# Have you heard of the BMW "VIP Purchase Program"?



## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

It's pretty cool..


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

no, and neither has google


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

ard said:


> no, and neither has google


*That's why I am here.* 

*Eligible Recipients:* • VIP and other individuals who are approved by BMW of North America, LLC. • Customer Examples for VIP: Professional Actors/Actresses, Celebrities, Professional Musicians, Professional Athletes / Team Owners and Journalists. BMW NA reserves the right to request documentation or evidence that the VIP falls into the customers examples mentioned above.

*HOW DOES IT WORK *• Approved participants will be eligible to lease or purchase an eligible vehicle from a participating BMW center. All centers are able to participate and agree to sell vehicles to approved customers for dealer invoice minus the applicable allowance and any retail incentives that are in place at the time of delivery. • BMW will provide an allowance up to $1,500 for a new BMW leased or financed through BMW FS. $3,000 is available for those customers that pay cash or use alternate financing. If the participant elects to lease or finance through BMW FS, any sales support programs in place at the time of delivery can be applied. • Vehicles can be delivered out of center stock or can be ordered depending upon availability. Pricing is based on a U.S. delivery only.


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## wcr3d (Jul 17, 2012)

As if those types don’t get enough ass kissing


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## Judy G (Jan 27, 2011)

Well not all celebrities make huge amounts of money, but I don’t understand why they should get a better deal just because of their name.


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

Judy G said:


> Well not all celebrities make huge amounts of money, but I don't understand why they should get a better deal just because of their name.


I forget which movie it was, late 90s, Michael Douglas drove an Orient Blue BMW 750iL. He loved it so much that Peter Moore, then the National Sales Manager of BMWNA called me when I was General Sales Manager of Cutter BMW here in Santa Barbara and asked me to sell Michael the exact car he had in the movie which I did. I also sold Bo Derek an Aspen Green 740i (e38) around the same time. Rob Lowe got a Jet Black 740iL that same period too. I guess BMW sees them as "influencers"?


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

Back in the day, GM had a program to monitor the maintenance and repairs of VIP's cars at GM dealerships. When a VIP brought in their car for service, the dealership was required to call GM and let them know what was going on with the car. GM also encouraged dealers to have VIPs factory order cars, so that GM engineers could walk the car and it's major components (engines, transmissions, etc.) down the assembly lines.

But, things must have gone all to **** at GM. Back in the 1980's, my mother's next door neighbor was the CEO of a railroad, easily one of GM's top ten customers (buying a lot of GM locomotives), behind the rental car companies and the federal government. He'd bought a new Oldsmobile 98, and the air-conditioning went out. The dealer couldn't get the part to fix it for weeks, even though there were literally truckloads of that very part at the GM plant building Oldsmobile 98's. They dealership told the CEO that the car was drivable... in August... without an air conditioner... so everything was fine.

My picture was in the Bubbaville Gazette back in the 1990's. It was hard to recognize me, though. I was driving my twelve year old Pontiac Grand Prix through a flooded street, and the picture accompanied the story about the flooding in downtown Bubbaville. Does that count for that BMW discount?

Bubbaville has a big petroleum terminal just a few blocks from historic downtown Bubbaville. What could possibly go wrong?

The CEO's house next to my mom was literally his townhouse, a place to camp out during the week and have a short commute to work, before heading back to his estate for the weekend. His townhouse cost about one-month's salary... for him. The Oldsmobile, a.k.a. "The Furnace" replaced a Peugeot 604. He really wasn't a "car guy."

Jackie Onassis had a green 3 Series when she died. Arnold Schwartzenegger bought it from her estate, since Jackie O was his wife's aunt.


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## alex2364 (May 8, 2006)

Why post a VIP program for celebrities when at least 99% of people here aren’t eligible?


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

alex2364 said:


> Why post a VIP program for celebrities when at least 99% of people here aren't eligible?


I apologize, that is not how I intended. Just sharing the latest dealer bulletin. As a matter of standard practice, I tend to post ALL newly-announced BMW programs, both good and bad. Looking at all of the celebrity magazines lining the racks at the supermarket it seemed like it might be interesting fodder for a BMW discussion. Please don't shoot the messenger. 

Believe it or not there are sometimes celebrity BMW buyers who lurk in the forums.. I have to dig through my old photos from the late 90s early 2000s. For instance, that's how I helped "Mr. Indianapolis 500" himself (Andy Granatelli) with his VIP (e39) VIP purchase.


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## alex2364 (May 8, 2006)

Thanks for the explanation Jon. As mentioned privately, I didn't mean to attack you personally in my original post.


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

alex2364 said:


> Thanks for the explanation Jon. As mentioned privately, I didn't mean to attack you personally in my original post.


My pleasure Alex, we're good! I've already forgotten about it..


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## PC1978 (Aug 26, 2020)

Probably better than Harley's failed attempt to revive some sales.
Gave a free bike to several social media "influencers."
Jason Momoa proceeded to rattle can his black.
Needless to say, it didn't sit well with the Harley faithful.



https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154945634890765&id=20060875764&_rdr


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

Celeb's get all sorts of "swag" The Oscars "swag bag" is full of thousands of dollars of products. The celeb' discounts on BMW's eliminates them having to haggle with dealers. "Yeah, I just made $40M on my last movie, but I want that 330i for $1000 below invoice, damnit!"

The reality is that new BMW's are highly discounted... BMWCCA, PENFED, USAA (no more), loyalty, diplomat and military sales, corporate fleet discount for the companies' employees on their personal BMW's, etc,, etc. etc.

Jon didn't mention it, but I bet politicians are on the list that gets celeb' discounts.

It the celeb's are really famous, "A List" ones, their used BMW is worth more when they (or the BMW dealership) sell it, too.


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## Me530 (Feb 17, 2005)

Autoputzer said:


> It the celeb's are really famous, "A List" ones, their used BMW is worth more when they (or the BMW dealership) sell it, too.


I remember something about George Costanza buying a Chrysler LeBaron because it was previously owned by Jon Voight.....then somehow he ended up with his pencil....


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## jaye944 (Jul 5, 2015)

It's like most loyalty programs, mac'd D's have an apparently a gold card for free food they give to celebrities, GOD as if they can't afford a big mac


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

My cousin's adult kid lives in JFK's old apartment in D.C. He lived there briefly in the 1940's, although I'm not sure if it was before or after WWII.

HRC's '86 Oldsmobile sold for for $60k. She sold it to a White House staffer who flipped it years later.






hillary clintons used oldsmobile - Bing video







www.bing.com





Somebody bought Cher's old toilet after she had her bathroom remodeled. That's weird.


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## capt_slow (Sep 3, 2013)

jaye944 said:


> It's like most loyalty programs, mac'd D's have an apparently a gold card for free food they give to celebrities, GOD as if they can't afford a big mac


Now that you mention it, the BMW VIP program aint as surprising any more. Airlines have always had secret invite-only tiers of elite status for VIPs and high spenders, given perks outside of the regularly published tiers. United has Global Services, American has ConciergeKey, and Delta has Delta 360. These VIPs are chauffeured from the tarmac to their next onward connection in a Porsche (Delta), Cadillac (America), or Mercedes (United). I used to work at LAX and we would always see United's Mercedes GL at Terminal 7 or American's Cadillac Escalade at the employee lot. It was pretty obvious which airline owned which car since LAX requires the company logo be plastered on the side of the door for all to see.

A while back, Mercedes and United even launched an agreement to give elite status members discounts on buying or leasing Mercs. I was a 1K at the time and was about to pull the trigger on a GLK diesel, but I ended up going with a F30 (from Jon, of course).


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## Mundungus (Jan 11, 2014)

I saw Burt Reynolds on TV telling a story once. After Smokey and the Bandit, Pontiac sold a ton of the Trans Am model. The guy in charge was so happy he sent Burt a new one every year. One year Burt didn't get his car and contacted Pontiac to find out what happened to it. He talked to the NEW guy in charge and was told "You had a deal with the old guy. He's gone. He liked your movies. I don't." 

No more free cars for Burt.


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## Robert A (May 18, 2003)

How about the business managers and CPAs of the stars? Do they count?


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

My uncle used to cut the grass of the guy who invented Jello.


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## 1968BMW2800 (Aug 13, 2016)

"invented" Jello???? And all these years I thought Jello, like VIP pricing, was a gift from the Gods.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

My uncle said he had a really big yard. You really don't want to know what Jello's made of.

My uncle was a school teacher. In the 1950's and 1960's, he'd do landscaping work in the summers to cover his bills. He loved doing yard work. He finally sold his house a year ago at age 85 and donated all his hand tools and gasoline powered implements of destruction to his church. Up until this year, he'd still help cut the grass at his church. But, the lockdown-smackdown finally put an end to his yard work. He's trapped in his assisted living apartment now. I had 15 aunts and uncles. He's the only one left.


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

Mooo.


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## 1968BMW2800 (Aug 13, 2016)

Autoputzer said:


> You really don't want to know what Jello's made of.
> I had 15 aunts and uncles. He's the only one left.


Parts is parts/Jello is a gift from the gods. It turns from hot water to.... Jello.

"He's the only one left." That's why we drive these complicated, over-priced (unless you buy and hold the Putzer way) vehicles. Life is short. Eat dessert (Jello) first!!


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## 1968BMW2800 (Aug 13, 2016)

BTW, VIP pricing is, indeed a Gift from the Gods. And Mr. Shafer keeps trying to tell us that if we're smart, and buy right, the VIP Gods may well smile upon all of us humble souls. I think he's right


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

ard said:


> Mooo.


Look at the big brain on Ard! Yep, "mooo" is right and it's not the parts of the cow you'd normally think about eating.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

1968BMW2800 said:


> Parts is parts/Jello is a gift from the gods. It turns from hot water to.... Jello.
> 
> "He's the only one left." That's why we drive these complicated, over-priced (unless you buy and hold the Putzer way) vehicles. Life is short. Eat dessert (Jello) first!!


One of my uncles lived to 103, one to 95. The 103 year old had to stop driving, but his last vehicle was a Dodge oick-up truck that he used on his ranch. The 95 year old had a Plymouth mini-van. I too him to the Porsche "traveling museum" when it was in his town when he was about 90. His grandson's future sis-in-law (or something) was working at the museum, recognized him and let us in free. He enjoyed exhibit, but it wore him out. He was late getting up the next morning and I was worried that he wasn't getting up... ever. My cousins would have been pissed if I'd killed their dad dragging him to the Porsche exhibit.

I got the 911 itch bad, and I could afford to scratch it before I kick the bucket. But, there's no spare tire for the 992, so that's the end of that. There was one for the 991. I'm going to hit Porsche's driving school a few more times after the 'rona thing is over, instead.


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## adrian's bmw (Feb 14, 2003)

Jon Shafer said:


> I forget which movie it was, late 90s, Michael Douglas drove an Orient Blue BMW 750iL. He loved it so much that Peter Moore, then the National Sales Manager of BMWNA called me when I was General Sales Manager of Cutter BMW here in Santa Barbara and asked me to sell Michael the exact car he had in the movie which I did. I also sold Bo Derek an Aspen Green 740i (e38) around the same time. Rob Lowe got a Jet Black 740iL that same period too. I guess BMW sees them as "influencers"?


I believe that movie was "The Game" and was filmed mostly in San Francisco. Great movie and memorable scenes of the 7 Series.


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## adrian's bmw (Feb 14, 2003)

Jon Shafer said:


> I forget which movie it was, late 90s, Michael Douglas drove an Orient Blue BMW 750iL. He loved it so much that Peter Moore, then the National Sales Manager of BMWNA called me when I was General Sales Manager of Cutter BMW here in Santa Barbara and asked me to sell Michael the exact car he had in the movie which I did. I also sold Bo Derek an Aspen Green 740i (e38) around the same time. Rob Lowe got a Jet Black 740iL that same period too. I guess BMW sees them as "influencers"?


I believe that movie was "The Game" and was filmed mostly in San Francisco. Great movie and memorable scenes of the 7 Series.


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## paulg (Oct 5, 2003)

Autoputzer said:


> My uncle used to cut the grass of the guy who invented Jello.


That claim seems to be very wobbly,


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## Ibiza (Jun 15, 2007)

Big deal 🥱 I remember when a former CA from Seattle who posted on the Fest thought I was in the BMW VIP program. 

Just establish a relationship with your BMW center of choice new car sales manager and you can also obtain VIP pricing without the headache.

PS how does BMW NA define “celebrity” aren’t all of us festers in this category?


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## paulg (Oct 5, 2003)

Autoputzer said:


> Celeb's get all sorts of "swag" The Oscars "swag bag" is full of thousands of dollars of products. The celeb' discounts on BMW's eliminates them having to haggle with dealers. "Yeah, I just made $40M on my last movie, but I want that 330i for $1000 below invoice, damnit!"
> 
> The reality is that new BMW's are highly discounted... BMWCCA, PENFED, USAA (no more), loyalty, diplomat and military sales, corporate fleet discount for the companies' employees on their personal BMW's, etc,, etc. etc.
> 
> ...


Elvis's MB is on bringatrailer.









Ex–Elvis Presley 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600


Bid for the chance to own a Ex–Elvis Presley 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #40,473.




bringatrailer.com


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## paulg (Oct 5, 2003)

Autoputzer said:


> Look at the big brain on Ard! Yep, "mooo" is right and it's not the parts of the cow you'd normally think about eating.


it behooves me to think of it.


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