Are there any responsible dealers in Fl?

Trustworthy and experienced with ED?

Board sponsor Adrian Avila at BMW South Atlanta is the best ED specialist for FL

Originally Posted by spinner11

Trustworthy and experienced with ED?

Not that I've read about in 10 years. Go with Adrian.

I went with Adrian. It was a no hassle experience. I flew to Atlanta and drove back to Fort Myers the same day.

Originally Posted by laser

board sponsor adrian avila at bmw south atlanta is the best ed specialist for fl

+1

Um I hate to say I told you so but....

When I lived in Atlanta I had been telling Adrian I was going to buy one soon. In fact I think I made that promise on multiple occasions. I even test drove at his dealership two or three times. Then I moved to NYC for 24 months at the end of 2007. 6 months before I returned to Atlanta it was time and I reached out to Adrian. We did everything via phone/email/fed-ex and it was an absolutely seamless process.
I can not recommend Adrian enough and will go to him again when it's time for ED #2. I would go to him even sooner if BMW allowed the US market to have a 3 Series x-drive diesel.

Lino is good

Originally Posted by laser

Board sponsor Adrian Avila at BMW South Atlanta is the best ED specialist for FL

I agree - I'm doing my fifth ED with Adrian in July. I highly recommend him.

Originally Posted by spinner11

Trustworthy and experienced with ED?

Get a complete rookie -- the newest, greenest salesperson in the dealer of your choice.

Then, negotiate for $750 over ED INVOICE (not MSRP), plus whatever stinkin' fees the dealer will insist on.

Two reasons to do it this way: first, an ED order is cut-and-dried. You do the paperwork right, the car is waiting for you in Munich at the time you picked. The ED department at BMW NA has all the knowledge you need. That avoids you needing to trust the salesperson -- an iffy proposition to begin with and one made more questionable because ED transactions are complex. Just make sure -- REALLY REALLY SURE -- that you get an order printout of what you ordered. Make sure it's code 111 -- "accepted at BMW AG" and that IT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. You don't have to search hard to find some poor fools who relied on a salesperson to check everything out and got something they didn't expect when they arrived in Munich. Because dealer expertise is a theory, you are better off with the newbie, so you know from the beginning you have to manage the process yourself.

Second, the pricing is what it is. Start negotiating up from ED invoice. If the dealer won't start there, go somewhere else. Watch out for the dealers who tell you they only sell at ED MSRP because "the car is already discounted." That's the clue you need to have to tell you that under no circumstances do you want those bozos servicing your car during the warranty. That's because if the sales people are allowed to rip off you off during the negotiation process, it's a good bet the service people are incentivized to also shave costs and overcharge for work.

In short, the dealer matters little. They aren't your friends; it's a business deal. Go where you get the best deal. Just remember: the process is really dependent on YOU being anal -- not the salesperson. If BMW says bring three sheets of blank yellow paper or you won't get your car, THEY MEAN IT. No salesperson is going to track this for you.

I wonder why everyone is recommending someone in GA, when the OP asked about FL. I have done 5 EDs in a row with Braman Motorcars in West Palm Beach. John Welzein is my CA.
I live in Miami and I wouldn't recommend any stealerships in my area. It doesn't make sense dealing with someone out of your state in order to save $500 or even $1000. You need to build a relationship with your CA and local dealership. Issues will arrive and if you are a loyal customer the issues will be solved. I can list so many reasons why it doesn't make sense to deal out of your state. I have considered several times to do business with David Aviles who I know personally and respect very much, but after considering the transportation issues and tax credits thru trade ins, It didn't make sense to go that route.

Originally Posted by trucheli

I wonder why everyone is recommending someone in GA, when the OP asked about FL. I have done 5 EDs in a row with Braman Motorcars in West Palm Beach. John Welzein is my CA.
I live in Miami and I wouldn't recommend any stealerships in my area. It doesn't make sense dealing with someone out of your state in order to save $500 or even $1000. You need to build a relationship with your CA and local dealership. Issues will arrive and if you are a loyal customer the issues will be solved. I can list so many reasons why it doesn't make sense to deal out of your state. I have considered several times to do business with David Aviles who I know personally and respect very much, but after considering the transportation issues and tax credits thru trade ins, It didn't make sense to go that route.

- Many people (as evidenced by many threads) have not found knowledgeable European Delivery expertise in Florida, and have taken the tried-and-proven route of Adrian...one of the Bimmerfest sponsors and the one in closest proximity to Florida. When I lived in Orlando, I contacted people at both local dealerships and, while they were polite, the people I spoke with did not have the experience of doing E.D.'s. That doesn't mean that Mr. Welzein doesn't have capable, successful experience -- it means that he is not as well-known on this particular Forum as others and hence visibility is less.

"It doesn't make sense dealing with someone out of your state..."- That's one opinion, but I disagree based on my experience and I have found that it does make sense to work with someone out of the state: It was amazingly hassle-free, to-the-point, and convenient to do almost everything via electronic means. Question, please: What are a few of the "so many reasons" that working with an out-of-state CA/dealer has failed you on European Delivery?....actual experience, please, not speculation.

- Between E.D. and Re-delivery, I relocated to Houston, and easily struck-up a good relationship with a Service Adviser at Advantage BMW. "Transportation issues" were actually benefits, taxes were indifferent, and there was no trade-in involved.

- My residential relocation in mid-deliveries added a level of unexpected fun and challenges: Adrian's dealership did a fine job of navigating the convoluted vehicle registration issues, etc.. If they handled that well, I can only imagine how convenient this would have been had I remained in the original location.


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Trucheli - what markup over ED invoice does John Welzein charge you?

I never went to palm beach but I got quotes from every dealer from South motors up to Vista and all 5 of them were way out of the money compared with Adrian or Greg.

Also I don't understand value of relationship with a local CA. I have a local service advisor relationship which is independent of my sales relationship.

Originally Posted by laser

Board sponsor Adrian Avila at BMW South Atlanta is the best ED specialist for FL

Agree. Another great thing about Adrian is he treats all Bimmerfest Members as long time customers. Super nice guy.

Originally Posted by Stealth.Pilot

Trucheli - what markup over ED invoice does John Welzein charge you?

I never went to palm beach but I got quotes from every dealer from South motors up to Vista and all 5 of them were way out of the money compared with Adrian or Greg.

Also I don't understand value of relationship with a local CA. I have a local service advisor relationship which is independent of my sales relationship.

My deal is irrelevant because I have built a relationship with my CA for the past 8 years. But I can assure you that you will get a fair deal an will be happy knowing that there is someone close to you who can trust.
Having a relationship with a local CA is the same as having a relationship with a local attorney,local accountant, local insurance agent, financial advisor. I don't know about you but I like the human experience. I like doing business in person, if I ever have any issues or don't agree with something I'd like to sit down looking someone at their eyes and reach a solution in person, not over the phone 700 miles away. Buying a $75,000 car is not like buying a flashlight in Amazon.com.

I am recommending someone based on my excellent experience with Braman Motorcars and Mr. Weiltzen. To me saving $500 or $1000 is not important. People get hung up on how much over invoice someone is willing to do. I am a Financial Advisor and Insurance Agent so I have a clear understanding of sales and salesmen, the guys who advertise on this forum are in the business of getting as many people as they can get because they work on a volume basis thru dealership incentives based on the volume they sell. My CA doesnt't fall in this category that's why you will never hear about him. I just want to share my experience with the people of South Florida and let everyone know that there is someone with experience who they can trust and build a relationship.

What are a few of the "so many reasons" that working with an out-of-state CA/dealer has failed you on European Delivery?....actual experience, please, not speculation.

One of them and the most important is the trade in of my previous vehicle having to pay taxes on the difference of trade in value and purchased value.

Additional cost of transportation from out of state dealership to local dealership.

Unnecessary additional time from Munich drop off to local re-delivery, you could be looking at two months. No thanks!! 6 weeks is long enough.

Personal relationship with CA and dealership and service department. The service department will take into consideration if you are a loyal customer of the dealership if any issues arrive.

That's why for me it doesn't make sense to do business out of the state.

I think that a "relationship with a local dealer" is overrated. That being said, I recently purchased an ED 328i from a dealer across the country and I also have purchased a new Porsche from a local dealer within the past two months. Unfortunately, BMW dealers in Florida are non-competitive and rightfully so, take advantage of this. Take a look at the Orlando area, all the dealerships are owned by the same company. They have no incentive to offer a great deal. Yes, with my Porsche, I can call my local dealer if I have a problem, but my service advisor can do the same thing. Frankly, I am not going to burden my salesman with problems that he cannot solve. I understand that some people may feel a little bit more comfortable with having a local dealer and that is fine. However, so many people in Florida use Adrian and other out of state dealers because they value the huge savings that these dealers offer vs. the benefit of having a local dealer. Did I have an extra $2,500 to pay my local dealer compared to the offer that I received from Greg Poland? Sure. However, to me, having a "local dealer" was not worth the extra $2,500 in my pocket.

Totally agree with gator.. Dealers are selling a totally undifferentiated product.. every dealer has access to exactly the same commodity.. Who cares about a "relationship" in this case??

Originally Posted by gator15

I think that a "relationship with a local dealer" is overrated. That being said, I recently purchased an ED 328i from a dealer across the country and I also have purchased a new Porsche from a local dealer within the past two months. Unfortunately, BMW dealers in Florida are non-competitive and rightfully so, take advantage of this. Take a look at the Orlando area, all the dealerships are owned by the same company. They have no incentive to offer a great deal. Yes, with my Porsche, I can call my local dealer if I have a problem, but my service advisor can do the same thing. Frankly, I am not going to burden my salesman with problems that he cannot solve. I understand that some people may feel a little bit more comfortable with having a local dealer and that is fine. However, so many people in Florida use Adrian and other out of state dealers because they value the huge savings that these dealers offer vs. the benefit of having a local dealer. Did I have an extra $2,500 to pay my local dealer compared to the offer that I received from Greg Poland? Sure. However, to me, having a "local dealer" was not worth the extra $2,500 in my pocket.

Obviously you haven't developed a relationship with any local dealers, otherwise you wouldn't have to go outside Florida for ED purchase.
I wonder what you call a huge saving +$500 over invoice to me that's just a fair deal. The day you become a repeat customer and build a relationship you will be able to get that and even better savings. By the way, FYI your CA can help you solve any issues, even with the service department. You can't expect to have the same treatment if you are not a client of your local dealership. Personally, I don't have to go outside my area, but that's me.

Originally Posted by moshe

Totally agree with gator.. Dealers are selling a totally undifferentiated product.. every dealer has access to exactly the same commodity.. Who cares about a "relationship" in this case??

I do because that's the way I do business. I support my local dealer and I have a business relationship. I am in sales and I value my clients the same way my CA value me as a loyal customer.
I think you must be new to BMW ownership, ask how many people had to go thru hoops to solve body shop issues, warranty issues, wear and tear issues at the end of a lease etc. this is why you care about having a relationship. I don't think your guy in Atlanta will be able to have much pull in a South Florida dealership when problems arise.

Originally Posted by trucheli

I do because that's the way I do business. I support my local dealer and I have a business relationship. I am in sales and I value my clients the same way my CA value me as a loyal customer.
I think you must be new to BMW ownership, ask how many people had to go thru hoops to solve body shop issues, warranty issues, wear and tear issues at the end of a lease etc. this is why you care about having a relationship. I don't think your guy in Atlanta will be able to have much pull in a South Florida dealership when problems arise.

I bought several BMWs at MSRP at Braman Miami and when I had problems on my M3 Cabrio they did very little.

Your notion of the value of a local sales man is totally warped. You throw money at the problem.

Plus how often do you have a problem which requires a favor from the dealer? In my case it happened only once, the dealer did nothing and I had given them about 15k in margin already.

Now I keep the money in my pocket, and I buy service if I need it.

I did not get where I am today by leaving basis points on the table.

Originally Posted by trucheli

I do because that's the way I do business. I support my local dealer and I have a business relationship. I am in sales and I value my clients the same way my CA value me as a loyal customer.
I think you must be new to BMW ownership, ask how many people had to go thru hoops to solve body shop issues, warranty issues, wear and tear issues at the end of a lease etc. this is why you care about having a relationship. I don't think your guy in Atlanta will be able to have much pull in a South Florida dealership when problems arise.

I have had 3 different BMWs.. all from different dealers.. (getting 2012 one from a 4th one). Never had any issues with service..
I totally value relationship aspect when it's a differentiated good they are selling.. this is simply not the case.

Yeah I mean if this Trucheli guy was on my staff, I would fire him for lack of capitalist value oriented mindset.

Originally Posted by trucheli

What are a few of the "so many reasons" that working with an out-of-state CA/dealer has failed you on European Delivery?....actual experience, please, not speculation.

One of them and the most important is the trade in of my previous vehicle having to pay taxes on the difference of trade in value and purchased value.

Additional cost of transportation from out of state dealership to local dealership.

Unnecessary additional time from Munich drop off to local re-delivery, you could be looking at two months. No thanks!! 6 weeks is long enough.

Personal relationship with CA and dealership and service department. The service department will take into consideration if you are a loyal customer of the dealership if any issues arrive.

That's why for me it doesn't make sense to do business out of the state.

Okay. Thanks for sharing. It's great we can all have options to do what works best for each of us.