A Sad Ending

GeoBig

My wife and I were just talking about this last night.

We live in a culture right now in the West in which people are so short-sighted that they would rather lose a loyal (new) customer like you to make a little extra money, than do the right thing and honor your agreement. You're seeing it with the new home market, for example, in the abysmal quality of the work right now for the inflated price you're paying. It doesn't matter that the sales manager wasn't there three years ago, a man of integrity would have chosen the right thing and would have worked with you.

The other thing is the very nature of the Bronco itself. As my wife pointed out, unlike the F-150, Escape, etc., the Bronco is not a large-volume vehicle that dealers can make the kind of killing on that they are used to making on new cars. As such, we're seeing more and more stories of dealerships, for lack of a better way to say it, blowing-off Bronco buyers in a way they will not an F-150 buyer. For example, a normal person would walk into the dealership, mill around a bit, get approached by a sales guy, and eventually reveal that they are there to "look around", which is code for "I know what I want, but let's see how this goes." Bronco buyers, however, are there for one reason -- to get the one Bronco that they themselves obsessively built and ordered. They know what they want, they know how much it is supposed to cost, and they don't want to play any games. There is no mystery.

Ford APLAN recipients, even though they are saving around 7-8% in total cost, are ignored even harder in the showroom from what I'm reading and hearing. This again goes back to the fact that the dealership has no ability to jack-up the price or slip in extra cost for these buyers.

The world is changed. The days of buying cars the way our dads did are over. I feel for you and your story really irritates me. My advice is to speak with Ford corporate as much as you can before the meeting and make sure that they are aware of what is happening. If the deal doesn't happen I would suggest warning others in your area about this specific dealership and then working with someone else. All the best.

EvlNvrDys

I suggest you take the "meeting" with the boss. And if that doesn't work out.... Release the hounds over at B6G! 😁

jtmoore

BroncoNation,

I have a story. I have dreamed of driving a ford bronco my entire life. When I was a teenager I wanted the OJ bronco. As a young adult I wanted the 1970 Bronco in the tv series Lost. Prior to covid, I looked into purchasing and fixing up an old bronco but financially didn't seem like a good move. Then the new Bronco was introduced. I was a day 1 reservation holder. I didn't reserve till later that evening, thinking it wouldn't be so popular, but l was actually frustrated on day 1 because I couldn't get a first edition. I have never owned a ford, so I used the closest ford dealer to my work. Ford Crain of Little Rock. They said MSRP plus 2K in accessories. I filled out the necessary paperwork when it was time to place an order and did what everyone else has done... waited. I received all the trinkets in the mail, the occasional email updates. Last summer, I was about over Bronco and I ordered a Dodge truck but backed out at the last minuted because I called the Ford dealership and they said that my order had been misplaced? I went in this fall, placed the 2023 order, and they assured me since I was an early reservation holder, I should go to the top of the line. Sure enough, I got the email, everyone gets and things started happening. My 2023 wildtrak 4 door lux, hard top, tow package was being built. It was in the factory when ford made the announcement about reservation holder having to change orders. I felt lucky. It shipped and I waited. During this time, I spent more time on this website then I care to admit, trying to pick out the different accessories and builds that I would try to mimic. It arrived Monday and Tuesday was when I was to pick up. I test drove it.. great. Car estimate.. fine. Then the sales manager comes over, the sales consultant 20 yards away nervously fidgeting and watching, and tells me he is going to give me a great deal..... of 8K over MSRP plus a 2+K extended warranty plus some other 500 dollar fee. In total over 12000 over what we agreed to nearly 3 years ago. I reminded him of our agreement. He simply said he did not make that agreement. I pointed to the sales consultant a few yards away, and he said again, that "he" did not make that agreement. I stammered off a few curse words and tried to point out the bait and switch, racketeering nature of what they were doing. I then asked to speak to his boss. We have a meeting next week. The people I know in the car business have told me the only thing I can do Is post negative reviews and call ford corporate. I am at a point now where I don't even want the car, the taste in my mouth is too bad. However, if I don't buy it, they will benefit from it even more with their increased mark up. The only reason I post this Is I have enjoyed everyone else's posts on here over the past several months, and hope this might help someone, and of course, if anyone has any advice I would appreciate it.

Pissed off in Arkansas

Sulley

The world has changed for dinosaurs like Ford. They are eventually going to be cannibalized by companies using better sales models. Look at Tesla’s for example: their customers love the consistent pricing and lack of haggling. Ford knows the writing is on the wall. Their EV plan acknowledges this. They’re not going to sell EV’s and take over Tesla’s market share by resorting to old world dealer models from the 20s, and they know this.

Unfortunately, unless Ford steps in directly and tries to address this, there’s no hope for their gas powered line of vehicles sold by slimeball dealers. I’m hoping some AG somewhere makes an example out of one.

taylormade1802

ford has steering so far from this it makes me sick honestly.

“A business that makes nothing, but money is a poor business.”
― Henry Ford

AcesandEights

What does that mean?