I still have some final South Korean photos to upload, but as I am feeling like crap due to the jet lag, I won't bother until I recover. For now, I am proceeding with my vehicle replacement.
First, I've obtained an insurance quote for the Hyundai Genesis; it will cost slightly less to insure than the outgoing BMW 3-series, due to the cheaper Hyundai parts.
Second, I had to spend 20 minutes on hold to speak to a Sirius Satellite Radio representative, but I did - and made sure to cancel my subscription. I am getting a prorated refund, which is good. As a subscription transfer to XM is not possible yet, and the Hyundai has one free year of XM, I'll wait until next December to become a paying subscriber again.
Third, I went to my bank, and made a penalty-free withdrawal from my CD to fund the purchase of the car.
Last, I've gotten in touch with the vehicle purchasing service again, to tentatively set delivery date for Saturday. Everything is fine for now; however, I'm being quoted a trade-in value for my BMW that's at least $4,000 less than the Kelley Blue Book trade-in value. It's cut-rate wholesale value, and I believe that the dealer quoting it wants to charge that little in order to recoup his losses on my financing (cash) and the low price (guaranteed by the purchasing service). I'll spend a few extra days while the purchasing service looks for another salesman with a better trade-in deal, but I may have to swallow a bitter pill, and give up my mint condition, low-mileage BMW whose only mechanical flaw for now is worn-out tires. Nevertheless, I'm fed up with BMW as a corporate entity, and will make sure to make the trade this weekend.
I'll now connect to BMW USA's owner website one final time, to close out my account and cancel all subscriptions (email, magazine, etc.).
On the subject of the new car, it looks like I'll get a silver example with black interior (thankfully, the driver's seat will be cooled). The color mix in the US for the Hyundai Genesis appears similar to that in South Korea - very few reds, lots of grays and blacks. I can definitely live with silver. I do want the car on Saturday, as soon as my family leaves town, and immediately take it to my favorite LGBT hangouts that very night, then my Unitarian church the next day; after the fiasco called Proposition 8, and after all the vitriol coming out of Bill O'Reilly's mouth even today, I will never, ever show up at any of the aforementioned places in a BMW product again.
