Our new 2020 Mini Clubman JCW has left the factory! I've read in older posts (from 2009-2013) there used to be a way to track the car's movement on a ship via VIN Number on BMW's website. Is this possible for 2020 Minis? any insight? My 18 year old son is SOOOO in to following the movements of this car across the globe....ok, and so am I!

 

MarineTraffic.com is a good ship tracking site. By calling the AskMINI number you can get fairly good tracking info as to when the car is on the ship. Your dealer MA should be able to get you confirmation as to which ship your car is on, usually within 24 ~ 48 hours of loading. Then the shipping company web site ship schedules can give you the ship's planned itinerary.

Some of us are so obsessive about this that we follow ship movements in and out of the port of departure and thus narrow down which ship might be ours.

As have others, I was able to watch the ship carrying my MINI lock through the Panama Canal in real time via the Canal web cam system.

It is fun, indeed. I checked several times daily.

Here's a good overview of the process, with most recent updates toward the end of the thread : https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=894728

And here's the thread where I reported my adventure (see post #85 and beyond) : https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-coming-4.html

Enjoy the journey!! Worth the wait.

 

so cool. mine doesn't have to go thru the Panama Canal...just coming to Chicago...wonder the delivery time... hmmm

 

More info here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...pdated-40.html

Last post on that thread, from November, 2019 says mygarage at MINIUSA has info.

 

(866) 275-6464 MINI
https://www.walleniuswilhelmsen.com/schedules
http://www.klineglobalroro.com/sched...c_schedule.pdf
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais...ry:52.1/zoom:8
https://www.myshiptracking.com/

• Call the Mini number, follow the VRU to get a live person. Ask the ship name your Mini is on.
• It's probably on the first or second company Links above. WW or Kline.
• Use the last 2 links to track your ship and ports.

Use the completion checklist from the Mini My Garage website to get creative. When your checklist status gets 6 or 7 from the end, track ships from the 2 above carriers that are arriving in Southampton Port in the next few days. You should be able to narrow your choices to a couple of ships.

Gary

 

It depends on the route of the ship. I remember getting excited when mine was loaded onto the ship, but then it went over to Germany, then to Belgium, then back to England for additional loads before heading out to the Atlantic...oh, it drove me...and my wife...nuts! It was cool when you could watch it come into the port at Baltimore and into the prep facility before getting loaded onto the carrier to bring it to Chicago (suburbs). I would have to go back and see how long it was from when it headed out to when it was waiting for me at the dealer.

 

Crazy....my ordered car was delivered to the port in England on 1/29...and sits...and sits...and sits. I was told the turnaround at the port would be 3-4 days...any insight? I'm told by Mini that "the car doesn't seem to have any hold on it...it should be moving....check back when you feel like it..." hmmmm

 

First, is your car listed on the Vehicle Inquiry Report as Priority 1 Sold?

Second, have any transports left for your destination port in the past few days?

If your vehicle is Priority 1 and there was a ship that loaded after your car arrived at the outbound port, your car should be on it, and, in fact, might well be.

Check with your dealer. Believe it or not, sometimes the dealer's computer has more up to date info that Ask MINI.

The waiting is the worst part.

 

I am reviewing the vehicle inquiry report and my car which was listed as 1 priority sold is now listed as priority 4 stock. This after setting on my hands all week wondering why I don't have the vehicle inquiry report sent to me after 5 days! Supposedly they posted the order the same day they took my deposit on the 14th of December. But the "new" form which actually has a production number has changed. I don't know what to think and am having a hard time trusting dealership for a bunch of reasons. This is the fourth time the figures have changed and now want a new signature on the new form that sets out the financial transaction. The sales manager said quote Right now we have the car as a status “4-Stock” to keep the car from going into production. Once you have reviewed and give us the “okay” we will change it to a status “1-Sold” to speed the process up as much as possible. Am I nuts to think that sounds off? I am trying to be understanding of a relatively young MA and now dealing with sales manager who is I think fixing his errors.

 

Wait...what?? If your car order was placed as a Priority 1, sold unit, That status should not be changed by the dealer, especially if a deposit was collected.

The way it usually works is, 1. You hammer out the deal on a specified build and get a copy of the agreed-upon numbers and terms. 2. You sign the build sheet confirming everything is as you wish it. 3. You sign a credit app. 4. The build goes into the system as a Priority 1 and a build day is assigned within days (or sometimes hours). 5. You track the car. 6. It arrives at the dealer and you sign the final docs and motor.

Free advice.... Figure out exactly what the deal was YOU originally agreed to. Write it all down. Call the sales manager. VERY POLITELY explain the deal you agreed to and explain that you gave a deposit with the clear understanding that your car would go through the system as a Priority 1. Then, calmly and clearly, tell the sales manager what you need to see happen. "I need you to get this shifted back to Priority 1 immediately and I need you to confirm the deal. I'll follow up this conversation with an email to you. As soon as you receive my email, I need you to email me back with confirmation that the car is back to Priority 1 and that the terms of the deal are as we previously agreed."

If you don't get exactly what you're asking for, call MINIUSA, tell them you are having a serious dispute with your dealer regarding a Priority 1 car that you put a deposit on and you need their help.

But you need to have everything in writing in front of you so that, no matter how anyone tries to spin it, you can keep going back to what was agreed upon when they took your deposit. Always calm and polite, never blaming or accusing anyone of anything. Just stay focused on getting what was promised when you did the deal and gave them the deposit.

Best of luck. Keep us posted.

 

Update: The oddest was everything was in writing from the start, including the offer! As an attorney, I frequently asked clients do you have a written record? (No, they said X.... was usual answer)
Car is now 2 days from port and through the process figured out I am much better at tracking then the dealership so far! I had found my VIN assigned to a ship while it was in Antwerp and about 6 days later after leaving Southampton, got a message from dealer that it was on a ship. (It was such fun to respond with the ship's movements for the week before, the totally not relevant fact that the ship had docked at Berth 44 which is where Titanic left from, that it was partially solar powered and more!) Once I had the ability to track through web research I no longer bothered with the Mini site, it was always out dated or had no information. Being somewhat familiar with advanced logistics and inventory tracking, which with computers has made incredible advancements, I was a bit surprised that they lacked up to the minute data. Maybe Mini has it and that department just doesn't share with the arm dealing with customers, because an organizations as structured as BMW should have the most advanced tracking systems. I did read an interesting trade article that the pandemic had actually enabled manufacturers to see where the system had issues and could be improved. I didn't realize I was so **** until this experience as typically I am extraordinarily patient. Now just hoping it gets to the dealer in Feb as I will qualify for the $1,000. back currently being offered directly from Mini.