[SinSantaFe]

I hope they if Lucid does eventually raise their prices, they will keep the prices for those with existing orders. Rivian tried to raise them for order-holders and they had to backtrack on that. $139,000 is the high point for me, so if my order price is increased I’d either have to switch to a “lesser” Lucid model or just go with my current Tesla Model S order.

 

[Vivek Nayyar]

I hope they if Lucid does eventually raise their prices, they will keep the prices for those with existing orders. Rivian tried to raise them for order-holders and they had to backtrack on that. $139,000 is the high point for me, so if my order price is increased I’d either have to switch to a “lesser” Lucid model or just go with my current Tesla Model S order.

Raising the price for an already ordered car wouldn't be ethical and neither would it be the right type of business strategy. Do other vendors usually do the same?

 

[SinSantaFe]

I would agree that changing the price for an already-ordered car would not be a wise strategy from a customer satisfaction perspective. But a company's bean-counters may want to improve the bottom line by raising prices prior to delivery in order to counterbalance the increasing costs of everything that goes into a car's manufacturing. The problem with that is that reservation holders will be pissed off by the bait and switch maneuver and cancel their reservations. In my opinion the experience with Rivian will serve as a warning to any car manufacturer who attempts to increase the price once a buyer has made their reservation and submitted their deposit/order fee.

 

[Vivek Nayyar]

I would agree that changing the price for an already-ordered car would not be a wise strategy from a customer satisfaction perspective. But a company's bean-counters may want to improve the bottom line by raising prices prior to delivery in order to counterbalance the increasing costs of everything that goes into a car's manufacturing. The problem with that is that reservation holders will be pissed off by the bait and switch maneuver and cancel their reservations. In my opinion the experience with Rivian will serve as a warning to any car manufacturer who attempts to increase the price once a buyer has made their reservation and submitted their deposit/order fee.

Yes, that's true. The buyers will be highly dissatisfied and might think twice before going for the brand in the future.

 

[steveinarizona]

Everyone...there is a distinction between reservation deposits and orders. What Rivian did was to try to raise prices on the deposits. For Lucid, a deposit is placed on a reservation but the order isn't placed until a few weeks or a couple of months before receiving the vehicle.

I believe we are actually talking about deposits on reservations here...not orders.

 

[SinSantaFe]

Steveinarizona- You are correct about the difference between reservations and orders. In my previous response I should have said “I would agree that changing the price for an already-reserved car….” although I do refer to “reservation holders” in the rest of that post. I think the point being made is that once a buyer plunks down a $1000 deposit and reserves a specifically configured vehicle at the manufacturer’s stated price, the company should honor that price when it is time for the buyer to order. When I reserved my R1T and my Lucid, I was ready to order/buy. It’s not my fault that Rivian and Lucid weren’t ready to deliver (due to totally legitimate reasons) at the time I was ready to buy. So, I have agreed to wait until they are ready to deliver - but I shouldn’t have to pay more than the amount they stated the vehicle would cost when I made my reservation.

 

[steveinarizona]

Steveinarizona- You are correct about the difference between reservations and orders. In my previous response I should have said “I would agree that changing the price for an already-reserved car….” although I do refer to “reservation holders” in the rest of that post. I think the point being made is that once a buyer plunks down a $1000 deposit and reserves a specifically configured vehicle at the manufacturer’s stated price, the company should honor that price when it is time for the buyer to order. When I reserved my R1T and my Lucid, I was ready to order/buy. It’s not my fault that Rivian and Lucid weren’t ready to deliver (due to totally legitimate reasons) at the time I was ready to buy. So, I have agreed to wait until they are ready to deliver - but I shouldn’t have to pay more than the amount they stated the vehicle would cost when I made my reservation.

I agree and as a Pure reservation holder, I hope Lucid will honor the price.

 

[Vivek Nayyar]

Everyone...there is a distinction between reservation deposits and orders. What Rivian did was to try to raise prices on the deposits. For Lucid, a deposit is placed on a reservation but the order isn't placed until a few weeks or a couple of months before receiving the vehicle.

I believe we are actually talking about deposits on reservations here...not orders.

So you mean that sometimes people deposit for reservation without sharing the specifications of the tailored car they intend to have? Does this further mean that at the time of deposit, the approach should be to share the configurations too?

 

[steveinarizona]

So you mean that sometimes people deposit for reservation without sharing the specifications of the tailored car they intend to have? Does this further mean that at the time of deposit, the approach should be to share the configurations too?

When you place your deposit you have identified some of the features (color, model, etc.) but not others (e.g., Dream Drive Pro). I believe that one can modify those when one is confirming the reservation.

 

[SinSantaFe]

Vivek, when you place your reservation you specify the trim level (Pure, Touring, Grand Touring) plus such configuration items such as interior/exterior color, roof, etc. Like steveinarizona said, you can change the configuration of your reservation BUT I do not believe you can change the trim level without canceling the reservation or having Lucid transfer your deposit to a new reservation for a different trim model. However, Lucid counts the date of your original reservation as the official reservation date so, for instance, if you had a reservation for a Touring but decided to change the trim level to a Pure after June 30, 2022 you would still get 3 years of free Electrify America charging because your official reservation date was prior to June 30th. I think this is a very customer-focused policy, and I applaud Lucid for it.