What Happened to Desert European?

4878 Views 71 Replies 17 Participants Last post by tahoemark, Dec 17, 2004

physi

Discussion Starter · Aug 21, 2004 (Edited)

I got a phone call from Austin Lewis @ Desert European this morning, telling me that Desert European will not be able to sell Elise until LATE NEXT YEAR, so he would like to pay my deposit back to my credit card.

DOH!!!!

What's wrong with this dealership??
Anyone knows?

Anyone in the same situation??

edit - After reading other members' replies that there are actually people getting the car, I am suspecting if I just misunderstood Austin telling me he will not be able to sell "me" car until late next year. Let me contact Austin for accurate info.
Sorry for those who become worried about their order status, and I will give full apology if all this is due to my misunderstanding.

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andykeck

· #61 · Nov 12, 2004

shay2nak said:
now you're 10 spots ahead placing a deposit after me. Have you ordered your car already? I'm really confused here. :wallbang:

Something is certainly not right.:shrug:

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ChrisH

· #62 · Nov 12, 2004

[email protected] said:
Just to add more confusion to this mess....

I spoke to Pat yesterday and was told that I have moved up on the "list". He says I am now #19 and should expect Late February, early March delivery. He said deliveries are going MUCH slower than was expected (only 2 or 3 a month so far).

I've decided that in order to maintain my sanity about this process, I have to abandon the idea of the list and just expect to get the car whenever it arrives.

I am confused. DE received my $2500 deposit on 3/5/2004 (and was told I was the 22nd person to put a deposit down), yet you put yours down on 4/15/2004 and appear to be ahead of me on the list. They are telling you to expect delivery in late February or early March, and are telling me April. This is very odd. Have you placed your order with Lotus yet? They haven't taken my order yet. Are you paying extra beyond MSRP and the Lotus standard delivery fee?

I spoke with Austin last month just to make sure nobody forgot about me. It seemed like everything was on track.

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shay2nak

· #63 · Nov 12, 2004

like I said all of us should meet there. How about Dec 4th?

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andykeck

· #64 · Nov 12, 2004

ChrisH said:
I am confused. DE received my $2500 deposit on 3/5/2004 (and was told I was the 22nd person to put a deposit down), yet you put yours down on 4/15/2004 and appear to be ahead of me on the list. They are telling you to expect delivery in late February or early March, and are telling me April. This is very odd. Have you placed your order with Lotus yet? They haven't taken my order yet. Are you paying extra beyond MSRP and the Lotus standard delivery fee?

I spoke with Austin last month just to make sure nobody forgot about me. It seemed like everything was on track.

Here's a data point:
deposit placed 3/1/2004, spot #20, estimated Feb. delivery

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mact3333

· #65 · Nov 13, 2004 (Edited)

you guys do know there are 2 lists at DE right?...I put my deposit there in early June 04' and I was #28 but really #48...they said the first 20 had to pay over msrp but all the people 21 and over didnt have to pay over msrp...sometimes they dont count the people on the over msrp list I have noticed..i pulled my deposit in July when Galpin looked like they were going to be a dealer but when I called back when there were the first grumblings that Galpin might not be a dealer, Pat Marsh said I could get my old spot back(hence nobody was moving up the list after I dropped out) for 2500.00 over msrp...I said "dont think so"!...funny thing is this, Im not even sure I would have got the car at msrp cause evidenetly, they had told others they were on the at msrp list but after awhile, the story changed and they now said people had to pay over msrp...when I took myself off the list they seemed surprised when i told them I was supposed to have a car at msrp and he also said "I guess if we promised you a car at msrp we would have had to honor it" but it didnt inspire alot of confidence...I feel if I didnt take myself off of the list he would have laughed at my msrp request despite them telling me that at least on 4 seperate occasions that this would take place.

what i said above probably doesnt even pertain to what you guys are talking about but everytime I talked with them, I was abit confused...

...but Pat was very pleasant guy to talk with on the phone.

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ChrisH

· #66 · Nov 13, 2004

andykeck said:
Here's a data point:
deposit placed 3/1/2004, spot #20, estimated Feb. delivery

Has your order been placed with Lotus?

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andykeck

· #67 · Nov 13, 2004

ChrisH said:
Has your order been placed with Lotus?

As far as I can tell, yes. I was originally #21 but someone dropped out on the day they submitted orders so I moved up a spot and and ordered the same day I placed my deposit.

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shay2nak

· #68 · Nov 13, 2004

mact3333 said:
you guys do know there are 2 lists at DE right?...I put my deposit there in early June 04' and I was #28 but really #48...they said the first 20 had to pay over msrp but all the people 21 and over didnt have to pay over msrp...sometimes they dont count the people on the over msrp list I have noticed...

yes I know there are two lists. But here we go again, you were told #28 at a June deposit when I was told #28 at an April deposit. I don't know what my true number is taking into all the lists i guess, it's #31 or #32. And if you were #48, I guess that makes sense, too. And I'd be in the next order batch, when? I don't know. I'm just getting a bit antsy now that so many people have gotten their cars and having fun. I know I don't want the car until late February or March, but it would be nice to know some solid details that will not fluctuate.

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pianomaniac

· #69 · Nov 13, 2004

Money talks......especially when your talking money in the Palm Springs area. If you want.....you pay. If you don't want to pay........you will wait. How long?.........wait......wait.......wait..... and you will see!

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Ground Loop

· #70 · Nov 13, 2004

mact3333 said:
you guys do know there are 2 lists at DE right?...I put my deposit there in early June 04' and I was #28 but really #48...they said the first 20 had to pay over msrp but all the people 21 and over didnt have to pay over msrp...

Seriously?! Only 20 people are paying MSRP+$2500?

I thought the Premium list was much longer than that -- over a year long.

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[email protected]

· #71 · Nov 14, 2004

As far as I can tell, my order has been placed. I have already given the guys at DE my list of options and color choice for the car. Pat read it all back to me when I spoke to him this week. I have only put down the intial $2500 deposit/markup. After that, I expect to get the car for MSRP.

As for there being two initial lists, I was never told anything about that. When I called to get on the list back in April, I was only told that I needed to pay the $2500 and my name would be put on the list. I was never given the option of an alternative (no markup) list.

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tahoemark

· #72 · Dec 17, 2004

Buy my new car now

I got my car from Desert European on 12/1/04 due to major family crisis I must selll now at MSRP. Check out my post under cars for sale. Don't pay 2500 over. Buy now-- Please--
Mark

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