Anyone received their 30 day notification yet?

[PhilCP]

It's very frustrating the inconsistent way customers are treated re making changes.
I was due an early-ish car, but told by CS that a change would push me into 2023. I accepted this as I wanted the change, however, people who've placed a later deposit can still make changes and receive their car way before i will

 

[Billyidoliser]

Anyone know if the Scorpion Tracker, if selected, includes a subscription, otherwise can be bought cheaper direct?

Scorpion S5 Tracker | Trackershop

Secure your vehicle with the Scorpion S5 VTS, a top-rated Thatcham-approved GPS tracker designed for ultimate protection. Featuring 24/7 monitoring and advanced theft recovery, it’s perfect for high-value and luxury cars. Complies with insurance requirements and includes professional nationwide...

www.trackershop-uk.com

 

[Pugwash]

Anyone know if the Scorpion Tracker, if selected, includes a subscription, otherwise can be bought cheaper direct?

Scorpion S5 Tracker | Trackershop

Secure your vehicle with the Scorpion S5 VTS, a top-rated Thatcham-approved GPS tracker designed for ultimate protection. Featuring 24/7 monitoring and advanced theft recovery, it’s perfect for high-value and luxury cars. Complies with insurance requirements and includes professional nationwide...

www.trackershop-uk.com

Back in March CS told me it included the first year subscription.

 

[Mickle]

Just received a phone call from Lotus, advising a new build slot for Nov with delivery Dec 2022 (deposit paid 26/07/2021) have been told I can change whatever I like and my slot should not be affected, great news....wasn't expecting that, might just delete Homelink, change Callipers and wheels.. maybe?! I will be then locked in from tomorrow. Strange things going on at Hethel????

This seems a bit odd to me, my deposit was very early morning on the 12th and the last update email had me down as November production with presumably December delivery.

Having not seen much on the first batch of customer cars still, it feels like they're bringing some builds forwards and are going to have a huge number of cars to build before the end of the year. Here's hoping they've found new supply-chains and can ramp up appropriately to avoid further disappointing people later on...

 

[TomE]

Sorry to say this but Matt needs a kick up the rear to get customer service and comms sorted. Buck stops with him.

The all care and no responsibility approach is getting boring. Geely, please get involved and sort this out. It’s not hard.

Small groups of deposit holders were invited to Hethel in January to provide feedback on the customer experience to Matt and Geoff Dowding and Scott Walker. I was one of them. All of us gathered our thoughts and sent something in writing beforehand. Mine was a couple of pages, structured into topics and with a summary and a couple of suggested quick wins. We heard some acknowledgement that comms and customer care had not been good enough and that there were plans to improve.

The next day we got the new configurator, which was a positive step. But we have never had the promised photos of all the colours (promised as coming "soon" since last October) and comms, consistency, care has seen almost ZERO improvement.

OK, we got a short video in June and an email about the delays, but that didn't go to all deposit holders and the promised post-email updates to people individually were repeatedly delayed to the point most people had called in to get info rather than waiting for the email. The 10 Aug emails about further delays were delayed several weeks too. People with i4 deposits have had very little about the progress of the i4 programme and their deposit/config process. Customer Care continue to have limited info and are unable to answer key questions. They are helpful people but hampered by lack of info and so have to hide behind "we're waiting on the factory for that" or "we can't give you that information".

I posted on here back in June about my view that nothing had improved on comms and customer care. Matt spoke to me at Goodwood and felt that was unfair, as they'd been improving the comms (such as the video and email). I explained I didn't see that and most other deposit holders didn't see it either. There were some hints it might get better, such as the LCC team at Goodwood being able to tell people the impact of delays on their individual delivery date. But fundamentally I don't think I or many others feel like it has got better.

Does anyone think the test drive arrangements (bookings to be handled centrally by Lotus in the UK, designated routes, trackers, only one suspension option) will go smoothly? Do we think the 30 day process will be simple and pain-free, never mind it being a positive final run up to taking a much-anticipated delivery? Everything to date suggests Lotus will fumble the ball on parts of this too. Sorry if that sounds harsh (and I've been an ardent Lotus fan for 30 years and know lots of people there) but our experiences over the last year don't inspire confidence. I also fear for what will happen if there are warranty issues or spare parts are needed.

 

[Billyidoliser]

Back in March CS told me it included the first year subscription.

Pretty much on par with having it added at a later date then, may as well spec it from the start! Others thoughts??

 

[emiraspain]

I guess the fact Lotus are allowing changes for these "bumped" customers is in someway a sweetener to get them to move forward, as perhaps some dont want to, especially for December mid winter delivery. Even though you would think its sweet enough the fact they ARE being moved forward. It would also imply to me, the opposite of what I had just written elsewhere, that they are VERY confident of getting ALL parts in very soon as otherwise there is no way in hell or heaven they would be offering this last minute change to spec.
.

I am passed / pissed caring now to be honest, but its quite amazing that us early depositors have had to lock in about 6 months ago, not allowed even to change tyres, never mind anything else, and others who are being bumped up to almost join us, can change none major things, where none major are most likely things apart from Colour and Transmission I would guess..... Im happy for the bumpers, truly I am, but its crazy.
.

I agree with the comment above, which I have made before, the whole mess stops with one person..... I'm sorry, but the way things continue to go is laughable and as stated above too, its not going to change this year, even when you get your 30 day call.I REALLY HOPE I DONT regret sticking in there with Lotus as they continue to behave as if this is their first ever car and first ever customers and first time they have even ran a business, during the 30 day period and beyond that, ie when I get my car. I have to say my doubts about this purchase are now creeping beyond this pre-sales mess and heavily into after sales and thats going to be FAR FAR MORE FRUSTRATING than this ever has been.

So many being bumped.... I think for the 1st time there are now many walking away, and not just temporarily to avoid the winter delivery times.

 

[Gizmo750]

I wonder what a small allowable change is. They've been telling other people with Oct and Nov build that any change means delaying into 2023. The usual inconsistent story.

Frustrating isn't it, I didn't ask what they felt constituted a "small change" although I have asked to go back to privacy glass having previously removed it. Other than that I was already happy with my choices.

 

[TomE]

Pretty much on par with having it added at a later date then, may as well spec it from the start! Others thoughts??

I included it as it's slightly cheaper than doing the same tracker as an aftermarket one. It also means it's there on delivery and avoids a fitter having to work on the car in the first week.

 

[emiraspain]

Small groups of deposit holders were invited to Hethel in January to provide feedback on the customer experience to Matt and Geoff Dowding and Scott Walker. I was one of them. All of us gathered our thoughts and sent something in writing beforehand. Mine was a couple of pages, structured into topics and with a summary and a couple of suggested quick wins. We heard some acknowledgement that comms and customer care had not been good enough and that there were plans to improve.

The next day we got the new configurator, which was a positive step. But we have never had the promised photos of all the colours (promised as coming "soon" since last October) and comms, consistency, care has seen almost ZERO improvement.

OK, we got a short video in June and an email about the delays, but that didn't go to all deposit holders and the promised post-email updates to people individually were repeatedly delayed to the point most people had called in to get info rather than waiting for the email. The 10 Aug emails about further delays were delayed several weeks too. People with i4 deposits have had very little about the progress of the i4 programme and their deposit/config process. Customer Care continue to have limited info and are unable to answer key questions. They are helpful people but hampered by lack of info and so have to hide behind "we're waiting on the factory for that" or "we can't give you that information".

I posted on here back in June about my view that nothing had improved on comms and customer care. Matt spoke to me at Goodwood and felt that was unfair, as they'd been improving the comms (such as the video and email). I explained I didn't see that and most other deposit holders didn't see it either. There were some hints it might get better, such as the LCC team at Goodwood being able to tell people the impact of delays on their individual delivery date. But fundamentally I don't think I or many others feel like it has got better.

Does anyone think the test drive arrangements (bookings to be handled centrally by Lotus in the UK, designated routes, trackers, only one suspension option) will go smoothly? Do we think the 30 day process will be simple and pain-free, never mind it being a positive final run up to taking a much-anticipated delivery? Everything to date suggests Lotus will fumble the ball on parts of this too. Sorry if that sounds harsh (and I've been an ardent Lotus fan for 30 years and know lots of people there) but our experiences over the last year don't inspire confidence. I also fear for what will happen if there are warranty issues or spare parts are needed.

exactly, I fear the 30 day period, which I have been told they are working on to make a "great experience" and a "personal experience" will in the end be the same as the previous 400 odd day experience, but my biggest worry now is the car itself and aftersales. IF there are any issues and it would be NORMAL for their to be some with a new car, I fear the amount of time to fix them could be close to a year rather than weeks or months. Software updates, small recalls etc......
Oh well..... time will tell

 

[Target customer]

Does anyone think the test drive arrangements (bookings to be handled centrally by Lotus in the UK, designated routes, trackers, only one suspension option) will go smoothly? Do we think the 30 day process will be simple and pain-free, never mind it being a positive final run up to taking a much-anticipated delivery? Everything to date suggests Lotus will fumble the ball on parts of this too. Sorry if that sounds harsh [] but our experiences over the last year don't inspire confidence. I also fear for what will happen if there are warranty issues or spare parts are needed.

First post from a long-time lurker addicted daily forum checking since a July 8 deposit.

As a 52-yo Cayman owner, addicted to cars since watching The Spy Who Loved Me aged 7, I think I'm the Emira's target customer, and I'm on the brink on cancelling.

Tom nails it when he talks about confidence: based on my experience of 'new improved Lotus', how confident am I that this 80K car won't let me down? Not very.

I'm no Porsche fan-boy - never liked them: bought a new Cayman instead of a used 360 Modena 9 years ago. But I am risk-averse when it comes to spending large amounts of cash, like many people and like most Porsche owners (a small minority and fan-girls/-boys). Winning over those target Porsche owners isn't about looks or gadgets or social media or Jensen Button: it's about confidence and trust. It's about good communication, having a product you can actually see and touch and it's about delivering on commitments.

Ultimately, life's too short.

 

[Billyidoliser]

I included it as it's slightly cheaper than doing the same tracker as an aftermarket one. It also means it's there on delivery and avoids a fitter having to work on the car in the first week.

My thoughts exactly Tom. The "lifetime" option through Scorpion looks great value if you intend to keep the car long term!

 

[EM33RA]

While us folks down under can't change anything since January. Makes my blood boil.

Yep and our 10k is non refundable.

 

[SteveB]

On a tour of the Hethel plant last week first impression was the place was abuzz with activity with cars moving through all stages of production. Lots of V6 engines & manual gearboxes, bodies of all colours (including black pack), wheels of all 3 FE designs (no old stock wheels to be seen), brake callipers of all colours & different interior finishes. Towards the end of the line there was a noticeable build up of what appeared to be complete, finished cars. However, they weren’t fully complete. They were still missing one or more components (not outwardly visible or obvious) that were preventing completion but only required at a very late stage of production.

Apparently not long ago there was a problem with availability of certain interior trim items (maybe carpets) that was preventing the fitting of seats but that has been resolved now. We were told the majority of cars in production that day were demo cars for dealers.

 

[RO62GER]

Just received a phone call from Lotus, advising a new build slot for Nov with delivery Dec 2022 (deposit paid 26/07/2021) have been told I can change whatever I like and my slot should not be affected, great news....wasn't expecting that, might just delete Homelink, change Callipers and wheels.. maybe?! I will be then locked in from tomorrow. Strange things going on at Hethel????

I've just had the same phone call, my deposit was 26/7 also. Able to make changes and not lose the November build slot. I've locked my spec now and its a matter of waiting and hoping Lotus can deliver as promised.

 

[AGP]

Small groups of deposit holders were invited to Hethel in January to provide feedback on the customer experience to Matt and Geoff Dowding and Scott Walker. I was one of them. All of us gathered our thoughts and sent something in writing beforehand. Mine was a couple of pages, structured into topics and with a summary and a couple of suggested quick wins. We heard some acknowledgement that comms and customer care had not been good enough and that there were plans to improve.

The next day we got the new configurator, which was a positive step. But we have never had the promised photos of all the colours (promised as coming "soon" since last October) and comms, consistency, care has seen almost ZERO improvement.

OK, we got a short video in June and an email about the delays, but that didn't go to all deposit holders and the promised post-email updates to people individually were repeatedly delayed to the point most people had called in to get info rather than waiting for the email. The 10 Aug emails about further delays were delayed several weeks too. People with i4 deposits have had very little about the progress of the i4 programme and their deposit/config process. Customer Care continue to have limited info and are unable to answer key questions. They are helpful people but hampered by lack of info and so have to hide behind "we're waiting on the factory for that" or "we can't give you that information".

I posted on here back in June about my view that nothing had improved on comms and customer care. Matt spoke to me at Goodwood and felt that was unfair, as they'd been improving the comms (such as the video and email). I explained I didn't see that and most other deposit holders didn't see it either. There were some hints it might get better, such as the LCC team at Goodwood being able to tell people the impact of delays on their individual delivery date. But fundamentally I don't think I or many others feel like it has got better.

Does anyone think the test drive arrangements (bookings to be handled centrally by Lotus in the UK, designated routes, trackers, only one suspension option) will go smoothly? Do we think the 30 day process will be simple and pain-free, never mind it being a positive final run up to taking a much-anticipated delivery? Everything to date suggests Lotus will fumble the ball on parts of this too. Sorry if that sounds harsh (and I've been an ardent Lotus fan for 30 years and know lots of people there) but our experiences over the last year don't inspire confidence. I also fear for what will happen if there are warranty issues or spare parts are needed.

It is sad to read your thread Tom and as others have said, you have been our backbone throughout the long wait.
I did stupidly think that the interaction between you and other members on the forum with Lotus would help improve the Lotus communication. Its a real shame and my concerns are that if they can't get the basics like communication right, then can we really expect the quality /build/aftersales to be any better as promised and as it needs to be? Unfortunately, I don't think we can
I'm an early depositor on an I4 and I really have given up hope with the lack of comms any I4 news/updates on the car.

Such a shame

 

[Mistral]

Small groups of deposit holders were invited to Hethel in January to provide feedback on the customer experience to Matt and Geoff Dowding and Scott Walker. I was one of them. All of us gathered our thoughts and sent something in writing beforehand. Mine was a couple of pages, structured into topics and with a summary and a couple of suggested quick wins. We heard some acknowledgement that comms and customer care had not been good enough and that there were plans to improve.

The next day we got the new configurator, which was a positive step. But we have never had the promised photos of all the colours (promised as coming "soon" since last October) and comms, consistency, care has seen almost ZERO improvement.

OK, we got a short video in June and an email about the delays, but that didn't go to all deposit holders and the promised post-email updates to people individually were repeatedly delayed to the point most people had called in to get info rather than waiting for the email. The 10 Aug emails about further delays were delayed several weeks too. People with i4 deposits have had very little about the progress of the i4 programme and their deposit/config process. Customer Care continue to have limited info and are unable to answer key questions. They are helpful people but hampered by lack of info and so have to hide behind "we're waiting on the factory for that" or "we can't give you that information".

I posted on here back in June about my view that nothing had improved on comms and customer care. Matt spoke to me at Goodwood and felt that was unfair, as they'd been improving the comms (such as the video and email). I explained I didn't see that and most other deposit holders didn't see it either. There were some hints it might get better, such as the LCC team at Goodwood being able to tell people the impact of delays on their individual delivery date. But fundamentally I don't think I or many others feel like it has got better.

Does anyone think the test drive arrangements (bookings to be handled centrally by Lotus in the UK, designated routes, trackers, only one suspension option) will go smoothly? Do we think the 30 day process will be simple and pain-free, never mind it being a positive final run up to taking a much-anticipated delivery? Everything to date suggests Lotus will fumble the ball on parts of this too. Sorry if that sounds harsh (and I've been an ardent Lotus fan for 30 years and know lots of people there) but our experiences over the last year don't inspire confidence. I also fear for what will happen if there are warranty issues or spare parts are needed.

I made the comment some time ago about the arrogance and incompetence of the Lotus senior management in resolving the communications issue but was turned upon by a defender for apparent abuse. Since then nothing has changed in that regard and one has to imagine that, just as with early depositers being jumped by later ones, the test drive scheduling will also be a shambles. Ultimately, the only way to change the current culture is to change the management.

 

[Ian C]

Posts on this thread stopped talking about delivery dates after the emails we had a couple of weeks a ago as we had something to cling on to . The problem now is that we can all see the dates slipping again. The fact that dealers still have no idea when their cars will arrive does not bode well. There isn't exactly a dealer network of hundreds to deal with , perhaps less than a dozen , surely they can keep in touch with them if its too much bother to talk to us ? I am sure most dealers know who the first few customers are given the number of times we talk to them

 

[Pav]

I've just had the same phone call, my deposit was 26/7 also. Able to make changes and not lose the November build slot. I've locked my spec now and its a matter of waiting and hoping Lotus can deliver as promised.

I just given up my Oct build slot (8am 08/07/21 deposit) for a caliper change. As expected now 'sometime in 2023' and deposit order may be taken into account. Will be interesting to see if I get a call keeping my build in 2022. Not expecting it.

Have to say it's like a first world weight has lifted from my shoulders. Now I can get some Lotus training wheels (always wanted an Elise or Exige), test drive Emira (maybe even Sports and Touring!), see some I4 reviews and then decide what I want to do, with a chance of it being post-winter.

In summary, as a self-confessed control freak, "I'm not going to take this any more!"

 

[Magma]

I just given up my Oct build slot (8am 08/07/21 deposit) for a caliper change. As expected now 'sometime in 2023' and deposit order may be taken into account. Will be interesting to see if I get a call keeping my build in 2022. Not expecting it.

Have to say it's like a first world weight has lifted from my shoulders. Now I can get some Lotus training wheels (always wanted an Elise or Exige), test drive Emira (maybe even Sports and Touring!), see some I4 reviews and then decide what I want to do, with a chance of it being post-winter.

In summary, as a self-confessed control freak, "I'm not going to take this any more!"

After not getting my FE allocation (deposit placed 7/12/21) and going to the back of a long line at a more local dealer back in March of this year, I totally understand what you mean by the weight being lifted. Especially when I read all of the frustration and unfairness that is happening with UK orders.
It has dropped my anticipation and anxiety about this car way at down. I've picked up a Pcar to enjoy. Now I can just sit back and figure out if I want to move forward if/when my allocation finally comes up. Hopefully even get a test drive in between time.