[Steve]

I sent this emai letter this morning. It explains precisely how I feel about this whole debacle. I truly hope that Lotus can get its act together. Steve

Dear XXXXXXX,

I am deeply disappointed. I wrote to you politely two weeks ago, asking for some hint on the status of my long-overdue car. I have not had the courtesy of a response of any kind.

I've been a Lotus fan for a long, long time, at least until I tried to become a new-car customer.

Multiple delays, broken promises, a complete absence of communication with your customers (and apparently with your dealers), and now a price increase on my car that should have been here months ago. A price increase I had to read about on an internet message board.

Lotus' re-entry into the American market is a textbook case of bad planning, management, and communication.

You have alienated scores of people before they are even Lotus customers, with what appears to be complete indifference, and now with what I perceive to be unethical conduct. How can you take my order at a particular price, delay delivery multiple times, and then demand $1,000 more for a car that should have been in my garage months ago?

To cap it all off, I (and hundreds of others) have to sit by with no information, no car, and watch as multiple cars find their way out of dealerships and into the secondary market, at least one of those cars spec'd precisely like the car I ordered. The whole experience has been insulting.

Lotus cannot continue to treat its customers like this and survive. If you have any influence over this organization, please do something. At least pass this message along. I believe that it is a view held by many of Lotus' would-be customers.

 

[Hollywood]

:clap: -eek- :wallbang: :up:

 

[Stan]

Lotus cannot control what dealers and car owners choose to do with their cars.

The Elise is *VERY* fairly priced in America. It's a bargain if such a hard core car can meet your needs. I'd imagine that other increases will take place next year...and that various upgrades and options will also be made available, for a price.

I certainly do not want Lotus to fail...or to cheapen the car, use crummy tires and so forth.

Honda tends to put crummy brakes and wheels / tires on their cars to hold prices down - Lotus does not.

 

[Johnny B]

I sent this emai letter this morning. It explains precisely how I feel about this whole debacle. I truly hope that Lotus can get its act together. Steve

Dear XXXXXXX,

I am deeply disappointed. I wrote to you politely two weeks ago, asking for some hint on the status of my long-overdue car. I have not had the courtesy of a response of any kind.

I've been a Lotus fan for a long, long time, at least until I tried to become a new-car customer.

Multiple delays, broken promises, a complete absence of communication with your customers (and apparently with your dealers), and now a price increase on my car that should have been here months ago. A price increase I had to read about on an internet message board.

Lotus' re-entry into the American market is a textbook case of bad planning, management, and communication.

You have alienated scores of people before they are even Lotus customers, with what appears to be complete indifference, and now with what I perceive to be unethical conduct. How can you take my order at a particular price, delay delivery multiple times, and then demand $1,000 more for a car that should have been in my garage months ago?

To cap it all off, I (and hundreds of others) have to sit by with no information, no car, and watch as multiple cars find their way out of dealerships and into the secondary market, at least one of those cars spec'd precisely like the car I ordered. The whole experience has been insulting.

Lotus cannot continue to treat its customers like this and survive. If you have any influence over this organization, please do something. At least pass this message along. I believe that it is a view held by many of Lotus' would-be customers.

What is LCU's email address? Would be good for all of us that have placed firm orders to let them know how we feel about the price increase.

 

[Steve]

I'm not arguing the fairness of the price. I'm arguing the fairness of changing the price after I ordered. Agreed they cannot control what dealers do, it just makes it all the more frustrating for those of us waiting. Steve

 

[ConeFusion]

Well said, Steve! :clap:

 

[Stan]

>>>I'm arguing the fairness of changing the price after I ordered. <<<

Cars generally are priced out based on MSRP at the time of delivery. Many large car companies have 2-3 price increases per year during price/cost pressure periods. That way they take some of the sting out of it. The increase could easily have been much greater...and future increases will help the resale value of your car.

 

[MattG]

Re: Re: My letter to Lotus

What is LCU's email address? Would be good for all of us that have placed firm orders to let them know how we feel about the price increase.

I hear they read this message board pretty regularly; posting your thoughts to this MSRP discussion forum is very likely to be seen by them.

I'm not sure what their email address is, but you could use logical address names at their domain name and it'd probably reach them. For example, [email protected], [email protected], etc.

 

[jml1952]

Nice letter. Conveys my sentiments very well.

When Symbolic closed their showroom in Beverly Hills, I sent e-mails to Lotus to ask for clarification about what might happen to their waiting list. Never received an answer. I hope that Lotus is reading the posts here.

Dear Lotus: You get 10 out of 10 from me for you ability to build a great car. You get 0 for 10 in marketing and communication skills.

I understand the currency exchange problem that you are grappling with, but your proposed solution stinks and your timing sucks. The problem is not new and hasn't changed that much lately, so if you were going to raise the MSRP, it should have been done months ago. But that wouldn't have sounded good in the press, so I suspect that's why you waited until now. If you really need to raise the MSRP, I would suggest that a $2000 increase for model year 2006 would have been a more equitable and better received solution. But perhaps you have other increases planned for the near future.

I'm sure that I will love the car, but you have lost my respect and tarnished this buying experience for me. I will compensate for the price increase by foregoing the StarShield and I will not buy any accessories in the future from Lotus. I do not expect that I will ever purchase another Lotus automobile.

I can see why Lotus has had so many solvency problems over the years. I wish that Lotus had priced the car initially at $45,000, then I never would have entertained the idea of buying one. However, you sucked me in with the $38,500 estimated MSRP and I've allowed myself to believe that I should pay $48,000 out the door for this car.

Too late now for me to back out, as I'm thoroughly obsessed with owning an Elise and can easily afford it, but I'm quite pissed over this type of treatment. You can be certain that my friends will be regaled with my opinions on Lotus, i.e. great car, misereable company.

Expecting my car in a month or so. Really hoping that it arrives prior to any additional price increase(s).

Sincerely,

Michael

 

[Sownman]

Think if I send them a real suck up "you guys are the greatest"
emai I can get my car sooner ?

Steve

 

[Johnny B]

I also sent them an email. Hope it gets to them.

"To whom it may concern,

As a business, you have the right to change the price that you charge for your goods and services. I have no issue with the price increase on the Elise for those cars that have yet to be ordered.

My order has been submitted and LCU should do the right thing and honor the MSRP at the time my order was submitted. Had I known that a price increase was coming, I would have altered my order to offset the increase.

I am asking for you to do the right thing and not penalize those of us who have already placed our orders."

 

[Vangman]

Steve,

You hit the nail on the head. Thank you for the letter and the post.

Mikey

 

[raggedy1]

To cap it all off, I (and hundreds of others) have to sit by with no information, no car, and watch as multiple cars find their way out of dealerships and into the secondary market, at least one of those cars spec'd precisely like the car I ordered. The whole experience has been insulting.

Lotus cannot continue to treat its customers like this and survive. If you have any influence over this organization, please do something. At least pass this message along. I believe that it is a view held by many of Lotus' would-be customers.

The extra cars that have appeared on dealer floors is the ONE factor that has me really frosted over this buying experience.

It is INSULTING

 

[Gromit]

I'm not arguing the fairness of the price. I'm arguing the fairness of changing the price after I ordered. Agreed they cannot control what dealers do, it just makes it all the more frustrating for those of us waiting. Steve

For the next couple of years, there'll always be someone with a car on order. If they refused to raise the price in such a condition, they could never raise the price.

The price increase effects EVERYONE. Just because you're on order, doesn't make $945 any more or less. It'll be the same price that I pay (hopefully). So you're saying it's fair for me to pay the extra price, but not you ? That's selfish.

 

[raggedy1]

I haven't spec'd out my car, and I do say it's unfair for those who have done so to be saddled with the price increase.

I'll pay the hike grudgingly, but if I was already waiting for a car, say top 10 on a dealer's list, then I would be pretty pissed off

the rest of us wait-listers will have to hope Lotus doesn't rape us in the near future...

 

[Patricko]

Think if I send them a real suck up "you guys are the greatest"
emai I can get my car sooner ?

Steve

What if those e-mails go to Lotus Admin (Nazz)

 

[Steve]

For the next couple of years, there'll always be someone with a car on order. If they refused to raise the price in such a condition, they could never raise the price.

The price increase effects EVERYONE. Just because you're on order, doesn't make $945 any more or less. It'll be the same price that I pay (hopefully). So you're saying it's fair for me to pay the extra price, but not you ? That's selfish.

I have to respectfully disagree. Lotus can change the price anytime without changing the rules for those who have ordered. "All cars ordered after 9/1/04 will have the following MSRP." Simple as that.

I'm not asking to be treated better than anyone else. I'm asking that the MSRP at the time of order be honored.

Steve

EDIT: By "order" I mean the point of time when you spec out your car and the deposit becomes non-refundable.

 

[Ralbertina]

From my perspective, I view this as the second price increase since the announced price of the car $38,500 -> $39,875 -> aprox. $41k. Two price increases in 6 months: if Lotus can't whether the fluctuation in the dollar against the Euro, then they shouldn't attempt to participate in a global economy. As the dllar strengthens against the Euro, what will be the excuse for the next rate increase (demand?).

 

[Gromit]

I understand why you want MSRP at the time of ordering, but MSRP only refers to the price of the car you're buying. You haven't bought a car yet. When you were signing the document to order the car, you chose to shrug at the 'Price is subject to change' line. I do that too, as does almost everyone. Most of the time we luck out. This time we didn't.

Ralbertina - The first 'price increase' wasn't a price increase as the cars were not being sold at the orriginal price. Lotus specifically said "DON'T GET ON A LIST". We ignored them. Thats our fault.

 

[Randy Chase]

Ralbertina - The first 'price increase' wasn't a price increase as the cars were not being sold at the orriginal price. Lotus specifically said "DON'T GET ON A LIST". We ignored them. Thats our fault.

Good point. It does not make me feel any better, but dealers did create waiting lists and took deposits even though Lotus told them not to. That was my choice to take and the first bump in price was part of the gamble. They could have also said the car was going to be $60k MSRP at the official launch and then I would have dropped off the list and got my deposit back.