a negotiating strategy

[ubuski]

I saw the recent thread imploring us to not pay MSRP in the US and thought I would share my strategy.

I went shopping for a certain set of options knowing I would need to order because no one had DCT on the lot. I was paying cash. I went to four dealers in NY/CT and each proclaimed their generosity having not asked for a premium over MSRP! Further, none had available production allocations (order slots) and had to “wait to the end of the month to see if I get another allocation from BMW NA). In one case, the dealer said I would be #24 on the list (lots and lots and lots of money in Greenwich, CT).

So, I decided to get these smug fellows to compete with each other and watch them dance a bit. To enable this, I decided to take delivery of my e92 with DCT & 19’s at the South Carolina Performance Delivery Center so it no longer mattered from which dealer I bought the car. I then went on Cars.com and asked for quotes from about 20 dealers from New Hampshire to Florida. Nearly all responded immediately by phone. I told each they were in a competition. I eliminated all but 5 due to outright incompetence or lack of an immediate production allocation. I then got prices from the 5 dealers (NH, NJ, PA, VA, NC), gave each a chance for a “best and final offer”, and selected a dealer in NJ with $1500 off sticker. This all took three days from the comfort of my own home! Since then I’ve also gotten M3 mats and wheel locks thrown in, gratis, as well as changing the color of the car from AW to IB.

All transactions/paperwork have been by phone/email/fax/fedex without a problem. I will actually pay for the car by fedex’ing a certified check next week. I have also worked directly with the staff at the PDC and they are providing an air conditioned workspace for me to bring in some guy from Virginia to do a VentureShield install before delivery. I will then do the one-day delivery/track event and then get to know my new baby via the Great Smokey Mountains as I drive back to NY.

Obviously, this won’t work for everyone but it did save me a little money and allow me to control with whom/how I did business. I like that.

[ajj]

Originally Posted by ubuski

I saw the recent thread imploring us to not pay MSRP in the US and thought I would share my strategy.

I went shopping for a certain set of options knowing I would need to order because no one had DCT on the lot. I was paying cash. I went to four dealers in NY/CT and each proclaimed their generosity having not asked for a premium over MSRP! Further, none had available production allocations (order slots) and had to “wait to the end of the month to see if I get another allocation from BMW NA). In one case, the dealer said I would be #24 on the list (lots and lots and lots of money in Greenwich, CT).

So, I decided to get these smug fellows to compete with each other and watch them dance a bit. To enable this, I decided to take delivery of my e92 with DCT & 19’s at the South Carolina Performance Delivery Center so it no longer mattered from which dealer I bought the car. I then went on Cars.com and asked for quotes from about 20 dealers from New Hampshire to Florida. Nearly all responded immediately by phone. I told each they were in a competition. I eliminated all but 5 due to outright incompetence or lack of an immediate production allocation. I then got prices from the 5 dealers (NH, NJ, PA, VA, NC), gave each a chance for a “best and final offer”, and selected a dealer in NJ with $1500 off sticker. This all took three days from the comfort of my own home! Since then I’ve also gotten M3 mats and wheel locks thrown in, gratis, as well as changing the color of the car from AW to IB.

All transactions/paperwork have been by phone/email/fax/fedex without a problem. I will actually pay for the car by fedex’ing a certified check next week. I have also worked directly with the staff at the PDC and they are providing an air conditioned workspace for me to bring in some guy from Virginia to do a VentureShield install before delivery. I will then do the one-day delivery/track event and then get to know my new baby via the Great Smokey Mountains as I drive back to NY.

Obviously, this won’t work for everyone but it did save me a little money and allow me to control with whom/how I did business. I like that.

hmm..seems like a whole lot of work for $1500 off.

[TheEnrique]

you should have just gone to Park Ave BMW and spoken to Aimon... he makes it happen.

[ubuski]

Originally Posted by ajj

hmm..seems like a whole lot of work for $1500 off.

yeah, I have a real problem with salemen with attitudes, so I strained myself making a few phone calls.

[ubuski]

Originally Posted by SPANISHFLIE

you should have just gone to Park Ave BMW and spoken to Aimon... he makes it happen.

park had no available production allocations - couldn't make it happen.

[///M PWR 00]

Hate to tell ya.... but you FAILED at getting the best deal, considering two people I know got between 2000-2500$ off sticker from Westchester BMW in White Plains, in the start of the summer to say the least.

Should of done more research to see what others were getting off

[gadget]

Good effort. OK result.

[ubuski]

Originally Posted by ///M PWR 00

Hate to tell ya.... but you FAILED at getting the best deal, considering two people I know got between 2000-2500$ off sticker from Westchester BMW in White Plains, in the start of the summer to say the least.

Should of done more research to see what others were getting off

LOL! easy to speak of these good deals your friends got. feel free to post or pm some proof of a these prices off a dct coupe.

[ubuski]

Originally Posted by gadget

Good effort. OK result.

thx. i agree with OK. it was the principle.

you may have noted i have found a VentureShield master installer in VA who BMW is allowing to work at the pdc in SC. they are doing full hood, bumper, full fenders, headlights, mirrors, rocker panels, and cf roof. i have seen several ask about how to get a high-end clearbra install with a pdc delivery. i will post after photos of the install after we're completed on 30 July. thx again.

[trucheli]

The best deals are done person to person. The allocation excuse is one way to tell you that they are not willing to give you the discount you want.
A lot of people here are getting below MSRP, this is the best time to negotiate a lower price. M3 are not selling like everyone has expected.

If you are happy with what you've got, that's all it matters. Enjoy your ride.

[ubuski]

Originally Posted by trucheli

The best deals are done person to person. The allocation excuse is one way to tell you that they are not willing to give you the discount you want.
A lot of people here are getting below MSRP, this is the best time to negotiate a lower price. M3 are not selling like everyone has expected.

If you are happy with what you've got, that's all it matters. Enjoy your ride.

you're right. lot's of 6MT's out there being heavily discounted - just didn't sell - old school. and 4-doors M3's ....ROTFLMFAO!


'08 production ended ~1 August and there few if any DCT coupes to be found and i am excited to have one, with a very modest discount to boot!

[AZ-BMW]

Originally Posted by ubuski

LOL! easy to speak of these good deals your friends got. feel free to post or pm some proof of a these prices off a dct coupe.

Unfortunately the posters are correct regarding $2.0-2.5K off MSRP. Seth's deal was -$2.3K off MSRP at Westchester BMW for an M3 E92 w/DCT that he was going to buy in May'08; he sent me the doc's via PM for my negotiating, but I promised not to post them
One just needs to do their homework in this regard.

[ubuski]

Originally Posted by AZ-BMW

Unfortunately the posters are correct regarding $2.0-2.5K off MSRP. Seth's deal was -$2.3K off MSRP at Westchester BMW for an M3 E92 w/DCT that he was going to buy in May'08; he sent me the doc's via PM for my negotiating, but I promised not to post them
One just needs to do their homework in this regard.

well, if you or seth actually got this deal on an ordered e92 with DCT, you are god-like and i stand in awe and humility of your negotiating skills.

however, I note your phrasing above "an M3 E92 that he was going to buy". hmmm? going to buy? show me the paper so i too can believe.


btw, not sure how your post above about $2.3K off is consistent with your posting on another thread yesterday in which you stated;

"I too have been monitoring this forum for the better deals and my observation in most of the first hand cases I've researched with the OP (not all), is that the better off-MSRP deals for non E90s are only from dealer lot purchases (inventory), not orders. Although there are a few postings where even some orders received minor discounting off MSRP (like ~$1K). So I'm also interested in seeing the first hand responses to your post."

[AZ-BMW]

Originally Posted by ubuski

well, if you or seth actually got this deal on an ordered e92 with DCT, you are god-like and i stand in awe and humility of your negotiating skills.
however, I note your phrasing above "an M3 E92 that he was going to buy". hmmm? going to buy? show me the paper so i too can believe.

Since I made a promise to Seth not to post his deal info, I recommend you PM him and ask for the info yourself; his PM address is Seth_Horwitz ;

Originally Posted by ubuski

btw, not sure how your post above about $2.3K off is consistent with your posting on another thread yesterday in which you stated;

"I too have been monitoring this forum for the better deals and my observation in most of the first hand cases I've researched with the OP (not all), is that the better off-MSRP deals for non E90s are only from dealer lot purchases (inventory), not orders. Although there are a few postings where even some orders received minor discounting off MSRP (like ~$1K). So I'm also interested in seeing the first hand responses to your post."

I believe the operative word in my post reply above is most; I didn't say all
In my research so far I've only found 2 documented (sales contracts) deals on ordered M3 E92 w/DCT that were better than ~$1K off MSRP, of course with the economy continuing to tank, hopefully more will materialize

[ubuski]

Originally Posted by AZ-BMW

Since I made a promise to Seth not to post his deal info, I recommend you PM him and ask for the info yourself; his PM address is Seth_Horwitz ;




I believe the operative word in my post reply above is most; I didn't say all
In my research so far I've only found 2 documented (sales contracts) deals on ordered M3 E92 w/DCT that were better than ~$1K off MSRP, of course with the economy continuing to tank, hopefully more will materialize

du bist yakin das krakin. thx, i'm sure seth did well. auf wiedersehen

[Voltigeur]

Originally Posted by trucheli

A lot of people here are getting below MSRP, this is the best time to negotiate a lower price. M3 are not selling like everyone has expected.

If you are happy with what you've got, that's all it matters. Enjoy your ride.

First, good effort - congrats.

Second, "M3 [sic] are not selling like everyone has expected." No kidding. I went past the San Antonio dealer y'day and they had seven M3s, including an E92 MR they had 3 weeks ago still there. I suspect $4+ premium gas and negative wealth effects (housing, stocks, negative real return on cash) has a fair bit to do w/ it. Here's the iPhone shot I took of 6 of them (3 x e93, 2 x e92, 1 x e92; the MR e92 is out of frame) sitting there:

[ajj]

Originally Posted by Voltigeur

First, good effort - congrats.

Second, "M3 [sic] are not selling like everyone has expected." No kidding. I went past the San Antonio dealer y'day and they had seven M3s, including an E92 MR they had 3 weeks ago still there. I suspect $4+ premium gas and negative wealth effects (housing, stocks, negative real return on cash) has a fair bit to do w/ it. Here's the iPhone shot I took of 6 of them (3 x e93, 2 x e92, 1 x e92; the MR e92 is out of frame) sitting there:

sure..but they have not delivered a dct car to date. there are 3 dct cars in town(including mine), but they were purchased in austin, houston and dallas. also, they were not willing to discount e92 coupes at all when i went in. maybe some on the convertibles as they are not selling as well, but didn't check. same story all over texas.

[AZ-BMW]

Originally Posted by ubuski

du bist yakin das krakin. thx, i'm sure seth did well. auf wiedersehen

Sie sind ein Ruck!

[///M PWR 00]

So according to you.... 6MT and M3 sedans are a joke? LOL, my friend... it seems like YOU are the joke thinking that your DCT COUPE is worlds above other M3s. I for one wouldnt take a DCT car if you offered it to me for 10K below MSRP. I am an enthusiest who actually enjoys the clutch pedal and putting it to work.

Seems like you got a little sour after finding out your godly negotiating technique isnt all that great. Why do I need to prove to you that I know 2 people who got betters deals then you did? Oh wait.... I dont! So you can be in denial all you want, just dont take your anger out on the keyboard.

PEACE

[Dascamel]

1500 isn't bad, but it could have been more... just search and read prior threads.