Ford Dealers Could Get Penalized For Selling To Flippers

[ControlNode]

At the race this weekend for some reason a similar topic came up. One of the guys had an event he was at near a Subaru plant. I guess some of the higher up management from said plant were at this event as well. It was noted that there were 100s, he may have said 1,000s, of cars stored nearby and he asked them about "What was the hold up getting them shipped out, chip shortage or such?" They said none, all those cars are ready to go, but the dealers are not ordering them to put on the lots, and that the dealers are doing that so inventory looks low and they can push buyers to pay markup on trims/models they may not have been looking to buy by making picking look thin and that waiting may mean they can't get anything if the few on the lot sell.

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[k_teven]

I don't agree with this at all. Ford is letting their dealers markup their vehicles when they said many times dealers would be penalized for doing so. So far...Nothing! So now they want to penalize the customer if they turn around and flip certain vehicles for a profit? Now I agree doing this to someone who's a broker but a customer should be able to sell if they want to. I was asked a series of questions from one of my local dealers here when I inquired about getting on the list for the Ranger Raptor. He wanted to make sure I was going to keep it and not flip it as they sell everything for MSRP but never asked if I'd sign anything. But certain dealers were asking customers to sign a contract stating they wouldn't sell. If they refused, they'd have to pay and additional $20K. ? A little hypocritical wouldn't ya say?

https://fordauthority.com/2023/03/ford-dealers-could-get-penalized-for-selling-to-flippers/

And it's OK for Ford to repeatedly screw loyal customers out of specific features and options on their orders without taking any responsibility whatsoever... massive list of features and options deleted from Ranger Lariat....

 

[ControlNode]

And it's OK for Ford to repeatedly screw loyal customers out of specific features and options on their orders without taking any responsibility whatsoever... massive list of features and options deleted from Ranger Lariat....

They were not screwed out of them. They were informed of the removed features when they were supposed to exists on that year/model/trim and often when missing included a credit, even if a laughable credit. If those missing features were a deal breaker, you could look for a used truck with them or insist that you want the order placed without the delete and understand that it will take longer and there is a chance it doesn't get built at all that year. Normally the deleted items were due to shortages from my understanding and Ford found it not worth holding all those vehicles waiting on a single part or two that they can't get at the quantity needed to put in every vehicle produced that should have had it.

 

[k_teven]

They were not screwed out of them. They were informed of the removed features when they were supposed to exists on that year/model/trim and often when missing included a credit, even if a laughable credit. If those missing features were a deal breaker, you could look for a used truck with them or insist that you want the order placed without the delete and understand that it will take longer and there is a change it doesn't get built at all that year. Normally the deleted items were due to shortages from my understanding and Ford found it not worth holding all those vehicles waiting on a single part or two that they can't get at the quantity needed to put in every vehicle produced that should have had it.

The ONLY choices I was given was take it or leave it. I was not given any other option. Ford could have easily arranged for aftermarket LEDs to be installed at a fraction of the cost of their own but they chose instead to simply delete the LEDs and credit about 12.5% of the parts cost alone. Nothing for the installation after the fact. The only choice provided was to refuse delivery and the dealer would then simply put it on their lot to sell to someone else. I was not given any offers for a reorder of any kind. So, I beg to differ. I was screwed out of the lights that I ordered. But, they seem to have cleared all that up now because they are installed on EVERY Lariat that leaves the factory with the same option package that I ordered. If Ford feels the credit was fair, then they should be more than willing to take it back from me in trade for installing the LEDs that I ordered on the truck in the first place. That is what customer service is all about.

 

[Hawkeye]

This type of stuff including dealer's behavior is exactly why that it is highly highly unlikely that I will ever buy a Ford again. Horrible company. Sure, others are abusing this but they will not get my business either.

 

[ControlNode]

The ONLY choices I was given was take it or leave it. I was not given any other option. Ford could have easily arranged for aftermarket LEDs to be installed at a fraction of the cost of their own but they chose instead to simply delete the LEDs and credit about 12.5% of the parts cost alone. Nothing for the installation after the fact. The only choice provided was to refuse delivery and the dealer would then simply put it on their lot to sell to someone else. I was not given any offers for a reorder of any kind. So, I beg to differ. I was screwed out of the lights that I ordered. But, they seem to have cleared all that up now because they are installed on EVERY Lariat that leaves the factory with the same option package that I ordered. If Ford feels the credit was fair, then they should be more than willing to take it back from me in trade for installing the LEDs that I ordered on the truck in the first place. That is what customer service is all about.

As for not using aftermarket, my guess would be that most likely it was not worth the cost to Ford to get them certified by DOT.

I heard dealers could still order them sounds like your dealer didn't want the order delayed. But if you chose to buy it anyway, they made the right call from their point of view, they secured the sale and prevented you from finding something else while waiting.

I do agree that the credit all the manufacturers, not just Ford, were giving for deleted features were laughable, and as far as I know, none of them are offering to install those parts as they become available. To me, the credit given was only worth the inconvenience of not having the feature until they could install it.

I would have not paid for a Lariat without LEDs, since that is the only thing I liked about it over the XLT. So, I would have just gotten an XLT instead, its got a better gauge cluster to me anyway. In my case the dealer would have lost that gamble on saying there was no way to get the Lariat with them, even with a longer wait, possibly to next MY. And because I believe they could order it as I wanted, if I'm going to go with an off the floor model XLT, I would have gone elsewhere so they did lose the sale.

 

[Jason B]

Speaking of low inventory, the local Dodge/Jeep dealer has more used Broncos for sale than the Ford lot has new. It's only 2, but I guess people traded their Bronco for a Jeep. Or, it's a ploy by the Jeep dealer to get people to think others traded their Bronco for a Jeep.

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