I was a tad curious so I called EH Harms to verify if 2 January is the estimated date in port. The date is correct and they unload and are gone within 24 hours...then customs and the car is on it's way! It's been one month since we dropped the car off - just a bit anxious!!

This is the only way to buy a new car!

Carol

Have been very busy monitoring ship movements - it just now appeared on the Houston arrivals page http://www.portofhouston.com/maritime/general_cargo/turningbasin.html

Carol

Nice tracking Carol. The Braunschweig was originally scheduled to depart Emden, Germany on 12/12/2008. By the time I picked up my new A5 on 12/1/2008, that date had slipped to 12/15/2008 with an estimated arrival date in Houston on 1/2/2009. Since the Braunschweig actually departed Emden on 12/17 instead of 12/15, it stands to reason they were not going to be able to make up the two days and arrive in Houston on 1/2/2009 as scheduled. The real key seems to be how long U.S. Customs takes to clear them to move on to the dealers. Hoping that will be a short duration and both our vehicles get moving out of Houston ASAP.

As good a program as European Delivery is, this is obviously the hard part, already seeing your car and having to wait for delivery. I guess if they delay long enough the factory OEM performance tires will actually be commensurate with the season.

RSP

here's the link:
http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Port/fortlauderdale/Map.html

she's the farthest right "down arrow"!!!
click on the arrow or on the name in the ship list to the right of map

heading 267 degrees at 14.8 kts

http://marinetraffic.com/ais/

I've been looking with interest at the web page sites you have provided for tracking maritime vessels. Do you have to be a registered user with these services to view all the ships? It doesn't appear so, but I have not been able to locate the Braunschweig either by putting my cursor over a vessel depiction on a map or by trying to pull up the Braunschweig under vessel name. Any hints as to what I am missing here? Thanks.

Strangely enough I can't find it right now either. On www.vesseltracker.com I am getting this message: The current position is not available because the vessel is not in one of our covered regions at the moment.

I did do the free sign-in (vesseltracker)and I've been able to pull it up by typing in the vessel name on the upper right on the webpage. You sound like you are doing the same thing as me and sometimes good hunting other times zilch. On www.marinetraffic.com the port of houston is not listed - that seems weird.

I guess we just keep looking and posting when we see something.

Carol

Carol:

Those free maritime tracking services seem to be worth what you pay for them. I just got an email from Kathy Bis informing me that my new A5 has been released by U.S. Customs at the Port of Houston. Obviously the ship had to have arrived and off loaded my vehicle for that to have happened. Now it's on to Seattle via rail and truck.

RSP

Well there is a disclaimer that the times are as much as 24 hours off. I didn't received an email from Kathy - BUT I did go to the EH Harms tracking website and it shows our TT cleared customs 2 January also. I'll call the dealer in Dallas in the morning and see what he knows. I'll send him an email tonight too.

This seems like an eternity since we turned the car in. I keep going to the webcam at Marienplatz in Munich daily, refreshing many times and wishing we were there! I think we are going to try to do one of the "Drivers Day" programs at Ingolstadt Thanksgiving this year. Quite a variety of programs and very reasonable with your choice of Audi model.

This has been quite a fun game playing on these ship websites seeing where in the world things may be located. I got a couple ships in as my favorites, one of them being Lady Moura - phenominal vessel (private yacht) we saw in Monaco in May. So now something new to do on the computer...follow ships.

Wonder if you can follow Amtrack????

Congratulations on your new A5 and it's been fun chatting with you!!! Have a great weekend...don't know about you, but mine just got better.

Carol

Carol:

I just received an answer from Audi of America European Delivery Specialist Gxxx Wxxxxx regarding my inquiry as to where my car was since we received notice it cleared customs in Houston on December 31, 2008. Gary indicated that "...EH Harms was able to prioritize customs clearance so the vehicle could be released upon arrival at the port. The port of Houston confirmed the vehicle arrived yesterday and is currently being prepared for shipping..."

I responded to Gxxx as follows, "Thank you for the explanation. The Braunschweig was originally scheduled to sail from the Port of Emden on December 12, 2008 and that was revised to a December 15, 2008 sailing with an ETA in Houston of January 2, 2009. The ship did not actually leave Emden, Germany until December 17, 2008 so arrival yesterday makes perfect sense. It would have been nice if Dan Ozdinec from E.H. Harms USA had explained the pre-clearance prior to actual arrival in his December 31, 2008 email so as to avoid the apparent confusion on the actual arrival of the ship in Houston."

So I guess the maritime tracking service you were using was correct and the ship did not actually arrive in Houston until January 6, 2009, two days later than was planned even with the slippage of the sailing dates.

RSP

In looking at our paperwork we got in the mail from Harms, it showed ours clearing customs on 2 January BUT....in looking at the envelope it was postmarked 31 December..so they must have figured it would be in on the 2nd - which it wasn't. I was told today the same info you mentioned about clearing customs yesterday. I also spoke with a friend who's with a dealership in CA and he has a S6 with ours (he's been following our TT for us since it was ordered! . . .seems like ages ago. We'll see what the word is tomorrow, we were hoping for picking the car up Friday but don't know if that will occur.

Thanks for the info update - very much appreciated.

Carol

we took out an S8 just for the day, WOW, what a fantastic machine! We took it just for the day up through the Altmühl Valley. Picturesque and twisties as far as the eye could see. Of course there was the mandatory run on the autobahn, 150 mph never felt so smooth :-)

We are thinking going again this summer and I would love to drive an RS6 Avant

I was advised my vehicle would take about 10-12 days from customs release in Houston to reach dealership in Seattle. Has to travel by rail to Seattle then trucked to dealership.

Well...we went and did the driving/lunch event with our local Mercedes group today and after lunch did our 80+ mile drive to the dealer to redeem the car. He pointed out a blemish that was found while detailing the car on the back by the spoiler area...not there when we turned it over in Munich. There is no dent, no paint issue, it's with the clear coat - almost like it's been "pushed" somehow - it is visible, probably pea size. So we refused the car, they took photos and will get it resolved and fixed for us hopefully this week. We also weren't going to bring the car home then have to take it back to have it fixed, thus the car remains with the dealer. Hoping to go back up to Dallas the end of the week. Incidentally, the export plate was on the car and we've had them put it on the front until I exchange the regular Texas plates for the Animal Friendly Texas plates. (may have to conveniently forget it's on there!!!)

Darn, it was hard to let it go in Munich and at least I got to touch it today. At least when we pick it up, it will have the rubber TT mats in front and the car cover is being held in parts for us. We had the A4 rubber mats in front of Samantha and they were perfect as we live in the country and certainly keep the carpet protected.

Please advise on your car too!! It's just one of those things that can happen and as long as the issue is resolved and the spot is fixed to our liking then we're happy campers. I will say that they are most accomodating to our needs - a loner car was mentioned...I would have been glad to have had the red R8 on the showroom floor "loaned" to me! "Stay tuned to this channel for continuing information!!!"

Carol

I have several questions for you about this as we are seriously considering doing this over Thanksgiving but doing the overnighter or perhaps one of the two night ones (assuming the program remains same or similar for this coming fall/winter. We looked at various models in the showroom today and thought the R8 would be a good candidate! I'll get back with you on my questions - got to go feed all my horses right now.
Carol

Carol:

Send me an email so I have your email address and I'll send you some information about ED shipping protection you may find interesting.

RSP
RSParsons@hotmail.com