Early details on New European delivery
03-28-2012, 11:18 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Early details on New European delivery
I have been getting together all the details of my trip and thought I would share some of the them.
First, most dealerships need approximately 3 months to lock in an order for a Euro Delivery but it can be had in some cases as short as 8 weeks. I actually took an already allocated car which allowed me to finalize within 5 weeks of pickup. This was a lucky case that worked well for my last minute plans. If interested others would be able to do something similar. The $3000 "cost" of Euro delivery is still implemented but instead of the customer paying, it now is taken out of the purchase price of the car, making the dealer's margin dwindle and less likely to negotiate a lower price. They do, however, get another allocation to offset the so called "loss". Included in the trip is a free nights stay at a hotel in Stuttgart or Leipzig depending on what kind of car you are picking up. The 991 and boxster are made in Stuttgart so that is where I will take delivery. Same type of experience as before. 2 weeks insurance, free cab ride to the factory, free factory tour, free lunch, free museum tour, and a introduction to your new car. At Leipzig there is no museum, but you get to lap their test track.
Now here is something that many may not know, you must have all arrangements for purchase of the vehicle 30 days prior to euro delivery. Which means if you are financing or leasing the car, you must go through Porsche Financial (not bad current rates are at 2.99%). Which means you will make payments on a car while it is still being transported. Also, you must have the dealership hold a cash/check amount equal to the VAT for the car purchased. Approx 17% of the car that you have already purchased. You get this back once the car is on the ship bound for the US. Apparently buyers were taking their cars and selling them for a profit in the Eurozone (some countries pay double what we pay in the states). This ended up being about $16,000 cash that I had to have on hand in order to take delivery. Something which may scare off potential euro delivery buyers. And no you do not get interest on that cash amount.
Slightly different than before, but I think all and all better for the customer. Yes BMW, Mercedes and Audi all have better Euro Delivery deals but having been to all of those factories/museums and driven many of their cars, I will gladly take the "lesser" deal.
First, most dealerships need approximately 3 months to lock in an order for a Euro Delivery but it can be had in some cases as short as 8 weeks. I actually took an already allocated car which allowed me to finalize within 5 weeks of pickup. This was a lucky case that worked well for my last minute plans. If interested others would be able to do something similar. The $3000 "cost" of Euro delivery is still implemented but instead of the customer paying, it now is taken out of the purchase price of the car, making the dealer's margin dwindle and less likely to negotiate a lower price. They do, however, get another allocation to offset the so called "loss". Included in the trip is a free nights stay at a hotel in Stuttgart or Leipzig depending on what kind of car you are picking up. The 991 and boxster are made in Stuttgart so that is where I will take delivery. Same type of experience as before. 2 weeks insurance, free cab ride to the factory, free factory tour, free lunch, free museum tour, and a introduction to your new car. At Leipzig there is no museum, but you get to lap their test track.
Now here is something that many may not know, you must have all arrangements for purchase of the vehicle 30 days prior to euro delivery. Which means if you are financing or leasing the car, you must go through Porsche Financial (not bad current rates are at 2.99%). Which means you will make payments on a car while it is still being transported. Also, you must have the dealership hold a cash/check amount equal to the VAT for the car purchased. Approx 17% of the car that you have already purchased. You get this back once the car is on the ship bound for the US. Apparently buyers were taking their cars and selling them for a profit in the Eurozone (some countries pay double what we pay in the states). This ended up being about $16,000 cash that I had to have on hand in order to take delivery. Something which may scare off potential euro delivery buyers. And no you do not get interest on that cash amount.
Slightly different than before, but I think all and all better for the customer. Yes BMW, Mercedes and Audi all have better Euro Delivery deals but having been to all of those factories/museums and driven many of their cars, I will gladly take the "lesser" deal.
03-28-2012, 12:37 PM
#2
"The $3000 "cost" of Euro delivery is still implemented but instead of the customer paying, it now is taken out of the purchase price of the car, making the dealer's margin dwindle and less likely to negotiate a lower price."
I actually negotiated a lower price b/c I was taking Euro delivery. The dealer claimed that this was due to the fact that their allocation was increased.
The 991 can be picked up in Leipzig at no additional charge despite the fact that it is assembled in Zuffenhausen.
For a cash purchase, payment can be made up to a week before departure. At least that is what my dealer is requiring.
According to Porsche literature, the VAT tax is collected by the dealer in advance "at their own discretion". In fact, my dealer has not required VAT collection in advance, but I payed a slightly higher (refundable) deposit than normal. And, if the VAT were collected, interest would've been paid while the VAT was held.
Spyder
I actually negotiated a lower price b/c I was taking Euro delivery. The dealer claimed that this was due to the fact that their allocation was increased.
The 991 can be picked up in Leipzig at no additional charge despite the fact that it is assembled in Zuffenhausen.
For a cash purchase, payment can be made up to a week before departure. At least that is what my dealer is requiring.
According to Porsche literature, the VAT tax is collected by the dealer in advance "at their own discretion". In fact, my dealer has not required VAT collection in advance, but I payed a slightly higher (refundable) deposit than normal. And, if the VAT were collected, interest would've been paid while the VAT was held.
Spyder
03-28-2012, 01:08 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I did not know any of that! So I guess I need to find a new dealer! I did negotiate a lower price as well but this is what they mentioned to me. Previously the VAT was collected but held by Porsche and now it is held by the dealership and I guess interest is up to the discretion. Thanks for giving me some new insight!
It was also expressed to me that dropping off the car could be done at Leipzig or Stuttgart at no charge, with fastest delivery from Zuffenhausen. Some of the charges were quite large, 1500 euro for London. My Dealer was a stickler for the 30 days prior and required VAT. I guess there is going to be more variation in what we find across the country. Thanks again for your experience.
It was also expressed to me that dropping off the car could be done at Leipzig or Stuttgart at no charge, with fastest delivery from Zuffenhausen. Some of the charges were quite large, 1500 euro for London. My Dealer was a stickler for the 30 days prior and required VAT. I guess there is going to be more variation in what we find across the country. Thanks again for your experience.
03-28-2012, 01:32 PM
#4
No prob race. My experience with ED for my prior two BMWs is that the process varies from dealer to dealer. The only thing for certain is what the manufacturer requires. IMO it's best to find a dealer that has prior experience with ED.
Spyder
Spyder
03-29-2012, 12:07 AM
#6
Since I'm new to Porsche, I don't know whether a nonrefundable ED deposit was asked for in the past. ASFAIK, no such deposit is required now beyond what the dealer requires to take an order on any car.
Spyder
03-29-2012, 01:29 AM
#7
Poseur
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
If you plan to stay longer driving your car the tag isn't a factor but the insurance is. If Porsche AG underwrites the coverage it's very pricy. Work with your own insurance company ahead of time to see if they underwrite in Europe. If you, you can save a bundle.
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03-29-2012, 06:49 PM
#8
Spyder
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Those of you with ridiculously good memories may recall that Ms. Spyder (aka Lady Wildfire) and I were scheduled to pick up a 650i at the BMW factory in Munich this summer. We arrived at the European Delivery center as scheduled on 26 June, and, after about an hour’s wait and a free lunch, we were presented with our new ride, a Stratus Grey 650i coupe.
Our dour technician, let's call him Hans, dressed not in a white lab coat as we expected, but rather in funereal attire, soon began our orientation.
Hans: "Shall ve begin by starting the car?"
Spyder: "You bet." (I've ordered Comfort Access so I know that all I need do, without even taking the key out of my pocket, is push the start button with my foot on the brake. Nevertheless, the car doesn't start. Hans, who reverts to German when he gets impatient, starts getting very impatient.)
Hans: "Please step on die kupplungspedal!"
Spyder: "Huh?"
Hans: "Die Kupplungspedal!!! On the linx.!!!"
(Ha ha. Hans means clutch pedal, but I've ordered a slush box. Ha ha. Oh, whats this on the shift ****? R 1 2 3 4 5 6. Uh oh….)
THE VAUNTED BMW ENGINEERS....strike up the umpah band... HAVE BUILT US THE WRONG CAR!
You read that right. Viewed from a distance, the ensuing conversations, first with Hans (who was busy checking the VIN number against my receipt), then with the head of the Euro Delivery Center, then with the head of US production (who has been called over from the factory), and finally, since it is now 8 am in New Jersey, the head of Euro delivery for BMW NA, are hilarious. Straight out of Monty Python with a German accent.
You'll be pleased to learn that I maintained my dismal sense of humor throughout, but I was rather stern on the issue of BMW providing Lady Wildfire and I with a proper car in order to continue our trip through Europe. Oh, and then there was the small matter of the upfront cash I paid (in full) for the 650i. As LW, whose folks hail from Wiesbaden would later remark, "This was not a good day for my peeps!"
Naturally, I was a bit disturbed by the initial assumption that I had somehow forgotten what I had ordered. After disabusing them of that idea, it was suggested that the dealer was at fault. As 8 am N.J. time approached, we all learned that, in fact, neither I, nor the dealer, had made a mistake; it was BMW who made the mistake. This bit of information magically changed the tenor of our conversation. A 650i Steptronic coupe in Stratus Grey--just as we had ordered, except in Euro trim—soon was retrieved from BMW's executive pool for use on our journey.
The loaner car—try renting one of these! —had 3.5 km on it, i.e., it had just been broken in, so minutes later LW and I were barreling down the autobahn toward the Swiss border at 125 mph. In a furious exchange of emails, and phone calls, over the next three days I managed to turn these lemons into lemonade. BMW would build us a 2007 car (I had ordered a 2006) to my (new) specs, and deliver it to my dealer with zero miles on it (our trip would have put 1.5k mi on the car). The dealer would be charged Euro invoice, and would still grant me the further discount we had negotiated on the 2006. We would still benefit from the free airfare on Lufthansa, and, of course, be provided with the 650i loaner (at no charge) to be dropped off in London, as we had originally planned.
We all know that s**t happens. What separates the good car companies from the also-rans is how the situation is handled thereafter. I give BMW high marks in this case.
Now, let's get on with that road trip shall ve?
First stop was the town of Tarasp in the Romansh part of western Switzerland. The image was shot in front of our hotel, one of the three Relais we stayed at on the trip.
Tarasp is noted for the castle that overlooks the town.
After our stay in Terasp, we drove over two dramatic passes in the Alps on our way to Grindelwald: first was the Oberalpass …
…and then the Sustenpass…
Our hotel in Grindelwald had a view of the Eiger …
…and while there we spent time hiking in the Alps, accessed by a cable car out of town. This is Bachalpsee, under some dramatic cloud cover. It poured on our way out.
Our next stop was the Chateau d'Adomenil in Lorraine…
While at the d'Adomenil for three nights, we explored Lorraine. The town of Baccarat, famous for its crystal, naturally had a terrific, recently rebuilt, church. If you arrived at just the right moment, the light filtering through the glass was spectacular.
For easy access to the chunnel, we next stayed just south of Calais, and checked out several WWII sites. Most interesting was La Coupole, where the ****'s had one of their primary rocket factories. The huge underground facility is now a museum showing films on the history of German rocketry, which evolved into the US space program. Here’s an intact V2 rocket motor.
The chunnel was fast and efficient, but surprisingly hot, humid, and uncomfortable.
Our last stop was the best: Amberley Castle in West Sussex. These final images are of the castle, now a spectacular small hotel, but originally built in 1103 for bishops serving the Duke of Norfolk whose castle, and current home, is in nearby Arundel.
The old church in the town of Amberley is a short walk from the castle.
A wedding took place one afternoon at the castle, so I took the opportunity to shoot the classic cars lined up on the roundabout below our room.
Nice cars, but I’ll take this one, or one like it, when it’s built for us in early September…
Cheers,
Spyder
03-29-2012, 07:37 PM
#10
Spyder
