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-   -   Number 3 - A Punto Story (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/63338-number-3-punto-story.html)

EPILOGUE

3 days
July 29th 2009
Jacobs – Sir, the loan process is all done; you will get the sanction letter today.
Me – I don’t know what you do but I will want to get the car home on 31st as it’s a festival.
Jacobs – Don’t worry Sir, You will definitely have it on that day.
I have already lost hope on him and the process as it has been close to 1 month that I submitted my loan papers for processing. I had submitted my loan papers to him to be processed at SBI.

July 30th 2009
Jacob does not pick up my innumerable calls. Really frustrated that I have been, I stomp into the SBI main branch to check the status.
Me – I am here to check if the sanction letter for loan number XXXX/XX is ready.
CSR – Sorry sir, we received the file only on 15th July and it is still under process. You should get it in 2 days.
I come back to office and call Jacob.
Me – Jacob, Why did you delay the submission of my loan to SBI?
Jacob – No Pradeep, We did not delay it, we submitted it the day you gave it to us.
Me – I submitted the papers to you on 27th of June and SBI told me that they received my file on 15th July. What were you doing all these days?
Jacob – No Pradeep, it will take time; first the forms have to be filled at the local branch and then it will be submitted to the main branch. Blah Blah Blah.
I was not ready to buy his story but did not have much choice, but just to wait and see.

July 31st 2009.
Even though it was a festival, we did not have a holiday; I drag myself to office. And by now, I had realized that there is not point talking to Jacobs. So during lunch break, I visit the SBI office again to see if anything can be pushed/pressurized by my presence there. Luckily, there was a light at the end of the tunnel; got hold of the sanction letter.

Interesting thread. Congratula

nothing mentioned about the car! this is like RGV thrillers!! awaiting details of the car and pics too!

SSSSShhhhhh...Koi naya car kharid raha hai !!!

looks like you are writing a script for a new thriller.

i would like to guess, which car it is !!
as you are after SBI loan (low interest loan), i speculate that you are buying a FIAT Linea car

please let me know whether my speculation is true.

My guess is not Linea but Punto :-). Congrats buddy and drive safe.

I got my taste of FIAT when I first bought a GTX-SP in 2006. For then, I have been Fiat-smitten. Once I sold this in July 2007, I was on the lookout for another car. There were rumours about GP being launched. I thought I shall give it a wait, but it turned out to be just a rumour.
So now, I was again in the market for a second hand car. I didn’t want to go for a new one as I wanted to buy the Grande Punto. I test drove various hatchbacks but none seemed to be to my liking.
So finally I got down to searching another palio itself. Searched high and low and finally managed to get myself a well maintained 2005 model, formula red 1.2 sports. This car continued to serve me well without any problems at all.
Again, in the month of April of this year, there was news again of the launch of the GP and soon as the news was confirmed (thanks to team-bhp), I decided to put my red beauty up for sale. Having sold my palio in the last week of May, I was really waiting to get my hands on the new car, but things were not as smooth and quick as I assumed it would be.

Enter the Grande Punto – A looong wait..
As soon as it was launched on June 17th, walked into the Concorde showroom and was admiring it; couldn’t manage a test drive as there was not going to be any till the launch in the afternoon. Anyways wrote a cheque of Rs 10k and gave it to the sales exec. The first booking on the day of the launch.
The next day, I reach the showroom religiously and the showroom guys promptly gave me a test drive that they had promised. Made another part payment on the same day as well and tentatively chose Bossa Nova White.

Selecting the color – This was probably a difficult decision for me to take, because of the simple reasoning mentioned below
Red – wife did not like it, as it wasn’t like the formula red of our palio.
Blue – Dad did not like it; some dumb reason.
Black – Mom and did not agree to it; some family issue.
Grey – Bro did not like it
Silver – I did not like it.]

So based on the simple calculation, I chose white lol:

COngrats Gods-Envy,
Welcome to FIAT Club.
seems it's your 3rd car from FIAT.
My brother also booked Red punto 1.4 petrol Emotion Pack.
One of the best hatch in India.
Enjoy and Drive Safe :)

the Mystery has finally Unfolded into a BW Punto! Congrats on the italian Mini! pictures please.. and by the way have u got the delivery ?

the third and the final part of the story is still due :P.
However now that the mystery is unfolded, there is no point delaying that post.
Shall write that up asap.

thnx a lot for your wishes guys.

Congrats!

Looks like you have smitten by the FIAT bug!. I hope your 3rd part comes with pictures:)

Congrats!!
When was your car delivered? I had been to Concorde for a PDI of a friend's Punto when I saw a white Emo PK also being delivered.

Since there are quite a few Bangalore members with Puntos, why dont we organize a meet?

Now the real story begins. By story, I mean the Financing story
Shop around for the various banks that offer car loans. Finally narrow down to either Axis or SBI. Due to importance of SBI being a nationalized bank, selected it and submitted all my papers to my agent.
Read a news snippet in the Economic times that SBI are dropping car loan interest rates to 8% for the first year and 10% for the second and third year. So ask my agent to hold on to my application till 1st July. He also confirms that the whole loan process will take about 2-3 weeks. In the meanwhile, call up the sales executive to get an approximate delivery date for my car and was told that it will take atleast 2-3 weeks. Reason – ‘Too many bookings for white and there are not many produced'
Even, I wasn’t in a hurry as my parents and wife wanted me to pick up the car after ‘Aashada’ i.e. after 23rd July. So either ways I was not complaining, but with SBI in the picture, I was so damn wrong.

On July 10th, I think I get a call from the SBI branch asking me to come over. I was thinking, they wanted me to take my documents for verification, but surprise surprise, they are filling out a car loan application form and wanted me to sign in the relevant places. On talking to my agent, I was still promised that the funds would get cleared by 20th so that I can take the car as soon as it arrives. I was dumb to believe him and also believe the pace of SBI.

A few weeks pass, and still no sign of either the car or the loan; again I was not complaining as it was still Aashada.
Come 22nd July, I get a call from Concorde that my car has arrived and I could go to the Hosur road stockyard to check it out. Go there, and to my dismay, my car had not yet arrived. However this was a fruitful visit as I could for the first time see a white GP in flesh. Till this time, my color was not yet confirmed. So this day, I stuck to my original choice of white.

A few days later(Aashada is now finished), got another call from the dealer that this time for sure, my car has arrived. I however did not want to make the journey all the way to Hosur road to see it. Call up the bank/agent to check the progress and was promised that everything is almost done and I will get the cheque at the earliest.

During the time, 24th -30th July, I am a regular visitor at the SBI main branch, trying to push things, some times at the processing section, sometimes at the account opening section, sometimes at other customer rep desk, etc etc.
July 29th 2009

Jacobs – Sir, the loan process is all done; you will get the sanction letter today.
Me – I don’t know what you do but I will want to get the car home on 31st as it’s a festival.
Jacobs – Don’t worry Sir, You will definitely have it on that day.
I have already lost hope on him and the process as it has been close to 1 month that I submitted my loan papers for processing. I had submitted my loan papers to him to be processed at SBI.

July 30th 2009
Jacob does not pick up my innumerable calls. Really frustrated that I have been, I stomp into the SBI main branch to check the status.
Me – I am here to check if the sanction letter for loan number XXXX/XX is ready.
CSR – Sorry sir, we received the file only on 15th July and it is still under process. You should get it in 2 days.
I come back to office and call Jacob.
Me – Jacob, Why did you delay the submission of my loan to SBI?
Jacob – No Pradeep, We did not delay it, we submitted it the day you gave it to us.
Me – I submitted the papers to you on 27th of June and SBI told me that they received my file on 15th July. What were you doing all these days?
Jacob – No Pradeep, it will take time; first the forms have to be filled at the local branch and then it will be submitted to the main branch. Blah Blah Blah.
I was not ready to buy his story but did not have much choice, but just to wait and see.

July 31st 2009.
Even though it was a festival, we did not have a holiday; I drag myself to office. And by now, I had realized that there is no point talking to Jacobs. So during lunch break, I visit the SBI office again to see if anything can be pushed/pressurized by my presence there. Luckily, there was a light at the end of the tunnel; got hold of the sanction letter.
Immediately fax the sanction letter to the dealer and ask him to get the car to the showroom.

August 2nd
Walk into the showroom with the PDI checklist and check everything. Everything seems to be in place.

August 4th
Go to SBI and pick up the cheque and drop it at the Concorde showroom.

D-day has arrived. - August 5th
Details of D-day in the next post. :)

Congrats for your white beauty. Waiting for the pics.

Well written! Have you thought of an alternate career as story writer lol:

Congrats! :thumbs up
Is it MJD or FIRE?
Eagerly waiting for the pics!

yeah as an alternative option thats a good idea gods envy,lol:
congrats on your purchase.Petrol or diesel,which variant and do post your dealer experience and pictures of your italian beauty, it would be good to hear from you the journey from older fiat cars you possesed till now grande punto story.Keep updating.:thumbs up