Morning Crown - departing Bremerhaven 8/23, arriving Port Hueneme 9/19

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by CASoxFan

I really don't understand the BMW Genius Line. So I called yesterday and asked about the car, and they gave me the info posted above. I called back today to see if they had more clarity, and a different rep said it is still in a work order and had none of the other info. How can it be that one person has one set of data and another has a totally different data set. I am just going to my CA from now on, as the "genius" line doesn't seem to be too smart.

SD - sorry for semi-hijacking your thread. Hopefully you won't have the same issues with delays that Cach and I have had, and if you do at least you know you're not the only one...

That's been my experience for the past two Euro Deliveries, BMW Genius has no valid or consistent information once the car reaches the destination port and there's no point on relying on anything that they tell you. There's absolutely no visibility while in Customs, no status while at the VDC, the first possible opportunity is when the car is loaded onto a truck, and even then, the dealer doesn't even get accurate information about that!

On the other end, while we were waiting to see where our car was after dropping off at TT Car Transit at Charles De Gaulle, I called BMW Genius a couple of times until they pretty much admitted that that had no access to information and it would be best to call the BMW Euro Delivery hotline. After calling them every 3-4 days, they told me that they would e-mail me when they had a status. It was 3 weeks and 2 days before we knew what ship we were going to be on, and it was loaded onto the ship the next day.

Now we have a really tight window on the delivery end. My wife decided that we're going to her niece's birthday in Colorado in October, leaving on the 3rd. We really hope that we have the car by October 1, because otherwise redelivery will have to wait until after we return on October 9! October 1 will be 9 weeks after we dropped off and we were told that dropping off anywhere besides Munich would take up to week longer. Fingers crossed!

[TXSoxFan]

When I did my first ED 5 years ago, it took me 37 days to get my car. Granted that was an east coast re-delivery and I dropped off in Munich. My bigger gripe is that it has been at the port since the 8th. This is going on 22 days now. It took customs until the 20th which is part of the delay, but why is it taking so long at the VPC? If it is to fix the bumper chip fine, but why can't anyone have that info. The lack of concrete info (especially to a guy who works with data) is extremely frustrating!

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by CASoxFan

When I did my first ED 5 years ago, it took me 37 days to get my car. Granted that was an east coast re-delivery and I dropped off in Munich. My bigger gripe is that it has been at the port since the 8th. This is going on 22 days now. It took customs until the 20th which is part of the delay, but why is it taking so long at the VPC? If it is to fix the bumper chip fine, but why can't anyone have that info. The lack of concrete info (especially to a guy who works with data) is extremely frustrating!

FYI, I don't know about the east coast location, but on the West Coast, it's the Vehicle Distribution Center (VDC). We had a tour there a couple of weeks ago:

[TXSoxFan]

On the east I think it’s called the VPC or vehicle processing center...same thing.

[CachacoF80]

Hahaha I love our first world problems!

Mine is at the dealer now! But I won't be able to pick it up this weekend so hopefully the next one

[TXSoxFan]

So my dealer confirmed that they are replacing the bumper thus the delay. Still scheduled to leave tomorrow and arrive Saturday, so crossing my fingers.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by CASoxFan

So my dealer confirmed that they are replacing the bumper thus the delay. Still scheduled to leave tomorrow and arrive Saturday, so crossing my fingers.

Be assured that having your bumper replaced at the VDC is absolutely the best way to get a new bumper after the factory itself. The old bumper will be removed, the new bumper will be expertly painted using factory paint, cured in factory spec ovens, and expertly installed. It will be worth the wait.

The VDC actually has a whole internship, training people in body repair and placing them at dealers. This whole process was explained in detail during our VDC tour.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by CASoxFan

On the east I think it’s called the VPC or vehicle processing center...same thing.

They used to be called Vehicle Processing Centers or Vehicle Preparation Centers, or that's just what people called them but they're actually called Vehicle Distributino Centers now. Just trying to promote the correct name.

[TXSoxFan]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

Be assured that having your bumper replaced at the VDC is absolutely the best way to get a new bumper after the factory itself. The old bumper will be removed, the new bumper will be expertly painted using factory paint, cured in factory spec ovens, and expertly installed. It will be worth the wait.

The VDC actually has a whole internship, training people in body repair and placing them at dealers. This whole process was explained in detail during our VDC tour.

I agree. I am not disappointed at all in the fact they are repairing it (especially considering some reports that minor damage was no longer being repaired). I was disappointed in the lack of available information, and that it would change depending on which "genius" took my call.

[SD ///M4]

Morning Crown arrived at the Port of Manzanillo, Panama this morning at 2018-09-10 04:45 AM PDT, 11:45 UTC, 6:45 EST.

She's scheduled to depart on 2018-09-11 and begin her passage through the Panama Canal.

Here's a screenshot from MarineTraffic showing her position at port near Coco Solo:



Unfortunately, no webcams yet. (Don't do a Google search for "Coco Solo webcam. Trust me!)

[TXSoxFan]

SD we can play a fun game, see who gets their car first. I STILL have not gotten my car. 32 days since arrival at the port, 20 days since it cleared customs and went into VDC. Genius line has no update. Dealer has called numerous times and doesn't get a response. I finally called BMWNA to see what they can do to assist. I have a sinking feeling that something else has happened and they aren't telling me.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by CASoxFan

SD we can play a fun game, see who gets their car first. I STILL have not gotten my car. 32 days since arrival at the port, 20 days since it cleared customs and went into VDC. Genius line has no update. Dealer has called numerous times and doesn't get a response. I finally called BMWNA to see what they can do to assist. I have a sinking feeling that something else has happened and they aren't telling me.

That's unreasonable! I would call the European Delivery Hotline and see if they can assist. I'll PM you the number that I have.

[TXSoxFan]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

That's unreasonable! I would call the European Delivery Hotline and see if they can assist. I'll PM you the number that I have.

So the car was finally assigned to a carrier yesterday. It should arrive at the dealer today or tomorrow. I think it was just coincidence that I called NA and then it got released, as I received a call back from NA this morning and it seemed as if the guy was still trying to gather facts (24 hours later mind you). I told him the car was assigned and he said he'd close the case as a complaint against the VDC.

[SD ///M4]

Morning Crown left the Port of Manzanillo today at 2018-09-11 00:42 PDT (02:42 EST, 07:42 UTC) and entered the Panama Canal at 04:13 PST (06:13 EST, 11:13 UTC). Due to the early morning hour, I missed the opportunity to get webcam shots from the Gatun Locks as she went through, and her current position is south of the Gatun Locks in Gatun Lake:



There will be other opportunities to get webcam shots as she passes through the Miraflores Locks and under the International Bridge later today.

Next stop is Port Hueneme! ETA is now 2018-09-20 09:00 PDT (16:00 UTC), originally 2018-09-19 22:00. Due to WWL removing the Cargo ID field from their search parameters in January, it is no longer possible to to know when a car has been discharged from the ship and released to Customs, so the port/VDC becomes even more of a black hole.

[dim635csi]

Morning Crown coming to 2nd set of Miraflores locks as now.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by dim635csi

Morning Crown coming to 2nd set of Miraflores locks as now.

I'm watching her there on the live webcam:

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/ca...m=MirafloresHi

[dim635csi]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

I'm watching her there on the live webcam:

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/ca...m=MirafloresHi

Same.

[SD ///M4]

Here's a screenshot of Morning Crown just as she starts leaving the lower Miraflores Locks. The lock has been drained and she's moving out of the lock towards the Pacific exit of the Panama Canal.



Her position now:



Now she just has to sail past Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Baja Mexico, and then up the coast of California, past San Diego and Los Angeles. Next stop Port Hueneme!

[SD ///M4]

Apparently Morning Crown got close enough to land to transmit a location signal about 13.5 hours ago. She was just off the coast of Acapulco. Her ETA at Port Hueneme is still 2018-09-19 05:45 LT (UTC -7).

[SD ///M4]

Morning Crown was close enough to Puerto Vallarta to record a position. Here's her position as of 2018-09-16 04:55 PDT, steaming towards Cabo San Lucas on her way to Port Hueneme:

[SD ///M4]

Morning Crown has reported her position about 90 minutes ago and she is well past Cabo San Lucas, heading northwest along the coast of Baja California, Mexico. She should pass San Diego sometime later today. Still on track for a 5:45 AM arrival at Port Hueneme on Wednesday, less than 48 hours from now!

[dmf]

Getting keen. Just in time as well - just did my CA driving test today and can at least title the car to myself

(I was licensed previously in Australia - this isn't my first car...)