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This is kind of a beating of a dead horse topic, but I'm going to post it anyway.  Polaris has been doing this as long as I've been riding Polaris (since 2008-2009) ... and I honestly can't remember if Cat was pulling this same shit?  Snowcheck customers waiting on sleds, only to see the EXACT SLED that was ordered sitting on another dealer's showroom floor for sale?  I know, some of these are due to snowcheck cancellations but that's not always the case.  Granted, it's only October - so it's not a huge deal.  But I'm gonna be LIVID if we start pushing December and I'm still waiting on mine, while another local dealer is sitting on my exact sled - and Joe Schmo is able to walk in and throw it on his trailer & be on his merry way.  Seriously - WTF?

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since I've gotten back into snowmobiling, Polaris snow check customers seem to complain the most about it.  

but, anyone who snow checks sleds should be a bigger priority than floor units they can typically sell 'in season'. 

this said, Polaris also has consistently had more leftovers at the end of the season than the other brands. 

https://www.freedomsledder.com/index.php?/topic/37613-new-

 

 

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55 minutes ago, Bontz said:

This is kind of a beating of a dead horse topic, but I'm going to post it anyway.  Polaris has been doing this as long as I've been riding Polaris (since 2008-2009) ... and I honestly can't remember if Cat was pulling this same shit?  Snowcheck customers waiting on sleds, only to see the EXACT SLED that was ordered sitting on another dealer's showroom floor for sale?  I know, some of these are due to snowcheck cancellations but that's not always the case.  Granted, it's only October - so it's not a huge deal.  But I'm gonna be LIVID if we start pushing December and I'm still waiting on mine, while another local dealer is sitting on my exact sled - and Joe Schmo is able to walk in and throw it on his trailer & be on his merry way.  Seriously - WTF?

echoes my only snowcheck ever. 2006 fusion 600ho. better snowcheck, limited numbers, get the color and track you want. interest rate etc. all exclusive. then october comes, the same sled is all over the place , less money and an extra year of warranty. no more snowcheck , leftovers from then on

Edited by sleepybrew
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IIrc, Polaris was the first to offer a spring order option.  Seems like late-80's or early 90's is when it became a real thing. 

Until my current Arctic Cat, I've either bought from dealer stock or used.  So, I don't have much experience with their delivery schedule.  I agree, however - the whole point of a spring order is to get ahead of dealer stock, to be first in line, but also to have exclusive options that buyers of dealer stock don't get - colors, tracks, shocks, etc.

So, if you can get your options for the same dollars or less, and get it faster by buying directly from a dealer, I don't see the point of Snow Checking.  I don't know how much good it would do, but I'd definitely complain if I ordered a sled and then saw the exact sled sitting in a dealer stock somewhere.

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I was tempted to call the dealership I went through, and to ask ... in nicer terms than this ... "WTF!!?"  If anything, I guess it shows my make/model has gone down the production line & hopefully mine is closer to being done than not at all.  The fact it's late October also makes me take a step back and breathe a little bit ... but we'll see how long that lasts if I'm still waiting come mid December.

In all of the snowchecks I've done with Polaris, I think I've only had 2 where this has happened.  So it's not exactly a routine experience ... but it's still one that pisses a guy off.

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Snow checking lost it's appeal when you got better deals in December, than pre season.

Covid changed the game.....first time that I grovel to spend 🤑 money.

Sorry, just glad to find products,anytime vs empty shelves

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I agree with how are these priorities set and it makes no sense.  Last year I snowchecked within the first week of snowcheck and was there when my dealer put the order in for a couple sleds including mine.  Was riding early January and seen the very sled that I ordered in Michigan and talked to the guy.  Guy was from I think Indiana ordered his sled the last week of snowcheck and it was his first Polaris and ordered from a new dealer to him.  I got my sled the first week of February.  Makes no sense.

Was down by my dealer a couple weeks ago and my sled had a January delivery date maybe thinking because of the color of Sunset red.  Not real happy but what can my dealer do.  Got a text from him last Friday that my sled has shipped.  Nothing from Polaris that it has shipped but I've had that before where my sled had been delivered to my dealer before I got a shipped e-mail from Polaris.

I traded my 2021 VR1 but told my dealer the sled stays in my trailer until the new sled arrives.

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Congrats on your sled being shipped @Doug (assuming it's true).  I haven't had the heart to ask my dealer if they have any news on mine, just for the fact I'm new to them and I don't wanna be "that guy".  If anything, I may contact them to ask about the fuel pump fix and if they secured a kit for my XCR ... and then maybe ask them if they've heard/seen anything on my XC.

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If they can track a serial number as it's going down the assembly line to make sure it has the right options, then they should be able to post the progress online.  I think it would be really cool if a manufacturer gave each snowcheck buyer an exclusive web URL that shows progress. 

When I order from Dennis Kirk (I'm just using them as a snowmobile-oriented vendor, but it could be almost any other only commerce site), I can see them processing the ordering, preparing to ship, shipped, etc.  Some shippers show a little icon of a truck on a map, and I know how close they are to my house and I'm immediately notified when it's delivered - right down to which door or location.

I think it would be really cool to have that ability for spring order snowmobiles and can't imagine this would be all that difficult.  Even Arctic Cat might be able to do it, though they are farther away from that capability than the other two, I'm guessing.  Go one step further and put cameras on the production line in certain non-secure locations, so that competitors can't use the video for nefarious purposes.

I would increase prestige in spring orders by:

1 - Double the deposit and make it 50% refundable

2 - Guarantee first-in-line status - no dealers allowed to order their own stock from within the program, all spring orders must be submitted by real people. 

3 - Give customers exclusive options, like a unique color, track, suspension, seat, etc.

4 - Give customers their own URL so they can watch the sled being built, or at least status updates.  

 

Back in the 80's and 90's, I travelled the Dakotas and Northern Minnesota for work.  One of my customers was Fevold's in Roseau, and I stopped there about once a month.  If I had time, I'd stop by Polaris and see what they had going on, pick up a calendar or brochure...  I always had some excuse to stop by there.  If I had more time than that, I'd try to fit a factory tour into my schedule.  One tour occurred when they were making 1990 Indy's.  I happen to have bought a 1990 Indy that year and while I didn't see them make my snowmobile, simply seeing ones being built just like it was a huge thrill that I'll never forget.  That thrill alone would be worth it for me to spring order a replacement for my wife's old beater.

 

Edit: I realize my suggestion above loosely matches what Polaris says about spring orders, but they don't seem to be enforcing it.  I also realize people bail out of spring orders with much greater frequency than anyone would think is appropriate.  That's why I'd be in favor of making the deposit higher.  That deposit would be used to pay for financing so that dealers hold the sled with the factory picking up the tab, until all spring orders have been delivered to customers.  Or, used to ship the sled to another customer still waiting for a spring order, if it happens to be identical.

Edited by p51mstg
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/24/2022 at 8:15 AM, Bontz said:

This is kind of a beating of a dead horse topic, but I'm going to post it anyway.  Polaris has been doing this as long as I've been riding Polaris (since 2008-2009) ... and I honestly can't remember if Cat was pulling this same shit?  Snowcheck customers waiting on sleds, only to see the EXACT SLED that was ordered sitting on another dealer's showroom floor for sale?  I know, some of these are due to snowcheck cancellations but that's not always the case.  Granted, it's only October - so it's not a huge deal.  But I'm gonna be LIVID if we start pushing December and I'm still waiting on mine, while another local dealer is sitting on my exact sled - and Joe Schmo is able to walk in and throw it on his trailer & be on his merry way.  Seriously - WTF?

You sure your is not in a crate out back waiting on the fix kit ? I guess kits are starting to head to dealer and in bulk .

Westeen dealers getting first deleverys for obvious 

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10 hours ago, Ez ryder said:

You sure your is not in a crate out back waiting on the fix kit ? I guess kits are starting to head to dealer and in bulk .

Westeen dealers getting first deleverys for obvious 

It's possible that it's waiting on the fix up in Roseau, but the tool they offer customers to check on status shows it as being "scheduled" ... for the first week of January.  So who knows.  I do know, based on some of the FB stuff I keep an eye on (I know, FB is a joke), people with build/delivery dates projected out to late December, early next year, have received their sleds.  So maybe I'll be fortunate enough to get mine sooner, rather than later.  

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