I've been following this forum for a few weeks now. I notice that some folks know when their vehicle has gone into production, when it is shipped, and when it will be at the dealer. But I can't seeme to even find out from SmartUSA or my dealer anything other than "check the DDE".
I'm curious if anyone can give me some opinions on possibilities based on the following;
reserved 5/27/07
conifgured 2/02/08
DDE moved from tracking by month to tracking by days back in early June with initial DDE date of June 13.
As that date got closer, the DDE initial date has slipped daily. Today it went from 7/4 to 7/7.
When I called SmartUSA two weeks ago, they said they had transferred all my info to the dealer. But when I've talked to the dealer they say they can't tell me anything until the car shows up on the lot.
Would your dealer be in Denver? If so, I believe we have something in common. Kuni Auto Group also runs the smart center Portland and I believe they share the same GM. Ask anyone who has taken delivery and they will testify - no info until it's on the lot!! You might get a phone call once the car is in Customs but don't hold your breath. Good Luck!!!
No posts to their dealership thread here since March should give you a clue!!
Last edited by Dunerunner; 06-30-2008 at 10:50 PM.
The thread title is aptly worded. There is inconsistancy in providing information. I think it is a matter of how well the smart center uses the official "smart portal" computers. Some people have been provided with VINs well in advance of production; some (like me) were notified by the dealer when the vehicle was shipped; and some were surprised when the vehicle showed up on the lot. Some claim to have received email from smartUSA; others (again like me) got my information from the dealer only. I think the information is there if the dealer digs deep enough into his computer.
My DDE dithered a bit, then settled into a daily incrementation, day for day. The series of incremented dates moved away or closer to the actual date a couple of times and then moved to EARLIER than the actual date. Finally the date stopped incrementing and a few days later I got the notification that the vehicle had been shipped. The dealer then had the VIN.
for the record, i never once got a call from the dealer, never got an email from either the dealer or smartusa. i made two trips to the stealership - on the first trip, i walked the sales person through the process of logging into the J-Walk system (some stealerships, it may only be the brand manager or sales manager who is permitted access to the system) and pulling up the R11 Specific Unit Details sheet so that i could obtain my configuration details, my VIN# and my dealer ETA date.
you won't be able to get a VIN# until the vehicle has gone into "C - Confirmed" status and even then, it may be a few days before VIN is assigned.
when i picked up the vehicle, i dropped off screencaps of all the tracking sites with instructions on how to track the vehicles by VIN#.
it is not that they refuse to check further, it is that they have been trained that there is no info until they get notice the shipment has landed in baltimore. this is factually incorrect and it will take persistence and some convincing to get them to believe otherwise.
this cannot be done over the phone or via email. you need to be there in person and strongly but kindly motivate them to look you up on J-walk. Once they realize that there is info there that is useful, then they will have been re-trained by you.
......... Once they realize that there is info there that is useful, then they will have been re-trained by you.
I'm sure you are right rawl; BUT how do we get the info to give to them? Personally, I have no idea how to get any of this info! A quick "primer" would be great ! Thanks for all your hard work and for listening (?) to my clammer!
I'm sure you are right rawl; BUT how do we get the info to give to them? Personally, I have no idea how to get any of this info! A quick "primer" would be great ! Thanks for all your hard work and for listening (?) to my clammer!
i and others have posted extensively in the "Tracking Delivery of your Smart" thread. my explanation above should also get your started.
when DDE has settled down and begun to move a day here, a day there.
go in person to dealership
ask to speak to brand manager or sales manager
ask that they look you up on the J-Walk system
you want to have them pull up and print out your R11 Specific Unit Details screen
with this in hand, you have no further use for dealer until the vehicle has been delivered.
the ETA on the R11 sheet is a single day and should be much more accurate than the DDE's 30-day window.
the first day in DDE is strongly suspected to be closely related to the Production & Manufacture date.
Both my friend and I who reserved around the sametime last May went to the dealer separately with the info RawlUSA posted to help them look up our vehicles. The dealership still couldn't find any info on their computer system. My friend actually got to look through the screens when he went and didn't see anything. I feel kind of bad for the sales guys cause I wonder if they just don't have access to info that other dealers do. But it's still frustrating to see some dealers actually sending out VIN's, build dates and shipping dates, and other dealers nothing. We've been following up, but just get the same response that they don't have any information and they don't know why other dealerships do.
Anyway, my DDE has been steady at 7/07 now for over a week after a one day incremental for a week or so. From those who've been at this point, am I looking at Aug 7? Or is the steady date the date of shipping and maybe I might see something earlier?
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! Thanks for all your hard work and for listening (?) to my clammer!
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