orthojoe

It's pretty sad that being open and honest is a rare if not impossible thing to find at dealers. I don't understand why it has become this way. I can only surmise that greed and short term gains are the reason.

I'm ALWAYS looking for totally honest and upfront dealers that will earn my business for the next 30-40 years.

I'm looking forward to seeing what CJ can do for the brand and for people like us.

DrJupeman

I don't think the service and parts customers argument is any more applicable to high demand vehicles than regular models. Further, I think the regular models may tend to be less sophisticated customers who are MORE likely to use local parts/service than to have a race shop or independent they rely on. The future customer part is also no more applicable to local vs. out of town if the price is right and the experience is right. Seamlessly get me into the next GT, I will come back to you for the one after that, the one after that, etc...

sccchiii

You are correct... a loyal customer is a loyal customer BUT if I had 1 available unit and 2 loyal customers one local and one not, I would always lean towards the customer that is local to sell it to (again assuming a no list scenario). Not only am I more likely to retain the service/warranty work but they also show a higher likelihood of future purchase of non GT cars vs out of town customers. The out of town customer is more likely persuaded back to do business elsewhere out of convenience despite the fact many of us have a go to store we use regardless of where we are located but everything has its limits.

JPMD

Agee
Also dealer would be more likely to get GT car back from local customer and resell

bronson7

Honesty, service and relationship is what's needed. Success will follow.

jpohill

Interesting responses - interesting discussion points.

My take -

I'm happy to put down a deposit - but what stops me from putting deposits down at 10 dealers? or more? 1st on a list makes no sense to me. We could all prospect guesses on the next great car - and dump deposits accordingly.

To me the "List" is a subjective 2 way street. All Relationship driven

1. I support the dealers I buy from and in turn receive allocations.
A. Trade back cars that I paid MSRP for to them when my next build is
processed - let them make a few $$$ -
B. When the economy is down I still buy cars - because I drive them - not flip- flippers will disappear in the next recession - the repeat clients will prop up your dealer just as they did in 08' -12'
C. Service my cars at dealer - always -
D. Help your dealer sell cars - amazing how that works.
E. And so on

So maybe your the dealers "Friend" - maybe a whale - maybe a guy with the best "Cleaning Lady" info - all great - but I want my best clients to be

The ones who will help my business if times are tough - who don't shop me out - who don't hammer me for every last $$$ - who I like selling to - who appreciates my business and people - who use the product I sold them - That's how I'd establish my list.

UMM - Buildable LT?

mooty

annual party and track gathering?
wow, ppl actually drive their cars now?
where are my medications?

this in encouraging.
ppl with most miles on previous RS given preference

C.J. Ichiban

I thought we were working on a 570GT for you?

C.J. Ichiban

Mooty there is this crazy thing where when cars get older, some of us appreciate them more! Especially when they are capable cars like 997's and 964s but you wouldn't know anything about that. LOL.

jpohill

Yes - Specced and waiting for a build date. Going to be the 1st person to drive a 570 100K miles
Can't a guy have a few McLaren's?
Seriously just been biding my time on an LT - your team kind-of knows! Buildable would be the selling point.

hf1

Put every configurable allocation of a highly demanded car up for an auction. The highest bidder gets it.
Simple. Clear. Honest. Transparent.
Regardless of the manner by which they get paid (long-term "loyalty" or cold hard cash), it's prices that clear markets and balance supply with demand.

EDIT: And waiting lists based on refundable deposits -- when everyone can perpetually place themselves on 20 wait lists without any commitment -- are a joke. Don't see how being on one would carry much weight, or at least more weight than offering a higher price.

Jamie@dundonmotorsports

Would be a buyer, enthusiasts attract enthusiasts... If honest and willing to give the out of town guy that's been hustling to get cars for his own use (and development of kick *** go fast parts...) a fair shake on some of the GT cars would love to be a customer!

sccchiii

While I'm a fan of the free market in selling goods.....I hardly see how a auction style buying process would be a benefit to building a big repeat owner base? I think you would have more pissed off customers because of what they would perceive as running the price up and the biggest wallet won (not far from all the discussions on here about dealers charging $70k over sticker). You certainly would not have many repeat buyers under that senario. Also if you want to prevent 20 deposits around the country then make your deposits non refundable unless you can't provide them a allocation, but if I call them and they pass then you lose the money (under my "list", deposits only collected from first time buyers to my store or out of towners that hadn't purchased before. If my regular customer passes I just move to next on list, no harm, no foul). It still won't prevent multiple deposits but at least you would clean your list up a bit. If the customer that put the non refundable deposit down buys else where or declines allocation all together you just move to next person on list and move the deposit into the "client track day fund" so everyone else that is a purchaser from store gets to benefit.

disden

Auction style already happening. My spot on "the list" essentially became the first person to have an opportunity to match outside offers. I know, it's my fault, I should have been more specific in nailing down the numbers initially. However, this shakedown process made me bolt from what i thought was a good dealer relationship. I was fortunate to find an RS build elsewhere through another dealer I had bought a car from in the past, but it was still a rude awakening. Unless the economy tanks, the upcoming GT3.2 is going to be the same damn frustrating way.

Sent from my iPhone using Rennlist

hf1

The fatter wallet wins either way -- that's what a free market does, and there's no way around it. It's a feature, not a bug. The buyers (the demand) are running the price higher -- not the auctioneer.

In the "good dealer" scenario, if he has a "loyal" customer who has overpaid $40k (above the market price) on cars and services over the last 3 years and another "more loyal" one who has overpaid $80k, the "more loyal" one will get the desirable GT allocation at $40k below the market. The mere "loyal" one will get pissed.

An honest auction (and honest market prices for all other, more readily available, cars and services) would avoid all this keeping track about who paid above market for what (MSRP Panamera, MSRP Cayenne, F California, service, tchotchkes, etc.) and by how much and figuring out who is more deserving a desirable (yet scarce) allocation at a below market price.

To me, the latter is much more honest, clear, and transparent. What pisses most people off is when dealers practice the latter while pretending to be practicing the former ("good dealer") scenario -- which is inherently dishonest.

EDIT: And I agree, making the deposits non-refundable would go a long way towards making the wait lists more real. Still, price controls and lines (wait lists) are inherently Soviet (and Venezuelan) means for allocating scarce goods. Even there, the same goods were/are readily available at market prices on the black market, without waiting.