Gupton Motors up to 8% below invoice

[TheSolarWizard]

For anyone who has picked up at Gupton, how bad are the crowds on Friday and Saturday?

Debating whether I should take a day off work on Monday and be there then to minimize time spent at the dealership (I have a 10 hour drive back home to Wisconsin). I plan on doing all the finance stuff beforehand as well.

it’s fine. Renee will likely be the one to do 100% of your deal since you will have financing complete and Daniel has plenty to do on Saturdays

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[VolatileA]

Both our posts are long so I won't re-quote everything to make reading easier.

The final point is where I equivocate the most. They said it shipped a month ago. I agree if say Amazon said my package shipped a month ago and it wasn't here I'd be pissed. I think at a minimum there's an easy opportunity for them to say something like "your Jeep shipped on ___ date, but it could still be as much as 4-6 weeks before it arrives because the specific manner in which we distribute vehicles compounded with delays due to COVID-19 part and labor shortages." Now that said, having been around this forum for a bit, do I think they were trying to lie or trick you by saying it shipped in August? I don't - I think from their perspective it did ship, in that it was released by the factory into the giant queue for entry into their at times labyrinthine shipping system (involving yards at the factory plus other intermediate yards en-route, plus various trains and trucks, and distance thresholds for both of those with their own various exceptions, etc.). Now is it reasonable to expect you to know all that and hence that "shipped" doesn't mean what it means in other contexts? I don't know. Maybe...? But also it would impose very little costs on them to just provide the additional context and detail re: timing I suggest up-paragraph. I agree the changing ETA sounds very frustrating, but I also believe each estimate they gave you represented the most accurate number they had at the time - the order is already sold so there's really no reason for them to BS you or string you along. I certainly agree it would be better if the ETA didn't slip, but some of that is outside of their direct control and I'd still rather have an ETA than be told "we'll notify you when it arrives" like you get with some products.

Anyways, I appreciate your thoughtful reply, and I hope this response better explains my own perspective. My money at least is where my mouth is here, since I have my own factory order a few stages behind yours in the process.

Thanks for the reply and understanding, I tried to condense it down but needed to make sure all points were mentioned because it's relevant info.

I think the main piece to keep in mind as a fact is that the production and chip/parts shortage was never part of my frustration as I can 100% understand that and delays around that.

For the record and transparency because I didn't add this before and want timelines to be accurate when I say something, this is the email stating it was shipped on August 24th. ETA now is Oct 4th.

@sunrise089 and @VolatileA, I think the reasonable thing to expect, if anything, is a reduction in the destination fee. The problem is I don't know if Jeep takes that hit or your dealer. I am a patient person and am ready to wait, already been waiting forever - just don't build up expectations and then not deliver on them.

Exactly, most customer complaints in any industry come from expectations that were not met, rationally speaking, if you say something about deliverables, it should be met.

If expectations are not met yet you see others bypassing your expectations set out by the same party involved, it brings up questions of concern.

I really don't expect anything in return for the troubles and normally would never even ask but the delays have costed me real world money so it's part of why I'm frustrated because the whole point going this route was to save money. (I love a good deal)

I’m not saying you’re wrong but @VolatileA has a legitimate gripe. We both ordered from the exact same dealer. His vehicle was built a week after mine was ordered…mine is on the dealer lot as of this weekend and his is in limbo. I’d be pissed too. I waited 3-4 days from built to delivered, he’s been waiting 3-4 weeks for the same thing. It’s illogical how his is still sitting and mine is delivered.

Thanks for your reply, like I said before I'm very happy for everyone who is taking delivery right now, I know the feeling. We've talked quite a bit on here so I think you get where I'm coming from in this case and why I mentioned that I'm happy for everyone here but it does bring up concerns when others are taking delivery who ordered afterward and mine was "shipped" a month ago with continuous delays.

I'm sending Daniel an email today to voice some concerns so we will see what he says.

 

[silverandscout]

Second time through this gauntlet... ordered a Rubicon locally in Nov. 2019 only to have to decline receipt when it came in due to a significant change in my life situation that very same week.

Strange how life can take turns, but happy to say I ordered a Mojave on Monday through Gupton. The wait begins again...

Any classic movie fans...?

 

[aceisback]

Any classic movie fans...?

You mean like Point Break? Lost Boys? Tremors maybe? Heck yeah.

 

[sunrise089]

Second time through this gauntlet... ordered a Rubicon locally in Nov. 2019 only to have to decline receipt when it came in due to a significant change in my life situation that very same week.

Strange how life can take turns, but happy to say I ordered a Mojave on Monday through Gupton. The wait begins again...

Any classic movie fans...?

Good luck!

Did you order from Gupton originally? Did they make you eat your deposit when you declined to purchase?

 

[silverandscout]

Good luck!

Did you order from Gupton originally? Did they make you eat your deposit when you declined to purchase?

No, I did not originally order from Gupton. I ordered locally. They did not give me my deposit back, but I didn't really expect them to. My problems aren't their problems. However, they DID have the chance to earn my future business and they did not. For the record, that Rubicon sold to another customer before it was even put out on the lot. But that is business.
Now that life has leveled off and I have decided to finally get a Gladiator, it was very easy to NOT do business with them. Gupton is only a few hours from me. Based on Gupton's reputation on this site, it was an easy decision.

 

[sunrise089]

No, I did not originally order from Gupton. I ordered locally. They did not give me my deposit back, but I didn't really expect them to. My problems aren't their problems. However, they DID have the chance to earn my future business and they did not. For the record, that Rubicon sold to another customer before it was even put out on the lot. But that is business.
Now that life has leveled off and I have decided to finally get a Gladiator, it was very easy to NOT do business with them. Gupton is only a few hours from me. Based on Gupton's reputation on this site, it was an easy decision.

Yep, that sounds super fair. No entitlement on either, but we get to vote with our wallets

 

[portalgun]

Just did the Wisconsin to Gupton and home in one day trip so I thought I would share my experience!

1. Got up at 3am, father in law picked me up at 3:20 to drive and drop me off at Milwaukee airport (goes there weekly for work deliveries).

2. Arrive at airport at 5:30ish, 6:15 flight through Southwest from MKE to BNA (nashville) nonstop for $177.

3. Get to BNA at 7:40, Maynor (super nice driver for Gupton is already there waiting for me) drives me the 40 mins or so from BNA to Gupton.

4. Arrive at Gupton at 8:20ish, my black Rubicon diesel is waiting out front ready for me! I've been driving through local dealers in northeast Wisconsin just to look at other Gladiators while I wait for mine and it's amazing to see a small dealership bustling with activity and 80+ vehicles on their lot while all the other guys are empty with huge showrooms and like 2-3 sales people doing nothing. Other dealers should take note and do what Gupton does as it's clearly working for both them and their customers!

5. Renee greets me at the door, we then sign the last bits of paperwork, she shows me some quick things on the truck (knew I was in a hurry) and we make sure everything on the window sticker is properly equipped like it should be

6. Out the door driving home at 9am or so.

7. Rains the whole way from basically Gupton to Chicago which made for 3-4 slowdowns due to accidents, stopped at a BBQ place in Elizabethton KY which ended up being good, but not amazing.

8. Rest of the drive was pretty smooth minus the traffic in Chicago but that's unavoidable.

9. Pull in the driveway at 8:20pm, about 2hrs later than I was shooting for but still not bad and was able to get the Gladiator home in one day.

A couple things I was worried about with the Gladiator before having driven one long distance:
1. Steering, test drove several and 2 of them were awful having to correct constantly and never holding a proper line. Mine however is really good, it's not perfect like IFS but certainly not a problem and not something I really ever actively thought about once I realized it wasn't a problem.

2. Premium Soft Top, while there is more wind noise than my 4runner, it's not bad at all and certainly wasn't loud even over a long freeway 10hr drive

3. Cloth interior, every gladiator I test drove was leather, minus a used sport that you could tell had lived a hard life up to that point. The cloth seats and interior were great, comfortable, and still had plenty of soft touch or leather touchpoints all around the cabin. Didn't feel like I was missing out here at all

The diesel lives up to my expectations, the torque is fantastic and makes driving it fun and easy. You have the luxury of rocketing up to speed if desired or the smoothness of letting it sit at 1900 rpms and below but still accelerating as quickly as anything else on the road. As long as the durability is there I will be very very happy with this engine choice.

The most important part was the pricing with Gupton was exactly as advertised and discussed. All of the below invoice percentages, Jeep corporate incentives, and anything else came through perfectly and accurately. I'm confident I purchased this Jeep at the absolute best price possible.

 

[badger719]

Love to hear it!! I will be making almost the same exact drive you are, plus or minus a few hours (I'm in south central Wisconsin).

I'm still on the fence about flying or driving. Ohare has much cheaper flights than MKE but I would have to factor in the $40 bus ticket from Madison to Ohare.

However I do have a family member willing to drive me and I can take 2 days since I have plenty of PTO banked. So driving down there and back with 2 cars might work as well.

 

[Sublime]

Just did the Wisconsin to Gupton and home in one day trip so I thought I would share my experience!

1. Got up at 3am, father in law picked me up at 3:20 to drive and drop me off at Milwaukee airport (goes there weekly for work deliveries).

2. Arrive at airport at 5:30ish, 6:15 flight through Southwest from MKE to BNA (nashville) nonstop for $177.

3. Get to BNA at 7:40, Maynor (super nice driver for Gupton is already there waiting for me) drives me the 40 mins or so from BNA to Gupton.

4. Arrive at Gupton at 8:20ish, my black Rubicon diesel is waiting out front ready for me! I've been driving through local dealers in northeast Wisconsin just to look at other Gladiators while I wait for mine and it's amazing to see a small dealership bustling with activity and 80+ vehicles on their lot while all the other guys are empty with huge showrooms and like 2-3 sales people doing nothing. Other dealers should take note and do what Gupton does as it's clearly working for both them and their customers!

5. Renee greets me at the door, we then sign the last bits of paperwork, she shows me some quick things on the truck (knew I was in a hurry) and we make sure everything on the window sticker is properly equipped like it should be

6. Out the door driving home at 9am or so.

7. Rains the whole way from basically Gupton to Chicago which made for 3-4 slowdowns due to accidents, stopped at a BBQ place in Elizabethton KY which ended up being good, but not amazing.

8. Rest of the drive was pretty smooth minus the traffic in Chicago but that's unavoidable.

9. Pull in the driveway at 8:20pm, about 2hrs later than I was shooting for but still not bad and was able to get the Gladiator home in one day.

A couple things I was worried about with the Gladiator before having driven one long distance:
1. Steering, test drove several and 2 of them were awful having to correct constantly and never holding a proper line. Mine however is really good, it's not perfect like IFS but certainly not a problem and not something I really ever actively thought about once I realized it wasn't a problem.

2. Premium Soft Top, while there is more wind noise than my 4runner, it's not bad at all and certainly wasn't loud even over a long freeway 10hr drive

3. Cloth interior, every gladiator I test drove was leather, minus a used sport that you could tell had lived a hard life up to that point. The cloth seats and interior were great, comfortable, and still had plenty of soft touch or leather touchpoints all around the cabin. Didn't feel like I was missing out here at all

The diesel lives up to my expectations, the torque is fantastic and makes driving it fun and easy. You have the luxury of rocketing up to speed if desired or the smoothness of letting it sit at 1900 rpms and below but still accelerating as quickly as anything else on the road. As long as the durability is there I will be very very happy with this engine choice.

The most important part was the pricing with Gupton was exactly as advertised and discussed. All of the below invoice percentages, Jeep corporate incentives, and anything else came through perfectly and accurately. I'm confident I purchased this Jeep at the absolute best price possible.

Congrats and great write up. Pretty cool the shortest part of your story is the time actually at the dealership.

 

[kidintraffic]

Just did the Wisconsin to Gupton and home in one day trip so I thought I would share my experience!

1. Got up at 3am, father in law picked me up at 3:20 to drive and drop me off at Milwaukee airport (goes there weekly for work deliveries).

2. Arrive at airport at 5:30ish, 6:15 flight through Southwest from MKE to BNA (nashville) nonstop for $177.

3. Get to BNA at 7:40, Maynor (super nice driver for Gupton is already there waiting for me) drives me the 40 mins or so from BNA to Gupton.

4. Arrive at Gupton at 8:20ish, my black Rubicon diesel is waiting out front ready for me! I've been driving through local dealers in northeast Wisconsin just to look at other Gladiators while I wait for mine and it's amazing to see a small dealership bustling with activity and 80+ vehicles on their lot while all the other guys are empty with huge showrooms and like 2-3 sales people doing nothing. Other dealers should take note and do what Gupton does as it's clearly working for both them and their customers!

5. Renee greets me at the door, we then sign the last bits of paperwork, she shows me some quick things on the truck (knew I was in a hurry) and we make sure everything on the window sticker is properly equipped like it should be

6. Out the door driving home at 9am or so.

7. Rains the whole way from basically Gupton to Chicago which made for 3-4 slowdowns due to accidents, stopped at a BBQ place in Elizabethton KY which ended up being good, but not amazing.

8. Rest of the drive was pretty smooth minus the traffic in Chicago but that's unavoidable.

9. Pull in the driveway at 8:20pm, about 2hrs later than I was shooting for but still not bad and was able to get the Gladiator home in one day.

A couple things I was worried about with the Gladiator before having driven one long distance:
1. Steering, test drove several and 2 of them were awful having to correct constantly and never holding a proper line. Mine however is really good, it's not perfect like IFS but certainly not a problem and not something I really ever actively thought about once I realized it wasn't a problem.

2. Premium Soft Top, while there is more wind noise than my 4runner, it's not bad at all and certainly wasn't loud even over a long freeway 10hr drive

3. Cloth interior, every gladiator I test drove was leather, minus a used sport that you could tell had lived a hard life up to that point. The cloth seats and interior were great, comfortable, and still had plenty of soft touch or leather touchpoints all around the cabin. Didn't feel like I was missing out here at all

The diesel lives up to my expectations, the torque is fantastic and makes driving it fun and easy. You have the luxury of rocketing up to speed if desired or the smoothness of letting it sit at 1900 rpms and below but still accelerating as quickly as anything else on the road. As long as the durability is there I will be very very happy with this engine choice.

The most important part was the pricing with Gupton was exactly as advertised and discussed. All of the below invoice percentages, Jeep corporate incentives, and anything else came through perfectly and accurately. I'm confident I purchased this Jeep at the absolute best price possible.

I had a similar experience. Woke up at 4:00am, flight at 6:00am, arrived in TN around 6:40am, Lyft to Gupton got me there around 7:45am, out road driving home by 9:00am (included financing time and everything). 8 hours later, the Gladiator was in my garage. Great experience and the shortest amount of time I've ever been in a dealership when purchasing a vehicle.

Wish I would have checked the tire pressure before leaving. They were all at 45psi, which was great for MPG, but made the ride a little bumpier than expected. Quick fix once I got home though and dropped them to 37psi.

 

[WXman]

The fact that Daniel gets dozens of emails daily, somehow finds time to respond to 98% of them, and keeps a smiling and happy demeanor through every one is astonishing. The guy deserves more credit than he gets.

There's no way I could deal with that many people asking Jeep questions every single day the way he does.

 

[badger719]

The fact that Daniel gets dozens of emails daily, somehow finds time to respond to 98% of them, and keeps a smiling and happy demeanor through every one is astonishing. The guy deserves more credit than he gets.

There's no way I could deal with that many people asking Jeep questions every single day the way he does.

It seems like the people who complain about him not being responsive are the folks asking about trade-ins, installing aftermarket/Mopar add ons at the dealer and/or asking a million questions about stuff that can be answered elsewhere.

I don't think he's the best option for people that don't know what they want or ones that need their hands held throughout the entire process - those folks are probably better served going local and paying the premium.

 

[Hasted]

Looks like I am all set for Saturday other than the small detail if I am renting a car to drive or flying.

Renee mentioned that there were about 80 Jeeps delivered and they barely have space to even turn around! Gonna be a busy few weeks. I hope many of you also were delivered!

I will certainly keep update after the weekend.

 

[Minty JL]

Love reading this stuff and the rave reviews......if my local dealer can't make it happen off to TN I go!

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