[CEPupper]

I placed an order for a Z51 Coupe, Performance Exhaust, MRC at a dealership in November. I asked if they had an allocation available and they said Yes and that I would have my car in February. Unfortunately at the time I didn’t know I could track my order.

I call in February asking for ETA on delivery. They say there have been production delays and expect car in March. I start doing research and find out my order is still in 1100. Talk to dealer and am told ‘1100 is only one step before production’ and wait until 2nd week in March when ‘allocations run’ and my car should get picked up.

Today: still at 1100 status. I e-mail dealer and this is his response: “You are right in that there has not been an allocation for your car as of yet. The Z51 pkg is on constraint and has been the entire production run. There are only about 18 or so Z51 corvettes built during each allocation run. Allocations run twice per month. I would hope to see yours picked up soon.”

I know I’m being jerked around and on principle I want to cancel my order. But before I pull the plug I just want to run this past you guys. I’m confused about the ‘allocations run twice per month’ comment. My understanding is if a dealer has an allocation, an order goes to 2000 pretty much immediately. Is that correct and if so this guy is basically is lying to me and wasted 4 months and cost me $3200 since my next order will be post price increase. Or is there something to the twice a month thing and I should wait until the 2nd Tuesday in April before cancelling.


Thanks for your help. I wish I found this forum sooner… 

 

[Ragtop]

Screw that guy, he's jerking you around. My dealer (Criswell Chevy in MD) held onto my order since November, as I didn't want to take delivery in winter. GM picked up the order beginning of March, almost went immediately to 2000, then 3000, and now is at 3300 with a 4/7/14 TPW. I'll have my car in May, which is what I wanted. Z51 with everything/convertible.

Sorry I can't answer most of your questions more specifically. On the other hand, if placing your order locked you into the lower price, I might want to wait it out. Tough call. Another story that makes me glad I opted for a high volume dealer in any case.

 

[U.S. Marine]

CEPupper, It is unsat when somebody gets jerked around like you have been! Try alternate means, I was having a hellva time finding a C7 in my area until I came across stingrayforums. After reading what "elegant" posted, I checked out MacMulkin Chevrolet, NH and contacted Tommy Thompson Jr. I found the C7 I was searching for. I'm really pleased with our C7 and the buying experience through MacMulkin. Keep searching.

SF
Rick

 

[jsvette]

CEPupper, welcome to our forum. Unfortunately it does sound like your dealer is giving you a run around. Suggest you read this thread http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/stingray-corvette-purchasing/1552-urgent-order-delivery-useful-information.html for more specific information. Further you should consider going with one of our forum dealer sponsors to see if they already have just what you want in stock or to place an order with them.

 

[FormulaRedline]

CEPupper, to give an alternate point of view, I went with a "local" dealer with walking (ok, maybe running) distance from my house. However, here in St. Louis, the local dealers are still relatively large. I was convinced my salesman was jerking me around for a couple months (more Chevy's fault than his really), but I stuck with it and eventually did get in with my Z51 order. I placed the order on Jan 1 and it is being shipped as we speak.

Here's the key: in the mean time, while I was sitting at 1100, this dealer WAS getting Z51 orders filled. Just not mine. There were a few people in line ahead of me, hence the 2-3 month wait before status 2000. Try to see if your dealer is getting Z51s in. If he is, then you are just waiting for your turn. If he is not, then your turn will not be coming while Z51 is on constraint; the dealership just doesn't have a high enough status in Chevy's messed up allocation system. If this is the case, cancel and go with one of the big guys and start trying to figure out how you are going to pick up/ship your car, as everyone else has been suggesting.

 

[Redc7]

Your biggest mistake is you're listening to a "Salesman" (sorry no disrespect to the honest ones out there) time to move on unless you don't mind waiting until the end f this year.

 

[53Vette]

I placed my order early in feb, my dealer has three allocations. I was the last one. His second car was delivered last week. On Monday the manager said my car was moving ahead this week. I'd rather support my local dealer and his staff, then give my money to a mega dealer that I will never see.

 

[Redc7]

I agree 100% "IF" your local dealer can deliver.

If you have a good local dealer who knows they can't deliver than your next best option is to buy from another remote larger dealership but have the car dropped ship to your local dealer.

 

[FormulaRedline]

^That's basically the long and short of it.

 

[elegant]

You have an option. Get your Z-51 this June, no "ifs, ands or buts," by going to our forum's dealership supporting vendor, MacMulkin Cehvrolet with over 1,000 allocations this year. Sent you a PM with more information.

 

[Fdxpilot]

I know I’m being jerked around and on principle I want to cancel my order. But before I pull the plug I just want to run this past you guys. I’m confused about the ‘allocations run twice per month’ comment. My understanding is if a dealer has an allocation, an order goes to 2000 pretty much immediately. Is that correct and if so this guy is basically is lying to me and wasted 4 months and cost me $3200 since my next order will be post price increase. Or is there something to the twice a month thing and I should wait until the 2nd Tuesday in April before cancelling.

Thanks for your help. I wish I found this forum sooner… 

First thing, there is some confusion on the term allocations. Your dealer, at the start of the second phase of production, was given his allocation totals for the remaining model year. I don't know how big your dealer is, but the document that has been published here from one dealer, showed they were given an allocation of 24 coupes and 11 convertibles. These are the cars they were expecting. If your dealer has his numbers, and does not have a customer for all of his, he can honestly say he "has allocations." During the rest of the model year, every week, or occasionally every other week (the two week cycle your dealer mentioned,) GM does a consensus, where the accept the allocation from their dealers. There are 3 remaining months to schedule 2014s, based on production ending in early august, with the last orders in late June. if a dealer has say 10 coupes remaining for the rest of the year, they can expect 3 or 4 per month, or 1 or 2 every 2 weeks, until they receive their ten cars.

It sounds like you have a small dealer. Let's speculate and say he has 3 remaining coupe allocations for the year. He will get 1 per month, and he doesn't know for sure which week in the month it will be picked up. To complicate matters, you have ordered a Z51, which has been, and probably will remain on 50% constraint. Therefore, statistically, only 1 or possibly 2 of those 3 cars can be ordered as a Z51. So sometime in the next three months, your dealer should get an allocation including the Z51 option, which will be made prior to the end of production on 8 August.

The questions you must ask your dealer are 1.) How many coupe allocations do you have remaining for the model year? 2.) How many people are on the list of entered orders, and what number are you? and 3.) Are any of the people in front of you (if any,) also waiting on a Z51 car? With this info, you can make a decision on what you want to do.

BTW - that business about 18 Z51s is BS. About 140-150 vettes are made every day, and the Z51 level is 50%, so nationally about 350 Z51s (assuming a 5 day work week, although the plant does work some Saturdays,) come off the line a week. Unfortunately, the order rate on Z51s is at about 70%, according to some of the dealers who post on the various internet corvette forums. Therefore, there is a backup at smaller dealers, who have low allocations. On the other hand, one of the top-selling dealers, who have monthly allocations of over 100 Stingrays per month and therefore more than 50 Z51s, can usually get a new order filled within a much shorter time frame.

 

[U.S. Marine]

Fdxpilot, that is some great information you posted for members dealing with dealerships.

SF
Rick