Dealer factory order experience so far...should I be concerned?

[StaceyR]

I placed a deposit for a factory order on Tuesday with the understanding that they would let me know when the order was submitted to the factory by the dealer. 4 days later I contacted the salesman and...after a lengthy delay before getting back to me...was told by text (not even a call) "allocation hasn't opened according to my GM". Kindly, he offered to check again on Monday.

Could someone explain the dealer/factory order process to me and share their experience? Maybe I'm just being paranoid but this whole experience up to now has been odd. First they seemed very laid back about starting the process once we had agreed on the price. They didn't seem to have a set policy regarding the amount of the deposit, the receipt for the deposit, the even a form or statement listing the specifics of the deal.

They charged $1,000 to my credit card and gave me only the credit card receipt and offered me nothing else detailing the deal. I had to request something to acknowledge my deposit and purchase price. Should I have to ask for this? There was no mention of the deposit being non-refundable as a couple of other dealers had made clear. Is there a standard policy here or can I request my deposit back if I'm not happy with their handling of my order? I had almost as good deals offered at a couple of other local dealers on the table and a better deal at an out of state dealer but went with the best deal locally.

What are my options? Should I just take a "chill pill" and trust the dealer is doing their best on my behalf?

Please share your experience so I know what I SHOULD expect.

 

[johndvm]

My experience as well. Very strange in that no formal contract was signed. I got a copy of my check and that was that. Also no idea when the truck will present itself. One would of thought that the dealer would be happy to lock in a deal in writing but apparently not. The situation was worse at 2 GM dealers. No movement off MSRP and no guarantee on the price at delivery, crazy stuff.

 

[Wrecktal]

Same with mine but I had a VIN and status update within a week. $1k deposit and no contract just an otd price not including accessories or incentives. Those will be accounted for once I pick it up as incentives change all the time.

Sent from my LM-V450 using Tapatalk

 

[Kxlexus]

On the last Ram I ordered I made sure to get everything in writing. I sold my old truck and had no trade in. The order sheet listing all options and prices as well as the amount we agreed on was signed and dated by myself and the Sales Manager. It took 8 weeks for my truck to come in. When I went to pick it up the Sales Manager didn’t want to honor our deal and tried to raise the price by $4,300 even though the MSRP hadn’t changed since the truck was ordered. I wouldn’t budge and after a long heated argument, on my part, I went home with the truck at the price we agreed on when I ordered. This would not have been the case if I didn’t have everything documented.
You should have everything you agreed to spelled out and initialed prior to putting the deposit down. You need to go back to them ASAP and get them to do this or refund your deposit and order from a dealership that will.

 

[LincolnSixAlpha]

It's been a long time since I've ordered anything, vehicle wise. However, I suspect that the lackadaisical attitude is likely because the salesman/sales manager are not receiving any commission by this point and are simply focused on actual customers who are gonna put food on their tables today. However, based on the other member's comments, it may be a good idea for them to provide you with a complete sales sheet, or something to show your efforts as it sounds like that dealer was driven to rip him off. I've ordered in the past and have never had any dealers try to take advantage of me once the vehicle came in, but it never hurts to have documentation. Otherwise, a buddy of mine ordered a new jeep early last year and I believe the whole process was pretty much uneventful with the worst part simply being the 8-week wait.

 

[cbiery71]

Purchased a 2019 Limited a little over a year ago and had the dealer create a Purchase Agreement. lt listed all the options and price that you agreed upon. You never know if they would pull a bait and switch and try to give you a truck that has less options or model for that matter that was initially agreed upon. Good Luck!!

 

[TVANVA]

Wow, I think you have a right to be concerned. This makes you put a LOT of trust in your dealer.

I went through the order process (Koons) to get exactly what I wanted and no more. We did not sign a "formal contract", but at least I had good paperwork that I was confident that I could hold the dealer to. Everything was agreed on in writing up front including the final price of the truck, incentives that applied at the time of the order, the destination fee, the dealer "paperwork" fee, etc. What was not included were the unknowns like the exact delivery date, incentives at the time of delivery, add-ons that I controlled like extended warranty.

There is a potential here for the dealer to stick you with some surprises like jacked up paperwork fees, unwanted add ons like "paint sealant", etc.

It sounds like there is no clear understanding between you and the dealer over what happens to your deposit if the truck doesn't come exactly like you requested or you can't agree on the final OTD price.

Your call, but I'd try to get as much in writing as I could from that dealer before the truck arrives.

 

[cj7]

I placed a deposit for a factory order on Tuesday with the understanding that they would let me know when the order was submitted to the factory by the dealer. 4 days later I contacted the salesman and...after a lengthy delay before getting back to me...was told by text (not even a call) "allocation hasn't opened according to my GM". Kindly, he offered to check again on Monday.

Could someone explain the dealer/factory order process to me and share their experience? Maybe I'm just being paranoid but this whole experience up to now has been odd. First they seemed very laid back about starting the process once we had agreed on the price. They didn't seem to have a set policy regarding the amount of the deposit, the receipt for the deposit, the even a form or statement listing the specifics of the deal.

They charged $1,000 to my credit card and gave me only the credit card receipt and offered me nothing else detailing the deal. I had to request something to acknowledge my deposit and purchase price. Should I have to ask for this? There was no mention of the deposit being non-refundable as a couple of other dealers had made clear. Is there a standard policy here or can I request my deposit back if I'm not happy with their handling of my order? I had almost as good deals offered at a couple of other local dealers on the table and a better deal at an out of state dealer but went with the best deal locally.

What are my options? Should I just take a "chill pill" and trust the dealer is doing their best on my behalf?

Please share your experience so I know what I SHOULD expect.

I ordered this January, and the order was documented on three pages: a Configuration Preview, which was printed from their ordering system, and contained all the details of the ordered vehicle. When RAM's system accepted the order two days later, they emailed me a copy of the Priced Order Confirmation (POC), which looked just like the Configuration Preview, with a few more bits of info (like estimated ship date, VON, and later VIN, etc).

The second piece of paper was an Order/Deposit Confirmation, which was a dealer-developed sheet that had me sign in a couple of spots, confirming I understood what the $1000 deposit was for, that I was due at least 3k in factory incentives, that delivery could take from X to Y weeks or more, that if i canceled the order, they would keep my deposit until the ordered car was delivered and sold, etc.

The third was a draft deal sheet, which listed the MSRP, the negotiated price, the estimated taxes and tags, estimated incentives, deposit, and amount due. And I got a receipt for the credit card deposit.

For me, this was the first time I had purchased a car from the closest dealer, and these guys were a revelation. For you East Coast buyers, Ourisman CDJ RAM, Clarksville, MD, ask for Jacob, the manager responsible for ordering. He and the salesman John were outstanding. I've got a separate post on the work they did.

After this experience, if I didn't get document detailing what I "ordered", and then a Vehicle Order Number & POC within a couple days, I'd insist. If it still didn't show up after a week, I'd tell the dealer to cancel, dispute the credit card charge and order from someone else.