Transfers have a higher hurdle though
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I’d respectfully disagree. I think transfers are probably easier to get approved for because the bank is assuming less risk with the prospective buyer.
Take the current listing for example. If someone walked into a dealership with a 740 credit score and a $70k/year salary and wanted to lease this car, BMW FS would be evaluating whether they are credit worthy for the entire 36-month term. It may be a tough one, but with the right DTI ratio they might get approved. Now take that same person who is taking over this lease with 2-2.5 years left - BMW FS is now assuming less risk because the outstanding loan amount is less than what it would have been full term. Now obviously if OP over here has a much higher credit score and salary compared to the transferee, then as between them BMW FS is worse off. But for a prospective transferee I think they have better odds getting approved on a transfer vs. going straight to the dealer for a new car purchase.
I’m also basing this on my recent experience with my F80 M3 transfer. The kid was 20 years old, barely had any credit, his most expensive lease was a Toyota Tacoma, and BMW FS approved him on my $8xx payment (only 17 months left) in less than a minute. He told me a few months prior he went into a dealer to lease a new M340i for $6xx and they didn’t approve him, so he was skeptical applying in the first place. I told him about the risk of losing the $100 app fee, but he decided to give it a shot anyway and voila. The same bank that wouldn’t approve him on a full-term $6xx payment approved him on a half term $8xx payment.
I also think their approval system for new car leases through dealers is probably totally different than transfers. There is no way an approval at a dealer would take one minute, whereas with transfers, I’ve routinely had a credit decision issue in literally one minute. Multiple times.
Anyway, just my thoughts based on my experience!
Yikes! Lot of data points disagree.
Your one personal experience doesn’t change the fundamentals: BMWFS is a subsidized bank that is designed to help sell units for BMW. A transfer doesn’t sell a unit, so there is less desire to approve and they can hold a higher threshold.
Also, please familiarize yourself with the paragraph break.
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LOL, duly noted re the paragraph break.
As for the one off data point - the approval in less than a minute I mentioned has happened to me no less than 5 times in the last year alone (both when I was assuming and transferring). That means a computer, not a human, is vetting the app. For dealer purchases, at least in my experience, there is always a human on the other end vetting the app. That’s why it takes so much longer to get an approval. If BMW FS was concerned with approving transfers, I think they’d have a more rigorous system in place 
I guess moral of the story is - don’t turn away prospective buyers based on your own informal approval process. Let them take a chance and apply with BMW FS (knowing the risk they may lose the $100 app fee). You have nothing to lose except maybe waiting an extra day to start a new transfer with a new person in case they’re not approved.
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Different approval process !== Higher threshold. BMW FS has never come out saying that approval thresholds on transfers are higher - so it’s just speculation. What @ZZAutoDeals is saying makes sense and mirrors DPs I’ve seen on here and BMW forums.
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Where are those data points?
https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/lease-takeover-denied.727476/
I have a call into BMW’s NA press boss to see if they’ll give me a statement on the record or on background. The originating dealer where I have a long-term relationship said that he thinks my thesis is at least directionally correct, but the stores don’t have a ton of viz into approvals/denials/credit consideration criteria.
I just counted at least 5 “immediate approvals” (not including my own) in the BMW FS Lease Assumption and Timeline thread:
But immediate approval doesn’t speak to the credit profile or worthiness of the applicant, does it?
I don’t dispute that highly qualified applicants can move super quickly through the BMW assumption process.
No, the point is that it’s a different credit vetting process than buying a new car from a dealer. And at least in my experience, even non-credit-worthy buyers have been approved on a transfer whereas they wouldn’t otherwise get approved buying a car directly from a BMW dealer. You asked for the data points, so there they are.
Did you even read through the threads you linked? Plenty of people with amazing credit history (VP of healthcare, co-signer dad who makes big $$$, high 700s, etc) who don’t get approved. The second post in one of them was some new grad with student loans who instantly got approved. That’s why even though BMW FS is pickier, they aren’t using a higher threshold, just a more selective one. Which is what me and everyone else is telling you.
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OK, you are entitled to your opinion, my friend. I see that as a difference without a distinction. You are free to not apply for this car! Thank you!
I can only speak for myself, but the point of my contribution to this thread was to help you move the car. Perhaps allow people to apply if they’re interested, even if you don’t think BMW FS would approve them. GLWT!
Mine actually wasn’t immediate. Went through 2 immediate denials with 2 subsequent cosigner applications emailed to BMWFS first. Both of these people had dual incomes with excellent credit, had just purchased a home, with good leasing history. And this isn’t like a $600/mo payment, it was $313 for 16 months.
My successful applicant was immediate and had a long car loan history as well. I’m not sure why they liked her over the others, but just my two cents.
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That may have been the nail in the coffin for the denial… taking on hundreds of thousands in “Debt”
I’ll take it if you give me a good back story on those photos.
You’re in luck @Jrouleau426!
A few years ago I founded a non-profit in Upstate NY to support retooling and re-skilling of multi-generational family businesses. Idea was to help mitigate “rust belt” outcomes and perceptions before they came to define and consume our communities. Those first two photos are in front of success stories.
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Very interesting… tell us more in a separate thread
DAS lowered in post at top of thread.
Two denied applicants so far this week.
BMW FS should pay you commission for all of the failed applicants you’re bringing them since they’re getting $100 a credit whack
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no he should raise the required salary to $300k to pay that monthly 
I kid I kid…
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