Waiting period for a new car
The waiting period is nothing but the time you need to wait for the delivery of your new car. In other words, it's the number of days/weeks/months you have to wait before the car is delivered to you. The next obvious question would be, why do I have to wait when I'm ready to pay for the car?
The simple answer to this question is supply chain disruption. Sounds too complicated? Let's decode it for you. In simple words, if a car is in high demand, the manufacturer cannot keep up with the rate of vehicle booking or cannot match the rate of manufacturing with the bookings received. So, the time required to manufacture the car and deliver it to you is the waiting period. To make it even simple, below is an example.
Example: Hyundai Creta
Hyundai Creta is one of the SUVs in India which is very popular and has a very high demand. Currently, the SUV commands a waiting period of up to 9 months. That means, if you were to book a Creta now, it takes nine months to clear the backlog of bookings, manufacture a variant for you and deliver it via the dealership.
It indicates that the vehicle has already garnered bookings in high numbers, and the manufacturer is finding it challenging to cope with such high demand. But do remember that the waiting period may vary drastically from one model to another.
Ways to ensure early delivery of a new car
So, how do you ensure early delivery of your new car? There is no specific answer to this question. The waiting period for a car depends on several factors such as the make, model, variant, colour of the vehicle and geographical location. However, you can be more informed while shopping for your new car and ensure that the dealer delivers your new vehicle at the earliest.
Below are some tips that you can follow to ensure that you do not need to wait for too long to get your hands on your new car.
Try multiple dealerships
Do not rely on a single dealership when you are buying a new car. Visiting several dealers will help you in two ways.
Once you find a dealer that offers you the fastest delivery, you can go ahead and book the vehicle. Apart from getting a quicker delivery of your car, you can also strike a good deal by visiting multiple car showrooms in the town.
Check standing inventory at the dealership
Standing inventory is nothing but the vehicles readily available at the car showroom. In other words, it’s the inventory of cars that are already parked at the dealer’s stockyard.
When you book a car, check with the dealer about the current inventory. You may find the exact model you are booking but in a different configuration/colour. So, if you wish to get the car at the earliest, you can choose a different variant/colour while booking the vehicle.
Follow-up regularly
At the time of booking your new car, the dealer may promise a delivery date. But if you don’t follow up with the dealership, they may delay the delivery if another customer is pressuring the dealer for the same model you booked.
Similarly, if another customer cancels the booking for the same model you booked, the cancelled booking may be allotted to you. So, from the time of booking, follow up with the car showroom and build pressure for the earliest delivery.
Consider dealerships outside the city
Generally, the dealerships located in the city may not deliver the vehicle within a few days due to high demand. However, if you are okay with looking out for dealers outside the city or in the outskirts of the town, you may get faster delivery. It is because dealers outside the city may have the car in stock due to the low demand. Hence, you may find the vehicle readily available at the dealership.
Ask for chassis/engine number
Whenever a dealer promises to deliver the car within a few days, ask for the chassis or the vehicle's engine number. In a hurry to close the deal, the dealer may claim a faster car delivery or say the car has been dispatched from the factory, so ensure that you ask for the vehicle details before proceeding with the booking.
If the dealer is genuine and the car is available, they should provide you with the chassis/engine number of the vehicle allotted to you. If not, it's clear that the dealer will not deliver the car within the promised time.
The below points will give you a better understanding of how a dealer can provide you with the chassis/engine number even before booking.
As soon as the car is dispatched from the factory, the dealer will get all the vehicle details such as model, variant, colour, chassis number and engine number.
If the car is readily available (parked in the dealer stockyard), the dealer will quickly provide you with the vehicle's details.
Consider colours which are not in demand
Typically, a car will be available in several colour options, and out of those, some variants may be in very high demand. So, if you are okay with compromising on the colour, you can opt for the colour which is not so popular in the market.
That way, you may get the delivery faster compared to those popular colour variants. However, the preference for colours is subjective, so it may not work out for everyone.
Sort out the finance
If you buy a car on loan, ensure that you check for any pre-approved loans from your bank. That way, you can avoid any delays in loan approval. Also, keep all the documents handy for faster loan approval. Once the loan approval is done, it's straightforward to book the car and get the delivery.
Pay higher booking amount
The booking amount can vary from a minimum of Rs. 5,000/10,000/25,000, depending on the amount set by the manufacturer. However, the booking amount can go all the way up to the full payment! A higher booking amount gives confidence to the dealership that you’ll definitely purchase the car. Thus the dealer may expedite delivery.
Book at the end of the month
The dealerships are under pressure to close the sales targets at the end of the month. If a customer is not paying the pending amount of the car or the loan payment is delayed, the dealer can deliver that vehicle to you. So, it's better to book the car during the month-end.
Also, read: Pre-delivery Inspection (PDI) Checklist for New Cars
Conclusion
It is unlikely that your new car will be delivered in one or two days of booking, even though the vehicle is readily available at the dealership. Specific procedures such as PDI (Pre-delivery Inspection), vehicle registration, fitment of accessories, etc., may take several days. Hence, there may be a delay in delivery.
It’s a different story altogether if you are buying a popular car. Because you may have to wait for several days/weeks/months, depending on the waiting period of that particular model. However, by following the tips mentioned in this article, you can ensure the early delivery of your new car.
But if you want to skip all these hassles, you can visit the ACKO Drive website to find out the exact delivery date of the car you are looking to buy. If you wish to book the vehicle, you can do it online from the comfort of your home/office. For more details, visit the website www.ackodrive.com.
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8. Maruti Suzuki Fronx: Waiting Period in India 2024
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Frequently asked questions
