Serramonte Ford Mach-E Specialist Here

[Gloff]

Did you read the documents that I posted in this thread, these are Ford's commitment, it guarantees the difference, back to the dealer. These are Ford documents that the dealers should know all about and respectfully, the dealers are at fault here. If they sell a product, they need to keep current with policies and procedures, full stop. The days of making stuff up is over. I think The Blue Oval knows this.

It does guarantee it, and some dealers, like us, know the process and procedures. The problem is it's post sale when we get the information/money. If whenever there's a price change, they sent the dealership a list of VINs that qualify and the Ordering Customer's name attached to that VIN it solves this issue altogether.

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[TonyaE]

Many issues with this approach. If they finance, wouldn't the lien holder get the $2,000?

And if Ford declines initially, the dealer has less incentive to push back, since the customer is out the money.

An A/Z/D/X customer pays an amount calculated on invoice. Use a higher invoice, and they paid more and won't likely see that.

My dealer has had my $500 deposit for 49 weeks and 1 day. They can eat any carrying cost on waiting for that $2,000, if there is any (i.e. if they have to pay more for the car to Ford, and then get it back). I financed that for them.

I would not work with a dealer that took this approach.

I agree with you. Burden should not be placed on the customer.

 

[ARK]

Did you read the documents that I posted in this thread, these are Ford's commitment, it guarantees the difference, back to the dealer. These are Ford documents that the dealers should know all about and respectfully, the dealers are at fault here. If they sell a product, they need to keep current with policies and procedures, full stop. The days of making stuff up is over. I think The Blue Oval knows this.

Right, but that’s contingent on the dealer getting the price protection amount correct and verifying the buyer qualifies, and if I understood OP correctly, their issue is they have no good way of doing that.

I didn’t see anything in what you posted that says if a dealer makes a mistake trying to do this, Ford will still cover it. Absent that, dealer doesn’t want to risk the loss, and I think OP’s point is corporate Ford should reform the system to make it easier on dealers to figure all this out.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Going forward, we're going to cut a check back to the customer after we receive funds from Ford. That's the only way we can verify we're getting paid on the price protection.

Disagree, it is your responsibly as a dealer to verify price protection with VOPC before closing the deal if there is any doubt about whether you will be paid. Just takes a phone call. Sometimes there are mistakes made with customer verifcation but VOPC can help you correct them so you get the check. I agree there should be a better/faster system for making the repayment but that's between you and Ford, the customer shouldn't be caught up in the middle waiting. There is also no guarantee dealers will send the check from a customer's perspective.

Price protection needs to be applied at the time of sale, otherwise the customer is paying sales tax on the difference, and it affects the MSRP value used for the residual in Ford Options. So unless you are also refunding the tax and residual difference to the customer, we are going to lose money with the check later approach.

 

[Gloff]

Disagree, it is your responsibly as a dealer to verify price protection with VOPC before closing the deal if there is any doubt about whether you will be paid. Just takes a phone call. Sometimes there are mistakes made with customer verifcation but VOPC can help you correct them so you get the check. I agree there should be a better/faster system for making the repayment but that's between you and Ford, the customer shouldn't be caught up in the middle waiting. There is also no guarantee dealers will send the check from a customer's perspective.

Price protection needs to be applied at the time of sale, otherwise the customer is paying sales tax on the difference, and it affects the MSRP value used for the residual in Ford Options. So unless you are also refunding the tax and residual difference to the customer, we are going to lose money with the check later approach.

That's fine if the VOPC is open when I'm making the transaction. I'm sure the VOPC wants every dealer in the country calling them with every car deal made this year. There is an easier solution that I've already posted, the current process is not made for the realities of today's retail ordering.

AFAIK we are not required to discount the car up front for PP, the check method is acceptable. It is on AXZD, so I see no reason why it wouldn't be on regular retail.

We have no special instructions on Options to use the Price Protected MSRP. AFAIK when contracting an Options, we use the current (higher) MSRP, resulting in a higher residual and lower payment.

 

[Gloff]

Right, but that’s contingent on the dealer getting the price protection amount correct and verifying the buyer qualifies, and if I understood OP correctly, their issue is they have no good way of doing that.

I didn’t see anything in what you posted that says if a dealer makes a mistake trying to do this, Ford will still cover it. Absent that, dealer doesn’t want to risk the loss, and I think OP’s point is corporate Ford should reform the system to make it easier on dealers to figure all this out.

That's exactly my point. I'm just the layman in the equation. I don't write the policies for the dealership. I do understand both sides.

I'd love a conversation with Ford on a number of issues that need to be resolved, but I only have so many tools at my disposal.

 

[bouldercrest]

When I'm trying to purchase my Mach E online, the website doesn't let me look at financing, gives an error of " Error in fetching incentives from NGP".

Any idea?

 

[Gloff]

When I'm trying to purchase my Mach E online, the website doesn't let me look at financing, gives an error of " Error in fetching incentives from NGP".

Any idea?

Can you share a screenshot? I haven't seen that one yet.

 

[rolltide]

Disagree, it is your responsibly as a dealer to verify price protection with VOPC before closing the deal if there is any doubt about whether you will be paid. Just takes a phone call. Sometimes there are mistakes made with customer verifcation but VOPC can help you correct them so you get the check. I agree there should be a better/faster system for making the repayment but that's between you and Ford, the customer shouldn't be caught up in the middle waiting. There is also no guarantee dealers will send the check from a customer's perspective.

Price protection needs to be applied at the time of sale, otherwise the customer is paying sales tax on the difference, and it affects the MSRP value used for the residual in Ford Options. So unless you are also refunding the tax and residual difference to the customer, we are going to lose money with the check later approach.

100% this. Refusing to honor price protection at delivery and cutting a check after screws the customer in several ways. I would not order a vehicle from any dealership that does this.

 

[Gloff]

100% this. Refusing to honor price protection at delivery and cutting a check after screws the customer in several ways. I would not order a vehicle from any dealership that does this.

The same could be said of the rebate that was issued for 2021-2022 model year transition rebate. Rebates are taxable in California, so the customer is out the difference in sales tax in that situation too.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I'd love a conversation with Ford on a number of issues that need to be resolved, but I only have so many tools at my disposal.

The handling of price protection is something that should go to dealer council, talk to your representative. I'm sure many other dealers would like it addressed as well.

 

[Gloff]

The handling of price protection is something that should go to dealer council, talk to your representative. I'm sure many other dealers would like it addressed as well.

My Zone Rep is aware, many dealers are asking him on it.

 

[jayemunr]

100% this. Refusing to honor price protection at delivery and cutting a check after screws the customer in several ways. I would not order a vehicle from any dealership that does this.

My order is through Walnut Creek ford in Northern California as well and they’ve laid this process out from the start. They said so long as the name on the original order matched the purchaser on the day of sale and pickup there was nothing else for me to think about in regards to price protection. (Even if the name of the original order was simply part of the final financing, etc). I get most dealers don’t want to take the lead on this and the liability of dealing with corporate Ford, but it does seem that some don’t think twice about it either.

 

[RMoore]

We have no special instructions on Options to use the Price Protected MSRP. AFAIK when contracting an Options, we use the current (higher) MSRP, resulting in a higher residual and lower payment.

Why should Options have anything to do with price protection? Price protection ensures that the price I pay is what was in place when I ordered. How I pay for the car (Options or some other method) should have nothing to do with the price we have agreed upon. Is there any documentation from Ford that these two concepts are connected?

 

[WNKent]

Right, but that’s contingent on the dealer getting the price protection amount correct and verifying the buyer qualifies, and if I understood OP correctly, their issue is they have no good way of doing that.

I didn’t see anything in what you posted that says if a dealer makes a mistake trying to do this, Ford will still cover it. Absent that, dealer doesn’t want to risk the loss, and I think OP’s point is corporate Ford should reform the system to make it easier on dealers to figure all this out.

That is why they should be calling their Ford Dealer Rep for that guidance. I bought a Mach-E and my price increase is $2000. The second document I posted above lists that car. What mistake could the possibly make, giving me the difference by reducing the price in their system for a Super Duty truck? I guess that could be a mistake, but I would've caught that when signing papers. If they can't read, that's on them.

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