[nscrbug]

I need a crash course on understanding how this whole "imaging" thing works. What exactly IS an image? I asked my salesguy that, and he basically said that the image is the car I am 'building'...the car I wish to place an order for. Ok...I placed my order today...not sure exactly what that means, but my salesguy filled out an official-looking form, took all of my personal information, the exact car and options I wanted, calculated a total price with tax, license and doc fees. I then charged the $1K deposit on my credit card and was given a receipt and told that I could expect to see my car sometime in June. It's an automatic, BTW. So now what happens? Can somebody explain the process that takes place from this point on in regards to this 'imaging' thing? :crazy:

 

[Rick Tinley Park]

Well, in forum talk -- you really did not "order" your car. You made sure the dealer has all the information they need to place the order when an Image comes in. Once your car is imaged - then it is really ordered. You will have some of these numbers you hear people toss about.
Do you know how many images are before you?
Like my signature says #9 (out of 10) but I know positively that at least one more has been ordered so I am #8 now...
I have been told that I should get an image about May-June (lean towards June) and delivery in July August.....
As far as having my deposit and the paperwork for what I want -- he's had that since December... But I can not say that the car is ordered until I have an image.

 

[MOMDRAE]

Well, as I understand it, your salesman takes your information and the details for your car. When they receive an image it is of a car to be built. They go in and change the image (list of wants, color etc) to what you want and submit that. The image is accepted as is, or could be rejected for some reason and then is resubmitted. Once accepted, There are codes that identify the status of your order as it goes from idea to on its way to you. Mine went from order (20) to accepted at the plant for production (30) in 8 days. 15 days later it was built (38) and is now released to the shipper (42). This is how my GM explained it to me and from reading previous posts, sounds accurate. On previous posts you can search for the codes. They have been listed in some other posts.

 

[seal9]

How to order

Hi I will try and help, each dealer has a give number of cars they can order, Saturn sends the dealer a computer order sheet called an image. the dealer has 8 days to make changes to the image (like color, Auto and so on). the image is then sent to Saturn by computer and it will be a GO or NOGO. This will be controled by what you request in the order like Auto(Its on Hold right now) if the image is approved the dealer get a print out with the order number and the name of the owner...I have GFW848 then we wait till it changes status numbers 25 order sent, 30 order approved, build 35, ready 40 shipped 42, I think..???? then the dealer will be invoiced just before the car arrives.... This is close to what will hapon...you must have a dealer order number before you can be sure your order is in, and ask for a copy of the print out....good luck SEAL9

 

[chyno]

I called my salesman this morning to change the rims and he told me hat they couldn't change anything. I went trough the same process than him but I don't think they got an imafe cause I live in Canada.........So shouldn't I be able to change an option if my car is not ordered yet ?

 

[nscrbug]

Well, in forum talk -- you really did not "order" your car. You made sure the dealer has all the information they need to place the order when an Image comes in. Once your car is imaged - then it is really ordered. You will have some of these numbers you hear people toss about.
Do you know how many images are before you?
Like my signature says #9 (out of 10) but I know positively that at least one more has been ordered so I am #8 now...
I have been told that I should get an image about May-June (lean towards June) and delivery in July August.....
As far as having my deposit and the paperwork for what I want -- he's had that since December... But I can not say that the car is ordered until I have an image.

Thanks for the explanation...helps to understand all the 'lingo'. :willy: Wow...you don't think you'll get an image until June? That's a long time...and you're not even ordering an automatic...any idea why some folks are getting imaged quickly and others are not? Now I'm really skeptical that my salesguy and GM were 'on the level' with me. :skep: I wonder if that's what he meant when he told me "June"...as in, I'll get my image at that time. Oh well...I guess I won't get my hopes up very high now. Maybe my car will arrive in time for Christmas.

I plan on stopping by Downers Grove on Saturday as they think the 1st car will be arriving by the end of the week. I'll try and get more info out of the GM when I'm there.

 

[Ernest]

Not if your order has been in the GM ordering system over 72 hrs. It freezes it and no changes can be made. It is different from the old Saturn system, they are presently converting over, RELAY & SKY have been tied to this order system since inception. I was told this by a Saturn Group Owner, if this is wrong please let me know. I don't think it though, hence the disapperance of action from 030 till VIN & Built. My event codes set at 030 for a few weeks, no status change until I saw the computer say it was built, at that time it displayed the Seq & VIN date, which was 8 days prior to build. Interesting to see if this is the norm for other orders.

 

[nscrbug]

When your car gets 'imaged', does the dealer generally call you to let you know? Or is this something that the buyer has to keep on top of on their own by calling the dealer and asking?

 

[Astronomer]

When your car gets 'imaged', does the dealer generally call you to let you know? Or is this something that the buyer has to keep on top of on their own by calling the dealer and asking?

when your image arrives your dealer will call you to come in..at that time he will enter your choices and options into the computer..you should have a car within 6 to 8 weeks after that if all goes well...if you knew how many people were ahead of you in line that might give you an idea of whether he meant image or car in june....if no more than 5 are in front of you he may mean car by june

 

[MrJester]

Not if your order has been in the GM ordering system over 72 hrs. It freezes it and no changes can be made. It is different from the old Saturn system, they are presently converting over, RELAY & SKY have been tied to this order system since inception. I was told this by a Saturn Group Owner, if this is wrong please let me know. I don't think it though, hence the disapperance of action from 030 till VIN & Built. My event codes set at 030 for a few weeks, no status change until I saw the computer say it was built, at that time it displayed the Seq & VIN date, which was 8 days prior to build. Interesting to see if this is the norm for other orders.

Ernest, you are correct. My manager told me the same thing. They are switching to GM's ordering system.

 

[HRD&FAST]

Picked all my options February 23rd - I was told that my order was being placed then - so that is when my car was imaged / order sent to build?

 

[Rick Tinley Park]

Thanks for the explanation...helps to understand all the 'lingo'. :willy: Wow...you don't think you'll get an image until June? That's a long time...and you're not even ordering an automatic...any idea why some folks are getting imaged quickly and others are not? Now I'm really skeptical that my salesguy and GM were 'on the level' with me. :skep: I wonder if that's what he meant when he told me "June"...as in, I'll get my image at that time. Oh well...I guess I won't get my hopes up very high now. Maybe my car will arrive in time for Christmas.

I plan on stopping by Downers Grove on Saturday as they think the 1st car will be arriving by the end of the week. I'll try and get more info out of the GM when I'm there.

If you are Imaged - then you should get order number - and code (I think at least a 025 -- AM I right ??) I don't want to pour cold water on you --- or disappoint myself -- but I'd imagine you are rather later in the race as you just signed on. Don't let that stop you -- because even if you are (like me #9 out of 10 and I signed on August 12 2005) you WILL get a SKY.
Most bigger dealers in the Chicagoland area got 10 images allotted (they don't get to use them all right away). Now in places like Florida - California - warm places that sell more convertibles, they got 30-40 cars. What Saturn is doing is letting everyone (all 500 stores) order a few at a time (in Illinois they seem to be getting 2 images a month, but in a place that has 30 cars -- they may be getting 5-6 images a month) to "even out" the distribution.
So, let's look at a 10 car distribution:
1 car in January (we have the owner of this car here in the forum - I plan to be there when he picks it up)
2 cars were imaged for March (that is three)
2 cars will be in April (that is 5)
2 cars in May (7)
2 cars in June (9) -- Should be me!!
and the last in July.

My dealer said -- if the line is running good -- they "could" increase the imaging -- the GM there said the best he would expect would be a car a week or 4 cars a month, but no such thing has happened when I last spoke to them.

 

[Rick Tinley Park]

Picked all my options February 23rd - I was told that my order was being placed then - so that is when my car was imaged / order sent to build?

It may --- did you get an order number? -- Do you have a build code? Dealers throw around "order" like these are hot dogs. You need to know if your car is imaged and what your status code is as well as a TPW (production date) if one exists.

Remember folks -- we here at this site seem to know more about the Saturn SKY than most dealers.

 

[tyler07]

":Remember folks -- we here at this site seem to know more about the Saturn SKY than most dealers"

So true