[Glen e]

The allocation system is in place due to the legal rulings in court in the past. Plain and simple. Also, GM has no way to vett a dealer order to tell if it's real or not. Dealers will make up orders, google "Porsche straw buyer"....

I ran the allocation system for BMW in south Florida for 15 years, it's a terrible system but one the courts have approved and instigated. I was on the stand 3 times when a dealer sued they were not getting their share. You allocate on a combination of past sales and inventory levels on ground.

However, it's shotlived, once dealers start turning down their "fair share" any dealer can pick them up as the local GM rep has a pool. Usually happens in 2nd year of production. He's beggin his guys to take them. Just ask the big vette dealers now.

[rontammy0]

Originally Posted by unavailablezl1

Exactly, then also factories close and retool for the new model year. Machines have to be changed out for parts being shaped different, different sequences of assembly, etc. The list goes on. The years that there are major changes, the longer they stayed closed. The 17 to 18 MY will see fewer changes, so it should not last long.

This isnt a new model year situation.

[kwav8r]

Originally Posted by Glen e

The allocation system is in place due to the legal rulings in court in the past. Plain and simple. Also, GM has no way to vett a dealer order to tell if it's real or not. Dealers will make up orders, google "Porsche straw buyer"....

I ran the allocation system for BMW in south Florida for 15 years, it's a terrible system but one the courts have approved and instigated. I was on the stand 3 times when a dealer sued they were not getting their share. You allocate on a combination of past sales and inventory levels on ground.

However, it's shotlived, once dealers start turning down their "fair share" any dealer can pick them up as the local GM rep has a pool. Usually happens in 2nd year of production. He's beggin his guys to take them. Just ask the big vette dealers now.

So, if I understand correctly, the allocation system was created to keep dealers from straw ordering cars to sell so that they could mark prices up on highly desirable cars and leave other dealers behind. That makes sense.

It's a terrible system but i guess that's what happens when courts get involved.

[ssrallyred]

I have bought many cars but only ordered 4. Every time they just asked for a 500 dollar deposit check they just threw in a file. Like many of said they might get the car or not. Just trying to see if the buyer is really serious. But from March of this year on a order seems like there was never a chance on the build.

[NobleoneZL1]

Originally Posted by ssrallyred

I have bought many cars but only ordered 4. Every time they just asked for a 500 dollar deposit check they just threw in a file. Like many of said they might get the car or not. Just trying to see if the buyer is really serious. But from March of this year on a order seems like there was never a chance on the build.

I guess I was lucky then. I ordered mine in March but confirmed with the store manager that they in fact could get the car. They had an allotment of 3 and I got the 3rd one. I took delivery this Friday.

[mlee]

Originally Posted by kwav8r

So, if I understand correctly, the allocation system was created to keep dealers from straw ordering cars to sell so that they could mark prices up on highly desirable cars and leave other dealers behind. That makes sense.

It's a terrible system but i guess that's what happens when courts get involved.

If they could just give all the allocations to the dealer that sold the most then we would have only 2 or 3 dealers selling all the cars. Becky would be real happy with that system. The thing is we are talking about a brand new car that most, in fact, are spoken for in the ordering system.

If you're willing to look just outside your area I bet you'll find something. I had to do the same thing when I wanted a 2012 and was #3 on the list at my dealer who only got 2 allocations. I found one 200 miles away and ended up getting my car before the guy who was #2 on the list.

People with orders back out of these all the time for various reasons (mostly finance). Try this link to AutoTrader. You might get lucky

[mdmoore23]

March WAS NOT TOO late to order a ZL1. The cutoff date was public knowledge. The last orders had to be in by the 1st week of April. That was the last dsop cycle for 2017 ZL1's. If a dealer actually had an allocation, the car will be or is already built from that timeframe. They aren't cancelling allocated orders, they cancel orders stuck at 1100 because that dealer never had an allocation for the vehicle.

[mdmoore23]

Originally Posted by kwav8r

This statement right here is the source of my umbrage with GMs allocation system, in my simple mind I don't understand why GM would take the risk of producing an allocated car that isn't sold when they should fill Retail Sold orders first or at least ensure that all Retail Sold orders receive an allocation.

Case in point, I ordered a '17 in early December. Final allocations came round in April and mine never got picked up either.

Now however, I can do a search around the country and 'see' plenty of cars out there on dealer lots - all in the wrong color or with options I don't want to pay for. Some of the dealers up the ADM and some don't. Soon though, a lot of these cars are going to be sold for less than MSRP. While I know the dealer doesn't pay MSRP for the car (and I'll bet it's actually cheaper than supplier pricing) it doesn't make a lot of sense to take the risk of someone coming along the buy a $60K+ car that's on a lot - I personally wouldn't do it because if I'm paying that much I'm going to get what I want, not what's available.

In my reptilian brain it makes a lot more sense for GM to fill Retail Sold orders, for allocated cars, which ensures the product is sold before it leaves the factory. In that way GM makes money, the dealer makes money, and fewer cars are left to sit on lots which represents unrealized gain or loss when the dealer drops the price below MSRP. The only thing I can think of is that somewhere in GM's business model it makes more sense for them to use dealer sales to drive allocations. And I'm not saying to stop doing that, but it certainly doesn't do GM any good to piss off a bunch of customers willing to right a check because the dealership they chose doesn't get enough allocations. Looking around the country at all the '17 ZL1s sitting on lots in colors and with options I don't want is ludicrous, IMHO. But like I said, I'm also not in their business office to understand the process.

Likely it has a lot to do with the contract a dealership signs with GM, all the dealers want a crack at making money and I don't blame them but in this day and age of maximizing profits their current practice doesn't make much sense.

I truly wanted a '17 and now I'm gonna have to wait for an '18 - while I'm good with that it has taken some of the luster off the dream.

What options are you looking for? It seems unlikely that you can't find what you want on the lot right now. Unless you are unwilling to look outside your area, what arctic blue, yellow, silver, or Krypton green, you should be able to find what you want.

[ssrallyred]

I looked way outside my area. Did a search for over 1000 miles. I only wanted a Hyper Blue M6 with the carbon insert. No other options. None available. Even so I would rather order through a local dealer. I work in the automotive repair field and take it to the bank. You buy a car from a dealership vs bringing one in you bought somewhere else the level of service changes.

Of course this only matters in a warranty situation. I wouldn't let most of these jackwagon's touch my cars lol

[mlee]

Originally Posted by mdmoore23

March WAS NOT TOO late to order a ZL1. The cutoff date was public knowledge. The last orders had to be in by the 1st week of April. That was the last dsop cycle for 2017 ZL1's. If a dealer actually had an allocation, the car will be or is already built from that timeframe. They aren't cancelling allocated orders, they cancel orders stuck at 1100 because that dealer never had an allocation for the vehicle.

Spin it however you want but like I said if you tried to get an A10 and ordered in March it was a complete crap shoot and way too late.

[OminouSS]

either way, sorry you couldn't get your car, bud. Just reopen a new order with the 1LE options. I think it would have been a blessing for me since I had to reorder the same damned car 7 months later after receiving.

[mdmoore23]

Originally Posted by mlee

Spin it however you want but like I said if you tried to get an A10 and ordered in March it was a complete crap shoot and way too late.

I'm not spinning. It's how it works. I've ordered Chevys before and heard this same misinformation on the Vette forums. Chevy allocates cars for a reason. They don't allocate only to later cancel a customer's order. They know how many cars they can build in a specified time frame. First week in April was the last order cycle for a 2017 ZL1. That's a fact. If a dealer had an allocation, the car will be built. There's no crap shoot. One must simply understand the process.

[Infern0]

Originally Posted by ssrallyred

I looked way outside my area. Did a search for over 1000 miles. I only wanted a Hyper Blue M6 with the carbon insert. No other options. None available. Even so I would rather order through a local dealer. I work in the automotive repair field and take it to the bank. You buy a car from a dealership vs bringing one in you bought somewhere else the level of service changes.

Of course this only matters in a warranty situation. I wouldn't let most of these jackwagon's touch my cars lol

Do the people in the service area know where you bought the car? They may know up front, but I never imagined, 1) they would ever know, or 2) that those service guys would personally give a damn. No skin off their backs either way.

And you're right, even if they know or don't, doesn't mean they're able to do competent work regardless lol.

[mdmoore23]

Originally Posted by ssrallyred

I looked way outside my area. Did a search for over 1000 miles. I only wanted a Hyper Blue M6 with the carbon insert. No other options. None available. Even so I would rather order through a local dealer. I work in the automotive repair field and take it to the bank. You buy a car from a dealership vs bringing one in you bought somewhere else the level of service changes.

Of course this only matters in a warranty situation. I wouldn't let most of these jackwagon's touch my cars lol

I was a tech at a dealership for 7 years. This is absolutely untrue in 99% of situations. Service is service. The service manager and owner couldnt care less where your vehicle came from. They will make money off you regardless. And also, with an allocated car like this, many can't even get one, so why would they hold it against you if you had to purchase out of town.