Deposits?

[montgoss]

What have you guys been putting down for deposits?
Were they refundable?

I've got the guy at the local BMW dealership requesting a 10% non-refundable deposit, which seems a bit ridiculous...

 

[Atommad]

£1k refundable upto the point the spec is "locked" around two weeks before build.

Are you in the UK?

 

[Lecram]

I have to pay the entire amount when the car will be delivered. No deposit.

 

[Jkoeller]

Where are you located, Montgoss?

I placed a $500 refundable deposit to hold onto one of their 13 allocations for 2014 i3's. I imagine that after I actually order the i3 (US orders aren't yet being accepted by BMW), that the deposit will become non-refundable.

 

[SanSerif]

£1k refundable upto the point the spec is "locked" around two weeks before build.

Are you in the UK?

Same here (also UK).

 

[I33t]

AU$2k refundable to secure an allocation.

I guess once I sign a build order the refundability goes out the window

Hurry Up!

 

[jamie94bc]

Yeah £1k in the UK - non-refundable.

10% would be around £3k in the UK which is the example amount when leasing. That seems very steep for a non-refundable deposit though! I'd phone up BMW i

 

[tiburonh]

What have you guys been putting down for deposits?
Were they refundable?

I've got the guy at the local BMW dealership requesting a 10% non-refundable deposit, which seems a bit ridiculous...

Laws on deposits vary by market, but here in California it's illegal for a dealer to ask for a non-refundable deposit. You have the right to cancel your order -- and get your deposit back -- at any point in time until you have actually taken possession of the car.

And in any event, on this car at this early, hotly-in-demand-but-limited-in-supply stage in its life cycle, dealers should have absolutely no problem selling the car right away to some one else if you do cancel.

 

[TomMoloughney]

What have you guys been putting down for deposits?
Were they refundable?

I've got the guy at the local BMW dealership requesting a 10% non-refundable deposit, which seems a bit ridiculous...

Please update your profile with your location. It will help answer questions like this since the answer is different depending on where you are from.

 

[carbonblackcab]

Here is Florida, I put a $1K deposit down after the test drive. The conract that I signed for the deposit was very generic that basically said that the car might be $50K. These deposits are usually refundable as these new cars are very popular and there is always someone in line to buy it.

 

[montgoss]

Thanks for the replies. I've added my location.

The guy at the dealership seemed to think we could place an order. So, he probably didn't know what he was talking about? He said

I looked at our availability this afternoon, and unless the system would reject the order for something not showing on the initial order screen, it looks like we can order the i3 in the configuration you requested

Think this means they have allocations? Or he's just assuming the order will go through and show up eventually?

 

[Jkoeller]

I've been trying to reach my rep via email to inquire about the orderability (if this isn't a word, it should be ), but it's possible he's been on vacation as he hasn't replied. I'll try calling him today.

I can see why they would want a large deposit if he had planned on placing the order right away, although if you had planned on doing their lease-like "Owners Choice with Flex", it shouldn't require 'money-down'. In that case, I would think the deposit would be refundable.

Here's the link on the financing options:
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Vehicles/2014/i3/BMWi3RangeExtender/BMWiFinancing/FinancingProducts.aspx

 

[Mike74jcw]

I've spoken to two dealers here in Virginia and both have quoted me $500 refundable deposits. Going to place a deposit very soon. I saw the order bank last week at my local dealer with my own eyes, but while ordering is getting very close they did not have actual allocations/build slots. The other dealer told me his order bank was also not open.

 

[CRU14]

I placed a deposit on 12/30 for $1000 at Desert BMW Las Vegas.
Since then I have signed my purchase intent order and build specs
For the i3. The dealer stated they have 3 in their 1st allocations.

Now the waiting begins!!

CRU14

 

[Lolotte]

Hi everybody!

Here in France, we don't have to give any deposit...
We just have to pay everything a few days before delivery!

 

[AviatorMan]

In the Seattle area there are two dealers, the main Seattle dealer wanted $5,000.00 back about November 15. I wrote the check but got cold feet after a few days and called the other dealer who put on his list at #48 for free. Just last week I went in and placed an order with a $1,000 deposit that is refundable at any time up to delivery. I think I am at about #25 at this point.

 

[joaocfgoncalves]

In Portugal 2000€ recoverable.

 

[RustonElec]

To get on the list I simply filled in an order form, and did not need to put down a deposit at my Connecticut dealer.

May have something to do with the fact that the dealership knows me well. Have purchased several cars from them in the past and currently in a lease to expire in October. The dealer said that as of two weeks ago they had 14 people on their list, and hopes to be able to put me in a car by the Fall.

 

[vmSeattle]

I am somewhere between #5-#10 on the list at BMW of Bellevue. I went in at the end of Jan and put up a $1,000 deposit. Odd that they let me use a credit card. As others have said before, it is fully refundable. Interesting tidbits:

1) The sales guy also mentioned they were getting the 1st shipment of i3's allocated for the US West Coast. Initially I found it odd that we'd get our i3's before California, but then I remembered that the #1 Nissan Leaf dealership in the country is Nissan of Bellevue .

2) Also mentioned was some vague references to the very first batch of US orders were somehow going to be put in by the sales manager for BMW NA? I'm not even sure I got that right or even understand it.

3) BMW of Bellevue already has their i3 charging station installed, but don't have an actual car to plug in. It's a chargepoint. No word on whether or not the dealership will let their customers have free charging.

As always, please take whatever a dealer says with a very large grain of salt.

 

[TomMoloughney]

2) Also mentioned was some vague references to the very first batch of US orders were somehow going to be put in by the sales manager for BMW NA? I'm not even sure I got that right or even understand it.

The first batch of cars for the US will be for the ActiveE "Electronauts" and will basically be ordered by BMW NA, although the sales contracts need to be done at the dealer level because you can't buy a car directly from a manufacturer in the US - if they have an existing dealer network. That is likely what you heard referenced. Our orders are going into the system now and will begin to be built in a few weeks.