My local dealer took my deposit and provided lip service for 3 months, that is not GM's fault. The dealers do themselves more damage by taking deposits on vehicles they cannot get. I learned the facts, forum dealer = car. I ranted about the same crap until I smartened up and pulled my deposit and ordered with Kerbeck. Car is being built next week.
Eric

 

 

I believe that post is relevant. Both cars potentially access the same customer base and if Jaguar can deliver their product as promised, then maybe more people SHOULD jump ship. Now, I am a former Jaguar XK owner and I had so much trouble with the car I will probably never buy another Jag, but that is not the point. If Jaguar can sell a popular premium car like the f-type on a global scale and actually DELIVER the car in a reasonable period of time, the exactly WHAT is GM's problem?

hmmmmmmmmmmm?

 

There's a number of problems with the whole process. First of all, its not transparent. Really, how many people buying a car have any idea about allocations, constraints, etc? Whatever information you get about a dealers allocation is from them. There's not a whole lot of incentive for them to tell the truth. Even knowing as much information as possible, how am I supposed to know that the "big dealer" I ordered from, that used to have no problem with allocations, has been selling a lot less corvettes and a lot more trucks the last few years? Am I supposed to track their sales? No, I had to count on the fact that a dealer that I've dealt with for 25 years would give me good information. Ooops.

Second problem is the price increase. Once that did that, everyone was locked into their dealer unless they want to pay the $3200 bribe to try to get their car built. Any modification of your order gets you the price increase, including changing your options to give it a chance to pass constraints. Really, way to makes things worse.

Third problem is that the system gives incentives to dealers, but completely ignores the customer. Customer cars should take precedence, in the order they were placed, regardless of dealer (as long as the dealer is qualified on the car, since that is a valid issue). Who exactly is more important? (Hint: Are you better off with no dealers or no customers?)

Another problem is that the system lets the dealers place orders for way more than their allocation, to the point where there's no chance of the car getting built even with no constraints. Giving a order number to a customer should mean the car will get built (barring unforeseen sinkholes and such).

For the most part, the system does work under normal circumstances, but it completely breaks down when you introduce constraints into it. Of course, how a system behaves under non-optimal conditions is the true test of how a system works. This one fails.

 

I agree. I never thought in a million years it would be so difficult to get a frigin car. Ordered many cars over the years, never such a run around as I'm getting with this one. Love the car, can't wait to get it, but this is the last time for me.

 

I guess you have never tried to buy a higher demand than supply car (or anything else) - Jaguar F-Types are readily available, as are SRT Vipers because they are selling less of them than are being made (same could be said for Toyota Camry's) - Corvette sales are exceeding supply.
Ever try to buy a new release model or special limited edition Ferrari? Its allocation system requires you to be a current or prior Ferrari owner.

 

Where did you pull that from - GM confirm an order number at status 2000 - every status 200 order will be built if it is not subject to constraint. A dealer entering an order in Workbench (status 1100) is not a confirmed order - any dealer, even one not authorized to sell a C7 can enter an order for one on Workbench, even though it will never be accepted.

The biggest problem I see, is that too many on this forum who complain about the ordering process just can't accept the fact that their dealers are slime and they personally didn't do the research to figure that out before the committed to buy from that dealer.

 

I live in NJ and when the time comes to order my C7, I will drive to Kerbeck and order it. If I was not part of this forum, I would be pounding salt waiting months and months like many others are doing. If I didn't live within driving distance of a forum dealer, I would arrange a courtesy delivery. That is the beauty of being informed.

 

Some real moronic statements in this thread.... As there has been in many of the other like threads.

Some will blame the consumer here. Others will blame the dealers. Both are stupid. Don't get me wrong, shady dealers are in plenty out there. But the simple fact is that GM DOES NOT HAVE THEIR **** TOGETHER. ANDDDDDD they can certainly change the system to be far better. All you happy fanboys can go suck it.

That all said. Fact: Order from a forum dealer if you want it quick and before summer. Fact: As stated above (he also has put this in other threads such as this, and it's good information) the "allocation" system is necessary and part of law. Fact: There are constraints on certain parts in this initial offering year. Fact: The vehicle is highly sought after and supply and demand comes into play.

So those are the FACTS. Now what some of the numbskulls on here that will tell you it's solely the dealers fault or even YOUR fault fail to grasp is that at the end of the day it's GM's fault. It's a ****** system. They have to go with an allocation system but there is NOTHING saying they can't simply refuse orders that have next to zero possibility of being filled. You can walk into joe shmo's dealership who hasn't sold a vette in 5 years and put money down and get to 1100 TODAY. But the reality is that you won't get that car. Here's where the problem is. GM needs to make it clear to dealers. They need to have blocks on their programs so joe fkn shmo can't even put that order in! They need to communicate with the people representing THEIR BRAND and tell them the truth. And the truth is that half of the people at customer service don't know wtf they are even talking about. And there's plenty of small dealers out there who are honest, who sell 10-20 vettes a year but can't get them now and have no idea what the fkn protocol or system is like.

At the end of the day it's GM's fault and no others. They have to follow the allocation system. They DON'T have to make it as confusing as a 90,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. And that's a FACT.

 

Then again, they could back Tesla and get rid of the dealers.

Why, exactly, are they necessary?

 

Some of you got the point. Others not so much. I was dealing with Macmulkin initially. They are great. If this falls thru, I will go back to them. I was trying to keep the money and such in my town. My dealer said they had the allocation. I know there are Z51 issues. My point is, allocation to a dealer is fine when you are stocking a showroom. But not when a customer orders a new car. Anyone that orders should go into Q with all the others that have ordered. A person should not have to wait for the stars to align and hope. For $80K, I expect better service.

 

Not sure what expecting better service means, but I do agree with your proposal. Unamended though it will not pass muster unless all Chevrolet dealers agreed to it.

But, as every dealer gets a guide number of how many of a vehicle line they can expect to order over the course of the model year, how about this amendment: retail sold orders up to the dealer guide number will be picked for production before dealer stock orders are.

As to how constraints would be affected, I can not say. It plagues all car lines but is not noticed because no US based car company induces the percentage of retail sold orders for a regular production car as the Corvette line does. At least, as far as I can tell as I am not privy to internal numbers.

Laborsmith

 

Regardless of all this, here's the bottom line:

There are real customers that have ordered a car that are getting the short end of the stick. However that happens and regardless of where the fault is, it doesn't matter. The result is bad. You have long time customers that you could lose forever and new customers that will never turn into long time customers because of it.

The real problem is that the people at GM don't think its a problem, and that's the problem. That complete disconnect is what causes you to go out of business, AGAIN.

 

Well said!
As a three time C6 buyer, with a long delayed C7 Z51 vert order on the books, this experience is leaving me with a very sour attitude towards those in control of the allocation equation.

 

While a nice idea, the concept of prioritizing customer sold orders over dealer stock has been tried and has failed miserably. Google Porsche Straw Buyers as an example. Chrysler tried this with the SRT Jeep in 2012, the only orders they would accept were customer sold orders. The one I bought off the floor was "sold" to the dealers service manager. The GM, every floor manager and most service managers also "ordered" an SRT8.

I understand the Internet is a great place to vent so have at it but the system in place is the one that will remain for years, if not decades to come. By this time next year it will be forgotten as there will be 30+ days inventory and ordering a special unit will be no more difficult than ordering a Silverado.

 

Yes, and by this time in two years, when they are only selling 12,000 a year and decide to kill off the Vette because there's not enough market, you'll be asking where all the loyal customers are. But, I'm sure you can still get your Silverado. Oh wait, sorry, those customers are now more likely to buy an F-150.

 

My memory is ordering a Silverado, especially a 2500, is filled with similar delays and constraint issues. At least once things with Corvette settles, ordering will be more predictable. Interesting a poster picked the only other Chevrolet that has as many challenges when ordering as a comparison.

Laborsmith

 

Actually, even the Dodge Ram is now out selling the Silverado. Never thought I would see that.

 

All of the posts here provide a sobering reality as I too have experienced similar issues with placing what I thought was a hard order, it has been 7 weeks at 1102. One thing I would suggest is contacting Chevrolet/GM as I have done. It may not get you in a car sooner but I have been contacted via a phone call and a follow up survey which allows you to have your complaint recorded. My disappointment in the disconnect between customer-dealer-manufacturer is hard to express in resolving what seems to be fairly obvious. So far the initial response from Chevrolet/GM is to contact the dealer...
I have given the dealer a deadline of April 10th to provide a production based code or return the deposit. After 16 months of reading about the C7, spending hours watching videos and saving for the car, the dealers misleading practices have sucked the enjoyment out of this experience to the point I have to ask if I even care to go through it again.

 

I would think, after your months of research, that you would have been pretty cognizant of the Allocation system. My car will be here 6 weeks after order, but I chose a forum dealer with plenty of allocation, as most here will (and have) advised if you want a car.

I would have a serious talk with your selling dealer. As you likely know, canceling that order will eliminate the price protection that your order of record currently has..

Good luck.