URGENT: Order To Delivery (Useful Information)

This thread, also compiled by StingRay Forums (SRF) Moderators outlines the many steps between your order placement and the delivery of your car. Your current Moderators, all of whom own and love their C7's, are "elegant" (John) and "jsvette" (Jeff), and "Vigilance247" (Jeremy). If you found this thread, but did not read the preceding thread entitled, "URGENT: Before Ordering," it is STRONGLY advised you first read that thread. This is critical, for even if you already ordered your car, if you missed any of the preceding steps, it could cause you major heartache, including even many months of extra waiting before your car is delivered, perhaps not even getting your StingRay.

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...-stop-before-ordering-useful-information.html

Let's assume you have done everything in that previous thread and now your order has been placed with a dealer with allocation. Here are some of the steps that you/your call will go through between now and delivery (though not every car will go through every step). Here are the tracking codes:

Order Status Tracking Codes: GM Order Status
1000 Order On Hold at Dealership
1100 Order Placed at Dealership; Preliminarily Accepted by GM Computer.
NOTE: Does NOT mean that GM is guaranteeing that the car will be produced -- as that only occurs at status code 2000!
1101 Order Entered into System
1102 Order Entered via Web
2000 Order Accepted by Chevrolet, "has passed approval and will be produced"
2001 Order Generated to Dealer
2005 Order Replaced with GM Prospec Order
2030 Order Edited by Chevrolet
2050 Order Changed
2500 Order Preferenced (or "Picked Up" or "Imaged"), Sent to Production
3000 Order Accepted by Production Control
3100 Order Available to Sequence (now becomes more stable)
3300 Order Selected and Scheduled for Production by Assembly Plant (Target Production Week usually available now)
3400 Order Broadcasted for Production (Internal Plant Order Produced)
3800 Vehicle Produced
4000 Vehicle Available to Ship
4104 Bailment Invoice Created
4B00 Bayed ("B", not 8: Your car is waiting for transportation by Truck, Rail or transfer to vendor)
4D00 12/2/13 On hold (Quality Control Checks)
4106 Bailment Released (vehicle has left plant property).
4150 Vehicle Invoiced (Dealer Billed/Order is invoiced to the dealer)
4200 Vehicle Shipped (Vehicle is shipped to the dealer or point of delivery)
4300 Intermediate Delivery (Interim transfer; processing transfer to QC or vendor)
4V03 Estimated Delivery Date
4800 Rail Ramp Unload
5000 Vehicle Delivered to Dealer
6000 Vehicle Delivered to Customer
9000 Order Cancelled

Note: While you can change your order at any time prior to status code 3000, if you do that, it will then go first to status 2050, then 2030, and here is where it can get complicated. It would seem that since status 2030 and 2050 are higher than status code 2000 that your order is still guaranteed. However, that is not the case, for if/when your order goes to 2030 or 2050 as a result of even a single option or color change, it then reverts to pre-2000 status, meaning it once more has to be evaluated and then accepted (or denied) by GM. This becomes even more critical at the end of a model year, and further complicated if your option change now includes an option on constraint. So while you can make changes prior to status 3000, it will at least add some additional time until your order goes to status 3,000 and might result in your order not being built if at the end if a model year, and further compounded if you have changed your order to add a constrained item, a color that has been, or is being phased out, etc.

The most important initial step is that your order has been accepted by GM, status code 2000. It is now CRITICAL that you have your dealer print you a copy of your order from GM's "Workbench" software system. Please review it as thoroughly as you have read and re-read any other document, for dealers have been known to make mistakes and mistakes at status code 2000 can be easily changed. Conversely, once your order has gotten to 3000 status, your order can not be changed. Now that you are at status code 2000, this means that:

"Your order has been placed by your dealership and accepted by Chevrolet and is now in line for production. This process can take time, is subject to change, and does not mean that the vehicle is physically being build now, but that it will later be.

GM has a great internal tracking code system, but unfortunately, systematic step-by-step communication with you, the customer, doesn't usually occur. There are several ways you can find out about your car's status. The best way is to have your dealer be proactive and to have them systematically share its "progress milestones" with you. Each dealer has the ability to track your order's progress by the aforementioned GM WorkBench software system. Every dealer has one or more individuals who has authorization into that system, for without the WorkBench system, there would be no way for a dealership to order a single vehicle. Many dealerships are reluctant to share its its information, but if you can make personal friends with the dealership's WorkBench Coordinator (flowers, donuts, compliments, etc), you are home free.

Optional, additional ways to track your car's progress, in recommended priority order, include:

a) Using the following "order tracking link" to communicate with fellow forum members "ChevroletCustomerCare":

For submitting a 2018 order status update request:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...g/55361-2018-order-status-request-thread.html

When submitting an order status request please, use all six letters and number, but please note all letters are CAPITALIZED, and thank you for reading and following the very first post in that thread.

https://prechat.chevrolet.com/prechat.xhtml?channelID=a9dk6f

Please limit your tracking requests via the preceding method to ONCE A WEEK.

Note, please: Our "ChevroletCustomerCare" colleagues do not have access to Canadian orders. *Please contact your dealer, or go to: www.gm.ca * *Then click on "Live Chat."

b) PM "ChevroletCustomerCare."
c) Call Chevy Customer Assistance Center: 1.800.222.1020
d) Send an email to: [email protected]
e) Go to this site: http://www.gm.com/toolbar/contactUs.html (send them detailed info)
f) Go to Chevy's build a new Corvette site, and look on the right side of that page for the "chat" option. You will need your six digit ordering code, your dealership's name.
g)http://www.chevrolet.com/order-tracking.html

The words " please" and "thank you" are required when you make your request!

Regardless of which method you choose, limit your inquiries please to no more than once weekly. Meanwhile, since the unexpected sometimes happens, periodically check the "Constraint Updates" thread:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...g/55361-2018-order-status-request-thread.html

Constraints come and go. If a constraint occurs for a part on your car, unless your vehicle is at a confirmed 3000 status, your car's progress goes on "hold." If it does, and you are not yet at 3,000 status, you will be faced with perhaps one of your most difficult decisions, either give up on an option you want that is constrained, or wait it out, not knowing how long that wait might be.

Let's hope, and for now assume, that none of your parts are on constraint. If so, how long will it take for your car's delivery is still unknown. i.e., often at little as one month, sometimes much, much longer. The key factor in this in a "no part/option restraint" scenario, is your dealer's allocation priority compared to other dealers' allocation priority. This is because GM always rewards those dealers who have sold the most Corvettes the previous model year.

But conversely, let's look at what happens if suddenly learn your car has a part or an option that is on constraint. You are faced with a dreaded decision. Here is an example of one of our members who found after he initially placed his order, one that had no constraints at the time of his order, then unexpectedly learned one Thursday thereafter, that one of his parts was on constraint.

This member decided to change his order, from one which had his "now constrained" exposed CF roof option to a non-constrained transparent roof. Things moved very, very quickly after that, getting his car about two months later. However, if you have other constrained options, or are not willing to compromise, it might not move forward at all. It's a balance between getting your car later with exactly the options you want, versus compromising and probably getting it sooner. Please ask yourself one question before you give up on an option you want, "how will you feel six months after you car arrives, every time you look at your transparent roof (or whatever you compromised on)?" If that will bother you, then probably you do not want to compromise. Some parts, like the exposed CF roof, are one option you can order later from your dealer's parts department -- although at greater cost. Conversely an option like the Z-51 package can not later be retrofitted. Finally, might that part already, or in the future, be available in the aftermarket?

When your dealer calls you and says, sorry that a "later installable" part is constrained, asking you if you would give up on that part and substitute another one, ask the dealer at that time if he/she will later sell you that part at their part's counter for 40% under its current list "parts-counter" price, and further will his/her service department install it at a 25% labor rate discount when it comes in. Now is your time to negotiate these discounts, for the dealership wants to complete the sale, lock in their profit, etc., but again get all these things in writing at the very same time you mutually agree to this process and pricing. Get these matters in writing from either the General Sales Manager, or from both the Parts Manager and the Service Manager. Your salesman signing off on such future discounts often will not work later, as he/she probably has no power to commit other parts of his/her organization to those discounts.

You have finally, gotten through to 3000 status, the parts are now allocated to your car, and then you wait some more. How long is unknown, but unfortunately each day will feel like a week. As per the six suggested ways to monitor your car's progress above, you will hopefully, periodically learn more about its progress until, one day, "THE CALL COMES," that you car is built, soon heading to you.

There is an interesting way to track your car once it is in transit mode IF you have already bought it from the dealer. Then, as it is yours, your dealer's rep can activate its OnStar program (which is complimentary for the first six months of ownership). By doing so, after a typical wait of 24 hours, you can track your car's whereabouts on your computer/mobile device. As one owner who did this said, I "tracked it in real time while on the transporter (or on the railroad transporter). You can zoom in or out... map view or street view."

Here are a couple of useful " tracking threads, between the time your car leaves theBowling Green Asembly Plant (BGAP), and arrives at your dealership:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum.../8101-how-onstar-tracking-process-set-up.html

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/stingray-how-s-guides/8300-how-tracking-railcar-number.html

And for use from mobile devices (only) http://m.chevrolet.com/order-tracking-results.html?track-your-order-number=

The above are pitfalls and "victory steps" your car may experience along the way. If you wish, post up your questions and commiserate or celebrate each step with others on our forum along the way. It will be an exciting process, though, sorry, sometimes there will be temporary "challenges."

When you finally pick up your car, watch that your euphoria doesn't interfere with your systematically checking it out, i.e., you need to calmly insure it came exactly as you ordered it, and that its "fit and finish" looks good to you. If there is any deviation from what you ordered, for example a missing option you do not wish to compromise on (even with a full option price reduction), an incorrect option that is not later "fixable," and/or significant problems with its fit-n-finish, refuse to accept the car and drive away. However, if there is a deviation or minor problem that you and the dealer fully agree on how it can be later fixed, you and the dealership need to acknowledge, in writing all issues AND their upcoming resolution(s) before you drive away with your new car. Hopefully, as most, your car arrives in beautiful condition, a day to celebrate.

Please share its arrival (pictures would be a bonus) here:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/stingray-owners-logbook/

While this thread is locked, there is a related thread, entitled "Order To Delivery Discussion" for your “comments, questions and additional information" on these issues. Thanks for posting there:

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/stingray-corvette-purchasing/1553-discussion-order-delivery.html

Enjoy your fantastic 2018 Corvette! Your Moderators are always available to you via a private message (PM) should you wish to communicate that way instead of a public post.