Calgary BMW Salesperson/Manager Recommendation

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Looking for a recommendation for a salesperson or manager for a new BMW, as my parents are looking to order one later this month, and all the people my father has used in the past for new BMWs have moved on.

He knows the exact car, options and price he wants, only question is colour and will need to see a couple vehicles in different colours to decide on that.

He won't put up with any BS.

Recommendations?

[artieg30]

Tom Lobas at Calgary BMW. Tell him Art sent you, he'll take care of ya.

[shakalaka]

Honestly, I would recommend Levi Ozbey at Bavaria BMW in Edmonton. I have dealt with MANY guys both in Calgary and Edmonton and Levi always goes above and beyond for me. No BS guy.

He is definitely worth the trip up to Edmonton. And even then he has made arrangements for me to have my vehicles delivered to me at no extra cost in Calgary when I couldn't make it. Give him a shout, tell him Karan sent you and your parents will be sorted.

[Strider]

Originally posted by shakalaka
Levi always goes above and beyond for me.

I should hope so! He's probably made a fortune off you :rofl:

+1 for Levi

[Russo]

+ 1 for Tom @ Calgary BMW

[redline]

Anthony Brice is SA at Calgary BMW
Grant Yooun is Sales Manager at Calgary BMW

Both great guys and very easy to deal with a straight forward no BS. I have bought many cars from them.

[ganesh]

Woody Woo
Mention my name my whole family deals with him.

What ever you do stay away from Edmonton BMW.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Alright thanks for the suggestions. They are close to the Gallery but I think they prefer to deal with the Automall location.

[Team_Mclaren]

NICK M at the Gallery.

[italianstylez]

I always use mike Hochwald at Calgary BMW he's very easy to deal with, doesn't push and works hard for you.

[austic]

I bought a couple off Grant Young, has been great to deal with at Calgary BMW

[shakalaka]

Originally posted by Strider


I should hope so! He's probably made a fortune off you :rofl:

+1 for Levi

Haha to be fair to him, even the very first time when I approached him, he was nothing short of awesome. :thumbsup:

I guess if it HAS to be in Calgary, then Mike Howchwald (spl) at Calgary BMW has also been decent.

[djmr2]

Anthony Brice @ CalgaryBMW! GO!

[A2VR6]

+1 for Woody Woo @ Calgary BMW

[dirtsniffer]

Having previously worked at calgary bmw I can say woody and anthony are both stand up guys

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Stopped by BMW Gallery this morning with my dad just to look at colour and trim combos, salesguy that just happened to help us tried to convince us they are only allowed to order one M240i manual RWD per year which is bullshit, strike one for BMW Gallery.

[zhao]

Bavaria BMW sales I've actually had pretty good experiences with two times. Their service department blows goats, but the sales staff I dealt with years ago was the least greasy sales experience I've ever had, and the guy definitely knew about the product. They were also willing to move the most, and were willing to apply that discount to a custom order. When I went back the guy I dealt with before wasn't there anymore, but it was still another good experience.

When I bought this spring though I actually bought from Langley BMW. The price was way way lower than I could get in Alberta (thousands even after factoring in airfare,food, gas, my time, etc), they were well organized, everything was ready to go and as they said, and i was on the road within an hour. I'd definitely buy another car from out of province if it made financial sense.

As for Edmonton bmw, doing business there feels like you're buying a pizza from the Mob. I've never had a good experience there and I would avoid it like the plague unless the price is too good to pass up.

[redline]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
Stopped by BMW Gallery this morning with my dad just to look at colour and trim combos, salesguy that just happened to help us tried to convince us they are only allowed to order one M240i manual RWD per year which is bullshit, strike one for BMW Gallery.

How is the shopping going ?

[Marsh]

Really like Malcolm at BMW Gallery, and Grant Yooun at Calgary BMW. Two solid guys, no upselling or pressure tactics. Very great to work with

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Not sure I just tagged along for fun with my dad, he wants my mom to go make some colour decisions soon so he can order, as the car is going to replace her car. I think he just plans on ordering on the 31st of this month, from someone at Calgary BMW.

[Traffic_Cop]

Go see Shea @ Calgary BMW. Hes awesome. No bs or playing around.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Had an appointment with Woody today for trade in appraisal etc. Unfortunately Calgary BMW asks $800 more than BMW Canada lists for Freight and PDI on their configurater, plus their additional $595 "Admin Fee". Combined with a $300 price raise for 2017 production slots they were unable to come within about $2k of the cash price my dad was willing to pay, along with the dreadfully low trade in value offered (even though it was agreed their trade is in amazing condition) it just isn't worth it for them to upgrade at this point.

I like Woody though, seems like a good guy.

[max_boost]

Admin fee you can't get away from it's basically standard.
Trade in value is basically giving it away no headaches.

Did the $800 markup include any extra stuff? Winter mats, wheel locks, etc that somehow add up to $800 or they just basically upping the price by $800 lol

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by max_boost
Admin fee you can't get away from it's basically standard.
Trade in value is basically giving it away no headaches.

Did the $800 markup include any extra stuff? Winter mats, wheel locks, etc that somehow add up to $800 or they just basically upping the price by $800 lol

The $800 was for wheel locks, extra cleaning for delivery, and gas as explained. We had removed basically everything from the price, no 3M, no winter mats, etc.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

So now we come to the point of looking at other vehicles. Requirements: sports/sporty car, under $49999 on the road, manual highly preferred, not American, has to be M240i sized or smaller (won't fit in the garage otherwise), not FWD, not a Golf R.

[redline]

S3? Give it a few days they might phone back

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by redline
S3? Give it a few days they might phone back

S3 can't be had for less than $50k, the base price is like $5-6k more than a M240i actually.

GLA/CLA-45 also aren't possible under $50k. Miata RF is a contender but gonna be a tough sell for my mom to go from ~400HP to 155HP.

[VWEvo]

I've purchased 9 BMW's over the last 8 years between my dad and myself. We used to exclusively deal with BMW Gallery. Levi Ozbey, is hands down the best service and price I've ever dealt with. The price wasn't even remotely close here in Calgary. I've since not had a 3 other friends have the exact same experience. All our cars were delivered to our door here in Calgary, no need to go to Edmonton. Highly recommend Levi up at Bavaria BMW.

[yellowGTS]

I worked at BMW Gallery for almost 5 years and have had interactions with a large number of the sales staff from Calgary BMW. If I were to recommend a salesperson from BMW Gallery I would say Malcolm as he is their most senior salesperson and is very low pressure with deep knowledge.

Going to Calgary BMW, I would agree that Woody is a top choice. Grant is the Manager at Calgary BMW and I have personally bought 4 vehicles from him before he became a manager. I also think Andy Middleton would be a good guy to speak to at Calgary BMW.


Regarding the pricing, the fees listed on BMW's website (like all other manufacturers) do NOT include additional markups such as Freight/PDI, admin, etc. These are all fees that BMW allows dealers to set independently and require contacting the dealer to find out. It sounds like you were able to get to the base price without much hassle.

If your dad is looking to factory order, the allocations of RWD 2 series are very limited in the Canadian market, so there may be a bit of a wait to get an allocation. Second, appraisals are subject to change, especially when speculating a price 3-6 months into the future. Finally, why would you walk away from a deal if you are $800 apart on a $50k vehicle. That seems to be a bit absurd, but I don't know all of the details.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by yellowGTS
I worked at BMW Gallery for almost 5 years and have had interactions with a large number of the sales staff from Calgary BMW. If I were to recommend a salesperson from BMW Gallery I would say Malcolm as he is their most senior salesperson and is very low pressure with deep knowledge.

Going to Calgary BMW, I would agree that Woody is a top choice. Grant is the Manager at Calgary BMW and I have personally bought 4 vehicles from him before he became a manager. I also think Andy Middleton would be a good guy to speak to at Calgary BMW.


Regarding the pricing, the fees listed on BMW's website (like all other manufacturers) do NOT include additional markups such as Freight/PDI, admin, etc. These are all fees that BMW allows dealers to set independently and require contacting the dealer to find out. It sounds like you were able to get to the base price without much hassle.

If your dad is looking to factory order, the allocations of RWD 2 series are very limited in the Canadian market, so there may be a bit of a wait to get an allocation. Second, appraisals are subject to change, especially when speculating a price 3-6 months into the future. Finally, why would you walk away from a deal if you are $800 apart on a $50k vehicle. That seems to be a bit absurd, but I don't know all of the details.

The trade value didn't matter much, we can sell it very easily for premium market value, the car is immaculate and has a very very comprehensive service history. That trade value part didn't bother him much, we ended up over $2k apart on the price, not $800, due to the additional dealer fees beyond the expected $595 admin fee, there was another $~1k of dealer fees tacked onto the price that were described as "wheel locks, extra detailing on top of manufacture freight and PDI, and a full tank of gas" which is quite frankly highway robbery.

I think my dad really felt unnapreciated, he's been a loyal BMW owner and purchased 5 brand new BMWs in a row from either Calgary BMW or BMW Gallery, and we weren't even able to quality for loyalty because the current car wasn't financed and is 1 year past their cut off for loyalty on outright owned vehicles. It's hard to fork over more cash than expected, but it's even harder to fork out extra cash when you feel under appreciated as a customer in my opinion.

[zieg]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
So now we come to the point of looking at other vehicles. Requirements: sports/sporty car, under $49999 on the road, manual highly preferred, not American, has to be M240i sized or smaller (won't fit in the garage otherwise), not FWD, not a Golf R.

If he is opposed to American cars because he hasn't sat in one since the 90s, I would urge him to take another look. Especially if he plans to own it beyond the warranty period.

Looks like you cant quiiiiite get a v8 Camaro under 50K OTD but a well equipped v6 is definitely possible and still is no slouch. Plus, take a look at this interior and tell me it doesn't look as nice as anything else on the market under $100K:

http://www.chevrolet.com/content/chevrolet/northamerica/usa/nscwebsite/en/index/all-vehicles-nav/performance/2017-camaro/photos-and-videos/interior/jcr:content/mm_gal_c2/thumbnailArea/mm_gal_item_c2_0.img_resize.img_stage._3.jpg

Failing all that, https://www.reddit.com/r/whatcarshouldIbuy/ is often a decent resource for questions like this.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Unfortunately a Camaro is both too long and too wide for their garage currently. A M240i is very close to max width and length that will fit within the current space or so I've been told.

[zieg]

Hm, just looked up the 2 series dimensions and it's even smaller than I thought. 176x70 to the Camaro's 188x75..

I hear him though. Stupid small garages. My search for a truck that can tow 6000 lbs and come in under ~200" is..... difficult.

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo


The trade value didn't matter much, we can sell it very easily for premium market value, the car is immaculate and has a very very comprehensive service history. That trade value part didn't bother him much, we ended up over $2k apart on the price, not $800, due to the additional dealer fees beyond the expected $595 admin fee, there was another $~1k of dealer fees tacked onto the price that were described as "wheel locks, extra detailing on top of manufacture freight and PDI, and a full tank of gas" which is quite frankly highway robbery.

I think my dad really felt unnapreciated, he's been a loyal BMW owner and purchased 5 brand new BMWs in a row from either Calgary BMW or BMW Gallery, and we weren't even able to quality for loyalty because the current car wasn't financed and is 1 year past their cut off for loyalty on outright owned vehicles. It's hard to fork over more cash than expected, but it's even harder to fork out extra cash when you feel under appreciated as a customer in my opinion.

Actually, sounds like just another customer that expects the dealer to make nothing because you are a "loyal" customer.

I find it strange that after 5 vehicles from BMW, you still need a recommendatin on a sales person...

[dirtsniffer]

I believe there have been a few members here who have gotten the deal they were after by going to edmonton.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren


Actually, sounds like just another customer that expects the dealer to make nothing because you are a "loyal" customer.

I find it strange that after 5 vehicles from BMW, you still need a recommendatin on a sales person...

It's not like he expects the dealer to make nothing, but he's done his research, and knows what other people have paid for the same spec of car.

All of the previous people purchased from have moved on from BMW, that's why he asked for recommendations. It sounds like he likely will make a deal with a Beyond member who reached out to me, even though it's not what he expected to pay, it's closer than offered at Calgary BMW.

Alternatively he's checking with Levi in Edmonton anyway just to see what they can do.

[djmr2]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo


It's not like he expects the dealer to make nothing, but he's done his research, and knows what other people have paid for the same spec of car.


Comparison to other deals within Canada? I've tried my luck getting crazy discounts like they get in the states and no luck ever on that.

Try a larger market like Vancouver....

[max_boost]

if i like the car enough i would probably just eat it. if it's a sought after car, of course the dealer wants to maximize profit. however i can totally see another dealer coming in and under cutting the deal just enough, who knows, maybe $100 or $500 and steal the deal haha

[revelations]

EDIT- custom ordered cars probably dont vary that much ....







OP I would strongly consider going out of province for a high-value car like this. You can save, literally 10k in some cases with a bit of work. A coworker once bought a lowly Kia Van and was able to knock off about 7k from the Calgary out-the-door price compared to small town SK, where he bought it from. If you guys came about 2k short, then that should be a no-brainer.

Definitely worth a plane ticket and the time it takes to email the various dealers.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

A fair point max, and that's probably what's going to happen, he just wants to minimize how much extra he's paying. It sounds likely he'll be able to split the $2k difference that he ended up at and end up only $1k more than he originally wanted through the Gallery, which I think is fair.

Unfortunately Levi Ozbey is on vacation so he wasn't able to get ahold of him.

[Strider]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
A fair point max, and that's probably what's going to happen, he just wants to minimize how much extra he's paying. It sounds likely he'll be able to split the $2k difference that he ended up at and end up only $1k more than he originally wanted through the Gallery, which I think is fair.

Unfortunately Levi Ozbey is on vacation so he wasn't able to get ahold of him.

Unless he has to have it right now, I'd wait for Levi to come back - based on my own and others' experiences.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Huge thanks to Bobby Clark at BMW Gallery who got my dad setup and ordered the car today. Great service and went above and beyond to help him out.

Thread can be closed now, thanks.

[yellowGTS]

Congrats...Bobby is a great guy

I had no idea he moved back to BMW, I thought he was still with MINI.

[shakalaka]

Should have messaged me, I would have put you in contact with him. He's visiting family in Texas. Either way though congrats, as long as your dad is happy.

[max_boost]

yup. bobby is a good dude.

And congrats! m240? very nice car. :bigpimp:

[D'z Nutz]

Bobby's awesome sauce with awesome socks.