Lotus Driving Experience Cancelled

[GetawayDriving]

However, I fully agree something should be done. A factory tour at the very least and some little VIP treatment to see the colour car you have ordered etc, although the driving academy dont necessarily know you have ordered a car or have a great link to the production I guess.
I would certainly make a strong case and try to push for something..... explaining the costs to you, maybe a 50% reduction on one at a later date, or as I say, a free factory tour at the very least.
contractually they dont have to do anything, but in terms of customer relations and public relations, you would hope someone there would push for something for you.....

I agree, I understand they want to get these cars into the hands of customers, but I'd wager a guess that all of the drivers in the LDA this early in the game are customers themselves. Even if it's too much to allocate ~5 cars, allocate 1 or 2 instead and give folks an option to either reschedule a full experience at a later date, or reduce the track time for those that don't want to reschedule and then refund on some sort of prorated basis (half day, half price). I'd also be ok using an Evora if there was just 1 Emira on-hand that everyone could spend a few laps in.

 

[Leonard]

I do have a Goodwood ticket, and booked Saturday qualifying at the British GP, but the point of the trip was LDA and I've located myself near Hethel based on that.

Now I'm interested in the UK dealer demo car conversation lol. What's the current thinking as to when that's happening?

Probably early July at earliest I'd have thought.
Lovely beaches in Norfolk....
Have they really not offered you a free or discounted Factory Tour???

 

[Leonard]

Didn't they say they are building one car every 17 mins?
Don't really understand how half a dozen cars for the LDE is really going to change anything timings wise! Yet severely inconvenience new customers and add to the ever growing failing of the existing and new customer journey/experience

 

[GetawayDriving]

Didn't they say they are building one car every 17 mins?
Don't really understand how half a dozen cars for the LDE is really going to change anything timings wise! Yet severely inconvenience new customers and add to the ever growing failing of the existing and new customer journey/experience

Yeah agreed, unless it's some sort of bottleneck where they only have so many parts to get a crash approval or something, so those handful of cars have an exponential impact on timeline. Pure speculation because I can't really make sense of it otherwise.

I would think people who are spending $1,200 (USD) + travel for an early drive in anger are amongst the staunchest evangelists

...and then there are those of us who have made the trip over the ocean twice

 

[FlyNavy01]

This is just embarrassingly poor service at this point. Talk about spitting in the face of your strongest supporters. I hope they remedy these costs for you guys somehow. If this was me I'd likely be respectfully walking away from the brand.

 

[silent cilantro]

Same here, had it scheduled for the 29th of June, also traveling from the US.

Fortunately I am able to reschedule everything without any penalties so I'll be there in Aug instead.

I did ask for a voucher as a form of compensation and was told it was not possible. Glad I was able to reschedule things but sad I will miss Goodwood...

 

[Nitsuj]

Same here, had it scheduled for the 29th of June, also traveling from the US.

Fortunately I am able to reschedule everything without any penalties so I'll be there in Aug instead.

I did ask for a voucher as a form of compensation and was told it was not possible. Glad I was able to reschedule things but sad I will miss Goodwood...

Scheduled for the 30th June - 3 drivers. Yet to hear anything from Lotus re cancellations Also from US - about to board a plane in 30 minutes to Ireland and then England. Too late to delay. at least expectations are set.

 

[Mike]

Scheduled for the 30th June - 3 drivers. Yet to hear anything from Lotus re cancellations Also from US - about to board a plane in 30 minutes to Ireland and then England. Too late to delay. at least expectations are set.

I feel your pain. Now that I am hearing about people traveling from the States with travel arrangements already in place, I have realised how much of an impact these cancellations have had.

It's hard to believe that this has happened and leaves me wondering just how much Lotus actually care about its customers despite this new marketing strategy.

I am one of the 'new to the brand' first time lotus purchasers and must be honest, I've never been treated this way by my previous suppliers. I'm wondering if the marketing blurb about 'for the drivers, is simply that, just marketing blurb.

 

[EM33RA]

I feel your pain. Now that I am hearing about people traveling from the States with travel arrangements already in place, I have realised how much of an impact these cancellations have had.

It's hard to believe that this has happened and leaves me wondering just how much Lotus actually care about its customers despite this new marketing strategy.

I am one of the 'new to the brand' first time lotus purchasers and must be honest, I've never been treated this way by my previous suppliers. I'm wondering if the marketing blurb about 'for the drivers, is simply that, just marketing blurb.

They are full of crap and run to the hill. If you are looking for communication, planning, direction this ain’t the company to be buying a car from. Maybe in 5 years time when they have their business together check back in. They’ve had orders for a year and still screwed up the planning process with extended delays. They have no clue outside designing a pretty car.

They are a step above Morgan at best. It’s been actually hilarious that people expected otherwise. Talk is cheap and they are damn good at that.

 

[Leonard]

They are full of crap and run to the hill. If you are looking for communication, planning, direction this ain’t the company to be buying a car from. Maybe in 5 years time when they have their business together check back in. They’ve had orders for a year and still screwed up the planning process with extended delays. They have no clue outside designing a pretty car.

They are a step above Morgan at best. It’s been actually hilarious that people expected otherwise. Talk is cheap and they are damn good at that.

Thats a little harsh in regards to the planning ie can't plan for third party failures to supply. But the sentiment is definitely there in regards to comms. As soon as they decided on a D2C business model this should have been dialed in to offer a best in class service

 

[MCS]

I’m not making excuses for them but the lotus driving academy was run as a franchise before so this is the first time they’ve run it themselves (at least in recent history)

Can’t believe people have been coming over from the US and other countries. Much be infuriating for you. They must have been able to do better than this

 

[digilotus]

Before the recent announcement, I thought the driving academy was already running?

Maybe Jethro pulled out as an instructor at the last minute?

 

[TomE]

Before the recent announcement, I thought the driving academy was already running?

Maybe Jethro pulled out as an instructor at the last minute?

They'd re-launched it a few weeks ago and were taking bookings for sessions starting from 22 June but hadn't started running any sessions, as still waiting for the cars.

 

[digilotus]

They'd re-launched it a few weeks ago and were taking bookings for sessions starting from 22 June but hadn't started running any sessions, as still waiting for the cars.

Aha, got it, thanks Tom!

 

[~el~jefe~]

I do not see a problem with any of this. They wanted to give you their most accurate experience.

they disappointed you and canceled you. That was a very accurate experience to the new Lotus. That is the purist of test drives the new Chinese geely whatever it is called can muster. To provide you with something they promised, would be a lie!

 

[Tailslides]

They'd re-launched it a few weeks ago and were taking bookings for sessions starting from 22 June but hadn't started running any sessions, as still waiting for the cars.

Has there been any news on the academy recently?

 

[emiraspain]

Has there been any news on the academy recently?

from last week...re reservation for 29th july
"I hope you are well and apologies for the delay in coming back to you. Thank you ever so much for your email regarding your Driving Experience with us; as you can imagine it is very hard given the current global circumstances to provide a definitive answer, however we are extremely hopeful for no delays to Lotus Cars Driving Academy. We are working our hardest to ensure all is ready.



With this being said to answer your question there is availability should you wish to move your Driving Experience to the end of August, please just let me know and I can help with this. I would advise sticking with the start of August for now."

 

[Tailslides]

from last week...re reservation for 29th july
"I hope you are well and apologies for the delay in coming back to you. Thank you ever so much for your email regarding your Driving Experience with us; as you can imagine it is very hard given the current global circumstances to provide a definitive answer, however we are extremely hopeful for no delays to Lotus Cars Driving Academy. We are working our hardest to ensure all is ready.



With this being said to answer your question there is availability should you wish to move your Driving Experience to the end of August, please just let me know and I can help with this. I would advise sticking with the start of August for now."

Thanks, I am being patient with them, I wondered if anything had been mentionedat FOS as I have a taster on 23rd July, to be honest I can't see it happening, but...

 

[TomE]

After the Matt Windle delay video, LDA contacted people with bookings from 22 June to about 20 July to re-book them. In light of more specific info on delays last week I wouldn’t be surprised if they moved people up to end July. You might be lucky and 23 July stays.

Dealer demo cars are due end July and the LDA cars are in that batch.

The other factor is the LDA instructors are supposedly involved in a national test drive programme for early deposit holders, but there’s no info on dates for that yet.

 

[JXJ]

I am booked morning session on the 23rd July, not cancelled yet! Fingers crossed