mneblett
#32806
A loss? If you don't buy the bike and they sell it to someone else, how have they lost?
In this case, it's hard to imagine a situation in which a loss would arise -- maybe if you farklized the bike in a strange way or had them paint it a color that would make it hard to sell to someone without a discount.
In the bigger picture, it's Econ 101 (over simplified): With far more demand than supply of goods, a lost sale would cause no harm -- they will have a ready buyer for every machine they can get. On the other hand, a real loss can occur where there is a slow selling model (i.e., more goods than buyers) -- someone backing out of a contract for such a sale would be a lost profit to the dealer (something for which a deposit can help compensate).
They didn't know?? Horse-hocky.I did not get a final answer to that question at the Orlando dealer....they didn't know if it was refundable or not - and if they don't know, who does? Hence my question.
From what I have gathered from various sources, BMW only required the dealers provide proof they had actual buyers, by:
-- sending in a buyer-signed form, and
-- sending in a photocopy of the buyer's driver's license.
My understanding is that BMWNA did not also demand that the deposit money be forwarded to NA -- or otherwise provide guidance as to whether the deposits should be refundable (and if I were a dealer principal, I would howl if they did -- that would be infringing on the dealer-customer relationship, a *very* touchy area for all vehicle dealers, as well as State Corporation Commissions). Moreover, BMWNA only sells bikes to dealers, and they go to great pains to *not* have a direct contractual vehicle sale link with the customer (for litigation-related and a variety of other reasons). You can expect that the last thing they would want is to get involved in the dealer-customer contract drafting process (refundable/non-refundable being just another term to be negotiated in the dealer/customer contract).
In fact, BMWNA said in their pre-order program announcment that all the following "should be discussed in your negotiations with the dealer": "determine your final price, agree in advance on the trade-in value of your current motorcycle, holding deposite, financing options/preapprovals and so forth."
Bottom line, you're being fed a line -- that dealer can choose to do business on a refundable or non-refundable basis as he/she sees fit. The fact that a straight answer is not being produced would be setting off all kinds of alarm bells in my head.