The true order problem

[eskargo]

i configured for the cabrio... so it would be nice to get it during the summer months... and not the rainy months here in the bay area as showed by the DDE. if $500 is what it takes to fix the problem... then $500 it is. Dave Schembri, are you listening out there???

[06SilvySS]

I like the 99$ res. i have not ordered mine do to that reason of not sure if I want it in a yr

[dbwill]

Remember that the $99 was before anyone had seen the cars and no one had driven them. I would not put down a larger deposit, especially non refundable on a site unseen vehicle. Also the road show drive did nothing to convince me that I wanted one. I was fortunate and was offered a satisfactory test drive period so that I know what I am getting.

Now that people can drive them for more than 5 minutes perhaps a larger reservation fee would be applicable.

[Robbie51]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!! $500 down and non-refundable...last time I mentioned this I was called an elitist, lol.

[PassionforPassionCT]

THIS was the whole flaw with the entire system. I can't say it enough that if this sort of system was in place, we would all be happy and we would all have our cars sooner. The way this system was set up was nowhere near perfect, frankly I dont think it worked at all.
I really would like to pick the brain of the architect of this so called reservation plan. In all reality, what were they thinking? $99 is chump change, and by making it refundable, there was no risk at all. So everybody and their uncle, even the most uncertain people, were given the rights to put an order into the factory. At the second step, their should have been an increase in deposit required, $200, $300, around that area. And it should have been NON REFUNDABLE, past that point you shouldnt be able to get your $100 back either. So now we have a list of serious people, (not window shoppers with a Visa or Mastercard) who are serious about the car enought that they are willing to risk around half a grand to get it. They dont want it, tough luck.

We of course would still have orphans, but nowhere near as many. And EVERY car that comes off the assembly line has more of a chance of being connected to the person that acutally ordered it.
It angers me considerably that this wasn't done and frankly if they want to start doing something right, they should implement some sort of system like this.

Want to keep your reservation? Put up more money, and this time you cant get it back. Don't like that.... here is your $100.
I've got the credit card ready, If I have to put more money down to see my car faster, then so be it.

[Smarteq]

smart center universal city has 100+ on their orphan list. They were gettting $2,000 to get on the list. Now that people have seen the car and really want one, they are willing to put up a much larger deposit. That deposit is also refundable but it shows a much higher commitment level than $99 - that's for sure.

[canon1753]

The interesting thing is I would not have put up more than $99 dollars up front. Why should Smart have $500 of my dollars just so they can build up their US arm? At configuration, maybe more money would make sense. It would be a gut check. Of course, two or three years or so from now I'll be able to walk into a smart center and drive one off the lot.

The idea of the 99 dollar reservation fee gave a sense of how many people were interested enough to put something on the table.... But I also think that we all might just think of ourselves as guinea pigs too.

[curtis]

why, the Smart Centers are selling the Oprhans as soon as they as abandoned, It's not hurting Smart

[curtis]

also if I decide to back out after waiting a year I wonder if Smart will take a year to refund my $99?

[Jimbo]

I'd go 500.00 if it got me closer to making an order. Heck it's 100% applied to the purchase price anyway. I'd bet they'd still sell the 20,000 allotment with time to spare.