Delivery Nightmare

[aburke00]

It sounds like the one they sold you either doesn't exist, was allocated to someone else, or got wrecked in the delivery process like fell off the truck. That's why they are talking about different VIN's and specs because they want to get you a vehicle as fast as they possibly can and the fastest way they can do that is give you one that's already been produced. I'm not sure how long your delay is going to be, I think that depends on whether or not you can find something from their existing inventory.

So it actually is as delivered to the Rivian location near me and I got a text saying it past final inspection last Friday. So it did exist, it was local, and I was about to to get it when this got canceled via a generic email then confusion and lack of answers abounded for a bit. In all, I’m told it had been flagged as not eligible for delivery while at the factory and never should have gone into the system as available and certainly not sent to my local Rivian shop.

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[Zoidz]

Agree. If you want to have a car instantly after paying for it then buy one off the lot. Don’t forget to pay the market adjustment and the underbody coating.

And $89 for nitrogen in the tires instead of air (BMW Silver Spring, MD)

 

[Zoidz]

So it actually is as delivered to the Rivian location near me and I got a text saying it past final inspection last Friday. So it did exist, it was local, and I was about to to get it when this got canceled via a generic email then confusion and lack of answers abounded for a bit. In all, I’m told it had been flagged as not eligible for delivery while at the factory and never should have gone into the system as available and certainly not sent to my local Rivian shop.

I get it that you are irritated, but they really did the right thing for you.....

 

[Donald Stanfield]

So it actually is as delivered to the Rivian location near me and I got a text saying it past final inspection last Friday. So it did exist, it was local, and I was about to to get it when this got canceled via a generic email then confusion and lack of answers abounded for a bit. In all, I’m told it had been flagged as not eligible for delivery while at the factory and never should have gone into the system as available and certainly not sent to my local Rivian shop.

Suppose the car was flagged because it had frame damage, or the welds weren't done correctly or the battery didn't have the proper insulation. Would you still want it? Obviously this wasn't a great situation but Rivian did the right thing here, the hard thing. I know it doesn't look like it to you right now from your perspective but admitting they screwed up and doing everything they can to make it right is much better than giving you a car that isn't fit to be sold then shrugging their shoulders.

For me this looks like a positive for Rivian and their team.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

You dealer haters can chime in, but this is another case where a local dealer, one who lives in your neighborhood or town can and would provide better service and you'd get to visually see the car before paying for it. I'll shut up now and wait for it.....3.....2.....1........

I've had more than one dealer try to pass off an unsellable car, screw me on service, outright lie about the cause of vehicle damage and try to soak me with insane interest rates thinking I was an idiot. I do whatever I can to avoid dealerships as much as humanly possible.

 

[Zoidz]

I've had more than one dealer try to pass off an unsellable car, screw me on service, outright lie about the cause of vehicle damage and try to soak me with insane interest rates thinking I was an idiot. I do whatever I can to avoid dealerships as much as humanly possible.

Years ago in the days of mechanical, rollable odometers, I looked at a used car at a big name, big brand dealer in my area.

Salesman: "Clean, low mileage, just 15,000 miles, blah, blah, blah...."

Me, after looking closely at the car: "Low mileage, huh? Why is there an oil service sticker on the door jamb from your dealership that shows 30,000 miles more than what is on the odometer?"

Salesman: "uh, they wrote the wrong mileage on the sticker, yeah, that's it!"

Me: "Take a close look at the brake pedal, it's worn down beyond what you would expect for 15,000 miles."

Salesman:

State Police Barracks was literally 3 blocks away. I drove over and told them. I drove back past the dealership and the car was gone. This was a big name, big brand, multi location dealership.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Years ago in the days of mechanical, rollable odometers, I looked at a used car at a big name, big brand dealer in my area.

Salesman: "Clean, low mileage, just 15,000 miles, blah, blah, blah...."

Me, after looking closely at the car: "Low mileage, huh? Why is there an oil service sticker on the door jamb from your dealership that shows 30,000 miles more than what is on the odometer?"

Salesman: "uh, they wrote the wrong mileage on the sticker, yeah, that's it!"

Me: "Take a close look at the brake pedal, it's worn down beyond what you would expect for 15,000 miles."

Salesman:

State Police Barracks was literally 3 blocks away. I drove over and told them. I drove back past the dealership and the car was gone. This was a big name, big brand, multi location dealership.

I had a major dealership, same deal multi brand multi location, tell me that mice chewed up the wiring on my ECU of my brand new car and I would need to pay 3K to have it fixed. Once I asked to see the damage it magically was covered under warranty. This was back when I was young and dumber than I am now, I realize that's really saying something, and I bought the tire coverage when I bought the car.

Same car popped a tire and the dealership "lost" all records of our purchased tire coverage. Luckily I had it and then they honored it. Absolute scoundrels.

 

[aburke00]

I get it that you are irritated, but they really did the right thing for you.....

By not delivering a vehicle that isn’t up to standards, sure. But this isn’t like they found a chip in the paint and want it to be pristine. It never should have left the factory and them telling me the final inspection was complete as of last Friday turned out to be a lie. I offered zero complaints over the course of many many delays (that we’ve all experienced). It’s just a very different feel when you’ve paid in full, signed all paperwork, you’re roughly 18hrs from possession and get put on an indefinite hold. Also- key point I failed to mention, but while I wired them money, they will not wire back. Has to be a paper check that takes time to process. I may have branded myself a complainer to some through this post, but while mistakes happen, this was handled poorly. The generic “appointment canceled” email alone with no call or apology but rather my need to press for what is going on is, on its own, pretty pathetic in my book. But who knows, maybe I’m just a complainer.

 

[aburke00]

Shit happens. They screwed up and are paying for a rental for you to drive until they can get you a vehicle. Seems like they are doing ok to me.

Maybe I left off too much detail. I agree that mistakes happen and it’s how you resolve inevitable issues that speak to the character/quality of the company. Offering a rental from enterprise (not yet resolved but it has been offered) is a good gesture, but here is how it went down. After submitting everything, I get the generic/no explanation appointment canceled email. I start texting a few people (guide and some delivery specialist) asking what’s going on. I’m thinking glitch or scheduling conflict. I get a call an hour or so later from delivery specialist who doesn’t know why or for how long my delivery will be delayed. I ask to speak with someone at the service center where my vehicle is and I’m told they don’t talk to customers…reminder, I’ve paid at this point for a vehicle that is indefinitely held up. Guy on phone is kind though and says he’s working on it. My guide later reaches out via text (can’t reach her by phone) and offers a kind and sincere apology before asking if I’m open to other configurations. Keep in mind, at this point I still have no idea why or how long it’s delayed so I ask to talk because why are we not still considering the same vehicle. Text thread goes quiet for about 30mins then guide says she’s in a meeting and asks if we can talk the next day (day of planned delivery). That’s when I texted (as shared in this post) that no, talking tomorrow is not ok and I need some explanation as to what’s going on. Not looking to just argue with you here, but if they called me as soon as they realized there was an issue and offered an apology and their plan to resolve it, I would agree with your “shit happens and they’re taking care of it.” Getting a generic cancellation email then having to fight to figure out what is going on, request a loaner (told there are none available), then request a rental does not, in my book, equate to a good resolution. Again- maybe I left too much detail out in the original post.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

By not delivering a vehicle that isn’t up to standards, sure. But this isn’t like they found a chip in the paint and want it to be pristine. It never should have left the factory and them telling me the final inspection was complete as of last Friday turned out to be a lie. I offered zero complaints over the course of many many delays (that we’ve all experienced). It’s just a very different feel when you’ve paid in full, signed all paperwork, you’re roughly 18hrs from possession and get put on an indefinite hold. Also- key point I failed to mention, but while I wired them money, they will not wire back. Has to be a paper check that takes time to process. I may have branded myself a complainer to some through this post, but while mistakes happen, this was handled poorly. The generic “appointment canceled” email alone with no call or apology but rather my need to press for what is going on is, on its own, pretty pathetic in my book. But who knows, maybe I’m just a complainer.

FWIW I don't think labeling you as a complainer is fair. I think you have a right to be pissed off. What happened to you sucks, and it shouldn't happen. I just don't think once the mistake was realized that it was handled poorly. I think they did the best they could with the situation at hand. From what it sounds like it all boils down to one mistake, you selected a truck that got put into the sale queue when it shouldn't have been sold. That was the one mistake Rivian made.

The fact that it went to your local shop and was given a delivery inspection and went through the process was what is supposed to happen, not a mistake. Unfortunately the original error wasn't caught as fast as it could have been, but it was faster than you taking delivery which would have been even harder to unwind at that point. I guess I just see the situation differently than you.

Yes mine was only delayed a week, but how it happened made it difficult too. I got a call the night before saying it threw a code when they were putting it on the delivery truck for my delivery. Then the delivery driver backed into a tree when delivering my truck and dented the tailgate on my truck before I ever even seen it. So I could have had them take it back and fix it, or take delivery of a brand new truck I too paid for in full with a dent in the tailgate.

I was disappointed too, but they took ownership of their mistake and they corrected it pretty quickly and to my satisfaction. For me I see mistakes as a fact of life, and the only time I feel it crosses into unacceptable is when the person who made the mistake doesn't own up to it or tries to hide it or pass it off. So long as you acknowledge your mistake and do what's in your power to make it right I will do my best to move on. I do this not only for it being the best way to get what I want from others, but my own sanity.

My experience with Rivian is that every mistake they've made in regards to me they've owned completely and they have made them right. My experience with other manufacturers has been quite a bit different more than once. I'd rather stick with Rivian's approach.

 

[aburke00]

Suppose the car was flagged because it had frame damage, or the welds weren't done correctly or the battery didn't have the proper insulation. Would you still want it? Obviously this wasn't a great situation but Rivian did the right thing here, the hard thing. I know it doesn't look like it to you right now from your perspective but admitting they screwed up and doing everything they can to make it right is much better than giving you a car that isn't fit to be sold then shrugging their shoulders.

For me this looks like a positive for Rivian and their team.

Check another reply I offered below. They told me Friday final inspection was done (obviously not true). Also, its not that they found something wrong, its that the vehicle was flagged for not being eligible to leave factory. Longer explanation below, but this wasn’t a scenario where they noticed a problem, called me, and offered a loaner while I wait. I got a random/no explanation appointment canceled email and had to drill for hours to get any explanation on what is going on. I asked for a Rivian loaner but there are none available. I had to introduce the topic of a rental.

 

[NormalLife]

I wish I could say don’t worry, but I think I’ll leave it at good luck. Also, I never got an update on the website or from my guide. Just a text out of the blue that said I could schedule pickup via text.

Text would be better. I got a voicemail from the service center with a caller ID of "anonymous" and a different area code than from Austin. I don't answer calls from "anonymous!" I tried calling back... went to their voicemail. Not the prevailing form of communication is today's world

 

[SASSquatch]

And $89 for nitrogen in the tires instead of air (BMW Silver Spring, MD)

I‘ve purchased several vehicles from BMW Silver Spring and they have always taken exceptional care of me.

Not the case with other BMW dealerships in the WMA…

 

[av8or]

I understand how this would be frustrating, but in comparison to some of the early delivery stories I remember it’s really not such a terrible situation. Have you asked for your money back until this can be resolved?

 

[Dark-Fx]

We don't know why it was cancelled. The day before delivery they do a charge to 100% for the first time, could be it caused a critical battery issue to pop up.

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