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There will be no cars available for dealer stock whatsoever.
Just a quick question: Does the reservation form state when the car will be delivered exactly? What that form says may clear up some of the advertising questions. The deposit form says deposit "towards a smart fortwo" and doesn't say a model year or delivery time.
I don't think that includes the cars that will be used for demos.
As for the reservation form language... no exact dates, places or times are stated on the reservation or confirmation forms.
I think what smart USA is sidestepping with its reservation process is that smart USA cannot sell you a car. They are not a licensed auto dealer in your state. So since they can''t sell cars to end buyers, all the wishy washy language in the reservation and confirmation forms. Only your dealer can sell you a car.
That doesn't mean they won't honor the reservation line, or send your $99 to your dealer so it can be applied to your sale. Its just a way for them to get the line going without actually being a seller of autos.
Has anyone heard how long it would take to reconfigure an order that has already been confirmed? I reserved on Day 1, but now have changed my mind. I hope they won't tell me to go to the back of the line!!!
Has anyone heard how long it would take to reconfigure an order that has already been confirmed? I reserved on Day 1, but now have changed my mind. I hope they won't tell me to go to the back of the line!!!
I asked to make a change, they said 2-3 months delay for a change. I decided I could live with dealer installed fog lights and tach/clock pods. Color panels can be changed by the dealer. Tridion color changes will take much longer,
Smart USA has this on it's first line of their newly updated website "Would you like to reserve your very own new 2008 smart fortwo? Our exciting $99 Reservation Program is now open to all smart enthusiasts."
Form what I have read, there is NO WAY (if you put down your $99 today) you would get a Smart in 08, isn't that false advertising?
Just a thought
ASM
I guess I read it a little differently, one is reserving an 08 fortwo not necessarily an 08 delivery. Waiting lists for new motorcycles models are common and delivery can come as late as the end of the next year. I've been through that myself. Remember that if your reservation isn't made until late in 08 it will probably be an 09 model so even better depending on how you look at it. I just got back from smart training in San Diego and no changes are planned for the 09 model. I'm putting in my reservation soon, I just can't decide on the model yet. Honestly I wasn't as enthusiastic about the smart as others on this forum until just this week after learning more about the design and the company as a whole. I'm sold and ready to wait.
While I understand your point...there is a distinction, and we can fairly assume that sometime last October the reservations exceeded the quantity of 2008 Smart cars to be imported by a rather large margin.
Sure getting a 2009, even if no different, (I do not believe that to be a true assumption) is technically better then a 2008...but at what increased cost.... I do not believe for one minute that the 2009 MY Smart car will have the exact same MSRP being promised right now relating to the 2008 Smart Car....
IB and PAG are obligated to consumers to fairly advertise exactly what your $99 reservation is placing you in line to get...
More to the point... the "New 2008" referenced above in this thread strongly implies getting a car in 2008 considering this particular advertising has existed since the Fall of 2006....
Bottom line is the Official SmartUSA web site is significantly out of date and is knowingly making a false claim. With our estimates of how many $99 reservations holders there are right now...PAG must have an excess of 30% attrition rate to satisfy the demand.....
Take you as an example.... Your are now stoked to get one. You think you know the price. I assume you will reserve soon if you already have not. When you go to the "Official SmartUSA" website to make your reservation would you prefer to know the truth?......
This is that truth: "You are reserving a 2009 Model Year Smart and we currently do no know when they will be arriving and we currently do not know the MSRP for this future car"....
Hey those were the exact rules and truths they told me when I signed up last April...
Many of us here are fairly confident the truths are changing...
While I can appreciate the folks here who represent the "Company"... I prefer to always look at these things from a consumer perspective...
With that in mind...I personally have been waiting for this car to come to America for over 6 years... I personally want this Brand and vehicle to survive and grow... I know competition is good and benefits consumers more then manufacturers.. I also know America is full of wishy washy fickle car buyers...
Our little cult following here at SCOA is NOT enough to sustain this car in America... The Dealers and Importer, PAG, can NOT afford to play games with the consumers.... This would not be the first ever one year wonder to hit our shores....
I am trying to side with SmartUSA, but reserving for a Smart fortwo 08' is not the same as getting a Smart fortwo in 08'. We all tend to interpret words the way we want them to be. As the refundable deposit goes, I think it is fairly common in the auto industry when a completely new vehicle is coming to the market and the public demand is great. I didn't have any problem getting my $1,000.00 deposit back from my Honda dealer for a 03' CR-V (The wait was three months because of the color and equipment I wanted). After that I put $1,000.00 on a 03' Infiniti G35 Coupt with 6MT. I was told and written on the contract that when the car arrives and if I didn't like it. Deposit would be refunded without any quewstion because the demand was extremely high. I ended up waiting 6 months for it. I did not get mine until end of June in 03 for a 03' model and 04' model came out in Aug 03 without any changes. I also reserved a 08' Infiniti EX35 under the same condition. So, sit tight, relax and let the Samrt people worry about meeting the demand.
Roger Penske is one keen businessman with an OUTSTANDING reputation. Once I heard he was the businessman behind the importing of Smart Fortwo minicars into America, I was excited!!! I was very comfortable leaving my $99 deposit with his company.
" As a hugely successful businessman, Penske heads a vast and diverse automotive and transportation empire that employs over 30,000 people. He founded the Penske Corporation in 1969, and is chairman of the board of Penske Truck Leasing Corporation and the United Auto Group."
And yes, it is a publicly traded company with a stock price of around $18.00 per share:
But to be honest guys... who are we to say that they wont pump out 50,000 if there are 50,000 buyers... I would leave that up to them to prove! They might be pulling an Apple on us ;) do you smell iphone hype?
Does anyone know what current production and the production limit are at the plant?
Quote:
Originally Posted by clubsmartcar.ca
The maximum cadence of the plant is 580 cars per day with two shifts, a level this plant was at in 2003, but the day we were there, the production target was 384 units (2005). The minimum time between cars arriving at any one point in the assembly line is 1 minute 30 seconds, but on October 11th, it was 2 minutes 10 seconds. When the cadence is accelerated, more workers are required.
Okay boys, lets pick up the cadence! I can hear the drummer now!
Assuming they work 300 days per year, thats 150,000 cars annually.
Last edited by spdickey : 12-05-2007 at 09:07 AM.
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