Ordered a LX sedan - manual

owens · 23-08-2005, 03:24 PM

Hi Guys.

First post but I only just saw this forum.

I ordered a new Focus 6 weeks ago today... dealer still isn't telling me anything at all.

Anyway, the colour is titanium grey and I'm getting it tinted and paint protected at the dealer.

Can anyone recommend a course of action to find out more info about my car? Or should I just wait longer... 6 weeks and I've been pretty patient.

Cheers,
Owen.

EA2BA · 23-08-2005, 03:26 PM

Titanium grey seems to be very popular and causes a waiting dealy, but ring the dealer every day to hassle for a delivery date is what I would recommend

losfp · 23-08-2005, 03:30 PM

Yeah, I'm in a similar sort of position. Ordered 6 weeks ago, and got no updates at all on my original order (CL Sedan). Last week, I got my dealer to look at what else was available, and they were able to get me an LX Hatch with an ETA of 1st Sept. As of last Saturday, they still weren't able to give me an ETA on my original car.

I'd call your dealer up and insist on an ETA (or that they investigate alternatives for you, if you are willing to be a bit flexible with colour/shape/model etc.). They might not be able to get an ETA for you, if they can't get hold of one themselves, but they should be able to offer you SOMETHING.

It still seems odd to me that Ford are not shipping out certain types of cars, especially when people have ORDERED THEM!!! It's great that my dealer could get me that LX hatch that was already on a boat, but the question remains - why was THAT car loaded onto a boat, and not my original order?

owens · 23-08-2005, 03:36 PM

Thanks guys, I just phoned again and am waiting on a phone call back. I'll let you know what details I get.

Cheers,
Owen.

owens · 23-08-2005, 04:32 PM

So I just got told it would be the end of September. I am just getting them to see whether there are any other colours available, otherwise I guess it is just a matter of waiting.

losfp · 23-08-2005, 04:54 PM

Ouch! Sorry to hear that, I can definitely sympathise... I've been whinging on this forum for 6 weeks

Good luck, hopefully they can get something for you sooner.

owens · 23-08-2005, 04:58 PM

Well good news. The sales manager was able to get a jeans blue one which they'll take delivery of early next week, so by the end of the week the car should be ours.

It's amazing, 6 weeks dealing with the salesman and I get nowhere, then in half an hour with the manager I have hope again

Cheers,
Owen.

losfp · 23-08-2005, 05:01 PM

Sensational! Ours are probably on the same boat then

My dealer says they are expecting to receive our LX Hatch on Thurs 1st Sept.

owens · 23-08-2005, 05:05 PM

Actually it's at another dealer, so it's just coming from them. I'm pleased, and I hope you don't have any more trouble with yours.

Smoke Pursuit · 23-08-2005, 05:07 PM

Hmmm...

The date from when they arrive in the country and when your dealer will recieve them can be anywhere between 5 - 10 working days.

If they say they are landing in the country on the 1st of Sep dont expect to see it before the 10th in your driveway, once the dealer gets it and preps it.

I really don't know why more information isn't available to dealers, atleast with locally built models (eg. the BA) dealers know when they are going into build and roughly have an idea of when they will be delivered..

My dealer has a few going through but they all seem to be sold before they get to the showroom.

losfp · 23-08-2005, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShockWaveXR6na

The date from when they arrive in the country and when your dealer will recieve them can be anywhere between 5 - 10 working days.

If they say they are landing in the country on the 1st of Sep dont expect to see it before the 10th in your driveway, once the dealer gets it and preps it.

That's what I thought too, but I had it clarified when I went to sign the new paperwork. Apparently they are expecting the boat to dock sometime between the 22nd -24th, and the 1st is when they expect it at the dealership. Plus they said they would try to give it priority once it got there as we'd been waiting so long.

Smoke Pursuit · 23-08-2005, 06:40 PM

Yeh, PD can be done in one day providing there isnt any damage done to the car.

They are worth the wait, I drove mums today as my XR6 is in getting some warranty and paint repairs and its a very nice car...

WASP · 23-08-2005, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by owens

Well good news. The sales manager was able to get a jeans blue one which they'll take delivery of early next week, so by the end of the week the car should be ours.

It's amazing, 6 weeks dealing with the salesman and I get nowhere, then in half an hour with the manager I have hope again

Cheers,
Owen.

Can be a bit like that unfortunately. Not seen a jeans blue one, but thought the colour looked good. I've been told that I was quite lucky to get our titanium grey Zetec so fast (if you call 6 weeks or so fast

: ).

owens · 23-08-2005, 06:50 PM

I hope it's okay to paste this here:
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...ght=jeans+blue

That's called jeans blue in europe, and it looks similar to the little square in the brochure. I think it looks good.

Isn't it silly how they only had silver cars in the brochure!

WASP · 23-08-2005, 07:11 PM

Damn that's nice Owen. I really need to lower mine and get some 18"'s..lol

Smoke Pursuit · 23-08-2005, 07:32 PM

Looks like they are 19s.

Too bad ford didnt offer those sound systems on some of the aussie models, like the zetec ...

Martyvan · 23-08-2005, 10:27 PM

Wow, that Jeans blue doesnt look as dark as i thought it would..... Looks heaps good in the photos

rider007 · 23-08-2005, 10:32 PM

Here is a Jeans Blue Zetec in Australia

zetec · 24-08-2005, 12:40 AM

Here's some words from the President of Ford Australia, Tom Gorman about your Focus supply issues!!! Should help to clear up that ti's not the Dealers that are witholding the cars from you, it's genuine supply just not keeping up with demand unfortunately.

Taken from http://goauto.carsales.com.au/mellor...e?opendocument

SUPPLY bottlenecks in South Africa are
holding up deliveries of the Focus small car, as
Ford Australia president Tom Gorman admits
the company under-estimated demand for the
vehicle.
“We’re doing all the right things, it’s just a
matter now of getting cars out of South Africa and
that has a lot to do with the strength of demand
for the car in other markets,” he told GoAuto last
week.
“But we’re working closely with them to
increase their capacity and improve availability
to us.
“The demand is there but we still have to break
some of the supply bottlenecks with South Africa
as we go into the New Year.”
Mr Gorman ruled-out sourcing cars from
Europe to make up the difference.
“The problem with that is jerking our dealers back and forth,” he said. “If we were to go to
Europe and get supply, would you do that on a
temporary basis or a permanent basis? We want to
work with South Africa as a source and we have
very good plans going forward.”
Mr Gorman said the company did “undercall”
the rapid growth of the small-car segment to some
degree, contributed in part by rising fuel prices
and lower, more competitive prices.
“If we get to a point of doing 1300 or 1400
Focuses a month that’s not enough for us,” he
said. “We need to be aiming our targets quite a bit
higher than that.
“At the launch of Focus in this market I was
talking about a 30 or 40 per cent sales uplift,
which would be roughly 1300 or 1400 a month.
“I think we can do a lot more, not only because
it’s a great car but the segmentation is clearly
moving to small cars.”
Ford has notched up 1900 sales
since the new Focus went on sale in
June with a YTD total
of more than 5600.
It is viewing
with interest
H o l d e n ’ s
decision to
source Koreanbuilt
products
to replace the
European-sourced Barina light car and Polishbuilt
(previous generation) TS Astra, particularly
as the new Holdens should undercut Fiesta and
Focus by a signifi cant margin.
Mr Gorman said being effective in the lightcar
and small-car segments required a “costcompetitive”
approach but was unsure what
Holden’s manoeuvre would mean in terms of
quality or customer acceptance of the former
Daewoo (Kalos and Lacetti) products.
“I really can’t comment on that until it’s in the
marketplace. And I also don’t know where they’re
going to price things and what their cost-base will
be,” he said.
“But clearly a new competitor that has the
potential to have a low cost base and be more
aggressive in the market place is something I wish
we didn’t have to face.”
To offset Holden’s low-cost Korean rivals,
Ford plans to place greater emphasis on the Fiesta
and Focus’s German engineering heritage as a
point of difference.
When the Focus is more fi rmly entrenched,
the Broadmeadows-based company has a further
option of following Holden’s lead with the new
Astra in offering model variants such as a coupeconvertible.
Mr Gorman has also not ruled out a possible
diesel-engine Focus, or wagon and sports
models.

owens · 24-08-2005, 10:03 AM

Thanks for the pic rider, looks good

I"m aware that the dealers aren't being informed, I just got frustrated because my salesman wasn't calling me back or anything. I would phone and then wait for a call back which never came. This happened almost every week for 6 weeks.

Anyway, bring on next week

lincoln · 24-08-2005, 10:49 AM

I would never sign a purchase agreement without a confirmed deliery date. Last time I'll do that after the ST experience. (Sorry Matt). You just have to get it in writing before you sign anything. It has to go onto that contract, then you have recourse to pull out if you found a car in stock elsewhere, etc.

melbzetec · 24-08-2005, 12:12 PM

In fact, if you look at the fine print in the standard contract (at least in VIC) it technically allows the dealers to increase the price between order and delivery if the price from Ford increases.

whippet_zetec · 24-08-2005, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zetec

Mr Gorman has also not ruled out a possible
diesel-engine Focus, or wagon and sports
models.

I hope the Estate Foci comes out....will update the Missus car to one

Fast Eddie · 24-08-2005, 04:39 PM

I'd seriously consider the Estate. As it will ease the pain of dismantling my 'chair all the time.

cArSiK · 24-08-2005, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lincoln

I would never sign a purchase agreement without a confirmed deliery date. Last time I'll do that after the ST experience. (Sorry Matt). You just have to get it in writing before you sign anything. It has to go onto that contract, then you have recourse to pull out if you found a car in stock elsewhere, etc.

Your Sales Contract that you and the dealer sign will state that the dealer has 28 days after the estimated delivery date to get the car to you and will not be held responsible for any damages incured for you not having the car.. After this time i guess you could make a fuss and pull out , but good luck doing it before..

james

zetec · 25-08-2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lincoln

I would never sign a purchase agreement without a confirmed deliery date. Last time I'll do that after the ST experience. (Sorry Matt). You just have to get it in writing before you sign anything. It has to go onto that contract, then you have recourse to pull out if you found a car in stock elsewhere, etc.

I didn't enjoy that experience. The car we had for you had serious mechanical issues that were an easy fix but it had been shoved down the back of the Dealership and put on the back burner, sure enough as soon as we had an interest in it (you), they crapped themselves. We didn't tell you because we didn't want to worry you, it ended up getting fixed normally and has been faultless ever since according to the current owner (I sold it a month later). We had to get another car in because we couldn't fix the original in time, it killed me not being able to get that for you because I worked so damn hard to convince you into it!! ****ed me off that they dicked you around :SaiyanSmi We ended up trucking one of the last ones in the country up from Canberra hence the delay. That's one aspect of sales I'll never ever miss. I'm still glad we gave you a healthy car from day 1 though and would do it again knowingly, just wish I had been able to tell you.

:

lincoln · 25-08-2005, 06:23 PM

James, I remember studying the contract (NSW) and I'm pretty certain it was a certain number of days from the committed delivery date. So if you have no delivery date, you have no date to count from. I guess if you wanted to really press it, you could say without a date, it defaults to the signed date? I'm not a lawyer in the end.

Matt, it's alright mate, I wasn't having a go at you. Was just pointing out that it'd be very wise to have that ETA date filled in on the contract before signing. Just gives you an exit clause if it is required. I felt I was exposed a bit on that deal as a result of that date not being there. However, that the dealership knew they had a car with a significant fault and yet still commited to deliver that car to me in a short time frame really is a tad unethical. I'm not surprised that a car dealer did that. Again, I should've pushed for the date on the contract...

zetec · 25-08-2005, 06:37 PM

Yeah I know, I had no idea it was dead either until I said "Right let's get it PD'd and ready to go!!", was NOT happy when I found out I can assure you... just felt guilty I'd never given you a full explanation!!

lincoln · 25-08-2005, 07:08 PM

Yeah, thanks for explaining Matt. Probably more than I needed to know! But I know what questions to ask next time!

Teki04 · 25-08-2005, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zetec

I didn't enjoy that experience. The car we had for you had serious mechanical issues that were an easy fix but it had been shoved down the back of the Dealership and put on the back burner, sure enough as soon as we had an interest in it (you), they crapped themselves. We didn't tell you because we didn't want to worry you, it ended up getting fixed normally and has been faultless ever since according to the current owner (I sold it a month later). We had to get another car in because we couldn't fix the original in time, it killed me not being able to get that for you because I worked so damn hard to convince you into it!! ****ed me off that they dicked you around :SaiyanSmi We ended up trucking one of the last ones in the country up from Canberra hence the delay. That's one aspect of sales I'll never ever miss. I'm still glad we gave you a healthy car from day 1 though and would do it again knowingly, just wish I had been able to tell you.

:

Did Lincoln know about that?

I thought the car would be given to Ford Australia as "factory fault"......