Dealer sold my reserved car

[Geesh]

Does this not indicate an agreement on price (Order accepted by dealer and dealer selling price)?

I haven’t signed an agreement as dealer said to wait until production scheduled?

Shit... my dealer tacked on $5,000 as a dealer fee to my order, but at least I got mine?

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[Mach1E]

I work in healthcare. Let me ask: how much would you be willing to pay to save your arm? Your vision? Your life? Some people can put a price to those things, but me, I'd pay everything I own. Without your health, you have nothing. Unsurprisingly, the majority of people I come across seem to feel the same way. Do you think healthcare costs are too low just because we're not routinely taking people for everything they're worth?

How about running water, or electricity? I'd easily pay 100x more than I currently do for those things. Wouldn't you? I'd wager most people would. But then society would grind to a halt because people wouldn't be able to afford much else, would they?

The "correct price" isn't what some random rich person can afford to pay, nor is it something that the vast majority of people need to go into debt over. Not unless you're trying to make some high-value, low-volume product that caters specifically to the ultra-wealthy. Ford and Mercedes are not Rimac or Bugatti. Henry Ford had it right: he wanted to produce cars that his own workers would be able to afford. That vision transformed society in multiple ways for the better.

My view, as a non-economist who is also watching his own field getting destroyed by trends that are sweeping the world, is this: companies deserve to make a profit for the work they do and the products they create, but there's a difference between profit and greed. Sorry if anyone on this forum feels called out by this, but the huge influx of administrators and managers who have never known anything but administration, and who view it as their job to just endlessly increase profits, are ruining companies and society as a whole. I'm sympathetic insofar as that they're trying to justify their own jobs and prove their worth to the company, but in the long run it is ruining us. The views you've stated sound like what I've heard from disconnected middle management. Profits in the short term, without thinking of the customers, the long-term impacts to the company, or the company's impact to society.

Can’t compare supply and demand of commodities, necessities and intangibles to…… cars.

You do make some fair points, but they just don’t apply to the car market.

In the car market, if demand outstrips supply, the price is too low.

So why are manufacturers only making small increases to MSRP and removing rebates slowly etc as they go? Because they realize and agree with your last paragraph.

 

[Mach1E]

I think the difference is obvious. People (me included) have no desire to even discuss those issues with the sleazy car dealers. If I could I would like to avoid any contact with them or visiting a dealership and I would pay premium for that.

That’s the point, you absolutely can avoid discussing/negotiating those things!

Just pay whatever price they advertise.

You also can buy a car without ever visiting a dealership. Bought my last car before the Mach E that way. Called on the phone, made an offer. Paperwork signed online. Car was delivered to me 3 days later from 500 miles away. And that was in 2016.

 

[1969Camaro]

I'm not a Tesla fan; But, I prefer their method of dealing directly with them to order, pay and deliver a BEV.

These old school dealers will get theirs someday when the direct sell model is the norm. I've never liked car dealers because they want to extract every penny they can from you. They dont know the meaning of win-win.

 

[1969Camaro]

That’s the point, you absolutely can avoid discussing/negotiating those things!

Just pay whatever price they advertise.

You also can buy a car without ever visiting a dealership. Bought my last car before the Mach E that way. Called on the phone, made an offer. Paperwork signed online. Car was delivered to me 3 days later from 500 miles away. And that was in 2016.

Ford is trying but the dealers cant help themselves. They see a market they can exploit and they wont stop until the next must have vehicle emerges.

 

[Mach1E]

Ford is trying but the dealers cant help themselves. They see a market they can exploit and they wont stop until the next must have vehicle emerges.

Unfortunate side effect of a market where you have to order one to get one.

And clearly Ford likes this model (Bronco, Mach E, Lightning etc).

Want a huge rebate and discount? Gotta go back to the days dealers had hundreds of cars in their inventory sitting on lots.

 

[Avelli]

You can cancel the car anytime. It can show up, you test drive it and don't like it and walk away. You will get your 500 back. That's how it is supposed to work.

That $500 gives you the right of first refusal. The dealer violated that right.

The dealer and/or Ford could have a legal mess on their hands here

 

[mkhuffman]

OK, this is really starting to veer off topic, so we all (me included) need to be careful not to stray into politics. Bringing up medical cost could easily get us in trouble.

I work in healthcare. Let me ask: how much would you be willing to pay to save your arm? Your vision? Your life? Some people can put a price to those things, but me, I'd pay everything I own. Without your health, you have nothing. Unsurprisingly, the majority of people I come across seem to feel the same way. Do you think healthcare costs are too low just because we're not routinely taking people for everything they're worth?

It's call "competition". As long as you can compare prices, and decide who you want to save your arm, you will not be paying more than the service is worth. But that said, you do have a limit, right? What if you could set your own arm in a cast and didn't need a doctor? What if your neighbor would do it since you cannot afford to pay the doctor? There are always alternatives, as we are allowed to have them of course. Even for medical costs, there are limits to what people will, and can, pay, because they can take another path rather than pay a doctor their annual salary to fix their broken arm.

How about running water, or electricity? I'd easily pay 100x more than I currently do for those things. Wouldn't you? I'd wager most people would. But then society would grind to a halt because people wouldn't be able to afford much else, would they?

Nobody would pay 100x more for water or electricity if they have a choice. That is the key: choice. It is the same with cars. You have a choice. You can pay ADM or you can buy another car, or choose another dealer.

I can generate my own electricity with solar, or with a NG generator. I will cancel my power company service if they increase the price by 100x. Same with water. I will drill a well in my backyard and pump my own water if they decide to increase the price by 100x.

So you are simply wrong. There is definitely a maximum price people will pay the power and water companies. Without a shadow of a doubt. And no, society will not grind to a halt. The power and water companies will go out of business, and we will get new business that understand that we really do have choices and there really are maximum prices people are willing to pay.

The "correct price" isn't what some random rich person can afford to pay, nor is it something that the vast majority of people need to go into debt over.

That is true. And it has nothing to do with being rich or poor. It has 100% to do with the buyers and sellers, and what the buyers are willing to pay and what the sellers are willing to sell it for. Not sure why you mentioned "rich" as it is irrelevant. You are rich compared to many, many people. And it does not matter. What matters is what you are willing to sell your services for and what you are willing to pay others for what they have to sell.

My view, as a non-economist who is also watching his own field getting destroyed by trends that are sweeping the world,

This may be the root of your misunderstanding. You need to learn about basic economics, and then you will understand how it works.

companies deserve to make a profit for the work they do and the products they create, but there's a difference between profit and greed.

Greed is an emotion, profits are not. Profits are regulated by competition. If one company is making too much profit, a competitor will undercut them and take their business away. It happens all the time. Greed may make one competitor more aggressive, and may actually drive them to lower their prices to get more business. Look at Amazon and Walmart. They try to offer the lowest prices because they want to make more money. You can call that greed, but the result is lower prices for consumers. The exact opposite of what you claim happens when greed is involved. This is basic economics.

Profits in the short term, without thinking of the customers, the long-term impacts to the company, or the company's impact to society.

Which means the company will lose customers and then lose revenue and then go out of business. Companies have to be focused on profit, but not just in the short term, but in the long term as well. If they don't, their competition will take their customers away from them and then they will cease to exist. Companies are motivated to take good care of their customers, because it hurts them in the long run if they do not.

Bad businesses who fail to take care of their customers will pay for their actions. These dealers who are screwing over their customers will pay. And they will eventually regret how they are acting. As long as there is competition, of course.

 

[mkhuffman]

That $500 gives you the right of first refusal. The dealer violated that right.

The dealer and/or Ford could have a legal mess on their hands here

I do not think this is correct, unless you signed an agreement with the dealer that states you have the first right of refusal. I don't recall seeing that anywhere in the documents I signed, and nothing on the Ford website is relevant. What is relevant is what the dealer agrees to give you.

 

[RedStallion]

I work in healthcare. Let me ask: how much would you be willing to pay to save your arm? Your vision? Your life? Some people can put a price to those things, but me, I'd pay everything I own.

That's what you would do if there were no competition. But Adam Smith clearly explained how the system is optimized to perform the best when there is a healthy competition.
I wish healthcare was run the same way the veterinarian care runs, all payments are out of pocket, no insurance, and lots of professionals to choose from. It works very well unlike the government burdened healthcare. When there were no competition or hampered competition, or outright government monopoly you end up paying more, having deficit, and getting the worst quality of product or service.

The "correct price" isn't what some random rich person can afford to pay, nor is it something that the vast majority of people need to go into debt over.

The only correct price is the one that both seller and buyer agreed upon. There isn't anything else. Anything else would involve coercion.

My view, as a non-economist who is also watching his own field getting destroyed by trends that are sweeping the world, is this: companies deserve to make a profit for the work they do and the products they create, but there's a difference between profit and greed.

Nobody deserves anything. Things that exist are things that work. Companies need profits to thrive and invest in the future. Profit is the scoring system that allows to correctly allocate resources rewarding success and punishing failure.

 

[MisterSofa]

Haha, maybe it's just me, but I think some people are just too stupid to even know where to start to do research. They can have all the time and won't get it so don't bother and just blindly believe whatever dealers/salesmen tell them. I think we can all agree salesmen are wrong a LOT for many many industries. Finance, cars, solar, you name it. So much BS/lies/wrong info.

Like those stories of old people getting scammed to send $$ to some foreign country...True story, I saw this personally at the Post Office where the postal worker was telling her not do that, but the old lady just had to.

At the end of the day, most people view paying the least for a product vs. someone else as smart.

Most view saving $$ as smart or that's the 'right' thing or the thing everyone should do. Of course, some people have more $$ than time so for those people, I guess it's nice to be so rich to not have to wait.

I'd personally rather not live a lifestyle of poor planning, must have it now and rather buy more toys or do other things with the $5-20k these other folks are willing to dump for a car (at the end of the day, it is 'just' a car).

People on this board are not stupid. They maybe not as well informed about the vehicle. Some people do not live Mustang Mach E 24/7.

 

[Mache65]

I would write to CA consumer protection, if you did not declined to purchase the vehicle dealer does not have right to sell on a reservation.

contact ford, let them know your confirmed reservation was sold without your consent. Ford will not honor new reservations from this dealer if Ford is serious on what they have said earlier.

too bad shady dealer exist.

 

[car_driver_guy]

Welllllll so far I've opened a complaint case with Ford Customer Service. I left reviews on whatever review sites I could find. I filed a complaint with the CA Dept of Consumer Affairs. I emailed a bunch of Ford execs whose email addresses were online.

Will report back if anything happens.

In the meantime... I've been looking at other EVs :`(

 

[jlauro]

Will report back if anything happens.

In the meantime... I've been looking at other EVs :`(

Good luck. I hope Ford (or a dealer) is able to find a better resolution for you before you end up with an EV from somewhere besides Ford.

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