Sharky

Don't know if this will work, file's kinda big...

ffjaydee

There is nothing visible.

WankelWannabe

You can view the complaint here:
Toronto Star article

Sharky

Found a text version. ..

Jul. 5, 2003. 01:00 AM
Allocation of new RX-8's makes for long waiting list
Canada to receive about 700 cars

Numbers vary for each dealership


I've been interested in purchasing a new car for a few months now, and so have been visiting various Web sites to get more information. I recently visited Mazda Canada's and saw the new 2004 RX-8. Interested, I went to a local dealership but was shocked to learn (even though I was told that there were no RX-8s at any Mazda dealership and that they were only due to arrive in early June) that I would be unable to purchase a 2004 RX-8 as they have all already been sold!

The sales representative said (confirmed by a CSR at Mazda Canada) that exactly 700 of the 2004 RX-8's have been made for, and are now shipping to, Canada. The dealership I visited said that they had sold all 14 RX-8s that they were presumably allocated, but said that if I waited until July, that I could put in an order for a 2005 RX-8, which is due to ship sometime in September of 2004! I find this to be incredibly shocking if true. Can someone please explain why anyone — let alone 700 people — would purchase (or put a deposit on) an automobile that they haven't even sat in, let alone driven?

This isn't the first time I was told this by a Mazda salesperson either. A similar story was recited when the Protegé5s were due to be released some years ago. I find it odd that a company would resort to this kind of promotion in order to create an environment of "frenzy" among consumers, just to sell vehicles. (Perhaps even above the manufacturer's suggested retail price?)

Danny Abesdris,

Danny.Abesdris@senecac.on.ca

Gregory Young, Mazda Canada's director of corporate public relations, replies:

Indeed, the 2004 RX-8 will be in short supply for the remainder of the 2003 calendar year all over the world. Mazda Canada will have about 700 of these vehicles for the balance of the year. We don't know exactly how many confirmed orders Mazda dealers have received to date, and as this will vary from dealership to dealership, so will the waiting period for customers. However, Mazda Canada is endeavouring to secure from Mazda Motor Corp. additional RX-8s should they become available.

RX-Nut

Couldnt have said it better myself...

B-Nez

Maybe I'm just cruel, but I thought that letter was pretty amusing. I laughed my butt off reading it. :D

Edit: What I mean, is that I can see how normal people might think we are really insane. :p

zoom44

i took the liberty of sending an email to danny directing him to this forum. i thought we might be able to help him out. perhaps one of you canadien forum members can help him find a dealer who might have a car or 2 left? i thought someone mentioned recently that one of the dealers had not yet taken deposits on all of their allotment.

rotorian

Zoom, "Canadiens" are the Montreal NHL hockey club. We are "Canadians"

I have found that some small dealers outside of the GTA in Ontario had cars available (almost a month ago though)

Danny can P/M me if he signs up , I'll send him some dealer names.

Smoker

LMAO when I read this line in the TorStar Wheel section this morning.

If he ever comes to this forum, then he will know why....

:D

Sharky

Smoker, I Have to admit so did I. I mean when you show up late to the party, you risk not having a dance partner...

In answer to the reader's question, the way I see it the deposit is simply insurance. If when I do sit in it and drive it, I'm in any way unhappy, I walk away with my money back... with the single benefit being the opportunity to own this year NOT next. It's risk free so I placed my deposit back in March as soon as I heard of the relatively low Canadian prices and realised what an exclusive car it would be. Thanks to this forum I learned of the limited 700 units for Canada and felt if I realistically wanted this car this year, I had better act.

B-Nez

Yeah, the way I see it, by having a pre-order program to begin with (please no thread hijacking...), and not doing much to advertise that fact - Mazda kinda gave us old rotorheads who have been screaming for a rotary comeback a little gift: the opportunity to get one of these beauties first. Before the Joe Q. Public. Or at least - the opportunity to reserve one first...the whole delivery thing kind of deteriorated in that regard, with some people ordering in March or April getting delivery before people who ordered in Jan. Still, it was the thought that counts, and I appreciated that. I'm sure there are still loads of people who still have not heard of or seen this car, who will be hounding the dealerships in the next few months to no avail. Be happy. :D :D

Wing

September 2004? That can't be right can it? I thought for sure there will be more shipped for Jan/Feb/ through till Sept next year. This year is a wash but so is 2004?

What I find odd, is how it would take so long to build more (not till sept 2004) if that is true. If they do do that, this car will not REALLY be released until then!

IE. the pidly little 700 cars aren't going to help Mazda any, they need this car in the dealership so people can buy them.

How long did it take the Nissan 350Z? People waited... it sold in droves but now there are TONS of these things sitting on lots. It hasn't been 2 years since release. Mazda can't REALLY be waiting that long, it would KILL them!

Smoker

People just gotta look through these "Limited" quantity numbers !! They are just there as a marketing tool to give people a sense of exclusiveness for the car. Let's face it, if even the great Ferrari can bump up their exclusive production numbers of Enzo after their pre-order period due to "popular demand", I really don't think anybody will have trouble getting any sub $100,000 car within its model year.

I honestly think every single person in Canada who wanted a RX-8, for sure will get one before the 2005 comes out next summer.

zoom44

Danny did check out the forum over the weekend and he sent me this reply:

how many customers does mazda need to lose before they realize they have a dealership problem and do something to correct it?

RX-Nut

Amen to that brother!

snow_tires

ditto.

the car has to be that much better just to compensate for the aggravation of the poor service and attitude of the dealers.

Quick_lude

True but he shouldn't let bad service stand in the way of him owning a great product either. I mean if you really want something would you let a bad salesman discourage you? Although you are making a stand, in the end you are the one losing out on a great car/product.

pelucidor

If they can't treat you well before a sale, how do you think they will treat you AFTER the sale?

If a dealership or salesguy is not honest and polite I walk (I ask questions I know the answers for to check veracity). If they don't listen to what I want and try to sell me what they want, I walk. Hell, if they are not well-groomed and dressed I walk. If they are not knowledgeable - well very few are so I allow that. I walked a lot before finding my dealership (Jeff Haas in Houston) which has good people. If I didn't live in a city where I had several Mazda dealerships I would have gone to a different brand.