New purchase car "in transit to dealership"

[Gymsbeach]

Put $ down on MachE GT 2 weeks ago. Getting different answers and nothing specific on ETA when I call. Website still has it posted for sale with status "in transit". Is this tactic just a sales ad and then they order the vehicle at time of sale?

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[Mike G]

Put $ down on MachE GT 2 weeks ago. Getting different answers and nothing specific on ETA when I call. Website still has it posted for sale with status "in transit". Is this tactic just a sales ad and then they order the vehicle at time of sale?

Do you have a VIN? That would be one clue.

 

[Mike G]

To expand on that...if there is a VIN the car has been produced.

My dealership gets notified weeks in advance of vehicles that have been produced but just haven't been delivered yet. The vehicle info gets automatically populated by the Ford system on the dealerships website even before the car has arrived. If that helps.

 

[VaporTrails]

So exciting! I watched my VIN come alive on the assembly line as the modules entered the As-built display and then waited impatiently as it made progress toward the Kansas City rail hub, and then the truck to the dealer. It became real when the dealer put it on their website as inventory. (Pfft. As-If!). The trackers link on the hamburger menu in the top left has what you are going to be able to get for info.

Good luck on your new MME!

 

[Gymsbeach]

Thanks Mike, thats encouraging (I think). I do have the VIN and its the same as the one still on the website. Totaled my last MachE and driving a Hyundai rental. Getting old!

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

I’m going to second what MikeG said about the website. Most of these dealer sites are automated and when the VIN is assigned to the dealer, the Car automatically shows on the website. I ran into this a ton a couple years back calling around and looking for my Mach-E’s. Nobody manages these and a lot of them are preorder. Just because the car is on the website does not mean it is Actually available for sale.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Put $ down on MachE GT 2 weeks ago. Getting different answers and nothing specific on ETA when I call. Website still has it posted for sale with status "in transit". Is this tactic just a sales ad and then they order the vehicle at time of sale?

Since it is your special order, you should tell the dealers e-commerce person to mark it as unavailable for sale in their online system. They are supposed to do this for claimed special orders.

 

[Mike G]

Since it is your special order, you should tell the dealers e-commerce person to mark it as unavailable for sale in their online system. They are supposed to do this for claimed special orders.

My dealer just told people who inquired that the car was a customer order that was already sold, and did they want to see something else instead? That way they get the interested parties with that bait...and switch them to something else

 

[TheVirtualTim]

My dealer just told people who inquired that the car was a customer order that was already sold, and did they want to see something else instead? That way they get the interested parties with that bait...and switch them to something else

Dealers control what inventory shows up on the website search via Ford. My dealer told me they _only_ list dealer stock orders -- not customer retail orders. Everything on their website really is for sale. But another dealer I visited puts _everything_ online -- even customer orders. I think they are hoping it will pull in business when someone calls and is interested in the car ... and the dealer will try to sell them something similar. I suppose there is the possibility that a customer could back out of an order -- but you'd think they wouldn't list the car _until_ a customer cancels a retail order.

 

[MellowJohnny]

Happened to mine as well - same answer as above, it creates sales leads. Annoying for potential buyers and frustrating for people who have already purchased the car, but it generates interest, and that's what they want.

 

[Mach1E]

Dealers control what inventory shows up on the website search via Ford. My dealer told me they _only_ list dealer stock orders -- not customer retail orders. Everything on their website really is for sale. But another dealer I visited puts _everything_ online -- even customer orders. I think they are hoping it will pull in business when someone calls and is interested in the car ... and the dealer will try to sell them something similar. I suppose there is the possibility that a customer could back out of an order -- but you'd think they wouldn't list the car _until_ a customer cancels a retail order.

People back out of orders all the time.

Maybe they could do something similar to houses where they show “pending” and can take backup offers, but their inventory systems are automated and won’t really show that.

But if you call the dealer will easily be able to say if it’s available or not.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

If you have the four digit Sales Order number along with the VIN you can see the latest status here: https://shop.ford.com/vehicleordertracking

Note that that status information isn't very detailed and sometimes it takes time to be updated. Also note that transit times vary widely, but 6-8 weeks was pretty common last year...

You can find the Customer Order number on the electronic version of the Window Sticker as shown below.

 

[Coffs]

Oldest dealer trick in the book.

I'm calling about the xxx you've got for sale

Sure, come over and see it. Ask for Bobby

Hi, I called earlier to see the xxx, I was talking to Bobby

Oh, sorry Bobby's just left, let me check, oh it's just sold, let's have a look at what else we have that would interest you.

Anything to get punters in the door.

 

[RysBrd]

Oldest dealer trick in the book.

I'm calling about the xxx you've got for sale

Sure, come over and see it. Ask for Bobby

Hi, I called earlier to see the xxx, I was talking to Bobby

Oh, sorry Bobby's just left, let me check, oh it's just sold, let's have a look at what else we have that would interest you.

Anything to get punters in the door.

So true!!

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