Museum delivery

[Gersh]

Hope this isn't too politically incorrect, but I am not thrilled with the museum delivery.
After I paid $800 each to have the cars delivered ("destination charge"--and I believe that would get a car to southern Cal from Bowling Green), then I also paid $490 for each car for museum delivery, just because we live in western Kentucky and didn't want to go to New Jersey to pick them up. That is a total of about $2600 to have two cars taken 1 mile from the factory to the museum. We got factory tours and museum tours which costs the general public $6/person. Terri's car was not even AT the museum when we got there--the guy that manages all the museum deliveries had forgotten it.
If you want to make a charitable donation to a good cause, that's fine, but that's a different issue--the cost is really not justified by what you receive. On the other hand, I will say that my tours were enhanced by the extensive knowledge of my guide (Curt). I also feel that both tours are excellent--VERY worth while--I've done them several times, and seen C4s, C5s, and C6s being built.
Anyway, I needed to get that off my chest, because it bothered me, both the unreasonable universal destination charge and the pricey museum delivery option.

Gersh

 

[6 Shooter]

...I paid $800 each to have the cars delivered ("destination charge")...

I think destination charges for NCM deliveries need/should be drastically reduced to say $100 at most! :eyerole

 

[Tuna]

I hope you also emailed the staff at the museum with your concern. Then again, you probably had a long talk with them while you were there.

Missing one of your cars is a very bad miscue and definitely should not have happened.

As a 'rabid' supporter of the NCM, I do not find the cost out of line. I just took museum delivery of my '06 coupe and was very happy with the experience. Curt was also my guide and he is very good.

 

[C7BOB]

I don't know why people keep complaining about the $800 destination charge. It's part of the cost of every car sold in the USA - no exceptions! It's not negotiable. All cars are loaded on trucks and delivered to destinations - near and far. Sorry for the rant, but this comes up too often. The cost of the Museum Delivery is $490, and worth the price. I've done it 3 times, and highly recommend it!

 

[6 Shooter]

I don't know why people keep complaining about the $800 destination charge. It's part of the cost of every car sold in the USA - no exceptions! It's not negotiable. All cars are loaded on trucks and delivered to destinations - near and far.

Are NCM deliveries loaded on trucks?

 

[Gersh]

C6BOB--
You say you don't understand complaints about the destination charge, as if being non-neotiable makes it reasonable...

I'm complaining about the destination charge for two reasons--

First--it is too much for the cost of the average delivery--they put 11 Vettes on a truck, so that is almost $9000, and would pay for the most distant deliveries in the continental states, not average.

Second--it is unfair to people living closer (or taking museum delivery) who are obliged to pay part of the delivery costs of people living further away.

This is a pretty blatant rip-off, and just because it is Corvette/union driver

policy, doesn't make it reasonable. If you live in Wisconsin you probably pay less for cheese but more for oranges than someone living in Florida...

Gersh

 

[C7BOB]

It's the law. Many years ago, the gov't said it was unfair for people living far from the factory to pay more. I believe the dealers initiated it - far away dealers had to sell the same car for a lot more money. In any case, it's the law. Also, the Museum Delivery charge is a separate issue. The Corvette Museum is not owned by GM. The $490 covers their expenses. Let's say you and a neighbor buy new cars - yours is Museum Delivery, the neighbor picks up his at the local dealer. You're suggesting he pay $800, and you pay $490? The real problem is that the destination charge is listed separately, so the carmakers can list a lower base price. It should be included in the price, just like every other product you buy. And, yes, the NCM cars are loaded on a truck and driven to the Museum.

 

[Gersh]

It's the law. Many years ago, the gov't said it was unfair for people living far from the factory to pay more. I believe the dealers initiated it - far away dealers had to sell the same car for a lot more money. In any case, it's the law. Also, the Museum Delivery charge is a separate issue. The Corvette Museum is not owned by GM. The $490 covers their expenses. Let's say you and a neighbor buy new cars - yours is Museum Delivery, the neighbor picks up his at the local dealer. You're suggesting he pay $800, and you pay $490? The real problem is that the destination charge is listed separately, so the carmakers can list a lower base price. It should be included in the price, just like every other product you buy. And, yes, the NCM cars are loaded on a truck and driven to the Museum.

Nope, wrong, my wife's car was just driven over--no truck. Also, covering the museum expenses is not the same as paying for the museum delivery. And yes, you are right in that it should be included in the price of the car. Calling it a destination charge is bogus. I believe in calling a thing what it is.

 

[C7BOB]

Nope, wrong, my wife's car was just driven over--no truck.

Normally, the cars are loaded on a truck, and driven to the Museum. However, sometimes when there is a problem with a car, someone from the Museum takes it back to the Assembly Plant for repairs.

 

[Gersh]

There was nothing wrong with the car (except it isn't a Z06). The problem was with the museum staff who had forgotten it...

 

[Tuna]

There was nothing wrong with the car (except it isn't a Z06). The problem was with the museum staff who had forgotten it...

And, there's the reason your wive's car was driven over - someone screwed up and you were there to take delivery. In that case, it's driven over. Normally, they are loaded on trucks and 'shipped' to the NCM.

Mine was on a truck when it was delivered to the NCM and it is definitely not a Z06.

 

[donsar]

I don't know why people keep complaining about the $800 destination charge. It's part of the cost of every car sold in the USA - no exceptions! It's not negotiable. All cars are loaded on trucks and delivered to destinations - near and far. Sorry for the rant, but this comes up too often. The cost of the Museum Delivery is $490, and worth the price. I've done it 3 times, and highly recommend it!

I wouldn't trade the NCM delivery for any money. It has nothingto do withthe destination charge as noted above. This is one of the few negative posts that I have seen on Museum delivery

 

[gobmcdeeusa]

I too find it unreasonable to pay $800 to the dealership then another $490 on top of that for the museum delivery. I wouldn't care if someone drove the car from the plant to the museum if it saved me 800 bucks. How much time do they spend with you when you pick up your car?

 

[Tuna]

I too find it unreasonable to pay $800 to the dealership then another $490 on top of that for the museum delivery. I wouldn't care if someone drove the car from the plant to the museum if it saved me 800 bucks. How much time do they spend with you when you pick up your car?

Our delivery process started at 8AM and we did not leave the museum with our car until after noon.
They check your paperwork first and then take you to the plant where you get a guided tour of the plant. You can take your time and ask lots of questions if you like. The guide takes you into the chassis built up area also which is not on the 'regular' tours.
Then it's back to the museum where the guide takes you through every section. Our quide was extremely knowledgable and I learned new things.
Then is final paper work and an introduction to your new car. This can take as long as you need to get familiar with your car. They place a museum delivery sticker inside the driver door area if you would like - it is your option.
The guide drives it out of the museum and a photo op in front of the building.
Then it's your car to drive off in.

 

[rwpeders]

It's the law. Many years ago, the gov't said it was unfair for people living far from the factory to pay more. I believe the dealers initiated it - far away dealers had to sell the same car for a lot more money. In any case, it's the law. Also, the Museum Delivery charge is a separate issue. The Corvette Museum is not owned by GM. The $490 covers their expenses. Let's say you and a neighbor buy new cars - yours is Museum Delivery, the neighbor picks up his at the local dealer. You're suggesting he pay $800, and you pay $490? The real problem is that the destination charge is listed separately, so the carmakers can list a lower base price. It should be included in the price, just like every other product you buy. And, yes, the NCM cars are loaded on a truck and driven to the Museum.

Gee. Whatever helps GM sell cars was good back then. Letting those close by subsidize delivery to those far away helped GM. I wonder if Oatmeal made one mile from one grocery store costs the same to deliver as that sent to Hawaii? Probably not, so are those costs shared across all consumers? I think it's time to change a law.

As for the fee for the Museum delivery, it sounds like the experience is worth the price. Why do it otherwise?

-RW

 

[OrangeFlash]

Are NCM deliveries loaded on trucks?

Yep, they sure are. Trucked across the road from the plant to the museum.

I think something is missing from this thread. IMO, the main advantage of the museum delivery is that they have some people detailing and inspecting your car that are first class. They prepare about 700 new Corvettes for delivery every year, so they know what they are doing. It is not some pimply faced high school kid making minimum wage going over your car when it is delivered at the museum. Some of the delivery people are retired plant workers. If, when they do their detailed check list on the car, they find anything they do not like, they just drive it back to the factory where it is fixed by factory guys, not by some dealer tech who has to read manuals to try to figure out what to do. The indoctrination you get to your car by the delivery specialist assigned to you is worth something too. How many salemen at a dealership know as much about the cars as these guys do? I think when you look at the big picture, the museum delivery is worth it.