I was Charged FE 2.0 price for a FE 1.0… but there is a twist

Well first here is the twist: I came late to the party and basically took over a cancelation about a month before CARB was announced.

I’ve been waiting for this car to come out for a long while just like a lot of you but I thought I would get a used one a year or 2 after the initial release to minimize depreciation but it’s been delayed so much I decided last minute to hunt for a new one available right away so I called L.O.D among many other dealerships and they were the only ones with cars ready to go right of the bat once CARB was approved and with specs I liked.

I was told it was MSRP/ sticker price + $10k and that the car was a FE 2.0.

I’m ok with that, I think it’s normal for me to pay a premium to jump the line compared to many of you who had locked one it years ago.

Now here is my issue.

I asked MANY times for the window sticker. Not only to know the exact options of the car but also to know the actual MSRP. It was never given to me… until today, weeks after I paid for the car and received the car. I was charged $119k for the car ($109 MSRP which includes options like the black pack, Alcantara wheel etc…) + $10k ADM… so $119k + dealer fees + tt&l + ceramic coating.

So I will say it again, I was ok paying this price as I was told it was sticker price + $10k…

Well today I FINALLY got the window sticker in the mail AFTER receiving the car and it’s a FE 1.0 sticker price of $98k…

so if I follow what they told me , it should have been sticker price for the car + $10k: $108k total … not $119k…

so even though it wasn’t my original allocation, the car was still reserved as a FE 1.0 and the dealer paid 1.0 price for the car and the sticker shows 1.0 price of $98k and yet charged me 2.0 MSRP + the $10k ADM…

Now the deal is done , the car is paid for and I only got the window sticker today so way after everything was finalized. I do love the car but I still think it’s not very honest…

Slimy… but you should have done your full due diligence before the purchase imo.

Supply and demand dictates pricing for buyers such as yourself that did not have an allocation with a down payment as intent to buy, like many of us still do.

You paid a premium to jump the line, and you were fine with that premium. The fact that the dealer decided to withhold the MSRP is indeed slimy AF, but maybe that will deter others from doing business with them in the future… or maybe there will be more people willing to pay 20k over MSRP to jump the line

Congrats on your new car. Whether you think you can enjoy it is purely up to you.

Cheers

Go Kart said:

Slimy… but you should have done your full due diligence before the purchase imo.

Supply and demand dictates pricing for buyers such as yourself that did not have an allocation with a down payment as intent to buy, like many of us still do.

You paid a premium to jump the line, and you were fine with that premium. The fact that the dealer decided to withhold the MSRP is indeed slimy AF, but maybe that will deter others from doing business with them in the future… or maybe there will be more people willing to pay 20k over MSRP to jump the line

Congrats on your new car. Whether you think you can enjoy it is purely up to you.

Cheers

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I did do as much homework as possible, I knew the price difference between a 1:0 and a 2.0 and was assured that this was a 2.0 ( I have that in a text message conversation).

I also kept asking for the window sticker (4 emails and text in a month asking for it) and was told that that lotus still hasn’t sent it to them.
I’m not sure what else I could have done on my end?
I do love the car and as I mentioned I’m totally ok with paying a premium to take over someone’s allocation but I think it’s shady that I was told I was being charged sticker price + $10k when in fact I have been charged sticker price + $21k…

I think you could have waited/demanded the sticker… but even if they provided it, they had no obligation to sell it to you at the original sticker. You had no contract with them like a lot of people on this forum do. So, that car could have slipped through your fingers to the next person willing to pay the 20k premium.

If it makes you feel any better my wife put her money down for her allocation 9/2021, but the price hike came around before she could lock in her spec/build, so she was told her allocation would be $105,400. Lotus did not honor their price, so tons of people are in the same boat.

Again, supply and demand. It affected us as well, only we actually committed 2.5 years ago.

Do you have it in writing that they misrepresented to you what the MSRP of the vehicle was? If so, small claims court is up to 10k in Texas. I think you have a winnable case if there was misrepresentation. Easy filling.

Edit: Also a letter to Lotus USA asking when window stickers were sent to dealers. Do some digging and see if they lied. Will help your case.

At the end of the day you guys agreed to $119k no matter how you validated the price. It was $10k above what ordering the car and waiting would have been.
It’s a lil shady for them to say MSRP, when I guess more accurately they should say what current MSRP IS + $10k. But like I said, one way or another $119k was agreed to, nothing to do about it now.

Emirahouston said:

Ok so I came late to the party and basically got a car reserved about a month before CARB was announced.

I called Lotus of Dallas among many other dealerships and they were the only ones with cars ready to go right of the bat once CARB was approved.

I was told it was MSRP + $10k and that the car was a FE 2.0.
I’m ok with that, I think it’s normal for me to pay a premium to jump the line compared to many of you who had to wait for years.

Now here is my issue and I need your opinion on this.

I asked MANY times for the window sticker. Not only to know the exact options of the car but also to know the actual MSRP. It was never given to me… until today, weeks after I paid for the car and received the car. I was charged $119k for the car ($109 MSRP plus I guess options like the black pack, Alcantara wheel etc…) + $10k ADM… so $119k + dealer fees + tt&l + ceramic coating.

ok fine but today I FINALLY got the window sticker and it’s a FE 1.0 with a sticker price of $98k…

so if I follow what they told me , it should have been MSRP + $10k: $108k… not $119k…

so even though it wasn’t my original allocation, the car was still reserved as a FE 1.0 and the dealer paid 1.0 price for the car yet charged me 2.0 MSRP + the $10k ADM…

Now the deal is done , the car is paid for and I only got the window sticker today so way after everything was finalized. I do love the car but what are your thoughts on this ?
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Congratulations be happy with your purchase. I did the same I paid 10k over the FE-1 life is too short can’t take it with you. Now call Greg at GRP and get the upgrades. Cheers

Lotus of Dallas / Earth Motorcars. Shady f'in crooks!! If they misrepresented the car as a 2.0 and you got a 1.0, then you do have a leg to stand on. Changes were made during production (presumably, based on issues they had with early cars) and it could affect resale value. Do you have it in writing anywhere?

Or on the flip side, just go enjoy it and try not to think about it. I'm sure this post will cost them a sale or two long term. There are still good honest dealers out there willing to ship remotely. Do not give in to these price-gouging, blood-sucking dealerships who will try and rationalize the price increases and say that most other dealers are doing it too. They're not, at a time when Lotus needs it most, they're just tarnishing the brand. Lotus really should step up and stop it like they attempted with the flipping behavior (They require all dealers to register the cars, even out of state buyers).

I've done my homework over the last few weeks. Here is the info I accumulated when calling around. Here is a list of the scum dealers to avoid. Let them sit on the things and lose allocations for the next round, and pay floor plan charges every month:

AVOID THESE DEALERS AT ALL COSTS!
Earth motorcars Dallas TX: $20k
Carlock Motorcars Nashville TN: $20K+ (I especially like these scumbags .3% "business tax", WTF is that? PLUS a $1000 doc fee - what, do they print the bill of sale on gold leaf paper?)
Galpin Van Nys, CA: $20K
Lotus Orlando FL: $20K
World imports Jacksonville FL: $10K
Naples Alfa, FL: $10-20K
Lotus Las Vegas, NV: $13K
Holman St Louis, MO: $10K
Lotus Glenview, IL: $5K (I feel a little bad putting this one here because Brandon Pacella was very nice)

The best, honest dealers, in my experience:

1. Lotus Cape Fear, NC (I bought my car here from Shane, awesome experience, HIGHLY rated)
2. Lotus Detroit, MI (Nathan Schick was awesome to deal with, knowledgeable, runs lotuspartsonline.com)
3. Lotus Philadelphia, PA (Taylor Derbyshire was very communicative and nice)
4. Lotus Washington, DC (Christian was nice, responsive)
5. Lotus Super Sports of WNY, NY (Matt Sewacki was nice. A to-the-point sort of guy, which I like.)
6. Lotus salt lake, UT (Scott Collastier, nice)

Your mileage may vary, but these were my experiences. There are obviously other dealers, but they were all 12 months+ out for delivery.

Folks, like the OP, you will regret overpaying for the car, I don't care how good it is! A friend in the business once told me words to live by..

He is right. We need to fight these dealers preying on their customers. They will tell you they suffered during covid, or that the lack of supply is killing their business, or that other dealers are doing it, so why shouldn't they. A scum dealer will tell you anything to make a sale. Here is the reality:

1. Covid made most dealers rich with their staff reductions and markups across the board, and most auto manufacturers made more during Covid than before by actively reducing inventory, laying off workers, and raising prices, but claiming supply chain issues with chinese electronics. Have you looked at the price of trucks recently, used or new? Its totally absurd. The supply chain has recovered, but the prices are still at Covid + levels.
2. There are no independent Lotus dealers who are overcharging AFAIK, and most are co-joined to high volume standard brands, or very profitable very prestige brands which carry the Lotus side just fine. No single dealer that is marking cars up relies solely on their Lotus sales.
3. Most dealers are NOT overcharging
4. Lotus's inability to supply cars is not your fault, and you should not be forced to pay for their supply chain mismanagement.
5. Not all dealers force you to pay for PPF or ceramic coating. Its a total myth, I only came across 1 or 2 dealers doing this. Oh, I also love the nitrogen filled tires debacle. What a load of BS!
6. If a dealer is charging more than $700 in doc fees (which is already ridiculous, because you cant sell a car without documentation and its a sunk dealer cost, but I digress), then they are screwing you.

I hesitated in posting this bashing session for a while, but I don't want to see another member getting screwed and suffering regret, when all they should be doing is enjoying their new toy. Most of us worked really hard for the opportunity to own such a nice automobile and it shouldn't be a negative experience post sale.

MANY dealers have allocations for cars coming in shortly, and there are several dealers with orphaned cars still on the lots.

Subw00er said:

Lotus of Dallas. Shady f'in crooks!! If they misrepresented the car as a 2.0 and you got a 1.0, then you do have a leg to stand on.

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What do you even mean? FE1.0 and FE2.0 are just lines we owners have created. It’s not a real thing. The FE1.0 is essentially just a deposit/order placed by the original buyer. Once that buyer is gone there is no reason that the car is held at its old locked in price. The new buyer has less leg to stand on then every “FE2.0” original depositor who had to pay more.

T

Lotustoronto said:

Do you have it in writing that they misrepresented to you what the MSRP of the vehicle was? If so, small claims court is up to 10k in Texas. I think you have a winnable case if there was misrepresentation. Easy filling.

Edit: Also a letter to Lotus USA asking when window stickers were sent to dealers. Do some digging and see if they lied. Will help your case.

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hats the thing they never told me the real window sticker price. When I called they said $10k over MSRP. Then I asked for a quote and they sent me the is :

And when I asked, I was told that YES it was indeed a 2.0 so since I was aware of the price increase I did not push any further. But seeing the window sticker which just arrived after CARB was released and after I already bought the car , it does not sit too well with me. I promised myself I would not let it bother me and not even bring it up but i do feel like it’s pretty shady.

Emirahouston said:

T

hats the thing they never told me the real window sticker price. When I called they said $10k over MSRP. Then I asked for a quote and they sent me the is :
View attachment 39953
And when I asked, I was told that YES it was indeed a 2.0 so since I was aware of the price increase I did not push any further. But seeing the window sticker which supposably “just arrived” after CARB was released , it does not sit well with me. I promised myself I would not let it bother me and not even bring it up but i do feel like it’s pretty shady.

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My window sticker didn’t arrive until after CARB approval for what it’s worth, and I’m at a different dealer.

KCMO68_510 said:

My window sticker didn’t arrive until after CARB approval for what it’s worth, and I’m at a different dealer.

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That’s what they also told me. I never said they were lying but it is kind of weird to not being able to at least look up the car and give me the actual sticker price even without the actual sticker

I guarantee what the OP was told was just verbal. I highly doubt they will have any paperwork stating it was a 2.0. That dealer is probably in the business of dishonesty, and it’s likely just another day another markup.

It’s better to be aware of their practices, so thanks to @Emirahouston for shedding light on them. Maybe it’ll steer other buyers away.

Emirahouston said:

Yes and no for example only FE 2.0 had specific colors available so there is a difference for sure. Mine is shadow gray so it was available as an option before 2.0

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There is literally no real FE1.0 and FE2.0.

There are orders that were locked into a price with the original buyer that owners call FE1.0.

There are then orders that were locked into a higher price and those orders had more options available at that time. Owners decided to call those FE2.0.

You personally didn’t have a locked in price.

They cannot confirm if the car is FE1.0 or FE2.0, because it’s not even a real thing

KCMO68_510 said:

There is literally no real FE1.0 and FE2.0.

There are orders that were locked into a price with the original buyer that owners call FE1.0.

There are then orders that were locked into a higher price and those orders had more options available at that time. Owners decided to call those FE2.0.

You personally didn’t have a locked in price.

They cannot confirm if the car is FE1.0 or FE2.0, because it’s not even a real thing

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Version 2.0 is a real thing. It’s on my wife’s spec paperwork she was sent confirming her locked build.

KCMO68_510 said:

There is literally no real FE1.0 and FE2.0.

There are orders that were locked into a price with the original buyer that owners call FE1.0.

There are then orders that were locked into a higher price and those orders had more options available at that time. Owners decided to call those FE2.0.

You personally didn’t have a locked in price.

They cannot confirm if the car is FE1.0 or FE2.0, because it’s not even a real thing

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But the thing is when I called I was told “sticker price +$10k”… today I received my sticker and it’s $98k not $109k. That’s my issue.
Be upfront and say hey we are charging $21k ADM. Not $10k+

Go Kart said:

Version 2.0 is a real thing. It’s on my wife’s spec paperwork she was sent confirming her locked build.

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It’s literally not a thing. I bought a “FE2.0”. Nowhere does it ever say 2.0

KCMO68_510 said:

There is literally no real FE1.0 and FE2.0.

There are orders that were locked into a price with the original buyer that owners call FE1.0.

There are then orders that were locked into a higher price and those orders had more options available at that time. Owners decided to call those FE2.0.

You personally didn’t have a locked in price.

They cannot confirm if the car is FE1.0 or FE2.0, because it’s not even a real thing

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Lotus emira release V2

“Emira First Edition V2 will be available in seven additional exterior paint colors. These will be in addition to the six exterior paint colors already in production and these new color options will be a no-cost option for First Edition models. V2 Emiras will also have an addition of a practical footwell stowage net, ideal for storing items such as an umbrella or a drinking bottle.”

Here’s a snap of the official “Lotus Emira Order Entry” for those of you believing otherwise.

Emirahouston said:

But the thing is when I called I was told “sticker price +$10k”… today I received my sticker and it’s $98k not $109k. That’s my issue.
Be upfront and say hey we are charging $21k ADM. Not $10k+

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Oh I’m not disagreeing that they are slimey about saying how they got to $119k. All I’m saying is the $98k lock-in was with someone else. After that they can charge what they want. Would be better if they made their math more clear/honest.