# Timeline for the European Delivery of my 2015 A3 Prestige



## vtmsf (Jan 29, 2014)

I did the European Delivery program this year for my 2015 A3 Prestige. It was an amazing opportunity that I highly recommend. However, being a brand new model added lots of time to the process. A computer-phobic sales guy made it even worst. He would often not respond to e-mails so I would have to call and text him. He really made me feel like I was nagging him, but it was the only way to get any progress.

I'll add pictures later, but here's the basic sequence of events over the last 8 months: 

January 16th, the configurator for the A3 has been up for a day or 2 and the closest dealer to me still hasn't returned my e-mail. I receive a happy birthday letter from where I had bought 2 other Audis so I decided to give them a chance instead. I called talked to the sales guy I'm going to refer to as Dick. I e-mailed Dick the exact configuration I wanted and had saved from the configurator.

January 17th Dick sends me a credit app, that I return immediately. Also send of scans of my passport for the ED program. I had stated that I wanted to pick the car up in May. No problem, we have a build slot in March we can use for this order.

January 18th drop of deposit check.

January 24th Haven't heard from Dick so I send him an e-mail. No reply.

January 25th I text Dick "Please get the order entered today." Why has he not done this is the last week??? He finally has someone enter the order and sends me the confirmation. Everything is OK.

February 11th Dick calls & e-mails that Audi is starting US A3 deliveries on June 1st. Not what I wanted to hear, but I can work with that.

February 14th Dick invites me to an A3 Launch Event with test drive. Cool, I get to actually drive the car I've ordered.

March 15th Launch Event. Cool, we get to drive the car from Menlo Park to San Mateo and back. Talk to a product manager who tells me the blade wheels won't available until the S3 launches:-(

April 3rd Launch Party Dick tells me they have no delivery slots until July. I object and he says he'll work on it.

April 16th Still no work. I send Dick an e-mail letting him know this is unacceptable and I'm unhappy with him, the dealer and Audi.

April 19th ED says I can have June 24th delivery date. I accept, 3 months after placing my order. Found out the problem was that the June 1 delivery date was more than 60 days after the March build date and Audi won't hold a car longer than that. I told this to Dick, but he assured me they would hold it. Guess what, they didn't, they shipped it to the dealer. So, I was starting over and at the end of the queue as far as Audi was concerned. Dick still says it's a good thing he found the problem rather than realize he was the cause of the problem. I book tickets and start making reservations.

April 21st Dick e-mails me the new order confirmation to verify it's correct. 

April 29th I get the welcome packet from Audi ED. It states my requested delivery date and is very clear that this is still subject to change.

May 30th Complete purchase with loan from my Credit Union. 2.9%apr with a 2% rebate (not bad)

June 13th Final travel plans from ED including confirmation of the June 24th delivery date. (FINALLY, 5 days before our flight!)

June 18th fly to Amsterdam

June 22nd train to Munich

June 23rd stay overnight at Kempinksi hotel at Munch Airport

June 24th chauffeured to Ingolstadt in crazy loaded up A8. Pick up car do factory tour and head to Prague.

June 26th Drive to Nuremburg and then stay overnight in a castle in Colmberg

June 27th Drive to Rothenberg, Nordlinger, Wies Church, Linderhof and Fussen

June 28th Tour castles Schloss Hohenschwaangau and Neuschwanstein. Drive to Hall, Austria.

June 29th Drive South through the Dolomites to Sienna. We watch the practice runs for the Palio for 3 nights.

June 30th Drive around Tuscany for wine tasting and to see Castel San Gimignano and Volterra.

July 1st Abandon plans to see Florence and instead drive to Montalcino for lunch and some wine tasting.

July 2st Short drive to Monteriggioni for lunch and then back to Sienna for the big event, the Palio!

July 3rd Drive to Pisa for a quick peak at the collection of leaning buildings and then on to Vernazza in the Cinque Terra.

July 4th Drive to Nice and drop off car.

July 5th Fly home to SFO

July 22nd Dick still doesn't know anything to I e-mail BLG Logistics [email protected] and receive an reply the next day that my car was on the Lyra Leader. ETD Emden 7/21 ETA San Diego 8/14

August 14th Car arrives in San Diego

August 19th, Notified by IFF that the car cleared customs the 15th. Talk to Dick about when I can expect the car. He has no clue. I tell him it cleared customs on the 15th and he asks "How do you know that?"

August 23rd I start stalking the dealership looking for signs of new deliveries.

August 26th I stalk on my way to and from the office. In the afternoon I see newly delivered cars. I text Dick, who then checks and confirms that my car is in service and will be detailed (washed) the following morning.

August 27th Dick sends text that car is still in service and should be to the detailers by late afternoon.

August 28th Car is finally ready around noon so I head down to pick it up. 8 months after ordering!


----------

