Dave Schembri Contact

[kwagar]

For whatever reason Dave Shembri has maintained contact with me since my Letter to Roger Penske in December. He helped me resolve issues with the Orlando Dealership and he called me again today to see how I was enjoying my smart car and how things were with my dealer. He has shared his office phone number with me as well as his cell phone number.

I may be going out on a bit of a limb here but I would like to use the relationship I have developed with him to provide, if you will, a Top 10 List of concerns/issues from the Insiders/Early reservationists.

I don't really want to send him a long rant or overwhelm him with *****ing but rather would like to key in on real issues.

I have started a list which includes:

1. Delays in dealership openings.
2. Lack of specific info from smart USA or the dealers regarding the deliveries of cars that are already at US docks.
3. Concerns about the handling of Orphans
4. Parts availability for some early mechanical problems particularly linkage issues.
5. Prep fees in certain states.
6. The ability to shift delivery to a dealer other than the assigned dealer.

If you have additional issues you would like me to include pleae post them here or PM me.

In addition while I don't feel comfortable giving out his phone numbers if you have a specific issue you would like to dicuss with Dave I would be happy to pass it along to him with your name and phone number to see if he will follow-up with you as he did me. Again PM me with your issue and contact info and I will pass it along.

I obviously cannot speak for Dave and don't know how much time he is willing to devote to calling forum members but I am willing to see if I can coordinate some follow-up for you.

Again, let's keep in simple, short and professional and we'll see if we get some help on the key issues.

Any complements that need to be passed on would also be appreciated.

[amoore007]

good list.

[SPDYII]

That looks like a good list of issues to me. I agree with everyone of them. Thank you for doing this. Sometimes it just seems like no one is listening to our issues. Lately it seems like the answer to peoples problems with receiving a car is just go down to your local dealer and pick up an orphan. That wasn't the way it was suppose to work. For some of us that is not an option. Good luck though with getting answers to your questions.

[angel]

7. Shuffling of reservation numbers for configuration and delivery.

{As a 1235 I expected to at least configure before the 13XX's started.}

[MinnySmart]

I would like to hear something about the warranty issues. Why only 2 years for us vs. 4 years for Canada? Why is it so hard to figure out if the extended warranties offered by the dealerships is via smartUSA or 3rd party or 3rd party sponsored/selected by smartUSA?

[shack01]

Originally Posted by kwagar

.

2. Lack of specific info from smart USA or the dealers regarding the deliveries of cars that are already at US docks.

Amen to this one, especially! The dealer (Riverside) says to call smartUSA and smartUSA says to call the dealer. Surely someone knows something, and what's the harm in keeping us in the loop?

tm

[greatsign1]

if Dave Shembri really cares about his product and his customers all he has to do is read the forums here at SCOA like we all do. 15 minutes a day is all it would take!

[Old smart]

KWAGAR,

First, good for you to establish and maintain what I think in our only legitimate link to the “inside� at smart (the non-IB/smart). My issue (and I will leave it to you to do the word-crafting):

I am concerned about what happens after the initial 24mo./24k mile warranty expires, when smart-1 pickup and transport to the closest dealer service ends. I am not particularly close to my servicing dealer at 50 miles (but many are way beyond that). I want to know what smartUSA is prepared to do about supporting my local independent service center with technical information and parts availability. Are they going to charge them (or me) mega-bucks for a shop manual and a follow-on update subscription? Can my guy draw required parts in a timely manner from some central supply depot?

More by PM.

[Gene_SD]

As a programmer I have a hard time beleaving that it is taking this long (over a year) for smartusa to hook up to the smart factory to get vehicle information. Plus I have a nation wide dealership network that has no contact with Corp. Come on who do they think they are kidding, we need to organize a mass calling to smartusa and request information. Or we should send our complaints to the local news station troubleshooters and let them start working on it.

The truth is that they are a large corporation, who has a product that is sold out and they could care less what we think or want.

[vanslam]

Great news. I like the questions, but I thought it was document fees that was an issue. I think you should work this relationship as best you can for the group.