OK, first off, I don't mean to insult anyone, so read this before you get upset with me because of the title of this thread. Also, I want people to read this and the provocative title will help encourage that, as well as the fact that the title does honestly reflect how I feel at the moment. Here's why....
I'm in Canada. We have limited color combination choices here, compared to the US. Late September, I test drove a 370Z and said I wanted one. I REALLY like the persimmion interior but it only comes with black or gunmetal exterior (see, less choice up here in Canada). I didn't want black (personal choice) and while I like the Gunmetal that's the colour I've been driving around for four years now and I wanted a change, and on top of that I LOVED the magma red. So I said I'd go with black interior and Magma Red.
The dealer did a search of other dealers and said if I wanted Pearl White or Blue, I could have the car almost straight away (as there were ones available) instead of waiting for one from Japan. I lke the Pearl White but again we have limited choice here in Canada and the white ONLY comes with grey interior, which I do not like. So I said no to the white and no to the blue (which I personally do not care for) and said I was happy to place an order - MORE than happy, I want the 370z!
So, late SEPTEMBER, I gave the dealer the deposit and signed the paperwork for a 2013 Magma Red with Sport Package, Nav, 7 speed Auto. They said the car would be delivered "about Christmas". Their cycle date for ordering was first week of October and they told me at that time that THEY HAD PLACED THE ORDER (foolishly, I assumed this meant that they had placed the order).
I mentioned in this thread that I'm from Canada (the land of snow) and as I don't have enough money for two cars, I need to be driving this year 'round. So I went online and purchased 4 Nismo forged 19" rims and 4 Bridgestone Blizzaks and delivered them to the dealer who had agreed to hold onto them and install them in place of the stock rims (which I would obviously keep but put back on when the sun returns). I also purchased the illuminated kickplates which they would install when the car arrived. So now I've spent a few thousand dollars in parts on a car I'm expecting to get.
About three weeks later (so last couple of days of October), I asked the dealer if they now had a better idea of the expected delivery date, and they said no, but they did tell me that THE "BUILD MONTH" WAS OCTOBER (foolishly, I assumed this meant a car had been ordered and that it was being built in October).
Last Saturday (17th November) I was in the dealership (getting winter rims put on my wife's 2011 Nissan Quest van that we had purchased new from this dealer). So I naturally asked if they had any more info from Nissan about the delivery date. The sales rep I dealt with and the sales manager were both there and told me they couldn't personally get that, but when the General Manager was back on Monday he could phone Nissan Canada and they should be able to tell me. On Monday the dealer emailed me and said the Nissan Canada rep they deal with wasn't answering his phone and so they emailed him and they'd let me know asap.
So, on Monday, I joined this forum (GREAT, and great welcome btw guys, thanx), and I posted a thread to see if anyone knew a way of getting an approximate delivery date. Apparently there isn't, but it seems that most people get the car a bit earlier than advised (this makes sense, the dealer would be best to give a pessimistic guess so the customer isn't disappointed), and also it seems that the typical wait time is 2 1/2 months. If my car actually came in 2 1/2 months I would get it in three weeks time (a little before the advised delivery date of "about Christmas") and so all of this seemed to correspond to other people's experience.
By Thursday morning I still hadn't heard from the dealer, and I was thinking about emailing them when an email came in from the Sales Rep. She said she thought she better get straight to the point. She said the "Magna Red" (I know it's Magma Red, the dealer doesn't) was a "no go" at the moment, that Nissan had advised them that the "ORDER WE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THROUGH" was not filled as the factory will not do a build for that one car. She said their system opens back up on Dec. 4th and there's a 50/50 chance I can get the colour I want (of course that's in two weeks time and if I get lucky and they can be bothered to build it I then have about another 3 month wait!) On top of that, how would I even know they're building it just because they say they are? Then she said she could get me white or blue asap (yes, the cars I already said I am not interested in!!!).
OK, let's think about this for a moment. I assume she means not many people order Magma Red and it's not cost effective to run a single car through the build process. A) I NEVER KNEW THIS WAS AN ORDER ATTEMPT!!!!! B) I HAD BEEN TOLD THE ORDER WAS PLACED C) NISSAN CAN'T TELL THE DEALER WHEN THEY PLACED THE ORDER (ONE SIXTH OF A YEAR AGO!!!) THAT THEY CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO BUILD IT???? D) I WAS TOLD THREE WEEKS AFTER I ORDERED IT AND GAVE THEM MY MONEY THAT THE BUILD MONTH WAS OCTOBER! E) I HAVE PURCHASED NISMO RIMS AND SNOWS FOR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A CAR NISSAN DOESN'T WANT TO SELL TO ME F) When I got the email, I thought I was trying to simply get a more accurate delivery date, and I thought with luck it would be in about 3 weeks time - I had no idea that I would get an email saying that they don't want to sell me the car.
I cancelled the order with that dealer, got my money back (well, a cheque that I will have to wait to clear), and went straight to the other Nissan dealer in town. They found a gunmetal grey 2013 Z, Sport, Nav and auto with my FIRST CHOICE of interior (persimmion (orange)) in British Columbia (other side of the country) that I could have in about two weeks. I'm purchasing that car, and so I should now have a 370Z in 2 or 3 weeks. It's not my first colour choice but it's a close second, but I REALLY LIKE the persimmion interior. Also, I got $1000 off this car and I am planning to immediately buy an Invidia Gemini catback exhaust, rolled titanium tips, that will compensate and make me feel a whole lot better about getting my second choice in exterior colour.
If the first dealer had told me when they placed the order back in September that Magma Red was not available I would have been happy to get the gunmetal (as I love the interior) and it was a very close second choice.
Good news is my car is cheaper, I'm getting it in about two weeks, and I get the Gemini