Marusho
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LOADED LONGHORN ORDER - THE DEAL - updated at Day 127 - 10k ch limit reached!
THIS BLOG IS CONTINUED UNDER A SECOND POST, also under Members Trucks, begun Oct. 2, 2018
I want to share the numbers of my deal in hopes of helping others. There is no way of knowing what I will actually pay when my order arrives, but here is what my sales order says.
Today is June 22, 2018 and I placed my order for a Longhorn with nearly everything on May 10. Whenever it is built it could be the first one with eTorque and Ramboxes, because I placed the order 3 days after these options were able to be ordered. It was moved into "D1" status on June 16th (37 days). In case you aren't familiar with the status codes, "D1" means, well, "D1". I'm unable to find any list of codes on the WWW.
The truck is exactly like the ivory and brown prototype featured in many Ram promo materials.
My options include crew cab 144WB, 5.7L eTorque, two-tone ($750 - a bit confusing since it involves 2 options), sunroof, bed utility group, off-road group, trailer group, 33 gallon tank, advanced safety group, Level 1 equipment, air suspension, Rambox.
MSRP including destination = $68,880
(note: This was $100 less than "build & price", a good thing. The discrepancy was in the calculation of the Bed Utility Group when paired with Ramboxes.)
FWP ("Cost") = $63,010
HOLDBACK (HB) = $2017
MY COST = FWP - $2500 = $60,510, less any rebates which may be applicable at delivery.
PLUS $699 "processing" = $61209
FWP/Cost is roughly 9% less than MSRP, with no distinction between vehicle and options. Destination is removed from this calculation. In my case it was 8.73%.
Holdback is EXACTLY another 3%, thus the dealer's "cost", when HB included was $60812 or 88.27% (including destination of $1645).
I paid the minimum $1000 deposit on my credit card. The max payable by CC was $3000.
In my state, Virginia, I'll be paying a fine of $2643.05 plus a fine to the county of $104.06, plus title and tags at actual cost (no "documentation fee"). The real hurt comes when I have to pay Personal Property Tax of 5% blue book every year for eternity.
I was happy with the deal, which I made with Koons Jeep in northern Virginia. I had been in contact with other dealers in VA and MD, but most were unresponsive, being unwilling to communicate with me, despite my sending them my exact requirements. I sent 4 individuals at my preferred dealership a request to call me and for some reason they did not want my business. They all turned their hateful CMRS or Customer Resource Management (computer) System loose on me, which carpet-bombs you with silly messages, in lieu of personal contact. In the end I just gave up and drove to my nearest dealer, placed the order and was out in an hour. I have not looked at a 2019.
As an early-adopter I expect trouble, but I'm a retired computer programmer and am not fearful of debugging and alpha-testing this truck.
Hope these numbers help someone.
-------
Update July 4, 2018: It's been 55 days. I'm getting a better idea of why the truck may take a while to actually build: I can find no evidence that any Longhorns have been built with 1. white paint 2. eTorque or 3. Rambox . So I chose three options that are the most problemmatic. I'll continue to check each week.
I wish FCA had been able to maintain their online order-tracking system. It seems to me (as a retired computer systems analyst) that they would benefit by being able to fire a few customer service personnel; and would save the customers a lot of bother. At the very least (if you are reading this, FCA) they should remove the derelict tracking systems or update them to show that the feature is no longer available.
------
Updated July 6, 2018: I call Ram Customer Service each Friday. Today I was told that it is scheduled to be on the rails July 10. But I was also told that it is in D1 pre-build status, where it has languished for 20 days. Gosh I hope they don't intend to skip the "Buuild" and "Inspect" steps . . . . From reading others' experiences I am assuming that the July 10 date was just an old target date that will not be met, but hasn't been updated. More to come.
------
HOT FLASH!
I know I just edited my post but I received a $500 offer in the mail today, which could be of interest to others.
A while back I requested a brochure here: https://www.ramtrucks.com/gab.html
I received the brochure and apparently am now on a mailing list as a hot prospect. Today I got another brochure with a personalized $500 offer good on "most any" 2019 Ram purchased by August 31. It's not transferable and has no code on it I can share. It does say it can be combined with other offers. When I checked today there were no offers, at least in the northern VA area, and on Longhorns; so this is a welcome offer - IF it works. The point is, you should bet on the mailing list. Expired. So Sad.
-------
Updated July 13, 2018 Day 64: Per call to Ram CS, I'm in Day 28 of D1 status, and they allow 45 days in this status. We know they are now building eTorque and Rambox-equipped trucks, but there's no evidence that the Ivory or Ivory with "RV Match brown" paint schemes have been built.
-------
Updated July 20, 2018 Day 71: No change . . . .
-------
Updated July 27, 2018 Day 78: I feel like the man in every '60s sci-fi series who causes the menacing robot's brain to go up in smoke by posing an impossible logic problem. My order is at day 41 in status "D1" and even the Ram agent on the phone admitted something was wrong. I have apparently ordered a combination of features that Ram cannot build. At first I assumed the hangup was my specifying the mythical eTorque system, the elusive Rambox option or the never-seen ivory paint, but Ram has built trucks with each of these features. The Ram agent created a new case, and I should hear from them in (you guessed it) "3-5 business days".
------
Updated August 3, 2018 Day 85: I'm not being negative, simply sharing my experience. I'm at day 48 in D1 status. I had been given an escalated case and told to expect a call but no call came, so when I called on this day I said I wanted some actual information, not just that it's in D1. I was placed on hold while the question was being researched, but wasn't allowed to talk to an agent at a higher level. But I did get a clue with the response. I was told that trucks with Ramboxes were a low priority and that they were only making 10/week. I assume that by producing the more common configurations, more trucks can be produced. This is alarming for many reasons. The $500 voucher above expires August 31. At the moment there are generous cash back and financing incentives, and those expire Sept. 4. Interest rates have gone up once and will go up again soon, should I finance at my credit union. I placed my order only 3 days after Ramboxes became available, so with luck I could be one of the 10 they choose to build next week. To be cont.
-------
Updated August 10, 2018 Day 92 - POSSIBLE PROGRESS! I asked my salesman to inquire, he said he'd reach out to his guy at FCA, but never called me back. Today's weekly call to CS was promising. I reached an experienced agent. It was not possible for her to access the records with the VON, but was possible with the VIN or case number, She was able to see that the status had changed 1 day ago, but unable to see the new status. So it was in "D1" for 55 days. It's a lot to hope but perhaps it will be built soon. Thanks for the article added this week explaining that Rambox-equipped trucks are expected to be built starting the week of August 13.
-----
Updated August 17, 2018 Day 99 - FALSE ALARM. . . .The Ram CS number 866-726-4636 was misbehaving and my first 3 conversations with agents were disconnected. My advice: If the voice volume of your agent is low, say goodbye and call back. On my 4th attempt I had good volume and had a long and clear conversation. Since I had been told last week that my status had changed out of D1 on August 9, I was hopeful, but alas, it is yet in D1, and this is Day 63 in that status. The ship date has not been updated from July 10. So for the 2nd time the agent volunteered to escalate the issue to a "case manager", but the last time this
was done, there was no result and I wasn't contacted. Perhaps when I call on August 24 there will be news.
-----
Updated August 24, 2018 Day 106 - This is Day 69 in D1 status. There is no movement and no information. We know Ram now knows how to manufacture the eTorque system, the Rambox option and the sunroof. I am wondering if the two-tone RV Match option could be a problem. There is no way for me to search this forum to see if any trucks with that scheme have been reported, because one cannot search on "RV" (too short) and a search on "Match" yields hundreds of false leads about price matching, etc. HAVE YOU HEARD OF AN RV MATCH TRUCK BEING BUILT? I'm grasping at straws trying to figure out why Ram refuses to build my truck. Ram cannot claim that they are refusing to build it because it would be ugly, as this is the same model they used in promo videos and photos.
------
Updated August 30, 2018 Day 112 - This is Day 75 in D1 status. I'm calling today's Ram agent "Gertrude", because she didn't identify herself. No movement. Most incentives expire August 30, Sept. 1 or Sept. 4. I hope they replace these with others at least as good for the fall, in case my truck is built. It's reassuring to see so many other virtual trucks in the Rambox spreadsheet; makes me think my order has not fallen through the cracks.
-----
Updated Sept. 7, 2018 Day 120 - This is Day 83 in D1 status. Again I am promised that someone in the know will look into this tragedy.
-----
Updated Sept. 14, 2018 Day 127 - This is Day 90 in D1 status. No movement. No response from my letter to office of Jim Morrison they received Sept. 10.
THIS BLOG IS CONTINUED UNDER A SECOND POST, also under Members Trucks, begun Oct. 2, 2018
I want to share the numbers of my deal in hopes of helping others. There is no way of knowing what I will actually pay when my order arrives, but here is what my sales order says.
Today is June 22, 2018 and I placed my order for a Longhorn with nearly everything on May 10. Whenever it is built it could be the first one with eTorque and Ramboxes, because I placed the order 3 days after these options were able to be ordered. It was moved into "D1" status on June 16th (37 days). In case you aren't familiar with the status codes, "D1" means, well, "D1". I'm unable to find any list of codes on the WWW.
The truck is exactly like the ivory and brown prototype featured in many Ram promo materials.
My options include crew cab 144WB, 5.7L eTorque, two-tone ($750 - a bit confusing since it involves 2 options), sunroof, bed utility group, off-road group, trailer group, 33 gallon tank, advanced safety group, Level 1 equipment, air suspension, Rambox.
MSRP including destination = $68,880
(note: This was $100 less than "build & price", a good thing. The discrepancy was in the calculation of the Bed Utility Group when paired with Ramboxes.)
FWP ("Cost") = $63,010
HOLDBACK (HB) = $2017
MY COST = FWP - $2500 = $60,510, less any rebates which may be applicable at delivery.
PLUS $699 "processing" = $61209
FWP/Cost is roughly 9% less than MSRP, with no distinction between vehicle and options. Destination is removed from this calculation. In my case it was 8.73%.
Holdback is EXACTLY another 3%, thus the dealer's "cost", when HB included was $60812 or 88.27% (including destination of $1645).
I paid the minimum $1000 deposit on my credit card. The max payable by CC was $3000.
In my state, Virginia, I'll be paying a fine of $2643.05 plus a fine to the county of $104.06, plus title and tags at actual cost (no "documentation fee"). The real hurt comes when I have to pay Personal Property Tax of 5% blue book every year for eternity.
I was happy with the deal, which I made with Koons Jeep in northern Virginia. I had been in contact with other dealers in VA and MD, but most were unresponsive, being unwilling to communicate with me, despite my sending them my exact requirements. I sent 4 individuals at my preferred dealership a request to call me and for some reason they did not want my business. They all turned their hateful CMRS or Customer Resource Management (computer) System loose on me, which carpet-bombs you with silly messages, in lieu of personal contact. In the end I just gave up and drove to my nearest dealer, placed the order and was out in an hour. I have not looked at a 2019.
As an early-adopter I expect trouble, but I'm a retired computer programmer and am not fearful of debugging and alpha-testing this truck.
Hope these numbers help someone.
-------
Update July 4, 2018: It's been 55 days. I'm getting a better idea of why the truck may take a while to actually build: I can find no evidence that any Longhorns have been built with 1. white paint 2. eTorque or 3. Rambox . So I chose three options that are the most problemmatic. I'll continue to check each week.
I wish FCA had been able to maintain their online order-tracking system. It seems to me (as a retired computer systems analyst) that they would benefit by being able to fire a few customer service personnel; and would save the customers a lot of bother. At the very least (if you are reading this, FCA) they should remove the derelict tracking systems or update them to show that the feature is no longer available.
------
Updated July 6, 2018: I call Ram Customer Service each Friday. Today I was told that it is scheduled to be on the rails July 10. But I was also told that it is in D1 pre-build status, where it has languished for 20 days. Gosh I hope they don't intend to skip the "Buuild" and "Inspect" steps . . . . From reading others' experiences I am assuming that the July 10 date was just an old target date that will not be met, but hasn't been updated. More to come.
------
HOT FLASH!
I know I just edited my post but I received a $500 offer in the mail today, which could be of interest to others.
A while back I requested a brochure here: https://www.ramtrucks.com/gab.html
I received the brochure and apparently am now on a mailing list as a hot prospect. Today I got another brochure with a personalized $500 offer good on "most any" 2019 Ram purchased by August 31. It's not transferable and has no code on it I can share. It does say it can be combined with other offers. When I checked today there were no offers, at least in the northern VA area, and on Longhorns; so this is a welcome offer - IF it works. The point is, you should bet on the mailing list. Expired. So Sad.
-------
Updated July 13, 2018 Day 64: Per call to Ram CS, I'm in Day 28 of D1 status, and they allow 45 days in this status. We know they are now building eTorque and Rambox-equipped trucks, but there's no evidence that the Ivory or Ivory with "RV Match brown" paint schemes have been built.
-------
Updated July 20, 2018 Day 71: No change . . . .
-------
Updated July 27, 2018 Day 78: I feel like the man in every '60s sci-fi series who causes the menacing robot's brain to go up in smoke by posing an impossible logic problem. My order is at day 41 in status "D1" and even the Ram agent on the phone admitted something was wrong. I have apparently ordered a combination of features that Ram cannot build. At first I assumed the hangup was my specifying the mythical eTorque system, the elusive Rambox option or the never-seen ivory paint, but Ram has built trucks with each of these features. The Ram agent created a new case, and I should hear from them in (you guessed it) "3-5 business days".
------
Updated August 3, 2018 Day 85: I'm not being negative, simply sharing my experience. I'm at day 48 in D1 status. I had been given an escalated case and told to expect a call but no call came, so when I called on this day I said I wanted some actual information, not just that it's in D1. I was placed on hold while the question was being researched, but wasn't allowed to talk to an agent at a higher level. But I did get a clue with the response. I was told that trucks with Ramboxes were a low priority and that they were only making 10/week. I assume that by producing the more common configurations, more trucks can be produced. This is alarming for many reasons. The $500 voucher above expires August 31. At the moment there are generous cash back and financing incentives, and those expire Sept. 4. Interest rates have gone up once and will go up again soon, should I finance at my credit union. I placed my order only 3 days after Ramboxes became available, so with luck I could be one of the 10 they choose to build next week. To be cont.
-------
Updated August 10, 2018 Day 92 - POSSIBLE PROGRESS! I asked my salesman to inquire, he said he'd reach out to his guy at FCA, but never called me back. Today's weekly call to CS was promising. I reached an experienced agent. It was not possible for her to access the records with the VON, but was possible with the VIN or case number, She was able to see that the status had changed 1 day ago, but unable to see the new status. So it was in "D1" for 55 days. It's a lot to hope but perhaps it will be built soon. Thanks for the article added this week explaining that Rambox-equipped trucks are expected to be built starting the week of August 13.
-----
Updated August 17, 2018 Day 99 - FALSE ALARM. . . .The Ram CS number 866-726-4636 was misbehaving and my first 3 conversations with agents were disconnected. My advice: If the voice volume of your agent is low, say goodbye and call back. On my 4th attempt I had good volume and had a long and clear conversation. Since I had been told last week that my status had changed out of D1 on August 9, I was hopeful, but alas, it is yet in D1, and this is Day 63 in that status. The ship date has not been updated from July 10. So for the 2nd time the agent volunteered to escalate the issue to a "case manager", but the last time this
was done, there was no result and I wasn't contacted. Perhaps when I call on August 24 there will be news.
-----
Updated August 24, 2018 Day 106 - This is Day 69 in D1 status. There is no movement and no information. We know Ram now knows how to manufacture the eTorque system, the Rambox option and the sunroof. I am wondering if the two-tone RV Match option could be a problem. There is no way for me to search this forum to see if any trucks with that scheme have been reported, because one cannot search on "RV" (too short) and a search on "Match" yields hundreds of false leads about price matching, etc. HAVE YOU HEARD OF AN RV MATCH TRUCK BEING BUILT? I'm grasping at straws trying to figure out why Ram refuses to build my truck. Ram cannot claim that they are refusing to build it because it would be ugly, as this is the same model they used in promo videos and photos.
------
Updated August 30, 2018 Day 112 - This is Day 75 in D1 status. I'm calling today's Ram agent "Gertrude", because she didn't identify herself. No movement. Most incentives expire August 30, Sept. 1 or Sept. 4. I hope they replace these with others at least as good for the fall, in case my truck is built. It's reassuring to see so many other virtual trucks in the Rambox spreadsheet; makes me think my order has not fallen through the cracks.
-----
Updated Sept. 7, 2018 Day 120 - This is Day 83 in D1 status. Again I am promised that someone in the know will look into this tragedy.
-----
Updated Sept. 14, 2018 Day 127 - This is Day 90 in D1 status. No movement. No response from my letter to office of Jim Morrison they received Sept. 10.
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