Just Received e-mail from Chris Twine
 

I thought I would contact Chris at Mazda UK due to the fact my dealer has not been so helpful. In a nutshell his reply was, your car was loaded on to your dealer database this morning, your car should be with your dealer early DECEMBER. I am not happy about this as it was orderd in Jan this year. I have order a high power, velocity red, red leather & sat nav. People that have orderd the same spec car as me, what delivery updates have you had?. I am gonna ring my dealer and cancell, I was so exited that November delivery was so soon, by the way my letter stated November delivery. Does anyone think I may have a case to argue with Mazda?

well if you have the letter which states a November delivery i guess you have reason to be concerned and pissed off but i would suggest talking to your dealer first over the next few days to confirm what Mr Twine has said before making any harsh decisions. I would suspect that he is being overly cautious but then again he may not. Your dealership is probably your best port of call (of you pardon the pun) now.

if they tell me December, I will cancel. I will write to every watchdog type programme I can think of. I have a letter stating November.

I would speak with Mazda about this. I would want to know why you have a later delivery date.

-----Original Message-----
From: Owen, Ed
Sent: 14 October 2003 15:45
To: Thomson, Jeremy (J.)
Cc: Davey, Michael (M.); Pumfrey, Adam (A.); ‘Twine, Chris (C.)’
Subject: RE: Mazda RX-8
Importance: High

Mr Thomson,

I have just spoken to another pre-order customer, who informs me that they have been told “early December” for their delivery of their car (High Power, ordered in January by Mazda Customer Services. As of today My dealer (T.W.Whites) still does not know anything about delivery.
Given your promise to me of delivery in November, this is of concern. Please can you clarify?
The RX8-line have just told me I can expect a letter confirming a delivery date in 7-14 days... i.e. nearly into November before a delivery date!
This is getting pretty laughable now. If I don’t have a delivery date by the end of this week, I will be cancelling, and expecting a full refund of my deposit. Something I don’t want to do, as I know that it is a great car.
This whole saga is really taking the edge off what should be an enjoyable event. I’m sure you are fed up of hearing from me, but trust me, not as much as I of this whole shambles.
Regards,
Ed Owen

Just to inform you aswell, my car was built on the 29of September 2003. I thought I would have been one of the first luck ones to get it as it was ordered in Jan. Neverless - You guys that are getting deliveries in November are well Lucky!!!!!

Just received another e-mail from Chris Twine, every effort will be made for the delivery of your car before the 5th of December, November delivery may still happen, depending when the boat arrives in Holland. He has also assured me of priortising my order for when the car hit the UK, so I can't complain anymore. Chris has been very helpful to me.

Great big hug to Chris.

...problem is, everyone else who has complained has got roughly the same reponse i.e. "...we've put to the top of our list, sir...".

Hmmm....it appears to be getting pretty crowded up here now at the top of the list. Looks like I'll have to push a few over the edge to get delivery on time (that's 5th time)...watch yer back...

C.

The problem is, if they give us a delivery date in December, this is almost 2 months away and a lot can happen in that time. Why would this delivery date be any more believable than the original date of "November", just because the month now has a number in front of it.

As for delivery "depending when the boat arrives in Holland" this is laughable. They know when the boat started off, they know how long the journey takes, what is the problem?

There are many things I love about this car, but also some doubts and worries I have too and deciding whether to go through with this purchase is proving to be a very difficult decision for me. But if they can't make November delivery then it makes my decision very easy - it's bye bye Mazda because I've just had enough of dealing with these clowns.

December????? Rotterdam????????????????????????????????????????? ???????

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggg gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<BANG> <---- me shooting myself.

Mazda ... please come clean!!!

What is the process you are following to get these cars to the pre-orderers?

* Boats ship to Rotterdam XX/10/03
* PDI + rear spoiler + customs clearance etc etc YY days
* RORO to UK ZZ/11/03
* Customs clearance in UK X days
* Transport to dealers Y days
* Dealer PDI Z days
* Delivery to customers between ??/11/03 and ??/12/03 for all pre-orderers

I think a new letter to customers who are unlikely to receive their RX8's in November is in order.

Why, by all that is Holy, are the cars coming in to Rotterdam??? Why not a UK port?

i can only echo the thoughts above. originally when the car was promised in JULY (remember that?) i thought great there's my holiday and there's a load of mates getting together where i can show off :p when it moved to oct/nov i thought no problem (well not exactly) but i did still have an opportunity when all my mates get together in early december to show off. now that looks in doubt, winter is here and there's no reason to own this car. if i'm told december i'm cancelling too.

all anyone wants from mazda is a straight answer. we were told before that mazda had never promised anything and it was just forum speculation. well i have a letter now from mazda which says november - they cant wriggle out of that.

The boat probably has cars for all over Europe so it's easier to move ours across the channel rather than all of theirs.

Another factor to be taken into account: My dealer mentioned something about the satnav being added somewhere in Germany, or is that just where it is manufactured? It may be that those with this option have to wait a bit longer.

Hmmm...

I'm beginning to be tempted to sod the practicality and get the VX220 Turbo...


-andy-

-----Original Message-----
From: Twine, Chris (C.) [mailto:ctwine@mazdaeurope.com]
Sent: 15 October 2003 09:13
To: ‘Ed_Owen'
Cc: Pumfrey, Adam (A.); Davey, Michael (M.); Thomson, Jeremy (J.)
Subject: RE: Mazda RX-8

Dear Mr Owen

Thank you for your further e-mail regarding the delivery of your new Mazda RX-8. Our Marketing Director, Jeremy Thomson is currently abroad on business and therefore I am replying to you on his behalf.
The information on your vehicle is being loaded onto T W Whites vehicle system today and therefore they will now be receiving updated information on your vehicle as it progresses through the system. The initial information will show your vehicle being delivered in early December, however once the vehicle arrives in our European import centre in Rotterdam the delivery date will become more specific. We therefore still expect your vehicle to be with your dealer by the end of November.
We have entered vehicles onto our dealer’s vehicle systems in batches which are not necessarily related to delivery dates and therefore this is the reason that other Mazda RX-8 customers have had information on their vehicle.
I trust this information is of assistance to you.
Yours sincerely
Chris Twine
Customer Assistance Manager
Mazda Motors UK Limited

Words cannot express my dissapointment if i do not receive my car by Christmas. If High Powered cars are now arriving in early December, what hope my lowly 5 speed before Christmas break?

I have just spoken to my dealer who in turn has spoken to Mazda UK. They can't tell me any specific dates for my car, arrival into UK etc, but said there would be 'no problems' in me getting the car this year. Somehow i have my doubts.

My letter to Mazda
 

Please see below my letter to J.Thomsom (Mazda Europe), sent on Monday. Sorry its a bit long;

Dear Mr Thomson,

May I take this opportunity to thank you for your letter (dated 9th Oct 2003) giving an apology for another delivery delay of my RX8.
I would also like to take this opportunity to say that your apologies mean nothing anymore. Here to summarise are a few reasons why;

· Deposit placed on 24th January 2003 with Brooklyn (Redditch). Conversation with the dealer (one to one) assured me that it was more than likely that the car will be ready for 1st September 2003, so much so that we even discussed delivery dates, two days prior as I was working on the 1st. This date was excellent as my existing car was due an MOT, road tax and Insurance renewal (again I’ll get stung for the cancellation of one policy to start another) in the second week of September. All of which has now been funded by me at extra cost.

· Constant calls to the dealer throughout spring, pushing for a delivery date, but no joy. This has not been surprising as on most occasions, I knew more than the dealer did! This is no reflection on my dealer, who throughout has maintained a level of professionalism that is rare in the motor industry today. If you want to treat your dealers like mushrooms, you have done an excellent job by keeping them in the dark and feeding them accordingly.

· July arrives and I am informed that delivery will be late September. Obviously I’m ecstatic at missing out on what has been a glorious summer, in my new car.

· August arrives and I am notified that delivery is now late October. My dealer at this point is becoming increasingly afraid to speak to me, knowing of my displeasure at the dates getting later and later and later ………………….

· September arrives and I am told that you now have a “delivery month” for me – November ! I am also told that in late September I will be receiving another letter confirming the precise delivery date.

· October – wheres my letter ? Oh yes, I did receive a letter, not the one I expected in late September regarding delivery but the one you sent me most recently. Please tell me so far that I am wrong and I will produce all supporting paperwork confirming this, sent by yourselves and all email communication I have had with Deby Gutteridge. Complied as one, it makes compelling reading of how NOT to do business.

So far, its been an appalling endaitment of a blue chip company believing their own hype. Shame on you for breaking every one of your promises, shame on me for believing you could keep them.

The handling of the RX8 launch, THE aspirational model in you entire range, has been dealt with utter contempt from the moment loyal customers, like myself and many others, placed (£1000) deposits from the start of 2003.



You (and I also include your colleagues in the upper ecshoens of Mazda’s heirachy) have done absolutely nothing, from where I stand, to appease your customers, some of which are considering late cancellations. Yes, you can sit there and bask in the halo of a new car launch, for you are in a privileged position where cancellations will be snapped up by those waiting in a long queue, behind pre-orderers. However I have had enough. Its too late for me to cancel for the sole reason that this car has become a running joke at work. To show face, I have to now “prove” that this car exists. As you can imagine this has taken the sheen off, what should have been an enjoyable experience.

Now, if I may, predict the outcome of this letter;

· Firstly, you may not even read it because it may get filtered prior.
· Secondly, if you do, you may dismiss it. That would be a mistake.
· Thirdly, place corrective action(s) on my dealer to resolve the issue. How, who knows ?

What I ask for, before any talk of recompence is a PERSONAL reply, not a generic letter with your photocopied signature at the bottom. Another “fob off” would simply push me into a direction that YOU do not want me to go.


AnilS.:mad:

Good letter. I think we all await a reply as much as yourself.

Anil S - well done. I think you have covered pretty much how I feel at this stage - and most others I pressume. I feel the letter we received in August/September with a month of delivery was just made up to keep us happy, we are fools for beleiving it. I have a right to be frustrated as I pre order in Jan 2003, and thought I would be one of the first to own this car, it seems to me the later you orderd. the sooner you will get your car. It all sticks, but I have come to far down the road to cancel - as much as it would be nice to say to mazda f**k your car.

I ordered mine in February. If that's the case and my spec is almost identical then surely I won't be getting mine until sometime in December too.

I am well pi55ed off now. This is getting beyond a joke.

I was one of the chill out crew but now I'm joining the "stick it up your ar5e crew".

Should we all drop a little note to this guy, one by one explaining where we are from, i.e. a large community of RX-8ers whom won't take any more crap like this.

I have to sell my car so if I do in the next few weeks then I will have no wheels for some time.

I'm not bothered about getting the car a bit later but I do feel that we are all due some form of compensation for all this screwing around of people.

Anybody else feel like this?

Excellent letter..

If they slip the cars to December I too may be cancelling.

My local dealer (Walker Farimond Blackburn) had a demonstrator in from Prodrive all weekend and never bothered to contact me to ask me to come in and have a look at it or take it for a test drive!

I was the first one to order the car at the dealership in January so expected to get a call.

Instead they invited anyone who had not ordered one to come in and drive them! The guy who sold me the car and arranged the demo car was the General Manager.

Still not received an apology from the dealer

I think maybe they want to get rid of us and let the dealers have the stock to give to new customers?

I think until we all have our confirmed delivery dates it's a bit harsh to moan about being let down again. As far as I can see most people are getting the November delivery dates as stated in our delivery month letters from Mazda.

While I agree that the customer service and communication from Mazda has been appalling I don't think that there's any point cancelling in protest at this late stage if you really want this car.

Andy, I didn't say I was cancelling. Just a tad miffed.

AnilS.

Have just got off the phone to my local BMW dealer, I can get hold of a 2.5 high spec Z4 in a couple of weeks. Seems tempting, have any of you guys driven a Z4?, if so what are your thoughts

..you seem to forget Andy, this is the only form of protest one can make - phone calls and letters of complaint have got us little or nothing apart from further prevarication.

It's not "harsh to moan" when you've been let down so many time and treated so poorly. It would be harsh not to moan.

Perhaps you are in a position where you're happy to be walked all over by Mazda just for the vanity of being able to turn heads a few times when your car eventually arrives...many people aren't.

If it was any other product you were buying, I'm sure you'd have returned your pre-order ages ago.

C.

I'm sorry but I genuinely don't beleive that Mazda Europe can be blamed for this.

I know how the Japanese mind works and they are to blame for delivering to their home market in mass amounts. If they had a bit of sympathy, they would have sent OUR original cars to us in the first place.


My dealer is definitely feeling for us at the moment and understands just how pee'd off were all are. I will not be sending any letters of complaints to Europe, if any do go they will be to the MD of Mazda Japan for allowing such a thing to go on. What annoys me is the fact that you can walk into a dealer in the US and drive away in an RX-8.

:mad:

Let's air our frustartion to the Japs!

I totally agree with ep3, I looked at 3 cars, Z4, S2000 & RX8, I decided to opt for the RX8 because I felt it was the best value for money + A REAL HEAD TURNER. It proves that sometimes it is worth spending extra money for the customer service aspect - ARE YOU LISINING MAZDA?

Just been on the Japanese RX-8 site an another thing which pisse me off about lal this is the fact that a hi-speed Jap vehicle is selling for

2,750,000 Yen

Which is £15k

Hrm no wonder they sold so well!!!!!1

Contingo,

How can you say we are not meant to be angry with Mazda Europe/UK? I have orderd my car from the same dealer as you, paid deposit on the 20/01/2003 and my car is due to be deliverd at least 3/4 weeks after yours. The only difference is I think you have not orderd SAT NAV, when you speak to the dealer again, can you please ask when your car was manufactured? - this info is on their database, they told me mine was 29/09/2003 - we can see then how far apart the 2 cars were built. Then please list your findings on this thread.

Many Thanks

Don't get me wrong - I've been so annoyed at the service from Mazda that I've been on the verge of cancelling but I think at this late stage a couple more weeks delay is neither here nor there (and not totally unexpected with the way things have gone on so far.)

I think it is harsh to moan and say things like when to my knowledge only one person has recieved a letter from Mazda stating a November delivery which has now slipped to 5th December (but they are trying to bring this forward.)
Any indivdual who this happens to has a right to moan but until they know this for sure it's not fair to ssume its going to happen IMO.

There's no need to get personal and call me vain - I'm buying the RX8 because I want a practical sports car. If there were a viable alternative that I liked I would not have put up with the service from Mazda.

Maybe we've been 'walked all over' by Mazda but at the end of the day its a personal decision about what you are willing to tolerate. I would have much preferred to have had a smooth, pleasent pre-order experience with Mazda but non of us have and we have to live with that.

Sounds very nice, do you have to pay over the list price to get it this quick?

Autocar (yeah, I know boo, hiss...) test drove the 2.5 Z4 and liked it. They said it didn't feel much slower than the 3.0. It's got 192 hp which must translate to at least at least 230 "Mazda hp" ;) .

Contigo, the reason why I complained/moaned/had a go at Jeremy Thomson from Mazda UK/Europe is because he sent me the letter apologising for the most recent delay. I deal with whoever deals with me, and if he is brave enough to stick his head above the parapit, its got a good chance of being blown off.

No matter what the outcome, I'm glad I sent my letter. It is a measure of how I feel currently, some agree with me, some don't, thats OK.

All I say is god help them if it does not get here in November, there'll be hell to pay .......

AnilS.

Judging by the conversation I had (see my thread) there is a chance some of us wont see our cars till early december (15%)...
It appears all the UK pre-order cars are not on the same boat (mine has not yet arrived) - hence some people being on the system and mid November, and some not.

What annoys me is that they dont seem to understand that this undermines the Thomson letter stating a delivery month of November, and that any talk of loan cars if not November should be had with my dealer!

Hey, let's not flame each other.

We've all been waiting a long time but the wait is so nearly over!

I loved my test drive and would not consider buying anything else as I really love and want an RX8.

It'll all be forgotten once the cars arrive and just think of the envious looks and great comments about your new car.

Cheers
Oilman

I wasn't replying in direct response to your letter, just the general mood that crept into this thread.

A friendly word of advice - I suggest you use a spell checker for your next letter (let's hope it doesn't come to that though), as in my experience companies / people take a letter of complaint with correct spelling and grammar far more seriously.

I'm interested to see what sort of response you get though!:)

Andy, I DID use spell checker. The only word I can fine that was incorrectly spelt was "complied" that should have read "compiled". One word. Did I miss something ? Didn't help that the spell checker was trying to substitute some english written words for american. Please PM me with corrections.

AnilS.

Oh, a for the Z4, JC slated it in this months Top gear mag.

But then again , he wasnt the Z3's biggest fan either :D

I spotted a few mistooks too but didn't like to say.

Perfect letters can give the impression of a pro complainer tho.
Your mistakes made better reading, like you were really mad (rattle way outta da pram :-) )

wheres - where's
its - it's
endaitment - indictment
heirachy - hierarchy
ecshoens - echelons
recompence - recompense

can't be arsed with the grammar

that nicely finsihed me break :-)

,Paul

Paul (and Andy), many thx 4 putting me str8 !

Paul, you are right, the letter was written when I was mad. I've never claimed to be perfect at spelling, I don't believe any of us are but I think the gist of the message got through.

SURPRISED THEN TO HAVE A .....

.... chat with my dealer suggesting (unconfirmed I might add) that my car will be with them on 17th Nov (this year).


AnilS.

Good news Anils.

I'm a bit worried I might get a December date due to the moonroof, but it will just give me an extra bit of time to get my current motor spruced up and sold.

Anybody want a ten year old UK spec 2.5 litre Mazda MX-6?:D

Why, by all that is Holy, are the cars coming in to Rotterdam??? Why not a UK port?
 

I do not really know if it is correct that cars for the UK will arrive at Rotterdam first.
My car will arrive in Antwerpen first, allthough I live in Holland.

The main thing is, of course, WHEN will they arrive. I am still hoping it will be november/december but Mazda Holland gave me the impression that it could be January 2004.

Kind regards from a sunny Holland,

Eric

Re: Why, by all that is Holy, are the cars coming in to Rotterdam??? Why not a UK port?
 

That sounds like typical Mazda organisation. The German cars will probably come via Southampton....

LOL

Just for your information guys : the french cars are supposed to be currently delivered to the first customers (I WAS the 1st in France).

They arrived at first in ... Spain by boat two weeks ago.

Second rave mid November.

Best,
Stephan

What a sad tale you guys tell! :( For us, Mazda USA didn't promise any date, they just didn't deliver, then didn't deliver, etc., etc. after rumor after rumor 'came out' that the car was coming. I think that actually lasted from SEP-02 til 1st delivery, nearly a year!

If it makes you feel any better - I placed my pre-pre-pre-order deposit 5-JAN-2001, my real pre-order 6-JAN-2003, and got delivery 18-JUL-2003.

Now the Mazda lots here have lots of RX-8s just sitting there(?)... wish I could send you some... I don't like seeing them just sit there.

In the end the source of supply is the bottleneck - and that means Mazda Japan - until they schedule production for the UK in earnest, you guys are out of luck.

No harm with being upset though, it takes some of the anger out, just remember that when you get to sit in your car one day, you'll forget EVERYTHING and just be one with your ROTARY ROCKET!

No - it means Mazda oversupplied the US, theres probably enough for Europe, just sat on US garage forcourts.

Oh and no business should promis anything without a realistic chance of it happening, and if it doesnt then it makes reasonable apologies and recompence.

I'm quite looking forward to my JD power survey already.

Just remmeber that JDP effects resale values slightly, so its a double edged sword being harsh!

As ouyr American firend and I have said all along it's definitely a Japanese decision and they are responsible for us having no cars. At the end of the day they interrupted OUR production schedule in the factoires to deliver to their home market.

Typical Japanese!!

You don't think Ford had a hand in it then?:eek:

Cheers
Oilman