[SDRX]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

My local Sytner dealership are pretty arrogant about pricing

I think they get plenty of people walking in off the street who are prepared to pay almost list price and they will let you walk away.

Worth ringing round.

Thats the fundamental problem infecting our entire retail market. Too many customers pay the asking price and that reinfornces the positions of intransigent dealers. If we are entering a recession, or more likely a long overdue correction, i think dealers will be fast changing their attidudes when consumer spending drops.

[c-hri-s]

Originally Posted by dodgy

So I've got my answer, on a £44,475 list E92 335d M (with a bunch of options) they gave me an effective 5.56% discount. And let me walk out the dealership when I wouldn't take it.

Down to another dealer tomorrow I guess ...

So I got 6.7% this morning from another dealer in a different group - and again walked at that. One other dealer to try.

[scooba0010]

Hi . i bought a e90 in aug/sept and received 11% and free mats tank of fuel also the posh torch .my father went in 1 month later was told by me to haggle real hard and showed him my deal ,He came out with a flat 5% and nowt else.The salesman explained that bmw uk have come down really hard on the discounts and the bmw franchises are all up for renewal in early 08 and no one wants to fall out with bmw uk so at present 99% of the dealers are towing the corporate line BUT he said come the spring it is just as likly to change again .It is bmw that are chassing sales of 1.5m units a year so anything is possible try chandlers bmw sussex 01273 423312 ask for gerald tehan he has worked in sales there for 25 yrs and has seen it all and is in a position to advise you of what is likly to happen in the near future

[SDRX]

Originally Posted by dodgy

So I got 6.7% this morning from another dealer in a different group - and again walked at that. One other dealer to try.

Keep going your're getting closer!!

[peterg1965]

www.Carfile.net are offering about 11% off a 335d E92 M Sport!

[c-hri-s]

8.99% in the end and I made the deal

[M3-FAST]

I have a good friend who is a Business manager for a large BMW dealership, and he said that the discounts are being cut across the board but mainly to brokers. The reason for this is to help residual values as a lot of complaints have been lodged about the rapid depreciation, assisted by new cars available from brokers at huge discounts.

He reckons it is not a short term thing either, otherwise would be no point.

[Serjames]

well done dodgy... looks like you were JUST in time

SJ

[SDRX]

Originally Posted by dodgy

8.99% in the end and I made the deal

Well done dodgy!! Knew you would get their, but they made you work for it!!!

[the_oracle1980]

Indeed

Big Changes for the BMW dealer network from next year. Basically what was happening a few dealers were selling cars to third parties and using companies like Broadspeed as sales channels to hit targets. But from now on, if any BMW dealer is found to be selling cars through third party vendors, they will have there franchise terminated instantly. Hence why Broadspeed's prices jumped up overnight.

[networkguy]

Originally Posted by the_oracle1980

Indeed

Big Changes for the BMW dealer network from next year. Basically what was happening a few dealers were selling cars to third parties and using companies like Broadspeed as sales channels to hit targets. But from now on, if any BMW dealer is found to be selling cars through third party vendors, they will have there franchise terminated instantly. Hence why Broadspeed's prices jumped up overnight.

But Broadspeed (and the other brokers) don't sell cars.

All they did was refer a buyer to a dealer. As such, the sales transaction was always directly with a dealer.

[peterg1965]

I don't care, so long as the resale value of my car is protected! I 'only' got 6% discount from a BMW dealer who was not part of a big group, I consider this a fair price, so hopefully I will not suffer too much when I come to trade in.

[the_oracle1980]

Yes your right, they refer a buyer to the dealer offfering the particular model at the best price. But in BMW UK's eyes, its a sales channel and/or a vendor as they take a cut once a deal is done and some internet sites have a set fee that bmw dealers pay yearly. Even though they dont take any money from a buyer, they take money from a dealer once a sale complete or pa. So its seen as a third party involved in a car deal.

[NFS]

Why do I get the feeling that trade in values won't actually increase

Even if they did, it won't offset a significant reduction in discount when I come to swap cars.

[BC4J]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

Why do I get the feeling that trade in values won't actually increase

Even if they did, it won't offset a significant reduction in discount when I come to swap cars.

I think you're right NFS, they'll shaft us any way possible.

Has anyone tried buying from Europe? What are the deals like there? I seem to remember Vivek getting his car from Germany...

[330cdsport]

I bought my previous two cars from Germany (330d sport) and Holland (330cd sport) but this time the euro deals could not beat the 11-13% discount I got thru coast2coastcars.
May be different in the future though if we are to loose the UK discounts.

[networkguy]

Of course it is all accademic.

I wanted 15% on my 335D because the discount existed and I knew other were getting it.

If the bottom rate had been 3% and nobody else was getting any better then I would have gone for that.

It's not that I wanted 10% or 15% or even 25%. I wanted the best deal available.

So if discounting is being discouraged by BMW and the best you can get is a free set of mats and a tank of fuel then fine but as always, its a buyers market and i am sure some dealers will find a way to win your business over other dealers.

Maybe we will start seeing attractive finance deals or free servicing instead but it is all relative and a kick in the nuts for those who were just about to buy.

[SDRX]

Organised resistance is the best way to crack BMW's apparent resolve to fix prices. I agree it is a buyers market, we need to keep up the pressure and not cave in 'cos we really want the car!!! (easily said)

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by BC4J

I think you're right NFS, they'll shaft us any way possible.

Has anyone tried buying from Europe? What are the deals like there? I seem to remember Vivek getting his car from Germany...

Not sure about current prices in Europe, but I got my 330i from Germany 2 years ago with about a 14% discount, taking the 3rd year warranty, transport costs etc into account.

I actually rang BMW UK a couple of months ago, to renew the Emergency Service after 2 years, & they told me the car actually comes with 3 years free, just like the UK dealer cars.

Viv

[BC4J]

Originally Posted by vivekk

Not sure about current prices in Europe, but I got my 330i from Germany 2 years ago with about a 14% discount, taking the 3rd year warranty, transport costs etc into account.

I actually rang BMW UK a couple of months ago, to renew the Emergency Service after 2 years, & they told me the car actually comes with 3 years free, just like the UK dealer cars.

Viv

Cheers Viv, sounds like a good option to go for when I next change cars, particularly if the UK has killed discounts by then.

[Bumps]

This was the situation back in the late 90s when cars in Britain were massively more expensive than Europe, so lots of people started buying over there, and the manufacturers brought UK prices down to match (thereabouts). Looks like they're chancing their arm and we may have to go through it all again.

[F31-340i]

It is a strange situation. Much as I like E90/91 3ers they start to look dangerously overpriced without the 16/17% discounts that have become the norm - both for new cars and for how this impacts all the used/late stock which reflects these reduced prices.

Drivethedeal which used to offer big discounts, at least on E90/91 saloon/tourings is now offering virtually no discount. This puts a new 330d SPORT auto (before any options) at just off £35k (though I realise you can still get £2.5+k off on Broadspeed).

By comparison you can get into a new model C320 CDI SPORT (AMG bits), or Audi 3.0TDi S Line for around £30k after discounts.

Is a 330d (not even a 335d mind) really worth £5k more than the merc (a great car) or the audi (not my thing I admit)? Great car a 330d, but for a 5k saving you'd have the merc everytime no?

Perhaps BMW are expecting the economic turndown thats widely predicted in 2008 to really hit sales volumes, so they figure they may as well increase the margin as much as possible on the lower volume they can sell? Either that or the fact that dealers like Coopers (via Drivethedeal) were hitting their targets and costing BMW UK a lot of money in bonus payments, giving too good a deal for dealers and buyers!! I don't buy this "improved customer service" line for a second - stopping the discounts is all about making BMW UK more money and is bad for consumers!!