[daveg1]

Have you ever tried to talk to someone there? Say, at the 1 800 24 LOTUS number?
Customer Service is an automatic voice message saying they are busy.
And boy they must be busy since my four messages, over two weeks, thus far have been unresponded to. Not one call back. Nothing.
It's an embarrassment for an Automotive company. You wouldn't accept that kind of service from Sal's Deli.

Anyway, my dealer folded and I want to speak to someone about certain documentation for the car that I need...but no is home at Lotus of America.

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Bavarian Motorist]

Surprise, surprise....

 

[yellowlotus]

dont even bother...

 

[Alphonse]

Have you ever tried to talk to someone there? Say, at the 1 800 24 LOTUS number?
Customer Service is an automatic voice message saying they are busy.
And boy they must be busy since my four messages, over two weeks, thus far have been unresponded to. Not one call back. Nothing.
It's an embarrassment for an Automotive company. You wouldn't accept that kind of service from Sal's Deli.

Anyway, my dealer folded and I want to speak to someone about certain documentation for the car that I need...but no is home at Lotus of America.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Go to the Lotus U.K. web page and state your case there. Especially about not have any Lotus representation in your area. You should get a result.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I was surprised about the same situation of an answering machine at a car company. I don't think Lotus USA has very many employees, maybe ten? I did get a call back after a few days in one case and a couple of weeks on a technical question in another case, though.

 

[hiegear]

pm sent.....

 

[Agent ONE]

pm sent.....

Could you send me a PM too? I don't seem to get the inside joke here.

 

[stratos99]

Lotus USA, no one home...

Could I get a PM also? I understand Lotus USA has suffered roughly a 75% decline in new car sales in 09. I cannot imagine Lotus still being in the US market by the end of the year.

 

[SweetDaddyD]

Could I get a PM also? I understand Lotus USA has suffered roughly a 75% decline in new car sales in 09. I cannot imagine Lotus still being in the US market by the end of the year.

Meh, data can be interpreted anyway you want it to be. For one thing they recently had their best years ever. A decline in sales was inevitable. Add in the economy and they certainly aren't the only ones. I bet their sales for 09 compared to their sales for any year in their history prior to 05 would still be a company record once you knock out the couple boom years they had with the Elige introduction.

I understand that even with reduced sales they were one of very few automotive companies to turn a profit last year. (granted much of that probably came from engineering, but still. I'm sure they'll take it)

Regarding the OP though.- Bummer.

 

[hiegear]

The pm was an offer to try and get his local reps number. No joke......

Well, I can see where the humor is.

 

[daveg1]

thank you gentlemen.

 

[stratos99]

Lotus USA

I hope I'm wrong, but my guess is that Lotus USA is a sea of red ink. If Lotus is making a profit or at least maintaining itself, it has to be in Europe and Asia. If you look at the 2009 cars for sale in the Lotus USA dealer network, except for the type 25 specials, it is almost zero.

The worst part is it appears that our economy may very well be in this recession for years (the reason for this is a discussion for another time in a different forum). How long will Proton absorb losses in our market waiting for our economy to turn around? Will Proton leave and re-enter in 5 years?

I'm waiting to see the situation sorted out before making a purchasing decision. If Lotus were to abandon the US market, I would assume the value of Lotus cars would decline dramatically due to the lack of a dealer network and factory support.

 

[def]

Many (most?) are out of warranty anyways... I dont think it would decline too much. But I don't think it will happen. Lotus planned for this and havent been bringing in as many cars.

 

[CosmosMpower]

Does anyone have definitive info that Lotus USA is actually closing it's doors or is this just speculation?

 

[Bgwilly31]

extreme speculation^

 

[Tpup]

Lotus Cars USA (LCU) makes enough money on parts sales to fund the business. In addition, that business survived, and thrived, selling 100-125 Esprit's a year. It does well in terms of the USA business and makes significant financial contributions to the UK business (profit on the car sold from manufacturing to LCU, plus profit on parts sold from UK to LCU) to justify the operation.

Any discussion regarding it closing is someone talking out of their rear end.

 

[Tpup]

I hope I'm wrong, but my guess is that Lotus USA is a sea of red ink. If Lotus is making a profit or at least maintaining itself, it has to be in Europe and Asia. If you look at the 2009 cars for sale in the Lotus USA dealer network, except for the type 25 specials, it is almost zero.

The worst part is it appears that our economy may very well be in this recession for years (the reason for this is a discussion for another time in a different forum). How long will Proton absorb losses in our market waiting for our economy to turn around? Will Proton leave and re-enter in 5 years?

I'm waiting to see the situation sorted out before making a purchasing decision. If Lotus were to abandon the US market, I would assume the value of Lotus cars would decline dramatically due to the lack of a dealer network and factory support.

You are. You don't know what you are talking about.

 

[DeanG]

Come to LOG 29. There is a good chance you will be able to ask executives from Lotus, Lotus USA & Lotus Engineering.

 

[cstetter]

You are. You don't know what you are talking about.

+1

Lotus survived for years on a few dozen Esprits sold per year...