# Negotiation Tips for ED 128i needed!



## Colin Loh (Aug 14, 2009)

Hi all

I'm going to start making offers and negotiate for a new 2010 128i Coupe. (2009 is okay if it saves me a lot of $$$.)

I'd like to hear feedback on my strategy as described below, and hear any tips!

I've test-driven the 128i and have a salesperson working with me who knows I'm serious about buying but doesn't know yet that I intend to do ED. 

I've downloaded the latest confidential wholesale price. Using that, I've added the base price (ED), all the options I want, delivery charge, and a $1500 profit margin for the dealer. It comes to about 10% off the regular non-ED MSRP. That's going to be my offer price. 

I'm going to contact all the dealerships in the state to see if they'd be willing to go with that price.

If the 1st dealership (the one I test drove the car with) accepts that offer or something very close I will accept it. Otherwise I'll go with the best counteroffer from the other dealers. (And let them know that I'm talking with all of them.)

Any thoughts and advice?

I've never negotiated this aggressively before (don't know why - I suck as a bargainer) so I definitely appreciate as much feedback and advice as possible

Thanks!:eeps:


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

Sounds like a lot of work - good luck! Why don't you just make a fair take it or leave it offer to the salesperson you test drove with?


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## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

Colin Loh said:


> Hi all
> 
> I'm going to start making offers and negotiate for a new 2010 128i Coupe. (2009 is okay if it saves me a lot of $$$.)
> 
> ...


Some dealers have the philosophy of not discounting at all on ED purchases. If your dealer is one of these, you might be out of luck. However, if they are a reasonable dealer that does not think that way I think you'll be fine. $1500 over invoice these days is very generous for them, I don't think they would walk from that deal. I'd even suggest that you start with $1000 over and see if they take that, and then work your way up to $1250 or $1500 if you have to.


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## MichelleJ (Apr 30, 2009)

You should be able to do better than $1500 or even $1000 over ED wholesale pricing. When we did ours ('09 135i coupe), we talked to 5 dealerships, said we were in a hurry to buy (which was true, as we'd already made vacation plans to visit Europe), and told them to give us their very best offers up front. We didn't give any of them an offer before they gave us their first, and theoretically best offers. One said they didn't do discounts on ED and that ED MSRP was their best price, one never called us back, and the other three came back with offers, two of which were about $800-$900 over ED wholesale. We let the three who gave us offers know that we were talking to two other dealers, and asked if they could do better than the lowest offer. One decided to go lower and throw in floormats on top of that, and we took them up on it. The other two held firm to their first offer. Anyway, I'd say either start your initial offer lower, or do like we did and let them start with their "best" offer. Just don't screw around with them if they do come back with a really good offer for you. The whole process took about four days, and was done entirely by telephone and email. We test drove the car locally, but ended up buying elsewhere.


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

You did not say anything about how you plan to pay for the 128--cash, finance, lease, trade-in, etc.?? That can affect the outcome.

I guarantee you are not any worse at bargaining than I am. Not only am I bad at it, I have a bias against it. (Probably due to my upbringing!) Last year I went back to the local dealer who is not known for great deals and was handed off to the sales mgr as the sales guy I knew from a few years earlier had retired and the younger guy who gave me the test drive admitted he had no ED experience and didn't want any. As I was about 5 months out and needed the lease extended on the current car, we worked out the following: I wrote down what I wanted to pay (almost the same as your list) and he wrote down a counter offer. They were very close, so we split the difference. He offered me a reasonably good lease (some but low fee markups), details to be set when the terms were out. Then we got to the important bits--I said I wouldn't bother him with calls or changes unless very necessary but I needed him to confirm with BMWFS that I would really order a car so they would extend the current lease without a pdn number. That took more calls than either of us expected. Deal done.

Good luck.


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## ViaPerturbatio (Jul 25, 2009)

Considering how far down sales are currently, you can definitely do better than $1500 or even $1000. I bargained for my ED just over a month ago and did very well (if you are interested in more detail, please send me private message). I would recommend you do your bargaining via e-mail and send them your offers that way. Consider out-of-state options with reputable CAs.


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## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

MichelleJ said:


> One decided to go lower and throw in floormats on top of that, .


did you know that all ED cars include floormats?


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## Colin Loh (Aug 14, 2009)

b-y said:


> You did not say anything about how you plan to pay for the 128--cash, finance, lease, trade-in, etc.?? That can affect the outcome.
> Good luck.


I intend to finance. BMW has a rate of 2.9% for the 1 series now that I'd like to use.


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## MichelleJ (Apr 30, 2009)

SARAFIL said:


> did you know that all ED cars include floormats?


Of course. These are extra floormats.


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## HWF (Nov 29, 2006)

Iwould suggest you use the Rizzo method, which you can find by searching in this forum. I used that method and I must say it worked like a charm. Briefly, you fax the particulars to several dealers. Include the confidential wholesale price for the base car, and for each of the required options. Include the colors and the requested ED date. Include the profit as an extra item. In my case, I offered $1,100. Tell each dealer to respond by fax if they're interested. No negotiations this way. Of the 9 dealers I sent faxes to, four came back with an acceptance, two required a higher profit figure, and three said they don't do ED's. Nice and clean. Good luck.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

HWF said:


> Iwould suggest you use the Rizzo method,


A lot of dealers don't like the Rizzo method so you might miss out on a good dealer that would meet your price by using it.



HWF said:


> three said they don't do ED's.


I believe all BMW NA dealerships have to offer this. Naturally, I would be wary of using a dealer that made such a statement but, when push comes to shove, I think they have to support the program as part of their franchise agreement, just as they can't pick and choose what models they will order for a customer.


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## M FUNF (Apr 2, 2008)

MichelleJ said:


> Of course. These are extra floormats.


Not really.


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## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

Colin Loh said:


> ...
> Any thoughts and advice?
> 
> I've never negotiated this aggressively before (don't know why - I suck as a bargainer) so I definitely appreciate as much feedback and advice as possible
> ...


I will save you sometime (and since you said that you suck at negotiation), if you are willing to hop on the Amtrak and make a 225 miles trek to Salem, Oregon. I can gurantee that it will be worth it!

888-838-0288 and ask for my boy Jim Mannheimer.

http://www.bmwofsalem.com/

They now owend by O'brian Group (something you should be familiar w/ up in SeaTac.

Tell him that you are referred by beewang trust me... few things in life are this simple!!

BUT!! if you perfer to bang you head against the wall.... go right ahead w/ your dealers up there..


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## voltigeur (Jun 29, 2008)

-

Don't need the car. That way you can walk away. That's the only position - _Sun Tzu_.


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## voltigeur (Jun 29, 2008)

SARAFIL said:


> did you know that all ED cars include floormats?


Yep. But depending on model not always the ones you desire.


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

voltigeur said:


> -
> 
> Don't need the car. That way you can walk away. That's the only position - _Sun Tzu_.


It is posts such as this that make this board absolutely priceless. :thumbup: I'm printing it out to post on my office wall!


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## Hans Delbruck (Jun 9, 2002)

beewang said:


> I will save you sometime (and since you said that you suck at negotiation), if you are willing to hop on the Amtrak and make a 225 miles trek to Salem, Oregon. I can gurantee that it will be worth it!
> 
> 888-838-0288 and ask for my boy Jim Mannheimer.
> 
> ...


Agree. Ask your closest dealer for their best price over Euro invoice, tell them you are shopping around and let them come back with a number. Then ask Mannheimer for his best "Friends of Beewang" price. Go with the best one, I am sure it will be less than $1500 over Euro. :thumbup:

Also, you will get a 2010. It's too late for 2009 production. The pricing and options have changed a bit but your wiggle room over invoice is still the same. Good luck!

Philippe at South Bay gave me an amazing deal so.... shop the forum sponsors, you will be surprised!


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## ViaPerturbatio (Jul 25, 2009)

JSpira said:


> A lot of dealers don't like the Rizzo method so you might miss out on a good dealer that would meet your price by using it.
> 
> I believe all BMW NA dealerships have to offer this. Naturally, I would be wary of using a dealer that made such a statement but, when push comes to shove, I think they have to support the program as part of their franchise agreement, just as they can't pick and choose what models they will order for a customer.


I used a modified Rizzo method using e-mail instead of fax. Worked well for me.

Regardless of "requirements", I called several dealerships as well that said they didn't do ED. One had not even heard of it. Obviously, I used none of those...


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## gekisai29 (Jan 13, 2007)

I have had a dealer say it does not "like" to do ed. i guess the response is not to "like" the dealer.


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