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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum HELP!! New car turns out to be a Demo
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      11-07-2014, 11:33 AM   #23
Grover432
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I don't see what the big deal is. You got a good deal on a car that had 192 miles on it. It was never titled and its warranty is up around 8 days earlier than it otherwise would have been. If they had rolled the odometer back, I could see a complaint here. Just accept that you bough a car with 192 test pilot miles on it and carry on.
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      11-07-2014, 11:35 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by qba335i View Post
Check your finance docs and/or title. There should specify there if the car is new or used.
The docs show the car as New

Quote:
Originally Posted by basamx View Post
Was the car every titled before you bought it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by The X Men View Post
Some dealers will use manager's car for test drive or even loaners to customers. Was the car register in June? If so, that makes you the second owner and your car used. If it hasn't been register when you bought it, the warranty should not have started in June. Try asking for a 1 year extended BMW platinum warranty from the dealer instead of taking their word for it you have the extra 3 month of warranty.
It does not appear to have been titled before. I've pulled the Carfax and as of Sept of this year it still has this car as being a new car...but it does show that the car was sold from a dealer in AL, and two days later its offered for sale at my dealer in TX. Does that mean that the car was just transferred from one dealer to the other??

The X Men, I will try and see if they could do the platinum warranty.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jz View Post
The 192 miles is most likely a result of the car being a dealer trade. The car was probably driven from another dealer to yours to be exchanged for another car. This is very common as it is much cheaper to hire someone to drive the car than to get a tow truck.

As for what a "demo" is, it is just a status of the car in the dealership inventory. New cars that are in a dealer's possession are "leased" to them by BMW, as the dealers do not pay for each and every car BMW sends to them upfront. There's a rule that if a car is not sold within a X amount of time, BMW would start charging the dealer for holding onto that car. To avoid these charges, dealers would simply purchase these cars themselves and mark them as "demo" cars even though they're not used for any demo purposes. They are sold as new as usual and carries the same standard warranty and maintenance.
Based on your comment about the demo carrying the same warranty, that means the car should not have had an in service date of June unless it had been sold to someone else?
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      11-07-2014, 12:21 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4MULA_1 View Post
It does not appear to have been titled before. I've pulled the Carfax and as of Sept of this year it still has this car as being a new car...but it does show that the car was sold from a dealer in AL, and two days later its offered for sale at my dealer in TX. Does that mean that the car was just transferred from one dealer to the other??

The X Men, I will try and see if they could do the platinum warranty.
Probably a car that was traded from AL. If the car have never been title, your warranty date starts on the date you bought it, at least that how it works with demo cars here in MA.
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      11-07-2014, 12:36 PM   #26
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Many times, if you google your car's VIN number, you'll find out if your car was listed on anothers dealers website. This can help you verify if it was a trade or not. Not sure if that will make you feel better or not either.
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      11-09-2014, 06:08 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWrules7
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebishman
You could of course kick up a fuss, BUT the car had almost no miles on it and you've got the extension of the OEM warranty, so if you love the car I wouldn't worry at all. This does not hurt at trade-in re: depreciation.
Bish
Great point. Without more, enjoy the car. You're stressing out and ruining the best period of bimmer ownership.

Yes, it's tough to find out you were duped and your old lady wasn't really the virgin she claimed to be.

Just play along. You can get her back by pumping her hard in the twistys.

Lesson learned. Move on.
Just enjoy an amazing car and don't worry about this stuff. In exchange for the 8 less days of warranty you get an additional 5k in miles. Go out and enjoy those additional miles
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      11-09-2014, 08:17 PM   #28
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A car truly used as a demo would have thousands of miles on it. 192 is nothing.
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      11-09-2014, 08:32 PM   #29
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Demo miles in a 550 are bad miles.... on a car that is not broken in. Insist they order you a fresh new car.
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      11-16-2014, 02:17 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewM3driver View Post
Demo miles in a 550 are bad miles.... on a car that is not broken in. Insist they order you a fresh new car.
You are correct two years ago I tested a brand new 550 for only few miles and I got the hell out of that car
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      11-16-2014, 08:31 PM   #31
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To the OP - You're ABSOLUTELY CORRECT that this isn't about the mileage. This is about trust. It's about not being taken advantage of when you're buying a premium product for $70k, $80k, or $90k.

If a car is a demo, they should have clearly TOLD you that up front. I'm sorry, it sounds totally and completely sketchy to me to withhold information that may be critical to the buyer's decision to purchase or not. I don't give a damn whether they tell you they'll extend the warranty. Fact is, you're STILL getting shafted by 8 days. Maybe that doesn't sound like a lot, but what if you had a major breakdown in those 8 days? It happens.

The reality is, you bought a car believing it was one thing and now found out it was another. There may not be a lot of material difference between the two - 192 miles is peanuts, after all. But for everyone who would willingly let these guys off the hook, I'd say you're only ENCOURAGING this type of dishonest behavior in an industry that's already flooded with shady characters.

Now, what can you reasonably expect to get from the dealer to make this right? I don't know. I'd say it's more about trust than anything. Nothing on your paperwork indicates this was a demo car? I'd make 100% sure. Then I'd go directly to the dealership's manager and politely (but firmly) explain the situation, along with indicating your dissatisfaction with the CA's lack of honesty. You'll have to decide what you want from them and make sure you clearly indicate it. If you simply bitch about it without a proposed resolution, I wouldn't expect to get much... and I would make sure that whatever you ask for is something you can take and run with - because I'd NEVER return to that dealer.

Whether you get what you want or not, I'd then take it to BMW NA and file a formal complaint with them over it. Again, being polite, professional, and reasonable will be the key. Even if you're seeking nothing, I'd still take it to them. My experience is that BMW NA is very reasonable, and they have high standards from their dealerships. You may be doing the next guy a favor by lodging a complaint if it means BMW NA takes some kind of action, themselves. If for nothing else, as well, I'd want someone from BMW NA to clear up what you're actually entitled to from a warranty perspective and get it in writing.

In any case, don't let it spoil things for you. The car is a GREAT vehicle - and thankfully the enjoyment you'll get from it has no bearing on who sold it to you. Now go find yourself a new dealer.
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      11-18-2014, 09:56 AM   #32
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They probably didn't advertise it as a Demo since technically it never was titled to the dealership and used as said Demo.

I had the same thing happen to me on my F150 Lariat before my BMW. The dealership purchased the truck new to sell, it didn't sell (was a 2012), they were going to use it as a Demo but never titled it to the dealership so it had about 300 miles on it from 2 years of being on the lot, so I got a HUGE discount for being a brand-new truck with full warranty and spec, simply b/c of the mileage.
Now, I specifically ASKED what the deal was with the truck before I bought it and I had the title checked and it all worked out. 192 miles to me would mean something similar happened, but I of course would have asked. That's way too many for test drives alone, and contrary to what was said earlier, the 550i is in no way a "common" BMW that just sits on a lot. More people tend to have M5s on hand that 550s.

Either way, you're getting an extended warranty and if it checks out and is all solid and looks and smells and feels brand new, I wouldn't complain.
You're both kind of at fault- they weren't "110%" upfront about the situation, but with that many miles you should have asked and gotten some $$ knocked off. But technically it is a 'new' car.
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