Update - my car is aboard the Courage sailing to Charleston on 23 November, hope to have it for my birthday 13 December...

 

Well I called ASK-MINI and they told me it was 'complete' and they had no other info ... I checked the VIN number on the WW site and so far it isn't loaded ... bummer ... may have to wait a while to hitch a ride.

 

Welcome to the club, as small as it may be.

 

Well, the Mini website has not updated, but I went to the WW website and entered the VIN anyway. It looks like my car arrived at the terminal this morning and is scheduled to ship on the Falstaff for PORT HUENEME, CA.

 

I guess you'll have a bit of a longer trip than I will... I actually live just 3 hours away from the Charleston port so it ought to be a quick trip from CHS to the dealer...

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http://www.richardondrovic.com

 

Great pictures by the way!!!!!

 

Thank you very much

 

My car set sail today, should arrive in CA 12/17.

http://www.shipphotos.co.uk/pages/falstaff.htm

 

Congratulations!

 

She is set to arrive NY on the 4th but I cannot see her on the aisfree site. Can anyone confirm her location? Thanks

 

currently located at NJ Public Berth 17 arrived approx 1800 03 December.

scheduled to arrive in Charleston 08 December Union Pier Terminal Berth 2

 

My DS/DS completed production and shipped out on the 28th on Toronto. Due into NY on the 6th. Can't wait. Hope it doesn't take too long to get thru the VDC. I'm having the JCW Tuning kit fitted at the dealer, but I'm really hoping to have her on the road by the 19th!
Carrie

 

Ondrovic-
I really appreciate the specifics on the Courage, she is making great time. I really exciting to finally get the car. Thanks again

 

you're welcome, fitzgerb. We oughta get ours at about the same time - I live just down the road from you in Greenville.

 

Its cheaper to have your tuning kit fitted at the VDC.

 

I wasn't given the option of having anything done at the VDC. My MA told me the tuning kit would be fitted by them and that was the end of the discussion. At least I finally managed to get the MA to waive the installation fee on the tuning kit so it just cost me $2100. Does that sound about right? (i hope so )
Carrie

 

Sweet deal on getting the labor comp'd. I was also told there was no possibility of the port install for the tuner kit on mine too. I, however, couldn't sweet talk the dealer out of the labor.

 

I found out through NAM that the VDC can install certain items that could also be installed at the dealership. I was surprised to hear this as the prices I saw float by on NAM for the VDC installation where significantly cheaper than the prices my MA quoted for the dealership installation. (Specifically, I'm thinking of the driving lights.) I asked my MA about getting these items installed at the VDC and his response was: "FYI we do not participate in the Port Installation Program at the VDC due a variety of reasons
The driving lites can only be installed at the dealer"

Now I don't intend to put words into the mouth of my dealership or MA, but based on some of the posts I've read here on NAM, folks have seemed less-than-thrilled with some of the VDC installations (I'm thinking specifically of the iPod install sometimes being put in backwards/upside down, among other things). If I extrapolate based on my impressions of other NAMmer's experiences with the VDC installations, I could guess that my dealership doesn't like dealing with inferior installation techniques used there. Or maybe they just like being able to mark prices up to their own levels.

Either way, you're not alone in not hearing about having the option of having stuff installed at the VDC rather than at the dealership.

~Neal

 

Well, my dealer finally said that they can do the driving lights, JCW tuning kit and JCW Aero kit at the VDC after I sent them emails about complaints from posters of this dealership who was marking up labor cost.
i.e. 10 hour labor charge to install the JCW suspension that should be a 5 hour labor charge.

Clearly this is the one opportunity where the dealer can make some extra money. If the VDC messes up which is still a BMW certified facility and not bobs local auto mechanic, the Dealer will fix it, but I sure don't want to pay an extra $500 to $1000 at the dealer that could have been done at the VDC.

Its all up the dealer if it gets done at the VDC or not...and in my opinion it is all about markup. If you didn't know about this discussion forum, most people would never know there is an option...."advantage dealership".

If you can get the dealer to not charge the labor cost...I would do it in a heartbeat....and that is where the markup is.

 

So what is the estimated time line from when the Courage arrives Charleston to the cars arriving the dealership in Greenville. Assuming the Courage arrives in Charleston on the 8th of December, Im thinking about 7 to 10 days max? What do you think? I have ordered a very basic cooper non-s with only a few upgrades. HIFI, convenience, armrest, 16" wheels, manual. So they shouldn't have to do any extra assembly at VDC or the dealership. My other question: Should I be more proactive in specifying programming details to my dealership. I feel like if I don't, Im somehow missing out on certain details or extras...

 

I didn't get mine from the Greenville dealership, I didn't care for the way I was treated there. I drove up to Hendrick Mini in Charlotte and it was a completely different experience and close to a $4,000 difference.

I believe that 7-10 days after port arrival is correct.

 

It was certainly a toss up with me to drive to Greenville or Charlotte. It was certainly painful dealing with Century, but I really expect it from everywhere. I did call Hendrick's and they sounded very striaght forward and honest. I will say that Century gave me great money for my trade-in. I know i wouldnt have got that kinda of money from anywhere. They gave me about 4000 more than the Honda dealership when I was previously looking at a Honda Fit. So will it take longer to get from Charleston to Charlotte as opposed to Greenville?

 

Funny - the trade is one of the places I had issues with them. I was trading an 04 M3 SMG, Century offered 4K *below* wholesale.

I told them that was far too low and countered. The sales guy said he had "no authority" to deal and that he would call me back the next day. He finally called back *13* days later.

Instead of waiting for his (late) call, I drove up to Hendrick where they immediately offered a very fair price and I did the deal.

I called the sales guy back 2 weeks later and told him that I bought it from Hendrick. I don't plan on any future purchases from Century (and this is after buying a number of BMWs from them over the past 10 years).

I think CLT and Greenville are about equidistant from CHS so I'd bet we get ours about the same time.

 

it bothers me that I have to become such a rude person when dealing with a dealership because I think they are screwing me over. Anyways I am glad to hear you were able to get a fair price for your trade-in.
I am still ignorant concerning the "programming options" that I have not specified to the dealer. Have you dealt with any of these so called options?

 

No, actually I haven't even thought about any programming options at all!