[akshaysehgal]

TLDR; My car purchase experience was a complete rollercoaster. I had to wait for 2+ months with a renowned dealer before canceling due to delays and then got my delivery within 5 days of my next booking with a smaller dealer.

Car Model: i20 N line N8 Turbo DCT (Polar White)
Dealer: Bohra Hyundai, New Industrial Town, Faridabad, 121001
Booking Date: March 8th, 2022
Committed Delivery Date: March 15th, 2022 (!!!)
Actual Delivery Date: March 13th, 2022

Here is a detailed account of what happened -

• I booked i20 N line N8 DCT as my first car, in Jan this year with Himgiri Hyundai, Gurgaon, and was told it will be delivered in 1-2 months (red color monotone).
• A week later they told me that Hyundai has discontinued the color and that it will only be available in the new colors (even though the Hyundai portal allowed me to make a booking in the red color).
• After a day or so, I decided on polar white. The representative from Himgiri told me that since this was a popular color, it would be available even sooner (~ in a month or less)! I was super happy.
• Sadly, after 1 month of dreaming (and daydreaming) about the car, watching every video/review I could find on the car (I even set the wallpaper on my phone accordingly ), I got no response from the team at Himgiri Hyundai.
• Each week I would call them to ask about the status, each week they would tell me that they will have the car by next week. This happened for 2-3 weeks.
• March this year, I call them up, and they told me that "sudden shortage has happened" and that the car will be delayed by 2 more months. I was totally heartbroken and very angry.
• With the help of my brother-in-law, we found a relatively smaller dealer in Faridabad (Bohra Hyundai), and the rep (Mohit) confirmed that they could arrange the white color in 1 week.
• Skeptical, we visited the dealer to assess the trustworthiness and made another booking, without canceling the previous one.
• Over the next week, I arranged the funds and with complete communication with Mohit from Bohra Hyundai, I got the chassis number and other documentation related to the car as proof
• 5 days from the day of booking, I got a call from Mohit, who told me to visit for a pre-inspection of the car the next day (morning), and that if I could close the payments, I could take the car in the evening on the same day.
• I made all the necessary payments like crazy (was up till 3 am handling the transfers) and visited the dealer the next day. The car looked amazing and passed all the PDI checklist.
• He told us to wait for a few hours to get the paperwork done, and we immediately went to find a vegetable shop nearby to find lemons for "nazar na lage" ritual
• So, finally in March 2022, we drove off with our first car, to the nearest petrol pump for a top-up and then to our home for the customary "pooja".
• Two weeks after I got my car, I called up Himgiri Hyundai to check what the status of the car is, and they say it's further extended and that "Hyundai is not manufacturing any new i20 N lines" apparently. They tried to sell me a Venue, i20 Asta in specific colors, which they had in their yard. I told them to cancel and refund the complete amount on the same call and got my refund within 10 days as a cheque.

Moral of the story - Don't underestimate a smaller dealership, as they might go leaps and bounds to satisfy their customer, whereas a larger dealership might not pay as much heed to you. Of course, do make sure to do your background check!

[cdrajeevkumar]

Did not vote as I didn’t buy any wheels in 12-18 month period. But I’ve experienced buying 3 cars (2 new and 1 used) and my brief take on these

Car 1 : Santro Xing XO - Silver
Booked the car in 2005 after deciding over Swift (Only 2 cars under consideration then for us). Delivery promised was Oct 15 but a week before that I was told there are RTO issues and car Delivery will be pushed by another 10 days. Come 25th and I was told that they will need another three days because the The loan documents were not ready yet finally took delivery of the car on November 2. Not a happy experience and hence internally blacklisted Hyundai. Managed to use the car for six years before switching to car number 2 and never ever will use Hyundai.

Car 2 : Ertiga Vxi (CNG) - Silver
Delivery promised was Aug 10 2014 but 3 days prior I got a call from one of the RTO guys that my lease (Home) agreement isn’t valid for RC. Checked with dealer and he said it’s my responsibility and he won’t chip in. Had to visit Vashi RTO and shell out 10k for fixing the documents. Vehicle delayed by another week as bank hadn’t processed the loan. On checking it emerged that the guy processing the loan had kept the docs locked in his desk and was on leave . Finally took delivery of car on Aug 26 2014. Not a happy experience either

Car No 3: Honda City - AT - Carmelian Red
After a 6 month search I could get this dealer who matched my requirement (Honda City, AT, <20000 kms, <3 yrs). Promised delivery was 26 Jul 2019. Got it on same day but after exchanging heated arguments. Final payment of 2L got delayed briefly due to banking issues and took delivery of car at 1830 instead of 1730.

Hope to be refined enough for future buys😁

[TheVegabond]

Voted for option 3 - Longer than committed.

Looks like I am one of those who is a perfect fit for this poll and thread. The thought of upgrading my car came in my mind in Jan 2021, the thought turned serious in June 2021 and by August 2021 it turned into an irresistible itch.

For those who are interested in booking, delivery and initial ownership details - read here (My MG Hector Shine CVT)

And, here is a summary:

Cars considered and test driven: Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, VW Taigun, Renault Duster, Nissan Kicks, Honda City, Tata Harrier, MG Hector, MG Astor.
Car Booked: MG Hector Shine Petrol CVT booked in Oct 2021.
Committed delivery time: 8-10 weeks, meaning I would have got the car around mid Dec 2021.
Actual delivery: Feb 3, 2022 after a price hike of Rs50k.
Compromises: Compromise 1-Wanted the car in Black color but booked in Grey color in the expectation of it being delivered earlier.
Compromise 2- Accepted the car in black color despite booking in Grey color

The ordeal and the strategy/tactics: As obvious from above, the car got delayed by more than a month. During the official waiting period I kept chasing the dealership politely for delivery but, once the official period was over I switched to escalation mode with the dealership as well as MG Pulse Hub which is official MG Customer Portal. Matters got worse when MG hiked the prices by Rs50K and still there was no sign of the car. I kept writing to the dealership and MG Pulse Hub. I also shared a Team-BHP thread link where we discussed about these delays and price protections. Now, the good part was that both the dealership and MG Pulse Hub were responsive - while senior guys from Pulsehub kept calling me, the dealership assigned my case to their Senior TL(team lead). I did not relent on the pressure I was trying to create and in second half of January I got a call from the Senior TL - " Sir, I am requesting, please accept the car in black color, it is for someone else but I can get it allocated in your name. We are under big pressure to deliver your car because of the escalation you have made."

And, on Feb 3, 2022, I was sitting behind the wheels of this beauty:

[Pankajm]

So Bought a KIA SONNET DIESEL AUTO HTX last October.

On the enquiry date was commited 90 days.

Had put a 5 lacs as down payment, exchanged a 2016 Jazz V Petrol for 3.70 lac (92k km) and commited the rest 5.8 odd lac on day of delivery, they said you will get in 30-40 days as my color was dark grey.

Suprise Suprise got the delivery on 7th day of my booking.

Now I seem to doubt is the long waiting times are marketing gimmick??

[car-go]

Car: Jeep Compass Sport Petrol DDCT
Time: May '22, after the price hike post March
Expected pre-booking to delivery = 2 weeks
Actual pre-booking to delivery = 2 weeks

Though I have written about the experience in another thread, I would elaborate a bit more here.

Step 1 - 2 days
One fine day, I called up the dealership (one and only one for Jeep in Kolkata, and they have presence in Siliguri as well). Asked about the Sport Petrol MT. The front desk - a lady - informed me that Sport Petrol MT (and diesel) and Longitude variants as discontinued. Only Sport Petrol DDCT (/AT) is available, and Night Eagle edition is in. I did tell her that they still show up in their website, however she told me that those are retained to pull in customers.
(FYI - I did have a look at the competition; Tata Harrier and Hyundai Tucson earlier, but did not 'feel' them at all, hence it was Jeep all the way for me; ogled at Grand Cherokee in the USA long back, and later since 2017 whenever I saw the Compass on the road in our country)

Step 2 - 2 days
The sales rep (Vishal Gupta) called me later on the same day. Told me the same thing about the availability. I asked for test drive, which he was very enthusiastic about. Same day he got the Limited Diesel MT. I did a short test drive and definitely loved it (except for the hard clutch), though did not think about the Limited (I'm not actually a fan of mobile connectivity and the sunroof). Next day he got the Model S Petrol DDCT. Again it was a charm (though the initial pickup at lower gears seemed less responsive) but I did not like to black interiors; hence the similar Night Eagle was out of consideration.

Step 3 - 3 days
I wanted the Sport DDCT in white, which the SA told me that one was getting shipped, and would arrive in 4-5 days. However - now came his 'urgency' sales pitch - he told me that another customer in Siliguri was also asking for it.
Then I started my negotiations, which went on for next 2 days. I was adamant that unless I feel that I have a good deal, I am not in a hurry. There was no discounts, corporate or whatever. Talked to the SA's boss, and managed a meagre 15K INR discount. With only one seller for the eastern region, it was hard. Told them that I would possibly get insurance from outside (though they somewhat matched it later, I went with them).

Step 4 - 2 days
Booked on the 3rd day after the test drives (amount 51K). However, they told me that they can allot the car once I make the full payment. I told that any payment will be after PDI. The car landed (or seemed to have) on the next day at the workshop / stockyard, and I went there in the afternoon. Broad daylight, it was standing in the middle of a temple compound with other Jeeps. Did a thorough PDI with the TBHp checklist in hand. Had already got the VIN number and checked it on Jeep website the previous night.
PDI done, I gave the cheque for the balance amount (meanwhile was negotiating exchange of my SX4, though that did not materialise). The SA told me that delivery would be done once the cheque is cleared; another 3-4 days given the timelines for registration formalities with the number plates.

Step 5 - 5 days
Cheque clearance was supposed to take 3 days, however there was some bank changes for the dealership for which it was not presented by them. They returned it back, and asked me for online transfer (IMPS). In two days, got the transfer limits changed by my bank and the transfer done. Hence, it was already 3 days.
The same evening the SA applied online for registration. He gave me the number range and asked me if I have a preference (in that case, another 1K). I told him that any number would be fine (did not want to add that 1K to my bill at an impulse).
Note - number plates came after another 3 days, for which I drove to the dealership for fitment.

Final delivery:
The day after the next, given that i had some work the very next day, I and my wife took the final delivery.
So, pre-booking till delivery = 2 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 5 = 14 days = 2 weeks

[drjaygoyal]

Originally Posted by Arun Babu

Hi all,
I had booked Maruti 2022 Baleno alpha ags( amt) model on 23/02/2022. The promised delivery period was within 6-8 weeks. Yesterday only vehicle got despatched from factory and I may get it in another 4-5 days time. So effectively the total time taken for factory despatch in my case is around 17 weeks with a 9 weeks delay from the promised delivery time.

I am curious. Maruti launched the new baleno recently. So how can they take a booking and promise delivery before launch of the vehicle ? Or are they giving you the old model ?

Sorry for my ignorance.

[Arun Babu]

Originally Posted by drjaygoyal

I am curious. Maruti launched the new baleno recently. So how can they take a booking and promise delivery before launch of the vehicle ? Or are they giving you the old model ?

Sorry for my ignorance.

No sir. The new Baleno was launched on Feb 23,2022. Even before the launch, the dealers had begun unofficial bookings. Also MSIL did deliver few cars on the launch date itself.I had booked alpha ags on 24th Feb. The promised delivery was 6-8 weeks. But now only it’s been despatched from the factory. The chassis number the dealer shared indicates a June 2022 model only.
Cheers.

[BleueNinja]

Honda City V MT
Booking date: 03/07/2021
Commited date: 17/07/2021
Delivery date: 17/07/2021

I must say Pride Honda Hyderabad was very spot on with their delivery commitment. They gave me a delivery date of 17 July and they delivered the car on 17th July in the colour i wanted. Also my delivery experience has been the best so far with them.

[JoshMachine]

First-up, when you see your car pic listed on the TBHP Home page:-



..it is bound to make you go !

Coming back to the subject of this thread, the actual delivery for me did happen totally as per the committed estimate.

In fact, Audi Pune were ready with the car even 2 days before the D-Day! I have posted a detailed delivery experience here.

Everything managed professionally to the core, and with huge dollops of personal attention and warmth.

[aditya.bhardwaj]

Got the ignis in April of this year. Booked the car on 24th April (Delta MT). Stars aligned and the car was being dispatched from factory the same day.

Booking date - 24th April
PDI Done - 25th April
Delivery taken - 26th April

Nexa faridabad (pasco) were also great to deal with. Highly recommended. And then she was home

PS: Got to know that the AMT variant has a 3 month waiting.

[Tokengrip]

Booking - MG ZS EV
Booking day - 8/02/2021
Delivery- 03/07/2021

Booking was made through the website so the dealer allotted in Mysore were not happy about that. Original timeline given was 3 months.
The SA then informed that only the Exclusive variant would be manufactured at plant for the initial lot. This was 2+ months after booking. Excite variant manufacturing started only in June. Throw in COVID related delays. We finally got it first week of July.

Honestly we weren't too bothered. Maybe only over the last month. We were willing to wait for the Excite variant as it was great value for money in our books.

[Sierra__foxtrot]

I had booked my gt and on the day of booking the sales guy was trying to push gray gt's for immediate delivery and me wanting just flash red was told 3 months waiting period due to less production at Chakan to accommodate taigun and kushaq production. I ended up waiting 2 months for the colour and I don't regret waiting 2 months every time I look at my car

[Sanjeev V S]

Hello Friends,

I was in the Market from Jan 2022 for an XL 6, I learnt the 2022 Facelifted XL6 was due in a few months I waited till Pre-booking opened in April 2002, Booked on the MSIL Website and got my XL6 Aplha+ MT delivered from Nexa JP Nagar Bangalore.

My Beast was the 4th 2022 XL6 delivered by Nexa JP Nagar, 1st Alpha Plus MT in Splendid Silver Colour.

Car Model: Suzuki XL6 Alpha+ MT , Splendid Silver.
Booking Date: 11-April-2022
Actual Date of Delivery: 2-June-2022

originally SA told to be ready to take delivery by end of June 2022, i got a few weeks earlier.

[Tgo]

Hyundai Santro Sportz AMT
Bought in August 2021.
Car was in stock.
The process took 5 days including selling the old Figo to the same dealer.

[knightfurry]

Dad got Omini in 1992 after 5-6 months of waiting by paying ‘ON’ and political influence We changed couple of cars after that, all were on time. I remember opting for Ritz (my 1st car) in 2012 instead of Swift due to multiple reasons including crazy waiting time. Got three Ecosports (2017, 2019,2020) after that all off the shelf. Wife wanted a new Auto SUV. Went to check out XUV 700, heard the waiting time & walked away without even enquiring price or taking TD. Have booked Compass S Diesel AT & almost every dealer had it in stock. Delivery on coming Thursday 30/06/2022.
Mods : Not able to vote in the poll