# ED Problems, Headaches, and Disadvantages



## Michael950 (Feb 18, 2008)

I am doing research on the ED option and was wondering if there are problems, drawbacks, or disadvantages with the program.

I know there are many on this site, in particular this forum, who are advocates for ED. Please do not respond 'It's great, your should do it!". It seems like a great program, but I want to make an educated decision for myself if it is what I want to do. I did a few searches in the forum but the closest thing I found to drawbacks was a post from someone whose flight from Paris to __ was 'annulled'.

I understand it will take 6-8 wks to redeliver, but aside from that what is some of the fine print you should watch or think about?


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

You will avoid problems if you deal with a CA who is experienced with the tourist delivery program, esp. a board sponsor here.

Just yesterday, someone not dealing with a sponsor posted how he was concerned (based on a voicemail from the CA saying "now what were those dates again?") whether his order had even been entered.

There are occasional snafus, such as hale damage to some cars (BMW provided loaner cars and new cars were built and shipped directly), or an occasional order mishap (wrong trim - but this is more due to a customer not verifying an order).


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## zoltrix (Mar 14, 2007)

Long wait is the single biggest drawback.


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## rich8566 (Dec 3, 2006)

Michael950 said:


> I am doing research on the ED option and was wondering if there are problems, drawbacks, or disadvantages with the program.
> 
> I know there are many on this site, in particular this forum, who are advocates for ED. Please do not respond 'It's great, your should do it!". It seems like a great program, but I want to make an educated decision for myself if it is what I want to do. I did a few searches in the forum but the closest thing I found to drawbacks was a post from someone whose flight from Paris to __ was 'annulled'.
> 
> I understand it will take 6-8 wks to redeliver, but aside from that what is some of the fine print you should watch or think about?


I'm not sure what you're looking for here, except for maybe a reason NOT to do it. As Jonathon mentioned above, use a CA with some experience.


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## NetSpySD (Dec 28, 2007)

I highly recommend ED if you can do it.

My only comment is with the economy in the tank, cost wise it may not make sense.

i.e. There are heavy discounts on the X5 ($5k or more) , 7 series, etc. that would be much better than ED currently.

You need to run the numbers to see what makes sense.

Of course ED is cool even if you save no money. Just depends on what you want.


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Only downside is the wait for re-delivery. But everything else makes up for it :thumbup:


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## Michael950 (Feb 18, 2008)

Ca?


A poor example of what I am looking for would be satellite TV, great picture but the caveat is heavy rains will obscure or inhibit reception.

Just the stuff the initial emotions might prevent me from thinking about, before I make a fianl decision.


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

CA = Client Advisor - or the person who will assist you with your purchase  

There are a number of CAs who are board sponsors and who specialize in ED - European Delivery. After ED, you can pick up your car at the PCD (Performance Center Delivery) center in South Carolina and then drive your car home.


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

Michael950 said:


> I am doing research on the ED option and was wondering if there are problems, drawbacks, or disadvantages with the program.
> 
> I know there are many on this site, in particular this forum, who are advocates for ED. Please do not respond 'It's great, your should do it!".


Wait for beewang. He usually responds:

If you have any doubt - *don't do it!!!*


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

:eeps: Dispel any doubts and then do it :thumbup:


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## Bill-SD (Feb 18, 2002)

SJAPoc said:


> Only downside is the wait for re-delivery. But everything else makes up for it :thumbup:


I have to agree, the wait sucks, but everything else was great for me. I'm sure things could go wrong, but you seldom hear about people having problems. I'll go this route for any new BMW I get in hte future!


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## Calif65GM (Mar 27, 2005)

There are many ways to talk yourself out of doing ED. Do not think of it as a way to save $$$ because you won't unless you do a same-day in & out turn around. The real question is are you adventurous or not?

The biggest con is the wait.


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## iversonm (Nov 15, 2004)

Do it if you want to take a trip to Europe, and you are truly excited by the thought of driving your own car on the trip.

The downsides are the waiting, the extra paperwork, the waiting, trip planning, the waiting, and, in some cases, the waiting.


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## lensman314 (Apr 28, 2006)

I have to say the waiting is the worst part.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

*About the wait*

I used to think the waiting was bad but it really isn't THAT bad.

After all, we occupy the wait time posting photos of the vessel's location on Bimmerfest every 5 minutes and probably know more about the vessel's journey than the captain.

My last waits were
2007 - 33 days
2006 - 35 days
2005 - 32 days
2003 - 30 days


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

a month? wow, I might have my car in mid-July then, cool!


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

skywalkerbeth said:


> a month? wow, I might have my car in mid-July then, cool!


Keep in mind that my car was going from the VDC to a dealership located 30 maximal 40 minutes away.

You should come to the VDC tour in April to see what goes on there.


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## gopctel (Oct 9, 2007)

My advice is don't do it if your only motivation is trying to save a buck. The cost of travel and unfavorable exchange rates negate those advantages. Do it because you are adventurous and you want to travel. The ED discount is a nice perk but don***8217;t let that be your main objective. Some people don***8217;t like the hassles of traveling, especially to a foreign country (obviously not representative of most members on this board), but that is a question you need to ask yourself.

I won***8217;t dwell on the downsides of waiting. We all know the wait is pretty bad.


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## GorbaJB (Nov 1, 2007)

A couple of the responses have beaten me to the punch with the same idea. If you are doing it to save money - simply DON'T! You will spend all you save buying Euros to pay for the gas and the hotels and the out of this world food. If, on the other hand, you are in need of some adventure, here's your chance to garner some while spending no more than you would if you bought your ride off the floor at your local Bimmer dealer. I say do it! I'm doing it, and I hope I can do it again too.


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## VIZSLA (Mar 16, 2007)

The wait and the added paper work are the only negatives. Neither are bad enough to make it a bad idea.
Oh yeah you can only do it once a year and there's no M car discount.


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

JSpira said:


> I used to think the waiting was bad but it really isn't THAT bad.
> 
> After all, we occupy the wait time posting photos of the vessel's location on Bimmerfest every 5 minutes and probably know more about the vessel's journey than the captain.
> 
> ...


Now what was that about following the vessel's journey? Some of us even glam onto the canal webcams to catch our ships coming in! Here was mine (can't you see the E93 down there in the hold?) as it went through last summer.


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

And here is the ship it rode on as I caught it on its final leg from my office window!


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

And for those without xray, vision, here it was on the day of redelivery.


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## Kamdog (Apr 15, 2007)

Comes down to this, are you willing to endure the necessary planning and waiting for a once in a lifetime (perhaps) chance to have a great adventure in Europe? Or, do you just want to get a great car and go on with your life? 

ED is ALL about getting YOUR car, doing 100+ mph on the autobahn, seeing Europe in your own car with your own plan, and living the experience. Just like computer programming, the better the input, the better the outcome, and GIGO too.

It takes a lot of care, monitoring, planning, getting the details right, and if you do, it is absolutely fabulous, and cant be matched. If that is too much for you, you will be happier just getting your car here and driving it.

The money is inconsequential. This is a freakin BMW, a thou here and a thou there shouldn't make any difference.


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## mdsbuc (Mar 17, 2005)

JSpira said:


> You should come to the VDC tour in April to see what goes on there.


Ok, did I miss a discussion on this somewhere? Have you got a link to the info JSpira? Thanks in advance.


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## emdreiSMG (Dec 10, 2003)

I think the biggest downside is that you will always want to be picking up a new BMW anytime you're going to Europe.


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## DXK (Jun 1, 2007)

emdreiSMG said:


> I think the biggest downside is that you will always want to be picking up a new BMW anytime you're going to Europe.


Yeah, that's exactly it! You start thinking of how to break your lease early, or how to get your wife to get a BMW.


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## Bombay Jay (Mar 20, 2006)

Here are some of the biggest drawbacks of doing ED!

1. Trying to re-adjust to driving posted speed limits once back in the States!

2. Yearning for fresh brewed German beer once you return to the States!

3. Realizing how hard it is to find a Authentic German in the States.

4. Sticking out like a sore thumb when you wear tennis shoes.

5. Trying to figure out a reasonable itinterary on your limited vacation time.

6. Finding an excellent airfare to Europe.

7. Scheduleing around various German holidays and realizing almost nothing is open on Sunday.

8. Seeing a souvenir you would like to get in a shop window on a Sunday and not having time to get back to it.

9. Having cell phone service.

10. Having to tell your friends that the best part of driving on the autobahn was getting passed by a Porsche like you were sitting still, while you were going 120Mph.


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## bagbklyn (Apr 28, 2006)

JSpira said:


> After all, we occupy the wait time posting photos of the vessel's location on Bimmerfest every 5 minutes and probably know more about the vessel's journey than the captain.


Yes, I must confess we festers are a bunch of addicts! But that is what life is all about for some of us... :thumbup:


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## NateXTR (Aug 8, 2006)

To the OP, I appreciate your thought process, and your question, but I think that you are going to hard pressed to find many dissenters here. I had very little bad happen during the entire process for both of my ED's. Obviously you will get the trite "the wait stinks" answers. Yeah, the wait stinks, so does working with a bad CA (or more specifically one who doesn't understand the ED process).

I had two issues with ED: 1) I was a stress case about the trip, the process and had no idea if the program worked well (granted, I hadn't found Bimmerfest before I did my first ED, so many, nay, most of my fears could've been allayed). And 2) I found that trying to explain why I was doing ED to friends, family and colleagues was beyond frustrating. Many people just can't fathom doing what we consider to be a relatively straightforward thing, or why BMW actually gives us a discount.

Oh, and one more thing, ED ruins the "normal" car purchasing process for life, if you do an ED, you *will* do another. I literally feel sorry for my friends who just walk into a dealership to buy their car out of -gasp!- stock...


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## garyhgaryh (Nov 3, 2007)

I don't think may people are giving the OP the answers he's looking for. I did ED, enjoyed it, and will do it again. Not to rehash other people's answers, the negatives of ed:

1. If you lease or finance your car, you will have to make a payment the first month (perhaps two, but I doubt it) without even having your car. If you have a lease, BMW will (or has in the past) paid for the first month's lease. Not so with a finance purchase.
2. If you are a man with very little time (like me), you'll have to find some time to plan the trip from booking your tickets and shopping for the best prices for the plane tixs; making reservations for a hotel (and of course shopping around for prices, location, logistics, etc); planning how to get from place to place while you're there; getting vacation set up at work so you can take this trip; figuring out when a good time to go (I spent days deciding whether or not I want to fly into Germany in January, the worst month to go since it has the lowest avg temp during the year (but my trip turned out well) or going in the spring; deciding when and where to drop off the car after your ED (I had decided to pay BMW at welt to delivery my car to the drop off point for 80 euros, but changed my mind when I got there); if you go in the winter, you have to rent summer tires and deal with the hassle of making an appointment and figuring out how to get there to get your tires changed and then getting back there to change them out before drop off; deal with possibly getting lost in Germany (happened to me); deal with getting a euro DVD for navigation (I didn't have one and got lost); deal with how you'll be getting to and from the airport when you're in the states and when you're in Germany; deal with the German language and communication with the locals (no pronblem here and I'm not being pretentious as someone mention, just lucky); deal with traffic issues like the laws in the locale you'll be in or getting into an accident (yes, it's possible, but you're insured).

It is much easier to order your car from the dealer and be done with it, but heck, what fun would that be? 

If money is no issue you probably wouldn't be doing ED. If you are a busy person, you probably wouldn't be doing ED (I manage to do it because I saved a few thousand bucks). And if you do ED, you're probably going to Germany (or Europe) anyways and you need a car there or here. Or, you want and excuse to take a vacation (and want a new car). Or you want to save money.... or all of the above .

I seriously questioned doing ED, but I'm glad I did it. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been such a pessimist about this program as it's all good - I was treated very well at Welt; they make you feel like you're important!
Gary


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Gary, you made great points in your post and did indeed cover things that others overlooked. 

One thing: BMW pays the second payment on a lease, not the first.


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## garyhgaryh (Nov 3, 2007)

Jonathan, thanks and I stand corrected.
It was people like you, Alfred, and others (sorry if I forgot to mention your name), that made my ED enjoyable because everytime I needed an answer or had questions while in Europe, you guys were there to support me! 

This ED was like an afterwork project for me, but the rewards was worth the prep time.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Good to hear.

Please do stick around and help others out here. Besides, isn´t it time to start planning your next E.D. It´s probably only 1.5 or 2.5 years away.


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## blue_dolphin (Sep 16, 2007)

NateXTR said:


> ...Oh, and one more thing, ED ruins the "normal" car purchasing process for life, if you do an ED, you *will* do another. I literally feel sorry for my friends who just walk into a dealership to buy their car out of -gasp!- stock...


I agree completely with *NateXTR*!

As far as drawbacks go, you've heard about the wait. I paid cash for my car two and a half months before it showed up. I knew it would show up eventually, but the last week was very long! If I'd been able to get a car from inventory then I would have done it but I needed to order since they have so few 6MTs available.

With respect to other factors, I think it depends a lot on you. If you don't enjoy fairly independent international travel, then all the drawbacks related to the trip itself will apply - cancelled flights, missing hotel reservations, language issues. It's possible to pay a travel agency to take care of some of the details (for a price) but you'll still encounter unknowns.

What are your expectations for the trip? If it's just to save money, it's going to be a challenge to do that for a while with the low dollar and high airfares. Overly high expectations could also be an issue - if you're expecting the trip of a lifetime (based on some of the fab reports posted here), it's going to have to be pretty great to measure up. You could end up driving around in the rain for a week!


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## ilhooq (Jun 13, 2006)

If you want some of the benefits of doing a European Delivery, then find a Client Advisor at a board sponsor close to you, agree on an "invoice + $xxxx" price and order a car instead of buying from dealer inventory. It will be your car, no one else's, and you'll get part of the excitement of European Delivery, which is a bespoke car, possibly with a color & option combination that no other BMW in the US has. (You can't get stuff that BMW doesn't sell in the US, I just mean that exact combo.) You'll have to wait, but not as long as picking up in Munich, dropping off and waiting for redelivery.

I'd like to differ with some other posters in saying that you will in fact be saving money on the car by doing European Delivery, if you lease through BMW Financial Services. This is because BMW FS computes residual based on regular US MSRP sticker and not on the European Delivery MSRP. This is unique to carmakers who do ED and also lease those cars via their US finance companies. Your CA will be able to lay out your specific deal and compare ED vs. US MSRP-based leasing. You should also be able to compute this for yourself based on the info available on this board and others. You'll also see consistent advice to never make a cash "cap cost reduction" on a lease and to instead turn that money into multiple Security Deposits via BMW FS. Take that advice if you lease.

A lot of us here redeem frequent flier miles for air travel on ED trips because we're able to plan well in advance. In my case this past November, until I signed the contract at the dealer a week before I left, my out of pocket was $0.

You will definitely spend a fortune on fuel, compared to driving equivalent distances in the US. There's no way around that. You will be rewarded with roads in such pristine condition as hasn't been seen in the US since the Eisenhower Administration, which are usually being used by drivers who have levels of situational awareness that would qualify them to be airline pilots in the US. Just watch out for those Bulgarian trucks. Serious.

If you decide to do a European Delivery, try to take longer than the standard American seven-day/-night parachute-in/hurry out vacation. You're already distinguishing yourself by picking up in Munich, which a lot of Germans won't know is available to them. Give yourself as much time as you can to get over jet lag, being in a foreign country, and to acclimate to driving 100+ mph all day.

That last part takes about a minute, btw.

Gute Fahrt!


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## x986 (Oct 27, 2006)

I didn't save ANY money on the car. I didn't get a free trip to Europe. But I did save thousands on that trip, and your own BMW is more fun to drive in Europe than a rental car, (exept when parking).


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## Michael950 (Feb 18, 2008)

Thanks everyone for the replies:

JSpira
NetSpySD 
SJAPoc
gopctel
GorbaJB 
garyhgaryh
ihoog
etc.

and many others, I thank you for your input. It is highly valued.

I am not looking for a reason not to do go with ED, but rather my goal is to get a comprehensive overview of the process from other perspectives. I want to see the details involved instead of the overall process. Things to think about like snow tires, and extra for gas, I would have overlooked. There are other examples, as you can read.


Please continue, this is great info.


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## bagbklyn (Apr 28, 2006)

*One more!*

Just Do It!!! :thumbup:


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## VIZSLA (Mar 16, 2007)

Keeping the speed down during break-in.


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## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

Bombay Jay said:


> ....10. Having to tell your friends that the best part of driving on the autobahn was getting passed by a Porsche like you were sitting still, while you were going 120Mph.


Sorry... I don't know that one.. Nobody passes me on the limitless Autobahn....:eeps: and I mean NOBODY!!


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## cosmos (Jan 18, 2002)

beewang said:


> Sorry... I don't know that one.. Nobody passes me on the limitless Autobahn....:eeps: and I mean NOBODY!!


Really....:bigpimp:


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## CarSwami (Oct 2, 2005)

The biggest "downside" to ED is that there is no "instant gratification"! If you went to your local BMW dealership, you could drive out in your new car if they have the car you want in stock. With ED, there is a lot of waiting around to be done! It could be 3-4 months (or longer) from the time you decide to place the order to the time when you have the car parked in your garage at home.

When I requested my ED date, there was one other thing that I was concerned about. I had placed my order approximately 3 months before my ED, and I was worried that some "emergency" would come up at the last minute at work, making it necessary for me to postpone my ED. I could of course have requested BMW to reschedule my ED date, but such a postponment could have played havoc with my flight and hotel reservations.

Finally, because one of my sister's who accompanied us on the ED trip is not a US citizen, we had to get her a Schengen visa to enter Germany and Austria, and then we were not sure whether it would be accepted by the Czech Republic or not (her Schengen visa was accepted without question at the Czech border).

Despite these minor worries, the ED trip was one of the most fun-filled vacations of my life and I'm sure to remember it forever.


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## Calif65GM (Mar 27, 2005)

Michael950 said:


> Things to think about like snow tires, and extra for gas, I would have overlooked.


Winter tires is a non-issue unless you were planning a winter pick-up.


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## _BillH (Nov 19, 2007)

I love to drive. I love to drive in Europe. I thought that it would be a cold day in ____ before I would let a stranger drive our brand new car. We didn't make many reservations in advance nor had we ever been to europe. When we arrived at what looked like a suitable hotel in the middle of Florence I pulled over next to a vegetable cart. My first words at the desk weren't do you have any rooms available? My first words were, "can somebody take my car." :yikes: 

It requires quite a bit more concentration driving in a country where you can't read the language. At one point we were flying low down the Italian alps from Austria. I recognized a sign that meant warning. It had a word below I didn't recognize. I just looked at my wife (very briefly) and said "if that word means bridge out ahead than we're toast". After 8 hours of driving I was tickled pink to turn my keys over to the bell captain.


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## gesoffen (Jun 18, 2004)

A few items others have pointed out mixed in with a few new ones:
- Compared to a typical walk in, drive out purchase, your wait is on the order of 3-5 months between ordering, taking delivery in Germany and redelivery in the states. Can you wait that long?
- Dealing with inexperienced salesmen that may screw the pooch on you order at the worst or just make you nervous and uneasy throughout the process at best.
- Planning all your travel related items (passports/VISAs, flights, hotels, itinerary ,etc.) - some find this a chore, others thoroughly enjoy it
- If you're financing from a 3rd party bank/CU, they may be very demanding regarding the car's title and proof of insurance or they may flat out deny you financing if you do ED. A quick search here will give you a short list of hassle free banks/CUs to finance through and a call to your preferred bank wouldn't hurt.
- Travel related risks and pitfalls - money access, theft ,foreign languages and surroundings, flight delays, etc. Again, some people don't mind these risks at all, others worry themselves into hysteria about any little bump in the road.
- Reading the fine print on the ED provided insurance especially as it pertains to countries in which the insurance is valid and laws you must follow to insure full coverage (seat belt, DUI, winter tire and speeding violations can partially or fully invalidate coverage if you're involved in an accident)
- Winter tire regulations - only a concern if you're buying an M-Car or a sports package equipped "pedestrian" BMW during the November through March months.
- Having to explain every time how it was that you picked your car up in Europe. The first 10 times wouldn't be a problem, the last 100,000 times would be annoying since all the questions are the same.

There are likely many others on the micro scale. I think most have covered the macro-issues. Your biggest concern will likely be trying to get a full grasp of all the nuances related to ED. The 'fest is probably your best resource for that - take it a bite at a time and you'll understand it fairly quickly. If you try and cram, you'll likely get overwhelmed.

Also, take whatever your salesman says with a grain of salt. Verify important or questionable info/advice here on the 'fest before accepting it as fact and be prepared to move on to other dealers if you're not comfortable. This is especially true if you're dealing with a novice ED salesman.


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## X550-ED (Aug 27, 2005)

It seems to be a bigger drawback to do ED now with the way the US Dollar has been depreciating so that takes away the cost savings... 

Other than that, I don't think all the other items are drawbacks since it truly is an adventure and once you do it, you are hooked for life.


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## BKL (Jul 3, 2007)

One thing I don't think has been mentioned is the trade-in process. If you plan to trade-in your car you would probably do that at time of signing the papers (especially if you need the equity). Then what would you drive while your car is in transit? Some posters have stated that they were able to negotiate selling their car at time of re-delivery. A private sell is also an option but that can be time consuming and complicated. Carmax purchases cars but I'm sure that is a steep discount from wholesale.


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## bmwmpilot (Jan 15, 2008)

Michael950 said:


> I am doing research on the ED option and was wondering if there are problems, drawbacks, or disadvantages with the program.


I'm going through the same concerns in my first ED delivery (first BMW delivery, at that) - but this site has been indispensable in getting me to "YES"...

There are some very helpful posts for ED first-timers...one very useful post was by myfirstbmw entitled "ED Information In One Place-May 2006"(sorry I don't know how to create a link to the post but search myfirstbmw for his/her post). I actually cut and paste it into a document that I am going to continually add tidbits to help me prepare for the trip and so that I can have all the many good pointers at my fingertips when I arrive at the Welt in April.

One other downside? The new obsession of logging onto the Bimmerfest...it's a guilty pleasure really...Good luck!


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## pharding (Mar 14, 2004)

The biggest drawback is that after doing it once, you will be doing it again and again. It is great fun and a great deal financially. Germany is a great place to visit and very easy for the English speaking tourist. The whole experience is wonderful. We are now planning Euro Delivery Number 5 for 2010. 

By the way if a board sponsor is in your area, they are fine to consider. However the process like everything else involving BMW is highly controlled with very clear standards. What you need is a quality local dealership that will give a competitive number on Euro Delivery with competitive lease terms.


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## andytaro (Jan 6, 2008)

I am planning my ED on August. Initially, I was doing ED to save some money, but actually I am spending more.....
I am taking my family ( 2 kids and mrs) for 2 weeks, and total travel cost is around $12000. 
So there is not much saving there, but picking up a new bimmer and traveling with your new toy will be a blast!


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## travel4B (Dec 1, 2005)

andytaro said:


> I am planning my ED on August. Initially, I was doing ED to save some money, but actually I am spending more.....
> I am taking my family ( 2 kids and mrs) for 2 weeks, and total travel cost is around $12000.
> So there is not much saving there, but picking up a new bimmer and traveling with your new toy will be a blast!


Just keep reminding yourself that you won't have to rent a car.


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## IrvRobinson (May 10, 2006)

There is the cost savings on the car,depending on the model.Instead of 12K for the trip,you should be savings at least 5K off the USMSRP.,so now it's a 7K trip.


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