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Harleyduo

What do you suppose the delay on dealer announcements?

30 posts in this topic

Preliminary indications are that U.S. Smart dealers will be ready to go on January 2nd. So, if December 1st is just a few days away, what do you suppose the big hold up is all about? Obviously, they cannot be waiting for all their dealerships to have their storefronts done, since some have barely started and have announced they won't be ready until maybe the second quarter.It amazes me that I have watched a commercial by Brett Favre for a Wisconsin dealership, already, but there's been NO OFFICIAL word online from the Penske group. Surely they are not going to make the big announcement of their 'authorized' dealers and then start delivering cars the same day, or do you think that's the plan?I've never quite seen a new product roll out go like this one has gone so far. I keep thinking January or February will bring the delivery of my new vehicle, but then I still don't even know for sure when I'll be able to set foot in the door.Odd?

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Yeah it's weird, just as the apparent holdback of the Canadian cars (650+ of them) is at Roger's behest (I do find that one hard to believe).The 2004 launch in Canada was a bit of a mess and the same seems to be applying to the US launch.

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Yet, three years later, is it not possible to walk into the showroom there and buy an '07 right now?That's probably why I'LL end up waiting a couple of years (again) for mine.It'll give things a chance to slow down, get some bugs worked out, fix a couple of "new model glitches" and order exactly what I want on my own timeline...That and the fact that I still believe that there will probably be a few better options in powerplants then...I suspect that I am not alone...

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I'm wondering if they'll make it official at the last Smart USA Street Tour, which will be at Washington D.C. from the 7-9th of December. :dunno: Just a thought.-Tom L.

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OMG! OMG! OMG! Brett Favre and the smart car in the same video..... What more could a WI girl ask for! Bergstrom is the dealership where my baby will arrive....I am so excited :) I should be getting that email soon 4/20 reservation date! :clapping:

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It's probably so they've got one more big thing to announce at the Detroit auto show in January.

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OMG! OMG! OMG! Brett Favre and the smart car in the same video..... What more could a WI girl ask for!

<Snicker>... someone please get a copy of this for me, too :smitten:

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I've never quite seen a new product roll out go like this one has gone so far. I keep thinking January or February will bring the delivery of my new vehicle, but then I still don't even know for sure when I'll be able to set foot in the door.Odd?

HD:Not only can you not set foot in the door , you can't even drive into the driveway of Smart's key dealership and "USA HQ" In Bloomfield. There are huge piles of dirt blocking everything. The Smart Center looks no further finished than it did two weeks ago. :tremble: Bodes ill for our "Jan tooth " deliverys.A2jack

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I spoke to the MINI dealership here in So Cal. They are still finishing up the Smart Center. Actually, they are hiring pple for the Smart Center as well.

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I've read some conjectures that they might be waiting until the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to kick off the big announcement for the Smart cars, or announce their list of dealerships. However, what sense would it make to try to build up any more 'enthusiasm' at this point when it's almosts certain that they have already oversold their first year's allotment?Supposedly the employees have gone off to training and RETURNED, store fronts are being prepared, and the enthusiasm is high. It would seem that the time has come to CASH in on the excitement. I was impressed with how many dollars have been collected for 30,000 deposits, and realize that even if they were to require a $500 deposit to firm up the deal, it would be five times the amount. The interest earned off that amount in itself could help offset the declining dollar's value, AND make lots of customers deliriously happy at the same time and give some idle salespeople some 'practice' before the big rush.Here's hoping for a December first kick-off at least at some of the dealerships, even if cars don't get actually delivered until January. Wishful thinking never hurt.

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It would serve smart well to curtail production of EU spec cars until the US reservations are are satisfied otherwise they'd be off to a miserable start. Any inventory that was reserved but not sold would be snatched up anyway. If production is below the magical 30K reservation number many of us would not be happy if reserved but unclaimed cars were sold retail to anyone off the street but serious reservation holders were told that they'd have to wait another 6 months to a year for their order. Let's hope smart USA reads this forum. I have yet to receive a reply to a question concerning enough supply for the reservations. Could it be smart is keeping their cards close or are they already in serious crisis control? My 2 cents.

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smart has said for months that they will not discuss publically their final sales projections - for a lot of reasons. I would not expect an official comment on that question.

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Thanks for the reply. Makes sense in many ways but does seem to leave the consumer hanging. Even the slightest remark from the company would be appreciated one way or the other. I'm one of the people who will be making this car my primary form of transportation and not some toy I'm going to pull out of the garage every now and then. I will only wait so long before I spend my money somewhere else. They'll have until June to hook me up as my current ride is a bit long in the tooth and needs to go away with what resale value I can hope for. I assume I'm not alone in this situation. Hopefully the Detroit show will bring answers to many of our questions._____SMART FORTWO RESERVATION # 9515611173 ______

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On the US smart car forum, a dealer or dealer rep. just posted and his comment may provide some 'clue' to those of us wondering when we are going to be hearing anything official. His comment was: "Hope to see everyone again in January at the product launch!! "Now, I may be reading way too much into this statement, but I'm thinking smart is planning on waiting until January for the big 'rollout' or 'launch'. Sigh...I certainly hope we hear some little tidbit before that time. I liked it much better when the rumor was that dealerships might start opening and receiving cars in December with deliveries to begin in January.Oh, isn't it sad how we all are reduced to trying to read between the lines of even the most 'innocent' of statements, when a little forthcoming on the parent company's part would make us all be much more secure and informed?

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We can only hope. I just need to take a deep breath and let it happen. I trust Roger Penske and the people he surrounds himself with.I've been involved in auto racing to some extent and his rep is stellar. Definitely one reason why MB jumped at the idea of working with him again on this project. Their racing history together was a good one. ................inhale.................exhale..............inhale..............

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Ah, such angst! Didn't smartUSA say there would be an announcement about the dealers in December? Is it December yet? They may want to make the announcement of their US dealers on December 31st. That would still make it December!

I, for one, will be patient and wait. SmartUSA has not promised anything that they have not delivered. Even though I feel like the kid waiting for Christmas morning, I'll wait.

Don't worry so much! You'll just make yourself old! :glum:

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Ah, such angst! Didn't smartUSA say there would be an announcement about the dealers in December? Is it December yet? They may want to make the announcement of their US dealers on December 31st. That would still make it December!

I, for one, will be patient and wait. SmartUSA has not promised anything that they have not delivered. Even though I feel like the kid waiting for Christmas morning, I'll wait.

Don't worry so much! You'll just make yourself old! :glum:

December? Hmm... here's what my confirmation letter said back in March:

********************************************************************************

**********************

>> from Roger Penske

Dear Tom,

Thank you for reserving your 2008 smart fortwo. We appreciate your enthusiasm for this very special car that is functional, innovative, fun to drive, and simply puts a smile on your face!

We are currently building our dealership network in anticipation of the smart USA vehicle introduction targeted for the first quarter 2008. Your reservation information will be sent to the smart dealer designated for your area. During the second half of 2007, that dealer will contact you directly to formalize your order, work out the details of your purchase agreement and arrange for delivery. Please be sure to keep a copy of your official confirmation certificate with your reservation for reference. Should you have any questions, please call 1-800-smart-USA.

The smart USA team will continue to send you monthly updates on the smart fortwo, including information on vehicle features and accessories, the dealer network, and the US Road Show. Be sure to follow the tour map that we will post in late spring to our website. When the Road Show stops in your city, you will be invited to attend exclusive information sessions and test drives of the new fortwo. It will be an exciting chance to get up close and personal with the new fortwo.

Again, we appreciate your continued excitement for the smart fortwo. Please share the news about our Reservation Program with your family and friends so they also can be a part of this “smart” experience.

Sincerely,

Roger S. Penske

Chairman, smart USA

this message was sent by

smart USA

2555 Telegraph Rd.

Bloomfield, MI 48302

1.800.smartUSA

www.smartusa.com

Respond to this email if you wish to unsubscribe.

© 2007 smart USA. All rights reserved

********************************************************************************

***********************

Since it said I'd be contacted by my dealer during the second half of 2007, I was thinking before December. Although technically, December is still in the second half. I guess I was thinking somewhere around August - October since November/December have US Holidays and people might be making plans (Thanksgiving & Christmas), for trips.

I still think Smart USA will spring the offical dealerships during their Washington D.C. visit in December. :dunno:

I'm not concerned, just wish it wasn't down to the last month of the year. I'll be out of town for Christmas through the first week of January and I would hate to miss their call.

-Tom L.

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Today I had a delightful phone conversation with the Bergstrom smart car Dealership Manager (Milwaukee, WI). He called and left a message at both my home and work number yesterday to apologize for not responding to an email that got lost for a few days in their system. I called him today and we just chatted a bit about the progress of the building. I did not have any specific questions and he said he probably doesn't have any more info than what we share here. I did tell him about this board (he knew about the smartusa one but not this one).He said I could post his name - I asked if he was sure??? :) And he replied "yes" so I promised that we would not bombard him with too many questions as he has a dealership to finish.... His name is Ryan Lenfestey.He said that there will not be any "dealer markup" on the Berstrom smarts and that they are committed to their reputation and to building a customer focused smart dealership. Financing options will be available and that my smart purchase should not be any different than any other new car purchase. They will have lease otptions available as well.Based on my conversation with Ryan I am completely confident that my entire Bergstrom smart car purchase and relationship will be all I could hope it might be. :doublethumb:Still patiently awaiting THE email 4/20 reservation date,Amy

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Read about Zap's pending litigation here: http://wardsauto.com/ar/zap_court_lawsuit/I imagine a potential $500 million action could put a damper on things. aphoenix - can you shed some light on this?

Can't comment on pending litigation. But, the announcement of dealers has nothing to do with litigation. Setting up a dealership, especially for a new Make of vehicle, is a time consuming process. Announcements won't be out until all of the required paperwork for a specific dealer is completed, contracts are signed, regulatory requirements are met, etc. Unfortunately, the bureaucracy takes time. That being said, the first announcements should hopefully be coming soon.

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Can't comment on pending litigation. But, the announcement of dealers has nothing to do with litigation.

Thanks for the reply and the good news that this isn't going to hold up the announcements.

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Didn't ZAP sell the "Grey" 450 model Smarts in the U.S.? Was there ever an agreement with Mercedes Auto Group and ZAP? I thought Mercedes or Smart discouraged Grey dealers in the United States as they wouldn't (Smart/Mercedes), honor any warranty issues and that it would rest on ZAPS shoulders. At least from my "limited" understanding, it was a risky venture between ZAP as Smart/Mercedes was released from any liability issues because the cars were not designed for sale in the U.S. ZAP had to make them U.S. compliant.At least that was what I heard in the past.-Tom L.

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In my personal opinion ZAP is trying to do what it can to salvage it's smart business. At one point in time ZAP and it's 'grey' smarts were the only game in town and when smart fortwo comes in 2008 with a factory warranty and much lower pricing ZAP will not be able to compete. When maketing 'grey' cars it's a chance you have to take and ZAP will lose any litigation in my opinion. Daimler AG, Smart GmbH is not a competitor to ZAP. Unless ZAP has some kind of iron clad written non cancelable contract with the makers of smart I don't see that they have a leg to stand on. I went to ZAPs webpage searched 'fortwo' and the only think that came up was their lawsuit. Shows me how important smart fortwo is to ZAP. When I input 'smart' into the search I cam up with some more interesting results and some comments and statements that makes me wonder just how trustworthy ZAP is but it's my personal opinion so you may want to go over there and read the articles for yourself and see what you make of their lawsuit and if they have a leg to stand on.

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During the second half of 2007, that dealer will contact you directly to formalize your order, work out the details of your purchase agreement and arrange for delivery.

I'm pretty sure they scrapped that idea in favor of the online finalization process at mysmartfortwo.com. They realized that they would not be able to feasibly contact 30,000 people by phone in such a short period of time. The online process is cheaper and much more efficient.

One reason the probably don't want to let us in on every detail is we scrutinize everything they say. So they have to be careful in what they say. Obviously the made a mistake in saying that a dealer would contact us. They hadn't finalized their plans at the time and now that statement is contradictory to their online configuration plan.

I think smart is adhering to this rule: "It's better to say nothing and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."

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