couturegirl

Quarterly

Ant68

Well I think there are a few layers to this
IMO I think a $500 deposit should be paid to be placed on the list waiting for a commission number, once the number has been allocated to you then a sizeable deposit is to be expected.
But not sure of the amount of deposit that should be required, eg if you have a allocation for delivery 9-12 months down the track should a $10K deposit be paid, or say a $5K

I also hear that if the amount of deposit paid to put on the waiting list is a sizeable amount you can get a fast pass, not sure this is true.
But would like to hear what others have to say about this.

Ant68

So has the first quarter of 2021 been released yet ?

LC200

That’s what bothers me, if you have a commission number, I don’t mind putting down $10,000 for the build, but I have a serious problem with the dealer charging me a lot of money to put me on a waiting list.


I’m not sure if this has anything to do with establishing a relationship with a dealer, and since I moved to California, I no longer am near to a dealership where I purchased three cars from recently.

aggie57

I'm OK with it so long as the deposit is not large and it's fully refundable. I'd definitely push back if the local jurisdiction didn't mandate refundable deposits, like in California, or the dealer insisted on non-refundable without a firm allocation.

Ant - for reference here in California you can place a deposit and it's fully refundable up and until the time you actually take delivery. Generally you have some time, say 24-48 hours, after the car arrives at the dealer to decide if you actually want it. If you say no the dealer is obliged to refund any deposit fully and you can walk away.

malba2366

I think it is pretty common right now. There are very few open allocations, so they are taking a deposit to put your name on a future allocation that comes in, stops people from just putting their names on a "list" at 10 different dealerships. I would just make sure that it is refundable if you change your mind before the allocation is actually assigned to your order.

mdrobc1213

Other big problem is that each dealership in the US is its own independent franchise/business and so no formal and same policy exists from dealer to dealer and each set their policy of allocations and custom orders and deposits. My dealer I think asked for $5k to go with the allocation and it was sliding scale which depended on the model your were trying to get (i.e a Cayman allocation for example was like $1000 a Boxster $1500 a Macan $1800 or similar). This was for a custom build requiring an allocation. if it was a car already allocated/build but still pending production/shipment then it was like $500 to hold it for you. Most was refundable..I think for custom allocation if way outside their normal parameters (set by GM) then they could hold some monies back if you backed out to keep them from getting stuck with a car they could not sell. A lot of US dealers I've seen follow similar model so you don't walk in and build say the Ronald McDonald 911 Turbo S w/every option and PTS colors that Ray Charles would only like then bounce as they'd then be stuck with a car they could only sell at heavy discount for a long time to a very small set of buyers if they even existed. On the flip side I've had some dealerships that charged me nothing for a waiting list to call me back IF they had a car to allocated...but as usual it wasn't under such restrictive inventory and supply/demand issues as we've seen in 2020. BMW only asked me for $500 towards my custom ordered BMW e92 M3 back in the day....like I said it varies.

Yeah it can be like real estate...location matters as to deposit rules and refund-ability but in the US mostly you can get it back in full unless they have a clause for severe/extreme custom options like PTS or Porsche Individual Program.
Hmm if they got allocations in Dec it was likely for Q1 2021 especially with production dates for Apr/May/Jun; Would suspect next set of allocations will come out in 60-90 days which would put them for release in Q1 (Jan-Feb-Mar) for builds sometime in Q2 (Jul-Aug-Sept) and delivery, That kinda synchs with what folks are saying in they don't have any dealer car allocations now other than ones they are seeing for cars to be built/delivery in Q2 (Spring).
Yep. Allocation-deposit it seems now a days common practice; even to get your name on list to get access for a slot. Easier to buy what little is available on the lot now it seems from many looking.

Ant68

Awesome cooling off period !
Almost unbelievable

aggie57

Isn't it. Couldn't believe it when I found out, compared with, what, 3 days(?) in Oz.

Ant68

Here you go !
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New Cars

Knowing the cooling-off period

There is no cooling-off period on the sale of a new car. Make sure you are happy with the car and the terms of the contract before signing it or paying a deposit.

A cooling-off period is an amount of time given to you to end the contract without large penalties.

2nd hand Cars

Cooling-off period for buying a used car

When you buy a used car from a licensed motor dealer, you’re entitled to a cooling-off period of 1 business day. This means, if you change your mind, you have 1 business day to cancel the contract during the cooling-off period without large penalties.

The 1 business day refers to the dealer’s trading days. For example, if you sign the contract on a Friday and the dealer is open on Saturday, Saturday counts as your 1 business day.

A licensed motor dealer cannot refuse to grant you a cooling-off period.

There is no cooling-off period for new vehicles.

After you sign the contract, the cooling-off period will end either:

• on the dealer’s next business day at 5pm
• if the dealer closes before 5pm, the following business day at their usual closing time.

LC200

Speaking of California hijinks, there was a dealer here in the bay area that had a Tiffany, yes Tiffany, blue Carrera 991.2 with black wheels, Ronald McDonald red seats and **** yellow seatbelts sitting on their lot that they could not sell.

People shouldn’t be allowed to do that, either.

I think they even offered to reskin the interior to black or gray FOR FREE if somebody were to buy it.

Ant68

Do you have photo

Ant68

aggie57

Jeez, which state are you in?

gravedgr

I think it is more frequent than that. There was a batch released on 10/30 or 10/31, and another batch released in the first couple of weeks of December.