Anyone ever price an interior light bulb at BMW?

[rwh11385]

anyone who runs a business or service dept or parts counter like that is a fucking idiot. you cant tell much at all about people by how they dress or what they drive. you should treat everyone who walks in like they have a million dollars in their pocket. i remember when my youngest son would go into the dealership and drool all over the new m3's with his buddies when they were 15. the salesmen treated them like shit and chased them out. someday these kids may have enough money to buy and sell these peon salesmen and those kids wont forget the treatment they received when they were punks. they will go down the street to buy their new bmw. if i was in charge of any dept like that all my employees would treat everyone with respect regardless of age or appearance,, even if it was mariano

are you implying that car salespeople are supposed to be intelligent people?

I never said it was right the way things go, but it is how they do. Why are you guys getting your panties in a bunch that some guys selling 07 BMWs don't get on their knees and blow you when you roll up in your hooptie? Like I said... they are people who only care if you can make them money, and if you won't likely, they look down their noses at you. Get over it, or go buy a Saturn.

And UofOM3, I meant that the target/focus product is the car sale (and the financing). They may make a lot of money from parts or service, but that's not why the dealership is open, and they won't cry over a few lost customers who buyer cheaper parts online or go to another shop. Most of the affluent customers there will go for convienance of the dealership and their courtesy car. If you find the prices too high, you'll search online, but a lot of people won't. So they enjoy their margins just fine and your lost sale isn't much skin of their back.

[Mr Deagle]

i get my parts at wholesale, no tax, and i can call and have it delivered, i drive up in my pos e30 E and they treat me great. everything is like 50-100 off retail ex: e30 sport evo oil pump 300 retail, my price 200

[browntown]

I just bought a volvo 850 for a D.D. and was going through it and found that the ashtray lights were burned out. Not that I really care, and I'll never use the ashtrays for anything but change, but I thought I'd get em anyways while I had the center console pulled apart. The little 1.2w bulbs arent wedge bulbs, and come with their own little plastic plug glued to them. Went to the dealership which is a combo volvo/bmw parts counter, and they cost me 5 bucks a piece for tiny little bulbs, one cost 8 bucks. jeez. Nice thing is they gave me my bmwcca discount even though it was volvo parts. 10% of outrageous equals not much.

Yeah, I went to the dealer today to get a new LCD backlight for my OBC, and the best he could do was $40. I think I'll go to Radioshack and solder in some new bulbs for $0.50

That doesn't seem right if you should pull up in your e30 that the salesmen will blow you off. If I were a dealer and I see somebody pull up in some older BMW, I'd be thinking to myself that this person is already sold on the quality of BMW's and that there's a good chance he is interested in purchasing another one. Today I was out christmas shopping with my mom in her minivan when we stopped at the dealer. A salesman approached us but when I told him I just needed a replacement lightbulb, we didn't get much attention afteward, but a lot of sideways looks as I sat behind the wheel of the Z4 ///M roadster. That car is so hot in person.

[equate975]

anyone who runs a business or service dept or parts counter like that is a fucking idiot. you cant tell much at all about people by how they dress or what they drive. you should treat everyone who walks in like they have a million dollars in their pocket. i remember when my youngest son would go into the dealership and drool all over the new m3's with his buddies when they were 15. the salesmen treated them like shit and chased them out. someday these kids may have enough money to buy and sell these peon salesmen and those kids wont forget the treatment they received when they were punks. they will go down the street to buy their new bmw. if i was in charge of any dept like that all my employees would treat everyone with respect regardless of age or appearance,, even if it was mariano

haha, sooo true.

I was at the stealer a few weeks back looking at an 06 a4 for my mom. I was just standing inside waiting, I few sales people kinda looked at me looking at cars but just kinda snobbed me off. Then I got on my phone to give my buddy a call and told him "oh that orange a4 is still here Im going to take a look at it, and maybe buy it" then a mob of sales people ran over to me asking if they could help. I wasn't going to buy it then and there, but I figured I would have my conversation sort of loud just to see what they would do. I suppose I was standing around with a hoodie on and an old coat, old ass baseball cap, studded belt, and old school converse looking shoes, I probably wouldn't talk to me either ;)

Parts people know me, because I spend gobs of money there, also the BMW people in the tech dept kinda know me, because they have done work on my car, I own the car "no one wants to drive because they have children"

[blunttech]

Guys, dealerships are businesses... not charities. Parts and service, and detailing, aren't really the main sources of profit, yet are to help the cash flow in over the year. They could charge less, but what's the point? For the 50 year old business man in the new 6 series, he is not going to spend his valuable time searching on the internet or using forums to save $10. Customers like that, are pretty price inelastic and the dealerships know that. Also, the parts are still a small fraction of their income, so it makes only a small difference to them (whereas they may care about large purchases, like the car itself and spend time shopping around). Micro-economics elective FTW.

When you roll up in an E30, the salesperson knows it is a 2% chance you will buy a new car, and also slim the other staff thinks you will be paying 80/hr to get your shitter worked on. Deal with it. They are most likely liberal art majors who know how to talk to people and get laid too. They look down on people they can't make money from (which includes you) and are snobs, even though they are deseperate car sales people.

And if the parts guy is younger or even just has worked there less than 10 years, he might not have ever seen an eta. Give him a break. I can bet he knows the E46ers like the back of his hand though.

anyone who runs a business or service dept or parts counter like that is a fucking idiot. you cant tell much at all about people by how they dress or what they drive. you should treat everyone who walks in like they have a million dollars in their pocket. i remember when my youngest son would go into the dealership and drool all over the new m3's with his buddies when they were 15. the salesmen treated them like shit and chased them out. someday these kids may have enough money to buy and sell these peon salesmen and those kids wont forget the treatment they received when they were punks. they will go down the street to buy their new bmw. if i was in charge of any dept like that all my employees would treat everyone with respect regardless of age or appearance,, even if it was mariano

[CleanAzzE30z]

dude, youll be alive at 71 and still look 68 3/4. ;)

Mariano

[blunttech]

Are you 70? Or do you just do tons of intravenous drugs?

Mariano

im 51 (but easily pass for 50)and not any more

[uofom3]

Guys, dealerships are businesses... not charities. Parts and service, and detailing, aren't really the main sources of profit, yet are to help the cash flow in over the year. They could charge less, but what's the point? For the 50 year old business man in the new 6 series, he is not going to spend his valuable time searching on the internet or using forums to save $10. Customers like that, are pretty price inelastic and the dealerships know that. Also, the parts are still a small fraction of their income, so it makes only a small difference to them (whereas they may care about large purchases, like the car itself and spend time shopping around). Micro-economics elective FTW.

When you roll up in an E30, the salesperson knows it is a 2% chance you will buy a new car, and also slim the other staff thinks you will be paying 80/hr to get your shitter worked on. Deal with it. They are most likely liberal art majors who know how to talk to people and get laid too. They look down on people they can't make money from (which includes you) and are snobs, even though they are deseperate car sales people.

And if the parts guy is younger or even just has worked there less than 10 years, he might not have ever seen an eta. Give him a break. I can bet he knows the E46ers like the back of his hand though.

Wouldn't the dealership/bmw actually make a lot more lifetime off of service work/parts than the actual profit of selling the vehicle? I would think so...

[CleanAzzE30z]

if im still alive in 20 years which is doubtful

Are you 70? Or do you just do tons of intravenous drugs?

Mariano

[325iCabrio]

When you roll up in an E30, the salesperson knows it is a 2% chance you will buy a new car, and also slim the other staff thinks you will be paying 80/hr to get your shitter worked on. Deal with it. They are most likely liberal art majors who know how to talk to people and get laid too. They look down on people they can't make money from (which includes you) and are snobs, even though they are deseperate car sales people.

And if the parts guy is younger or even just has worked there less than 10 years, he might not have ever seen an eta. Give him a break. I can bet he knows the E46ers like the back of his hand though.

I understand where you're coming from, but I think that applies to the Chrysler dealership when you pull up in an Aries-K. BMWs are premium automobiles, and premium enthusiast automobiles, so the dealership experience should be different.

Car salesmen are car salesmen, whether you're at BMW or Lexus or Kia. But the parts and service guys for a premium enthusiast car should be on top of their game and be ready to help BMW enthusiasts out with whatever they need. Otherwise they should be selling turn signal bulbs down at Sears Auto Center. What's the point of having BMW's commitment to parts for older cars and a whole BMW Mobile Tradition program if the parts guys don't know anything older than an X5?

I'm lucky that I have parts guys who feel the same way I do, and most of the salesmen seem to like my car. But I feel bad for you guys who have a shitty dealer--it dents an otherwise great BMW community.

[rwh11385]

For those lucky enough to have a dealership that gives the BMWCCA discount, yeah that's cool. My dealership on the other hand is a bunch of dickheads who whenever I walk in the door after pulling in in my E30, look at me like I just rolled up in that convertible Pinto that Smokey drives in Friday. Instant cold shoulder if you drive anything older than an E46. One of the parts guys looked at me like I was retarded one time when I told him the thermostat housing gasket I needed was for an 86 325es E30. He didn't know what the fuck I was talking about. I had to literally tell him, 325 E S, the mid-late 80's 3 series. It was like he'd never seen one before.

Guys, dealerships are businesses... not charities. Parts and service, and detailing, aren't really the main sources of profit, yet are to help the cash flow in over the year. They could charge less, but what's the point? For the 50 year old business man in the new 6 series, he is not going to spend his valuable time searching on the internet or using forums to save $10. Customers like that, are pretty price inelastic and the dealerships know that. Also, the parts are still a small fraction of their income, so it makes only a small difference to them (whereas they may care about large purchases, like the car itself and spend time shopping around). Micro-economics elective FTW.

When you roll up in an E30, the salesperson knows it is a 2% chance you will buy a new car, and also slim the other staff thinks you will be paying 80/hr to get your shitter worked on. Deal with it. They are most likely liberal art majors who know how to talk to people and get laid too. They look down on people they can't make money from (which includes you) and are snobs, even though they are deseperate car sales people.

And if the parts guy is younger or even just has worked there less than 10 years, he might not have ever seen an eta. Give him a break. I can bet he knows the E46ers like the back of his hand though.

[325iCabrio]

yup.

also - fuck the salesman at the dealer. I never talk to any of them. The parts guys know me and my dad on a first name basis and are always chill. Shit, sometimes they'll just give me the little stuff I need so they don't have to run the invoice. I had one salesman look at my red e30 m3 and say, "so have you considered trading up to an e46 sedan?" I looked at the guy like he was an idiot and simply told him, "it's not fast enough." The guy almost shit his pants - and didn't have a good response. The thing I love most about the dealership salesman is when they take lunch break and get into their 1980's or early 90's American POS.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Actually, the BMW dealership in my area is pretty cool, which is lucky since it's the only one in the state. The only people I don't like are the service guys--they're the only ones who act like my car is inferior.

I know the parts guys by name, and they're always ready to help me out. I don't usually get discounts, but they've helped me find service centers or suggested other local places I could get things replaced or serviced. One of the parts guys used to own an E30 and is currently restoring an old Triumph roadster, so we always talk about how our "restorations" are going :) . I've actually seen a few cool '80s models at the dealership before--I remember there was a late '80s M535i and M635CSi there once.

When I'm looking for parts I usually shop online and call the dealer, and whoever has the best price I go for, as long as it's OEM. Little things like bulbs and gas caps, etc., I usually get at the dealer. I paid $12 for the rear center mount light on my vert, which is way too much for a bulb, but I figured a few bucks more for the BMW equipment is worth not hasseling with something else making my brake light come on.

[jimsill]

02,e9 owners are older with a couple dollars to spend and dont try to chisel you everytime you turn around.

good point. I never really thought of it, but i guess someday us young e30 guys will be held in the same esteem as 51 year old insurance salesmen with a penchant for roundie tii's and straight fit dockers. But until that time, we must be the stepchildren of the BMW enthusiast community.

Oh yeah, my mechanic is a master BMW tech at my local dealership and gets me pasrts at his cost. And i NEVER take the e30 to the dealership during normal business hours (Thats the equivalent of walking into church with your dick hanging out)

[Axxe]

yup.

also - fuck the salesman at the dealer. I never talk to any of them. The parts guys know me and my dad on a first name basis and are always chill. Shit, sometimes they'll just give me the little stuff I need so they don't have to run the invoice. I had one salesman look at my red e30 m3 and say, "so have you considered trading up to an e46 sedan?" I looked at the guy like he was an idiot and simply told him, "it's not fast enough." The guy almost shit his pants - and didn't have a good response. The thing I love most about the dealership salesman is when they take lunch break and get into their 1980's or early 90's American POS.

LOL, I pulled up to BK motors in KW, and one of the salesmen asked me if I wanted to "trade up" to an E90. So I simply said "this honda civic look-alike? Nah, I rather have a fast car that looks distinctive"

Truth be told, the E90/92's are growing on me, but on the street from 100 ft away, I can't tell them apart from the new japanese variants.