Reuters article picks up on Rivian Lottery

[AdamUCF]

(Reuters) - When Jeff Wells placed a reservation for a Rivian R1T pickup in early 2019, he was one of the first in line for a truck from the Amazon.com Inc-backed electric vehicle startup that at the time promised to tap in to a niche not served by other automakers.

But Wells, an accountant from Southern California, has become increasingly frustrated as he sees others, who placed their order years after him, receive trucks while he keeps waiting.

"It's just annoying and it feels like there's no order to how they're doing things," he said of Rivian.

Wells is one of dozens of reservation holders who in recent weeks have complained about unreliable delivery timelines and delays in online groups and forums.

More...
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ev-maker-rivian-delivery-headache-100301022.html

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[fallen888]

Another example of people making up issues due to lack of knowledge. I'm sure certain Rivian employees know exactly what they're doing with delivery prioritization. There could be so many factors involved in deciding who, where, and when gets their delivery. I assume these would include (but not be limited to):

• Configuration batching
• Supply availability (and the associated supply chain issues)
• Production challenges (e.g. light color wood for the Ocean Coast interior)
• Influencers (e.g. Sandy Monro)
• Higher sales margins
• Location
• More affluent regions where sightings of a Rivian are more likely to galvanize more orders and resulting sales.
• A more active, helpful guide who would take the extra step to match your config with a VIN
• Sheer dumb luck

 

[sevengroove]

Another example of people making up issues due to lack of knowledge. I'm sure certain Rivian employees know exactly what they're doing with delivery prioritization. There could be so many factors involved in deciding who, where, and when gets their delivery. I assume these would include (but not be limited to):

• Configuration batching
• Supply availability (and the associated supply chain issues)
• Production challenges (e.g. light color wood for the Ocean Coast interior)
• Influencers (e.g. Sandy Monro)
• Higher sales margins
• Location
• More affluent regions where sightings of a Rivian are more likely to galvanize more orders and resulting sales.
• A more active, helpful guide who would take the extra step to match your config with a VIN
• Sheer dumb luck

You mention “employees know exactly what they’re doing” and “sheer dumb luck” in the same post. Do you see the problem?

 

[fallen888]

You mention “employees know exactly what they’re doing” and “sheer dumb luck” in the same post. Do you see the problem?

No, because it could be any combination of these factors that ultimately decide your delivery timeframe and they're not mutually exclusive. But also, don't take "exactly" so literally - my point was that just because we simple folk are out here guessing, doesn't mean there's no method to Rivian's madness.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

Another example of people making up issues due to lack of knowledge. I'm sure certain Rivian employees know exactly what they're doing with delivery prioritization. There could be so many factors involved in deciding who, where, and when gets their delivery. I assume these would include (but not be limited to):

• Configuration batching
• Supply availability (and the associated supply chain issues)
• Production challenges (e.g. light color wood for the Ocean Coast interior)
• Influencers (e.g. Sandy Monro)
• Higher sales margins
• Location
• More affluent regions where sightings of a Rivian are more likely to galvanize more orders and resulting sales.
• A more active, helpful guide who would take the extra step to match your config with a VIN
• Sheer dumb luck

So I really think there are two separate issues that are related but different. One, to me, is a legitimate gripe and the other is an understandable manufacturing issue.

The one that's a manufacturing issue is when a SC gets a truck for whom the buyer backs out and it goes to the next person on the list in that area with that configuration who may have a much more recent preorder. For Rivian, it makes sense to do so instead of then shipping the truck again to another SC.

The legitimate issue is people who are getting assigned guides who obviously don't have a truck ready and then are able to essentially pick from a list. Some of those people have more recent preorders and some have even gotten to "opt in" to a LE truck even if their preorder was post 11/2020. There doesn't seem to be any methodology to those people getting assigned a guide and there is a very obvious advantage to getting a guide. This issue, more than any other that I'm aware of, is creating a lot of ill will.

 

[fallen888]

The legitimate issue is people who are getting assigned guides who obviously don't have a truck ready and then are able to essentially pick from a list. Some of those people have more recent preorders and some have even gotten to "opt in" to a LE truck even if their preorder was post 11/2020. There doesn't seem to be any methodology to those people getting assigned a guide and there is a very obvious advantage to getting a guide. This issue, more than any other that I'm aware of, is creating a lot of ill will.

I didn't realize this was so prevalent. I would certainly find that very annoying if I found out I got bumped because of this.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I didn't realize this was so prevalent. I would certainly find that very annoying if I found out I got bumped because of this.

If you read through some threads, particularly the Oct-Dec 2022 Delivery Estimate thread, you'll see a LOT of 2021 orders who have gotten guides and are picking trucks from what's available (meaning that their config wasn't ready to ship, begging the question why they got a guide assigned). Several have opted in to a LE truck.

 

[fallen888]

If you read through some threads, particularly the Oct-Dec 2022 Delivery Estimate thread, you'll see a LOT of 2021 orders who have gotten guides

I'm one of those people, but didn't get to pick anything - intro call with guide and a week later had my pre-ordered config delivered. I just assume I got crazy lucky.
But I get your point, there are people who def have the right to be annoyed because they've been waiting for years.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

Both of these seem applicable:

and:

 

[Riviot]

Jeff Wells sounds like another Team OC person who just won't give it up... Come to the dark side, brother! TEAM BM

 

[EarlyAdptr]

So I really think there are two separate issues that are related but different. One, to me, is a legitimate gripe and the other is an understandable manufacturing issue.

The one that's a manufacturing issue is when a SC gets a truck for whom the buyer backs out and it goes to the next person on the list in that area with that configuration who may have a much more recent preorder. For Rivian, it makes sense to do so instead of then shipping the truck again to another SC.

The legitimate issue is people who are getting assigned guides who obviously don't have a truck ready and then are able to essentially pick from a list. Some of those people have more recent preorders and some have even gotten to "opt in" to a LE truck even if their preorder was post 11/2020. There doesn't seem to be any methodology to those people getting assigned a guide and there is a very obvious advantage to getting a guide. This issue, more than any other that I'm aware of, is creating a lot of ill will.

I think we may be erroneously assuming that Guide assignment means we're "closer" to vehicle assigment and hence delivery. I know that's how it started with the early deliveries of R1T's. But then came the pricing debacle and I'm getting the sense Rivian decided to assign guides sooner to create a higher-touch experience. The mistake, was to not reset expectations that Guide assignements happening s00ner - not as a first step in impending delivery process.

Just a thought as I reflect on my Guide assignment from over a month ago with no movement (R1S Mar-Apr delivery window btw).

 

[Count Orlok]

Folks are missing the larger point in the Reuters article: capital markets are souring on under-performing over-hyped companies. RIVN may need to make it with extant cash.

The lottery issue is important too. The more I read about the looming R1S delay the more I am thinking of giving up. We don't need to see another wannabe-internet-famous "influencer" posting selfies with their R1T. We need deliveries to all 2018 & 2019 pre-orderers.

 

[sevengroove]

No, because it could be any combination of these factors that ultimately decide your delivery timeframe and they're not mutually exclusive. But also, don't take "exactly" so literally - my point was that just because we simple folk are out here guessing, doesn't mean there's no method to Rivian's madness.

Fair enough, but as others have mentioned here the fact remains that whatever method Rivian is using has led to deliveries being made to very recent orders, even though there people in the same service area with the same exact config who ordered years prior.

I also realize this is not something the article touched on very much, and it seemed to focus on batching/OC delays instead. Most people here are empathetic to those specific issues, but not to newer orders being fulfilled earlier with no real explanation.

 

[mabowden]

If you read through some threads, particularly the Oct-Dec 2022 Delivery Estimate thread, you'll see a LOT of 2021 orders who have gotten guides and are picking trucks from what's available (meaning that their config wasn't ready to ship, begging the question why they got a guide assigned). Several have opted in to a LE truck.

Yes- this must be incredibly frustrating for those who have long standing reservations. From me, on the other hand, not so frustrating. I'm happy for them. Heck I might be one of them if I wasn't so dead set on OC interior.

 

[IThinkFreely]

The 'lottery' that we are now calling the Rivian process appears to be utter, random nonsense. So many of the bottled responses the early res holders have been fed for the past 2 years are rubbish.

Configuration - even LE versus Adventure is no longer a valid reason for a delay. Adventures are being delivered at random to people who reserved YEARS after the first res holders.

Location was another big reason CS liked to throw out there as a factor. People living hours away from a SC are getting trucks. People in major metro areas within minutes of a SC are not getting them.

2021 res holders are getting guides and options to basically pick a truck from a list.

2018 res holders have not received a call or an email.

No one could make up the shitshow that is Rivian. Every day is a day closer to almost certain bankruptcy.

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