Quote:
Originally Posted by sygazelle
I'm going to take the opportunity here to hijack my own thread. The dealers are in a bit of a dilemma. The car-buying process is shifting from the old days where you had a relationship with a specific dealer and salesperson at that dealer. Now, you can buy a car for the most part online and the dealers' role can be much reduced depending on the situation. In my case, I researched the G05 extensively and knew exactly what I wanted. I built it on the BMW site. I sent that build to my local dealer via email and offered to buy that specific build at 6% off MSRP before other discounts. (That was the going discount off MSRP at the time according to BMW forums.) In the email I told the dealer I wanted to do PCD. A salesperson from the dealer answered my email saying they would sell the car at the price I requested. I went in. The paper work was ready. I signed and gave them the down payment and that was it.
Some buyers will always want to have that close dealer relationship and feel there is value there. For me personally, those days are over.
I can see why the dealers may want to sell a car off the lot instead of setting a buyer up with a PCD deal. My dealer had no issue with it and I'm glad. If they tried to get me to take a car off the lot instead, I would simply have shopped my build with the price I was willing to pay to another BMW dealer. I think that model is the future. It will take time, but the dealer model the way we've known it is in for change going forward. The smart dealers will pivot and embrace that change and find a way to add value. Those that don't will be toast.
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I agree whole heartedly. I bought my last two new vehicles via emails, never talked via phone or met the dealer till I picked up the car. That said, I would prefer to buy from the same dealer I will be dealing with for warranty service but my local BMW dealer sucks so that leaves me wide open when buying.