eppic Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I ordered a new Honda HR-V EL (top version) during the auto show in early December. Promised delivery was mid January. A couple of weeks ago, I was given a date of Jan 20. As that date passed, the new date was "late January". As of last night, I have been informed that the delay will be several months. Yes, months. To say I am furious would be an understatement. I would not be surprised that new orders could be delayed by a few days, but a sudden, indefinite "several months" timeline? I have also had the distinct impression that the dealer did not have the desire of dealing with a farang (he pretty much said so directly to a Thai friend that has been following up for me), so I think there is a high likelihood that I have been simply dropped to the back of the queue while his more preferred customers take delivery. So, other that cursing loudly, what realistic options do I have? Does anyone have a contact at Honda head office that can confirm this situation? I did have a friend confirm that dealers have stopped selling new HRV EL's for now, but is there any way to check to ensure I have not been simply dropped from the list to serve others (is there any official queue?). I do know that some EL's ordered after mine (with later delivery date promises) have already been delivered, so it's not just my paranoia speaking here. I have heard some horror stories about the auto dealers in Thailand, but is this the norm -- a sudden, unexplained several month delay at a time already past delivery? Any constructive suggestions would be appreciated (make a scene at the dealership? demand to see the list of deliveries/order dates to see where I stand? contact the head office?)...I am open to anything...I've tried to avoid Thai bashing, but this is the first time I've been tempted, so I'll do my best to contain myself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkkjames Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Lucky you didn't order the now old new ranger a few years ago... To answer your question, you could ask the dealer is there another way to speed up your delivery ....cash seems to work apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMHO Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I haven't heard of "several month" delays yet, but it's possible. The other thing that's possible is that the dealer is simply over-quota - in TH, in order for every dealer to have stock to sell for short-on-supply models, each dealer has a set max. quota of cars available to them (varies dealer by dealer). It could be just a case that the dealer you're buying through has sold out their quota... I'd suggest getting on the phone and ringing other dealers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace of Pop Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Why not Name and Shame. Foreget Friend Said bullshit.Man Up and blow Honda Sales Thailand's Ear Off.They hate this as much as You.They dont read Thai Visa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eppic Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 Lucky you didn't order the now old new ranger a few years ago... To answer your question, you could ask the dealer is there another way to speed up your delivery ....cash seems to work apparently. Nice idea, but the dealer has stopped taking calls and responding to messages. My Thai friend got him when he accidentally picked up the phone at the dealer not knowing it was her. I also don't really feel like rewarding bad behavior with more money, but thanks for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eppic Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 I haven't heard of "several month" delays yet, but it's possible. The other thing that's possible is that the dealer is simply over-quota - in TH, in order for every dealer to have stock to sell for short-on-supply models, each dealer has a set max. quota of cars available to them (varies dealer by dealer). It could be just a case that the dealer you're buying through has sold out their quota... I'd suggest getting on the phone and ringing other dealers. Unfortunately, not the case. My Thai friend was able to see a letter from Honda HQ (all in Thai, so I can't read) that indicates sales of the EL version are completely suspended -- reason is apparently lack of sunroofs, which I didn't really want anyway. She also confirmed the story at a few other dealers: No more EL version sales. It has been and by far the most popular, so perhaps they are saving the sunroofs for launches in Malaysia and Australia, etc. In any case, I am most irritated by the fact that those who ordered after me (same trim) received vehicles, and mine was promised for imminent delivery (Jan 20, then late Jan) until the sudden delay of several months. There are other complaints online about this issue, but again all in Thai, so I can't read or even google them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkkjames Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 They paid up and jumped the line... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurwait Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Yep people pay to jump the line on cars and finishing houses here. Falang not understand this, no bother with him. Saw one in a petrol station today if that's any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golden farang Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I would cancel the order and walk to other dealer or change brand. How much you paid deposit for them? usually it's about 5k. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eppic Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 I would cancel the order and walk to other dealer or change brand. How much you paid deposit for them? usually it's about 5k. Deposit was 10k and no doubt I could get that refunded, but going to another dealer would mean restarting the process with even longer delivery time -- no new orders being taken. I could switch to the lower-end version with quicker delivery, but am not interested (lack of safety and other features). If I cancel for certain I will switch both dealer and vehicle type, I want something immediately not in months time. The salesman would no doubt be thrilled if I canceled, I suspect that's what he wanted all along...frees up a delivery for his preferred customers (perhaps one that will pay to jump queue, as suggested here). Since the salesman will no longer answer messages/calls, I may have to make a visit to the dealership (with a hammer?) to help them with some attitude adjustment, but would be a 45+ minute taxi ride each way so not my preferred option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinL Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) We ordered an HR-V EL model in metallic silver - one of the colours for which they don't charge extra - 2 weeks ago. At the time we said we wanted delivery after a planned trip to UK in May. The salesgirl told us it might be a good idea to accept delivery before our trip. She said " ... we'll have used our quota and maybe cannot get more for a long time ... ". Perhaps she was alluding to this supply problem that's been mentioned. Maybe colour ordered affects the delays. If we don't get delivery on their suggested date, we could just walk away - deposit was 3000 baht - but, to be honest, a delay of a month or more would suit us & fit into our original plans. Change of make is possible - Mazda? - but the nearest Mazda dealer is 80km away as opposed to 25km for the Honda dealer - that's a big influence, IMO. See what happens in late March. Edited January 30, 2015 by MartinL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMHO Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 The salesgirl told us it might be a good idea to accept delivery before our trip. She said " ... we'll have used our quota and maybe cannot get more for a long time ... ". Right, as I said in my post, all dealers have a quota - it's still worth hitting the phones, IMHO - even if all dealers have sold their quota already, there's always a percentage of deals that fall through. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYKTHEMIN Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Simple really, tell them you want one in a time slot and if not cancel the order, if non are coming or being made due to either a fault or production problems not much you can do but buy something else. if you were given a delivery date at time of order and this now cannot be fulfilled you can cancel with full deposit refund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMHO Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Simple really, tell them you want one in a time slot and if not cancel the order, if non are coming or being made due to either a fault or production problems not much you can do but buy something else. if you were given a delivery date at time of order and this now cannot be fulfilled you can cancel with full deposit refund. OK, so let's assume to OP follows your advice and adopts a take-it-or-leave-it attitude (which will be met only with leave-it) - what would you suggest as a true alternative to the HR-V (i.e. same class, package, equipment and price)? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYKTHEMIN Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 No idea I have no desire for a roller skate, a much better value would be a Mitsubishi Pajero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eppic Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) No idea I have no desire for a roller skate, a much better value would be a Mitsubishi Pajero Unfortunately, a Pajero is about as far from the HR-V as you can get. A 7-seater tank with minimal safety features (two airbags??) used for driving and parking in central Bangkok traffic? Good for farm country, I suppose, but "value" for me is not based on price per kg. More realistic options would be the CX-5, wait for the CX-3, or simply buy a good used Honda/Toyota sedan for occasional city use -- at least it's immediate delivery. Edited January 30, 2015 by eppic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eppic Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 We ordered an HR-V EL model in metallic silver - one of the colours for which they don't charge extra - 2 weeks ago. At the time we said we wanted delivery after a planned trip to UK in May. The salesgirl told us it might be a good idea to accept delivery before our trip. She said " ... we'll have used our quota and maybe cannot get more for a long time ... ". Perhaps she was alluding to this supply problem that's been mentioned. Maybe colour ordered affects the delays. If we don't get delivery on their suggested date, we could just walk away - deposit was 3000 baht - but, to be honest, a delay of a month or more would suit us & fit into our original plans. Change of make is possible - Mazda? - but the nearest Mazda dealer is 80km away as opposed to 25km for the Honda dealer - that's a big influence, IMO. See what happens in late March. You might want to check with the dealer to see current status. The letter from Honda HQ to dealers was dated 20 January, so you ordered just shortly before all future EL orders were suspended. If you are interested in June delivery that might actually work out for you, but wouldn't be surprised if it's even longer if the "few months" delay is accurate for orders already past promised delivery date. I would be very surprised if you get a March delivery, regardless of what the salesperson told you, but maybe you will be luckier (or more savvy with the queue system) than I was. I will talk to some other dealers as suggested by some here, but nearby BKK dealers were already giving May delivery estimates as of two weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYKTHEMIN Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script> No idea I have no desire for a roller skate, a much better value would be a Mitsubishi Pajero Unfortunately, a Pajero is about as far from the HR-V as you can get. A 7-seater tank with minimal safety features (two airbags??) used for driving and parking in central Bangkok traffic? Good for farm country, I suppose, but "value" for me is not based on price per kg. More realistic options would be the CX-5, wait for the CX-3, or simply buy a good used Honda/Toyota sedan for occasional city use -- at least it's immediate delivery. Who cares about airbags, I don't, CX 5 a total stupid price, I live up country and my Pajero is just perfect. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post stevenl Posted January 30, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 30, 2015 <script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script> No idea I have no desire for a roller skate, a much better value would be a Mitsubishi Pajero Unfortunately, a Pajero is about as far from the HR-V as you can get. A 7-seater tank with minimal safety features (two airbags??) used for driving and parking in central Bangkok traffic? Good for farm country, I suppose, but "value" for me is not based on price per kg. More realistic options would be the CX-5, wait for the CX-3, or simply buy a good used Honda/Toyota sedan for occasional city use -- at least it's immediate delivery. Who cares about airbags, I don't, CX 5 a total stupid price, I live up country and my Pajero is just perfect. I thought eppic was buying the car here, not you. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eppic Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Apparently social media can get some response, because my Thai friend posted a nasty comment about the delays on Honda Facebook page, and reply (translated badly) indicate that Honda will try to resolve the issue before the next motor show in March, otherwise it could be a disaster for future sales. Public shaming is clearly more effective than private complaints to the dealer/salesman. So MartinL's post on the March timeframe makes sense, orders will probably backlog even further when the next motor show starts. I also called the salesman (on a different number, so he wouldn't know it's me), and he mistakenly answered. Hard to communicate, but sounds like he also indicated that delivery should be before end of March, better than "a few months", although that would still be a two-month delay...could be just blowing smoke though, really no reason to believe them at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotsira Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I was in a Honda dealership today and asked them about ordering a new EL model, the sales person told me straight away that it's not available for at least 6 or 7 months due to a shortage of sunroofs, only the other models can be ordered right away. The impression i got was it's not even worth placing an order for that model at the moment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYKTHEMIN Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I was in a Honda dealership today and asked them about ordering a new EL model, the sales person told me straight away that it's not available for at least 6 or 7 months due to a shortage of sunroofs, only the other models can be ordered right away. The impression i got was it's not even worth placing an order for that model at the moment. Who in their right mind wants a sunroof here? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eppic Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 I was in a Honda dealership today and asked them about ordering a new EL model, the sales person told me straight away that it's not available for at least 6 or 7 months due to a shortage of sunroofs, only the other models can be ordered right away. The impression i got was it's not even worth placing an order for that model at the moment. This is consistent with information I have received from multiple sources. I understand the delay for new orders, but mine was originally scheduled for a delivery a couple of weeks ago, so was looking for ways to at least get a reasonable delivery time, not July or August. Based on what I've learned here and elsewhere, it's either try to pay to get back on priority list, or get another vehicle. I'll start shopping for an alternative while I am waiting, then cancel the HR-V if/when I take delivery....6-7 months gets too close to the next model year to even consider staying with the current year HR-V, will be other options by then. Thanks to those that provided constructive suggestions, we can probably retire the thread before it deteriorates further (as most tend to at TV) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golden farang Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 One option to keep in mind theres many used cars 13-14 models with low kms for sale example honda crv at 800-900b price range. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langsuan Man Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Honda's inability to keep anything in stock is why I am driving a Toyota Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimmer Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 A personal attack on another member has been removed along with the reply to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert24 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 best to cancel the order and ask for the deposit back in my opinion. Buy a car that can be delivered within a reasonable timeframe. I would not pay for jumping the queue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arunsakda Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 HR-V is a new model in the US for 2015, being built at a new plant in Celaya, Mexico. They appeared at motor shows early last year and were promised for Winter 2014. So far nothing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinL Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 (edited) We ordered an HR-V EL model in metallic silver - one of the colours for which they don't charge extra - 2 weeks ago. At the time we said we wanted delivery after a planned trip to UK in May. The salesgirl told us it might be a good idea to accept delivery before our trip. She said " ... we'll have used our quota and maybe cannot get more for a long time ... ". Perhaps she was alluding to this supply problem that's been mentioned. Maybe colour ordered affects the delays. If we don't get delivery on their suggested date, we could just walk away - deposit was 3000 baht - but, to be honest, a delay of a month or more would suit us & fit into our original plans. Change of make is possible - Mazda? - but the nearest Mazda dealer is 80km away as opposed to 25km for the Honda dealer - that's a big influence, IMO. See what happens in late March. A bit earlier than we really wanted but our dealer called yesterday to say that our new HR-V EL is ready for collection and we just need to sort-out the paperwork, which we'll do next week. Maybe this particular car was already in stock with the dealer so only needed preparation once ordered by a customer and then moved to the local shop. Don't know where you are, eppic, but we're using a dealer near home in a smallish town in Khon Kaen province. Maybe sales here have been slower and the dealer - with many branches in the area - hadn't sold them as quickly as anticipated. Must admit, I haven't seen many on the roads here and of those I've seen, most have been BKK registration. If I remember, when we sign the papers I'll ask the dealer if there are problems with new orders now. Edited February 12, 2015 by MartinL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrJ Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 (edited) was aking for a test drive at the Pattaya Honda dealer/Jomtien branch - just the usual "no have test car", I asked when you will get one? "dont know", I just turned around and left, in any "normal" country they wouldnt be able to sell any car,,,,,,, a white EL model was just picked up by an older farang guy, while I was there Edited February 12, 2015 by MrJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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