[mrbrett]

I already posted this a couple days ago on the CL, but thought I would post here too...

The details:
Alpine White/Coral Read
6 Speed
Premium Package
Technology Package
Cold Weather Package
Driver Assistance Package
Harman Kardon Audio
Black Kidney grills

The story:
So for shits and giggles I was building out an M235i that I wanted for awhile and ended up searching the internets for a manual M235i. Upon searching, there was only one in the Los Angeles area and it happened to be the AW/Coral combo that I wanted. So I inquired about it via email and the CA that was helping me out said there was a name on it, so I said damn that sucks it's already sold. He gets back to me a few hours later and says his manager said the customer who ordered it never picked it up, so I jumped at the chance and made the deal. He originally offered me a $2500.00 discount which after reading the forums around these parts sounded too good to be true, and sure enough he emails me back and said the manager wants to sell at MSRP. So I said no thank you, and told him to contact me if the manager changes his mind... Sure enough a few hours later he "talked" to his manager and could give me the $2500.00 off! Sweet. So I go in and buy the car, and as I am leaving, my CA is walking me to my new car and I tell him I can't believe someone would order this car and not pick it up. Well, he tells me the guy who special ordered it is on vacation and couldn't pick it up until he was back from vacation and this dealer only holds cars for 72 hours. That's cut throat. lol. Would I still take someone's special order if I knew that before hand. Yes. Yes I would. I'm a bad person, a bad person with a new M235I

I previously had a 335is and a 335i coupe before that.

I'm not a great photographer, sorry for the interior potato pic.

[puma1552]

Congrats to you and nice pickup, but what a shitty ass dealer.

I special ordered my car and was lucky enough to be there to see it come off the truck, but if I hadn't and they had sold it out from under me I would NEVER do business with them again. My dad currently has a new vehicle on order from my sales guy too, due at the dealership in a week. My sales guy/dealership got my dad's business because they were good to me. If they sold my car out from under me, they sure as hell wouldn't have gotten my dad's business.

This sounds like a sleazy dealer who doesn't give two shits about customer relations - if I were you I'd consider yourself lucky and I wouldn't deal with that dealer again under any circumstances since now you know how they operate.

[mike@tpc]

what he said. I hope the other guy didn't put a deposit down, but its a nice car you got.

[missxmelon]

Originally Posted by puma1552

Congrats to you and nice pickup, but what a shitty ass dealer.

I special ordered my car and was lucky enough to be there to see it come off the truck, but if I hadn't and they had sold it out from under me I would NEVER do business with them again. My dad currently has a new vehicle on order from my sales guy too, due at the dealership in a week. My sales guy/dealership got my dad's business because they were good to me. If they sold my car out from under me, they sure as hell wouldn't have gotten my dad's business.

This sounds like a sleazy dealer who doesn't give two shits about customer relations - if I were you I'd consider yourself lucky and I wouldn't deal with that dealer again under any circumstances since now you know how they operate.

Agreed! Now I'm worried about my order... I travel Mon-Thurs, so it's possible I wouldn't meet a 72-hour requirement...

[jeremicium]

Great color combo! Congrats. What a shitty business philosophy. Agree with Puma, I wouldn't do business with that dealership ever again. Take it to another dealership for service...thats where they make all their money anyways.

[obliterate]

Never thought a deal would have done this...
I'll talk to my dealer to make sure this does not happen to me!

[mrbrett]

Originally Posted by jeremicium

Great color combo! Congrats. What a shitty business philosophy. Agree with Puma, I wouldn't do business with that dealership ever again. Take it to another dealership for service...thats where they make all their money anyways.

Thanks, I love the combo too, my first white car.

Yeah, like I said they are cut throat. I actually live an hour away from that dealership so I won't be servicing it there. I actually have previous experience with this dealership as I used to live by it, and it is indeed terrible. When I first bought my first BMW, I was in my mid-twenties but looked younger and getting someone to let me test drive a e92 335i was near impossible, like it was god's chariot or something, they need a drivers license, insurance and a voided check... Then they tried to sell me a car on the lot, but I wanted to order one with everything I wanted and the salesman at the time literally threw a fit and said fine we can order you a car, but it takes six months. I said forget it and walked out. From then on, I've only bought BMWs by internet sales departments, getting the deal done before I walk in, it is totally the way to go.

[mrbrett]

Originally Posted by obliterate

Never thought a deal would have done this...
I'll talk to my dealer to make sure this does not happen to me!

Yeah I would to be safe. I started talking to them on a Sunday, and bought on Weds, so who knows how long it had sat there beforehand, but at least a week. He said we are ONLY required to hold for 72 hours, so giving them benefit of the doubt maybe it was sitting there for 2 or 3 weeks and they were like eff it already, just sell it.

[uberspeed]

Congrats on the car but that dealer is shaaady.

[Burgwood]

Not a fan of red leather,
but in some way it looks great with this color combo.

Some dealers,

Feel sorry for the guy that ordered it though,
clicking options on and off on the famous BMW configurator,
hanging the prints over his bed,
counting the days they meet....


It's a car with a story now,
you guys were ment to be

[WI_Rob]

Nice car; love the color combo!

I wouldn't feel too bad if I were you. My guess is that there's more to the story. Assuming the dealer takes a deposit with a special order, if he really did what he told you, he'd be putting himself in a bad spot with BMW NA. (The point of a deposit, after all, is to hold the car for the buyer!) If the story was true, he'd not likely have told you.

On the other hand he did tell you, so it looks to me like telling you is the whole game. Create a limited time window for you to make a decision… with the possible upside of charging you more. You're an informed buyer, so you know that supplies are low. "Here's a car that you like that you can take right away, but there's a minor issue, you need to do the deal in the next few hours…"

In my mind, the confirmation of this was his attempt to get full MSRP… which you squashed!

You'll never know for sure, but my guess is that this CA has used the same story before.

I think you played this guy at his own game, got a GREAT car for a price that you are comfortable with… and quickly! In all likelihood, someone else backed out of their order. Which is great for you. Nice work all the way around, with no need for you to feel guilty at all.

Enjoy that fantastic car!

[five3three]

It is likely someone backed out of the deal. You still got a great deal on a great car, enjoy!

[sstarrx3]

Glad you found a car...but that dealer is so wrong! Is this really how they deal in California? People schedule vacations way in advance. Why do you people live there? Sounds like from all the crap I hear on these threads there is a lack of simple human deciency over there.

[Diver]

The coral interior is super sharp.

[note46]

Originally Posted by sstarrx3

Glad you found a car...but that dealer is so wrong! Is this really how they deal in California? People schedule vacations way in advance. Why do you people live there? Sounds like from all the crap I hear on these threads there is a lack of simple human deciency over there.

Don't judge all CA dealers by this one dealer. My local dealer held my previous ordered car for over 3 weeks due to me having to travel for work.

[falconati]

Unbelievably shitty dealer - I hope they were lying to you (they'd still be shitty for doing that). If my dealer ever did anything like that I'd contact BMW NA, swear off the brand, and take to the internet to rant....

...speaking of...in before the 'My dealer let some asshole buy my car from under me' thread

[mike@x-ph.com]

Congrats!

[mrbrett]

Originally Posted by sstarrx3

Glad you found a car...but that dealer is so wrong! Is this really how they deal in California? People schedule vacations way in advance. Why do you people live there? Sounds like from all the crap I hear on these threads there is a lack of simple human deciency over there.

Wait what? What does a car dealership have to do with California? What do you mean "you people?" LOL. Like a dealership experience speaks to the humanity of a state's population... smh.

Just like any other state, California has it's issues, but I love it!

[hyperzulu]

Congrats. I am sure there is more to the story, but not that you need to worry about it. I have never heard of any dealer selling a car already sold because someone was on vacation. If the guy ordered the car, he knew when it was coming and would have been given notice of it, where he would have been able to reaffirm his interest in buying the car. If anything the buyer probably got cold feet and was shaky about the purchase, leading the deal to go up for grabs.

Sales people live on sales, and the better ones also live off their reputation, so I know whoever made the sale wouldn't just let the car go so easily.

Pretty rare find, especially if you wanted a manual. Nice.

[golf_234]

Everyone stop having a heart attack over the dealer. Going to say......... 99% chance the other buyer was a gonner and completely backed out. Let's use common sense here. No more crying. Congrats OP!

[w3rkn]

Congrats..

Unfortunately, that is a sales tactic used by dealers. They knew he was looking at it & knew if they catered to his ego, he would buy the car. So the facts he got the same deal as anyone else.. just wrapped up in a secret-story was enough to get him to buy.

It was the least the dealer could do... knowing they will be selling him a $3,300lsd soon.. I received a suspicious phone call too, about a great deal on a dropped order, etc.

[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by w3rkn

Congrats..

Unfortunately, that is a sales tactic used by dealers. They knew he was looking at it & knew if they catered to his ego, he would buy the car. So the facts he got the same deal as anyone else.. just wrapped up in a secret-story was enough to get him to buy.

It was the least the dealer could do... knowing they will be selling him a $3,300lsd soon.. I received a suspicious phone call too, about a great deal on a dropped order, etc.

Yeah I find it difficult to believe the entire story as told as well. Wasn't there so can't comment on it too much but I can tell you if the dealer decided to shove my car off to someone else. They would have a tough time getting the title from my lein holder considering they will have it before the car even gets to the states. I would also ask for my money back with the loan interest that has already been paid.