Day 1 Pre-order, 2nd delivery window missed, zero substantive communication - is this typical or outlier?

[FShilmover]

I placed my $1,000 deposit on Nov 27, 2018, at 7:46 PM Eastern. SUV from the start. No changes to the config. I did cancel my pre-order when the price increased, and reinstated (with supposed no impact to order per their comms) when they chose to honor (kind of, since they dropped accessories) original pricing. I placed the order while living in MA, but moved to NC during the process. There have been R1Ts on the road here for a while, and R1Ss have become visible more and more, so it's not the NC sales issue IMO. I also offered to pick it up in MA or at the factory, but the guide did not have the information to know if this would change the timeline.

My original delivery window was April/May 2022. No comms during or after the window was missed. Reset to "awaiting" and set to June/July 2023. I asked for clarification from the guide, who informed me that the "delivery" window was actually a VIN match window, so not actual delivery. No comms during or now after the window was missed. I feel bad for the guides, as they seem like genuinely nice people who believe in the Rivian mission but are armed with zero information. All they can do is help me read the lack of information on the website.

I have access to the store, and once saw my identical config. I didn't pull the trigger because I wanted to clarify if this was a returned vehicle. By the time I got a response (which had no information), the vehicle was gone.

I reached out to my guide this morning to ask if he had any information. His response was:

"I have no update for you and you will get a new window at the end of the month unless you get it before then."

Not how I would respond to a customer in this situation, but again, the guide is doing his best, so I fault the company, not the individual.

I am writing to ask if there are others in this situation or if I am unique.

The lack of communication and responsiveness by the company is so disheartening given the mission and potential. So much goodwill has been destroyed to the point that I'm ambivalent about even taking delivery. I am skeptical that an organization with such poor communication and understanding of its audience has a culture that will allow the business to endure.

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[COdogman]

I'm sorry you haven't gotten your truck yet, but you also didn't share what your configuration is. The only real barriers to R1T delivery right now are location and configuration. If you saw a shop truck identical to your order I assume you don't have a max pack or a powered tonneau, etc....

I don't blame you for asking if the shop truck was a return, but I would be shocked if Rivian would tell you either way. Obviously they can't legally sell a "used" truck as new, so I think if you see a truck that you like in the shop you should jump on it.

Rivian still has much to improve on with communications and transparency throughout the process - I had a few months before delivery where no one could/ would tell me anything about my order other than it was built. But they are a new company and I kept telling myself it will happen when it happens. It was still the truck I wanted and to me it was worth waiting for...

 

[4tangledkites]

I had a similar experience. My first delivery window was Dec 2022 -Jan 2023, which was missed. Updated window was Jan-Jun 2024. Then in April I got a window of Apr-May 2023 which was also missed. No guide, and CS was useless. I bugged them repeatedly, and then finally in mid June I got shop access. I selected a vehicle, got a guide, and have had good communication since. I didn't keep my original selection from the shop (delivery timing issue). But once I was ready in July I had a call with my guide to review vehicles, and he matched me to a VIN which I picked up from the factory last week.

 

[FShilmover]

Launch Edition
Quad-Motor AWD
Large battery pack
Glacier White exterior color
22" Sport Bright wheel and tire
Ocean Coast + Dark Ash Wood interior
Tow Hooks

Flexible on colors, but the guide couldn't indicate the impact on delivery window.

 

[FShilmover]

R1S

 

[COdogman]

R1S

Yeah, it sure seems like your configuration isn't the problem. I mean they did wait almost a full year after T deliveries started to begin S deliveries, so that accounts for a good portion of the delay as well. Others in NC have seen similar delays to yours, which is likely due to the sales laws in NC even though others are finding ways around it, like buying from the shop.

Now that you have shop access I would take advantage of it unless you are just so soured on the experience that you don't want it anymore. I can tell you that once you have it, you will be happy. They are making amazing vehicles.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I don't blame you for asking if the shop truck was a return, but I would be shocked if Rivian would tell you either way. Obviously they can't legally sell a "used" truck as new, so I think if you see a truck that you like in the shop you should jump on it.

I believe if someone rejects the vehicle for a specific quality issue that Rivian will have those addressed before it goes back into the R1 shop. But if they actually deliver the vehicle and the person returns it, then yeah, they can't legally resell it as new.

Being in NC is likely limiting your vehicle from being produced, since you seem to be somewhere around 250 miles from the nearest service center. Honestly knowing what I know about how service has gone lately, I'd be very hesitant to buy an R1 if I were that far from the SC and weren't personally ready to be without the vehicle for a while if issues came up.

 

[COdogman]

I believe if someone rejects the vehicle for a specific quality issue that Rivian will have those addressed before it goes back into the R1 shop. But if they actually deliver the vehicle and the person returns it, then yeah, they can't legally resell it as new.

Being in NC is likely limiting your vehicle from being produced, since you seem to be somewhere around 250 miles from the nearest service center. Honestly knowing what I know about how service has gone lately, I'd be very hesitant to buy an R1 if I were that far from the SC and weren't personally ready to be without the vehicle for a while if issues came up.

That's good advice. My T is my only vehicle so I would have to think twice about it if I lived that far away from a SC.

As far as the used/ new thing goes, whatever rules/ laws that would allow them to sell it again as new probably also allows them to not disclose that fact unless they do so voluntarily. So I doubt Rivian would say anything even if that is the case with the S OP saw in the shop. I would be surprised if the guides even had access to that info.

 

[PappaBolt]

If you have shop access and are flexible on colors then you should be seeing opportunities to select a vehicle. How long have you had access?

As you pointed out your configuration doesn’t seem to be an issue. Rivian communications continues to be a struggle. My sympathies for what you’ve been through. But it seems you have the access now to select a vehicle or are you holding out on principle to get an exact build?

 

[PappaBolt]

I'd be very hesitant to buy an R1 if I were that far from the SC and weren't personally ready to be without the vehicle for a while if issues came up.

This is a good point unless you’re flexible on being without your vehicle while in need of service. But it’s not just a distance from SC issue. Wait times for SC appointments can be long. In some cases exceeding 4 months for issues not affecting safety or drivability. Even with an appointment it takes days (and sometimes weeks) before your vehicle gets in the bay for actual work. I expect it will improve over time but right now it’s a bottleneck.

 

[Rivdog]

Sorry to hear that, I’d be upset too. If one comes up in the shop, select it first and then ask the questions. You can back out if there’s an issue but you won’t lose the vehicle. You might lose shop access for a bit during the process if you cancel but I think it could be reinstated. I don’t blame you at all for being frustrated and ambivalent, but these are incredible vehicles and finally getting your own will wash away most (or all) of those feelings.

 

[Winger]

I got my truck exactly 27 days after I put down my $1k deposit. Shop access was the next day after the deposit and I chose quickly. "Guide" contact was only helpful with trade-in process, every other bit of info I got was from either the webpage or texts or emails I received from random customer service advisors. Guide communication seems to be an issue, but the guy that delivered my vehicle at the SC was very friendly and helpful and now that I have his number I'm more likely to call him than my guide.

I think - and this is only a guess - that Rivian is building large batches of trucks in the most popular configurations and putting them on the shop. If your configuration is similar enough that it can be built in one of those runs, you might get lucky and have it built, otherwise you are left to wait.

If you really want a truck, my suggestion is to pick one from the shop as soon as it shows up. They cannot sell a used car as a new one and probably won't tell you if a car in the shop was one that was declined by a customer because a) any issues with it would have been resolved and b) they probably have no legal obligation to do so.

 

[FShilmover]

Sorry to hear that, I’d be upset too. If one comes up in the shop, select it first and then ask the questions. You can back out if there’s an issue but you won’t lose the vehicle. You might lose shop access for a bit during the process if you cancel but I think it could be reinstated. I don’t blame you at all for being frustrated and ambivalent, but these are incredible vehicles and finally getting your own will wash away most (or all) of those feelings.

That is good to know about not losing original spot.

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