Update: Half-price BMW deal
American Express is offering its customers an unbelievable deal via their Daily Wish promotion this Thursday. After logging into the Daily Wish site, cardholders are offered different discounted gifts each day including restaurant gift cards, cameras, laptops … and a half-price 2011 BMW 328i.
Yes, it’s true. But I suspect with the number of people clicking on the BMW deal once it goes live, it will resemble the Amazon.com Kindle deal debacle from last month.
(UPDATE: If you go to the previous sentence’s BMW deal link, you’ll see the 328i’s half-off cost comes to $17,263. That’s still relatively pricey for many in our current economy, but also tempting for folks who can afford and want to buy a BMW. And, as a reader points out, you’ll first want to read the fine print, including the fact only two models will be available in this national promotion from AmEx.)
Today’s Daily Wish bargains include a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet PC (Verizon-enabled) and $50 back when you spend $100 or more on jewelry from Blue Nile.
Any AmEx holders going to try to get the BMW deal? (If so, do let us know if you can actually purchase it.) How about the Samsung Tab or jewelry? What other holiday bargains have you found through credit card companies or other partnerships?
NOTE: Commenting on this entry is now closed.
(While we’re talking about credit card companies, see my later post on the benefits many credit cards provide to help your holiday shopping.)
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter blog
See a great deal I should know about? Email me at ldavidson@ajc.com. You can also follow me on Facebook or on Twitter @atlbargains.
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54 comments Add your comment
Petie The Crab
December 15th, 2010
8:43 am
Engine, seats and tires are extra.
Me
December 15th, 2010
8:47 am
Petie, you are funny. What’s even funnier is that what you said might actually be true. LOL
Me
December 15th, 2010
8:47 am
Enter your comments here
Nicole W.
December 15th, 2010
8:50 am
After dealing with my husband’s X5, I don’t think you could give me another BMW. $3000 for simple maintenance (latest quote from shop for brakes & boots). I’m obviously in the wrong business.
Melissa
December 15th, 2010
8:51 am
There are only 2 BMW 328i’s up for grabs at $17k, which is 1/2 off.
ybuy4n
December 15th, 2010
8:58 am
Heck you can lease one now for like $299 a month.
sean
December 15th, 2010
9:31 am
Nicole, you obviously dont know cars if you have that to say about BMW…..obviously..
JesusFreak
December 15th, 2010
9:33 am
Petie and Me, you are too funny!!
DW
December 15th, 2010
9:35 am
@ybuy4n Yeah with $9,000 DOWN!
Ted Striker
December 15th, 2010
9:48 am
Nicole, I think you can say whatever you like about your buying experience.
Lance
December 15th, 2010
9:58 am
Nicole- New BMW’s are maintenance free. Obviously you purchased a used one so please do not blame BMW for your bad choice.
WestSider
December 15th, 2010
10:02 am
Be careful folks…BMW puts a special chemical in the carpet fibers of all of their cars that turns ordinary folks into the most agressive drivers on the planet…if you drive one you are guaranteed to find the sudden urge to break every traffic law, speed with wanton abandon, tailgate drivers who are driving above the speed limit, and commit every other moronic, juvenile, and classless move on the road to show people that you are indeed special because you have an overpriced lease.
Robert
December 15th, 2010
10:09 am
As a former lease customer of a BMW (325i) I can say without any reservation that it is a total waste of money. Don’t misunderstand me…the cars are fantastic, and drive impeccably. The lease option is a complete gimmick. It gives you a smaller payment and provides you with free maintenance which normally runs several hundred dollars just for an oil change. The catch comes at the end of the lease. I had to replace a full set of run flat tires ($1100), a whole windshield due to a very small star in the glass within the sweep of the wipers, and no they wont let you have it filled. ($1000) And finally the entire front panel due to a small scrape on the lower front skirt from a parking bumper…guess what ($1200). Anybody want to write a check like that at Christmas time in 3 years? And don’t believe a word of the salesmen at purchase time…read your contract top to bottom. Salesmen tend to forget convenient promises.
Oh and God forbid you go over your allotted millage….5 to 8 cents per mile over (according to your contract). You life starts to revolve around whether you should put the miles on the car to go to the store or not.
My advice…if you want the BMW pay cash. Avoid the lease like the plague.
BMW
December 15th, 2010
10:13 am
BMW=Big Money Waste
However, I “love” it because it supported our household over the last 20 years with my BMW mechanic spouse! If you don’t want the hassle, you gotta buy up to the 700+ Series…not the weakling 500 and below series….
AnyLease
December 15th, 2010
10:21 am
Robert….what you described is probable with ANY LEASE! You may have been better off buying out the lease, then sell it. You might have lost less than $3,300 anyway.
What’s wrong with this picture (on TV). $3,500 due at signing, $349/month for 36 months. (real small print: after all that you won’t even own the car!)
ybuy4n
December 15th, 2010
10:31 am
A friend of mine “had” a 3 series convertible. It rode like a horse and buggy carriage especially around the streets of midtown. Wouldn’t have one if you gave it to me.
Bob LeBlah
December 15th, 2010
10:32 am
Wow! Geniuses here have figured out leases are stupid. Good job guys!
Robert
December 15th, 2010
10:33 am
AnyLease normally I would agree with you, however, in the case of my BMW they place an agreed upon buyout value of the car in the initial lease. It wouldn’t have been bad except that someone plowed into my rear end on the way to the airport one day and the value of the car after the repairs (even though it was fixed good as new) was less than the buyout price. Cue the dealer’s Snidley Whiplash laugh….
Robert
December 15th, 2010
10:36 am
Bob we all learn our lessons in life…some are just more expensive than others! Try a divorce… the exchange rate is amazing!!!!
commoncents
December 15th, 2010
10:42 am
A lease is only a good idea if it’s a company car… Unless you like wasting money to keep up with the Jones’
BMW Owner
December 15th, 2010
10:48 am
@BMW, I have a 5 series and I love it. I’ve owned it since 2007 and I still havent’ paid a penny on maintenance – 5 years, 100k miles…I love it. The only thing I’ve had to get was new tires. Do your homework before you buy, get financing before you get there (as with any dealership) and get the car of your choice. Yes, I will choose BMW again and my husband is considering one for his next vehicle.
markie mark
December 15th, 2010
10:52 am
my wife leased a car once almost 15 years ago (Buick, by the way). When we took the car back into the dealer on Cobb Pkway near the clock tower, it was immaculate. The service manager went so far as to get on his knees and look across the trunk, where he then spotted a miniscule acorn “dent”. He wrote that up despite my protests. 2 weeks later, GMC leasing called me demanding $500 to fix the “dent”. I ended up paying it to avoid it going on my credit, but to this day I will not buy GMC and will not step into that dealer again…..(the moral is – it aint just BMW that pulls this crap, and all leases are stupid)
Chief Pontiac
December 15th, 2010
10:55 am
BMW is overrated. The biggest asset is that it stole the front end look of Pontiac. Bring back Pontiac!
Toose Alberts
December 15th, 2010
11:10 am
If you can only afford a BMW that’s half off, you shouldn’t buy one. You’ll never be able to maintain it properly. Also, no one is impressed by an entry-level 3 Series.
Owned 4 bmw's in my life
December 15th, 2010
12:15 pm
For anyone who says a BMW is overrated, stop driving the lowest end model and thinking youre an expert on the cars….if u drove a 525/325, it is a WORLD of difference from a 330/545/550, trust me. Not to mention an ///M BMW….i found that these cars INSPIRE haters to make judgements and generalizations about the owners. ….and NICOLE if you and the hubby bought a used BMW with over 50,000 miles (because all NEW ones are fully covered incl maintenance) and NO warranty you lose the right to complain about how unreliable the car is….stop being a poser and go buy a $20k toyota u can afford and wont break down on ya.
Nativeson71
December 15th, 2010
12:20 pm
Poor people lease cars…why you need to over-compensate?
Responsible people buy newer use cars…
The money looks better in your savings account than it does sitting in traffic and covered in soot.
sean
December 15th, 2010
12:32 pm
LOL..everyone of you doggin drivers, or lease…or the car..IMHO are just haters, dont you guys have something better to do?..
Owned 4 bmw's in my life
December 15th, 2010
12:40 pm
Sean, u speak the truth…these cars passionately inspire and create haters
Lemon
December 15th, 2010
12:42 pm
Yup you can have the half off BMW.. the one we had right off the car shows floor ended up with the Lemon law. Looked pretty but was in the shop more then on the roads of Atlanta, and not to mention the Great people who work for BMW.. they are about as good as there product. The true meaning to a Used Car Salesman.
Pretend Hero
December 15th, 2010
12:52 pm
If you want to drive a new car with a warranty, there is no way to beat a zero down lease. Some companies (Honda for example) have a $1500 lease allowance in the standard lease to prevent surprises at the end of the term.
I lease. My car is new every three years, never out of warranty, and I NEVER have to buy tires, breaks, etc.
Sara
December 15th, 2010
12:56 pm
I am on my third lease and I will never purchase. The payments are lower, my maintenance is free. Ill never have sink money to an older car. I do not think that it is irresponsible, nor am I poor. For me, it is a better option. I don’t want the hassle of fussing with worrying about a belt or transmission.
MV
December 15th, 2010
1:02 pm
The maintenance is free because it’s not a line item on the bill? Riiiiiight. Just like everything you don’t specifically get charged for is free. Like the hangers from the dry cleaner: free. The heating of the restaurant you ate in: free. And the 3 pilots that fly you from Atlanta to Paris: free free free.
Owned 4 bmw's in my life
December 15th, 2010
1:13 pm
hey MV…u sound like an optimist..LOL…lets keep it going…the sidewalk u used to get into the building: free, the ajc online: free, the air you breathe: free, sarcasm from a stranger: free.
BILL MC
December 15th, 2010
1:35 pm
To all you people that think leasing is stupid, you may want to read up on your basic principles of personal economics. One of the main ones being ” Buy what appreciates, rent what depreciates.”. While it may not be for everyone, it is certainly not stupid. There are certain instances when it would actually be stupid not to lease. Either way, a little open-mindedness never hurts.
Nosey
December 15th, 2010
1:38 pm
Thanks guys for all of your comments…some helpful others just plain humorous…for what it’s worth, thanks for making my lunch “something to do” and also almost making me choke on my soup. Life lesson here..never lease!
///M
December 15th, 2010
1:39 pm
I love my BMWs – owned Mercedes and a Lexus and came back to BMW a few years ago. Other brands compare themselves to BMW, not the other way around.
OO \ | / OO
Nicole W.
December 15th, 2010
1:42 pm
@Sean – What about my comment suggests that I don’t know cars? I know that compared to my Cadillac and my Nissan, $3000 for a brake job and boots is absurd. The parts on the job would be less than $1000.
@Ted Striker – Thanks. I appreciate it.
@Lance – No. I did not buy used. My husband purchased this car brand new in 2004.
@Owned 4 BMW’s In My Life – I suggest reading someone’s post before commenting. I did not say anything about the reliability of the car or that it broke down. I said THAT THE MAINTENANCE IS OUTRAGEOUS. And again, I did not buy used. This car was purchased brand new in 2004, and it is now out of warranty. What is your suggestion? Sell after the warranty expires so that I don’t have to pay for maintenance? Brilliant. And thanks for bringing back the word poser. Haven’t heard that one in a decade or so.
Ghost
December 15th, 2010
1:52 pm
My 2 BMWs run just fine. My M5 has been pretty much flawless for the last 7 years and I’ve never put more than a couple hundrds $$’s into it.
My newer X5 runs great but HAS been in the shop several times, but I’ve not had to pay a dime out of pocket.
I love ‘em and would definitely buy another BMW.
Bryan G.
December 15th, 2010
1:53 pm
I love my BMW, but I agree with some of the other comments. The maintenance is extremely high. Luckily, you need less of it than other cars, but you can’t drive past a BMW mechanic without spending 1000 bucks.
My next car is going to be something a little cheaper and a little less flashy
Bwana
December 15th, 2010
2:05 pm
BMW = “Broken Motor Works”…
Nicole W.
December 15th, 2010
2:05 pm
@Owned 4 BMWs – Did I say that I purchased the car? No. And it did have a maintenance plan, but it has expired. Can you honestly say that the cost of maintaining a BMW isn’t significantly higher than other cars? And you’re right, I had a huge agenda. I wanted to post on the article to try to deter others from buying. Where did I suggest any action for others to take? I said that I would not have another one. And I believe this section is for comments. Your comment fell right in line with mine. The article wasn’t about how great of a car BMW makes, but you decided to comment that you liked them. And again, I did not say that it was a horrible car. I see that you still didn’t read my post. Let me remind you again, I said that the simple maintenance costs too much.
Nicole W.'s Husband
December 15th, 2010
2:06 pm
Hey I’m the poser that owns the X5. I can unequivocally say two things: 1) I love the car. 2) *Once your service plan expires* on the new car (I purchased using cash) it becomes insanely expensive to maintain, even for regular maintenance items.
Nicole W.
December 15th, 2010
2:12 pm
Nope. Try again. The conversation went more like “Hey honey, come look at this idiot on AJC.”
Horsefeathers
December 15th, 2010
2:13 pm
I loove my Pinto!! No hassle, no maintenance,no tires, no car LOL
Nicole W.
December 15th, 2010
2:18 pm
So you’re not going to respond? I guess you finally read my original post. Shouldn’t you be jumping all over @Bryan G? He thinks the maintenance outside of a warranty costs too much too.
Motor Ist
December 15th, 2010
2:21 pm
To the whining idiots about how “insane” BMW maintenance is: If you couldn’t afford it, you should have bought a Corrolla. Or, at least, the extended maintenance plan. I own a BMW 335i, and it is a magnificent automobile. Most of the losers dissing the marque here reek of envy and ignorance.
SWATL
December 15th, 2010
2:22 pm
Read the #1 Term & Condition of this offer and you will notice that the car must be purchased with your American Express Card. Soooooo basically you are CHARGING $20K on your credit card, and if the balance isn’t paid in full in less than a month then you start paying interest on that. And remember, you can’t refinance the car because it’ll be on your credit card. REAL BRIGHT!
1oldfatguy
December 15th, 2010
2:31 pm
Buy a 72 Pinto. They’re so cheap you can sometimes get them just for hauling them off the owner’s property. They break down, but are relatively easy to repair, and if the repair isn’t done correctly, who cares? They don’t require a 500 mile break-in period, and if they do break down, you can leave them at the curb and just walk away. Try that with a $70,000 BMW.
Mark
December 15th, 2010
2:38 pm
Agreed that they are wonderful cars, but the cost of maintaining them can be high after a service plan (which do eventually expire). Motor lst: There is a difference between not being able to afford something and not wasting your money. It looks like everyone agrees that they are good cars.
CR
December 15th, 2010
2:44 pm
All German cars are overrated. The USA make these products what they are. Why do we Americans say that all American cars are crap and wonder why the economy is the way it is.
I work in downtown ATL and tell why every restaurant and store in my building besides Chick fil-A is owned by a foreigner. Why when I call customer services for my banking institution (which is an American Bank) why am I speaking to someone in India???? I believe as Americans we focus on the wrong things, we are trying to stop an African American from being president, while along black or white people don’t own this country. Why can someone not born in this country (Gov. Schwarzenegger) run and win? We Americans we will extinct ourselves.