[viiv]

As the title states.

[taylorforschool@gmail.com]

No is your simple answer

[bass567]

Originally Posted by taylorforschool@gmail.com

No is your simple answer

Why is that - is my simple question.

Is getting an allocation really such a reward from the manufacturer to the dealer?

We hear that the Camaro is being discontinued as it is a "slow seller". There are a good number of people out there (including myself) eager to get their cars.

The sales channel is seemingly less than optimal. Either in its logistics or even the whole setup and philosophy. Maybe someone can offer some thoughts about this.

It is just hard to get for me that - symbolically speaking - the manufacturer has a line of people waiting at its door and each of us is holding $50-70k or more in our hands and wants to swap it for a car that they allegedly have problems selling.

Maybe there is more to it than I can see on the surface.

[arpad_m]

This is GM's allocation system for you, one they have been operating for several decades.

When there is enough build capacity, commitment on the manufacturer's part and supply of materials and components (say, when my car was built in 2018), it is boderline acceptable, any other time (such as now) it's a disaster.

[L2SS455]

Is getting an allocation really such a reward from the manufacturer to the dealer?
Understand that the Dealer is the Customer to GM in most respects.

That said. It's an antiquated ordering system that needs to get into the 21st century. It's an Amazon world now or you don't survive. If, the object is to make money and sell the most vehicles. The system hinders dealers, defeats this objective and doesn't meet the customer expectations of today.

[cvp33]

Corvette forums had a handful of dealers that would post unspoken for units or allocations. The dealers of course paid for that privilege. I believe the last 3+ years with Covid that calculus has changed. Dealers have no issue selling all the orders and units they can get. I do miss the good ol’ days of 20% OFF MSRP. Example - my first Corvette is on the top left. Paid $74K for a $93K MSRP.

[bass567]

Originally Posted by cvp33

Corvette forums had a handful of dealers that would post unspoken for units or allocations. The dealers of course paid for that privilege. I believe the last 3+ years with Covid that calculus has changed. Dealers have no issue selling all the orders and units they can get. I do miss the good ol’ days of 20% OFF MSRP. Example - my first Corvette is on the top left. Paid $74K for a $93K MSRP.

Understood. Great points you are making. Do we think those days will come back soon - or ever?

I love those numbers, BTW! :-)

[bass567]

Originally Posted by L2SS455

Is getting an allocation really such a reward from the manufacturer to the dealer?
Understand that the Dealer is the Customer to GM in most respects.

That said. It's an antiquated ordering system that needs to get into the 21st century. It's an Amazon world now or you don't survive. If, the object is to make money and sell the most vehicles. The system hinders dealers, defeats this objective and doesn't meet the customer expectations of today.

The three points you give in your last sentence are 100%. They are likely at the top of a rather long list of the shortfalls that may majorly contribute to the dismal sales numbers that such a great machine sees.

Add the essentially zero advertising, the near zero selection of new cars at the dealers, the inflexible and opaque ordering system - we can set up a sticky for people to add to what sucks badly about the current process.

Indeed, we are in the Amazon era, and what we have to deal with looks very much like something that the dealers may have used in the 1950's and placed orders with the factory via dialing a rotary phone or mailing order sheets in an envelope...

[walkerheaders]

I had to learn about the whole allotment system here in the forum. (in the official waiting room thread), and learned the hard way for real. Sure enough, Criswell in Thurmont Md. ordered a 23 LT1 for me without a (lottery) ticket. I had no idea but questioned them after I learned here. sales guy assured me they had an allotment. after he was let go, my new sales lady contacted me to say she's (my new daddy) and that they were waiting on allotments. (finally got the truth) I had ordered Sept. 23rd and (was told by her) December 15th was a possible allotment coming my way but no guarantee. She called to say that a ZL1 order ahead of me was cancelled and that I could in fact get a ZL1, LT1 or a 1SS. I changed my order to an SS and my 1SS was built the week of Jan 23rd and delivered Feb. 23rd. Lottery and game of chance for sure is what it all felt like, no guarantee. and I picked this dealer because they always had a row of SS/ ZL1 out front in stock. All good now and an exercise in patience.

I worked many years at Chevrolet as a tech and did hundreds of PDI's SO, I told my newest salesperson (a young boy) to leave all the factory wrappings and papers with the car. they did, and all is good. I pray for a great outcome for you as well my friend.

PS: when you DO get your car, take a powerful light with you to check the body and paint very closely. the shipping folks do not seem to giv a rats butt about your new car. mine was scratched badly and had to have a paint pro go over the whole car. I've been hearing this story A LOT.

[GearheadSS]

There are 2,904 Chevrolet dealers in the US and approximately 400 in Canada. There are only so many allocations to spread around. Production is down on everything, not just Camaros.

This is mainly a supply chain issue.

[90503]

I doubt we will ever see any type of return to "the good old days" of car sales and production from the factory.

The last few years haven't seemed to impact profits. Less is more, high demand and low production seems extremely lucrative.

Showrooms have become Waiting Rooms. Everything built is sold to the highest bidder for the most part. Why would they want that to change? The manufacturer has no incentive to mass produce. Inventory numbers seem intentionally kept low. And dealerships are left taking all the guff and impatience from the customers who want to buy cars they don't have to sell.

Anyhoo...good luck to all involved. My new car buying days are over for my lifetime. To hell with it...lol

[BluePhoenix]

There is no connection here with dealers that have allocations, I've seen a couple threads by Gearhead-SS where he'll post when he has an open allocation which is awesome that he does that. Overall, you have to do the homework and contact the dealers, and ask all questions to the sales people. Dealers find out weekly on Thursdays what allocations they get. First car I had ordered was through a dealer that gets a 4-5 new Camaro's a year. They got allocation within a month and a half of ordering. My 2023 that I have on order now was through a dealer that always new Camaro stock and multiple dealerships, I called them on a Thursday after reaching out to about 7-8 dealers, the sales person checked on allocations right away and told me they just got an open an allocation for a 2SS 1LE, don't know if they get that specific down to 1LT package or not. Calling and the dealer having an open allocation was pure luck, I contacted several other large dealership's in the area and none had an allocation or knew when they would. Ordered March 23rd, built by April 28th, current dealer delivery date June 1st.

[taylorforschool@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by bass567

Why is that - is my simple question.

Is getting an allocation really such a reward from the manufacturer to the dealer?

We hear that the Camaro is being discontinued as it is a "slow seller". There are a good number of people out there (including myself) eager to get their cars.

The sales channel is seemingly less than optimal. Either in its logistics or even the whole setup and philosophy. Maybe someone can offer some thoughts about this.

It is just hard to get for me that - symbolically speaking - the manufacturer has a line of people waiting at its door and each of us is holding $50-70k or more in our hands and wants to swap it for a car that they allegedly have problems selling.

Maybe there is more to it than I can see on the surface.

As many others have spelled out, nothing is really seamless about the experience anymore. Unfortunately for my youth I’ve never technically bought a new car, at this rate I don’t plan on it

[laynlo15]

Have you been on GMs website where you can build it online, then you can check inventory to see if anyone has what your looking for or close. You can put in the mileage you are will to travel to get it. I did that several times before I finally ordered my new truck.