A little dissapointed in the Smart rollout.

[Carnut]

I hear and feel for you, but I can also see why they will not accomodate you. There would be a problem providing you with road service as well as warranty work. They would be at the mercy of your attorneys should they not be able to fulfill their obligations.

My advice would be to ask for your $99.00 back, and try to score an orphan from a NW dealer or grab one of the early flips that will enevitibly be listed on eBay.

[MPrice2984]

I did my order in early June of last year and the communication from smart has been poor to say the least. I did my color confirmation last week after being told in a phone call that they had sent me an e-mail mid Dec (which was never received). If it weren't for these forums I would never have found who the Chicago area dealers are which are still denied by smart USA. I realise that there won't be many dealers, but smart appointed the 2 Chicago dealers 23 miles apart in the far northern suburbs. I commute to near downtown Chicago daily from NW Indiana daily which is an hour trip, the closest dealer is almost an 40 minutes north of downtown Chicago and almost 100 miles away from where I live. What great planning in an area with 13 million people! I would have thought that a dealer would be placed in downtown Chicago; after all, you can buy a Bentley, Lambo or Bugatti right off the floor at Gold Coast Imports in downtown Chicago. Instead they choose to place 2 dealers in the wealthiest suburbs where the ForTwo will be common place in the local high school parking lots.
I am starting to believe that Mercedes will end up taking over distribution from Penske after the Penske organisation milks the smart for all they can get.

[Carnut]

Originally Posted by MPrice2984

I am starting to believe that Mercedes will end up taking over distribution from Penske after the Penske organisation milks the smart for all they can get.

Take it from me, PAG will turn out to be heads and shoulders above MB as far as distribution and monitoring dealer customer relations.

[bmx43]

Originally Posted by MPrice2984

I did my order in early June of last year and the communication from smart has been poor to say the least. I did my color confirmation last week after being told in a phone call that they had sent me an e-mail mid Dec (which was never received). If it weren't for these forums I would never have found who the Chicago area dealers are which are still denied by smart USA. I realise that there won't be many dealers, but smart appointed the 2 Chicago dealers 23 miles apart in the far northern suburbs. I commute to near downtown Chicago daily from NW Indiana daily which is an hour trip, the closest dealer is almost an 40 minutes north of downtown Chicago and almost 100 miles away from where I live. What great planning in an area with 13 million people! I would have thought that a dealer would be placed in downtown Chicago; after all, you can buy a Bentley, Lambo or Bugatti right off the floor at Gold Coast Imports in downtown Chicago. Instead they choose to place 2 dealers in the wealthiest suburbs where the ForTwo will be common place in the local high school parking lots.
I am starting to believe that Mercedes will end up taking over distribution from Penske after the Penske organisation milks the smart for all they can get.

hahaha. come on now. do you know what land costs in downtown Chicago? of course you do, you live there. that's why they sell Bentleys and Lambos at $200k there. we're talking about $15k cars here with very limited availability. the math sounds pretty easy to me.

as for Penske milking anything, i disagree. this car would not be coming here at all if not for Penske. Mercedes wanted nothing to do with it. also, i commend Penske for commiting to holding their dealers to no mark-up on the cars. we all know they could get it. did you try to buy a Mini when they came out years ago? my dealers were upping them by $5k and getting it...

[dancote]

The information you're getting is confusing. It seems to me there are other folks on this board who live in states without dealerships but who'll be taking delivery in states with dealerships.

Are you saying that this is not the case for Alaska residents?

[E-SMART]

more smart dealers will come to the greater Chicago area (including NW Indiana) if the car takes off ... smartUSA has already reserved several variations of domain names in and around Chicago for growth (i.e., smartcenterbarrington, smartcenterhoffmanestates, smartcenterchicago). as I happen to live in the NW 'burbs (but not the North Shore) the two they picked aren't too far away.

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by bmx43

bernie-

you are missing the point. your reg number means everything. it is generated by the date that you got in line. just because you have a reg number does not guarantee you a delivery date. i registered on 3/19 and did not confirm my car until 9/1. you are almost 200 days (and probably 30k cars) behind me and everybody else who signed up on 3/19. your processing has not even begun until you get an e-mail to configure your car which may still be weeks or months away for you. you are blowing up an issue that doesn't exist. i would guess that you will absolutely get a car when your number comes up, but you are way in the back of the line. sorry, but true is true.

Not trying to blowup anything here nor seriously doubt that I'm missing "the" point since I'm the one that started the conversation. I'm not quite sure how or who you are as the resident expert here but I'm getting the impression that you are associated with the Smartcar customer service...? Never the less even so, MY POINT is this: I should be able as an American citizen to purchase anything that is available from a manufacturer through an authorized dealer with my money and I don't need the corporate line stating otherwise because I don't live in an authorized location. It's nothing short of discrimination and it makes no difference to me if I get my car before or after you, you can be the winner in that game but If you don't get my point now then perhaps you can have another of the corporate troops call me. Sorry, but true is true......

[bmx43]

Originally Posted by Bernie

Not trying to blowup anything here nor seriously doubt that I'm missing "the" point since I'm the one that started the conversation. I'm not quite sure how or who you are as the resident expert here but I'm getting the impression that you are associated with the Smartcar customer service...? Never the less even so, MY POINT is this: I should be able as an American citizen to purchase anything that is available from a manufacturer through an authorized dealer with my money and I don't need the corporate line stating otherwise because I don't live in an authorized location. It's nothing short of discrimination and it makes no difference to me if I get my car before or after you, you can be the winner in that game but If you don't get my point now then perhaps you can have another of the corporate troops call me. Sorry, but true is true......

hahahahahaha. yes, you guessed it. my name is Smart E. Pants.

the problem i have is that you claim "discrimination". that word should not be thrown around. maybe you should sue them (me- hahahahaha) to let you buy a car!! after all, it's the american way...

one question: did they refund your deposit when you called?

[tipo158]

Originally Posted by Bernie

Never the less even so, MY POINT is this: I should be able as an American citizen to purchase anything that is available from a manufacturer through an authorized dealer with my money and I don't need the corporate line stating otherwise because I don't live in an authorized location. It's nothing short of discrimination and it makes no difference to me if I get my car before or after you, you can be the winner in that game but If you don't get my point now then perhaps you can have another of the corporate troops call me. Sorry, but true is true......

I get your point.

I got a similar response when, after noting that confirmations were not being done in reservation order, I suggested that smart should strictly follow reservation order and give those reservation holders in a crowded market (or a market with no dealer) a chance to take delivery of their car from another market.

Anyway, don't question smart's actions in these forums. That is what I have learned (or maybe I haven't learned it yet ).

Given that I have heard multiple examples of reservation holders with no dealer in their state being referred to another state, the treatment that you seem to be getting must be reserved for Alaska. Sorry.

I would not suggest trying to get your reservation/order moved to Seattle. From what I have read in these forums, folks from as far away as Montana have been assigned to the Seattle dealer.

alan

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by bmx43

hahahahahaha. yes, you guessed it. my name is Smart E. Pants.

the problem i have is that you claim "discrimination". that word should not be thrown around. maybe you should sue them (me- hahahahaha) to let you buy a car!! after all, it's the american way...

one question: did they refund your deposit when you called?

Now for someone that seems to have the intelect of the Smartcar's business activities such as yourself wouldn't you already know if they refunded my deposit?
I thought for sake of conversation that you might click the link below for an understanding of the words being thrown around here. Maybe you have another word I could use in place of discrimination?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discrimination