I've got a reservation that should get me what I've ordered in about 4 months, but I've been anxious lately, so I've contacted a couple of California smart centers.
To get on the orphan list at Santa Barbara, I spoke with Saad Jarrah. He was helpful and did what I consider "the right thing" by asking me to supply my reservation number in order to get on his orphan list.
Later, I came in to visit the center (on vacation from Fresno, so not that easy to just drop in). Again, I spoke with Saad. I found him knowledgable and honest. He gave me some real numbers suggesting that I will not likely get an orphan before my reserved car arrives. Also, he acknowledged that the Santa Barbara smart center does install a $2,700 Pioneer CD/DVD/Nav system in all of the orphans they sell. This gives them a better profit margin and also gets the customer the option most asked-for. This doesn't work well for me, as I'm seeking a basic Pure with nothing but A/C to keep the cost down. I plan to add an aftermarket stereo for about $165.
In any case, I appreciated discussing the smart with Saad and his honesty.
Randy
Fresno, CA
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