How much notice does a dealer have as to when a car will be delivered? Mine has been unloaded from the ship and Hueneme, but no word on when I can pick it up.

 

I got my MINI 8 days after it was unloaded in Hueneme, and I live in Salt Lake City. The dealer SHOULD know. Ask them, or you can find your estimated delivery date in the Mini Owner's Lounge. I get the impression they (the dealers) always tell you it's going to be longer that it actually will be. For example, they didn't even tell me that they had my car for 2 days before I picked it up. I only know this because they stamped the date of their first initial inspection in my maintance booklet. In the owner's lounge my estimated delivery date was May 2nd, the exact date of the stamp in my maintainance booklet. BUT, they TOLD ME that they got it late on May 3rd. I picked it up on the 4th. Interesting. In any case, sit tight. You'll have your car soon enough.

 

My MA said that once it was at the VDC that they don't know when they'll get it until it arrives on the truck. It seems a bit hard to believe, but he stuck with that story. He told me that it usually takes 5-10 days from arriving at VDC to getting to them (4 hours away). His estimate of arrival day was exactly right. In fact when I order March 7, he said 3rd week of April. It arrived on a Monday, 3rd week of April.

He called me the day it arrived and he got it on the schedule so the overnight crew did the PDI so I could get it the next day.

 

I asked my MA for as much advanced notice as possible because I need to schedule some things around it, and arrange for a ride up there. He said he would let me know when it arrived. I was hoping for more advanced notice than that.

Where did you find an estimated date in the Owners' Lounge? Mine just says, "...At Distribution Center."

 

At the bottom of that list, under "Review Order Detail". It seems that a date is put in there when it is released from VDC and/or loaded on a truck. In my case, this seems to be the date it got to the dealer, not when it would be ready for delivery.

 

Several people who's cars were on the ISOLDE have already received them. One got it the day after they unloaded.

The original estimate I got was for first week in May. We are past that now.

Hey Skuzzy, what would be the appropriate whine for this situation?

 

Thanks. I didn't think to look there. It says 5/7/2007, which is today! That should mean it should be just a few days away. Although, with the luck I've been having so far, it will just miss getting on a truck and have to wait a week for the next truck. It just missed the boat in England, which delayed it a week.

 

It's a painful process. Fortunately we can all relate. I am very happy to be nearing the end of the process myself. Hopefully in a couple weeks from now you'll be on here consoling some other poor soul that is anxiously awaiting his/her car's arrival.

 

My main problem is that I have some things I need to schedule and can't until I know when I need to pick up my MINI.

 

Mine stated 5-3-07 and i'm still waiting for it. it originally arrived at the VDC on 4-24-07. my dealer is less than an hour away form the VDC!!! this delay is making me think that there is something wrong with the car and they are having to make repairs/fixes to it. if i have to wait any longer then a few more days i may just cancel my order. i don't want a car that had to be molested at the VDC.

 

The delivery date for me was spot on. The dealer prep took two days. My MA called me as the car was being unloaded from the truck. Little warning.

 

The moral is that you won't be able to make a firm date until it's at the dealer and they have it registered. As said, there are just too many variables. In my case, my car is ready but they're waiting for paperwork so it can be registerd. So ultimately, it may unfortunately just mean you have to wait extra days to work around your schedule.

 

I found that the estimated date on the OL, which does change between the VDC and the dealer, is fairly accurate. I have also been told the dealers can not track a car inside the VDC but through experience can give a good estimate on how long things will take. Also, once the car clears the VDC and is scheduled on a truck, the dealer is notified and the car can be tracked by them. That's what I've gathered anyway.

Whatever happens, you're not to far off from picking up your new MINI. We're taking delivery tomorrow am. Very exciting. Happy Motoring Robin!

 

OL says that estimated date of deliver is 5/5/2007 (Three days ago). Ok, granted, my MA said that they don't get trucks in on Saturday, and 5/6/2007 was a Sunday. So technically we are only into the second business day at this point... but oh....this is so horrible. I'm just afraid that I'm building up my expectations so much that nothing short of perfection is going to do.

Living in doubt... is living without...