Today's Independent newspaper Motoring section has, on different pages, similar adverts for the GT 2.0 JTS by Alpha authorised dealers, one in Surrey, the other in Herts. Red "flashes" proclaim: "Cancelled order, 1 only - available for immediate delivery".
Who are they trying to kid? Is this a newish marketing ploy to build up the impression with the public that these cars are a rarity. I'm no expert on Alpha availability, but is this likely to be for real - a con or coincidence, I have to ask?
And if they are "cancelled orders", why did people cancel?
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A few years ago I made the mistake of requesting a quote for a new garage door from a well known company specialising in the roller type door. The guy came, measured up, consulted his chart and then told me it'd cost about £1200, but it was, of course, a superior product well worth the cost. I told him I'd think about it and he left. Over the nedt few days/weeks I had a succession of calls from the company trying to tempt me to part with my cash with stories varying from doing me a favour to how good a picture of my new garage door would look in their brochure. At one point they claimed they'd just had a cancelled order of doors destined for Nigeria and, very conveniently, I could secure one of these for about £600 in the non-standard size and colour required. Oh really!!!
Con or co-incidence? Who's to say in any given set of circumstances? I just think that this sort of thing has become just another marketing technique for some.
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Today's Independent newspaper Motoring section has, on different pages, similar adverts for the GT 2.0 JTS by Alpha authorised dealers, one in Surrey, the other in Herts. Red "flashes" proclaim: "Cancelled order, 1 only - available for immediate delivery". Who are they trying to kid? Is this a newish marketing ploy to build up the impression with the public that these cars are a rarity. I'm no expert on Alpha availability, but is this likely to be for real - a con or coincidence, I have to ask? And if they are "cancelled orders", why did people cancel?
People cancel orders all the time, for all kinds of reasons.
The GT is on an 16 week delivery, this time of year that would be extended because of factory shutdown in Italy.
BTW it's ALFA Romeo not Alpha. ALFA is an acronym, whereas Alpha is a greek letter.
JaB
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There probably was a cancellation. It would have been sold ages ago, but they keep running the ads to get people into the showroom. Bait, that's all.
It happened to a friend of mine. He spotted the car he'd just purchased still advertised for sale in the dealer's ad. Of course if you turned up to enquire about the 2001 GTI in the ad you'd be sure to be given a "Oh, that's just been sold, however we do have this 2003 1.0L 5-door in fetching aquamarine for only an extra grand" from the dealer.
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Its the sort of marketing ploy that's always gone on. I remember years ago going into a shop and asking for a pair of motorcycle glove like those on the window.
" Sorry sir we have sold out of those, you could buy these more expensive ones instead ".
"Can I buy the ones in the window then."
"Sorry sir they are our display pair we can't sell those".
I still don't see the point of displying something they can't or won't sell. It got me into the shop but they didn't get a sale.
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I think people are missing El Hacko's point here. These are two seperate garages running near identical adverts, both claiming to have a cancelled order for immediate delivery. It could be coincidence that both dealers have a cancellation and advertise it at the same time, or it could be a deliberate ploy by Alfa to get punters through the doors who would otherwise be put off by the tales of long waiting lists.
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I wouldn't say that I've missed the point so much as deviated from it a little. The point I was trying to make is that a showroom may well stretch-out the advertising period for a particularly desirable car well beyond the point at which it was sold in order to get punters into the showroom and sell them something else.
So if a showroom has a cancelled order then it'll be snapped-up but they'll use that in their advertising for a period of time afterwards making it more likely that two showrooms will both be advertising their cancellations at the same time. The actual cancellation may have occurred days or even weeks ago, but they're still going on about it.
Another possibility could be that the two showrooms are under the same ownership, so an advert for one is re-used for the other, and they share "special-offers".
But I can't believe that a dealership would be allowed to advertise something that never actually existed. Perhaps I'm not cynical enough yet.
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I think people are missing El Hacko's point here. These are two seperate garages running near identical adverts, both claiming to have a cancelled order for immediate delivery. It could be coincidence that both dealers have a cancellation and advertise it at the same time, or it could be a deliberate ploy by Alfa to get punters through the doors who would otherwise be put off by the tales of long waiting lists.
On the other hand the more obvious solution is that both dealers are part of the same group and as such both have access to sell the cancelled order on a 1st come 1st served basis.
Alfa are not the only manufacturer to offer long waiting lists. Have you tried to buy anew BMW recently? how does 4 months grab you?
JaB
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Only 12 months for a Morgan these days!
Ian L.
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Only 12 months for a Morgan these days! Ian L.
Pah. Nothing. 911 was a 15 month wait. Would have been 18 had they not introduced a different model for me to switch to.
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how does 4 months grab you?
:o er... 16 weeks is 4 months
I'll get my coat.....
Jab
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