“Buyer Beware,” says Fiat-Chrysler on their official blog. Why? Because unscrupulous dealerships are taking orders for Hellcat models that they may not be able to fill, that’s why. Worse yet, those orders usually have a deposit or down payment attached. So if you’re in the market for a Challenger Hellcat or Charger Hellcat, make sure your dealership can actually fulfill the order before you put down any money or plunk all your hopes on a dead dream.
According to the FCA blog:
Overall, our independently owned and operated Dodge dealers have been doing a great job managing Hellcat orders. However, a small number of dealers are engaging in a practice that is causing a customer relations issue for FCA US LLC and all of its dealers. Specifically, this handful of dealers appears to have accepted large numbers of SRT Hellcat orders without regard to available supply and without advising their customers that orders may not be filled, if at all, for many months or longer. We believe such a practice may constitute a breach of the Dealer’s Sales and Service Agreement with FCA US LLC and a violation of other applicable laws.
To combat this issue, FCA has issued an official Hellcat scheduling process infographic which may help. Customers should be aware that eligible dealerships will only have access to one Hellcat model (either Challenger or Charger, not both) per month. FCA also gives the following advice points for orders of any Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat or Jeep vehicle:
- Is the dealer an authorized Dodge dealer?
- How many Hellcat orders does the authorized dealer have pending and where would I be on the list?
- Based on the dealer’s prior 90 day Dodge sales and previous Hellcat scheduling, when can I expect to receive my Hellcat order?
- Does the authorized dealer require a deposit for a Hellcat order?
- Is the deposit refundable and at what point in time? Please consult your state law governing the vehicle orders and the return of deposits.
Hat tip to Boldride for this.
