ED Order
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[edit] Ordering at Your BMW Dealer
Once you have decided that you want to take part in the European Delivery experience, the first step (after researching pricing) is to contact a BMW dealer no less than three months prior to your preferred travel date. The three month period is required as your car will be "made to order" once you chosen all the options for your new BMW. BMW will work to produce your car well within time for your preferred travel dates. If you are planning a visit near a German Holiday, please be aware that the Delivery Center is closed on all legal holidays (see the Official Bimmerfest calendar for Holidays).
You can visit your local dealer (search dealers by clicking here) or visit get in touch with one of the bimmerfest.com sponsors who would be more than happy to work with you through the entire process. Be sure to mention bimmerfest.com for special pricing! Sponsors include:
- BMW of South Atlanta - Adrian Avila
- Delon BMW - Jim Cupp/Jim Mannheimer
- DiFeo BMW - Ricki Shamen
- South Bay BMW - Philippe Kahn
- Motorwerks BMW - Irv Robinson
- Nalley BMW - Cannon Dear
NOTE: Bimmerfest sponsors are not necessarily the most reasonably priced BMW dealerships in their geographic areas. As always it is important to do your homework and comparison shop.
[edit] How to Calculate Your Price for European Delivery
1. Look at the invoice price lists in the Ask-A-Dealer Forum at Bimmerfest.com or in Current Pricing
2. On the Confidential Wholesale Price page, find the "Base Price Euro Delivery Price Munich Pick Up" price for the car you want.
3. Add the invoice price of the options you want (the invoice price is the same for US and European delivery).
4. Add in the Destination Charge.
5. You now have the dealer's cost. There should not be any charges for MACO, advertising, etc. The Training Fee is not applicable to European Delivery BMW's. Fees for taxes, title, and license are separate, and can be added later. They will vary depending on your state.
6. Add in a reasonable dealer profit to calculate the price you should offer. The reasonable profit varies by model and to a small degree by market, but anywhere from $700-1200 over the dealer cost, European Delivery Confidential Wholesale Price, is considered a "good" price in many locations depending on the model. To get an understanding of what others are paying consult posts on Bimmerfest, e90 post dot com, and e60 dot net. You may want to use the Rizzo Method to find the best price.
[edit] Documents for your order
You must be a legal resident of the USA and have a valid passport to place an order. Once you have negotiated pricing and decided on your travel dates, you will sign a Purchase Order form. The PO is a contract with BMWNA in which you will agree, among other things, to export the car to the USA and register the car only in the USA. You will also need to sign and notarize a Power of Attorney form, which allows BMW to register the car on your behalf. Curiously the PoA, it says "All cost and obligation will be met by the undersigned." though nobody has paid this cost separately. Dealer will make a copy of the passport and forward it to the ED Dept which, in turn, will forward it to Munich. This is used to identify the person taking possession of the vehicle in Munich. Pay particular attention if spouse, parents, or children are also picking up the car, as BMW will only deliver the car to the passport holder listed in the Purchase Order.
[edit] Financing Your Car
Not all banks are willing to work with you to finance your European Delivery as it does not fit in their typical loan definition. The biggest potential pitfall here is that most banks would like to have the title in hand within about 3 months. As you are required to pay for your car 7 days prior to pick-up and it takes another 6-8 weeks to get back to you, it is quite possible that the bank will not receive the title quick enough. This is not the only problem but is probably the most common. There are a number of people that have paid for their car through a source other than BMW FS but it is suggested that you fully explain the situation with the bank to avoid any additional problems.
A common solution for European Delivery pick-ups is to initially finance through BMW FS to avoid any potential problems and simply re-finance the loan from a local bank or credit union when you take re-delivery. Most credit unions and some banks allow you to re-finance within a short period of time and still receive their "new car" loan rates. The Pentagon Federal Credit Union offers great rates to federal and non-federal employees and they will finance a Euro Delivery BMW.
[edit] Leasing and European Delivery
Yes, you can lease and do European Delivery. When you finance your lease through BMW Financial Services, you pay the first month's payment and BMW pays the second month as your car will most likely be on the boat during the second month. See the Supplement to Lease that applies to ED leases here The money factor is increased by 0.0003 for ED leases. The residual is calculated using US MSRP, not ED MSRP, which makes a huge difference in the monthly payments. It is not uncommon for a dealer to attempt to base the residual value on ED MSRP. This is wrong. As of September 1, 2007, the Acquisition Fee is $625. Dealers are permitted to charge up to $825, however this can often be negotiated down to $625. Often the lease can be negotiated at the BMW Buy Rate without dealer mark-up.
Leases (and financing) through BMW Financial require that the car be dropped off at one of the shipment locations within 90 days of taking delivery in Munich.
Leases should be signed a minimum of seven (7) days prior to the delivery date in Munich, effective October 10, 2007. BMW Dealers routinely ask for payment 4 weeks or more in advance to build in extra profit. However this can easily be negotiated down 7 days. Because of BMW's new "just in time" vehicle manufacturing process, vehicles are no longer manufactured 30 days prior to delivery but ca. two weeks prior. The VIN will not be available until the car is in production; therefore lease paperwork cannot be prepared too far in advance. This policy went into effect in October 2007. Dealers may ask for you to sign well in advance of the seven days which translates to paying for additional lease payments without having use of the car.
For some models, BMW may offer an Owner Loyalty Program which further reduces the BMW Buy Rate. Occassionally BMW offers a Pull Ahead Program for existing BMW FS Customers.
Leasing math is quite abstruse and is infrequently checked by the consumer. It is important to do your homework by researching the pricing and plugging in those numbers into a software program, such as Lease Wizard. On-line leasing programs, such as Edmunds.com, are a poor substitute. It is not uncommon for a dealer to make errors in the lease math. If your monthly payment does not match their number exactly, it is always best to pull back and identify the discrepancy.
[edit] BMW Car Club of America Cash Rebates
This organization offers rebates that vary between $500 and $1500, depending upon the model, when your purchase or lease a new BMW after you have been a member for the prior 12 months. Eligibility is based on the retail date. For European Delivery, this is the date a person picks up the car in Munich. The annual membership fee is a modest amount and you also receive discounts on BMW parts and accessories.
