Letting off some steam

[ub7rm]

When I was at the dealers the other day (picking up my finacee's new car) there were three new GTI's waiting to be picked up.  I asked the salesman if they were selling many of them and he said that that was all they were selling, they couldn't get anything else through from the factory due to part supply issues...

[keelaw]

wow - that is a crazy wait for the GTD.  have you tried calling around the internet brokers and other dealers?  it might be worth your while to get a slightly smaller discount but earlier delivery.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I am on for a rant.

I ordered my GTD on July 17th and was told by the dealer to realistically expect 14 weeks before delivery.

I have just been given a duild date of week 47 which means I won't see the car until the middle of December and I will then wait to register it as a January 2010 car.

That is around 22 weeks of waiting, 24 if you include waiting until January 2010 although these extra 2 weeks aren't the dealer's fault.

CT, when you placed your order, did you get any kind of 'tracking number' (can't remember what the official VW term is  :embarassed:)?

Also, is your car got lots of options?  I remember when the Mk5 GTI came out - if you spec'd DSG, I think it added something like another 3-4 weeks to the build time.  I do remember my Mk5 was particularly long, but I was expecting it.  I feel your pain though. 

Rant over.

Feel better now? 

Breathe in . . . . . hold, aaaaaand breathe out . . . . , and repeat . . . .

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Do you think they're using their allocations for those that have paid top wack for their cars, those that have negotiated a discount get put on economy class, so to speak?

Wouldn't surprise me!  I got shafted back in 2003 - I was meant to have the first 'customer' Audi B6 S4 in the UK - but the stealer pulled a fast one . . . 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I think I might hassle the dealer to add something extra on for making me wait for 23 weeks and not 14 as they had led me to believe!

If they don't, then contact VW UK customer services.  You should be looking for about £100 for each month beyond the originally agreed date.  So that might mean a full tank of fuel, mudflaps front and rear (and even if you don't like them, you can flog them on the bay, or here in the classifieds), some additional floor mats (if you like out in the sticks, the official VW rubber mats are excellent, or if you are taking out Joanna Lumbley, then you might need to consider the 'posh' velour carpet mats).  Or maybe sommat else.  Log onto www.VolkswagenAccessories.co.uk, or  www.VolkswagenMerchandise.co.uk, make a 'wish list', and, within reason, haggle hard. 

How about this official GTI 'mudflap'? - www.VolkswagenMerchandise.co.uk/?page=shop&pid=208  . . . . . 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I think I might hassle the dealer to add something extra on for making me wait for 23 weeks and not 14 as they had led me to believe!

i would defo get something extra for free as that's a joke - upgrade your stereo/leather/xenons/

There is absolutely no chance of that lot - as the cars spec will have been 'locked' once it is being built.

gap insurance for free!

Nah, get that MUCH cheaper from other sources, and get some 'real' bits from VW.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I think I might hassle the dealer to add something extra on for making me wait for 23 weeks and not 14 as they had led me to believe!

i would defo get something extra for free as that's a joke - upgrade your stereo/leather/xenons/gap insurance for free!

There is only one flaw in your plan - I can't upgrade the stereo unless I go to Satnav which I don't want, I have ordered leather and xenons already. I think a free sunroof would make the wait worthy!

free sunroof it is then!  What else didn't you spec lol

Won't happen once the car is being built - unless the OP want to start the whole process again . . . 

I specced a GTD the other day and got it to 27K!! 

And you forgot to press the cancel button. 

I've just seen an order on the VW system: 

• Name: Mr Rhyso Dervhead
• Address: Sheep Farm, The Valleys, Merthyr
• Car: GTD, fully loaded
• Cost: silly money

 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I didn't go too mad, here is the spec -

GTD
Candy white
3 door
Black vienna leather
RCD510 touchscreen
Dynaudio pack
Rear view camera
Cruise control
Xenons

I ordered it on 17s because I have 19s for it.

That seems quite a 'reasonable' spec.  Have VW indicated that any particular components are in 'short supply'?  These are usually things they outsource, such as SatNav units, or high demand large components which are made in VW factories which are further affield, such as the DSG.  Look here for info on where the various components are made: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Volkswagen_factories

I didn't get the winter pack because the heated seats come with the leather and the headlight washer jets come with the xenons.

Actually, the winter pack is very good indeed.  The heated screenwasher jets really do make a difference when driving in sub-zero conditions, because it means you don't have to have the heater airflow to the screen (where it can dry out the salty road spray deposits into a white crusty mess). 

The only things I didn't get that I considered were DSG, sunroof and flat tyre indicator.

I already got quite a good bit of discount so I might not get much more ouf the dealer although free DSG or a sunroof would be nice!

Sunroof, whilst really excellent, still seems to be a bit 'marmite'.  DSG sells itself - and you either want it or dont.  The flat tyre indicator is truely SHYTE - a serious waste of money, you have to be virtually on your rims before it warns you. 

But if you do want to change the 'factory build' spec, then you will be waiting even further, because it will effectively be a fresh new order. 

[andykram]

I really do sympathise with those who've had to wait for so long.
I'll never understand how I managed to order mine on May 28th for it to arrive by 10th July and be on my drive a week later registered 18th July. By my reckoning this is about 6 seeks for it to arrive and seven to be on the drive from the moment I signed for it. I got a discount too.
It's quite a simple spec though so I wonder if that's what it's all about.

[R32UK]

I really do sympathise with those who've had to wait for so long.
I'll never understand how I managed to order mine on May 28th for it to arrive by 10th July and be on my drive a week later registered 18th July. By my reckoning this is about 6 seeks for it to arrive and seven to be on the drive from the moment I signed for it. I got a discount too.
It's quite a simple spec though so I wonder if that's what it's all about.

The lower the spec the more chance you have of it matching one already on the system. Most likley they found one with similar/exact spec to what you wanted and allocated it to you

Same reason why mine was ready weeks ago, and was a number of same spec models ready to go at a dealers somewhere in the country

I also imagine for cost effectiveness and efficiency they do similar spec'd models at the same time trying to batch them together.