EuroDelivery Dealers in SOCAL

People you have been extremely helpful answering my previous questions...so here. Do you know of any other dealers that can work on Euro Delivery in Southern California? I have tried a couple but to no avail: Santa Barbara and Pacific BMW, neither one seems to reply to my requests by now. I have a trip booked to Europe starting on May 27 thru June 17, and I would like to take advantage of the opportunity to get my "spaceship" a black E90 while in transit...At this point, I am concerned because I if I don't find a dealer to commit soon I won't be able to make it. Any ideas?

I still haven't made any calls yet since I won't buy a new 330 until October, but someone in Bimmerfest told me this:

Hi, I'm currently ordering a 330Cic through them. They were no problem whatsoever, just make sure you get through to the right person. I was recommended to talk to Franco (Karzag) or his assitant Keith (he and I are both from the same region in the UK and hit it off well) and he simply asked what options I wanted and charged me invoice (Euro Invoice, that is) plus a simple markup. I paid $1,000.

Looking at other dealers (in particular Irvine BMW, my nearest), the best I got was $1500, and a load of crap from disinterested sales people. To be fair to them (Irvine) I do not think I spoke with the right guy there (I was eventually, after the fact, recommended to talk to Phillippe Kahn - he posts on the Fest occaisionally too). If Irvine is nearer you might want to try Phillipe, but as I mentioned, SB have been great.


Let me know how it goes

O.k. I'll try Keith again tomorrow...I just do not want to sound to anxious, but after all is my "baby" that I am talking about!!!

Hi rojasorone,

Give Kevin Hite at Crevier BMW a call. He helped me out. I got a nice discount on an M3. Didn't have a single problem.
He's honest and no BS. Let me know if you need his info.

Give Joe Kelly or Craig Donovan at Brecht BMW a call.
They got me my 645.
Andy

Another vote for the great folks in Santa Barbara!

Tina Swistak @ Sterling BMW in Newport. Very helpful, fair and her pricing was almost identical to SB BMW and 150 miles closer to me here in Huntington than SB. Having a relationship with a dealer close-by was one of the determining factors. Besides, she hooked me up with a Euro nav disk for free

bmills

I went to Sterling and they wouldn't even talk to me about ED for a 645...they wanted 10k over msrp for the car.....I asked if it came with a bj but they said no.

Originally Posted by SRT Viper

I went to Sterling and they wouldn't even talk to me about ED for a 645...they wanted 10k over msrp for the car.....I asked if it came with a bj but they said no.

Originally Posted by SRT Viper

...I asked if it came with a bj but they said no.

And the real humor is, if had come with one...it still wouldn't be worth it!

Originally Posted by SRT Viper

I went to Sterling and they wouldn't even talk to me about ED for a 645...they wanted 10k over msrp for the car.....I asked if it came with a bj but they said no.

LOL! If I recall correctly, the 6's count against a dealer's allotment and if they've got a dozen people lining up to pay MSRP or even over on the car (gotta love the OC) it's understandable that they are somewhat reluctant to hook someone up on an ED car. Most dealers are not in the business for goodwill and like making gobs of money. I guess my experience was different because I got a car that was much more popular with ED that doesn't count against their allottment, so it was a few hours of their time to make a few hundred bucks and still have the same inventory coming in when it's all said and done. My guess is that they will be much more willing to work with him since he's getting a more popular car, but who knows; it IS the first batch of a new chassis Hell, maybe they just liked me and gave me the hook up and others thought I was a total tool and that's why I got such crappy ED pricing, elsewhere! It can go both ways!! LOL!

bmills

P.S
Did you happen to go down to Sterling about a month ago and see that 645 that had the Alpina wheels on it??

Originally Posted by bmills313

...her pricing was almost identical to SB BMW and 150 miles closer to me here in Huntington than SB. Having a relationship with a dealer close-by was one of the determining factors. Besides, she hooked me up with a Euro nav disk for free

One important consideration might be that BMW of Santa Barbara is the
official Bimmerfest board sponsor. Not only that, they are hosting
Bimmerfest 2005, the largest BMW enthusiast's gathering
anywhere.

...Just my $02...

People I appreciate all your help. I do want to get a good deal on the car and all from SB BMW. I have contacted SB BMW, spoke with Keith and left messages for Franco 3 times already, but neither one has contacted me with a reply yet. Could it be that looking for the rare (at this point) E90 on the firstt week of June against me ? Maybe, but at least I would like to get an answer it is possible or not. I'll keep trying, but time is against me, since I read before on your posts that I need at least 90 days before ordering...I just don't want to miss the opportunity of a great vacation in Europe plus a great car...I certainly hope that I can get this done, but my hope diminishes by the minute...I'll try the other dealers that you suggest in the meantime...thanks a lot
P.S. Maybe they don't want my money?

Originally Posted by rojasorone

People I appreciate all your help. I do want to get a good deal on the car and all from SB BMW. I have contacted SB BMW, spoke with Keith and left messages for Franco 3 times already, but neither one has contacted me with a reply yet. Could it be that looking for the rare (at this point) E90 on the firstt week of June against me ? Maybe, but at least I would like to get an answer it is possible or not. I'll keep trying, but time is against me, since I read before on your posts that I need at least 90 days before ordering...I just don't want to miss the opportunity of a great vacation in Europe plus a great car...I certainly hope that I can get this done, but my hope diminishes by the minute...I'll try the other dealers that you suggest in the meantime...thanks a lot
P.S. Maybe they don't want my money?

Maybe because its Wednesday and its usually their day off. Chill a bit. You got plenty of time. Franco and Keith got me a ED car with less than 5 weeks of lead time. I picked up last week.

It never ceases to amaze me how short sighted some car dealers (and all companies for that matter) are. They want to maximize immediate and short term profit and many never look to developing relationships or potential future business.
I have purchased countless cars and bought an E55 and CL 55 while bringing other cars in for service. I have bought 5 Vipers and paid barely over dealer invoice for most of them even when demand was at it's peak for each model. I have rewarded dealers with my loyalty and in return they have done the same for me. My Vipers are shipped to me from Nebraska and Joe Kelly has taken care of me for BMW. I didn't want to drive to Escondido for a 6 but both Sterling and Crevier were not particularly interested in working with me. I returned to Joe and have since referred 2 other customers to him since January. He didn't debate whether it was coming out of his inventory or what he could get for the car if it landed on his floor first. He does know that I am on his list for an M6 and that I have bought from him before. Neither of the other 2 dealers closer to my house were smart enough to think that way. I have (and will) NEVER paid over MSRP for a car...ANY CAR and if that means I don't buy so be it. Sterling seems a bit too independent for me and when I spend $80,000 on a BMW I want it to mean something...in other words, thank you goes a long way. I don't need to spend that skid and have them think they're doing me a favor.
Just my 02....

Originally Posted by SRT Viper

It never ceases to amaze me how short sighted some car dealers (and all companies for that matter) are. They want to maximize immediate and short term profit and many never look to developing relationships or potential future business.
I have purchased countless cars and bought an E55 and CL 55 while bringing other cars in for service. I have bought 5 Vipers and paid barely over dealer invoice for most of them even when demand was at it's peak for each model. I have rewarded dealers with my loyalty and in return they have done the same for me. My Vipers are shipped to me from Nebraska and Joe Kelly has taken care of me for BMW. I didn't want to drive to Escondido for a 6 but both Sterling and Crevier were not particularly interested in working with me. I returned to Joe and have since referred 2 other customers to him since January. He didn't debate whether it was coming out of his inventory or what he could get for the car if it landed on his floor first. He does know that I am on his list for an M6 and that I have bought from him before. Neither of the other 2 dealers closer to my house were smart enough to think that way. I have (and will) NEVER paid over MSRP for a car...ANY CAR and if that means I don't buy so be it. Sterling seems a bit too independent for me and when I spend $80,000 on a BMW I want it to mean something...in other words, thank you goes a long way. I don't need to spend that skid and have them think they're doing me a favor.
Just my 02....

I have the same crappy relationship with Riverside BMW, the closest dealer to me. I always try to give them a chance to deal but 2 minutes into it, I'm usually walking out because I get BS line everytime. What have they missed out: 5 diff BMW's in 5 years and 3 are from Santa Barbara. I still take my cars to Riverside for service but I doubt I will ever buy a car from them.

SRT and Arnolds,

I share your discontent with dealerships. I'm in a relationship-based business and my top priority is the client, even if that means a little bit of "sacrifice" to my profit from time to time. As a result, I have amassed a client list that for someone with my experience (about 3 years now) and age (28) puts people that have been in the business for 5x longer than I have to shame! Most people and businesses don't give enough credit to the power of the relationship and focus on the RIGHT NOW relationship of making lots of money and with 20,000,000 people in SoCal it's a calculated odds game that they're probably going to win for many years to come. There are a few good dealers out there that buy into the relationship mentality and it sounds like the ones you've worked with over the years are included in that lot; buying 5 Vipers would certainly get my attention, as a dealer!! (side note: one of the best dealers I've worked with was back in Kansas City...must be a midwest thing) Buying a car is such a great moment in your life, but it's all-too-often ruined by greediness and BS from slimy salespeople. But, it can also be ruined by the buyer-side of things. Too often, we determine what is "fair" and what a dealer "should" do simply because of what others have posted or people have heard or we think "they're gonna make xxx on this deal, and that's just too much for 1 car." Lest we forget that MSRP is the 'manufacturers' suggested retail price given by the factory. Almost all dealers are preying on the uninformed and weak and that to me is horrible. So, if you find a good one: hold on to the dealer you've got!

All I know is that I contacted at least a dozen dealerships from SB down to SD and there were 2 that were willing to work with me on a fair price for my car (as per the countless 'what's a fair price to pay' threads on this forum and my own common-sense): SB BMW and Sterling. I'll probably be a Sterling customer in the future but it's not a given. If they treat me like some chump and try all the typical sales tactics and take advantage of me, I'm out; my loyalty is only as strong as the respect they show back to me.

bmills

Worked with Franco and Keith..... great people... I'm picking my wife's 330I next week... BMW delivery had a morning "staff" meeting and would not open on April 5th until 1:00 p.m. - which is too late for us - as we were planning on picking up the car early in the morning..... I received a voice mail from BMW US ED center in New Jersey about the time...

Keith was great - he called BMW US from home because of the time change to see if I can pick up the car at 7:30 a.m. when they opened... very thorough and great follow-up... a great price also.......

Ray

[QUOTE=rojasorone]I have contacted SB BMW, spoke with Keith and left messages for Franco 3 times already, but neither one has contacted me with a reply yet.

Rojasorone - I have Franco's cellphone number (given by both the dealership and Franco). PM me. On Franco's days off, he was kind enough to do business with me.

My experience with BMW dealers are as follows: I live in NYC (moving to OC in 2 mos) and the dealers at Manhattan BMW were the worst. 1st dealer: "I usually sell to well-to-do women in their 40's" (I'm 32 y.o and my wife is in her 20s). 2nd dealer: "I don't have time to set up a test drive for 3 weeks." 3rd dealer, as we were walking between CPO showroom and new car showroom to pick the right color combination at 6:01pm, he closed AND locked the door as I was reaching for it. "Sorry, we're closed." jerk!

Okay, so I figured New York is New York and filled with some jerks. But, Orange County has been equally dissapointing. They were all willing to talk to me, and treated me with respect. However, the dealers were slimy. I ordered an '06 525 based on money over ED invoice price. When prices were released, the dealer claimed he had "never heard" of ED invoice prices in his "10 years" of selling ED. My brother walked in with money to buy a new X5, but was so turned off by a dealer that he walked next door and bought a volvo.

Franco, Keith, and Beewang (with his good advice), saved the day, and I bought from Santa Barbara. I'm already shopping for a 2nd car. I will definitely use Franco and Keith. They have won my loyalty.

Thanks everybody, I finally contacted Franco and he was as corteous and reasonable as you described. Now I'll be the proud owner on June 6 of:
E90 325 i
Xenon Adaptive Headlights (Couldn't live without the looks!!!)
Black Saphire Metallic
Beige Leatherette w/Aluminum Trim
Sport Package
Manual Transmission

I can wait to pick it up and drive it for a whole week on the streets of Europe!!!
Thanks a lot for all your support and help!!!

Originally Posted by rojasorone

Thanks everybody, I finally contacted Franco and he was as corteous and reasonable as you described. Now I'll be the proud owner on June 6 of:
E90 325 i
Xenon Adaptive Headlights (Couldn't live without the looks!!!)
Black Saphire Metallic
Beige Leatherette w/Aluminum Trim
Sport Package
Manual Transmission

I can wait to pick it up and drive it for a whole week on the streets of Europe!!!
Thanks a lot for all your support and help!!!

Congratulations! Enjoy your new baby!