[CaseyH]

Alright, I'm going there. After reading all these folks that thought the "reservation" system meant something like I did, and finally realizing that it didn't mean squat is not ok. I understand the fine print says what it says but how in the world can they still call it and advertise it as a "reservation" then. By the definition of "reservation" it is NOT actually a reservation. Based on all the post here and reddit it is clear several consumers were mislead by Hyundai's advertising of the program.

With that said, I doubt any law firm would take this up as class action but it may be helpful to file complaints with your State's Attorney General's Office, the FTC, and BBB for false/misleading Advertising. Might send a message to Hyundai if enough people do it.

 

[roadsterdoc]

…because lawyers help people connect, reduce everyone’s stress and improve life for all?

/s

 

[CaseyH]

…because lawyers help people connect, reduce everyone’s stress and improve life for all?

/s

Yeah sorry; corrected my post to say what I really meant. I have no intention to go the class action route; as you insinuate it can be a huge PITA. Rather, I encourage folks who feel like they were mislead by Hyundai's "Reservation" program to file complaints with their State's AG Office, the FTC, and/or BBB. It's a lot easier and it can get Hyundai's attention. Title was just to get folks attention (and Hyundai's if they might be watching).

 

[roadsterdoc]

Gotcha. I think that’s reasonable advice. A lot of people (myself included) are frustrated with the lack of communication between concierge and local dealership.

 

[_metafizik]

Yeah sorry; corrected my post to say what I really meant. I have no intention to go the class action route; as you insinuate it can be a huge PITA. Rather, I encourage folks who feel like they were mislead by Hyundai's "Reservation" program to file complaints with their State's AG Office, the FTC, and/or BBB. It's a lot easier and it can get Hyundai's attention. Title was just to get folks attention (and Hyundai's if they might be watching).

I'm not so sure it isn't working as Hyundai intended. I have read many cases where the concierge has called people recently and stated they would be forwarding their info to the dealer they chose who would in turn call them soon to take their order and then the dealer called them within a few days to button up their order.

 

[CaseyH]

I'm not so sure it isn't working as Hyundai intended. I have read many cases where the concierge has called people recently and stated they would be forwarding their info to the dealer they chose who would in turn call them soon to take their order and then the dealer called them within a few days to button up their order.

I mean, but there is no "order". Hyundai makes what they make then allocates to dealerships. Sure, in some cases, those allocations happen to match up with what people put in their "reservation" but I don't think this is on purpose. Back to the whole "order" thing, those cars are not marked/assigned/reserved to anyone, they just happened to be allocated to that dealership. Call up concierige to ask why your dealer isn't getting allocated your spec and they tell you to read the fine print, which states (emphasis theirs) :

1. Reservation Process.

This is not a vehicle order or purchase. This process is intended to allow you to digitally configure various 2022 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ packages and to place you in contact with a Hyundai specialist who can assist you with contacting a dealer.

To begin the SANTA CRUZ Insider process online, you will have the ability to digitally configure your 2022 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ vehicle by selecting from drivetrain, exterior color, interior color, and trim package options. Vehicle design and all configuration and package options, including price, as well as equipment, options and availability, may be subject to change and are  NOT  guaranteed.
...
Participation in this Program is  NOT  a vehicle purchase and does not guarantee delivery.
...

3. No Guarantees.

By agreeing to these Terms, you represent and warrant to us that you understand that the vehicle configuration you select may change prior to execution of a sales agreement between you and a Dealer. Accordingly, Hyundai and the Dealer make no guarantee that any 2022 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ will be configured to your requested specifications. Hyundai and the Dealer makes no guarantee as to the timing of when the 2022 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ you configured will be available, and there is no guarantee on any pricing or incentives which may be available until the time the 2022 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ is actually purchased. Hyundai and the Dealer also make no guarantee that any 2022 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ vehicle you configure will be delivered to you or set aside by the Dealer for your exclusive purchase. Hyundai and the Dealer reserve the right to cancel a configuration request at any time, for any reason, provided that you will be notified if your reservation request has been cancelled, and you will receive a refund for any deposit you may have made to the Dealer.

While some folks are getting what they "reserved" a-lot of folks are not and being told to read the fine print. I mean, the fine print itself is contradictory to the definition of the word reservation.

Ref: Santa Cruz Insider Program | Terms & Conditions | Hyundai USA

 

[Rxturbo7man]

Let's not forget, quoting from the confirmation email "don’t forget to check your inbox regularly for updates and the latest news". Yes, I'm sure most of us read the fine print regarding no guarantees, but did anyone get updates, or the latest news? No, it's not lawsuit material just poor customer relations. Since April I heard nothing till I cancelled the res. a couple of weeks ago; over two weeks now, still haven't received my credit. Hyundai makes fine vehicles, their marketing needs help. Since recent dealer experience with my son's car purchase (he bought a KIA instead) and the Cruz roll out, I'm totally disillusioned with Hyundai.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Reservation should have locked in MSRP pricing. Even if they had to bump up the reservation price oh, it should have essentially been an agreement between Hyundai, eventually a dealer, and the buyer, where Hyundai will only pass information to a local dealer willing to give you an MSRP, and if they try to pull anything at the consumer reports it, Hyundai will the pu their Santa Cruz allocations.

That's the first round was supposed to be or at least seem to be for reservation holders and orders, dealers that did not accept selling to a person in MSRP would not likely get one until after most of those were filled oh, so the problem sort itself out while still preserving be separation of dealer and Hyundai.

 

[sladd]

in my opinion the reservation system was really used to gauge buyer interest, was never "real" and kept us all looking for launch date, etc. keeping up engaged and interested...it was kind of silly as it reserved nothing

 

[CaseyH]

in my opinion the reservation system was really used to gauge buyer interest, was never "real" and kept us all looking for launch date, etc. keeping up engaged and interested...it was kind of silly as it reserved nothing

Thats what frustrates me the most; why even call it a "reservation" or tell me to "reserve now" when it doesn't' reserve anything at all. That is at a minimum misleading and in bad-faith.

 

[LovinLife]

Not sure if we will ever see a Class Action lawsuit...

What I will say: I have been very much UNIMPRESSED by this entire process!
I read the fine print before I "reserved" what I thought... would someday... become my vehicle.
I "reserved" a vehicle because... I was confident... Hyundai would do their best to make that vehicle a reality.

Sooo.. What did Hyundai get from me?
Answer: My contact information. A way to reach me. A way to lock in a sale.

What have I received to this point?
Secrecy. Silence. Uncertainty.
My dealer has zero clue what month or year I might see the vehicle I "reserved."
I called a Hyundai dealer. The phone assistant had no clue the Santa Cruz was made by Hyundai. Visited another Hyundai dealer (to "look" at a Tuscon). The SALESMAN had no clue the Santa Cruz existed. Hyundai kept us in the dark with regard to pricing for months (I'm sure they had valid reasons for this). I have seen SC's in four shades of blue. Sage Gray is an additional $400 (are they using $400 paint). Etc. Etc. Etc.

I'm also curious why we are asked to pay $5,000 above MSRP even though we "ordered / reserved" a vehicle. (Makes no sense)

I'm not trying to bash Hyundai. Simply venting.
Hoping someone at corporate reads our posts.
Hoping our frustrations don't happen again (next vehicle release).

The fact I am even posting on this website should tell you how much I truly truly truly "love" this vehicle.

Thanks to all on this Forum.
If not for your bits of wisdom, reviews, spreadsheets (thank you Chuck.. thank you Casey), I would have moved on by now.

Whew!
Stepping away from the computer.
"Happy-Me" will be back in 5 minutes.😁

P.S.- I live in Southern California. A short drive from Hyundai Headquarters.
Find it odd local dealers are so completely disconnected from any news from corporate.

 

[CaseyH]

Yeah. We just bought a 2022 Tucson Hybrid and wanted to get the Santa Cruz to match. I had issues with Hyundai back with my 2017 Sonta (almost resulted in a class action but BBB Complaint/threatening legal action got their attention). Was trying to give them another chance because they really did do a great job with the Tucson/Santa Cruz but they are making it really difficult. Just submitted a request for trade-in appraisal with Tesla, see how that goes...

 

[JMII]

I read the disclaimer and immediately knew it would amount to nothing. I’ve custom ordered a vehicle before and the process is very detailed, this “reservation” process was the opposite of that. The whole thing smelled fishy from the get go. It was a marketing ploy nothing more.

Sorry but you signed no contract to buy the vehicle thus Hyundai was under no obligation to supply it. You simply requested it. Would you sue a restaurant if when you arrived for your reservation there was in fact no tables available? The $100 was just Hyundai’s way of confirming your contact information and keeping out people that weren’t serious about a purchase at all.

As noted the process worked for some people. This tells me it was dealers that either dropped the ball, had very limited allocations, or just blew the whole thing off. You are free to pick any dealer and they are free to pick any customer… preferably one that will not be so picky and just take whatever vehicle Hyundai randomly sent them plus over pay for it.

In the end it works just like Jerry taught us…

 

[CaseyH]

I read the disclaimer and immediately knew it would amount to nothing. I’ve custom ordered a vehicle before and the process is very detailed, this “reservation” process was the opposite of that. The whole thing smelled fishy from the get go. It was a marketing ploy nothing more.

Sorry but you signed no contract to buy the vehicle thus Hyundai was under no obligation to supply it. You simply requested it. Would you sue a restaurant if when you arrived for your reservation there was in fact no tables available? The $100 was just Hyundai’s way of confirming your contact information and keeping out people that weren’t serious about a purchase at all.

As noted the process worked for some people. This tells me it was dealers that either dropped the ball, had very limited allocations, or just blew the whole thing off. You are free to pick any dealer and they are free to pick any customer… preferably one that will not be so picky and just take whatever vehicle Hyundai randomly sent them plus over pay for it.

In the end it works just like Jerry taught us…

Jerry lol, I needed that. I get your analogy but will point out you don't normally have to put $100 down when you do a reservation at a restaurant; even then, they make a good-faith effort to actually reserve you a table.

My main issue is there never appears there was a good-faith effort from Hyundai to actually "reserve" anything. Before folks jump to their defense the Terms and Conditions make it pretty clear they never intended for these "reservations" to be actual reservations. To me, there is fine line between bad execution and bad-faith/false advertising. I think Hyundai is very close on this one. Full stop they never should have called it a reservation and took deposits. How much money do yall think Hyundai made off the interest of all the deposits they had sitting around for months?

I think this is more akin to a restaurant advertising a "hamburger" on the menu but the fine print says it really is a hotdog. AKA false advertising.

EDIT:

From the FTC:
"While the fine print may have some details about the deal, advertisers can’t use fine print to contradict other statements in an ad or clear up false impressions the ad might leave."

IE they shouldn't be able to use the fine print to redefine the word "reservation".

If you look around these forums you will find that multiple people got the false impression the "reservation" was an actual reservation.

 

[LovinLife]

Excellent points!

To be honest, it's not about the money. I also have no problem if there is a delay.

What many of us are upset about (my close friend also has a reservation) is the fact Hyundai has left us (the customer) scratching our heads 50x's along the way.

Ford Maverick Release: Linear. Laser Beam. Focused. A,B,C,1,2,3. Clarity. Clarity. Clarity.
Dealers are posting on Maverick Forums. Dealers are (publicly) posting prices on these forums (below MSRP.. Below Invoice)

Hyundai Santa Cruz Release: Like walking through a forest.. Blindfolded.. At night.. Wearing headphones.
My dealer has no answers. Another dealer had no clue the Santa Cruz was made by Hyundai.

Once again, thank you to all on this forum for giving us (the community) the answers and certainty we are seeking. Makes this waiting game far easier to endure.😁

 

[JMII]

If you look around these forums you will find that multiple people got the false impression the "reservation" was an actual reservation.

I am sure the law is on Hyundai’s side on this. They never gave you a time frame for delivery so if your vehicle shows up in 1, 3 or 9 months from now then technically the reservation system worked perfectly.

I agree their communication has been terrible, calling this an insider program is downright laughable. Unfortunately people’s assumptions on what their $100 was buying them turned out to be way off target. Hyundai should have managed expectations better.

 

[CaseyH]

I am sure the law is on Hyundai’s side on this. They never gave you a time frame for delivery so if your vehicle shows up in 1, 3 or 9 months from now then technically the reservation system worked perfectly.

I agree their communication has been terrible, calling this an insider program is downright laughable. Unfortunately people’s assumptions on what their $100 was buying them turned out to be way off target. Hyundai should have managed expectations better.

Well I got complaints in the FTC, AZ AG, and BBB. We will have to see what happens. I don't think it matters if your dealer does end up getting your spec allocated because it still isn't being reserved for you. They make it clear in the fine print it is anything but a reservation. As the FTC states, it is illegal to have the fine print contradict the impression of the ad.

 

[JMII]

We will have to see what happens.

Nothing will happen. The program is clearly defined in multiple places, False advertising would buying the vehicle and finding out the lane keeping assist didn’t work as described. The reservation is not even an “ad”, it’s an invitation to the insider program. By signing up you agreed to the terms of that program.

 

[monogodo]

My only problem with the reservation process is that the website was poorly designed. The “Reserve Now” button was at the top of the page, and the option selection part was at the bottom of the page. In my browser, at the time I reserved, the options were not visible when the page first opened. So when I clicked it, and processed the reservation, it had the default specs: White AWD Turbo Premium. I was able to clarify what I wanted with the concierge, and I reiterated that with my salesperson when I called her after pricing was released.

I recognize my experience isn’t necessarily the norm.

 

[modshack]

I'm not so sure it isn't working as Hyundai intended. I have read many cases where the concierge has called people recently and stated they would be forwarding their info to the dealer they chose who would in turn call them soon to take their order and then the dealer called them within a few days to button up their order.

Honestly, it worked just like that with me. I established contact with my dealer early on, and the concierge call to him, and the allocation granted in one of my specs. worked out just fine. My cars due in on the 19th.

A lot of whining and misinterpretation of the (written) terms of the program here. Everyone feels "entitled" these days it seems...

Heck, I waited 8 months for a C8 Vette. It wasn't "FAIR" that GM went on strike for 2 months, it wasn't "FAIR" that Covid shut the plant down..... I'll get my SC 4 months after my reservation deposit. That's a Win in todays market...