[rickives]

Mid-December my wife and I ordered a 2002 EX-L in Evergreen Pearl paint color from Capitol City Honda in Olympia, WA. Yesterday, the dealer called to let me know that Honda was building our van but the color was is going to be Granite Green (which we all know is really dark gray). He explained a term called "lot rounding", meaning that Honda did not have enough requests for the Evergreen Pearl color for this build cycle to warrant building them. My options are to take the Granite Green van, have the dealer put in my order again for the EP color I want (with no guarantee that it will be built in the next build cycle) or switch to another color for the next build cycle.
Anyone heard of lot rounding?
Is the dealer being truthful?

So far I have liked the dealer and was able to negotiate the MSRP of $28,690 with them. I would like to stick with them if they are being honest.

Any suggestions?



------------------
Rick Ives

 

[Jerry O1]

Sounds like something that would be done in this age of electronic management of everything. Why open a gallon of paint, when you might get a guy to buy one painted with the gallon you already have open, Hee! Hee! Save a penny.......
Jerry O.

 

[nyvram]

I don't buy this scenario. I think Honda hasn't perfected the EP paint process yet because I'm sure there would be people lined up around the block for a 'new' color for their Ody no one else had (look at the RRP rush back in September of last year).

Also, I finally 'see' the green in Granite Green. It took me awhile; I kept confusing the Canyon Stone Silver w/ the GG but now I can successfully discern the difference between the 2....and I can see the greenish tint as well. It *is* a granite green although it took me almost a year to discern it.

ramble ramble ramble

 

[schuckb]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by nyvram:
I think Honda hasn't perfected the EP paint process yet because I'm sure there would be people lined up around the block for a 'new' color for their Ody no one else had (look at the RRP rush back in September of last year).</font>

There is no way to know the reasoning behind Honda's refual to take your order. I work for a manufacturing firm and we have problems once in a while that prevent us from making a particular product. Let it be known that every manufacturing firm wants to make their products and they don't want problems. But they do happen.

It is possible that Honda won't manufacture to inventory. Factories either build their products for anticipated sales (build to inventory) or they "build to order". The latter method is meant to keep inventories and costs down (and profits up). Unless their backlog is dropping, I would think they could sell every GG Ody they make; to this end maybe nyvram has a point. But is is possible that the pencil pushers are making the decisions and they won't produce unless the orders are there.

It is your choice. Do you want to be pissed at your dealer? Assume he is lying. Do you want to give him a chance; has he been reasonable to you so far? Can you wait for a GG Ody? Does it have to be GG? Then let it roll off and wait for a bit.

This too shall pass...

(I'll give back the soap box. Anyone else want a turn?)

Bryan