[serg1282]

So apparently my dealer needs 24 hours to get the car prep'd.

"My warehouse requires up to 24hrs prep time to program the car."

Uh... doesn't the car get programmed at the VPC?

[TheStigsTwin]

Sounds like he's taking his girlfriend to Atlantic City.

[John 070]

No, they don't need 24 hours. They just need to prep it (checklist) and have the CA available to go over it with you for about 1 hour.

Who knows why dealerships say what they do, maybe they should have just told you they don't have someone available to do the prep and it's also the CA's day off. At least they can be truthful about it.

My car came in on a Thu. night, and my CA called me Fri. morning saying she could deliver it if I want, even though it was her day off. I told her no, I don't want to take time off for that, and plus it rained on Fri. anyway. Now she's still trying to add me as a friend on facebook even though I got married.

[serg1282]

Yea my CA is there today so it's kind of pissing me off that I'll need to take a day off next week to pick it up. Thanks for confirming my suspicion though.

[serg1282]

Here's the latest excuse: "They don't get the Navigation codes at the VPC. That is done by us and the reason it can take up to 24 hrs."

Is this just total bullshit?

[cb1111]

Blame this thread on the "I want it now" generation.

It depends on how well you want the car prepped. The dealership needs a few hours to go through the checklist, then (if they are doing their job right) they'll need to spend another half day at a minimum to properly clean the car and detail it.

If you want them to just run it through their car scratcher and hand it to you without checking fluid levels or removing shipping spacers then they can get it done in a flash.

Oh - I'd also schedule a good half day to pick up the car. You'll need time to go over the car with a fine toothed comb, pointing out everything that isn't normal (remember that you have other cars at the dealership to compare yours to) and make sure that they are documented (if minor) or resolved before you sign for the car. Part of that half day will be reviewing all the paperwork before you sign it.

The dealership is counting on you being rushed. The finance guy will be trying to sell you stuff and if you're in a rush you might just buy stuff to get out of there.

Don't have anything else planned (except for a drive perhaps) on the day you pick up the car.

[serg1282]

Ok this "I want it now" crap is based on very limited knowledge of my situation. I've been waiting on this car for over 12 weeks, so excuse me if I'm getting a little tired.

The reason I wanted to take delivery on a Saturday was for precisely all the reasons you listed; it's much easier to spend a whole day at the dealer on a Saturday vs. a weekday.

I did finally get an good explanation through their manager - the updated navigations require some code to come from BMWNA which can take a while.

[jmar0351]

Originally Posted by cb1111

Blame this thread on the "I want it now" generation.

I agree with the rest of what you said, but do you really expect someone to have to wait over 24 hr after shelling out over 50k for their car? Then on top of that waiting a few months to get it from Germany? I think that most BMW reps, like 95% of people that work in an office environment, can speed up their work but have gotten used to taking it easy and lowering their daily productivity.
There is a reason why new employees seem like they are doing more work, its because they are and haven't yet paced themselves like the rest of the people at work.

[rickwjenn]

Originally Posted by serg1282

So apparently my dealer needs 24 hours to get the car prep'd.

"My warehouse requires up to 24hrs prep time to program the car."

Uh... doesn't the car get programmed at the VPC?

Appreciate your frustration, but you are whining.

Let them do the prep right and go pick it up one day after work or take some time off.

You ordered a car to your configuration and you knew it was a multi-week process - let the process finish. The VPC codes are done at prep time PER BMW factory instructions - the Dealer has to follow this process.

[cb1111]

Originally Posted by serg1282

Ok this "I want it now" crap is based on very limited knowledge of my situation. I've been waiting on this car for over 12 weeks, so excuse me if I'm getting a little tired.

The reason I wanted to take delivery on a Saturday was for precisely all the reasons you listed; it's much easier to spend a whole day at the dealer on a Saturday vs. a weekday.

I did finally get an good explanation through their manager - the updated navigations require some code to come from BMWNA which can take a while.

You're right. The dealer should have prepped the car properly and then have called the customer and said "Great news - your car just came in, you can pick it up whenever you want."

[serg1282]

Thanks but I got a reasonable explanation from the dealer. They conceded that essentially every other step of the process doesn't take that long - it's just that stupid code.

I never expected them to speed up the process, I just didn't realize 24 hours was an accepted prep time.

[serg1282]

Originally Posted by cb1111

You're right. The dealer should have prepped the car properly and then have called the customer and said "Great news - your car just came in, you can pick it up whenever you want."

I agree 100% - it can be annoying to clear a day and then realize that I'll have to wait another 3 days because of some stupid navigation code.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by jmar0351

I agree with the rest of what you said, but do you really expect someone to have to wait over 24 hr after shelling out over 50k for their car? Then on top of that waiting a few months to get it from Germany? I think that most BMW reps, like 95% of people that work in an office environment, can speed up their work but have gotten used to taking it easy and lowering their daily productivity.
There is a reason why new employees seem like they are doing more work, its because they are and haven't yet paced themselves like the rest of the people at work.

I agree with you. My car was at the dealership Thu. night, my CA voicemailed me Fri. am, I told her I'd pick it up on Sat. because I was not taking off work (that costs what over $500), and it was raining. For those who also believe it's ok to take time off to deal with a BMW, when I changed jobs 7 wks. ago I got a check for 8 wks. of unused vacation. Taxed like a bonus at 25%, but came in handy in paying down the mortgage.

There's nothing wrong with holding a dealership accountable. Too many here seem to drink BMW's cool-aid and think all the lame things they tell us are in fact factual and in our best interest.

[serg1282]

Only up side to all of this is I can spend more time cleaning up the garage, haha.

[John 070]

And let's be honest here, there's nothing at all wrong being excited about getting a new car. This was my first (and probably last LOL) BMW, and I was excited and counting the days to taking delivery. Now that I'm 4 years older and wiser, I still get excited about seeing what ThinkPad the co's going to give me next, and hearing that they'll pay my monthly for my Droid X and I can lose the BBerry (f'in last IT dept. read people's text messages off the BES, nice! Punks!)....

[Ali.K_BMW]

If it needs PDI and We order the nav codes. That is not done at the VPC. Sometimes it takes half a day depending on how busy the service dept is.

[jmar0351]

Originally Posted by trackfiend

If it needs PDI and We order the nav codes. That is not done at the VPC. Sometimes it takes half a day depending on how busy the service dept is.

So it really takes half a day to get a few codes? Is it a download or simply imputing some number? That doesn't sound like German efficiency. Either way, we are all here posting on a bimmer website, I think we know the end product can be a blast to drive.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by cb1111

Blame this thread on the "I want it now" generation.

It depends on how well you want the car prepped. The dealership needs a few hours to go through the checklist, then (if they are doing their job right) they'll need to spend another half day at a minimum to properly clean the car and detail it.

If you want them to just run it through their car scratcher and hand it to you without checking fluid levels or removing shipping spacers then they can get it done in a flash.

Oh - I'd also schedule a good half day to pick up the car. You'll need time to go over the car with a fine toothed comb, pointing out everything that isn't normal (remember that you have other cars at the dealership to compare yours to) and make sure that they are documented (if minor) or resolved before you sign for the car. Part of that half day will be reviewing all the paperwork before you sign it.

The dealership is counting on you being rushed. The finance guy will be trying to sell you stuff and if you're in a rush you might just buy stuff to get out of there.

Don't have anything else planned (except for a drive perhaps) on the day you pick up the car.

Please. I got my car 2 hrs after if came off the truck. They didn't install swirls and even let me take off the plastic. I could give 2 shits about their silly checklist. I'm sure they half ass it everywhere, so I just picked my car up and left...

[dirty330]

Originally Posted by trackfiend

If it needs PDI and We order the nav codes. That is not done at the VPC. Sometimes it takes half a day depending on how busy the service dept is.

+1

[serg1282]

Well the take-home message here is that if you ordered a car with navigation, the prep can take longer than usual because of that code they need to get.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Please. I got my car 2 hrs after if came off the truck. They didn't install swirls and even let me take off the plastic. I could give 2 shits about their silly checklist. I'm sure they half ass it everywhere, so I just picked my car up and left...

Exactly. When I got my car home I lifted the hood--there was a plastic piece with the BMW logo and it was date-stamped with a recycle date, looked like it would attach to some wires or something. It was loose and obviously made it from the factory, to VPC, through dealer prep, and nobody noticed it. I just threw it in the garbage.

Zero reason to have it come off the truck, and not picked up the next day. If anything, the dealership should want the business closed and booked. Only an incompetent sales mgr. who isn't being scrutinized by the GM would let new vehicles sit undelivered...

[michaelthepsycho]

I've never scrutinized over taking delivery. If it looks okay, take it home I say!