Very sweet color choice. And good job on the wheels

 

Well, I went to Mini of Peabody today (actually, they were totally awesome and sent a guy to pick me up from work...20+ miles away in heavy rush hour traffic). I saw my car but didn't get to pick it up as something very odd happened.

I've never purchased a car before and I've heard from my parents and others about the process so I just didn't think to ask. I figured I could take out a loan for most of the car purchase and then put a $5000 down payment to make up the difference in the total price (actually $4000 and change since I already had the $1000 deposit). I figured the easiest way to do this was put it on my credit card then pay off the card a couple of days later when my savings transfers over from my online ING account, easy as pie. Well...no. MoP, it turns out, won't take credit card charges over $2000. I guess it's because they want to minimize the interchange fees (which are typically 2-3%; $84-$126). I guess I should have figured this out beforehand, but again...my first car purchase, I just figured a car dealership has to take credit cards. I even put in the money transfer request earlier in the day once I confirmed (for like the third or fourth time) the contract price. So it's not like I don't have the money...I do...I've been planning this for months and even if I put it on my card, I'm not even close to the credit limit on it.

So now, I'm just waiting for the money to transfer accounts, which should take a couple of days. No big deal except if it doesn't get credited to my checking account by Friday, then we've got a long weekend ahead of us. Plus, now I have to get a cashier's check (their personal check limit is around $2500 which obviously won't cover it), which will cost me some fee (probably about the same fee they'd have paid the credit card company). I could have written a personal check and covered the rest on the card, except I just didn't think I'd need my checkbook and had left it at home (in fact, I don't really write checks these days...just pay all bills online). But it all seems just wrong to me...I mean...$84-$126 when I'm spending some $29,500 (taxes, etc.) on a car. $84 to make an unhappy customer. Sheesh. My MA's great, it's not his fault. The dealership really needs to get real with the times though.

To top if all off, the nationwide vehicle registry system was temporarily down. So even if I'd been able to put the rest on my card, I wouldn't have been able to pick up the car as they couldn't register the plates.

The car looks sweet, but though I tried to put a good face on things, I'm pretty bummed. And again...not my MA's fault at all. I just didn't even think that a car dealership wouldn't take a credit card to put the reminder down on...it's like...the easiest way to handle this, in my opinion. Seriously...cashier's check/money order? wth?

I gotta say again, my MA was an awesome guy and good sport about it. He even drove me all the way back to a subway stop so I could get back home as I'd obviously planned on driving back home. Hopefully the transfer will happen fast and I'll be back there Friday, but ING's kinda slow...I'm not sure it will make it by then.

 

AMW...........I was at MoP today after you were there. I ask if you had been in and my MA said yes but then said you had left without your car. I ask why and he was rather vague about what had happened. It was the low point of picking up my car today. I was getting ready to drive off in my new MINI and my MA is telling about how you had been in but didn't get your car. Not good. Hope you get it straightened out quick. Best of luck.

Ron

 

Really, they won't take a check for over 2,500? That seems silly. I mean, I understand it, but it still seems silly. We paid for our last 2 cars (Audi A6 and Toyota Sienna) with personal checks. The checks were quite a bit larger than $2,500. Quite. A. Bit. I guess I'll have to check (no pun intended) on that before I pick up my MCSc.

 

That sucks AMW :( Well, you have waited this long, whats a few more days, right? I received a letter last week outlining what forms of payment they accept ($3000 on a cc by the way) My dealer will accept a personal check, although i will have to fill out a credit form in case it bounces. Its strange that all of these dealerships have varying rules, and you have to wonder how badly they have been burned before by unscrupulous characters.

 

Well, I'm kicking myself because if it had just occurred to me to ask, I could have transferred that money over like...MONTHS ago. I mean, it was just sitting there in my account gaining interest

I just never imagined...seriously. I mean, what? oh well. Lesson lived, lesson learned. I just hope other people reading the post will realize they should clarify all arrangements with their dealers so they won't be disappointed with silly stuff like this. Still bothers me though...all for a 2-3% charge on a $4200 charge to my card...I just don't get it. I even asked if they'd do it if I just covered the charge...just add that fee to the bill. No go.

My MA gave me all the owners manual and stuff and seriously, I don't even want to look at it. I'm totally uninterested. Luckily I had other stuff to do this evening to kind of distract me. But now I just had a beer, and I'm going to sleep now

 

AMW, what a drag. I started reading your post thinking it was going a great, feel-good way to start the day.

If you're really hot to do this now, you can also take your credit card to any bank and get a cash advance on the spot, then just bring the cash to MoP. (I'm sure they take cash.) This would cost whatever your CC's cash advance fee is (typ. 3%). I bought a car that way once, when I hadn't sold the first car yet.

Good luck. You will forget about this problem quickly once you have your car!

 

AMW, if you wind up needing a ride up to MoP, let me know (tubwreck@gmail.com). I might be able to help you out Friday PM or next week.

 

Thanks, Tubwreck. I'm still kinda steaming about it. But you're totally right, I'll be psyched when I get the car. I will probably just do a combo of personal check and credit card if the money hasn't transferred over from savings yet. We'll see what MoP says, but I hope to be up there tomorrow. And my MA had mentioned that they might even look into delivering the car to me instead. I'll have to follow up on that, but he's out on thursdays, so have to wait til tomorrow anyway. If not, I think I'll just take the commuter rail to Salem and have them pick me up from there. I'll deal. I mean...waiting an extra two days isn't bad. Our poor friends out on the west coast are still waiting for their cars to arrive in port! So...could be worse.

 

ummm..yeah...

 

Sorry you're having to deal with this inconvenience. Thanks for giving others the headsup.

I stopped by the dealership yesterday and told my sales guy that I would be paying for the car in full with a personal check when I come to pick it up. He said that would be fine.

I have never heard of a dealership limiting the amount of a personal check when paying for a car. When I bought my Porsche last year I paid for the $100k+ purchase with a personal check and no one batted an eye at the dealership, or even raised a concern or called the bank first to see if the funds were there.

Apparently some dealerships treat their customers differently. Like you said, it's good to get that straightened out up front.

 

6 hours until I have my MINI!!

(I hope everything works out for you AMW!)

 

I just noticed that on the Port Of San Diego Website it does say that the next port for the Centaurus Leader is Long Beach. So I guess it will be stopping there brfore Port Hueneme. *sigh* GO BOAT! GO!

 

How'd it go, Tubwreck?

I'm going to be back up there tomorrow, this time bringing my checkbook But I WILL return with the car this time

 

In the words of Mr. Spock, "we were successful."


I was going to get the Ipod adapter and the euro parcel shelf, but instead I wound up with this:

 

Both of your new MINIs are quite the lookers!! I am sure the acessory that you picked up will be more worthwhile in the end. Nothin like getting them started early!!

 

Those are some amazing pictures. I can't wait til tomorrow (again). I'll have camera at the ready too. Might leave work a tad early Cute kiddo there

 

Beautiful car Tubwreck!

I'm a jealous week 16 West Coast person, still waiting. :D

About how long did it take to go from VDC to ready at the dealer?

 

It came off the boat early Wednesday morning, and was at the dealer on Sunday or Monday. It's about a 5.5 hour drive from port to dealer, not counting the numerous stops the truck must make. So my estimate is about 48 hours at VDC.

I will say that there is no agony like having your MCS "stuck at the VDC". Because that usually means just one thing:



I was so happy when I saw mine had arrived at the same time as its little buddies.

 

tubwreck..............Glad to hear that you were successful. Beautiful car. BRG was my first choice. It was only late in the selection process that I changed to Astro-Black.

Congratulations.

Ron

 

Love seeing the pictures of my MINI's siblings! Keep 'em comin'!!!

 

So I picked up my MINI last night (yay!) and I have pictures, but have yet to upload them. I will later, I promise.

However, I just had to tell this quick story. My MA took me to get gas for my MINI last night and he drove a PW/B one. We were at the gas station and this older woman comes up and says, "What's a Cooper? Who makes a Cooper?" My MA looked at me, kind of shook his head, and stated, "MINI Cooper makes a Cooper." The woman than states, "Does it do anything special?" I so wanted to respond with a comment such as, "Yes, it flies." She oohed and ahhed over the two for a bit before walking off muttering something about them.

I hadn't even had the car for 15 minutes before getting my first comment!

 

Thats awesome Marcus!!!! Congrats on picking up your MINI!

 

As promised, pictures of my new MINI!!

 

Yeah, I know that picture haunts many expecting MINI owners (including me when I ordered up my '06 last year).