Jan 13, 2022
Twas the night of the Bronco release, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring..... But I was jumping for joy because I got a FIRST EDITION RESERVATION!!!
Let the obsession begin. All the forums, pictures, YouTube videos. Literally anything Bronco I could find on any website, Instagram Post, or magazine article I had to gaze, read and watch. Let the long waiting process and obsessive behavior begin.
Skip ahead to January 2021, it was time to submit my order! My reservation was made with Koons Ford of Falls Church VA and they informed me when I went to finalize my order that there would be a $5K charge over MSRP... What is this blasphemy? I am already going to have to sell a kidney just to buy this, now I have to sell 2 (joke, I would sell my soul before a kidney)? I was very unhappy, as you can imagine, but I was stuck between a rock and a hard place like many people who were in this situation. They were taking advantage because they knew they could, they knew how much I wanted this. I did as much research as I could, after placing my order, and found out I could still switch my dealer. I called every dealer in the area and thats when the shinning lights of heaven came down on top of Sheehy Ford of Springfield (I am not going to use any peoples names in this to protect people's identity). I got those wonderful words of "Of course I am not going to charge you over MSRP, you were lucky enough to get a First Edition, I'm not going to penalize you for that" (typical words of a dealer that wants to make a sale). I was skeptical but I took the leap of faith, called Ford Corporate Office, moved my order over to Sheehy, which was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and hoped for the best. Three months later, I look at My Reservations page on theFord website and notice I now have 2 Bronco reservations... 4 months, still there... 6 months still there... there must be a glitch.
I receive an email in September, "Your Bronco is Being Built", but the email said it was being delivered to Koons Ford... uh oh... Call Ford corporate in a panic... Surprise! You actually have TWO FIRST EDITION BRONCOS!! "Okay but I am one person... I can't drive 2 cars I also can't AFFORD 2 brand new Broncos". Basically I was told there was a back end data issue and I ended up with 2 different VINS and I can cancel one, and buy one or buy both. Fast forward to my first First Edition delivering in November 2021 to the dealership I now despise and I arrive and the first thing the dealer tells me is, "By the way your Bronco now has a $20,000 markup, you still want it?" As you can imagine, I lost my damn mind! But I came prepared. I had all the paperwork from my initial order with them that showed a $5K markup in addition to emails and call recordings stating they were actually not going to charge me a markup at all, their response you ask? "Okay we'll meet you half way and only give you a $10,000 markup", my response "f%&# off, I have another reservation at a better dealership"... I walked away... the most painful thing to do because I still didn't know if my other dealership was going to screw me over too.
That being said, I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH KOONS DEALERSHIPS IN MY LIFE!!!!! I will tell everyone I know to avoid them like the plague. They are rotten people and completely unprofessional. I wrote a scathing email to the sales manager and any owner email I could find and of course, crickets.
I left Koons completely pissed off and I thought, well, I have one more try at least (its kind of like winning the lottery twice!). My next call that day was to Sheehy Ford of Springfield, "Hey guys, just wanted to check in on my reservation and see if you're going to charge me over MSRP now" their response "Hopefully it will be here soon and we're absolutely not going to charge you a markup". I was still very skeptical. Email comes December 16th... your Bronco has been built... here we go again.
And then came January 12, 2022... I get that number that pops up on your phone... and it wasn't a Spam caller, surprisingly. My heart skips a beat and all I mumble is, "It's here". My Bronco has finally arrived! Dealer has it and just waiting for me to come in... I couldn't get out the door fast enough.
I get there, very nervous they are going to hit me with that, "By the way we need to charge you a markup", and it never came. I have bought 8 cars in my short time on this planet and I dread car dealers... but when I tell you that these people were nothing but pleasant, I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for all of them. From the person at the front desk, to the sales associate, the sales manager and the finance manager. Not once did I get that greasy car salesman or the "you have to buy this car now" feeling. I even walked out of there with a new fishing buddy, which tells you everything. I can say for certain that any car I buy in the future, I don't care where I live, will 100% be from a Sheehy dealerships.... And thats how you win a lifelong customer.
But I know why you are all here... you want to see it... you want to see the beauty that has been born in a Ford manufacturing plant. Keep in mind, he is less than 24 hours old and still a little shy. I name all of my cars after greek gods/heros (it's strange, I know, but it's my thing) so I introduce to you my new... 2021... Ford.... Bronco... First... Edition.... HERCULES!
If you read this entire post, you deserve a gold star.
Let the obsession begin. All the forums, pictures, YouTube videos. Literally anything Bronco I could find on any website, Instagram Post, or magazine article I had to gaze, read and watch. Let the long waiting process and obsessive behavior begin.
Skip ahead to January 2021, it was time to submit my order! My reservation was made with Koons Ford of Falls Church VA and they informed me when I went to finalize my order that there would be a $5K charge over MSRP... What is this blasphemy? I am already going to have to sell a kidney just to buy this, now I have to sell 2 (joke, I would sell my soul before a kidney)? I was very unhappy, as you can imagine, but I was stuck between a rock and a hard place like many people who were in this situation. They were taking advantage because they knew they could, they knew how much I wanted this. I did as much research as I could, after placing my order, and found out I could still switch my dealer. I called every dealer in the area and thats when the shinning lights of heaven came down on top of Sheehy Ford of Springfield (I am not going to use any peoples names in this to protect people's identity). I got those wonderful words of "Of course I am not going to charge you over MSRP, you were lucky enough to get a First Edition, I'm not going to penalize you for that" (typical words of a dealer that wants to make a sale). I was skeptical but I took the leap of faith, called Ford Corporate Office, moved my order over to Sheehy, which was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and hoped for the best. Three months later, I look at My Reservations page on theFord website and notice I now have 2 Bronco reservations... 4 months, still there... 6 months still there... there must be a glitch.
I receive an email in September, "Your Bronco is Being Built", but the email said it was being delivered to Koons Ford... uh oh... Call Ford corporate in a panic... Surprise! You actually have TWO FIRST EDITION BRONCOS!! "Okay but I am one person... I can't drive 2 cars I also can't AFFORD 2 brand new Broncos". Basically I was told there was a back end data issue and I ended up with 2 different VINS and I can cancel one, and buy one or buy both. Fast forward to my first First Edition delivering in November 2021 to the dealership I now despise and I arrive and the first thing the dealer tells me is, "By the way your Bronco now has a $20,000 markup, you still want it?" As you can imagine, I lost my damn mind! But I came prepared. I had all the paperwork from my initial order with them that showed a $5K markup in addition to emails and call recordings stating they were actually not going to charge me a markup at all, their response you ask? "Okay we'll meet you half way and only give you a $10,000 markup", my response "f%&# off, I have another reservation at a better dealership"... I walked away... the most painful thing to do because I still didn't know if my other dealership was going to screw me over too.
That being said, I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH KOONS DEALERSHIPS IN MY LIFE!!!!! I will tell everyone I know to avoid them like the plague. They are rotten people and completely unprofessional. I wrote a scathing email to the sales manager and any owner email I could find and of course, crickets.
I left Koons completely pissed off and I thought, well, I have one more try at least (its kind of like winning the lottery twice!). My next call that day was to Sheehy Ford of Springfield, "Hey guys, just wanted to check in on my reservation and see if you're going to charge me over MSRP now" their response "Hopefully it will be here soon and we're absolutely not going to charge you a markup". I was still very skeptical. Email comes December 16th... your Bronco has been built... here we go again.
And then came January 12, 2022... I get that number that pops up on your phone... and it wasn't a Spam caller, surprisingly. My heart skips a beat and all I mumble is, "It's here". My Bronco has finally arrived! Dealer has it and just waiting for me to come in... I couldn't get out the door fast enough.
I get there, very nervous they are going to hit me with that, "By the way we need to charge you a markup", and it never came. I have bought 8 cars in my short time on this planet and I dread car dealers... but when I tell you that these people were nothing but pleasant, I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for all of them. From the person at the front desk, to the sales associate, the sales manager and the finance manager. Not once did I get that greasy car salesman or the "you have to buy this car now" feeling. I even walked out of there with a new fishing buddy, which tells you everything. I can say for certain that any car I buy in the future, I don't care where I live, will 100% be from a Sheehy dealerships.... And thats how you win a lifelong customer.
But I know why you are all here... you want to see it... you want to see the beauty that has been born in a Ford manufacturing plant. Keep in mind, he is less than 24 hours old and still a little shy. I name all of my cars after greek gods/heros (it's strange, I know, but it's my thing) so I introduce to you my new... 2021... Ford.... Bronco... First... Edition.... HERCULES!
If you read this entire post, you deserve a gold star.
PDowney, nabronco21
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Jan 13, 2022