Would-be Chrysler PT Cruiser buyers still can't get a break. [PARA]Nearly a
year after the retro-styled Cruiser started arriving in showrooms, shoppers
are still swapping war stories and trading tips about how to locate and
quickly get into the hot new car. [PARA]But some eager buyers wind up on
waiting lists for close to a year, while it appears a lucky few who happen
to call a dealership at just the right time are encouraged to "come on down"
to the showroom to snap up a suddenly "orphaned" Cruiser-for a price to be
determined. [PARA]As explained by a salesman at a Texas dealership that had
three orphaned Cruisers on a recent March morning, these are Cruisers whose
would-be owners had decided, after a long wait for the car, not to buy after
all. They also could be buyers who, when purchase time finally came,
couldn't arrange the financing, balked at the price or had found a Cruiser
elsewhere and had never cancelled their order. [PARA]But orphaned Cruisers
don't always get offered to customers who already have their names on
waiting lists at dealerships. [PARA]"We went through that," the salesman
said, indicating it had become a hassle because buyers didn't always want a
different color, different transmission and different equipment from what
they had ordered months before. Now, he said, orphaned Cruisers go to buyers
on "a first-come basis." [PARA]A salesman at a Florida dealership that, like
the Texas dealership, was contacted randomly also said orphaned Cruisers
don't always go to the next person on the waiting list. [PARA]"What happens
once a car comes in here is we have ten salespeople, and the first customer
who comes through the door gets it," he said. [PARA]Chrysler Says Hands
Tied[NL]DaimlerChrysler officials said they are aware of angry buyers who
are frustrated by their attempts to get a Cruiser and who want a more
straightforward approach. [PARA]Officials also note that dealers are
independent businesspeople-not employees of DaimlerChrysler-and they're
allowed to run their businesses as they see fit. And the economics of the
situation are not helping: supply vs. demand. The automaker simply cannot
meet the high demand for the PT Cruiser. And buyers hamper efforts by
putting their names on multiple lists at multiple dealerships, adding to the
confusion. [PARA]"You can't really order one at this time, the orders are so
backed up," a saleswoman at a South Florida auto dealership told us in
March. [PARA]In fact, she added, the dealership, like most, doesn't even
have a Cruiser on hand for interested buyers to test drive. [PARA]As early
as last year, a Chrysler dealership in Los Angeles was referring interested
Cruiser buyers to a local Dollar Rent-A-Car where they could rent-and
thereby test drive-a Cruiser. But the interested buyers had to foot the
rental fee themselves. [PARA]2002 Model Dilemma[NL]DaimlerChrysler officials
are trying to avoid last year's problem when many buyers on the waiting list
for the 2000 Cruiser found themselves suddenly facing higher prices because
the 2000s sold out and they were expected to take the higher-priced 2001s.
[PARA]So, in December the automaker notified each car dealer about the
remaining 2001 Cruiser allocation each would get, so they could keep
customers informed. "We projected it out," company spokeswoman Ann Smith
said. "We hope we have eliminated the confusion." [PARA]Further, she said,
the automaker is "not accepting orders for the 2002s until July or August."
[PARA]But judging by the discussions going on at PT Cruiser Web sites,
would-be Cruiser buyers are still confused. [PARA]One interested buyer said
his dealer wouldn't give him a date when 2002 orders would start. Another
responded that her dealer said he planned to "roll over" orders for 2001
Cruisers into orders for 2002s. [PARA]That's not what Cruiser buyers on a
waiting list at a Northern California dealership were told. According to a
report in the Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, Calif., buyers waiting for a
2001 model who won't get one of few remaining 2001 models are being dropped
from the list. They will need to re-contact the dealership if they want to
order a 2002. Prices for the 2002 Cruiser haven't been announced. [PARA]So
if you want a Cruiser, call dealers early and often. As Smith noted, buyers
drop off the lists for a variety of reasons. "It makes sense to keep
checking," she said.
Ref: http://carpoint.msn.com/jump/news/jgnews_4019538_6.asp
--------------------------------------
Steven St.Laurent
Test Engineer
Test Branch, GSD, MCTSSA
MARCORSYSCOM, USMC
(Work) 760-725-2506 (DSN: 365)
(Work) mailto:stlaurents@mctssa.usmc.mil
(Home) mailto:saint1958@home.com
"In fact, my work has already proven
itself to be correct. People such
as you just haven't gotten it yet.
(unknown author)
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