European automobile delivery
 

A friend of ours was saying that he paid less for his Volvo than what it would cost over here (8% off MSRP) <u>plus</u> got a free vacation for 2.

All I find by googling is that it's about a wash - since you can always buy for less than MSRP - but not a bad deal if you were going to spring for a trip to Europe anyway.

In any event, you get the use of a car for two weeks (longer if you extend the insurance), so we're seriously considering it.

Any personal experiences to share?

There are a number of posts about this topic including at least one trip currently being planned: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34620204

We did this a couple of years ago and were very pleased with the experience and car. We especially liked that there is a flat rate for the car, no haggling, oh and the two free tickets and hotel were pretty good too.

We bought a Saab through European delivery some years ago and enjoyed the experience enormously. Not only is it cheaper than in the US, but it saves rental car costs and, frankly, gives you a nicer ride while in Europe than you'd likely be willing to spring for in a rental.

A couple of years ago we came within a checkbook of buying a Bimmer through their ED program, but the timing was not good for us so I did a wee internet auction and got the car we wanted for an excellent price, although we had to fly to Nebraska to collect it. (Nice state, Nebraska. Hot in July.)

However, in the process I learned that MSRPs and the &quot;published&quot; overseas delivery prices are not all they appear to be. Bottom line, everything is negotiable. If you want to get a Volvo in Europe, contact a bunch of Volvo dealers and tell them you want the best overseas pickup deal you can get (you have to know what you want of course - same as in buying any car). They are able to negotiate - the price on the websites for &quot;delivered in Sweden(/Germany)&quot; is essentially the ED MSRP, and there are lower price tiers even than that that you can sometimes negotiate into, just like in the US where the &quot;factory invoice&quot; the dealer shows you is not the actual price the dealer pays. It's the same business whether you're in Goteborg or Great Falls, and as the buyer you have every right to play the game as best you can.

We bought a BMW 5 Series under the European Delivery Program and saved a little over $4K, plus no rental car fees for our 2-week vacation. ((b))

We are thinking of buying a used Volvo that was purchased through ED. I kind of like the idea that my future car has been to more countries in Europe than I have:)

I don't think there is any way to tell if it was purchased in the US or in Sweden. You'd just have to take the owner's word for it. ((b))

You can tell if the export plates are still on it behind the US plates. Vanity, yeah. (Blushes from confessional.)

Budman- We actually know the owners, so we've seen photographic proof of their trip through Europe with the car.

I wonder if there is any other way to tell if a car is ED. Maybe serial numbers?

I am actually picking up a Volvo S40 on Tuesday in Sweden. Yes it was 8% off and 2 free roundtrip tickets. My husband and I are using the car to drive around Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. I had a couple of friends do the same a few years ago. They enjoyed it and had no problems. I am hoping for the same. I think it's a good deal to get a car and trip all in one. You can find more info and experiences on www.swedespeed.com. Hope that helps.
Robyn