Thanks for the suggestion and glad to hear your baby is getting closer!

Called back and was told ship name is Altair....

Searched and found a long list of ships with Altair in the name.....but I think it might be this one:

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais...LTAIR%20LEADER

 

Looks like we're no longer on the same boat Mine's still sitting at the port (or at least it is according to what's been inputted into the system). I think I was running about four days behind you, so hoping I'm underway by the end of the week (even if the update doesn't come through until Monday). Since I'm on the east coast, that should still keep me within my June 30 goal. Fingers crossed.

 

Yep, that looks like the one "Altair Leader".....Shows leaving England heading East...

https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels...MMSI-432817000

Newark bound!

 

Dang....that's too bad....thought our cars would have a chance to get acquainted....hope you get onboard soon!


Ummmm....wouldn't Newark be heading West?.......

 

You are correct..I'm directionally challenged. Duh!

 

No worries....but you had me worried there for a minute that my car would be on a very long journey.....

 

Unlike Columbus, thankfully, the shippers take a more direct route......................

 

Amen....

 

can you recognize any of the cars are on the top two decks of this UK holding area?

Took this from the deck of Queen Mary 2 in Southampton a lil while back . . .

cars can be in the queue to be shipped for a wee bit of time ......

 

Think I see my car!.....the blue with white top....

 

This is now the hardest part. You wait for the journey across the pond and canal, then after it gets to port, you have to wait again. Could be a few days to over a week to clear.

 

Well, some more progress, my ship should be docking in New Jersey Wednesday morning, just a little bit off the coast right now.......

Still quite a ways to go before it gets to California though.......

Too bad they can't take it off the ship there and put it on a truck and drive cross country.....would be a lot faster.....

Oh well.....

 

As of this morning the system is still showing me in the port, where the car has been since May 28. I guess there's a slim chance that I'm on a ship and for whatever reason the system never updated, but I'm not counting on it. At this point I've resigned myself to the fact that despite my planning, I won't have the car before the end of June.

 

Agreed. My car was to arrive at dealership yesterday w/ our pick up on Friday..It did not. Dealership contacted me and said car was assigned a truck, but no ETA. They mentioned the truck may have been delayed arriving at the VPC or system was not updated. Rescheduled for next week pick up as dealership needs a minimum of 1 day to inspect and prep a car for delivery. The only thing I want to check immediately is the install of the JCW tune. Exhaust is easy to verify, but the engine tune has to be checked through center stack; Mini Excitement.

Oh well, it's out of my hands now....BTW, I think the White Mini on that ship was mine.

Update (not that anyone really cares) Mini dealership just email me minutes ago....Our car is on a truck that left Brunswick GA heading to our Florida dealership. 2-3 day journey so car will be ready for pick-up Saturday or Monday. Going to schedule an appointment w/ our local tire place next week to have the tries/wheels swapped out next week. Will later schedule a window tint and maybe a graphic stripe or something if something catches our eye.

 

System is not always up to date....While system said still said my car was at port, it turned out it has been put on ship 2 days earlier. Your best bet for current info is to call the MINI customer service number and speak to a live person and have them check system for current status.

Too bad about the delay...hopefully, you can make it another week.....

Meanwhile, I turned over 218K miles this morning on my trusty ol' 2004 Acura RSX.....hopefully, it will keep going until my new car arrives....


I knew it was yours!

 

I call MINI customer service every morning

 

Maybe you're calling too much.....

 

Great thread.

MINI psychological warfare tactics seem to be working, keeping customers with 'MINIs on the boat' in a state of constant disequilibrium.

When your cars finally are at the dealer, prepped, and ready for delivery, you will magically forget everything you have learned about negotiating and, with understandable eagerness to wrap your hands around those wonderful MINI steering wheels, you will forget to slow the process down to ensure the best possible deal holds together. But then, once you smell that ether, who cares??

It's been fun re-living the waiting and tracking fun. Please continue your updates.

 

Oh, we care. Especially in your situation with the wonderful added drama of the expiring incentives. Racin' against the clock. Love it.

Now watch, on July 1st there will be great new incentives.

 

Not sure what I said to warrant an eye roll, but just pointing out that I have been calling the 800 number and speaking to someone and not relying on the recording or my sales rep.

Here's hoping.

 

Was just reacting to your calling every day........seemed like a lot when I read it......frequency-wise......

My apologies if you took offense, was just joking with you....

Best,

Mark

 

No worries. It is a lot, but I'm getting anxious. This is supposed to be a safe space to admit as much

 

Next time you call MINI, press 6150....that will get you a certified MINI counselor on the line to take care of you.....

 

Yeah, watch them offer $2500 off on 2019's ......................LOL

I fully expect to see some pretty nice incentives on dealer stock. Thinking they will be shutting down the 2019 orders as Jul 1 starts the new cycle.

So just ruminating here...suppose a person orders a car w/ say a $1000 incentive and then Mini comes out w/ a $2500 off all remaining dealer inventory. Could a person refuse delivery in which case the car goes into dealer inventory and then becomes eligible for the $2500 incentive. Naturally the dealer would have to go along with this maneuver, but in the end they (dealer) would still make the same profit while the buyer would have less out-of-pocket expense.

These are the things us retired people mull around in our noggins.to kill a day.....................LOL

 

More progress.....

Altair Leader already made it to NY port and left there and is now heading towards Jacksonville, FL......so, will be in USA-RET's neighborhood soon

ETA 6/14....