Confused by the order process

[ppm]

Hey guys,

I want to put an order for Mach-E but have no experience buying a car from a dealership and got confused by the process.
I browsed to ford.com, built the car I wanted and it showed me the price, asked me to choose a dealership and to pay a $500 deposit.
But this is when things got confusing, I'll be thankful if someone could clarify the following points for me:

1. Once I pay the deposit the order gets into a production queue?
2. Once the car is ready it'll be delivered to the dealership I chose and I'll have to go there and pay in full?
3. The price that is shown when I pay the deposit is it a price that the dealership will have to honor?
4. What is the refund policy for the deposit?

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[JRinOAK]

Hey guys,

I want to put an order for Mach-E but have no experience buying a car from a dealership and got confused by the process.
I browsed to ford.com, built the car I wanted and it showed me the price, asked me to choose a dealership and to pay a $500 deposit.
But this is when things got confusing, I'll be thankful if someone could clarify the following points for me:

1. Once I pay the deposit the order gets into a production queue?
2. Once the car is ready it'll be delivered to the dealership I chose and I'll have to go there and pay in full?
3. The price that is shown when I pay the deposit is it a price that the dealership will have to honor?
4. What is the refund policy for the deposit?

1 - yes, but don't expect it to immediately go into queue. We got a production date approximately nine weeks after order.
2 - yes, Ford doesn't deliver directly to the consumer.
3 - that's the way it is with my dealer. I'm unaware that a dealer can mark up on an order. But I'm in CA with strong consumer protection laws. One dealer told me he wouldn't sell MME on lot for A-Plan, but has to offer price on orders.
4 - in CA, we could walk away and get full refund.

Enjoy your ride.

 

[BostonPete]

Technically you are not ordering from the website you are placing a reservation, you need to choose a physical dealer that you need to contact and tell them about it. They will review the reservation and push it to an actual order. I do not believe that your vehicle will be built with just a reservation but I am not 100% sure about that.

The Deposit can be refunded up until the vehicle is in production
The dealer does NOT have to honor the price so make 100% sure you get everything in writing ASAP.

You car will be delivered to your dealer not you, the dealer will have fees associated with the sale.

 

[ppm]

Technically you are not ordering from the website you are placing a reservation, you need to choose a physical dealer that you need to contact and tell them about it. They will review the reservation and push it to an actual order. I do not believe that your vehicle will be built with just a reservation but I am not 100% sure about that.

The Deposit can be refunded up until the vehicle is in production
The dealer does NOT have to honor the price so make 100% sure you get everything in writing ASAP.

You car will be delivered to your dealer not you, the dealer will have fees associated with the sale.

So basically on the day I go to the dealer to pick up the car they can markup the price and I'll be stuck between paying the extra or losing my deposit?
Or when they push it to an actual order I get documents from them which list the final price with any extras, etc?

 

[BostonPete]

So basically on the day I go to the dealer to pick up the car they can markup the price and I'll be stuck between paying the extra or losing my deposit?
Or when they push it to an actual order I get documents from them which list the final price with any extras, etc?

Technically yes the dealer can / and according to posts I've seen have 1) Sold Cars right out from under people 2) Mark up the price sometimes by crazy amounts.

To avoid this you can also go directly to a dealer and work out the exact numbers before you place the order or even after. I've been told you can call Ford and switch dealers if you desire.

When a reservation is pushed to an order you don't get anything except maybe an e-mail from the website saying its now an order. You will not get anything from the dealer which again is why I strongly suggest you get it in writing from the dealer ASAP.

 

[troublebot]

So basically on the day I go to the dealer to pick up the car they can markup the price and I'll be stuck between paying the extra or losing my deposit?

Technically yes, but Ford has been willing to strong-arm the dealers into not charging ADM on orders/reservations (but they can mark-up dealer orders or abandoned orders with gusto). If you're not sure, talk to the dealer and get assurance (in writing) that there will not be ADM and that your deposit will be refundable if you decide to walk away (in which case they can sell the price off the lot with whatever ADM they wish). There's nothing stopping you from talking directly to the dealer. You can even order directly through the dealer if you wish (though they may have you just use the same portal that you can use from home).

You're in NJ so I'm imagining you have several options for dealers. Don't be afraid to shop around for one that will sell you the car on your terms.

 

[BMT1071]

So basically on the day I go to the dealer to pick up the car they can markup the price and I'll be stuck between paying the extra or losing my deposit?
Or when they push it to an actual order I get documents from them which list the final price with any extras, etc?

Most dealers will refund the deposit right up to the point of purchase, but that is another thing to get in writing prior to selecting the dealer during the online ordering process.
Other key things to get in writing prior to selecting a dealer:

• Will they sell you the car at MSRP with no ADM?
• Will they accept X Plan on the Mach E?
• Do they have a dealer add package that they require you to purchase?
• Are the familiar with Ford Options financing? If that's the way you want to go of course.

Good luck.

 

[ppm]

Most dealers will refund the deposit right up to the point of purchase, but that is another thing to get in writing prior to selecting the dealer during the online ordering process.
Other key things to get in writing prior to selecting a dealer:

• Will they sell you the car at MSRP with no ADM?
• Will they accept X Plan on the Mach E?
• Do they have a dealer add package that they require you to purchase?
• Are the familiar with Ford Options financing? If that's the way you want to go of course.

Good luck.

Getting an email from a dealer is considered to "get thing in writing"?
And even if they do print me something can't they just walk away from that as well?

What is an X Plan? If I don't know what it is then probably I can't use it?

What is a dealer add package?

Apologize for what might be silly questions but as I mentioned before, I've never purchased a car from a dealership so all this process is completely new for me.

And of course thank you all for the detailed replies so far!

 

[BMT1071]

Getting an email from the dealer is considered "to get thing in writing"?
And even if they do print me something can't they just walk away from that as well?

What is an X Plan? If I don't know what it is then probably I can't use it?

What is a dealer add package?

Apologize for what might be silly question but as I mentioned before, I've never purchased a car from a dealership so all this process is completely new for me.

And of course thank you all for a detailed replies so far!

An e-mail should be good enough. I guess technically they could renege on that but it's unlikely.
X Plan is a Ford discount program. You may be eligible through your employer or a group you belong to. You can also join the Mustang Club of America and become eligible.
Dealer add packages consist of things like window tint, paint/fabric sealant or protectants, nitrogen in the tires, window etching. All generally very over priced and of questionable necessity.

 

[OrchidMania]

I look at my order daiy on the Ford website. How long does an on order take to get a green check market on number 2 of the Order.
My order seems to be in Place Order in Process for a while...
any idea how long this should take to get to the next step.

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