Boozehound

Alright - time to rant a bit, I'm sure someone can relate.

Last night I got a call from Budaman saying one of the allocations was in and I had tenatively put my name on it (I say tenatively only because the interior wasn't the color I wanted). This was in addition to my preorder with their sister dealer across town. Now my car's in the second group (2177) and has been sitting in Midlothian for a while now gathering dust waiting on a transport.

So I call up my original salesman and say look, here's the deal - there's another 8 across town that's spec'd almost exactly the way I want it and I want to know where my car is. First response is: "what are you doing talking to them?" Like it's morally objectionable to consider my options. "um, no mr.salesman, when preordered a car that I'd never sat in / driven; that was forsaking all others, both mazda and non-mazda vehicles..." So I explain that my car has been sold for 3 weeks now and I'm getting tired of arranging transportation everywhere I go, so it's only prudent of me to look at my options. Telling him also, that I've test-driven all the other options under the sun.

Then I get, "well that's not fair. Just because the truck stopped first at their dealership, you can't back out on us." So I repeat initial question: "so where IS my car?" And of course I get, "well you know better than me." After pressing more, I suggest that he ask his salesmanager and find out for sure where it is and when it will be here. At first he ignored me, and then we get to "well you know your deposit is non-refundable, right."

That was it, I kinda went off on him, first with the "when I made this agreement with you in March, and signed a tenative agreement, the deal was contingent on the test-drive and delivery of the vehicle - if it wasn't everything I wanted it to be, I could walk." So he counters, "well, that was only until the vehicle was built. You ordered this car to your specifications and now your deposit is non-refundable!" And on top of that, he says that paper is non-binding and it's only tenative - to which I agree. Then he tries to explain how my deposit ties me to the dealer, and that's what it's there for. I tell him that it's the other way around - my token to keep him from selling it out from under me. I said "the paper can't bind me to your dealership anymore than you're forced to sell that car to me." I asked him what he would do if someone offered him 10K over MSRP on my car, and he said that it wouldn't matter; he of course wouldn't sell it. Right.

Mind you this whole time, he's interjecting things into the conversation, trying to make me feel guilty about going across town, how it's a non-refundable deposit if I wanted to back out only to buy another 8 at a different dealer, and how it's not fair that the other dealership got theirs first. Boo Hoo. I'm sure if I wanted to buy an IS300, everything would be refundable... As for him trying to make me feel guilty, I explained that I was trying my best to honor our verbal deal and do business with his dealership - otherwise I would have cancelled my check and been signing papers across town without any phone call.

So back and forth for a while along these lines, and I say "look, just give me some reason to stay with your dealership, some token discount or something along those lines, so I can tell myself there's a reason to wait for you." He offered a loaner car until mine came in - which was a nice gesture, but I live in Houston, the dealer's in Austin. So I said that's a good offer, but it won't work for us in this situation. Try again. So he said he'd check on the status of my car and talk to his manager and call me back.

I said that's great, but before you hang up with me, I want you to UNDERSTAND that if I don't like this car for whatever reason, my deposit is fully refundable based on what I think. He said something along the lines of "I guess if you screamed loud enough, you could get your money back" and then he went to go talk to his manager.

In the end, he offered me an allocation black 8 that was spec'd out the way I wanted it that should arrive tomorrow. Why he couldn't offer that up front, I have no idea. That essentially solved our problem, and now I have to decide what to do - red or black?

It just gets me how it always has to be a battle, and the first tactic is to strong-arm me into buying because I'd lose my refundable deposit. I swear when I initially made the deal, I must have said "refundable" about 10 times... Geez...

I just want to get my car and be done with this - but not bad enough that I'm going to be forced into anything. All I wanted to really know was where my car was, and when would it get there.

So what do yall think?

javahut

I agree with you 100%. I can't believe everyone who preordered with options are now having to wait an unknown length of time to get their car, while many who ordered months later are out driving their's right now. And on top of that, the dealers are getting cars that were not ordered by anyone, before the preordered cars are being released. Blatantly stinks big time!

Now I'm at the point, I don't wanna test drive another car besides the one I ordered, and I don't wanna sit around and BS with the dealer about how great the car is. I just wanna get to the dealer, get the car I ordered and leave as quick as possible. I'm now regretting I'm gonna have a new car I have to take to the dealer for servicing... I'd just as soon not see them again until it's time to buy another car.

I'm disgusted & dissapointed with Mazda for releasing cars ordered months after mine, and even cars that were not ordered by anyone, before they satisfied their preorder customers. Whether the car has options or not should not make any friggin' difference, especially since mine's been sittin' at the Midlothian port since about 6/26. 2 1/2 weeks is plenty of time to get options installed and get them ready to be trucked out. And if it wasn't, they shoulda had the guys who were loading the trucks with the unoptioned and unordered cars out installing the options on the first preorders.

I'm just hopin' that the thrill of actually taking possesion of and driving the car is gonna be enough to make me forget about the disgust I feel for Mazda right now.

budaman

Amen Javahut! multiply times 12 and you'll know how I feel about this whole thing. I don't even want to show the 3 we got in because I don't feel we should have them before our preorder cars. I would like an answer as to what's holding them up, but can't seem to get that. This was supposed to be fun and relatively painless,not stress and torture!

RXhusker

Attention MAZDA Corp lurkers -- would you read some of these comments and response to someone -- for heaven's sake one of your dealer's is saying he can't get an answer -- WAKE UP and do something! Everbody knows communication is the key -- why won't you give some information -- even if you have to secretly relay it through Fubes or Budaman.

I pre-ordered online the minute it was available and was waiting for my dealership to open that morning to confirm my pre-order. Here I sit with no car yet and after calls to Mazda still no answer on when I can expect it to arrive. My Mazda accessories arrived today and I could track them online right to my door and your telling me that nobody can find out where my 32k car is! Now I sit here fully expecting my car to arrive the last week in July -- of course while I am on vacation in Colorado and not enjoying myself because my car is being ogled, messed with and who knows what at the dealership.

I am trying to be patient, but like Boozehound I sold my car over a week ago. Jeez, I thought I was safe getting rid of the car weeks after my RX arrived on US soil.

Now dealers are getting allocated vehicles BEFORE our pre-order cars arrive -- that is a slap in the face to all of us who put our faith in Mazda and ordered a car sight unseen. If I see an RX-8 out on the road before mine arrives I think I will lose it completely. If this is all about port installed options then somebody better explain what the port installers were doing for 3 weeks while the cars sat at the port waiting Mazda's mysterious release.

RX-8 Zoomster

Here's my opinion, and don't take offense if what I said differs in what you believe or want to hear.

I'm partially on the dealer's side on this. I don't think you should blame the dealership for you car not being there. Blame them for maybe being ignorant of the status, (many dealerships have some imcompetance) but don't blame them because Mazda ended up sending the allocated cars before the pre-orders. I know that doesn't sound fair, but sometime life is not - just accept that it happened here also. I'm in the same situation - ordered 1/20, still waiting, although my car is "in-transit".

I think he has some reason to be pissed that you are looking across town because of something out of his control. I wouldn't blame HIM. That's just me and my Godly nature. I give everyone the benefit.

You have two options (if you stay with this dealer):
1) accept the dealer's "good-will" offer of the black allocated car tomorrow, or
2) patiently wait for your red pre-order, and try not to bitch because this is the option you decided.

In the end - get the car you really want. You'll have to live with you decision for a long time. If it is the black - accept his offer and pick it up tomorrow, or wait for your red pre-order.

One thing I don't understand is why you can't take the dealer up on the offer of a loaner because you live in Houston, and not Austin? Why doesn't it work out for you, or are you just saying that because you are just trying to be difficult? If there is some reason why it doesn't work out, give us more details why.

I know you are frustrated but it's not worth stressing over it. There are more important things in life.

Good luck in whatever decision you make.

khoney

Don't feel so bad, mine's been sitting right there with yours, and I have NO port-installed options.

khoney

I think that's what really irks me - when the dealer calls to tell me he's got an allocation unit for me to look at, but my JANUARY 8th pre-order WITH NO ACCESSORIES is still sitting in Midlothian!

Am I supposed to feel good about that?

Edge

"The only fare in life is what you pay to get on the bus."

That said, I think you have every right to be maximally pissed about your dealer. It took way too much effort to get a simple answer to the question of where is my car and when will it arrive. He could have at least looked it up and provided everything the dealer could pull, immediately and every time you asked. If you knew the same or better, fine, at least he was doing his best to take care of you.

At the same time, don't allow a week or month glitch push you into getting something you have to live with for a long time. Make a decision about what you want, not when you want and get it.

Stress is a funny thing. Everyone here is stressed with the order/ purchase / wait for a new car. Look at how you're acting and see if it's the way you want to react or allow others to make you react. If it's not, change it.

Personally I think I'd be mad enough to take my business elsewhere. Although the loaner is a pretty good offer. Wish I had that offer.

Superfan

I sold my car 3 months ago. I didn't think it would sell as fast as it did. I don't blame Mazda for the hold up. I'm sure they want my 32k as much as I want the car. I think it's just some BS with the ports. Remember guys, Mazda has been delivering cars in the states for quite some time. I just wish I would have had ordered the car with no options and had the dealer install them.

zoom44

hey take it for what it is worth but my dealership told me today that even though my car is at port of tacoma since this past friday it could be 2-2 1/2 weeks before it gets to the dealership because i am only getting the cd changer and the ones with the appearance package and spoilers are getting done first. #1 thing to remember is for the most part don't believe what the sales people tell you(unless it is buda and ibfubar!) and even if it is the sales manager or the owner be suspicious unless he has some kind of evidence to show you he is speaking the absolute truth as he knows it.

Edge

It's not the port options, everything from a totally maxed out to the most vanilla has been delivered. Until Mazda actually tells us the real story we don't know what the heck is going on beyond randomness of delivery, churn in order from factory lines to ship to dock to train to truck, etc.

8_wannabe

Boozehound, take a bus or plane to Austin and make them pick you up at the terminal. Whatever you pay for fare you will make up for not having to rent/beg/borrow wheels as you are now without car. You should have no misgivings about doing this and it sounds like a great deal. I'd bet many of us wish we had such an offer.

Your final resolution, namely getting a car from allocation, goes to the heart of the matter. Why was that not one of the first things out of his mouth? I would guess because he considers you a "sell", his commission "in the bag" so why should he expend any more effort on you? Keeping you away from the allocation car gives him the opportunity for a second sale. Giving you the allocation car means one of his competing salemen may end up with the commission he had previously earned. Don't forget he has competing loyalties: To his commission, and to you. Most reputable sales staff can keep these competing loyalties in check and do the right thing. Your guy obviously cannot. Based on stories like yours, I had my saleman write "Refundable deposit" on my sales slip. She took offense like I was questioning her integrity, but I just kept thinking the sales staff that is soooo nice while you write out a deposit ain't so pleasant when things go sour. Sorry it ended up so hard for you.

Boozehound

Zoomster- Don't take my comments to mean I'm upset with my dealer because my car isn't there. I get irritated with him because he hasn't EVER been able to tell me where the car is, what the VIN was, and so on. That's just irritation - what makes me mad is the BS he pulled with the refundable/non-refundable deposit business. There were three things I made implicitly clear when I preordered. 1) the deposit is refundable and I can refuse delivery at any time. 2) No front license plate frame holder placed on the car. 3) No dealer decals, emblems, etc.

Sure it's not his fault or the dealers that he didnt get his on time. But other than my own personal reasons, why am I tied to this dealer at this price? It's a refundable deposit. If someone offered me a better deal (below MSRP for example), that's enough for me to drop a preorder and pick up an allocated car. Plenty of people preorder more than one car (not necessicarily both 8s) just to have the opportunity to comparison shop and buy at the right time. That's why I put down a deposit and played this game - because I wanted the opportunity to have options a couple of months down the line when I knew I'd be really serious about buying a car. It was putting down 500 (refundable) to hold a spot for me if I wanted to play the game and choose the 8 over the competition. Wouldn't it suck to drive everything out there, get ready to buy and have the 8 debut within your price range, drive like you want, and in the end you're either relegated to a long wait, or the 8 is simply not an option. I paid, I'm playing.

EPILOGUE - I have to say that the loaner was a really nice gesture, and the black 8 did answer the question to rebuff the other alternative. In the end, it was moot after I saw a black 8 today with two tone interior, and I decided to wait it out for red and monochrome black interior.

As for the problem inherient with picking up a loaner, Houston is 3 hours away from Austin, and I'd have to have someone else take me there in the middle of the week, right after work, to eek in the door and pick up a car that I promptly have to drive back to Houston so I can make it to work the next day. Not so easy.

Thanks everyone for the opinions - I just wanted to feel out what everyone else thought and see if I was off base and see what other experiences you guys were having along the way. When its all said and done in at least a month, it wont matter - my service will come from another dealership and I'll have what I want. What I'm looking for is not getting taken to the cleaners or being treated like a teenager. Buying my first new car (for 35K mind you - which isnt pocket change to me), I hoped things would work like a swiss watch.

It's not easy letting that kind of coin go, but in the end its just me and the car for quite a while - especially if the 83 sitting in the driveway is any indication...

Boozehound

I'll head this one off early.

No, the 83 isnt' transportation. That car needs work before I can even drive it out of the neighborhood - maybe fix a freon leak, new rear axle housing, inspection and so on.... it is 20 years old.

RX8-U-UP

The one thing everyone has had in common during this entire process is the lack of credible information. MazdaUSA has failed to inform the dealerships, and the dealerships, in some instances, have failed to inform us.

I originally ordered through our local dealership. They found out that the car I ordered was not going to be available until the 3rd allocation. They also found that a car identical to the one I ordered was available at a dealership 50 miles away. The first dealership refunded my deposit so I could lock in the car of our choice. How many dealerships would sacrifice a sale for the satisfaction of the customer? Probably not many. Not only that, but I received a letter in yesterday's mail from the original dealership, congratulating me on receiving my RX-8 from the other dealership, saying that they hoped I could purchase from them in the future, and letting me know that I could always count on them for all of my servicing and warranty needs. They gave me the name of the service manager and asked me to set up an appointment with the manager to introduce me to the service staff and parts deparment staff. What an incredible feeling to know that this dealership put me first and profit/sales second! And, the original dealership that refunded my deposit, called me and asked me to drive the RX-8 to their dealership because they had not seen one. Not only did I take the car over there, I took one employee for a ride.

The new dealership called me everytime there was a change in status. When the car got delayed from July Week 1 to July Week 2, and they knew we had already passed on our car to our son, they placed us in a Mazda Tribute until the RX-8 arrived. Yes, we had to drive an hour and a half to pick up the Tribute, but it helped us out considerably.

Some dealerships are proactive and want to get the information to satisfy the customers, if the information is available. My gosh, Ibfubar and budaman got their information from their dealerships, and from going online and being proactive. They searched for information and found it. Let's be honest, many people are not willing to give up a game of solataire to try and locate information for a customer.

I know of one dealership that specifically placed the preorders in the second and third allocations. Why? Because these cars were sold, and they had deposits on them. This dealership wanted its first allocation of cars to be available to sit on the showroom floor. Why have my first cars come in and be picked up immediately when I can be the only dealership in the area with RX-8s in stock? One has become a demo, and will be available for the general public to view and test drive. How is that for putting the customer first? So basically they told the paying, guaranteed customer that you can wait, so I can benefit.

The fault can be placed on both sides, MazdaUSA and individual dealerships. I was lucky, and ended up with one of only 3 cars that got delivered to northwest Florida. But, I ended up with the exact car that I wanted. Whatever you decide to do, get the car that you want and can be happy with. You are spending a lot of money to possibly end up with your second choice.