[arrrbeee]

Does anyone know of any way to track cars that have been off loaded at the port and are awaiting going through the prep center for shippment to the dealer. My car came into Port Hueme, Cal on 9/8/02. Owners lounge says waiting to go through prep center. Another car on same ship already shows at the dealer. Any info or insight appreciated. Randy

[NEMINI]

My only suggestion would be to talk to your dealer ... even the owners lounge says they probably know more.

[GMINI]

Quote:

Originally posted by arrrbeee
Does anyone know of any way to track cars that have been off loaded at the port and are awaiting going through the prep center for shippment to the dealer. My car came into Port Hueme, Cal on 9/8/02. Owners lounge says waiting to go through prep center. Another car on same ship already shows at the dealer. Any info or insight appreciated. Randy

Something's up. I do not recall a Waiting for VPC setting for OL. Regardless, I'd love to see a way to get information in the depth I yearned for when my car was there.

OL blows. Never trust what it tells you if you suspect you are further along the line.

Unfortunately, there's just 866-ASK-MINI to let you know if your car is sitting outside or inside VPC. They really can't tell you how far along it is once inside. You'll just know once work papers (checklist) have been produced that you are in there. It can take days to fill those in. And then, they'll tell you that it's finished VPC. And then, that it made a truck, and then

and then

aaaaaaand theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen

Also: I think we are the first to see such a network of services available to us as customers. Be glad.

[PghArch]

If anyone finds out let me know! My car arrived in NJ on August 13th and at the VPC on August 27th. Beyond my dealer telling me that the computer indicates a "V" which apparently means it had damage to be repaired, I have heard nothing about the status. Every day we call and are told "It should be pretty much done, I'm sure you'll have it within a few days/by the end of the week." These promises started the last week of August. We still don't know what is holding the car up, when to expect it, nor what condition it will be in when it arrives (ie, what damage was repaired).

Calls/e-mails to MINIUSA indicate that they don't know any more than what the general operators can tell me. Calls to the dealer indicate that they don't know anything until the car arrives. Surely someone currently has custody of the car?!? I'm getting very frustrated about this all. If they'd told me three weeks ago that the car was damaged, they needed a part and that it would be a few weeks I would have put it aside. Instead I get a daily ritual of "I'm sorry, we can't help you today... but probably tomorrow will be better".


Thanks for letting me vent...

[src]

This is the first message I have written in a few weeks. For the most part I have learned a tremendous amount from fellow forum members, for which I am grateful. The forums -- MINI2, MiniCooperOnline, and Roadfly -- has sustained me during my interminable wait, which I thought was near an end about a month ago.

My car was due for build, week 34. Amazingly, I made the next ship out of port, only two days after build. Nine days later, September 3, port (New Jersey). Then the wait. It took two days to move across the dock from where it was unloaded to the VPC. Some story about two boats coming in two weeks earlier and the VPC was backed up. Finally to the VPC on 9/5 with delivery expected 9/11 -- according to the remarkably unreliable owner's lounge (AskMini said it would be 9/9 originally). Next the work order, printed on 9/12, a week later. I was told that it would be a couple, maybe three days then it would be shipped to the dealer.

Well, the work order is printed and no work has been ordered from what I, or AskMini can tell. Each day, "the work order was printed on September 5; your car is awaiting processing." So I called my dealer today, to ask for some relief. He says he'll ask the Sales Manager to call and will get back with me tomorrow. Any bets on the message?

Still, I have my foolish dreams of motoring . . . tomorrow!!

Maybe, MiniUSA will read this and check out my situation and my fellow sufferors. All of this is exacerbated by the fact that so much of the information is late in coming, and wrong when it arrives. The Owner's Lounge still says 9/11 for my expected delivery date. You would think they would know differently.

Sorry for the rant.

[GMINI]

Quote:

Originally posted by src
The Owner's Lounge still says 9/11 for my expected delivery date. You would think they would know differently.

Sorry for the rant.

Yeah. I'll agree with that.

OL says I should expect delivery September 4th. STILL!

Maybe I will be driving tomorrow.

[PghArch]

Heck, the Owner's Lounge is still telling me to expect delivery on August 21 !

Because I didn't want to use my previous auto insurer for this car the dealer had encouraged me to go ahead and get things set up with my new agent. I had a policy in place for a month ago, I wonder at what point they'll get sick of me calling and asking them to move the start date on the policy back.

What an aggravation!

[Clutch Cargo]

PghArch and src, which VPCs are your cars in? Mine should be offloaded at NEAT, in New Jersey today. I imagine that different VPCs have different levels of service quality. Wonder how NEAT stacks up?

[monica]

Quote:

Originally posted by src

... Nine days later, September 3, port (New Jersey). Then the wait. It took two days to move across the dock from where it was unloaded to the VPC. Some story about two boats coming in two weeks earlier and the VPC was backed up. Finally to the VPC on 9/5 with delivery expected 9/11 -- according to the remarkably unreliable owner's lounge (AskMini said it would be 9/9 originally). Next the work order, printed on 9/12, a week later. I was told that it would be a couple, maybe three days then it would be shipped to the dealer.


Sorry for the rant.

We've ALL ranted at some point.

The part about the back up is more that likely true. Customs, Feds, U.S. Marshalls, NY/NJ Port Authority have all worked together to enforce some very strict policies regarding cargo coming by ship. Two ships coming in early would cause a mess! All ships have to anounce arrival something like 3 days ahead of time, all cargo documented (not one item more or less!) and Armed Federal Marshalls inspect the ships cargo, employees and any personal items that they see fit PRIOR to docking. There's more and if anything is a bit off in the process or any suspision aroused they WILL delay the ship from docking. I posted a link to the NEAT website on the "Sept 6th" thread and it explains all this way better. Remember where NEAT and VPC are and the anniversary that just passed.