2009 Mini E: 3 Month Service
Last week our 2009 Mini E went over to Nick Alexander Imports for its 3-month service. Mini demands "owners" service their Mini E at 3,000 or three-months. And we mean demands, they called us every day from the 3-month mark on until we relented and brought the car through the frozen-fish-warehouse district of Downtown LA to the closest authorized Mini E service center.
And as it turns out, driving through the industrial heart of Los Angeles in typical horrible traffic was the least aggravating part of the entire experience.
(Warning: Long)
I should have known I was in for trouble when I walked in and saw two girls sitting impatiently at an empty desk. One of them was spinning the Mini key fob around her finger. We made eye contact and I gave her the "Where is look. "They said someone would be right out." Ok. Right out is good enough. I'll give this 60 seconds.
60 seconds pass and I walk to the back where I find a salesman playing Solitaire on his PC (figured Mini would have Macs). "Hey. They said someone would be right out. We're waiting for service. What's going on?"
"Don't worry," he said, "someone will be right with you."
"Define 'right' for me."
"Huh?"
"Define 'right'. I understand the 'out' part and the 'someone' bit, but I'd like to know how much longer we have to wait. In seconds please."
That did the trick. He got on the intercom and called someone in service who was at the desk in less than 30 seconds.
5-minutes of dealing with the girls in front of me and I was, list of problems in hand, finally at the desk. My list of problems was little more than a print out of Dan's earlier blog discussing the Mini and its overheating issues. She said she'd have them check it out, but that nothing would happen today. They don't actually do anything to the Mini E there; they just download data and send it to HQ in Oxnard where a team of nerds processes it. If there are any faults found, they'll call me and tow the vehicle to Oxnard for repair.
...04.08.10
China’s insurance regulator is considering opening the market for compulsory automobile insurance to foreign firms, said three people with knowledge of the matter.
The China Insurance Regulatory Commission may allow foreign firms to offer mandatory liability insurance, said the people, who declined to be identified because the decision isn’t final. Foreign insurers, which can now only offer some optional car insurance products, are losing out to local firms as drivers tend to choose the same company for both non-compulsory and mandatory coverage.
Easing the rules would allow overseas insurers including American Insurance Group Inc. to boost their business in the world’s biggest car market, and increase their share from 4 percent of the $164 billion insurance market six years after it was opened under World Trade Organization commitments. Auto insurance generates more than 70 percent of revenue for PICC Property & Casualty Co. , China’s biggest non-life insurer.
Source: Bloomberg
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