laborsmith

My point was that Chevrolet uses the same process for distributing allocations no matter which vehicle line is at hand. So you are correct but if your post was responding to my post, your post was not responsive. Of course, I may not have been clear in what I was saying in my post.

Laborsmith

Lawnmower7200

Well help me understand this: Say I'm sitting in the sales guy's office and we've put a number on my Boxster trade. Won't the sales guy be able to see exactly what's available and what's not, and projected dates for items that are not available? IOW, is the sales process a crapshoot from end to end? Shouldn't they be able to tell you what the production dates are (more or less) before you sign on the line and pay them a deposit?

It's been a long time since I bought a car that had to be ordered, so maybe I'm naive about the process these days. It's SO much easier to get down to real business when what you want, or are willing to accept, is sitting on the lot waiting for someone to buy it. It's kinda fun watching them work when you're sitting there with pen and checkbook in hand waiting to hear the number you need.

sanantguy

no, they can't tell you definitely. They submit the order, then depending on constraints and allocations for the dealership, it may be a while before GM picks up the order.

The best advice has already been written. Buy from a dealer with a large amount of allocations. If you don't, then it is to your own peril.

You are 120 miles from kerbeck and macmulkin isn't much further.

Courtesy delivery right to your local dealership, bought from macmulkin. EASY, CHEAPER, FASTER THAN YOU LOCAL DEALERSHIP

Dads dream

Best to go with Kerbeck or other large forum dealer. I had to learn the hard way and ended up wasting allot of time with a dealer who is big selling other GM cars but not Corvette's. Finally went to Kerbeck and 7 1\2 weeks latter picked her up. Just my 2¢.

RicK T

That's why you might want to consider that 120 mile drive to Kerbeck. They have the largest inventory in the country.

But I still think you should give your dealer friend the opportunity for your business. He may, or may not, be able to deliver but I bet he will try real hard to continue to keep you as a customer.

Lawnmower7200

Thanks guys. This is all great information and I appreciate it.

I think that the excellent sales and service experience from my local dealer has earned them the first shot. I also think that they're honest enough to give me the straight story even if it's not what they'd like.

probono

Exactly my experience...I think the local dealer might sell 6-8 Corvettes a year..Ordered mine on 12/3/14, and it was in my garage on 3/10/15...They gave me supplier pricing, and the process was smooth...Issue has been with service....Use mobil 1?...nope...Can you install a 1-4 Cags eliminator for me...nope...Can you plug my run flat tire...nope...Do I go there anymore....nope...

Ken

EvilBoffin

IMPORTANT QUESTION REGARDING "THE STRAIGHT STORY" from a dealer...

I'm working right now with a smallish local dealer to order a Z51 coupe w/Base Painted Roof. Both of these items are on constraint, of course.

Sales mgr is aware that my purchase hinges on his allocation/consensus for the deal, along with a 'realistic' delivery expectation of 8 weeks or less. (I know that is asking a lot...). He is waiting for a callback from his district GM rep before I bother giving them a deposit. The dealer claims to have a great relationship with the district guy, and that he is very honest and will work hard to make it happen.

SO - HOW CAN I TELL...

- If they are really able to pull this off, or they are just telling me a lie to get my deposit, and assume that I will wait however long it takes, since the order is already "in-process"??

- Is there any official paperwork that they can (must) provide that confirms that their story is reality ???

Or is this all just a crapshoot where I have to wait weeks to get an event code 3000 from the factory to confirm they have accepted it? That could waste a month by itself ...

THANKS for the info !!

C2367

I also ordered from a large dealer close to me here in California with a small allocation (2-3 p/mo.) I had bought a C6 from them in the past. I was the fifth in line, I was able to get what I want and the deal went down just as the dealer told me it would, even got Supplier price. All the dealers here in California think the Corvettes are made of Gold and sell at Window or above. The car was built 09-15-14 so It did not take long to be built. If your dealer can order, put you in line so you do not have to wait long and give you supplier then go for it. I would of ordered form one of the large forum dealers if I would not of got supplier.

Raceotica

I ordered from a small dealer in Central Texas and highly recommend it As long as they have allocation you should have no problems. I worked directly with the owner of the small dealer and he not only gave me supplier pricing but honored a special GM employee discount available to my employer. No issues at all and I had my car delivered 4 weeks after I ordered.

Don't rule out small dealers. Many of them are willing to be more flexible with you because they want to build their allocation. I tried working with a very large dealer closer to my home (not a forum dealer) and felt like they could care less about my business.

laborsmith

No official paperwork to that effect that I know of, and if you discover different let me know.

An idea, make a deposit contingent on getting status 2000, which is when the inputted order is pulled and means it will be made.

Laborsmith

Rave

IMO, it's better to drive the 120 miles to a high volume dealer. Two hours isn't that long, and odds are you'll have much less chance getting any break on price from a low volume dealer. Plus as you pointed out, the C7 service tech at a low volume dealer won't have nearly the same experience as one at a high volume dealer. Why increase your odds of having problems? I drove 3 hours to a Hendrick dealership. Their sales and service staff have been great.

rkoblin

i live in South Carolina in an area with a population of 30,000. Firstly, the dealer can not sell or take an order on a Corvette unless they sent a person to the Corvette Sales School out west. True they may only get a small allocation, but they have no reason to lie to you especially if they have been in business for a long time. Word of mouth gets out, well they rely on customers getting customers in the dealer ship.
The dealership was upfront with me that they had one allocation for a Coupe or Convertable. They took my order as I was the first person to walk in and drop a load of money on a car. And my C6 trade was priced fairly.
They told me 6 to 8 weeks. The only problem was constraints, which move along. It arrived in 8 weeks as promised. The mechanic who changed my oil was meticulous. I ordered a KandN filter on my own and put it in gratis
Even if you buy the car from Kerbick or other big dealer as I did with my c5, I still took it to the local dealer for service. No 200 mile trip back for me. FYI dealers will trade allocations to help each other out especially for the corvette since they do not move many, however my salesman keeps checking back with me to check on the car. He received 3 more allocations at the end of the model year. He sells them, he gets a larger allocation the following year, point is if your dealer is honest, they will be forward with you. I have herd stories of big dealers and the games they play. Don't discount the small guy, they have more to loose in the long run. Good luck

Zymurgy

I was not responding to your post, if I was I would have quoted your post. I was responding to several comments about dealer sales volume, including one by the OP: "Volume wise, they're among the largest in their area. They just don't sell a lot of Corvettes."


I know you have a lot of good insight into the allocation and constraint processes.

EvilBoffin

Laborsmith & Zymurgy -

OK - does a status 2000 mean that the dealership's allocation has met all requirements to get beyond any applicable constraints?

I thought other forum posts mentioned that you really don't know if the car WILL be built until it hits status code 3000 ...

But, if status 2000 is enough to prove that the order is on-track to get accepted/built in a reasonable timeframe, then that will satisfy me that the dealership is telling me the straight story and to stick with them.


I know all this varies with every deal, and it's really just a side-effect of the C7 being a very worthy and desirable product right now. That can only be a positive sign for the future of this car.

.

runner61627

After negotiating a good price for a 2015 vette with my local dealer (sells lots of Chevys, but few vettes due to allocation) back in March, I was then advised I was third in line for additional allocations. Accordingly, ordered from Kerbeck, located 100 miles away. I picked it up a few weeks ago, giving it a good road test on the 100 mile trip home. Because I do not live in NJ, I needed a state inspection, so I took it to the same local dealer without the allocations. While there is a great corvette mechanic at another dealer a few more miles away, I thought what would it matter for a state inspection. I soon learned my folly as the mechanic assigned to do the state inspection couldn't find the key - it was in the designated receptacle on the steering column. Also, upon pointing the key location to both the mechanic and service advisor, it became apparent neither knew how to start it or release the parking brake.
Needless to say, any future service will be at the dealer a few additional miles away - the one with the great corvette mechanic.
The bottom line is to find out the price and allocation situation from your local dealer and compare to the volume dealers when ordering. The most important thing beyond getting your vette is to find a dealer with a competent, experienced vette mechanic to perform the subsequent service. The delivering dealer may not be the one performing subsequent service. Also, the reported rule that a dealer must have a trained corvette mechanic to be allowed to order vettes is BS.

JDM111er

My dealer sold two Vettes in 2014 and is an hour from me. I looked around, had challenges with service at another dealer but, now have a nearby dealer where I'm getting good service. Someone here can probably recommend good service near you. I'd purchase from a low volume dealer again

fireinv38

You appear a little confused. There are three issues to deal with. Your local will probably give you a better trade in. And probably a competitive price. Allocation is an issue and will affect delivery time. You stated your not sure about their service department. I have found the dealers are more than qualified to handle Vette repairs. Don't be intimidated by the posts that only large dealers can repair the Vettes. Most posters have never needed a repair. Their comments are totally unfounded in most cases. I purchased from Kerbeck, total time at dealership approx 3 hours. Knew what I wanted, dealt with Ron Michael, finalized price, did paperwork and drove out in torch red C7. If I need service I will go to Paramus Chevrolet/formally Malcolm Konner. The original worlds largest Corvette dealer. Kerbeck has approximately 100 in stock. All flavores. Trade in will be low. They want to sell new Vettes. If you want a hassle free experience go to Kerbeck. Go in, drive out. Stop to dentist for teeth whitening you will be smiling ear to ear. Service on these is absolutely minimal. Enjoy Yourself!!!!

EvilBoffin

Actually, I'm attempting to go elsewhere with this order BECAUSE I'm being ignored and treated like a 2nd-class citizen by my LOCAL high-volume dealership.

And YES - it is a Hendrick dealership, where I've bought 2 Corvettes and 3 other Chevys over the past 8 years, and where I get all service done.


If the small dealer's allocation doesn't work out, I can still go back to the Hendrick joint and just put up with the attitude . . .

( I do have a 2011 GS coupe to trade in, with 8K miles...)

Vetteman Jack

If they have an allocation, no reason you should have an extended wait.

As far as using a small dealer for any needed repairs, no real reason not to, especially if you have a good relationship with them. I've bought three Vettes from my local dealer, who does not get but maybe one allocation a year for a Vette if even that and I've never had any problems with them fixing my car when needed.