[rdsport323]

Originally Posted by EuroTrip

Sucks, i wish I knew you guys in person. You could have bought your car from me!!!
I work at Crevier BMW!

Are you a SA? or CA?

[BruinEd03]

Originally Posted by EuroTrip

Sucks, i wish I knew you guys in person. You could have bought your car from me!!!
I work at Crevier BMW!

Yeah, I called Crevier when I was shopping around, but I gave the Internet guys a quote another dealership offered me and they flat out told me to go buy from the other dealership. It wasn't a ridiculous quote, either.

[rdsport323]

I found a buyer for my current E36, but I can't be without a car for another 2-3 weeks... do dealerships give out loaners for longer than a week? if not, should I just get a rental car ?

[Appropriate]

Man, I'm in the same spot... I'd like to sell mine now, but even living only 9 blocks from work, I need a car for another 3+ weeks...

[Appropriate]

Well... back to being obsessed... April 8, 4pm Pacific time...

They need to put a turbo in this beotch...

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shi...html?call=SGIX

[BruinEd03]

Getting closer...April 8, 10 p.m. Pacific

[Appropriate]

Getting very close... April 9, 4AM Pacific...

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shi...html?call=SGIX

Now scheduled to leave Halifax a day later than originally planned. But still on schedule for an April 23rd landing in Port Hueneme...

[Appropriate]

Due into the Halifax harbor at Noon Pacific time...

http://www.portofhalifax.ca/english/...tusreport.aspx

[EuroTrip]

Well the problem is that most buyers have tunnel vision when it comes to buying a car. They dont realize that we are the largest dealership on the west coast, which means we have the largest allocation of BMWs, and your car actually gets here sooner when ordered from us.
Not to mention the amazing extra services we offer that the peashooter dealers do not. Free new BMW car loaners when yours is in for service, 6 day a week carwashes and John Wayne Airport shuttle and car storage while you are gone.
So when we lose deals to the smaller dealerships that dont care about profit but rather just trying to grow to our level of allocation, its frustrating. Customers will walk away from thousands of dollars of benefits of service for a couple hundred more bucks over invoice.

[BruinEd03]

Originally Posted by Appropriate

Getting very close... April 9, 4AM Pacific...

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shi...html?call=SGIX

Now scheduled to leave Halifax a day later than originally planned. But still on schedule for an April 23rd landing in San Diego...

FYI Port Hueneme is not SD -- it's a few miles north of LA and it's due into PH on 4/23.

[BruinEd03]

Originally Posted by EuroTrip

Well the problem is that most buyers have tunnel vision when it comes to buying a car. They dont realize that we are the largest dealership on the west coast, which means we have the largest allocation of BMWs, and your car actually gets here sooner when ordered from us.
Not to mention the amazing extra services we offer that the peashooter dealers do not. Free new BMW car loaners when yours is in for service, 6 day a week carwashes and John Wayne Airport shuttle and car storage while you are gone.
So when we lose deals to the smaller dealerships that dont care about profit but rather just trying to grow to our level of allocation, its frustrating. Customers will walk away from thousands of dollars of benefits of service for a couple hundred more bucks over invoice.

Uhhh...first of all none of that was really ever expressed to me. The guy literally said "go buy it at that dealership." No discussion even about being flexibile about pricing or indicating why his pricing is a better value. Basically indicating he did not want my business.

If it's a tie b/w prices or close to it, I would gladly go somewhere where I felt valued as a customer. Not to mention I've been to Crevier a few times and each time I've had to basically go find someone to go talk to me instead of having someone approach me. (Maybe it's because I look young?) Not exactly good customer service. If that's the case when I'm trying to buy the car and where I've got the most leverage, why would it be any different when I'm trying to get my car fixed where I've got less leverage?

Though if it makes you feel any better, I wasn't treated any better at the other two dealerships in the area -- hence why i went out of the OC to get my car. I'd gladly drive the extra miles to get good customer service. It seemed the dealerships in the OC believe they don't have to be remotely competitive to get my business. So be it -- they ask me to take my business elsewhere...so I did.

[usc gal]

Originally Posted by EuroTrip

Well the problem is that most buyers have tunnel vision when it comes to buying a car. They dont realize that we are the largest dealership on the west coast, which means we have the largest allocation of BMWs, and your car actually gets here sooner when ordered from us.
Not to mention the amazing extra services we offer that the peashooter dealers do not. Free new BMW car loaners when yours is in for service, 6 day a week carwashes and John Wayne Airport shuttle and car storage while you are gone.
So when we lose deals to the smaller dealerships that dont care about profit but rather just trying to grow to our level of allocation, its frustrating. Customers will walk away from thousands of dollars of benefits of service for a couple hundred more bucks over invoice.

How long have you worked at this dealership? I bought a car there and they are crooks. They sold be a identitfy theft car and tried to pass it off as new. I could have put them out of business. All those things you said of getting great serivce free car washes etc. Who cares all dealers wash your car and do the same thing. And you are not the biggest anymore try Sonic Auto who is buying up BMW dealerships and they are the largest auto dealer they own Long Beach, Beverly Hills, BMW Monrovia and might be getting one more around here soon along with there others BMW dealers all over the nation.

[Appropriate]

Originally Posted by BruinEd03

FYI Port Hueneme is not SD -- it's a few miles north of LA and it's due into PH on 4/23.

You know, I had this thing in the back of my head telling me that, and I just never bothered to listen... thx for pointing it out.

[rdsport323]

Originally Posted by Appropriate

You know, I had this thing in the back of my head telling me that, and I just never bothered to listen... thx for pointing it out.

that's weird.. I thought the same thing... Why did I keep thinking it is in San Diego?

[rdsport323]

Originally Posted by EuroTrip

Well the problem is that most buyers have tunnel vision when it comes to buying a car. They dont realize that we are the largest dealership on the west coast, which means we have the largest allocation of BMWs, and your car actually gets here sooner when ordered from us.
Not to mention the amazing extra services we offer that the peashooter dealers do not. Free new BMW car loaners when yours is in for service, 6 day a week carwashes and John Wayne Airport shuttle and car storage while you are gone.
So when we lose deals to the smaller dealerships that dont care about profit but rather just trying to grow to our level of allocation, its frustrating. Customers will walk away from thousands of dollars of benefits of service for a couple hundred more bucks over invoice.

You know of any Service Advisors at Crevier that are mod friendly? And would they still give out loaner cars if the car wasn't bought there if we brought it in for service?

[Appropriate]

Originally Posted by rdsport323

that's weird.. I thought the same thing... Why did I keep thinking it is in San Diego?

Probably at least partially because I'm an idiot and kept saying San Diego.

[spn]

Don Juan is now showing on the Panama Canal schedule:

http://www.boydsteamship.com/daily_traffic_report.htm

It shows "his" arrival date scheduled for 4/15 (which you already know). Usually Boyd's PanCanal schedule is correct for arrival dates. But, it also shows his canal crossing date as 4/19. And, it will take him a full day to transit the canal. Once these ships exit the canal on the Pacific side there is a six (sometimes seven) day sailing time to SoCal. I just wanted you to know that these ships usually transit the canal before the date on the Pan Canal schedule, though, so he will probably transit before the 19th and arrive in SoCal as per the PH schedule. Every once in awhile they will run a day late into PH, though.

So once he arrives at the Panama Canal, and after he unloads at Manzanillo, he will then move back out into the outer bay to wait his turn to transit the canal. These super vessels only transit beginning in the early morning hours. Specially trained PanCanal pilots will board Don Juan and stear him through the locks. They like to watch the locks and ships carefully for damages as they pass through the lock systems (super vessels take up just about every inch of lock *******, so they begin transiting during the morning to catch as much daylight as possible. If he begins the crossing at 7 am PST, he will reach the Pacific ocean just before dinnertime. It is a 51 mile journey.

So between docking in Manzanillo and waiting his turn, he will be on the Atlantic side of the canal for probably two nights. If he transits on the 17th (or earlier) he will reach SoCal on schedule.

A few days before he reaches the PanCanal I would suggest that you try to get a free subscription to aislive.com. The free subscription is only good for two weeks, so you don't want to apply, yet. Sometimes they reply back immediately that your subscription is activated, sometimes it takes a few days, and sometimes you never get a response, so that is why I suggest trying a few days before DJ is to arrive in PanCanal. And, AIS radar only works when a ship is within 50 miles of a port, so it is not useful now. But, it is fun to watch the ship transit the canal on radar, and it gives you an idea where he is in the canal to catch him on the four web cameras.

Here is the pancanal link to the web cams:

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

And, I have attached a map so you understand the PanCanal system of locks. I will be following Camellia Ace and Hojin through the canal at approximately the same time as DJ.

[rdsport323]

great information Spn.... thanks for your insight and knowledge.

[Appropriate]

Neato. I think it's funny how it shows it raining on the Atlantic side, but not on the Pacific side in the little picture.

[spn]

I have never tracked a ship into Halifax on AIS, but I will take a look and see if I can find him.

[spn]

Here are the web cams for Halifax. Very nice!

http://www.halifaxwebcam.ca/live/

Haven't had a chance to look for Don Juan. I am still looking for the AIS radar link. . .

[spn]

Here is Don Juan on AIS Halifax radar.