Rivian’s Allocation; Complex or Out of Control?

[DJG]

Please elaborate

Emailing senior executives asking where's my truck. The world could use a lot fewer of those kind of people.

Sponsored

 

[MountainBikeDude]

Sometimes you can’t do what you said you’d do. I’d settle for them sending a communication which says something like:

​

We understand some customers are dissatisfied with the order of deliveries. Our R1Ts are getting fantastic reviews by experts and owners alike, so we know why you want to be driving one sooner rather than later! Rivian had to reprioritize our fulfillment strategy for the good of the business and the customers we serve. What we’re doing will get the most vehicles to the greatest number of reservation holders in the shortest time and with the highest quality in today’s challenging environment. While things may seem chaotic or random to outsiders, there is logic behind the new strategy which is beneficial in the long run. We are confident that if you’re one of those still waiting, your Rivian will be worth the wait!​

I don’t think they owe me much of an explanation but writing to say that expectations are based on an outdated model would be nice… and it doesn’t even add new self-imposed deadlines or metrics to trip them up.

Would you be happy receiving an email that essentially states what you already know to be happening? Not criticizing you so don't take it that way either. I just see it as being pointless and inciting additional blow back. I've definitely heard enough and seen enough about how the truck is and drives and likely know it better than the vehicle I've driven for the last 12 years. I really don't want to hear another "We can't wait to get you in your Rivian"

Also, out of fairness, delivering vehicles to new born reservation holders is a solid kick in the nuts to anyone sitting on a preorder months, even years prior with little more than "soon"

And... cleansed for another couple months of no rants ?

 

[SoCal Rob]

Would you be happy receiving an email that essentially states what you already know to be happening? Not criticizing you so don't take it that way either. I just see it as being pointless and inciting additional blow back. I've definitely heard enough and seen enough about how the truck is and drives and likely know it better than the vehicle I've driven for the last 12 years. I really don't want to hear another "We can't wait to get you in your Rivian"

Also, out of fairness, delivering vehicles to new born reservation holders is a solid kick in the nuts to anyone sitting on a preorder months, even years prior with little more than "soon"

And... cleansed for another couple months of no rants ?

Yes, if I were in that situation I’d be happier receiving an email which admitted in some some way, any way, that they blew past my delivery window. I think most consider being acknowledged as almost always being better than being ignored, all else being equal.

It’s almost funny that a relatively high-tech startup like Rivian is operating as if people can’t compare their experiences to others when it comes to the understandable, “…delivering vehicles to new born reservation holders is a solid kick in the nuts to anyone sitting on a preorder months, even years prior…” I mean, they’ve heard of this thing called the Internet, right?

 

[SoCal Rob]

And... cleansed for another couple months of no rants ?

Oh, I forgot to add: with so many of us having our own priorities and hot-button issues when dealing with Rivian, committing to a couple months of no rants is probably as likely to be true as Rivian meeting all of their self-imposed deadlines for a couple months.

 

[SoCal Rob]

@EVTrucking, I gave more thought to the question from the thread title, “Rivian’s Allocation; Complex or Out of Control?”

Does it have to be one or the other? Can we just go with, “Yes.” and cover our bases?

 

[dleepnw]

i think several things are at play, some stated by Rivian some obvious from simple observation

1. config, location (where order holder lives and proximity to SC), and order date matters
2. batching of configs matters
3. i think Rivian is factoring post 3/1 orders (more than we think) as they have higher total revenue and margins.
4. inventory and delivery are decentralized. i think that once its been set for a location, it becomes regionalized and that guides are the ones that determine where it goes if the original order holder declines. based on point 3, they are willing to bypass older order holders for newer ones. hence what appears to be a random lottery
5. they are finding issues post-factory delivery at service centers, fixing known issues before delivery, all while trying to take care of service requests for existing customers with more frequency than they anticipated on all fronts. that's both slowing down deliveries and screwing up the delivery process exacerbating the lottery.

yes, they probably should prioritize production and delivery above all else for long term survival but it comes at the cost of customer satisfaction which by my estimation is eroding by death of a thousand cuts and could cost them in long term loyalty if they cant get a handle on deliveries, service/support, and communications.

 

[EVTrucking]

Emailing senior executives asking where's my truck. The world could use a lot fewer of those kind of people.

You missed the point. If you really read my opening post you will see that I am not asking for my truck. I stated that no one with a pre order date in 2021 should get a vehicle this year. My pre order date is 3/21. I am asking Rivian to do what it said it would do.

Your ‘big pants’ and the world needs “less people” like us is uncalled for.

 

[Count Orlok]

Emailing senior executives asking where's my truck. The world could use a lot fewer of those kind of people.

you think senior execs read their own email?

 

[DJG]

You missed the point. If you really read my opening post you will see that I am not asking for my truck. I stated that no one with a pre order date in 2021 should get a vehicle this year. My pre order date is 3/21. I am asking Rivian to do what it said it would do.

Your ‘big pants’ and the world needs “less people” like us is uncalled for.

I did not miss the point. I was literally replying to a post (that wasn't yours) that included executive email addresses for people who wanted to email them and complain about being seemingly skipped over in the delivery process.

You have no basis to claim Rivian isn't doing what they said they would do (because you lack all the pertinent information), and even if you did, they have every right to not do what they said they would based on changing priorities, and we have no right to dictate that they don't or even complain when they don't. We're not a party to their affairs until we become owners of a vehicle. Until then we are just spectators waiting for an invitation that they are not obligated to extend at all or on any timeline.

 

[EVTrucking]

you think senior execs read their own email?

I doubt they do but you never know….

 

[yorty]

s

1. Nobody (outside Rivian) really knows how widespread this issue is. We live off of anecdotes here on the message boards because (in an information vacuum) what else are we going to do? But we're talking about dozens of reports of people jumping the line out of thousands of orders. This is also the internet where [checks notes] information can occasionally be unreliable at best. Take everything with a grain of salt.
2. Rivian has a responsible to shareholders first and foremost. Not to us keyboard worries on the message board. Their #1 priority is to fulfill orders and they are going to prioritize that over all else. We just don't know what goes into the algorithm. Maybe they contact somebody from 2019, that person cancels, and the computer says, "give it to this guy from 2021 because he lives in the same town and that truck is already off the assembly line"... We just don't know but I'm fairly confident that (a) they are not idiots and (b) they are trying to ship trucks to people and collect $.
3. Demand WAY outstrips supply. They have many many many more orders than they can fulfill. That puts them in the strong position and us in the weak position. It's not great but that's the facts. For every disgruntled message board order holder, there are five more willing people to take that truck. Why are they going to bend over backwards (at the sacrifice of sales and/or margin) to satisfy an early order holder? There's just little incentive, except for...
4. Public perception. They could piss off enough people and create some kind of backlash but there's very little evidence of that happening so far in spite of people (possibly) being skipped in line. I'm one of them! Ordered two years ago and have heard crickets. So maybe there's a backlash but (wild guess) they've done the calculus and it makes more business sense to optimize for shipping trucks versus staying true to order in line.

All above is pure wild speculation on my part, based on being a cold hearted businessperson for the last three decades... YMMV.

shareholder left in 2023 delivery ..depite reconfiguing to lg pack immediately in dec after RJ Max Pack was deprioritized...delivery windows in 2023 SHOULD SIT TIGHT and RELAX..Hard!

Sponsored