The Gator thread

I'm interested in connecting with others who have taken delivery or have deposits with Gator Motorsport in Indianapolis. My car was in port being processed 6 weeks ago (a month before the bridge collapse, so that's not a factor), but I still can't get any real information from Gator about where it is, when I can take delivery, etc.

I chose Gator even though I live in North Carolina because of their reputation. Plus I have family in Indiana and my Dad in particular really wanted to ride in my Emira when I took delivery. Well, Dad passed away last month, so that won't happen. In fact, he was in hospice when the CARB dam broke and the first Emira were being delivered to customers.

So if you're working with Gator, please let me know what you've heard about your Emira. If you've taken delivery, please post a pic and share the date you took delivery.

This is Dad on a test drive in one of the dealer cars last year.

 

[KAR120C]

This is a horrible look. Tony had three years off but chooses to take a vacation when there is finally work to be done and dozens of customers are waiting to take delivery of the cars they've been waiting three years for.

As a business owner, this is inexcusable.

As far as I can tell, Gator is the absolute worst kind of business; attentive and helpful when trying to get your money, but nowhere to be found when they have it. Shame on them.

You could NOT be more wrong about Gator. As far as I can tell, you would be the worst kind of customer for any dealership to deal with.

Take a few minutes and read back over the last few years of this forum and perhaps you'll find that Gator has probably been the best dealership in trying to help the customer.

 

[brainf18]

I understand the frustration but I’d say Gator and their employees have been a pleasure to work with. They are doing the best they can given the situation.

When it comes to taking some well earned vacation, We all need time to decompress no matter the circumstances. I’d encourage everyone to be patient and be thankful if Gator is your dealer. They are one of the best in the country.

 

[SSJAR]

I understand the frustration but I’d say Gator and their employees have been a pleasure to work with. They are doing the best they can given the situation.

When it comes to taking some well earned vacation, We all need time to decompress no matter the circumstances. I’d encourage everyone to be patient and be thankful if Gator is your dealer. They are one of the best in the country.

Well said! All of my interactions with gator have been fantastic.

@brainf18, thank you for posting your timeline, I think it gives some insight to where I am at in the sequence, which is what makes this forum so valuable.

 

[ameeriklane]

It's cases like this where I just scratch my head. Lotus NA should be able to provide some information and if they won't, Gator should be on their case regularly to create some transparency to this process. Sorry you've been waiting in the dark for so long.

I just called Lotus USA to ask for a status on the order (as noted, the car arrived on 12/29/23 to Baltimore) and they said they can't provide information, I should ask the dealer. I pointed out the dealer has requested we not contact them for updates as they are overwhelmed, and the Lotus rep said I should then wait for the dealer to contact me.

Perhaps it's time to head to the library and re-read one of Kafka's novels. Maybe The Trial? Or for a slight Lotus twist, his Letters to Felice was the basis of A Letter to Elise by the Cure.

 

[ameeriklane]

I’d be absolutely delighted with an email that said we have x number of cars left to deliver and you’re approximately x on the list. Bonus if they can share approximately how many cars they’re getting through in an average week. I don’t expect specifics but a rough ballpark estimate would be wonderful

An email would be great, but I was thinking of a solution that doesn't take much time on their part. Just a simple spreadsheet posted online and updated regularly that anyone can just view would be low effort for them and very useful for customers.

I realize there may not be a status to report on all cars, but there is on some.

Or should we just start this on our own, if there's enough of us to make a spreadsheet worthwhile?

 

[EspritGuy]

I just called Lotus USA to ask for a status on the order (as noted, the car arrived on 12/29/23 to Baltimore) and they said they can't provide information, I should ask the dealer. I pointed out the dealer has requested we not contact them for updates as they are overwhelmed, and the Lotus rep said I should then wait for the dealer to contact me.

Perhaps it's time to head to the library and re-read one of Kafka's novels. Maybe The Trial? Or for a slight Lotus twist, his Letters to Felice was the basis of A Letter to Elise by the Cure.

By any chance are you referring to the Lotus Elise?

 

[@Life411]

Hey All, Just reading through the latest comments and wanted to react/respond to some themes. This is just me...and I'm paraphrasing the themes.

First, just want to say if your Emira deposit is not with Gator, please don't comment on this thread.

"We should accept poor customer service as the new norm" That only begets increasingly poor CS.

"Gator is great and doing everything they can" They're a mix at best. They could answer the phones and emails, proactively communicate something meaningful, staff up as necessary to do these things, etc.

"Tony going on vacation looks bad" "People are entitled to their lives" I agree with both viewpoints for very personal reasons. However, by hiding it and having it revealed, it reflects badly on Gator...again the lack of transparency. It would have been better to DO and say something like Tony is getting married and going on his honeymoon...while he's gone, here's the plan to keep deliveries rolling.

"Are there enough of us to do some reporting of our own?" I don't think we have enough of us to make this meaningful and any conclusions we could draw would be questionable.

Anyway, I'm glad to have connected with other Gator Emira Deposit Holders through this thread. I really hope we can get some more meaningful communication and transparency from Gator. That would be an improvement for Dealer and Customers alike.

 

[DerTheDer]

This is a horrible look. Tony had three years off but chooses to take a vacation when there is finally work to be done and dozens of customers are waiting to take delivery of the cars they've been waiting three years for.

As a business owner, this is inexcusable.

As far as I can tell, Gator is the absolute worst kind of business; attentive and helpful when trying to get your money, but nowhere to be found when they have it. Shame on them.

I heard he was on vacation, or maybe sick leave, but I have not been told that's 100% the case. I was just echoing what someone had told me.

Agreed that they could put out communication, but it would be the same thing. "Lotus aint told us shit". I know they are requesting the cars from Lotus in Detroit and thats the snag. They have the space, they have the facility, they just don't have the cars.

 

[@Life411]

I heard he was on vacation, or maybe sick leave, but I have not been told that's 100% the case. I was just echoing what someone had told me.

Agreed that they could put out communication, but it would be the same thing. "Lotus aint told us shit". I know they are requesting the cars from Lotus in Detroit and thats the snag. They have the space, they have the facility, they just don't have the cars.

My sister lives near Gator and paid a visit in person on Wednesday. They told her Tony is on his honeymoon.

As mentioned by several folks, there is a lot of information Gator could share that many of us would appreciate. I'd always rather have information even if it's bad rather than being left in the dark guessing.

 

[Idalee07]

Well, in Tony’s defense there’s no way he could have predicted when to take a vacation and definitely not a wedding due to lotus lack of info and poor planning

 

[FEGuy]

My sister lives near Gator and paid a visit in person on Wednesday. They told her Tony is on his honeymoon.

As mentioned by several folks, there is a lot of information Gator could share that many of us would appreciate. I'd always rather have information even if it's bad rather than being left in the dark guessing.

Well, in Tony’s defense there’s no way he could have predicted when to take a vacation and definitely not a wedding due to lotus lack of info and poor planning

That's a very different situation. I completely agree. Gator communicating that directly rather than have partial info slip out on the forum would be much better business practice. That is the real issue here...

 

[ameeriklane]

The last update I received from Gator was an email on 3/15 sent to all depositors that they are working to get cars to buyers and how they can't keep up with the influx of inquiries for status updates.

It's been over a month since that email. Has anyone received an update since then, like an email to all depositors with a general status update, perhaps that X cars have been delivered to owners, Y cars are on the way in the next few weeks, or something like that? Not a personal email -- I don't expect that -- but just a general update to all depositors on the status of things overall.

 

[KAR120C]

That's a very different situation. I completely agree. Gator communicating that directly rather than have partial info slip out on the forum would be much better business practice. That is the real issue here...

I don’t agree. They aren’t under any obligation to disclose employees personal information to the public.

Perhaps a better practice would be for forum members not to lose their s#!+ because a guy is out of pocket for a week.

 

[DerTheDer]

I for one wish him the very best in his new marriage and hope he has a very prosperous future.

 

[@Life411]

I don’t agree. They aren’t under any obligation to disclose employees personal information to the public.

Perhaps a better practice would be for forum members not to lose their s#!+ because a guy is out of pocket for a week.

I think you're exaggerating the reactions. I also think none of this has to do with Tony being out of pocket for a week...that is just one more thing on top of a huge pile of poor communication, delays, etc.

 

[brainf18]

I think you're exaggerating the reactions. I also think none of this has to do with Tony being out of pocket for a week...that is just one more thing on top of a huge pile of poor communication, delays, etc.

At least "one" person expressed what I would call "over the top" displeasure...but for the most part position holders are waiting patiently. that said I think all of us wish communications and updates were a little more forthcoming...but that feeling is not at all unique to Gator

 

[@Life411]

The last update I received from Gator was an email on 3/15 sent to all depositors that they are working to get cars to buyers and how they can't keep up with the influx of inquiries for status updates.

It's been over a month since that email. Has anyone received an update since then, like an email to all depositors with a general status update, perhaps that X cars have been delivered to owners, Y cars are on the way in the next few weeks, or something like that? Not a personal email -- I don't expect that -- but just a general update to all depositors on the status of things overall.

I have not received any updates. That's essentially all many of us are asking for...regular updates and real information. But it appears Gator and Lotus are turning a deaf ear. Honestly I'm surprised with Geely's aspirations that this wasn't the first thing they corrected when they acquired Lotus.

 

[Porter]

I have not received any updates. That's essentially all many of us are asking for...regular updates and real information. But it appears Gator and Lotus are turning a deaf ear. Honestly I'm surprised with Geely's aspirations that this wasn't the first thing they corrected when they acquired Lotus.

Welcome to our very loud and detailed ongoing complaints from 2021, 2022, 2023, etc....

This ain't new. And the vast majority of your issue has nothing to do with Gator.

 

[@Life411]

Welcome to our very loud and detailed ongoing complaints from 2021, 2022, 2023, etc....

This ain't new. And the vast majority of your issue has nothing to do with Gator.

We know. Do you have a deposit in with Gator?

 

[Nova]

My guess - *AND IT'S ONLY A GUESS* - is that some cars have issues that requires help from Lotus of UK to fix - either in troubleshooting or replacement parts. These cars are held back for delivery. In such a case, the dealer doesn't really want to tell the buyers "Oh, your car has a problem" because the buyers would react very negatively to that news. So instead of making up a story, they just stay silent on these cars. I really can't think of another reason why a dealer as communicative as Gator would stay silent. The alternative is that the cars are delivered with issues - and we've seen other dealers do this, which I regard as a worse way of doing things. Technically, it's perfectly normal for dealers and manufacturers to fix issues on new cars prior to delivery. The Emira may just be experiencing more of a need for these fixes than other mass produced cars.

I know first hand how frustrating these last few days/weeks/months can be. I'm constantly reminding myself that I picked one of the better dealers to work with and am confident that they are doing what they can to put a good car into my garage.