I did what you are with BMW. It was September 2006, the car was a 2007 335i coupe, manual, ZSP, ZPP, cold, comfort, space gray with coral red--identical to the test car I drove--space gray was new that year but became over ordered. No dealership nationwide had one for sale must be ordered (used to be the case when a new 3 coupe came out, same with Camry--used to be). On the forums many were paying list, or a token $500 off list. I called around NYC/NJ because the forum claimed $1600 off list, and I found Manhattan willing do do $1800 off list, but not sure if it would be 4 wks or 8 wks before I would get an allocation, then add 9-10 weeks to that. Local dealer stated no need we will match and have an allocation today, you can have your car in 9-10 weeks (they did something sneaky and tried to add training and MACO fees which I refused and ultimately did not pay).

And yes, I had to give a $500 refundable credit card deposit, but upon doing so, they gave me the allocation number which I could confirm online and on the toll free with BMWNA. Not sure what mfg. you are doing but the Lexus dealer told me this is not how they do things (june 2018), if you give a deposit it's their car, not yours, you will not be able to see anything online. That I do not like. So if you're talking BMW or some German car where you give a deposit and you can see it's your car online as it's being produced, I would not hesitate to give the local guy the business....that's me.

edit I misread you are taking from stock, not ordering--I thought you said "special order." In that case I'd purchase what's there but would demand that the odometer is accurate. I don't want to get there and find there's suddenly 58 miles or 120 miles or 36 miles on the odometer. It should be 3-10. If I fly out there and the car is not truly new, I'm flying back home! Either the local guy has what you want, or he doesn't. No searching, we have web browsers for that...

 

fly and go get it, done deal. Done this numerous times.

 

 

For me, another thing to consider, is if the car is far away because that's how I like it, or, it's simply a rare car. If it's far away because of something I want, then I would give the local guy a chance to give me something that is "more," for the same price. Say I am not willing to pay for 20" rims, and what is local only has them. Well, if you want to sell me the rims for $0 (it's not really $0, it's giving an even larger discount to make it appear to be $0), then I am willing to do the deal locally. But if it's truly not available locally, like say we're talking about a manual transmission with clutch, no amount of money in the world can make up for taking an auto instead...see what I mean? Some more details would be needed to decide...

 

 

 

 

 

OK so we're talking Lexus, forget everything and anything I've said on this thread, and buy the car that is in stock.

The name of the game is to get what you want, and avoid disappointment, even if this means a 6 hr. drive.

(I asked the manager about ordering an RX-L [the last thing he would want to do as he had too many on the lot already] but he admitted, when we say order, it's our car, not yours. This means anything can happen and it does. When it's time to take it, suddenly something is not right about a fee or price, and they hold the cards, unlike with the German cos. where it's your car, you can deliver it in Germany, the performance center in SC, another dealership, etc.. The mfg. has a record of allocation xxxxxx being assigned to Mr. John Q. This makes me wonder, what was it like to "order" a 1970 Pontiac GTO, was it the German way, or the Lexus way?)

 

Don't know about 70 GTO, but 1972 Grand Prix--Wilderness Green (similar to British Racing Green), 400 engine (same as GTO base), 8 Track player. Just negotiated price and waited 3-4 weeks. No issues. Maybe because we knew the dealer, but no deposit needed; just had to get my financing in order. One of the two favorite cars I have owned (other is 79 Corvette).

Also, I have purchased two vehicles out of town, with no issues.

 

I just wonder because what I mean is that with a new BMW (or German car), when you "order" a vehicle, the mfg has your name, address, etc., and the exact configuration. You know when it's in the paint shop, etc., what stage of production it's in. You know when it's loaded onto the ship, what port it's at, when it left, where the ship is. The dealer cannot play games. We had a whole group on the forum back in Dec. 2006 waiting for the Freedom to reach Jersey City, NJ. It was like a celebration when it did, because we knew we'd be getting our cars very soon after that (not as soon as one would think, maybe 5 days later, even though it's a 2 hour drive).

For me, I was nervous because for more than a week, the color did not match (this was late 2006 and it was the web interface not matching the real database). So I played FBI Special Agent and asked the BMW rep on the phone what color is my car? He told me and it was what I ordered.

Back in the 70's I would guess there was more of an honor system, and it was more commonplace to order something the way you want it, not take something off the lot, because money didn't grow on trees back then the way it does today! lol

I had Lexus and Infiniti explicitly tell me when they say order, it's not like BMW. We get the car, we call you to tell you it's here. you buy it (what's to stop them from selling it to someone who liked it and is willing to pay more?). The mfg. has no clue who you are haha So I wonder on the '72 Pontiac, would GM have known who is getting this production?

 

yep I usually give the local guy a chance to earn my business FIRST - then move on elsewhere if he can't or doesn't want to deal; I don't give the local a chance to match other offers - he had his chance.

 

[QUOTE=patgilm;10253197 Did he local guy really “mess” up his quote?
[/QUOTE]

Best case: Incompetent
Worst case: Dishonest
Likely case: Opportunist (i.e. a little of both)

 

There are many tricks so that's why I think my dad was smart in using the old school term, "out the door." Reason being is anything, tax, tags, doc fees, blue eyes fee, size 12 shoe fee, no matter what they can make up, it would have been incorporated. I made a mistake on the BMW where I said I want x below invoice. They tried to say the rep forgot about Training and MACO fees (she did)--well, these fees are on the invoice, yet not on the window sticker (SURPRISE!), so the sales manager said, you wanted $xxxx below invoice. I want you to see my screen, which shows invoice, and it clearly has these fees that Marcy forgot to charge you.

"I don't want the car anymore." That was my response. And that was the end of it, I got my car 9 weeks later. Knowing xxxxx over the years (and having used her for several test drive for cash offers from BMW), I know that she is incompetent, and not dishonest. lol

edit oh and true story....as far as opportunist. I was invited to the launch of the new BMW E90 sedan in Phila, way back in 2005. When I inquired about the 335i coupe about 14 mos. later, she greeted me and said, I see that xxxx is your sales rep? When I told her well I never met him, he just emailed me about the 330i/325i launch, I heard a bunch of typing, while she backspaced over his name and put hers in lol

edit 2 I better change the names to protect the innocent before someone figures out what dealer I bought my car from!