I'm out - the cancellations thread

[Russc]

I`m done. I`ve never known a company to work so hard to destroy customer confidence and belief in a brand.

I`ve had enough this week after trying for two weeks to get through to customer care team as web chat couldn`t help. Over 6 hours in total on hold, 6 voicemails left as you can`t` hold longer than 30 minutes and 7 call-backs attempted via their I`ll call you back service. Oh and 2 emails ignored.

Was due a November build but that would probably slip as i can`t get hold of CC to ask questions to confirm my configuration.

I`m done and i`m out, requesting my deposit back tomorrow. I was an advocate of the brand, this has destroyed my confidence in Lotus to deliver when i need them. On reflection i`m surprised it took me this long, if this was any other company i`d stopped using them a long time ago.

 

[Hell4Leather]

Yes I have one. BEST BEST car I have ever owned. All Ferraris are gone, GT3 Manual is going. This is a GOOD CAR! Breaths like a Lotus, has tons! of character. Blowing /whistling turbos, super beautiful cabin, all carbon tub. ABSOLUTE BARGAIN for what you get!

Really? There has been some hesitation, at least in my part of the world, regarding Maserati reliability; even vs Lotus. But not Alpa of course

 

[TomAce]

Yes I have one. BEST BEST car I have ever owned. All Ferraris are gone, GT3 Manual is going. This is a GOOD CAR! Breaths like a Lotus, has tons! of character. Blowing /whistling turbos, super beautiful cabin, all carbon tub. ABSOLUTE BARGAIN for what you get!

And a heavy pig for all that fuzz like carbon tub and all that jazz.

1707kg or 3757 pounds measured, it's 220kg heavier than the Emira:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a39538831/2022-maserati-mc20-by-the-numbers/

But I agree, it's a beutiful car and at least one guy of throttle house really loves it:

 

[richbrown]

Well after nearly 2 years of waiting I pulled the trigger and have bought an Aston DB11 V8 at the weekend. Aston Sevenoaks have been great and with a 2 year warranty and service pack reckon it’s a sound buy. I know it’s been asked over and over but once I’ve emailed cancellation how quick are lotus to refund? I paid via bank transfer both £2k and 3k and haven’t been asked to check out. Such a shame and hope Lotus do well.

 

[Toomanyloti]

I get folks binning out due to reliability issues. I nad a new Kia Stinger GTS for 4 years and apart from a recall to fix a small rattle on the tailgate it was faultless and a dream to drive and own. It cost not far of 1/3 of the Taycan I have now.
The Taycan and the dealer experience has been basically pants. Not at all what I expected. Now the charge port release on the off side is not working and It still wont reliably charge overnight at home. I cant rely on it at all. Its range is rubbish but its a hoot to drive just an amusement.
So fingers crossed I don't have any major issues with my Emira, time will tell and I may end up eating my words.
I was getting frustrated at lack of comms but its just a car so I decided to kick back a bit and let things roll. Thank goodness I did because although not super quick the car is way better than I expected.
The take away from this is that I have the car instead of a lot of bitterness, anguish and maybe regret if I had cancelled.
I'm not having a pop at anyone just hope that it might help others look at the experience from another angle.

 

[vantager]

Can I please ask 'Is cancellation as simple as emailing CUSTOMERCARE@LOTUSCARS.COM?'
Also - what other details do you need (I assume receipt number, reservation id, name)?

 

[richbrown]

Can I please ask 'Is cancellation as simple as emailing CUSTOMERCARE@LOTUSCARS.COM?'
Also - what other details do you need (I assume receipt number, reservation id, name)?

Spoke to customer care they asked for credit card expiry date and I gave them the reservation ID. Sounds like some chaos with spam emails flooding the system.. I’m expecting it to take a week or two… good thing I don’t need funds for my other car

 

[Russc]

Spoke to customer care they asked for credit card expiry date and I gave them the reservation ID. Sounds like some chaos with spam emails flooding the system.. I’m expecting it to take a week or two… good thing I don’t need funds for my other car

I hope you are not in a hurry. 2 weeks so far and they haven`t even acknowledged my email.

 

[TomE]

For cancellations I'd suggest phone or web chat and then follow up with email to confirm. Email alone seems to be getting stuck in a black hole at the moment.

You'll need to confirm the credit card used for the original deposit(s) is still valid.

 

[Russc]

For cancellations I'd suggest phone or web chat and then follow up with email to confirm. Email alone seems to be getting stuck in a black hole at the moment.

You'll need to confirm the credit card used for the original deposit(s) is still valid.

That`s a good thought if they replied. The lad on webchat waited until i had sent the email and even confirmed receipt. Still nothing back, can`t say i`m that surprised. I`ll wait until it`s 21 days and get my solicitor to make contact with them, i can`t be bothered chasing them all over the place anymore.

It`s the dealers i feel sorry for. I dealt with Caffryns and they were all brilliant and continue to be when i`ve spoken with them, even after knowing i`ve cancelled. They are just hamstrung by the rest of the company that`s seriously letting the brand down at the moment.

 

[richbrown]

For cancellations I'd suggest phone or web chat and then follow up with email to confirm. Email alone seems to be getting stuck in a black hole at the moment.

You'll need to confirm the credit card used for the original deposit(s) is still valid.

Thanks Tom and good idea. They appear to have had an influx of spam / junk sent to them and are sifting through these. The chap also seemed to indicate only one person does refunds ! No rush for the £5k I’m pleased to say but should be a little more efficient. I’ll probably get a check out email before the refund at this rate

 

[Maurice R]

Thanks Tom and good idea. They appear to have had an influx of spam / junk sent to them and are sifting through these. The chap also seemed to indicate only one person does refunds ! No rush for the £5k I’m pleased to say but should be a little more efficient. I’ll probably get a check out email before the refund at this rate

Could not resist, “no rush” it’s your money and they are earning interest on it.
They need a better IT department to be able to sort the spam out.
Incredibly inefficient operation. Always an excuse for their in efficiency

 

[TomE]

It's not spam, it's all the deposit holders bombarding them with requests for updates

 

[Maurice R]

It's not spam, it's all the deposit holders bombarding them with requests for updates

Tom you I believe, Lotus not so much

 

[EspritGuy]

Tom you I believe, Lotus not so much

Lotus. Ownership. Takes Unusual. Sensibilities

 

[meenboli]

Could not resist, “no rush” it’s your money and they are earning interest on it.
They need a better IT department to be able to sort the spam out.
Incredibly inefficient operation. Always an excuse for their in efficiency

They (Lotus) don't make anything from the deposits - as they don't see them. They go into a holding account that they can't access.

The bank where the money is however, I'm sure is making a packet...

 

[Hobiedick]

They (Lotus) don't make anything from the deposits - as they don't see them. They go into a holding account that they can't access.

The bank where the money is however, I'm sure is making a packet...

Are you sure Lotus use some sort of Escrow system, even though Lotus Financial Services are an FCA regulated company?

 

[meenboli]

Are you sure Lotus use some sort of Escrow system, even though Lotus Financial Services are an FCA regulated company?

I was told categorically when I paid my deposit (asking the question what if Lotus go bust while I wait?).

 

[SmallerBaller]

I may be joining this thread soon, depressingly. I really, really, really wanted this to be at least a neutral experience and I have waited for a little under 2 years already. Between spending years 25 and 26 of my life not being able to drive a nice car, constant concerns about breakdowns and tows to the dealership, long wait times at the dealer for parts, underwhelming Dyno and 0-60 results (even for a guy who doesn't particularly care about those things, it has been a bit of a let down), an 11k price hike, and extreme lack of communication from corporate. A huge factor for me in particular is the repeated breakdowns... the US is a large country and it is not unheard of for me to drive 2 consecutive 12 hour days when travelling.

This was my first introduction into the realm of high performance vehicles, and it has been a pretty shocking let down how the customers have been treated. I have loved Lotus as a brand and always cheered for the underdog since I was a kid, but the reality is if any other car brand behaved this way I would have been out long ago. I am genuinely saddened, and I hate to say I understand why they are the underdog, and they may deserve it.

I am keeping my deposit in and will probably start looking for pre-owned R8 V10 manuals (gen 1), but if I manage to find one that is a reasonable price and moderately low miles, I will lock it in and pull my Emira deposit.

Truly, the only positive part of this experience has been the 20 minute test drive and learning from people on the forum. So I am around still, but likely not for too much longer.

 

[VL3X]

I may be joining this thread soon, depressingly. I really, really, really wanted this to be at least a neutral experience and I have waited for a little under 2 years already. Between spending years 25 and 26 of my life not being able to drive a nice car, constant concerns about breakdowns and tows to the dealership, long wait times at the dealer for parts, underwhelming Dyno and 0-60 results (even for a guy who doesn't particularly care about those things, it has been a bit of a let down), an 11k price hike, and extreme lack of communication from corporate. A huge factor for me in particular is the repeated breakdowns... the US is a large country and it is not unheard of for me to drive 2 consecutive 12 hour days when travelling.

This was my first introduction into the realm of high performance vehicles, and it has been a pretty shocking let down how the customers have been treated. I have loved Lotus as a brand and always cheered for the underdog since I was a kid, but the reality is if any other car brand behaved this way I would have been out long ago. I am genuinely saddened, and I hate to say I understand why they are the underdog, and they may deserve it.

I am keeping my deposit in and will probably start looking for pre-owned R8 V10 manuals (gen 1), but if I manage to find one that is a reasonable price and moderately low miles, I will lock it in and pull my Emira deposit.

Truly, the only positive part of this experience has been the 20 minute test drive and learning from people on the forum. So I am around still, but likely not for too much longer.

I'm right there with you. 10 years older, but yeah, I agree with everything you said. This is not the experience I expected or hoped for. This forum is the best part of the Emira for me so far. Keep us posted if/when you get something new.

I almost pulled the trigger on this a couple weeks ago. It was a blast to drive but missing a couple things to be my perfect spec. Maintenence costs still scare me too.

I left the drive thinking how the Emira would be more engaging, though maybe less exciting, and have more useable power around town and cheaper services. But then again, this 570 actually exists right now and excites me. My excitement about the Emira has basically faded away at this point unfortunately.