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Important Issues/Considerations Before Ordering Your Corvette (Part I): Please read this one first if you have not already.
Please note that the information and this thread and the one linked immediately below were earlier part of one, single thread, but now divided as circumstances have changed.
For Part II we have the following separate thread entitled: “II. Critical “Order To Delivery“ Steps/information”: https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.c...our-c8-part-ii
So many exciting decisions before you order! Working through this thread will help get your car as you want it. It was written to help you learn of critical issues you need to address before you order your car, and also yet very helpful for those who have already placed their order. My apologies for the length of this thread and the above linked “Part II” purchasing follow up , but there are so many things to consider.
Please note ever since the C8 debuted, ordering a Corvette in these times of greater demand than supply is a major challenge. Wait times are often excessive with most waiting an average of a year between initial dealer deposit placement and your Corvette’s arrival, sometimes much greater. A couple of further caveats is that many dealers have restored to charging excessive amount over MSRP. For those willing to pay say $10K over (or more) for a Stingray, and we know already paying in excess of $25,000 (or more) over MSRP for a Z06 you can sometimes find an isolated dealer much more quickly, sometimes on the spot at these gouging dealers. It is sad but these are the circumstances right now. Yet thankfully there remain many dealers with integrity that are selling all their customer orders only at MSRP, are not ripping them off. Unfortunately these dealers often are those with the excessive length waits. Thankfully for those wanting to buy a C8 at MSRP, every one of the seven MidEngineCorvetteForum (MECF) dealers are charging MSRP. So for some it is a balancing act, what am I willing to pay over MSRP and getting it much sooner vs the car is already expensive (though worth MSRP for sure) and being willing to wait.
If you are already very knowledge about the complex C8 ordering process and just want a refresher thread on the process, this linked one, though not containing nearly as much info is this one, is a good summary of the whole behind the scenes process.
https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.c...u-need-to-know
However, if you want much more ordering information, and/or this Corvette ordering is a new process to you, I recommend you also read this entire one. Then read the “Part II” linked follow up threadThank you.
EXCELLENT MidEngineCorvetteForum (MECF) DEALERS:
We are so fortunate to have honest, pleasant, capable and trustworthy forum dealers. All are selling the C8 at MSRP. We thank, in the order they joined the forum as a “Forum Featured Vendor,” Criswell, MacMulkin, Kerbeck, Suburban, Uftring, Weber, and Les Stanford Chevrolet. All have their own sections on the home page! gain all have placed every single one of their customer orders, matched with an allocation for you that specific customer with the options and colors you want, at MSRP.
I. Things to evaluate before you walk into a dealership include:
A) CHOOSING YOUR OPTIONS: This includes: mechanical/performance; exterior and interior color, interior trim level; coupe or convertible top color, etc.
This is the latest 2022 Order Guide to help you choose your C8’s options.
https://www.gmfleetorderguide.com/NA...D=22303&type=0
Introductory notes:
That preceding order guide pages open up to different sections and once you open up a section, immediately and every time look at the upper right of the page to insure you are continuing to build your chosen model; in not, just click on that box and select your model. Again, this will need to be done on every single different page.
Once you have chosen your model, colors and all other options, two remaining key issues face you. They are choosing your dealer and checking whether anything you are wanting is a “constrained” option.
B) CONSTRAINTS: Evaluation of "your chosen options" in relationship to "constraints":
Much of the time, you get your Corvette exactly the way you want. However, at certain times, there are part "constraints." This occurs most often when a new "generation" of Corvettes is introduced, when a new model year has started, and/or when special "limited production" models or options are introduced. These constraints occur usually because GM is introducing something new and has underestimated "customer demand," or because of limited parts’ supplier capability. Another reason for a constraint occurs when a "supplier part" is unexpectedly rejected by GM for quality reasons or supplier specific issues at that time.
Having selected your desired Corvette’s parts/options, please review the current list of constrained parts. They come and go, i.e., one week a part can surprisingly show up on the constraint list, and just as surprisingly, could be removed. No one knows how long each constraint will be. The constraint list is usually updated each Thursday (when GM usually accepts new orders).
What is a constraint? How does it work?
A constraint is when there is not enough of a sp;ecific color, model, special edition or component to meet demand. We have this thread to assist (thought it is not always active): https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.c...ay-constraints
If you are wanting to know about current constraints and that thread is not active, you can always start a new thread asking: “What Are Current Constraints?”
Current MECF Dealership Vendors/Info:
Mike Furman of Criswell Chevrolet, the # 3 Corvette dealer, and MECF’s first vendor. And is MECF member #1. Criswell has since been joined as a MECF supporting vendor by the # 2 dealership in the country, MacMulkin, and # 1 dealership, Kerbeck Corvette. We are very proud that we also have Suburban (OR), Uftring (IL), Weber (IL),and Les Stanford (MI). All of them are honest, treat customers with respect, and charge MSRP from the very beginning of a highly sought after new generation Corvette, then do same for subsequent additional Corvette models within a generation,.
All MECF dealerships vendors can be reached/found in their own "Vendor Section.”
Constraints:
To learn the latest constraints, please visit here (a site that is updated every new, usually-weekly, consensus.
http://www.midenginecorvetteforum.co...traint-updates
Below is the best explanation of how to read this constraint chart, though in the specific example, as you can see the “0%” under the constraints listing, there were no constraints that particular consensus.
C) Corvette "Allocation": "Your Friend" Or "Your Regret"
Allocation is a complicated system, whereby General Motors distributes to each Chevy dealership an amount of new Corvettes based on that dealership's previous model year sales of new Corvettes.
Here is how it works: Based on comparative basis of last year's new Corvette sales by all dealerships, GM rewards the dealer that sold the most new Corvettes last year, with the highest allocation to receive/sell new Corvettes this year. This continues, to the next highest dealer, then the next one after that. To further complicate things, there are two distinct kinds of non-interchangeable allocations, either for a coupe OR for a convertible.
We currently have one Corvette model, the 2020 Stingray coupe, though GM just announced last week that it will be joined at some point this year, with a 2020 Stingray HT convertible. However as revealed on October 26th, we will have the new 670 HP Z06. It is designed for the race track, though legal for the street. But do you want to be driving a stallion when going out to dinner>
ALLOCATION CONFIRMATION: So how do you learn about which dealership to select -- which ones have allocation?
Private message “John,” for he will, at least in normal times be able to help to find a dealer which then has C8 allocations to match with your C8 desires — though at this time there are no “open,” unused 2021 C8 allocations. But there will be info as to how to best maximize your chances of getting a 2022 by contacting him. He has helped over 500 Corvette folks place their orders but again consistent with the above preceding cautions, time factor, and/or paying over MSRP. Even in these times of massive demand compared to smaller supply, he will assist you in understanding your options, and will share with you what he would do today if he were starting from scratch, e.g., going over options to assist you.
Research! For most of us buying a new Corvette is one of the most expensive purchases we will make. Just as you spent hours scouring out which neighborhood to buy a house in, you need to do that same due diligence before selecting your dealership. One way is to talk to other current Corvettes owners in your area, especially those who have bought a new Corvette recently. Perhaps contact a local Corvette club. Also you could post your allocation questions on our forum, and you would learn which dealers to order from, who has allocation, who would charge way over list, who would treat you fair, etc.
Optionally, just before you sign your order request and place your deposit, ask your dealer to show you they actually have a Corvette allocation before placing a deposit! How do you know that your dealer has allocation? To quote a top ten dealer, one who has a deserved reputation for integrity and honesty, "If the dealer is willing, he can provide you with a copy of his consensus report which clearly shows what he asked for and what he received. Then each week on Thursday, the dealer can share with you his weekly placement report. This report will show the allocation for the week and the constraints that apply."
Dealers with allocation have nothing to hide, and if the dealer you are considering placing an order with will not show you documentation of their allocation, find another dealer, who with documented allocation, before placing your order.
Forum dealership(s) treat their customers with respect! All are honest/no games! Criswell, MacMulkin, Kerbeck, and Suburban are all dealers I have personally worked with, and each time been treated with courtesy and “just the facts.” Same is accurately said of all the rest of our forum vendors!
D) ORDER TIMING In Relationship To GM’s Order Acceptance:
Intro: Before discussing details, it is critical to note that order status “2000” means that GM has accepted your order and has committed to building it as your dealer submitted it. Conversely, if your order status is less than 2000 (meaning it has not yet been accepted to by GM), it means close to nothing — as delineated below.
Any GM vehicle order can be submitted by any dealer for any model at any time as long as GM had set up that new vehicle in its GM WorkBench Connect software ordering system. Note of caution: Even a dealer, even one who has not ever sold a Corvette and who has no chance of getting a first year C8 in a timely manner, could enter an order and have it immediately become status 1100.
Please note that status 1100 is a necessary first step toward your order become a Corvette. However, while necessary, it is far from sufficient, in fact it could be as useless as you buying a Powerball ticket and in your mind figuring out how you are going to spend your winnings before that lottery is even drawn days from now.
So what else is necessary for your order status to become an actual Corvette? Your dealer must have a GM granted allocation for the model/options you are seeking and your dealer must pair your order with their specific allocation (the old “takes two to tango”).
CONSENSUS AND “DOSP”:
Per Dave Salvatore, Corvette leader at Kerbeck: “Consensus where they tell us what we are getting and we agree to it,; the following week is the DOSP when we can actually order the cars.”
What is “DOSP?” [Dealer Order Submittal Process]
What is DOSP? We thank “Bahama Todd” for this explanation.
GM formally processes the next round of allocation orders almost always starting on the third Thursday of the month; DOSP’s start always on a Thursday.
During DOSP orders go to status 2000 usually no later than Saturday night. They can be 3000 seconds after they hit 2000 status, a couple of days later, or a little after that.
Status 2000 is the golden package for that is when GM formally accepts the order as submitted and commits to building it as it was accepted.
TIMING SPECIFICS:
The date in which an order is initially entered into the software system, and becomes 1100 status is totally irrelevant as to whether GM would accept that order over another order, e..g, date submittal is always secondary to GM’s prioritization system of granting orders to its largest dealers first in times of insufficient supply compared to demand.
Hypothetical example # 1: A very small Corvette selling dealer (dealer “A”) submits my order for my first year ME on July 25, 2019. Your dealer, a massively selling Corvette dealer (“dealer B”) does nothing for about six weeks, and only first submits your order on “September X,” the day that the first C8 ordering consensus officially starts. My small dealer has no allocation.
Overriding issue: If a dealer does not have an allocation for that consensus, it matters not whether he/she has submitted your order on any date, e.g., no allocation equals all such orders not moving forward from their perpetual limbo in status 1100.
Hypothetical example # 2: My dealer submitted my C8 order on July 25th; it reached status 1100 within the next day or two. Your large dealer does absolutely nothing, does not even enter it in the GM WorkBench Connect system, until “September X” (again the estimated first day of the C8’s first ordering ordering consensus). In this example, both dealers have one allocation for the first consensus. Further in this hypothetical, there is an extreme short of pink competition seats, and GM only has only set of those seats to award this consensus (between those two dealers). Your larger selling dealer would get that one set of pink seats, and assuming no other constrained options, your order would be accepted; yet mine, even though my order was submitted six weeks earlier, would not be accepted. Once again earlier timing does not pay any role in GM accepting orders if competing orders are properly entered when a consensus has started and both orders have been separately paired with an allocation, e.g., timing is always second to GM’s prioritization of its top selling Corvette dealers in granting limited models and/or limited options.
E) OPTIONS For your Corvette's Delivery:
So far, we have been primarily discussing walking into a local dealership. Options include purchasing your car from a large Corvette dealership located in another part of the country, and make that special Corvette road trip home. Alternatively, large Corvette dealers have a list of car transporting companies who specialize in shipping "top of the line" cars, so you could buy your car across the country and have it shipped to you. Or, to minimize shipping costs, you could do a "courtesy delivery." Essentially you buy from a far-away dealer, pay that dealer, but that dealer doesn't have GM ship the car to them, but instead shipped to a dealership close or near to you. To do a courtesy delivery, you have to find a local dealership who will accept the delivery, including performing the pre-delivery inspection (PDI). Most dealerships charge between $250-$750 to perform this service. However, many of the nation's top dealers already have an informal network of dealers throughout the country, one hopefully close to you, whom your selling dealer already knows those local dealerships will do a courtesy delivery for you -- again with the charge, but considerably less than shipping your car or going to your "cross country" dealer and driving it home. Or, pose your question on the forum, such as "I live in 'X', does anyone know who accepts courtesy deliveries here?" Another popular option is to take Museum Delivery at the National Corvette Museum (NCM) in Bowling Green, KY. Not only is this one of the nation's top-five car museums, but the home of our Corvette's history, made even more fantastic by an included tour of the Bowling Green Assembly plant where you car was made, just across the street. For more on Museum Delivery:
National Corvette Museum - Museum Delivery
NOTE please: Plant Tours are now “on hold" due to the Corona virus indefinitely.
To see new Corvettes waiting for, or being customer picked up:
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/explore/web-cams/
If you still have questions about dealers with allocation, please feel free to post your question in the "Purchasing" area.
At this point, you have selected your options, chosen your dealer who has allocation, and decided where/how you will be receiving your brand new C8 Corvette. Now you are going to actually place your order.
When you are totally satisfied that your dealer has allocation, and you know everything you want to have in your order, including considering how current constraints may affect when you get your car, you are ready to have your order written, including the written specification that your deposit is 100% refundable if for any circumstance your dealer can not deliver your order as you spec'd it, etc.
Other exciting Corvette options include purchasing the Buyers Tour -- where you and a friend spend two days walking down the assembly line with a Tour Guide and watch your car actually being built. I have done two of them, and will have my C8 include a Buyers Tour too. Please search for that either in our forum's search function, or by going to: www.corvettemuseum.org and finding it there.
I
Please note that the information and this thread and the one linked immediately below were earlier part of one, single thread, but now divided as circumstances have changed.
For Part II we have the following separate thread entitled: “II. Critical “Order To Delivery“ Steps/information”: https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.c...our-c8-part-ii
So many exciting decisions before you order! Working through this thread will help get your car as you want it. It was written to help you learn of critical issues you need to address before you order your car, and also yet very helpful for those who have already placed their order. My apologies for the length of this thread and the above linked “Part II” purchasing follow up , but there are so many things to consider.
Please note ever since the C8 debuted, ordering a Corvette in these times of greater demand than supply is a major challenge. Wait times are often excessive with most waiting an average of a year between initial dealer deposit placement and your Corvette’s arrival, sometimes much greater. A couple of further caveats is that many dealers have restored to charging excessive amount over MSRP. For those willing to pay say $10K over (or more) for a Stingray, and we know already paying in excess of $25,000 (or more) over MSRP for a Z06 you can sometimes find an isolated dealer much more quickly, sometimes on the spot at these gouging dealers. It is sad but these are the circumstances right now. Yet thankfully there remain many dealers with integrity that are selling all their customer orders only at MSRP, are not ripping them off. Unfortunately these dealers often are those with the excessive length waits. Thankfully for those wanting to buy a C8 at MSRP, every one of the seven MidEngineCorvetteForum (MECF) dealers are charging MSRP. So for some it is a balancing act, what am I willing to pay over MSRP and getting it much sooner vs the car is already expensive (though worth MSRP for sure) and being willing to wait.
If you are already very knowledge about the complex C8 ordering process and just want a refresher thread on the process, this linked one, though not containing nearly as much info is this one, is a good summary of the whole behind the scenes process.
https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.c...u-need-to-know
However, if you want much more ordering information, and/or this Corvette ordering is a new process to you, I recommend you also read this entire one. Then read the “Part II” linked follow up threadThank you.
EXCELLENT MidEngineCorvetteForum (MECF) DEALERS:
We are so fortunate to have honest, pleasant, capable and trustworthy forum dealers. All are selling the C8 at MSRP. We thank, in the order they joined the forum as a “Forum Featured Vendor,” Criswell, MacMulkin, Kerbeck, Suburban, Uftring, Weber, and Les Stanford Chevrolet. All have their own sections on the home page! gain all have placed every single one of their customer orders, matched with an allocation for you that specific customer with the options and colors you want, at MSRP.
I. Things to evaluate before you walk into a dealership include:
A) CHOOSING YOUR OPTIONS: This includes: mechanical/performance; exterior and interior color, interior trim level; coupe or convertible top color, etc.
This is the latest 2022 Order Guide to help you choose your C8’s options.
https://www.gmfleetorderguide.com/NA...D=22303&type=0
Introductory notes:
That preceding order guide pages open up to different sections and once you open up a section, immediately and every time look at the upper right of the page to insure you are continuing to build your chosen model; in not, just click on that box and select your model. Again, this will need to be done on every single different page.
Once you have chosen your model, colors and all other options, two remaining key issues face you. They are choosing your dealer and checking whether anything you are wanting is a “constrained” option.
B) CONSTRAINTS: Evaluation of "your chosen options" in relationship to "constraints":
Much of the time, you get your Corvette exactly the way you want. However, at certain times, there are part "constraints." This occurs most often when a new "generation" of Corvettes is introduced, when a new model year has started, and/or when special "limited production" models or options are introduced. These constraints occur usually because GM is introducing something new and has underestimated "customer demand," or because of limited parts’ supplier capability. Another reason for a constraint occurs when a "supplier part" is unexpectedly rejected by GM for quality reasons or supplier specific issues at that time.
Having selected your desired Corvette’s parts/options, please review the current list of constrained parts. They come and go, i.e., one week a part can surprisingly show up on the constraint list, and just as surprisingly, could be removed. No one knows how long each constraint will be. The constraint list is usually updated each Thursday (when GM usually accepts new orders).
What is a constraint? How does it work?
A constraint is when there is not enough of a sp;ecific color, model, special edition or component to meet demand. We have this thread to assist (thought it is not always active): https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.c...ay-constraints
If you are wanting to know about current constraints and that thread is not active, you can always start a new thread asking: “What Are Current Constraints?”
Current MECF Dealership Vendors/Info:
Mike Furman of Criswell Chevrolet, the # 3 Corvette dealer, and MECF’s first vendor. And is MECF member #1. Criswell has since been joined as a MECF supporting vendor by the # 2 dealership in the country, MacMulkin, and # 1 dealership, Kerbeck Corvette. We are very proud that we also have Suburban (OR), Uftring (IL), Weber (IL),and Les Stanford (MI). All of them are honest, treat customers with respect, and charge MSRP from the very beginning of a highly sought after new generation Corvette, then do same for subsequent additional Corvette models within a generation,.
All MECF dealerships vendors can be reached/found in their own "Vendor Section.”
Constraints:
To learn the latest constraints, please visit here (a site that is updated every new, usually-weekly, consensus.
http://www.midenginecorvetteforum.co...traint-updates
Below is the best explanation of how to read this constraint chart, though in the specific example, as you can see the “0%” under the constraints listing, there were no constraints that particular consensus.
C) Corvette "Allocation": "Your Friend" Or "Your Regret"
Allocation is a complicated system, whereby General Motors distributes to each Chevy dealership an amount of new Corvettes based on that dealership's previous model year sales of new Corvettes.
Here is how it works: Based on comparative basis of last year's new Corvette sales by all dealerships, GM rewards the dealer that sold the most new Corvettes last year, with the highest allocation to receive/sell new Corvettes this year. This continues, to the next highest dealer, then the next one after that. To further complicate things, there are two distinct kinds of non-interchangeable allocations, either for a coupe OR for a convertible.
We currently have one Corvette model, the 2020 Stingray coupe, though GM just announced last week that it will be joined at some point this year, with a 2020 Stingray HT convertible. However as revealed on October 26th, we will have the new 670 HP Z06. It is designed for the race track, though legal for the street. But do you want to be driving a stallion when going out to dinner>
ALLOCATION CONFIRMATION: So how do you learn about which dealership to select -- which ones have allocation?
Private message “John,” for he will, at least in normal times be able to help to find a dealer which then has C8 allocations to match with your C8 desires — though at this time there are no “open,” unused 2021 C8 allocations. But there will be info as to how to best maximize your chances of getting a 2022 by contacting him. He has helped over 500 Corvette folks place their orders but again consistent with the above preceding cautions, time factor, and/or paying over MSRP. Even in these times of massive demand compared to smaller supply, he will assist you in understanding your options, and will share with you what he would do today if he were starting from scratch, e.g., going over options to assist you.
Research! For most of us buying a new Corvette is one of the most expensive purchases we will make. Just as you spent hours scouring out which neighborhood to buy a house in, you need to do that same due diligence before selecting your dealership. One way is to talk to other current Corvettes owners in your area, especially those who have bought a new Corvette recently. Perhaps contact a local Corvette club. Also you could post your allocation questions on our forum, and you would learn which dealers to order from, who has allocation, who would charge way over list, who would treat you fair, etc.
Optionally, just before you sign your order request and place your deposit, ask your dealer to show you they actually have a Corvette allocation before placing a deposit! How do you know that your dealer has allocation? To quote a top ten dealer, one who has a deserved reputation for integrity and honesty, "If the dealer is willing, he can provide you with a copy of his consensus report which clearly shows what he asked for and what he received. Then each week on Thursday, the dealer can share with you his weekly placement report. This report will show the allocation for the week and the constraints that apply."
Dealers with allocation have nothing to hide, and if the dealer you are considering placing an order with will not show you documentation of their allocation, find another dealer, who with documented allocation, before placing your order.
Forum dealership(s) treat their customers with respect! All are honest/no games! Criswell, MacMulkin, Kerbeck, and Suburban are all dealers I have personally worked with, and each time been treated with courtesy and “just the facts.” Same is accurately said of all the rest of our forum vendors!
D) ORDER TIMING In Relationship To GM’s Order Acceptance:
Intro: Before discussing details, it is critical to note that order status “2000” means that GM has accepted your order and has committed to building it as your dealer submitted it. Conversely, if your order status is less than 2000 (meaning it has not yet been accepted to by GM), it means close to nothing — as delineated below.
Any GM vehicle order can be submitted by any dealer for any model at any time as long as GM had set up that new vehicle in its GM WorkBench Connect software ordering system. Note of caution: Even a dealer, even one who has not ever sold a Corvette and who has no chance of getting a first year C8 in a timely manner, could enter an order and have it immediately become status 1100.
Please note that status 1100 is a necessary first step toward your order become a Corvette. However, while necessary, it is far from sufficient, in fact it could be as useless as you buying a Powerball ticket and in your mind figuring out how you are going to spend your winnings before that lottery is even drawn days from now.
So what else is necessary for your order status to become an actual Corvette? Your dealer must have a GM granted allocation for the model/options you are seeking and your dealer must pair your order with their specific allocation (the old “takes two to tango”).
CONSENSUS AND “DOSP”:
Per Dave Salvatore, Corvette leader at Kerbeck: “Consensus where they tell us what we are getting and we agree to it,; the following week is the DOSP when we can actually order the cars.”
What is “DOSP?” [Dealer Order Submittal Process]
What is DOSP? We thank “Bahama Todd” for this explanation.
”The weekly process consists of 4 stages.
1. Constraints Distribution - Dealers are informed on constraints to review before placing orders.
2. Dealer Order Submittal - Dealers can order on Thursday, Friday or no later than midnight on Saturday. ( You can submit orders earlier but you don't know the contraints. A Constraint is a limit placed on a specific build configuration )
3. The 4-Pass Process - GM will attempt to place each dealers orders on Mondays using a 4-Pass process. ( At this point a dealer may get more or less than was allocated if they asked.)
4. Dealer Review-You can review your placed orders for changes or replacements until Tuesday at 9pm ET. That's when the orders are sent for production.
1. Constraints Distribution - Dealers are informed on constraints to review before placing orders.
2. Dealer Order Submittal - Dealers can order on Thursday, Friday or no later than midnight on Saturday. ( You can submit orders earlier but you don't know the contraints. A Constraint is a limit placed on a specific build configuration )
3. The 4-Pass Process - GM will attempt to place each dealers orders on Mondays using a 4-Pass process. ( At this point a dealer may get more or less than was allocated if they asked.)
4. Dealer Review-You can review your placed orders for changes or replacements until Tuesday at 9pm ET. That's when the orders are sent for production.
During DOSP orders go to status 2000 usually no later than Saturday night. They can be 3000 seconds after they hit 2000 status, a couple of days later, or a little after that.
Status 2000 is the golden package for that is when GM formally accepts the order as submitted and commits to building it as it was accepted.
TIMING SPECIFICS:
The date in which an order is initially entered into the software system, and becomes 1100 status is totally irrelevant as to whether GM would accept that order over another order, e..g, date submittal is always secondary to GM’s prioritization system of granting orders to its largest dealers first in times of insufficient supply compared to demand.
Hypothetical example # 1: A very small Corvette selling dealer (dealer “A”) submits my order for my first year ME on July 25, 2019. Your dealer, a massively selling Corvette dealer (“dealer B”) does nothing for about six weeks, and only first submits your order on “September X,” the day that the first C8 ordering consensus officially starts. My small dealer has no allocation.
Overriding issue: If a dealer does not have an allocation for that consensus, it matters not whether he/she has submitted your order on any date, e.g., no allocation equals all such orders not moving forward from their perpetual limbo in status 1100.
Hypothetical example # 2: My dealer submitted my C8 order on July 25th; it reached status 1100 within the next day or two. Your large dealer does absolutely nothing, does not even enter it in the GM WorkBench Connect system, until “September X” (again the estimated first day of the C8’s first ordering ordering consensus). In this example, both dealers have one allocation for the first consensus. Further in this hypothetical, there is an extreme short of pink competition seats, and GM only has only set of those seats to award this consensus (between those two dealers). Your larger selling dealer would get that one set of pink seats, and assuming no other constrained options, your order would be accepted; yet mine, even though my order was submitted six weeks earlier, would not be accepted. Once again earlier timing does not pay any role in GM accepting orders if competing orders are properly entered when a consensus has started and both orders have been separately paired with an allocation, e.g., timing is always second to GM’s prioritization of its top selling Corvette dealers in granting limited models and/or limited options.
E) OPTIONS For your Corvette's Delivery:
So far, we have been primarily discussing walking into a local dealership. Options include purchasing your car from a large Corvette dealership located in another part of the country, and make that special Corvette road trip home. Alternatively, large Corvette dealers have a list of car transporting companies who specialize in shipping "top of the line" cars, so you could buy your car across the country and have it shipped to you. Or, to minimize shipping costs, you could do a "courtesy delivery." Essentially you buy from a far-away dealer, pay that dealer, but that dealer doesn't have GM ship the car to them, but instead shipped to a dealership close or near to you. To do a courtesy delivery, you have to find a local dealership who will accept the delivery, including performing the pre-delivery inspection (PDI). Most dealerships charge between $250-$750 to perform this service. However, many of the nation's top dealers already have an informal network of dealers throughout the country, one hopefully close to you, whom your selling dealer already knows those local dealerships will do a courtesy delivery for you -- again with the charge, but considerably less than shipping your car or going to your "cross country" dealer and driving it home. Or, pose your question on the forum, such as "I live in 'X', does anyone know who accepts courtesy deliveries here?" Another popular option is to take Museum Delivery at the National Corvette Museum (NCM) in Bowling Green, KY. Not only is this one of the nation's top-five car museums, but the home of our Corvette's history, made even more fantastic by an included tour of the Bowling Green Assembly plant where you car was made, just across the street. For more on Museum Delivery:
National Corvette Museum - Museum Delivery
NOTE please: Plant Tours are now “on hold" due to the Corona virus indefinitely.
To see new Corvettes waiting for, or being customer picked up:
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/explore/web-cams/
If you still have questions about dealers with allocation, please feel free to post your question in the "Purchasing" area.
At this point, you have selected your options, chosen your dealer who has allocation, and decided where/how you will be receiving your brand new C8 Corvette. Now you are going to actually place your order.
When you are totally satisfied that your dealer has allocation, and you know everything you want to have in your order, including considering how current constraints may affect when you get your car, you are ready to have your order written, including the written specification that your deposit is 100% refundable if for any circumstance your dealer can not deliver your order as you spec'd it, etc.
Other exciting Corvette options include purchasing the Buyers Tour -- where you and a friend spend two days walking down the assembly line with a Tour Guide and watch your car actually being built. I have done two of them, and will have my C8 include a Buyers Tour too. Please search for that either in our forum's search function, or by going to: www.corvettemuseum.org and finding it there.
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