[NorthernDancer]

Love, love, love my CCA membership and I'm in Canada.

I don't drive new cars and I don't have a warranty. The almost immediate advice from Mike Miller is irreplaceable & saves people a ton of money.
I like the monthly magazine, Roundel. Mike Miller again, nice cars for sale from members, love reading exploits of Rob Segal.
I like knowing that if I drive far away from home in the USA and have a problem, I have a Roundel with many phone numbers of people willing to help.
BMWCCA and BMWCCC have extremely well organized track days where I can drive very fast and in a very safe environment. I don't race on the street.
I expect to keep CCA membership forever.

[impulsE89]

One of the benefits for me for wanting to own a BMW was the club. The road driving in the S.C. low country is not sports car country but the Chapter here is always doing something. Upstate N.Y. had a great chapter as did the Porsche Club with track events and schools at The Glen.
The Roundel covers a lot of various activities.nationwide, many of which you won't care about. If they did not even offer it , I would not care.
Dealerships around here do not honor the discounts but events at the performance center and the BMW plant visits do.
The rebates on new cars are good if you buy new. (Get the best deal first)
Give it a try for a year and see if your local chapter maintains your interest.

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by mirob

Can anyone please explain these two raffle rules in detail?

RAFFLE RULES

4. Prizes will be awarded based on MSRP as of May 1, 2018. Any price increase prior to delivery will be the responsibility of the winner. All taxes, license fees, options, and/or destination and dealer prep fees and all other fees and charges are the responsibility of the winner.


5. Prizes subject to availability. BMW CCA reserves the right to substitute a cash prize and/or BMW model of equal value. Federal taxes will be withheld. If a prize does not include a cash allotment for payment of federal taxes, a certified check made payable to the BMW CCA for required tax withholdings will have to be received prior to taking title to the prize.

Seems pretty self explanatory to me. Say, if the prize is a new M2 (which it is not), the prize will be awarded based on the M2 CS's MSRP as of May 1st. Taxes on the winnings, sales tax on the purchase, license fees, etc are all YOUR responsibility should you win.

Let's say a base M2 is $58,900 as of May 1st, 2018. You win the raffle, but the drawing is on September 1st. Meanwhile, BMW raised the MSRP to $58,995. You pick the dealership that's selling you the M2, you're responsible for the income tax on the $58,900 (let's just use a nice round number like 25% for Federal, tack on another 10% for the privilege of living in paradise, total of 35%), sales tax (another 9.5%) of the vehicle you option out to have delivered, license ($99), registration fees ($650), and doc fees ($50) if the dealership is friendly and don't charge you mark-up and other unrelated fees (marketing/advertising fees are always my "favorite").

But let's say you don't just want a base M2. You want it optioned with Long Beach Blue metallic like every single M2 ever produced ($550), the "Executive Package" because you're important ($1,200), moonroof ($1,050), DCT ($2,900), now your car is at $64,600 plus fees, taxes, etc. So the only thing that doesn't change is the Federal and state income tax (as applied), which amounts to about $20K. You're looking at sales tax ($6,137), license ($99), registration ($650), and doc fees ($50) on top of the differences between the car as optioned out, plus BMW's raised MSRP ($95), minus the original $58,900 ($5,795). To pick up your winning M2 optioned out as you choose, you have to pay a grand total of $32,731 for the privilege of winning the raffle.

Still a kick ass deal for a new M2 if you ask me. About 1/2 of what you'd have to pay to buy one out of pocket.

The second part is also easy to understand. Say, they're raffling off an 1M instead. Well, BMW only made what, about 800 1M to be sold in N.A.? And everyone of them was spoken for? Oh well. IF you can not "buy" the car that's raffled off, instead you'll be offered a BMW of equivalent price to buy, like, oh, I dunno...A 630i. Or you will be given cash instead. Either way, a FEDERAL TAX WITHHOLDING will be required for you to take "title" of your winning, because like any randomized drawing over a certain monetary value (*cough* lottery *cough*), you have to pay taxes on your winnings. See example above of you needing to pay income tax of ~$20K.

[sspade]

Been wrestling with the idea of joining for a few weeks now... this thread is helping me decide...

I may be moving for work shortly so Ive been trying to hold off until I know for sure.

Does it matter if I sign up in one region and then move to another in a short period of time?

[The HACK]

Let me tell you a little story. I signed up for BMW CCA membership in 2000 for a LIFETIME membership, back when lifetime membership cost $350. I also signed up my wife as an associate member (free). Back then, I was on my 3rd BMW ('97 Z3 1.9L, '00 323Ci for me, '00 323Ci in red for my wife) and have just gotten started in getting to know the community. I was a car enthusiast, but not necessarily a BMW enthusiast, but I will admit, my teenage dream-car was an E30 M3.

Anyway, $350 was a lot to pay, I guess, for membership, but I did it thinking, what the heck, I'm probably going to buy another BMW sometime in the near future, and the rebates alone would be worth it. Had I had the foresight to sign up for BMW CCA when I bought my '97 Z3 1.9L, I would have saved $1,000 in rebates for the 2x 323Cis I bought in 2000. But that's neither here nor there. That $350 membership ended up paying for itself very soon.

'03 Z4 3.0i: $500
'04 545i (CPO): $500
'06 MZ4 Coupe: $500
'08 E90 328i: $500

$2,000 in rebates earned for my $350 membership fee. But that's not the best part.

In 2002 I started going to BMW CCA HPDEs. First was at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where I met and made a bunch of friends. Most of whom I still speak with on a regular basis. At one point, my circle of "BMW" friends grew so big, that at local HPDEs we would have a tent city built, with about 12 cars parked nearby. Eventually, everyone sort of moved on to other makes (Porsches, mostly), but we mostly stayed in touch either via other BMW CCA events or via forums like this.

But wait, there's more.

The friendships I made via all these BMW CCA events and activities come to impact my daily life, in a positive way. During the 2008 recession, a friend offered me a job at an automotive aftermarket manufacturer. Another friend I made through these events is a lawyer that got me out of a "straight to jail" speeding ticket. Another is an insurance agent that saved me hundreds a month on my auto and home policies. One is my ophthalmologist that saved my eyesight. And that's not even including all the other friends who are top of the license in their respective fields that *I* have leveraged throughout my career for help, advice, guidance, and sometimes free work.

Which isn't to say I'm a total free-loader. I offer help when my skills are needed to these same friends. I even volunteered and served on my chapter's board briefly. It was fun, it allowed me to make MORE friends. Eventually I gave it up because a full time job and a family requires more time than I have to serve the chapter, but I'll tell you this. I've gotten WAY more out of the BMW CCA than that initial $350 has ever bought me, that's for sure.

But let's not kid ourselves. I've gotten a lot out of the club, not because of the monetary investment, but the amount of engagement and activities I was involved in. Yes I am on first name basis with people in the club, from local chapters all the way on up to the highest levels on the national board.

In reality you're not paying for the magazine or the discount or the vehicle purchase rebates. You're paying for the PEOPLE in the club. From the local levels, on up through regional and all the way to the national directors and presidents, you'll not find a better group of auto enthusiasts than BMW CCA.

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by sspade

Does it matter if I sign up in one region and then move to another in a short period of time?

No. You get assigned to a local chapter based on your initial sign-up, but you can add additional chapter affiliations as necessary, or change your base chapter if you chose not to be associated anymore.

I belong to the Los Angeles Chapter, as the chapter is credited a small % of operating coffer for my membership. But I am also associated with San Diego Chapter, Central Cal Chapter, Sin City Chapter, and Golden Gate Chapter. I get all their email blasts and event invites.

You can even specify a chapter outside of your region as your home chapter when you sign up, if you know where you're moving to in the near future.

[3PedalMINI]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

Limitations on the rebate (can’t combine with USAA for example) and the reduced amounts in recent years have limited its value.

Just an FYI. This has changed and you can now combine the CCA discount with the Corporate/Costco/MGruppe what ever program (obviously it cant be all combined) but CCA/the discount groups work together now!

[mirob]

Originally Posted by The HACK

Seems pretty self explanatory to me. Say, if the prize is a new M2 (which it is not), the prize will be awarded based on the M2 CS's MSRP as of May 1st. Taxes on the winnings, sales tax on the purchase, license fees, etc are all YOUR responsibility should you win.

Let's say a base M2 is $58,900 as of May 1st, 2018. You win the raffle, but the drawing is on September 1st. Meanwhile, BMW raised the MSRP to $58,995. You pick the dealership that's selling you the M2, you're responsible for the income tax on the $58,900 (let's just use a nice round number like 25% for Federal, tack on another 10% for the privilege of living in paradise, total of 35%), sales tax (another 9.5%) of the vehicle you option out to have delivered, license ($99), registration fees ($650), and doc fees ($50) if the dealership is friendly and don't charge you mark-up and other unrelated fees (marketing/advertising fees are always my "favorite").

But let's say you don't just want a base M2. You want it optioned with Long Beach Blue metallic like every single M2 ever produced ($550), the "Executive Package" because you're important ($1,200), moonroof ($1,050), DCT ($2,900), now your car is at $64,600 plus fees, taxes, etc. So the only thing that doesn't change is the Federal and state income tax (as applied), which amounts to about $20K. You're looking at sales tax ($6,137), license ($99), registration ($650), and doc fees ($50) on top of the differences between the car as optioned out, plus BMW's raised MSRP ($95), minus the original $58,900 ($5,795). To pick up your winning M2 optioned out as you choose, you have to pay a grand total of $32,731 for the privilege of winning the raffle.

Still a kick ass deal for a new M2 if you ask me. About 1/2 of what you'd have to pay to buy one out of pocket.

The second part is also easy to understand. Say, they're raffling off an 1M instead. Well, BMW only made what, about 800 1M to be sold in N.A.? And everyone of them was spoken for? Oh well. IF you can not "buy" the car that's raffled off, instead you'll be offered a BMW of equivalent price to buy, like, oh, I dunno...A 630i. Or you will be given cash instead. Either way, a FEDERAL TAX WITHHOLDING will be required for you to take "title" of your winning, because like any randomized drawing over a certain monetary value (*cough* lottery *cough*), you have to pay taxes on your winnings. See example above of you needing to pay income tax of ~$20K.

HAHAHAHA!!! I appreciate the in-depth explanation!

What if one was to win the $132K F90 M5 CP but is not wanting to shell out $40K+ in taxes? Is there an option to take the money (sans taxes) instead of buying the vehicle? If they cut you a check for the MSRP and then you take that to a dealer and get your car, could you not get any car?

Sorry if I come off as naïve, just never participated in something like this before. Need to know what my option are WHEN I win.

[The HACK]

You have to pay taxes on your winnings regardless.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by mirob

HAHAHAHA!!! I appreciate the in-depth explanation!

What if one was to win the $132K F90 M5 CP but is not wanting to shell out $40K+ in taxes? Is there an option to take the money (sans taxes) instead of buying the vehicle? If they cut you a check for the MSRP and then you take that to a dealer and get your car, could you not get any car?

Sorry if I come off as naïve, just never participated in something like this before. Need to know what my option are WHEN I win.

We have some friends that won a X6 in the raffle a few years back. They took the money and bought a Z4. It had to be a BMW.

[sspade]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

We have some friends that won a X6 in the raffle a few years back. They took the money and bought a Z4. It had to be a BMW.

So you do get the option of a cash payment instead of the vehicle (and therefore have no tax to pay on your winnings)?

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by sspade

So you do get the option of a cash payment instead of the vehicle (and therefore have no tax to pay on your winnings)?

You would have to pay tax on the cash, but they didn't get cash, they got a cash value toward the purchase of the Z4.

[sspade]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

You have to pay tax on the cash.

Ah okay, got it. Still - seems like the better option than paying tax on the complete value of the vehicle (assuming the cash payout is less). Or are the cash payout and vehicle value identical?

[DanG]

Originally Posted by sspade

Ah okay, got it. Still - seems like the better option than paying tax on the complete value of the vehicle (assuming the cash payout is less). Or are the cash payout and vehicle value identical?

Even if you took the vehicle, you would have to pay tax on the value of the vehicle.

[sspade]

Originally Posted by DanG

Even if you took the vehicle, you would have to pay tax on the value of the vehicle.

I read that part. Maybe Im confusing everyone lol. Lets start over...

No matter what - you pay tax, got it...

My question is:

Is the cash payout equal to the actual value of the vehicle?

[DanG]

Originally Posted by sspade

I read that part. Maybe Im confusing everyone lol. Lets start over...

No matter what - you pay tax, got it...

My question is:

Is the cash payout equal to the actual value of the vehicle?

Close to the wholesale value of the vehicle not the MSRP.

[m_thompson]

Originally Posted by The HACK

Still a kick ass deal for a new M2 if you ask me. About 1/2 of what you'd have to pay to buy one out of pocket.

When I won a 325iS in the BMW CCA raffle, I was one of very few people who took a car. Most people just took the cash value. The the out of pocket cost to get the car was about 50% of the MSRP. I traded in a 325iS to cover the cost of the options and some other costs. In the end, getting a new 325iS for 50% of MSRP was a really great deal.