This may sound like a stupid question, but if (by sheer luck) it is available in another dealership, does it matter if they’re not part of the same group? I’d assume it does as they operate as separate entities thus different targets to meet? It was ordered in Ormskirk through Chorley Group for reference. I’m expecting the wait time to be 3 months (or longer) but just curious about how it all works. I’ve not had an order number or VIN obviously, but I can see that it had been ordered same day through the Motability account page.
To your first question, yes it does matter, particularly if a different dealer group.
Dealerships inside the same group may be amenable to transfer stock, but that is only a ‘may’. They may not want the hassle (and cost) of transferring vehicles between branches, particularly if the losing dealer thinksthey can sell the vehicle themselves and claim the bonuses for selling it.
The ‘order’ showing on the Motability website is not an order for the vehicle. It is the dealership basically signalling to Motability that you are making an order for a particular vehicle. .
The dealership then actually orders (in the normal sense of ordering) your vehicle from the manufacturer on their own systems. Dealerships sometimes do not submit these orders until it is an optimal time for them (i.e. if it is better to hold it to the following month to hit bonuses next month if they have already achieved their bonus for the current month).
If you can find a better deal elsewhere, or a car in stock at another dealership, you can cancel your order and go to another dealership.