New AGT acquisition process. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (the third will surprise you ;-))

[Green G]

I used to lose connection with the carplay but working smoothly since the last 2 updates if it can help!

I took delivery knowing that the last update wasn’t installed. My DA told me to call the 1888 number.
I’m hopeful that the local service technician who I spoke to, will fix it.

 

[GJC]

In sharing my Lucid experience, in order of greatness to not-so-great:
1) the vehicle itself
2) the sales team at the showroom/test drive
3) BofA financial experience
4) the team that actually delivered the car
5) the Millennial Delivery Assistant that hangs up before you can say "good-bye" and returns calls days later at his convenience
The truth is item #1 is what I bought the car for and what I happily experience every day.

 

[northernstar]

The one and only voice command I'd like to say would be... "Alexa, cancel my amazon subscription."

 

[northernstar]

The Ugly

1. - The process in getting a loan approved through BoA is absolutely archaic. It took them 6 days to call me back (disclosure: I filled out the request on Friday early morning and Monday was President's day, another excuse for the bank not to work). It was supposed to take 24-48h. I sent an email to a Lucid executive on Wednesday and finally got a call from BoA on Thursday. That fortunately rattled some cages though I am not sure how much longer it would have taken had I not done that. It then took them five more days to send me the contract for review. I got it late afternoon and got busy with work that night. I got a call from BoA the next morning. I was tied up and unable to answer the call so my associate answered. The BoA person insisted on talking to me despite my colleague telling him that I was in an important engagement. When I stopped what I was doing and got on the phone, the BoA gentleman told me that the call was being recorded and wanted me to confirm that I got the contract. That was it. I guess he checked the box in his to-do list but that diligence was definitely in stark contrast with how they had taken their merry time. Not a befitting experience for a very expensive car purchase. It was definitely not my credit score as that is excellent. It takes less time to get approval for a house purchase.
2. - Today's delivery process was far below par and my wife and I almost walked away. We had been invited to the store at 10am and I had confirmed the time. We flew in at 7:30a. They usually open at noon but the travel associate had told me that they often come in early for deliveries. We made sure we got there in ample time and arrived at 9:50a. Doors were locked but I was early so no big deal. At 10:00, no sign of life. My wife and I sat at the edge of the sidewalk waiting for the doors to open. I texted the sales associate I had the number of but did not get a reply. He was not working probably so I wasn't surprised. I emailed the gentleman who was supposed to meet us at 10a, at 10:11am asking him where he was. He replied that he was going to be there within 5 mins. I sat on the sidewalk as if I was waiting for alms. I could not believe that I was there to buy a 135k car and the sales person could not bother to show up on time. Maybe I am too demanding but even Walmart opens its doors on time for its customers. This associate could not get out of bed on time. He had my number and if he had called me (dog ate my homework, alarm clock without battery -esque excuse etc etc), I would have totally understood. Upon greeting me, he said "thanks for waiting for me". No apology. My wife rightfully asked me which conclusion I drew from this: if this is how they are treating me BEFORE I buy, how will they treat me AFTER?
3. - Upon entry into the garage, I was shown my car. It was not the car I had ordered. I expressed that and at this point my blood was boiling. He had to go and check which car was mine and in the mean time, my wife and I strolled through the garage and found my car. He walked up. Fortunately, he agreed and brought it to the front.
4. - Going through the introduction/customization process, several times, he fumbled and had to call someone else to come and help set up a profile for my wife. One would think that this would be a very common practice when a husband/wife show up but clearly not. Simple questions regarding customization were not answered. Another associate joined and answered our questions.
5. - I had specifically expressed the need for assistance in setting up the financial portal in emails prior to arrival but he did not know how to find the information needed. He will get back to me.
6. - Carplay was a disaster to set up it took 8 tries and finally it worked. During the trip home (I used it for Waze because the HERE in-car navigation was annoying with too many voice prompts and no way to lessen them like with other apps), Carplay froze and I kept driving not realizing that I had missed my exit and had to exit carplay and use HERE. I have since toggled it off and as someone asked earlier this week, see very little reason to go through this hassle. My iphone syncs with my wife's Lightning and my son's Clarity seamlessly. Surely, Lucid.....

All in all, very happy with the car, not so much with the process. If anyone will be taking delivery, upfront stating your expectations may not be superfluous. Call me demanding but I do not think punctuality and skill are optional, especially when buying such a car. I truly want this company to succeed and would love to get my next Lucid in a few years.
I am open for suggestions/criticisms.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

1. I have no high-hope for BoA in general....But I'll live. I heard Chase is the second option... Funny how I'm about to close my Chase bank account and make a regional credit union as my main bank.

2. ~ 5. Sounds like the guy is not fully-trained... or just lazy. I'm really happy with my current San Diego, CA UTC store advisor and the other associate I'm interacting with. Very responsive, a wealth of knowledge, and no sugar-coating/overpromising, and factual.

6. Crossing fingers for the Android Auto support and better UI experience. / I'll just have to get used to the HERE map for a time.

 

[AMB_NC]

Double check your NC registration documents when they arrive.

I don’t have my tags and registration yet, but I received my personal property tax bill from the DMV on Saturday. When paying online, I had to confirm my insurance information. It was wrong; so, I made the necessary corrections. After I’d paid the bill, I looked at it more closely. The wrong car is registered to me. VIN and model year are both incorrect.

Not sure how this happened. All the registration documents I signed had the correct information.

 

[Green G]

Double check your NC registration documents when they arrive.

I don’t have my tags and registration yet, but I received my personal property tax bill from the DMV on Saturday. When paying online, I had to confirm my insurance information. It was wrong; so, I made the necessary corrections. After I’d paid the bill, I looked at it more closely. The wrong car is registered to me. VIN and model year are both incorrect.

Not sure how this happened. All the registration documents I signed had the correct information.

That’s really helpful. I got my FedEx envelope on Friday telling me to send it back within 72h or else…. Mayhem.
I already got a letter that my contract was incorrect.
Lastly, after pleading with them to give me my account number so I can set up monthly payment, I have gotten nowhere.
It’s so frustrating. I feel like I’m having an amazing meal at a 3 ️ Michelin restaurant on paper plates and plastic utensils. Very amateurish.

 

[kort6776]

received my '23 Air GT today, everything seems fine except that the interior windshield is incredibly dirty. they missed cleaning it.

 

[Green G]

received my '23 Air GT today, everything seems fine except that the interior windshield is incredibly dirty. they missed cleaning it.

Congratulations. Enjoy the ride. It’s a very fun experience.

 

[Bus Driver]

I’m sorry your experience with financing and at delivery were decidedly below par. I’m disappointed for you that things didn’t go to plan and that your transaction did not proceed as befitting a very expensive car purchase (my Lucid is my most expensive). It sounds to me like your car wasn’t properly set up to do the Electrify America plug-n-play thing, another area where your delivery team fell down.

By contrast all my experiences with Lucid from the very beginning have warranted nothing but praise. This latest go around with Lucid Service in Costa Mesa CA has been no exception. That service centre, my nearest, is over 100 miles away. At 33,000 miles and fifteen months of mostly trouble-free ownership my car threw a fault code and my main battery ended up getting replaced. The replacement battery came a few days earlier than expected so now I’m getting my car with brand new battery transported to me today instead of next week.

My only worry now is that the transport company under contract from Lucid not damage my car.

It seems like the Lucid folks fall over themselves trying to make me happy, and they succeed. My calls and texts have always been answered or returned in a timely manner, promised follow ups have come through and as an added bonus for us owners here in the San Diego CA area, we have the peerless Frank Collins heading Lucid’s Mobile Service team.

The muckety mucks who run things for Lucid in southern California must run a very tight ship. For Lucid’s sake I wish that were case for you, and for Lucid owners everwhere.

 

[Green G]

I’m sorry your experience with financing and at delivery were decidedly below par. I’m disappointed for you that things didn’t go to plan and that your transaction did not proceed as befitting a very expensive car purchase (my Lucid is my most expensive). It sounds to me like your car wasn’t properly set up to do the Electrify America plug-n-play thing, another area where your delivery team fell down.

By contrast all my experiences with Lucid from the very beginning have warranted nothing but praise. This latest go around with Lucid Service in Costa Mesa CA has been no exception. That service centre, my nearest, is over 100 miles away. At 33,000 miles and fifteen months of mostly trouble-free ownership my car threw a fault code and my main battery ended up getting replaced. The replacement battery came a few days earlier than expected so now I’m getting my car with brand new battery transported to me today instead of next week.

My only worry now is that the transport company under contract from Lucid not damage my car.

It seems like the Lucid folks fall over themselves trying to make me happy, and they succeed. My calls and texts have always been answered or returned in a timely manner, promised follow ups have come through and as an added bonus for us owners here in the San Diego CA area, we have the peerless Frank Collins heading Lucid’s Mobile Service team.

The muckety mucks who run things for Lucid in southern California must run a very tight ship. For Lucid’s sake I wish that were case for you, and for Lucid owners everwhere.

I’m really happy for you. Maybe this is a west coast - east coast thing again
I still have been unable to get my account number. The latest is that I was told to call a 1-800 number and get the number from them.
I have a long list of things that need to be checked and the service person is coming tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

 

[niejelow]

Thank you for your thoughtful write-up. Sounds like they are still sorting things out, but supposedly a MUCH more streamlined financing system is going to be introduced soon where you can get in and out the same day like a normal dealership model.

Sounds like the person doing your delivery was a last minute change and not accustomed to doing them, perhaps because it was the weekend? Either way, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth and I'm glad the experience is behind you and you can enjoy your car.

CarPlay issue may just be bug. If it persists, unlink and relink yo

I am astonished with your experience. You mean to tell me that since November 2022 Lucid still doesn’t have their act together??

 

[Green G]

I am astonished with your experience. You mean to tell me that since November 2022 Lucid still doesn’t have their act together??

I think this is more a regional/location based problem than a company wide issue. The troubles can be divided into my experience at Tysons Corner location and, software issues in the car.
The former is an HR issue with that location and as you can tell from above, many people have had a much better, flawless, experience at other locations.
The software troubles are obviously not confined to me but I must admit that the wonderful experience some members of this forum have, makes me jealous. Read some of the love @Cosmo Cruz shares about his love for the surreal sound pro marriage to Tidal. Makes me blush at times.

 

[no gas]

I am astonished with your experience. You mean to tell me that since November 2022 Lucid still doesn’t have their act together??

You see this in every retail company, some places good, some bad, some variable depending on situation/employee. It’s how life is. The car is fabulous and 99% agree, that’s all that counts in the end. But Lucid should continue to do the best they can and continue to improve.

 

[kpbhat]

I got 200kw out of 150kw couple of weeks ago when I was returning from chicago. 350kw was taken by another EV. I guess this depends on how each station is setup??

 

[kort6776]

my only complaint with the home delivery of my car is that the inside of windshield and roof were incredibly dirty, that glaze from sitting that develops. this shouldn't have happened.
I set up most of the things prior to chatting with the setup guy on the phone so there wasn't much else for him to do.

over all it wasn't the most spectacular delivery but I guess after the first thousand deliveries they stopped having a marching band usher the car into your driveway

 

[Tesla2Lucid]

I feel like I’m having an amazing meal at a 3 ️ Michelin restaurant on paper plates and plastic utensils. Very amateurish.

I love this analogy! I mean, not happy you’re experiencing it but just, from a wordsmith’s perspective, a great analogy!

 

[Yoruba Hacker]

That’s really helpful. I got my FedEx envelope on Friday telling me to send it back within 72h or else…. Mayhem.
I already got a letter that my contract was incorrect.
Lastly, after pleading with them to give me my account number so I can set up monthly payment, I have gotten nowhere.
It’s so frustrating. I feel like I’m having an amazing meal at a 3 ️ Michelin restaurant on paper plates and plastic utensils. Very amateurish.

And this is it.
It frustrates me when I read "Yeah it was a terrible buying experience, but you'll forget it after you take ownership of the car" and similar comments.
Of course I love my AGT (more than any other car I've owned), but it's not just about the driving experience. Excellent customer service simply has to be an integral part of the ownership experience of this car (and any at this price point but particularly new entrants) or the company won't survive.

Sadly, the company still hasn't sorted it.

I had similar disastrous experiences with the financing and delivery process last summer but unlike others, I still haven't forgotten about it.
Why? Because I'm reminded whenever I have to deal with their customer service, which has been equally unsatisfying.

It's the best car, but the customer service sucks.
Both can be true.

Sorry to hear about your experience.

 

[borski]

And this is it.
It frustrates me when I read "Yeah it was a terrible buying experience, but you'll forget it after you take ownership of the car" and similar comments.
Of course I love my AGT (more than any other car I've owned), but it's not just about the driving experience. Excellent customer service simply has to be an integral part of the ownership experience of this car (and any at this price point but particularly new entrants) or the company won't survive.

Sadly, the company still hasn't sorted it.

I had similar disastrous experiences with the financing and delivery process last summer but unlike others, I still haven't forgotten about it.
Why? Because I'm reminded whenever I have to deal with their customer service, which has been equally unsatisfying.

It's the best car, but the customer service sucks.
Both can be true.

Sorry to hear about your experience.

I think the point isn’t just that the car is wonderful once you’ve received it, but that for *most* owners, the service and CS experience is also generally exceptional.

It is true that it fails sometimes, and in some locales more than others, but the point of that response is that while most of us have had bad or mediocre sales CS experiences in the past, service CS has always been great.

(With exceptions, of course, but as a general rule)

 

[Breezy]

Hello everyone. New AGT owner and wanted to share some thoughts with you with the hope some will teach me something and one or may learn. Hopefully a Lucid official will read.
Took delivery of my Q-Grey + Santa Cruz AGT today. Here's my experience.
(TL;DR: Fantastic car - GET ONE or another one, Terrible delivery experience)

The Good

1. - I made a lot of changes during the ordering process and Lucid could not have been more accommodating in allowing me to switch from Pure to Touring to GT. Kudos to Nick Wright in DC.
2. - The test drive in CLT was fun and the folks there were helpful.
3. - Upon suggestion of the test drive team, changed the wheels from 21" to 20" and am very glad I did. Thank you for the suggestion Vinnie!
4. - La piece de resistance: The drive from DC To NC today was absolutely amazing. What a fantastic car this is. If anyone thinks that a Mercedes S series, Maybach or any other car has a better driving experience, you may need to drive this car again. Do note that I am not including the obvious in competition in this list (I currently own one) as I do not think it belongs in it. The drive was smooth, the car handled very well and the EV experience top notch. Lucid has clearly done a better job than all the others. Hats off. I am very happy that I got the car.
5. - The build quality is excellent. I have read and watched posts/videos of parts falling off but I have not seen anything like that.
6. - Good mi/kwh. I thought I could make it from DC --> NC in a single charge but I drove too fast and got 2.9 mi/kwh and had to recharge in Henderson, NC at an EA station. Pulled 148 from a 350 station.
7. - Turned MANY heads, on the highway and the charging station with people walking up wanting to sit in the car.

The Bad

1. - The communication was fragmented with the Lucid crew: an introductory call person, a sales associate, a delivery associate and a travel associate (I flew to DC with my wife), all of whom I talked or emailed with. Not all communication was smooth or timely but my excitement and expectations may not have been matching.
2. - The Lucid financial services website would not accept the provided information and we needed to work around that and go to the bank to make the first payment
3. - It was not clear until later what the price of the car/ monthly payment was. BoA gives you different numbers than Lucid does and this number shifted a few times (not because I changed cars but because sometimes discounts were not accurately reflected). I was warned about this but heard different numbers from different people within Lucid.
4. - The Alexa integration for the phone isn't working well. It is not uploading the contacts. Any advice is welcome.
5. - I had asked for ceramic floor mats at the time of delivery so that I could have them installed/placed from get go but these were not there. I had asked over a week prior. Not that big a deal but want to keep the carpet clean, especially as the kids will be getting in the back after sports.
6. - The Lucid app did not allow me to plug and charge with EA despite following all the prompts. In the end, I ended up paying with my phone through the EA app. Not a big deal but a feature touted by Lucid so I had hopes. Maybe over time this will change as it was my first time. Charging was swift but not the 350kw suggested (only one small KIA on the other end was charging from a 50kw station). We got 120miles in 7 minutes which I was more than happy with. Hopefully this will change. Not Lucid's "fault" obviously.

The Ugly

1. - The process in getting a loan approved through BoA is absolutely archaic. It took them 6 days to call me back (disclosure: I filled out the request on Friday early morning and Monday was President's day, another excuse for the bank not to work). It was supposed to take 24-48h. I sent an email to a Lucid executive on Wednesday and finally got a call from BoA on Thursday. That fortunately rattled some cages though I am not sure how much longer it would have taken had I not done that. It then took them five more days to send me the contract for review. I got it late afternoon and got busy with work that night. I got a call from BoA the next morning. I was tied up and unable to answer the call so my associate answered. The BoA person insisted on talking to me despite my colleague telling him that I was in an important engagement. When I stopped what I was doing and got on the phone, the BoA gentleman told me that the call was being recorded and wanted me to confirm that I got the contract. That was it. I guess he checked the box in his to-do list but that diligence was definitely in stark contrast with how they had taken their merry time. Not a befitting experience for a very expensive car purchase. It was definitely not my credit score as that is excellent. It takes less time to get approval for a house purchase.
2. - Today's delivery process was far below par and my wife and I almost walked away. We had been invited to the store at 10am and I had confirmed the time. We flew in at 7:30a. They usually open at noon but the travel associate had told me that they often come in early for deliveries. We made sure we got there in ample time and arrived at 9:50a. Doors were locked but I was early so no big deal. At 10:00, no sign of life. My wife and I sat at the edge of the sidewalk waiting for the doors to open. I texted the sales associate I had the number of but did not get a reply. He was not working probably so I wasn't surprised. I emailed the gentleman who was supposed to meet us at 10a, at 10:11am asking him where he was. He replied that he was going to be there within 5 mins. I sat on the sidewalk as if I was waiting for alms. I could not believe that I was there to buy a 135k car and the sales person could not bother to show up on time. Maybe I am too demanding but even Walmart opens its doors on time for its customers. This associate could not get out of bed on time. He had my number and if he had called me (dog ate my homework, alarm clock without battery -esque excuse etc etc), I would have totally understood. Upon greeting me, he said "thanks for waiting for me". No apology. My wife rightfully asked me which conclusion I drew from this: if this is how they are treating me BEFORE I buy, how will they treat me AFTER?
3. - Upon entry into the garage, I was shown my car. It was not the car I had ordered. I expressed that and at this point my blood was boiling. He had to go and check which car was mine and in the mean time, my wife and I strolled through the garage and found my car. He walked up. Fortunately, he agreed and brought it to the front.
4. - Going through the introduction/customization process, several times, he fumbled and had to call someone else to come and help set up a profile for my wife. One would think that this would be a very common practice when a husband/wife show up but clearly not. Simple questions regarding customization were not answered. Another associate joined and answered our questions.
5. - I had specifically expressed the need for assistance in setting up the financial portal in emails prior to arrival but he did not know how to find the information needed. He will get back to me.
6. - Carplay was a disaster to set up it took 8 tries and finally it worked. During the trip home (I used it for Waze because the HERE in-car navigation was annoying with too many voice prompts and no way to lessen them like with other apps), Carplay froze and I kept driving not realizing that I had missed my exit and had to exit carplay and use HERE. I have since toggled it off and as someone asked earlier this week, see very little reason to go through this hassle. My iphone syncs with my wife's Lightning and my son's Clarity seamlessly. Surely, Lucid.....

All in all, very happy with the car, not so much with the process. If anyone will be taking delivery, upfront stating your expectations may not be superfluous. Call me demanding but I do not think punctuality and skill are optional, especially when buying such a car. I truly want this company to succeed and would love to get my next Lucid in a few years.
I am open for suggestions/criticisms.

The online purchasing process is a bit of a disaster. Taking delivery at 3 pm today…will report back later.

 

[Green G]

The online purchasing process is a bit of a disaster. Taking delivery at 3 pm today…will report back later.

Where are you getting it?