Horrible Experience at Ford Dealer- Is Tesla’s Non-Dealer Model Better?

[06VistaGT]

It will show the FCTP cars (but none of those are First Editions).
It does not show customer cars unless the customer abandoned their order. At least... I was monitoring my own dealer's website and I could see their demo car listed, but no other customer cars and my own car was never listed.

My car shows on my dealers site and has since shortly after it was sent to the plant for build. The fine print says it is in transit and expected by the end of March. All the local Ford dealer sites look identical, so I think Ford web design has some code that pulls all customer orders into "inventory". It seems like some dealers are able to remove them, though.

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[psychoace]

Was this at Fair Oaks Ford? I know someone who just recently purchased their MME from Fair Oaks and was lied to about the Ford Options lease as well. They were told the APR was going to be 6% even though they have excellent credit. They did end up getting the vehicle but I'm not sure if they got Ford Flex or just financed the whole thing. They didn't get charged over MSRP though from what they said. Also Fair Oaks had no idea how to handle EV license plates so they currently have dealer plates on for now.

 

[Brademcee]

I don’t mean to be unsympathetic, but I don’t understand why anyone would drive 50 miles to a dealership before the price was committed in writing.

Yea the dealerships suck. Yes the Tesla model is better. But dealerships don’t suck as bad if you keep them at arm’s length until you get a commitment in writing.

Come on, nobody’s selling a FE at xplan.

Desperation for one of very few First Editions available. I was willing to give up the X-Plan.

Was this at Fair Oaks Ford? I know someone who just recently purchased their MME from Fair Oaks and was lied to about the Ford Options lease as well. They were told the APR was going to be 6% even though they have excellent credit. They did end up getting the vehicle but I'm not sure if they got Ford Flex or just financed the whole thing. They didn't get charged over MSRP though from what they said. Also Fair Oaks had no idea how to handle EV license plates so they currently have dealer plates on for now.

yes! Just really bad and I couldn’t tell if they were lying about the finance plans or just clueless or BOTH!

 

[pdxzzr]

I didn't have quite that horrible experience, but I wasn't entirely unscathed either. Last week I took delivery of my MME FE. I got my order in very early (I put my $500 in for a pre-reservation in November 2019, and the formal order wnwentent in last June), so I ended up with the first one delivered in Oregon. So far, so good.

My dealer did honor the X-Plan pricing. Even better. It was a cash sale though, so didn't have to deal with financing. There was no markup either. So even better.

Which dealer in Oregon? Thanks!

 

[Moogly]

Let me start by saying that I really want a MME but after buying a Tesla a few years ago, I really appreciate the anti-dealer model. It is unemotional and straight forward process. I still feel like most dealers are not to be trusted, which is unfortunate.

I live in the Chicago suburbs and have been calling around to dealers in the area to see if any have a FEs on the lot. I totally get the laws of supply and demand where a dealer feels like they can mark up a car over MSRP but do not lie about it.

On Saturday I get a call from a Chicago dealer in the Naperville area that they have (2) First Editions available for sale and to come in right away. I ask her to send me the Window sticker and when she did, it was indeed a FE. I look up the VIN to verify and again, FE. I then check the dealer's website and they are showing the car as available (plus 4 others) but every car is marked up about $10K.

I then email the woman back saying that if they were selling the car for over MSRP, I was not interested. She emails me back and says she will talk to her manager. She emails me later to say the manager says the cars are listed with taxes and other add-ons but the car is available and come in to finalize.

So today I drive the 50 miles to Naperville and sit down with the sales person. He tells me that they can not honor my X-Plan on a stock car on the lot and then asked what I thought was fair topay. I told him that I would pay MSRP and would forgo the X-Plan discount. He comes back with it marked up $5K over MSRP. After a long discussion he drops it to $62,000 and starts showing me the financial numbers.

He first tells me that the Ford Options is a horrible program and all of his buyers are going with this Ford Flex Plan which is basically a 60 or 72 month finance program where in the first 36 months you pay a smaller amount (about 38% of the principal at 3.9% and then about 62% during the last 3 years of the program). The numbers just didn't make sense. With a $62K (with their ADM) and putting down $5K my payments would average around $980 per month.

I then told him he is nuts and to pull up the Ford website so I can show him the Ford Options calculator. So we went through the process.....and sure enough the payment came out to around $780 for the 48 month option. If I added the sales tax I was around $890. He says let me go talk to my manager. About 5 minutes later he comes back and says your right. They were looking at the wrong system! He says the Ford Options gives you 2.25% but the deal still is not as good as "their flex plan". He said the Ford calculator does not add in ANY taxes or other surcharges so when you do its back at $950.

At this point, I was so pissed that I just told him that I did not trust the dealership after they told me to come in and the car would be sold for MSRP and now going through this whole "lesson" just seemed dirty. Am I overreacting here.....? I must admit that I misread the disclaimer on the Ford website and thought it included sales tax......which I reread and realized it does not.

Am I in the wrong here? Should I just expect to be paying $950 per month for a Premium extended range trim (with about $5K down 48-month 10K miles per year)? Is the dealer model better or would we all rather just be dealing with Ford and picking up our vehicles locally at a delivery center?

Which dealership in Naperville?

 

[Brademcee]

Which dealership in Naperville?

Fair Oaks Ford. Someone else posted that they had issues with them too.

 

[Rocky29670]

I think I got y'all beat for bad dealership award. But I really hate y'all had bad experiences too.
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/im-going-to-pick-up-my-mme-tomorrow.3575/post-112414

 

[jeffdawgfan]

You have to remember....The dealerships are trying to make as much money as they can. They get kickbacks on getting you financed at higher interest rates. They can add an ADM on a car if the market supports it. The finance manager is a dealerships #1 profit maker with all those extra warranties, markups, etc. The little things like "protection packages", "N2 filled tires", "theft protection", etc are all there to make money for the dealership. IF you remember this going in you will be better off. I have a little checklist when purchasing a vehicle.

1) Know what your desired vehicle is selling for. Check TruCar or some other site to find out.
2) Know the Black, Blue, and Nada Book trade in value is on your trade-in. Make copies of those estimates. Then print out advertisements what the local dealers are re-selling that vehicle for.
3) Never tell the dealer what you want you payments to be. Never tell him if you are paying cash until in the finance office.
4) Break your transaction down into three items, make them show you the numbers:
A) What your are paying for new vehicle
B) What they are paying you for trade
C) What the taxes, tags, title, and document fees are on the new vehicle.
5) Never buy or finance a extended warranty with the dealer.
6) Never pay for all those little extra's.
7) Make sure you are ready to "walk" if they refuse the above. There are lots of dealers and you can probably get the same exact car from the dealer down the street the way they trade vehicles around the dealers now a days.

Granted, when you order a brand new car like we did you are forfeiting some of these leverage points but you can still stay firm. I have in writing that my dealership is accepting MSRP, and that I want absolutely no addons, and no decals on the car. When I see my car has shipped in about six weeks I will send his email back "reminding" them of our agreement.

I actually feel sorry for the dealerships....well not really....but their whole business plan is going to have to undergo radical changes in the next 15-20 years. Sales are going more and more online, the service department revenue is going to fall dramatically. Those who adapt will make less profit, and those who don't will go out of business.

 

[SteelMach]

Was this at Fair Oaks Ford? I know someone who just recently purchased their MME from Fair Oaks and was lied to about the Ford Options lease as well. They were told the APR was going to be 6% even though they have excellent credit. They did end up getting the vehicle but I'm not sure if they got Ford Flex or just financed the whole thing. They didn't get charged over MSRP though from what they said. Also Fair Oaks had no idea how to handle EV license plates so they currently have dealer plates on for now.

My dealer in MI initially quoted 6% as well, I had to show them the 2.25% rate from Ford.com before they "found" it. Definitely made me suspicious.

 

[JellyBelly]

I do have one on order with a May build date. Thanks....just seems crazy to pay over MSRP for ANY car.

If you can wait for few months you have the upper hand in getting the car at price you know of via online ordering. Is 6K or 3K ADM worth it for few months - its personal value but not in the long run. You can use the savings on PPF etc or keep it in your pocket

 

[Brademcee]

If you can wait for few months you have the upper hand in getting the car at price you know of via online ordering. Is 6K or 3K ADM worth it for few months - its personal value but not in the long run. You can use the savings on PPF etc or keep it in your pocket

Yes, I can and that is why I did not move forward. And again, I do not have any issues with ADM for a popular car. I do have a problem with promising something or being vague just to get someone into the showroom to take advantage of them.....the issue is that more PEOPLE do not do what I did, and just walk out. It is because of the people that end up accepting their offer, that dealers keep playing this game.

I agree, if Dealerships do not adapt they will go out of business. The industry is changing whether they accept it or not. Blockbuster video had a chance to buy Netflix years before the bottom fell out on the video rental market.......there are no more Blockbusters (or video rental stores). Dealerships are a middleman that are losing their value to the supply chain and customer buying experience everyday.

 

[Juan-Marco]

This will be my first ever Ford.
Between my wife and I, we have driven Cadillac, Toyota, Chevy, Infiniti, Mercedes, Audi and Hyundai.
Forgive me if I'm to blame, but thus far I'm still awaiting the level of service I feel I desire and pay for, from any dealer.
As I have yet to receive my Mach E, I can't comment, but pre-delivery service (just simply updates)
are non existent.
I asked yesterday for a tracking update after the Vin tracker on the forum moved my ETA further by 6 weeks suddenly. Response was "we don't check every day"
So,I expect very little as I'm bound to be disappointed if I do.

 

[silverelan]

After a test drive, I always negotiate dealer's out the door price over the phone (with email confirmation) before I return to the dealer with outside financing already lined up. Then I make the F&I guy beat my deal.

The Ford Options thing kind of makes things a bit more complicated trying to figure out its cost vs. traditional financing.

 

[Illinibird]

I didn't have quite that horrible experience, but I wasn't entirely unscathed either. Last week I took delivery of my MME FE. I got my order in very early (I put my $500 in for a pre-reservation in November 2019, and the formal order wnwentent in last June), so I ended up with the first one delivered in Oregon. So far, so good.

My dealer did honor the X-Plan pricing. Even better. It was a cash sale though, so didn't have to deal with financing. There was no markup either. So even better.

I just discovered last night that the dealer neglected to credit me for the $1000 downpayment all Mach-e buyers have to put down - which is what I paid back in June. So now I'm waiting for confirmation that they'll refund the $1000. I mention this so other Mach-e customers with orders and deposits in are careful to check the sales documents so they are properly credited at time of sale.

I don't think it was intentional - just a dealer selling their first EV and dropping the ball on one of the details. At least that's how it is if I don't return to this thread later in case there are any problems getting my refund

As an aside, it is a royal pain that I can't order Ford accessories online though - I have to go through the dealer, and the dealer doesn't know how to credit my FordPass points against a parts/accessories purchase. So there are some serious disadvantages to the dealer network approach to selling vs. Tesla's. The only positive in my estimation is that I am a 2-hour drive to the nearest Tesla service center, and I'm a 15 minute drive to the local Ford dealer - so for servicing I expect this to be a significant advantage.

Good luck with your attempts to buy a Mach-e. Too bad buyers in your area are getting taken advantage of by local dealers.

I used my Ford Pass points to purchase three different accessories for my Mach E. You order them in the Parts Department and when they come in, you have to go to the Service Department who calls up your Rewards Points and calculates what price (if any) you'll have to pay and how many Reward Points will be deducted from your account. It's cumbersome but that's the way it is done. I'll have 100,000 points or more when my car comes in and I'll use those points to lower the price. The points aren't valued that much so even 100,000 might drop the price only a couple hundred.

 

[Illinibird]

I had a bad experience at my dealer who is a few blocks from where I live and whom I purchased 2 new cars and had all my service done for over 18 years. When I inquired if they would accept the X-Plan for my Mach E order I was told that Ford hasn't determined if there is an X-Plan for that car or what it would be ( which was a lie). I explained they had determined the price and as a customer of over 18 years I expected better treatment than that. Long story short, they wouldn't budge, didn't return my calls or e-mails and I traveled 14 miles to another Ford dealer who didn't even know me but accepted my X-Plan. If you have a bad experience, walk away.

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