New Winter Tires Rental Program

DUE TO A SERVER PROBLEM, IT APPERS THAT NOT ALL ON-LINE RESERVATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. IF YOU HAVE MADE A RESERVATION BUT HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION, PLEASE RE-SUBMIT USING THE FORM AT http://www.edwintertires.com/reserve.htm
Please follow up reservations with an e-mail to info@edwintertires.com with a copy to edwintertires@hotmail.com
Thank You!

Originally Posted by JSpira

Not possible and won't happen.

What happens if you leave snow tires on the car and drop it off at Harms? Will BMW charge you extra for putting a new set of summer tires on the car? Or will Harms immediately notice the non-summer tires and refuse to accept the vehicle?

Wow! I just got off the phone with ED in New Jersey and they won't even recommend snow chains due to the contingent liability. They suggested going to Bimmerfest and looking up Winter Tire Rental. ;-)

Kind of a drag since I've given a dozen or so customers information about the snow chain rental program that isn't even in existence any more.

How much time does this typically take out of their valuable vacation for traveling to and from the facility plus mounting? I guess the tires are pre-balanced so it should move very quickly, yes?

Originally Posted by SignHere

Wow! I just got off the phone with ED in New Jersey and they won't even recommend snow chains due to the contingent liability. They suggested going to Bimmerfest and looking up Winter Tire Rental. ;-)

Really? John Lance, you're getting famous!!!!!

Originally Posted by SignHere

Wow! I just got off the phone with ED in New Jersey and they won't even recommend snow chains due to the contingent liability. They suggested going to Bimmerfest and looking up Winter Tire Rental. ;-)

Kind of a drag since I've given a dozen or so customers information about the snow chain rental program that isn't even in existence any more.

How much time does this typically take out of their valuable vacation for traveling to and from the facility plus mounting? I guess the tires are pre-balanced so it should move very quickly, yes?

Treat the drive to Garching as a practice-run for when you return your car to Harms for shipping! It's probably not out of the way for many prople as it's just off the Nurnberg-Salzburg Autobahn. At the tire depot, I am expecting a 20-30 minute turnaround, but I will see for myself - the first one is on Monday!

Is it possible to do the drop off elsewhere? I am scheduled to take ED on Nov 13, and drop off in Nice on Nov 19yj

Originally Posted by jschim

Is it possible to do the drop off elsewhere? I am scheduled to take ED on Nov 13, and drop off in Nice on Nov 19yj

Not really possible - unless you take your original wheels & tires with you to Nice and then send back the rented equipment to Munich. That would probably be inconvenient & expensive.

Originally Posted by john lance

At the tire depot, I am expecting a 20-30 minute turnaround, but I will see for myself - the first one is on Monday!

Well, it was actually 35 minutes! Still, not too bad considering the place was packed all day with the locals getting their tires on quickly before the expected wintry conditions.

Hey, it's been nearly 24 hours since you picked up that beautiful car, Michael, surely you know the rules of this Forum !!!

i read on a thread that there might be a price change in the rental program... is this so?

Originally Posted by Rugged Racer

i read on a thread that there might be a price change in the rental program... is this so?

Possibly - but, if so, then downward! The program has got off to a good start and I will be able to see if a reduction is price is possible once the first 10 or so customers have returned their wheels & tires. Much depends on how many miles are driven.

Anyone reserving now for December 1st onward need not 'wait and see' because they will be given any eventual reduction in price too.

Please ensure that reservations are made, at the very least, 7 days in advance. People are waiting till they are here to check the conditions out for themselves and, like this week, are finding that it's impossible to obtain the equipment. This leaves them with two options: not driving at all or risk driving on Summer tires, which at the moment with all the snow and ice around, would be an extremely foolish and highly dangerous (to themselves and others) thing to attempt. If you find yourself in this situation today, don't drive your new car further than Harms - rent a car that is suitably equipped or use the train system.

Living here in the Munich area - I can highly endorse this.

If you want to avoid risks - rent the winter tires.

You can never tell what the weather conditions are going to be like during November - March.

Last year we had a mild winter - but this year there were already 2 or 3 days with snow covered roads during last week.

Originally Posted by john lance

Please ensure that reservations are made, at the very least, 7 days in advance. People are waiting till they are here to check the conditions out for themselves and, like this week, are finding that it's impossible to obtain the equipment. This leaves them with two options: not driving at all or risk driving on Summer tires, which at the moment with all the snow and ice around, would be an extremely foolish and highly dangerous (to themselves and others) thing to attempt. If you find yourself in this situation today, don't drive your new car further than Harms - rent a car that is suitably equipped or use the train system.

The forecast for the next 10 days has snow mentioned 5x and temperatures which are as low as -6°.

If you are planning a trip for this time period, John is right given the snow and icy conditions.

I'm picking up a 535xi in Jan. and was wondering if the all season tires that it comes with will be OK. Could I use chains with them? I'm droping off in Venice and so the rental program would not work for me.

Hi!!

After a whirlwind day of:

Arriving in Munich 7:40 AM
Realizing Verizon lied and my blackberry will not work overseas, and so purchase a throwaway cell phone....
Meeting Peter (Rolf's business partner) for a ride to Welt
Getting the new 335xi @ Welt @ 10:50
Making the quick ride to the edwintertires.com facility
getting the new tires on
In Vienna with friends @ 6:30 pm!

.... I'm exhausted. However, I WILL mention that Mr Lance was true to his word, everything was ready and the process very smooth! It's <32F, and there was plenty of snow throughout Austria, I refuse to think about how the compound on the 18" performance tires would have held up. More to come later, but for now, just checking in with a big THANKS to edwintertires.com!

How much does it cost to rent a cheap car in Germany per day?
Trying to decide between the winter tire rental or just renting a car there. Econo box would be ok for me .

Gary

I doubt people are going to do your home work for you but here are a few tips:

Search the internet for the rates or for the best rates try a consolidator. Econoboxes will run you in the neighborhood of 30Euro a day plus taxes (tip - avoid renting at a train station or airport to avoid a 16%= use tax. You can still return at airport w/o penalty).
A couple of the big Euro renters that you don't see here are Sixt and Europecar.
Also be forwarned about taking the car across boarders - in most cases its no problem but check with the rental company about your itinerary. Also, in most cases one way rentals that involve picking up in one country and dropping off in another can be prohibitively expensive. One way rentals inside a country are no problem.

What a great service to offer. I plan to use this in Feb. Thx very much. Makes life much easier.

Originally Posted by poleposition

What a great service to offer. I plan to use this in Feb. Thx very much. Makes life much easier.

Make your reservation as soon as you know your exact dates!

Yep. On it John. Thx again

I just signed a bunch of papers at the dealership in connection with my February 2008 ED, and one of them was a 'release' that warned me that BMW will not be responsible if I wreck due to not having winter tires, and also that I can be fined if I am caught with inadequate tires.

My CA seemed to think that BMW rented winter tires. I will inform him that he was wrong about this (and put in a reservation with you, John, as soon as I'm sure of my dates).

Actually I know when I'm picking up the car; I just don't know if I'll have ANY time to drive it. I'm hoping to have a few days, and drive to Vienna to stay with a relative.

Originally Posted by Bart001

My CA seemed to think that BMW rented winter tires. I will inform him that he was wrong about this (and put in a reservation with you, John, as soon as I'm sure of my dates).

BMW did launch a new tire rental program but John´s seems to be more convenient and a better value.

It seems like the winter season ends in March. For an ED in late April, how confident would you be with performance tires. Driving from Munich to Italian Riviera? I realize there could be a unseasonable storm, but generally...

Originally Posted by JSpira

BMW did launch a new tire rental program but John´s seems to be more convenient and a better value.

Do you have a link to BMW's program? Thanks!

Originally Posted by bennett64

It seems like the winter season ends in March. For an ED in late April, how confident would you be with performance tires. Driving from Munich to Italian Riviera? I realize there could be a unseasonable storm, but generally...

Look at the average temperatures at http://de.weather.com/weather/climat...6?dayofyear=91

I would think you would be ok on summer tires .