[avi]

I wanted to submit this post to give everyone a sense of how much Irv does to take care of his customers.

Based on comments I’d seen on this message board, I ordered my 335i convertible from Irv in Spring 2008 and planned to pick up the car in Munich in late June. Although I’d never met him, the service Irv and his team provided was above and beyond -- they answered all of my questions in countless phone calls and emails about pricing, logistics, ED (which I’d never done before), and the car itself. I never felt like I was taking up too much of their time because of how approachable they were and how welcome they made me feel.

While the order was pending, I decided to relocate to California, which presented two problems -- I couldn’t make my scheduled delivery date and now wanted the car to show up in California instead of at the Performance Center in South Carolina. Not only did Irv and his team arrange for Munich to provide me with a new delivery date, he also worked with a dealer in California (Will Shaw at Long Beach BMW, who was terrific to work with in his own right) to have the car delivered there.

I’ve never met a salesperson like Irv -- he is truly exceptional in terms of his knowledge, attitude, frankness, and willingness to go the extra mile. I loved my ED experience, can’t wait to do it again, and cannot conceive of doing it with anyone other than Irv. The guy is awesome.

[mas857]

I just finished an ED and I can only say great things about Irv. Throughout the whole process Irv was there to keep me on track. At the end he even managed to change my financing for the 2.9% to the new BMW 0.9% at the last minute. He is a man of his word and a true gentleman. Thank you Irv!

[my2kds]

This was my first BMW purchase. I went to my local dealer and did not leave with a good feeling. I found out about Irv through the recommendations here and I was very pleased. I did both the ED and PCD (whereas my local dealer said both was not possible). Irv and his staff were very professional. The transactions conducted were smooth. I had to change the date of my ED due to a family situation and they were able to change it with no problems. The PCD was an awesome experience! Everything was handled very smoothly prior to my PCD. Irv registered my license plates for me and I had them in hand a week prior to my delivery. All I had to do was relax and enjoy. I will definitely use Irv and his staff again.

[dean2c]

Irv is the real deal. Like many others on the boards, I did a Euro delivery followed by a performance center redelivery. Irv & his team effortlessly coordinated every detail in a manner that was professional, honest, fair, and timely.

I have never had such a hassle-free experience buying a car. There were no surprises (except pleasant ones, like a loaner Euro nav disk and license plates that arrived at my home 2 weeks prior to PCD.)

Despite being 900 miles away, Irv & his team were always available to answer questions, whether by phone or email. Not once in the process did I have to "leave a message" or await a call back.

He has earned my business for life. Do yourself a favor and give him a chance to earn yours.

[Gig103]

I've been in touch with Irv for a while now. He's great, always getting back to you quickly, and making you feel like you're his #1 client. I ordered from Irv based on his reputation, because my delivery date was not negotiable - I was getting married the Friday before it, and a messed up delivery would have ruined a lot of plans and reservations.

When we were planning Euro Delivery, we looked at the route, and remarked that it looked like a honeymoon. We were already engaged, so we decided that we should make it our honeymoon. Then we went one step further, since my wife has family in Germany, to have the wedding in Munich!!

So, I explain all this to Irv, and he gets us our date, and keeps me in the loop and all that. At one point, he says we should wear our wedding outfits to the Welt; and I mentioned it to my wife on a laugh, and she liked the idea!!!

The wedding was fantastic, a very intimate ceremony in a church from 1485. That was Friday. On Monday, we woke up and went to the Welt!

The Welt was wonderful. We showed up in the wedding outfits, and everyone was fawning over us. We felt like celebrities! Thomas took us through the paperwork very quickly, and then we went and enjoyed the premium lounge for a bit. We actually met a Bimmerfest member, which was cool since he was from CA, I'm from PA, and we were in Germany!

Finally at noon, we met with Bernard. He is as wonderful as everyone says he is. We had a great time talking about the wedding and our planned trip, as much as we did the predelivery introduction. I love his 'donkey bridges' for remembering the compass points of iDrive too. Before we knew it, it was 12:40 and we hadn't even left the predelivery presentation area, so we hurried back upstairs, to take the big walk down... Our car was there, rotating on the platform right at the bottom of the stairs, across from the restaurant. Welt employees applauded us as we decended, too, which was very nice.

Stephanie came over to take our picture with the car, and took quite a few, posing us similarly to the wedding photographer last Friday Then, a very nice surprise, a small tart was given to us as a gift (along with the customary keychain, of course!!). Teri went to change out of the wedding dress and into something more comfortable for the factory tour while I went over the bluetooth, ipod, etc etc with Bernard. He certainly knows his stuff, all while being one of the most polite gentelmen I've ever met.

A nice last surprise was being asked if we would sign a release allowing BMW to use our photographs in promotions. Of course we said ''YES'' and signed the form. It was not definite that they plan on using the pictures, just that they wanted permission to consider it.

I had to sign the form as I was starting the car, though, since I still needed to do my lap and only had about one minute to the start of the factory tour!! We parked and made it just as the movie introduction was ending, but we still enjoyed the actual tour. It was very detailed, I have to say, and not rushed as a lot of tours are.

We left the Welt after the tour, heading to Austria. Here was our schedule for the trip:
4/19-4/28: Munich (with day trips to Ulm, Neuschwanstein, Rothenburg odT, and the wedding)
4/28-4/29 Innsbruck, Austria
4/30-5/2 Lake Como (with a day trip to see the Last Supper in Milan - my wife is an art historian)
5/3: Nice/Monte-Carlo
5/4-5/5 Burgundy region of France
5/6-5/10: Paris, France

[dan74]

I found Irv last December and gave him a call. He explained ED process to me even though I wasn't buying at the time. I then got to him in July and placed an order. No haggling over price and very pleasant overall experience. We did everything via e-mail, fedex and mail (I live 300 miles from his dealership). I chose Irv over my local dealer for his experience with the process and was not disapointed. I went to Munich in late November and I just picked up my car last Sunday (Dec-7). I was able to get my car on Sunday afternoon even though the dealership was closed (and the car was warming up when we got there).
I would recommend him to anybody...(and I'm trying to talk my boss into ED).

[frollo]

ordered my 335xi from irv on dec 30th. The experience has been nothing but great from him. No hidden fees no bs just a straight guy, very knowledgeable and helpful. Can't wait to pick it up in march! (double teaming it, getting the car and taking our honeymoon).

[idesign]

Purchasing the car from Irv and Motor Werks was such a breeze that we were able to focus on planning and enjoying the traveling and activities associated with ED. The only difficulty was enduring the wait until our departure and awaiting our car to be delivered to the States.

What a trip!


Everyone should experience this driving adventure. From the BMW Welt, the museum, driving on wonderful roads in Europe, and truly understanding what driving a BMW is all about: the pure joy of driving a car that makes you feel as if you’re in complete control.

[Hasek9339]

I got in contact with Irv last Nov. and he has been amazing. He has been very easy to work with, knowledgeable about the ED process and he always responds to e-mail and phone calls in a timely fashion. I had placed an order for a ED on Feb. 20th 2009, but I was not ready so I called Irv today 1/15 to tell him that I needed to push out my car delivery. Irv was awesome in securing my new ED date in May along with getting all the correct paperwork needed for the change. I can highly recommend Irv to anyone even if you are not local. Irv is in Chicago and I am in Buffalo NY. I chose Irv over my local dealer Towne BMW because of his experience, his price and the great feedback he has received on this website E90 Post. Irv is a real straight shooter , and you will not be disappointed if you place an order with Irv Robinson.

Thanks so much Irv the anticipation is going to kill me!!! I can’t wait!!!

[mas857]

I wanted to add to the positive comments about Irv, as I benefited from others feedback to choose him for my CA. I did it all through Irv: ED and PCD and now I have my 335i home at last. Between Irv and e90post, I was able to order the car of my dreams, for a great price and for an even better experience (ED and PCD are both quite different, but both are incredible, not to be missed adventures). Irv made the process not only pleasant but seamless. This is no small feat considering all of the details involved for a BMW order, ED and a PCD and considering Irv is in Chicago and I live in Florida. I was naturally suspicious of all the praise that Irv had on this site, but I'm a believer now. He kept in contact with e-mail, phone and FedEx. Everything was done for me including FedExing the Florida plates to me from Chicago! He really earned my business and I will continue to use him in the future.

[drkumar]

I am completely new to ED, and Irv was the first person I contacted. He responded to emails faster than I could type them, spent over 30 minutes on the phone explaining everything to me, and even when I told him I wouldn't be able to do business with him because of the distance, was willing to answer my questions. The man is a legend when it comes to ED, and not enough good things can be said about him. Keep it up Irv! We need more people like you in the business!

[snkeyez95]

Sounds like Irv is great guy. Does he do business with those not doing ED?

[767jetz]

I have to chime in here and add my 2 cents. Irv is absolutely top notch. I am the type of person who is a very loyal customer and reward those in any sales position with repeat business and recommendations when I'm treated well. Our entire experience with our May 2008 ED through our July Performance Center Delivery was spectacular.

But the best part is how accessible Irv is, and his continued support even after the check has cleared the bank. I was initially impressed that he not only promptly returns calls and emails, but also how personable he is. He talks to you in straight, honest, and easy to understand terms, walking the inexperienced ED customer through every step of the way.

I unfortunately ended up having a problem with my car in the form of a paint defect that was resolved by BMW with a replacement car. Irv was always right there to answer my questions and give me support, even though I am a thousand miles away. It is that kind of customer service that makes all the difference in the world. I'm sure there will be more ED's in my future, and Irv will be my CA as long as he endeavors to be in the business.

Thanks again, Irv...

Here is my intial delivery at Welt and redelivery in South Carolina:

[64alfa]

We previously took European Delivery (ED) of a 2006 325xi 4dr., which we thoroughly enjoyed. However, because of the design and features of the E92 coupe’, we traded in the ’06 and leased a 2007 328xi coupe’ from a local dealer. Then I was bit by the ED bug again, so I contemplated where to order the car. It was then that I saw an ad in the BMWCCA’s ROUNDEL monthly magazine from Irv Robinson, Director of European Sales, of Motor Werks of Barrington, IL. At first, this seemed a bit unusual to go this route, but I decided to start a conversation with Irv, which was in March, 2008. His friendly and open style won me over that this was the way to go about the ED for a 2009 coupe’. We finalized on details for the 2009 335i xDrive coupe’ by the summer (we were waiting for the new car information from BMW).

We arrived in Munich November 5, 2009 and took European Delivery (ED) of the 2009 BMW 335i xDrive after a train ride from the Munich Airport to the BMW Welt in Munich, next to the Olympiazentrum. The BMW Welt is an architectural masterpiece.

The delivery experience at the BMW Welt was very well organized (see photo) and we were on our way that afternoon, after breakfast and lunch.



Overall, we logged about 1400 miles (see map) driving from Munich to Regensburg and Passau, following the Danube River as much as possible, through Austria (Steyr, Melk, Krems, Klosterneuberg, and Vienna). We then drove to Hungary (Budapest), and Slovakia (Bratislavia), and back through Austria (Salzburg) to Germany (Chiemsee [see photo] and Berchtesgaden), with a drop-off of the car in Munich on November 15, for shipment back to the States.



Chiemsee:


Lots of fun, including a stint at the trip’s end on the Austrian Autobahn at a very steady electronically-limited 130 mph (see photo) “with” a late model Porsche coupe (at that speed, I just kept my eyes on the road)! We returned from Munich on November 16.



After shipment to the States, we picked up the car at PC Spartanburg, SC the first part of January, 2009, which was a terrific experience, especially driving BMW’s 335i cars, with expert guidance from PC’s Donnie Isley, through braking, slalom and wet skid pad demonstrations. We also did some remarkable “off-road driving” in X5s.

All in all, with such a series of memorable experiences, we’re seriously thinking of doing the ED with Irv again in a year, or so.

[DWolf15]

If you are on the fence, or planning on ED'ing a BMW, you owe it to yourself to give Irv a call (and be sure to ask him how you can drive BMW for a Honda payment, it is very interesting). My wife and I were planning a trip to Europe the last week of Oktoberfest 2008, for our anniversary. As it turned out, the lease on her car was coming due right around then. I always wanted a BMW and thought maybe we should consider the ED program. My cousin ED'ed his BMW a number of years ago and basically paid for the trip with what he saved on the car.

I decided to hit up the local dealerships to get some info on how the program worked, how much lead time I needed, how leasing vs financing worked etc. Every dealership I went to in the DFW area knew next to nothing about the program or said "I think Mike did one of those a few years ago but he is off today...Lets go to my office I will show you on the website." I decided I needed to find someone that had done more then one of these, and that is when I started hitting the forums and heard about Irv. Two weeks after I had seen his name for the first time, one of my co-worker pulled up in a shinny new 335i convertible. We got to talking and to make a long story short he had just worked with Irv on the ED of his car, and said it was the most amazing experience. He hooked me up with his contact info and that night I ended up calling Irv.

From my first call he came across as the most knowledgeable salesman I have ever spoke with. Any question you have he has the answer. He will rattle stuff right off the top of his head that other salesman are looking up. He will break down the program benefits, time to delivery, drop off locations, option and pricing. 9 times out of 10 you get emails back as fast as you send them. If he is busy his staff is very knowledgeable and can typically get you answers. Last but not least he is always looking out for your best interest, and the best example I have of that was the financing of the car. I had planned on using a HELOC to finance the car since it was a better rate then what BMW had. Because I had planned on picking up a 2009 on the first day BMW was delivering them it didn't look like they were going to have any special financing on them. 3 days before my trip Irv informed me that BMW was offering 3.9% on 09 335i coupes. He overnighted me the paperwork and called me as soon as he received the paper work back to tell me I was all set.

My wife mapped out the next 2+ weeks hitting all Rick Steves (his books are the bible of travel) hot spots throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. We drove over 1200 miles and I can't think of a better way to experience Europe then in a new BMW. Our favorite part of the trip was touring through Germany. Munich was our favorite city and one of the best attractions was the Welt. The whole BMW experience was over the top from the minute you arrive. The new BMW museum was amazing and the tour through the factory was so interesting. Once you have experienced the day learning about BMW you walk away feeling proud to own a piece of automotive art that was built with noting but the best ingenuity. The entire day is focused on making your experience one of a kind and special. It was hands down the best trip we have ever taken and we got to take home the best souvenir you could ever ask for. We have already decided that this is the way we will continue to buy our future BMW's so we will likely be one of Irv's best customers.

[64alfa]

One more pic of us at PCS when we picked up the '09 335i xDrive.

[MikeLogan]

+1 for me. I bought my car from Irv through bimmerfest. He's awesome. Highly recommended.

[TENCHI]

contact info?

[scorpion896]

Contact info pleasE!

[PsychoSlug]

I met Irv last Fall while I was in Motor Werks kicking tires and thinking about taking the plunge. Two weeks ago, I ordered my first BMW through Irv. He has been a pleasure to deal with and is always straight forward. Unfortunately I don't have the time for ED, but definitely want to try it someday.

You can reach Irv via Motor Werks:

http://www.motorwerks.com/

The wait continues.... it's on schedule to be here by the end of June!

[frollo]

I have to say that working with Irv has been by far my best car buying experience let alone one of the most memorable events in my life. I piggy backed my european delivery with my honeymoon and we saved a ton and had a blast. Irv was very quick to respond and help with any questions and shot us no nonsense pricing which was a breath of fresh air.

We got the car stuff all worked out / ordered and when time came to fly over we had everything in order. We got picked up from the airport by the infamous Rolf and got to the Welt and made our appointment time.

We picked up the car and over the next 14 days drove from Munich > Belgium > France > England > Ireland > Scotland > and back to England to drop off the car. We put 2600 miles on the car, hit the 130 mph speed limiter (and got about 30 mpg while doing it) our average speed at the end was 58.5 mph with an average mpg of 22.3.

When the car was back in the states we flew up to chicago to pick up the car and met Irv in person finally. He was every bit as cool as he was on the phone / e-mails. Very helpful and as passionate about the cars as we are. We picked up the car and headed out to comstock park michigan to see a friend, then back home to kansas city.

All in all we put about 3500 miles on the car as part of our "trip" and it was a blast. We took probably 500 pictures so i won't link them however if anybody would like to check them out feel free to hit up the album

http://mjcase.shutterfly.com/honeymoon

click the album names to get to the albums if you don't want to see the film strip view

[kevkaz]

I ordered my 09 M3 through Irv back in May and it was redelivered to me yesterday. Irv is definitely the most knowledgable CA I've worked with (my 3rd BMW, 3rd different dealer). He politely dealt with my constant changing of options and nagging about redelivery. I really appreciated getting responses to my emails within 15 minutes or less just about every time (he can't always be at the computer, can he?)

I definitely recommend him, especially if you're in the Chicagoland area.

-kevkaz