

Are you looking for someone to support a decision to allow a dealer to abuse you? Seems like there are red flags and you're choosing to overlook them. In my mind there is no deal, it's been undone, and even if you had to leave $500 on the table, who cares.

Vote with your feet and tell 'em to have a great day!

Yeah I'm bringing my trade by after work tomorrow to validate their quoted trade amount and pickup a paper version of their offer. We'll discuss it as a group (both parents and I on our joint purchase) and I'll let you guys know what we decide.

Are the Center of Excellence Award for Outstanding Customer Satisfaction awards from BMW really as prestigous as the dealers make them out to be? This second dealer (not the one with the smart-alec SCA) apparently is touting the fact they have 4 of them. Might explain the lack of smart-alec comments.

[bigx5er]

Originally Posted by F150 Duke

Hello All,

Well the deal is finally done, or at least agreed to at this point. Now it’s just time to place the order once week 18 build allocations come out this week. I know they are taking week 16 builds but PCD was not available for those builds so we’re pushed to week 18. Worked out a deal with BMW Minnetonka through a SCA that was referred by a member of this site. Overall we got a respectable deal on the vehicle price and a less than favorable (but that’s the way it is) deal on our trade. Good news is I have until PCD to try and sell the trade on my own. Then the fall back is to just trade it in.

Both my parents and my wife and I purchased X5s through this two car deal. Theirs is a Vermilion Red/Oyster Premium X5 with Cold, Convenience, Premium Sound, Nappa Dash, running boards and then a few accessories. Our X5 is a Platinum Gray/Oyster Sport Activity with Cold, Convenience, Premium Sound, Technology, Nappa Dash, 3rd row (for the self-leveling suspension), running boards and then a few accessories.

The only sticking/frustration point has been a bit of contention around the dealer accessories. We negotiated to have the accessories (winter floor liners, rear cargo floor liner, and base support system) purchased from the dealer at “dealer cost”. Afterwards the SCA sent us the retail pricing from BMW’s website as the cost for which we would be charged. When I called to clarify why there was no mark-up on their accessories or was I now being charged retail prices I got a huge string of excuses and comments that bordered on rude/smart-alec. The primary excuse was they meant new car department dealer cost. Meaning that the new car department has to pay that price to the parts department to get the accessories for the new car buyer. That is the new car department dealer cost. However, my retort was we negotiated dealer cost and not new car department dealer cost. Which means the cost of the accessories that is incurred by the dealer. His response is that eats into his profit on the new car purchase (amount referenced above invoice) and that it couldn’t be done. My response was that was what we agreed to and that I know it’s not eating into the profit of the price above invoice as there is profit also below invoice in the difference between dealer cost of the vehicle and invoice pricing. Not only that, if the accessories are at dealer cost there should be no loss on the cost of that accessory and it will not eat into the bottom line of the sale. I think what happened is he got approval on the deal but overlooked what he had written and committed to with regards to dealer cost. Now he has to go back to the Manager and get approval/push it through since we have an agreed upon deal. There have been several snide comments through this discussion by the SCA with things like “I’ll speak with the Parts Department and see what additional discounts I can get you above the pricing I provided.”. Those are frustrating but I’m looking past them at this point and just want to be done.

Other than the questionable comments, the SCA has been a joy to work with and I’d recommend him and the dealer. I do find the comments extremely odd though as when my parents and I were visiting the dealer my father bumped into his co-worker (CFO at a local corporation in the Twin Cities where my father is the CIO) who is looking at buying a second 7-series. They spoke for a while with the SCA, so the guy has to know there is potential for future purchases from both of them and myself. Why make comments over what is probably $200 total in accessories mark-up that you agreed to forfeit and risk potentially aggravating future customer purchases to push us somewhere else?


In any event, the orders should be placed this week and we should be a week 18 build based on what we were told. Then it’ll be a PCD for both vehicles in the end of May per what we were told. I look forward to the trip and reporting back with pictures. Thanks again to everyone’s help and opinions during the process. Now the search for winter tires and rims begin. I already have my list and will be posting that, along with example pictures in the upcoming months.

Hey congrats! Sometime I'd like to see your new X5 when it arrives. It will make my 2011 look old. Glad it worked out for you.

[midwest x6]

Hey Jason -- sorry things are going rocky....

LMK if there is anything I can do or shoot me an email or pm.

GL!
Rick

[barbja]

Since you can walk in off the street to many parts depts and get 20% off, them charging you retail is just ridiculous. They should be able to at LEAST go shop price.

Right now I have a deal pending with my local dealer, but one in another town has undercut him by $2k (it was on the trade). I would much rather buy from my local dude, but that extra 2k is eating into my immediate upgrade plans (putting square pipes on an x6 35i). I intend to go order the car tomorrow. I don't want to eat into his meat, but I want to spend as little as humanly possible for those pipes. Retail for parts is about $690 and the install qoute I got from the other dealer was $180. The other guy upped the ante the other day. I'm going to offer my local dealer $500 for the pipes and I never see the car with round pipes. If he balks, I'm going to the other dealer. I'll just have to get over feeling uncomfortable when I come in with my shiny new car to browse later.

I've gotten the 'we have to pay retail for the parts' party line from them too when purchasing cars in the past. Well I don't care anymore. They're going to give me at least 20% off on parts I put into my deals from now on or I walk. I'll take my money someplace else. (if his parts dept is REALLY charging him retail, he can just source the parts from Crevier or Tischer gosh darn it; like he can't pick up the phone the same as me??)

He who has the money has the power.

[ard]

Price the accessories at getbmwparts.com.

The dealer should AT LEAST match this, (and they will be making at least 10%)