Awesome. I'm really glad to hear that they made up the difference Definitely good news!

 

My dealer tells me that mine is on a truck on its way to the dealership. I should be taking delivery by Friday!

 

I hope to receive mine this weekend as well. I guess I will give a call to my dealer tomorrow.

 

I heard back from my dealer that my car should arrive tomorrow or Thursday at the latest so I've scheduled my delivery for Friday!

 

WTH...
I just got a call from my MA that mine would not be released until 27th of this month. I dont understand this. I dont have any port install... and why does it take weeks to release the vehicle? ...I am very frustrated.

 

Sometimes it can get held up because they have to repair the car, install options, or just waiting for the next truck/train to ship.

Mine was delayed a week because they had to replace the rear bumper at the VDC.

 

Dude, that blows!

 

what was wrong with your bumper, did they say?
Don't they factory inspect the vehicle before ship those minis out?

 

They do inspect them before they leave but unfortunately, the cars are vulnerable to damage in transit. Remember they are loaded/unloaded on various transport vehicles as well as being driven on/off the shipping vessel. You should look at some of the videos of vessel loading on youtube. They really cram a lot of cars on that ship.

 

The document said scratches and score marks. I assume it was damaged via shipping.

 

My MINI is now on its way to California. My MA said it should be there within the first week of Feb, but on the website where I can track it said it would ETA of Feb 9th. So between then is when I am guessing . But I still can't track the ship it's on

 

So I get a call from my MA that my car showed up today. Yay!!! Then he proceeds to tell me that they failed to enter the order correctly and my car showed up without the port installed JCW aero kit I ordered. EPIC FAIL!!!

After expressing my dissatisfaction, the dealer decided to get MINI corporate involved and they agreed to turn the transport truck right back around and take the car back to the port (6hrs away) and put the kit on. They hadn't even unloaded the car from the truck. Fortunately the person that effed the order up was already fired several weeks ago.

The other complication here is that I'd already purchased a plane ticket to fly back to Vegas to pick the car up. Fortunate they owned their mistake and are refunding my ticket.

Call me a cynic but I just knew things were going to smoothly. Guess I was right. I have to give Desert MINI props for quickly correcting the problem.

Probably taking delivery early next week now.

 

sorry to hear that. but..at least they are owning their mistakes in which my dealer is never good at.

when i asked them over and over to modify the option via phone and email, they just let it passed their window of opportunity to modify (adoptive headlight to black headlamp, punch leather to leatherette = which i could've saved $1600) and blamed on their "speedy production process" (What??)

Fail to letting me know about delayed production with mini-connected with navi (in which I could have just change my mind and pick one up out of lot), now costing me additional 2% (additional $1500 over 5 years) on interest plus December Special ($1000).

and the wait.

 

Does the vehicle usually arrive earlier or later than ETA indicated on Owner's Lounge?

Cuz mine says ETA of Jan 31, 2010 on Mini Owner's Lounge.
What was the experience with yours?

 

My experience, it's pretty accurate. Mine's arrived on the day MOL.

 

at the dealership, correct?

 

Yes.

 

Mine read 1/20 until it showed up at the dealer on 1/19 and then it changed on OL to 1/19. Whatever. Of course, the rest of the story is that it turned right back around and went to the port.

 

so if the rate goes higher on February, is your dealer gonna take responsibility for the difference?

 

I don't know. I'll be calling to talk about that today. I have two other issues to negotiate with them as well. The car will now have to be shipped to me in Cali (ordered in Vegas) because they failed to deliver the car on time. Who's paying for the shipping--don't know yet. Last on my original sales receipt they quoted me $2111 for a "port installed JCW aero kit". My MA now tells me that my original salesman forgot to include the labor (approx $800) in that port install price. Who's gonna pay that?

I'm about one bad conversation from walking away and ordering again with another dealer.

I had a conversation with my brother last night (he is a sales manager for a GM dealership) and he tells me that the lack of interest and protection of the bottom line is very typical for sales staff. He's protecting his commission--this explains why he wants me to pay for labor or the misquoted aero kit and why he expects me to cover shipping the car after THEY EFFED UP! According to my brother it also explains why the guy is so bad about keeping the lines of communication open because as a salesman he is much more focused on customers in his hands that day. He told me to call the dealer and deal with the sales manager directly.

 

geeezz...after reading about they are being responsible for your cost of the flight, i thought your dealership was way to go, but... I guess there is no perfect dealership (about being responsible) after all...

have got your quotes about aero kit via email or verbal conversation? if you did get your quotes on email, you can also use that as contract and try to force them to get you that same price b/c it is written and it is what they promised.
Yes, I would deal with sales manager directly since they have more power to strike a better deal than what MA usually quote you.

But in my instance, I wouldn't really count on manager as well because sales manager was the one that gave me false promise, failed to change my order, never returned my calls, and ended up leaving the dealership and went elsewhwere...

 

Well. I finally got some good news from my dealer. I got the sales manager involved and he had really taken great care of me. They are eating all the expenses caused by their mistake. They are waiving labor for the aero kit since I have a signed sales ticket showing the original agreement. They are eating my canceled plane ticket and the cost of shipping the car as well. The best news is, they expect the car by Saturday. Hopefully I'll get it by the following weekend. Fingers crossed.

 

I am very glad to hear that things work out for you. Awesome!

 

I checked OL this AM and it's finally updated with my new delivery date. Should show up at the dealer on Monday. Now I just hope it gets shipped to me quickly.

 

Ok. Good news.
My Mini is FINALLY made to dealership today and getting prepped(detailing) for my pick up tomorrow. YYYEEEEESSSS!!!!!!!!!

I will post the picture once I will get my hands on it!!!