Not Happy

[ADC]

Forgive me for not joining in the arguments, but I'm taken aback by the revelation that all UK deliveries are going through Oxford?!

Can anyone a) explain why (as I wasn't aware of any relevant facilities in Oxford), and b) tell me where, so I can look into possibly just walking down the street to collect it, and save them the trouble (and maybe the cost?!) of putting my car on a truck back out of town to the nearest dealership 30-odd miles away

 

[Pugwash]

I understand it’s somewhat north west of Oxford on a disused airbase.

 

[Porter]

I understand it’s somewhat north west of Oxford on a disused airbase.

Likely BCA Upper Heyford.

BCA Upper Heyford · Heyford Park, 125, Bicester OX25 5HA, United Kingdom

★★★★☆ · Automobile storage facility

goo.gl

 

[donskibeat]

Okay so I live in a village some 3 miles from Hethel and am opting for factory pickup, so you are saying my new car is going to travel all the way from Hethel to Oxford and back to Hethel again ready for me to collect it? oh my days, Lotus have made some strange decisions during this process but this one just takes the biscuit.

 

[TomE]

Lotus have always added the delivery and on the road costs as a line item on the invoice below the purchase list price. It's just that previously this was handled by the dealer and now it's being handled centrally by Lotus. OTR costs aren't unusual. Some other manufacturers bundle these costs into the list price but many don't.

If you bought an Elise/Exige/Evora 2-3 years ago then the dealer invoice would have included typically £850 for these transport and pre-delivery inspection costs. Plus also the first registration fee, first year VED and VAT.

I'm pretty sure it was visible when you had to submit your configuration and pay second deposit.

Remember too that you haven't entered into a contract yet, just paid a fee to get the opportunity to place an order. This is a pre-launch exercise and the T&Cs do allow Lotus to change a lot of things, including your delivery date, the specification of the car, the price and related costs. Hopefully they're going to honour the previously-quoted prices. With headline inflation at 9% and some materials inflation at over 20% I'm just hoping they stick to what they've already said. The value of the included tank of fuel has gone up 30% since last year

 

[TomE]

Okay so I live in a village some 3 miles from Hethel and am opting for factory pickup, so you are saying my new car is going to travel all the way from Hethel to Oxford and back to Hethel again ready for me to collect it? oh my days, Lotus have made some strange decisions during this process but this one just takes the biscuit.

It's strange but yes. Lotus have decided to outsource the delivery and prep/PDI. So the cars all go to a central hub for prep then onwards from there. Factory collection wasn't an option when the contract was awarded, so the bizarre situation of cars going from Hethel to Oxford and back wasn't considered when BCA were awarded the contract. Lotus haven't geared up at Hethel to do the prep work. They could of course take it on without too much difficulty but it looks like they aren't going to, or their contract with BCA may make it more tricky.

 

[donskibeat]

It's strange but yes. Lotus have decided to outsource the delivery and prep/PDI. So the cars all go to a central hub for prep then onwards from there. Factory collection wasn't an option when the contract was awarded, so the bizarre situation of cars gong from Hethel to Oxford and back wasn't considered when BCA were awarded the contract. Lotus haven't geared up at Hethel to do the prep work. They could of course take it on without too much difficulty but it looks like they aren't going to, or their contract with BCA may make it more tricky.

Okay thanks for confirming, does seem very odd especially for those like myself who live so close, but hey ho.

Do we yet know if Lotus or perhaps BCA? or going to provide PPF as a factory option, I know it was mentioned several times and promised but as delivery dates move closer and closer someone needs to confirm it so we can make a decision or make alternative arrangements etc?

 

[DJS]

I MAY be wrong, but I honestly dont recall seeing this cost or if I did, I casually forgot it, so you're right, not everyone knows about it. I have had an email each time from Lotus, as I have never been able to communicate when they called me, so I have even more reason to have it in writing.
If its burried in the website somewhere, it hardly counts, it should be there in plain sight when you configure the car.
I expect any car I buy to come clean... no pun intended, but quite good that one.... and I dont expect to see any part of that singled out as a charge. As has been mentioned, it should all be in the initial cost.
I accept on the road costs, which could be delivery and road tax, fine, but again I agree, if I am going to Lotus to collect it then delivery should not be charged, but I more or less accept the 199 for the hassle of someone there having to dedicate an hour of their time to show me how to "use" the car and have what I hope is a very nice lunch, including desert dessert dessert. I would have paid 3/400 if it included 15 mins around the track at the same time.. not the same time as lunch as that wouldnt go down well, final pun to end with...
yes a bit aggressive this section ... we can all differ in opinions, but be polite at the same time

I don’t know what website Ive been looking at then as it’s always been crystal clear to me since they last updated the configurator

Can’t see how it’s been missed, the only way I can see is if you don’t go through the finance section of the configurator.

Cash buyers shouldn’t worry about another grand

 

[digilotus]

Meh, all you UK folks complaining... that's cheap!

Down under we have ~45% TAX all up and a $3000 AUD dealer delivery fee.

 

[TomE]

Okay thanks for confirming, does seem very odd especially for those like myself who live so close, but hey ho.

Do we yet know if Lotus or perhaps BCA? or going to provide PPF as a factory option, I know it was mentioned several times and promised but as delivery dates move closer and closer someone needs to confirm it so we can make a decision or make alternative arrangements etc?

Customer Care told me they were waiting confirmation on the PPF situation but were expecting it was only going to be available as a dealer-fitted option, so not available for factory collection or direct delivery to home.

 

[emiraspain]

haha..

I don’t know what website Ive been looking at then as it’s always been crystal clear to me since they last updated the configurator

Can’t see how it’s been missed, the only way I can see is if you don’t go through the finance section of the configurator.

Cash buyers shouldn’t worry about another grand

. I have not looked at finance as NO ONE will give me finance .
But simple, it needed to be there at the start or be emailed out to each person for my liking and even then you'd not be happy as I dont expect price changes. I ordered an Ionic 5 in Spain a year ago, by the time they delivered it, the prices had changed and the dealer told me they made 800 euros on the sale...... I feel a little bit bad for having negotiated a good discount in the first place, but thats life... Rather me make money than them.

you don't have to be going back to check they they have changed the goal posts., the size of the pockets, the height of the net, the hoop dimensions, replaced the king with two pawns .... etc

 

[NickR]

Meh, all you UK folks complaining... that's cheap!

Down under we have ~45% TAX all up and a $3000 AUD dealer delivery fee.

You get better weather. Nuff said

 

[MCS]

You get better weather. Nuff said

And a lot of dangerous animals to worry about. Swings and roundabouts

 

[donskibeat]

Customer Care told me they were waiting confirmation on the PPF situation but were expecting it was only going to be available as a dealer-fitted option, so not available for factory collection or direct delivery to home.

So yet again punished for living too close to Hethel then......

 

[Pugwash]

Customer Care told me they were waiting confirmation on the PPF situation but were expecting it was only going to be available as a dealer-fitted option, so not available for factory collection or direct delivery to home.

I was told yesterday by CC that the factory would be offering Ceramic coating and PPF would be an agent (dealer) fit option. Of course everything is subject to change. I was also told that the current bunch of questions about agent / factory collection etc was still about assessing demand and my final decision would not be needed until my order was actually placed. Which I am optimistically expecting to be in 1-2 weeks time!

 

[4380r]

I was told yesterday by CC that the factory would be offering Ceramic coating and PPF would be an agent (dealer) fit option. Of course everything is subject to change. I was also told that the current bunch of questions about agent / factory collection etc was still about assessing demand and my final decision would not be needed until my order was actually placed. Which I am optimistically expecting to be in 1-2 weeks time!

Maybe paint and PPF technology has changed since the first Elises were delivered, but PPF was applied by a contractor or dealer because the paint required time to cure before the PPF was applied. In the case of cars headed to the States, the boat ride provided ample curing time.

 

[eclat2emira]

Maybe paint and PPF technology has changed since the first Elises were delivered, but PPF was applied by a contractor or dealer because the paint required time to cure before the PPF was applied. In the case of cars headed to the States, the boat ride provided ample curing time.

Good point - we have this issue at work, sometimes referred to as out-gassing, it can lead to micro bubbles if you apply film too soon after painting.

 

[TomE]

That's right, there may be a concern about out-gassing. Previous Lotus cars delivered to the US usually got PPF at the port before onward transport to the dealers.