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Smart Shopper European Delivery Experiences, Advice and Info
251 messages, Last post on Jul 13, 2008 at 5:01 PM
You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester
| Hi all, I am a Ex-Pat working in Switzerland. I was very interested in purchasing either a Volvo or BMW, but the in country taxes would add an additional 11% to the cost of the car. Apparently, foreign gov'ts a trying to "discourage" this type of activity realizing that if you are living in their country for any period of time, in my case I have a 3 year contract, they should be able to make some $ out of you. Anyone else ever gone through this? Thanks J! | |
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Regarding post #118:
sandejx, I bought my Volvo S80 T6 through the European Delivery program and saved thousands (and highly recommend the experience for the savings and free trip to Europe). However, I live in the U.S.
As I recall, you are only supposed to keep your car for up to 6 months in Europe under this program (the limit may be different for military orders though). For program details follow this link:
http://www.volvocars.com/overseas_new/
Good luck.
-rdo |
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Thanks for the helpful link, rollie. For those of you who are interested, BMW also has quite a detailed section that provides information on their European Delivery program in the "Virtual Center" section of their www.bmwusa.com site. For some reason it is difficult to link to, but it is not difficult to find once you are on their main page.
Also, here is a link to the European Delivery section of the Mercedes-Benz Web site Mercedes-Benz European Delivery. Although it is not exactly a European Delivery program, Porsche has an interesting section on their Web site called the Porsche Travel Club. They have all sorts of interesting European trips that include the use of a Porsche which you can set up through them. Here is a link to that page: Porsche Travel Club.
Car_Man |
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| Sales tax is usually included in the advertised prices. If you export the vehicle, I think you can get the tax, or part of it, back. | |
Has anyone been able to get for the Euro Delivery on the S60 a dealers euro delivery cost invoice price ( NOT THE EURO DEL MSRP ) plus the AOL $2,100 options included????? kelfg aol.com
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Regarding post #122: kelf, the Euro delivery price is the FACTORY invoice for the car (same price the dealer pays) + MSRP for options (what you normally pay for options at the dealer). The dealer doesn't earn a traditional profit (nor does the salesman get a commission which is why most of these orders are handled by the fleet manager) but does receive a 5% fee from Volvo for the order. Hope this helps. -rdo rdollie home.com
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| So there is a 5% profit for the dealer. This explains why some dealers will give you a second air ticket or extra hotel nights. Question is which dealers do it now? | |
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Some posters have asked whether a U.S.-spec car can be bought in Europe, driven for an indefinite amount of time and eventually brought back to the U.S. I have recently checked into this, and here are some comments: 1) Yes, it's possible to do it. You would need to take European Delivery (if such a program exists), or speak to the Military/Diplomat factory representative (if you fall into these categories) for the respective company. 2) Automobiles in Western Europe tend to be 30% cheaper than they are in the U.S., with the exception of in the U.K. 3) Upon returning to the U.S., you are subject to substantial costs for freight ($2-3,000), duties and fees. 4) Getting a U.S.-spec car registered and insured in Europe does not seem to be a problem, even in the U.K, where the cars have right-hand drive. 5) Expect to pay substantial VAT, as well as U.S. taxes, on U.S. delivery, and you do not get the VAT back. (On a Boxster it runs about $6,500) In short, it can be done, but the American government is on a different and more legalistic wavelength than is the rest of the world, and doing it would be a time-consuming and expensive headache. Why does this not surprise me?
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Hello All - I'm strongly thinking about picking up my CLK320 through MB's European Delivery program. I'm looking for some recent experiences others have had with the program. Basically, you're getting 2 free nights, saving on your destination charge ($645), and use of your car in Europe, plus the factory tour. Any hotel recommendations or travel suggestions?? Any must-go places or things to skip?? Thanks |
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I posted this message on another thread, but I think it is appropriate here also. This past summer I bought a new Saab 9-3 using their IDS (European Delivery) program. I had purchased a Saab convertible through the same program and same dealer (Blue Grass Motor Sports, Louisville Kentucky) in 1996, and at that time the total experience was very satisfying. So I decided to do it again. At the time I placed the order (August) the prices for the 2001 models had not yet been set. So Saab US added $750 to the 2000 price with the stipulation that, if the actual price increase were less than $750, I would be refunded the difference. I agreed and paid the additional sum. When I returned from Europe in November, I learned that the price increase had been less than $750 and called Saab US to request a refund. I was told that they had sold the car to the dealer at a predetermined price and that any refund would have to come from the dealer. I contacted Blue Grass and asked about a refund. They agreed it was due me and that it would be mailed to me. This was early November. In December I was advised by Saab that my car had arrived in the US and had been shipped to the dealer. I called the dealer to let them know and also reminded them that I had still not received the refund due me. I was told that it would be processed immediately. Three weeks passed and I had received neither a call from the dealer telling me that the car had arrived, nor a refund check. I called Saab USA again and was told that the car had arrived at the dealer some time ago. They called the dealer who then found my car sitting among all the other new 2001 Saabs, but without a window sticker and with 5000 miles on the odometer. They never apologized, but merely explained that someone had taken off the Swedish license plates and they didn't recognize that it wasn't a new car (no window sticker, no plastic seat coverings, etc, that come with the new cars.) By February I still has not received a refund. So I called again. And again. And again. At first the sales rep said he didn't know what the problem was and he would check. He never called back. This happened several times, and then he suggested I call the sales manager directly. I did this several times also. He was never available to take my calls, nor did he return them as requested. By mid March my patience had worn thin and I wrote to the sales manager complaining about the treatment I had received and advising that if the refund weren't issued, I would take legal action. No response. So I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. My check arrived in the mail the day after the Bureau contacted them. So much for customer relations. I sold both the Saabs and now have a vey nice Volvo S60 T5. I know dealers and sales reps read these messages. I'd really like to know what would prompt behavior like this. I was a good customer (emphasis on was), had all my service done at their shop, and I thought I had a good working relationship with these people. They knew I was interested in an Audi, which they also sell, yet for five months they showed absolutely no regard for me as a customer or as a person. As to pricing. All the paperwork indicates that it is a direct sale from the Manufacturer (Saab) to me, unlike domestic sales in which the manufacturer sells to the delaer who then sell to the customer. The car title showed a direct sale from Saab to me. Yet Saab told me that they had "sold" my car to the dealer. What seems to happen is that the dealer charges the "fixed" price but then is required to send less to the manufacturer. I don't know what the actual spread is, but the invoice price from the factory listed on the import papers for duty assessment is almost $2000 less than the European delivery price listed by Saab on their web site. Despite what they tell customers, Saab dealers do make money on these sales. |
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