[oldmonk]

Sep 11: Booked a silver GV. Paid 1L advance, signed some forms, and sales person (SP) 'entered request into Maruti system'. Delivery was promised within 45 days.

Oct 23: SP calls me to inform that car is leaving Delhi, and that he needed another 1L. Paid. I was told that car would reach Bangalore in 8 - 10 days.

Oct 30 - Nov 6: Regular follow up calls from me to the SP. Status given on these calls progressively changed from "car is in the truck", "it's on the way", "should be here any time", "sorry, there's a delay because there's a truckers strike in the north", "saar, check post guys are giving problem", "it has come to the bangalore yard!!!", "sorry, not yet, it is coming tomorrow for sure."

Nov 7: I was told that truck had reached the yard, but SP hadn't seen the car yet because yard-in-charge was unreachable. He promised to bring the car to the show room on Sunday to do PDI rather than me going to yard.

Nov 8: Called SP, he says he still hadn't reached yard-in-charge, so earliest I could see the car was on Monday.

Nov 9: I call again. This time SP says: "sir, there's a problem. the shipment that came from delhi doesn't have a GV in it". And goes on to suggest that I write a mail to him detailing my experience, so that he could forward it to Maruti.

Nov 9: Managed to get in touch (indirectly) with the dealer's owner and was told: "Maruti goofed up. They shouldn't have taken your order. They only have beige colour GVs available in Delhi, everything else is sold out. If you are interested in that colour, I can get one for you immediately. GV consignments come to India once in 6 months, and next one is due in Feb"

While I haven't decided what to do, some notes/questions etc:

1) Throughout this process, it was me who always initiated the call. I got the feeling that SP was under no pressure to sell the GV. May be Maruti doesn't push it down to dealers who in turn don't incentivise their SPs to sell GV.

2) I also 'feel' that the dealer is trying to push beige down my throat. No proof though.
2a) How can an SP not know what is in the truck that's coming to his yard? Aren't these things documented, emailed to destination, shipment tracked continuously etc.?
2b) Are GV consignments sent like this - once in 6 months from Japan?

3) This is the only dealer in Bangalore who had offered to sell me a GV. (3 others said they weren't allowed to) So if this is a case of dealer being unscrupulous, am I stuck with beige (or not buying a GV)?

4) How do I take this forward? Does it make sense to complain to Maruti? (How to?) Or just chuck the GV and buy something else?

5) For GV owners: in my over enthusiasm, imported a set of full skid plates from rasta4x4.com (send PM for details, my cost etc.). It's lying unopened in my apartment. If I don't buy a GV, it's yours at a big discount.

Thank you for reading!

[Samurai]

Oldman, very sad to hear your experience. I moved your post as a new thread so that this thread receives the attention it deserves. Please mention the name of the dealer so that Maruti can take some action based on this feedback.

Maruti has done a very lousy job of promoting the Grand Vitara, and now they make a lousy job of selling it too.

Hold on to your skid plates for some more time. I am sure GV will happen to you.

[oldmonk]

Thanks Samurai for the thoughts. Though it's been a bad experience so far, I'm still hoping to see the beige in flesh, like it, and buy the GV. (Despite very vocal opposition from everyone I've shared the story with!)

Dealer is Pratham, though I am not sure they are to blame, yet. Their story is that Maruti mis-communicated. I'm hoping members can give insights to whether that could be true and/or if it would help if I talk to Maruti directly etc.

[shankar.balan]

ridiculous thing to face as a paying consumer. sorry to hear it.
having said that I would believe that Maruti's thought processes and ideas are poles apart from an ability to handle the sales and service of "Premium"/ "expensive" car/ vehicles. They have been so long innured in the value segment that their dealers quite possibly are not really geared or equipped with the necessary soft and hard selling skills required in handling a premium customer or selling a product which is priced at premium levels. I wonder how they are going to handle the Kizashi when it comes!

[Samurai]

My GV was delivered in 15 days. And I don't think Pratham to be so innocent here.

The CBU vehicles come off the ship. Now which city is closer to the docks, Bangalore or New Delhi? Why would they send the GV to Delhi before sending it Bangalore. I don't think the logistics in Maruti is screwed up so bad that they would do that.

During my GV purchase, I was given the following info. Generally Maruti only imports safe colours like white/black/silver, etc. Shipments are sent every 3 months. If the customer demands a particular colour, then he has to wait for the next shipment. Once the consignment reaches the docks, the dealers can pick the vehicles based on their orders.

[black12rr]

I am attaching the contact info .
PS : This is for service , but you do have CEO phone number and email .

[starter]

Dear oldmonk,
Please do not agree to the beige coloured vehicle that the dealer is promising you. If you read this report from Bantejas on his Safari, i am scared to pick up something which is readily available & more so, that it is a GV. If you still plan to pick it up, please go and have a look at the car, drive it and check if you are ok with it.
Also, try to get in touch with this guy called "Singar M" from Maruti Bangalore. He might be able to help you. I do not remember his number. You could call up Maruti Toll Free number and ask them for the number of Bangalore Office. From there, you could get Singar's number.
Let me know if you would need any more help.
Cheers,
Deepak

[MAS]

Originally Posted by Samurai

.... And I don't think Pratham to be so innocent here....

+1

It is the dealer who is screwing up and not Maruti. My guess is that the dealer has a GV beige in stock and is unable to sell it off. He is trying to put you in a desperate situation by frustrating you so that you would accept the beige one.

With so much technology around, cant a dealer know what has been sent to him? This is ridiculous . If i were you, i would cancel the booking, take back the money and if i am still particular about GV, i would find another Maruti Dealer and book it.

[GTO]

Keeping in mind the paltry numbers that the GV sells in, and the thick margins, I'd expect dealers to be falling over themselves for GV customers. Terribly botched up delivery commitments. Please DO get in touch with Maruti. Believe me, they take customer complaints very seriously.

If you really like the GV, find another dealer who values your business. Else, look at other brands.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by GTO

If you really like the GV, find another dealer who values your business. Else, look at other brands.

Call up Maruti and register a complaint, wait for 48 hours.

Meanwhile speak to another dealer (RNS are pretty decent on delivery front since they value their numbers), and see what they have to say. If you dont get any resolution in this 48 hours, shift the booking.

A very good car, sad why dealers goof up such simple things! Hope they didnt push this car to someone else.

[Sankar]

Sep 11: Booked a silver GV. Paid 1L advance, signed some forms, and sales person (SP) 'entered request into Maruti system'. Delivery was promised within 45 days.

Oct 23: SP calls me to inform that car is leaving Delhi, and that he needed another 1L. Paid. I was told that car would reach Bangalore in 8 - 10 days.

The dealers would have prior knowledge and exact details of the vehicles in a shipment coming to them from the factory. SP calling you up and falsely promising that the GV is in the truck looks like a trick to extort another lakh from you. It looks to me like that.

If Maruti didn't have the Silver GV with them they would have definitely communicated it with the dealer between Sep 11 and oct 23.

Pratham is not innocent here.

[GSMINC]

Oldmonk,
The Maruti guy handling Pratham Motors is one Mr.Sammer Kankudti, you better speak to him to resolve this issue, PM me for his mobile number, he will surely help you. He went out of the way to resolve an issue in my car even though I had bought my Swift Diesel from Sagar auto & he's handling Pratham

[GSMINC]

oldmonk,
I have PMed you Sameer Kankudti's mobile number & email id,
hope this helps

[oldmonk]

Thanks everybody for suggestions, contacts, PMs etc.

Update from my side: Saw the beige, didn't like it. Insisted on silver or black. Was in touch with an MSIL employee from Bangalore and Pratham. Both indepedently assured that they were trying to 'locate' a silver or black GV. Heard from MSIL Delhi that they had run out of silver and black GVs long ago. MSIL rep told me yesterday that there weren't any available with other dealers. Pratham called today morning to say they didn't find any either. So cancelled booking, getting money back on Monday.

Did try to find out where the screw up happened; MSIL blamed Pratham and vice versa. Now I couldn't care less.

Would I ever buy a Maruti? Probably yes. Was impressed with the customer care and immediate responses and follow ups from MSIL. Go back to Pratham? Very unlikely.

Thanks again for the support, you guys are the best!

[Jaggu]

Sorry to hear the news! So what are you planning for now? when is the next best possible date for the color choice of your liking from MUL?