Emira Update from Lotus

[Graham Ridgway]

As I said before, I'm ok with it being hard to bring their car to market, the delays, not knowing when things will be there and stuff.  Things outside their control and difficult to do.  Even if they are having build/quality problems.  I don't expect them to broadcast that news.

But when they promise to call or communicate and don't do it that's customer service 101, simple just need to do it or get a lot of stick.

Mind you as part of the supply chain issues there's probably a global shortage of customer service.  It'll be on back order!!

[TomE]

They seem to have enough people in front line customer service to respond to calls, emails and webchats very promptly when people contact them.  The LCC people are all very helpful but often lack the necessary info to answer some questions or explain current status.  The root of the comms problems lies elsewhere in Lotus.

It's never a good sign when the stock response from any front line service team is to blame a different part of the organisation - the customer doesn't care about internal structures and just wants answers/info from the people they've been told to contact who represent the organisation.  In the case of LCC the response over many months has often been "we haven't been given that information by 'the factory'".

[Mctaff]

On 23/07/2022 at 00:30, ramjet said:

The difficulty doesn't matter.

We're talking about the company letting people know what is going on and that it will be worth their hard earned to wait and be patient.

I was of course joking about Graham seeming to have done rather an about turn during the progress of this thread!

 

 

3 hours ago, TomE said:

The LCC people are all very helpful but often lack the necessary info to answer some questions or explain current status. 

Lotus comms handbook on how to answer a query on delivery dates from customers….

Edited July 24, 2022 by Mctaff

[ramjet]

Ahh. Sorry, missed that subtlety. 

[Graham Ridgway]

So my u turn, as it were, is very specific.  It's really hard to bring a car to market right now and we recognise that. But if customer service says theyll ring you and they don't that's nonsense.  It's easy, not hard.  To deliver a consistent message is not hard.  So not doing it, is a bit rubbish.

[hml_xy]

Just got a call from my german dealer who told me that my car now has a VIN and that the build will start soon, dealer demonstrators arriving in a few weeks and my car right after. Mine is said to be the first from that dealer...

[Evotion]

We are soooooooooo close. Dare I let my excitement build again!

[hedgerley]

I do envy you chaps with the early orders and imminent delivery. The extended wait, the poor comms, the lack of information - all that will be forgotten I'm sure as you take your first drives.

Memories are short. For years Crossrail was an over budget, late and hugely inconvenient (to Londoners at least) overblown engineering project. I used it, as the Elizabeth Line that it now is, for the first time last week. My god what a marvel. Fast, smooth, comfortable, cool light, airy stations and corridors. Bearing in mind it was the hottest week of the year (of history?) it was frankly a delight to be down there! 

Crossrail? What was that, no idea........

Enjoy your cars, I for one am very envious.

[ramjet]

Me for two.

[Barrykearley]

Yet another one popping up for sale

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325283318517?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Cxux92i4Rbi&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=9JF8wddRTPC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[MJON]

That E Bay add opening description “Due to a change in circumstances” really winds me up. Just tell it as it is “Due to the fact I have a early delivery I’m looking to make a quick TWENTY GRAND 🤑.
 

 

[exeterjeep]

I could be true, cost of living/jobs/health/inflation..... ordered a 132 instead.

[Dobbin145]

Like many I too had a change of circumstances, in January I lost my job. However, I found having a deposit on a new Emira a great motivator to getting a new job rather than trying to make a quick buck. In the meantime I sold my Exige (earlier than planned) and my 2 year old i30N just in case I didn't secure a new job ASAP.

[MJON]

That eBay ad with the opening “due to a change in circumstances” should really read “due to me having an early delivery I’m looking to make a quick TWENTY GRAND profit 🤑 Just tell it as it is❗️

[Wake]

I mean to be fair, if someone offered me £20k over list for the car at the petrol station on the way home from collection, I think it would be a struggle to say no.

 

Granted it’s not the same thing as fishing for a sale. 

[Graham Ridgway]

As I may have said before, I am not bothered in the slightest about buying a thing at one price and selling it at a higher price.  I am usually in the minority view when it comes to cars/overs/flipping, but it really doesn't bother me at all!  I think it's often called capitalism!

[Denno]

Porsche owners have been taking the piss for years flipping cars for much more than £20k so fair play if these people get anywhere near £100k for an Emira.

[C8RKH]

Winkers the lot of them and I hope that  they get stung. If I wanted to associate with owners like that I'd be on a Porsche forum.

 

[Graham Ridgway]

But thats the whole point, they take the risk and get the reward or not.  I don't get the the hate.

Back on topic, has anyone got their 30 day notice of delivery yet and sorted out the payment for the car?  If not we are pretty much in September for first deliveries.

[simonb]

spec in the ad is worryingly vague; unless Lotus are cancelling flipped orders

I think he will struggle to sell without a delivery date

[KennyN]

11 hours ago, Denno said:

Porsche owners have been taking the piss for years flipping cars for much more than £20k

This is true to some extent, but the definition of owner is debatable.  In Porsche's case, it is a market created by the dealers...

The Dealer Principal decides which customer/mate/YouTuber gets a GT or RS allocation based on the number of Cayenne, Panamera, Taycan (all big ticket and hard to shift), or over list price used GT or RS models that have been purchased previously in order to feature on the DP's good list. They take delivery of a GT or RS model on the understanding that it is "theirs" for 6 months or so with limited miles.  It is then returned to the dealer where it is sold for over list and the previous "owner" reinvests their slice of the profit in the next model and the process repeats.  It's free motoring for those who are prepared to play the game, and highly profitable for the dealers who are team manager and referee when it comes to who's allowed to play.

FYI...I'm not bitter, it's a game that I refuse to play.

[TomE]

40 minutes ago, simonb said:

spec in the ad is worryingly vague; unless Lotus are cancelling flipped orders

I think he will struggle to sell without a delivery date

The ad has been taken down now, so either they've found a buyer or Lotus has tracked them down.

It was suggesting July build and August delivery, based on an update from Lotus in July.  That seems very unlikely.

 

9 hours ago, Graham Ridgway said:

Back on topic, has anyone got their 30 day notice of delivery yet and sorted out the payment for the car?  If not we are pretty much in September for first deliveries.

I've not been proactively contacted by Lotus but have been checking in with Customer Care every 1-2 weeks.  Last week they were saying the majority of first batch (around 120 cars) would be delivered in September, with a few possibly in late August.  I've not had my 30 day call yet and am not aware of any others - my deposit was April 2021 and I'm in the first 20-30.

Several customer cars have been built already but are awaiting a few missing parts before they can be completed.  Things like sun visors and exhaust finishers.

LDA cars were delivered and first session held last Saturday - cars had some cosmetic items missing but were otherwise production cars.

Dealer demo cars are being built and should be at UK dealers in mid August.

[Graham Ridgway]

Great news, then.  Looks like they are very close.  Must look and see if there is a thread with feedback from the LDA session.

[mg4lotus]

@TomE Congratulations on your LITP raffle win.

How much are Lotus paying their chief of communications and how much are they paying you. It seems to me you should be getting his wage as you are doing a lot better job.

[TomE]

1 hour ago, Graham Ridgway said:

Great news, then.  Looks like they are very close.  Must look and see if there is a thread with feedback from the LDA session.

Some feedback on one of the FB groups (posted by Ben Herrieven) and here:

https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/emira-test-drive-by-forum-member.1670/