$69K Price Protected Pro (another dealer horror story)

[AZ23]

After nearly 2 years of waiting for my truck it's finally been shipped, and now it looks like my dealer is trying to push me out of the deal. I was a day 1 reservation holder for a Lightning Pro who opted to extend my reservation early in 2022 which I did. I was invited to order on 8/11/22 and given a private offer which states "you are eligible for unique private savings that will ensure your order price reflects 22MY pricing". I placed my order later that day. A few days later on 8/16/22 I stopped into my dealership to make sure that everything went through which they confirmed and printed my order which at the time base price was $46974. I signed this form with them which also stated "Price Level 320" and "Priced DORA", which at the time I believed locked in my price and would still get my private offer for deferring my reservation.

My build date was the week of 1/9/23 and recently I was notified my truck was built so I decided to visit the dealership yesterday to make sure all was good with pricing and options. Previously I had been dealing with my dealer's "technology specialist" who stated he did not have final pricing and I would have to meet with a salesperson to finalize the deal. Additionally he informed me there would most likely be a $1700 dealer installed option package that I would not be able to opt out of. I asked to be referred to said salesperson to which he never responded which is why I physically went in.

There were no salespeople available who specialize in EV's so I was given to the "sales manager" who gave me a printout saying my final price would be $68,285 to which I stated that was way off from the price I was expecting to pay. I had showed up prepared though and asked him to check the Smart VINcent program for my private cash offer and provided the 2 internal memos indicating the price increases from $46,974 to $51,974 which specifically state “Current converted retail orders awaiting scheduling are unaffected by this adjustment”, and the December 14th increase from $51,974 to $55,974. He did see my $7,000 private offer in SmartVINcent and stated they would apply that and my new total would be $60,674. I inquired to the dealer installed options which he confirmed was $1700 and included oil changes, windshield wipers, and cabin air filters for life. Additionally it would include an interior treatment and paint treatment which “guaranteed” the paint job for 5 years. I asked why I needed to pay for oil changes for life on an electric vehicle and what good an “interior” treatment would do on a vehicle with vinyl seats and a rubber floor and all he would say is that it was mandatory and if “if they weren’t allowed to add dealer options they wouldn’t be able to sell new vehicles”.

I continued to press the issue knowing he was wrong and informed me without a “certificate” in the system they would not offer price protection and that has never existed. I asked to speak with his supervisor to which he stated he did not have one and after 10 minutes gave me the 800 number to Ford customer service.

I contacted Ford in the evening and explained the whole situation as I have described above and he reaffirmed what the dealer had told me. There was no price protection and the $7,000 private cash offer was to “bring the price closer to the $46k base price” I had at the time I submitted my order. I explained that the $7,000 offer was the difference between the $46,974 at the time of my order to the MY22 pricing of $39974 to which he stated I was wrong. He continued to state there was no “price protection” and that has never been a Ford policy. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was told once again he does not have a direct supervisor but he would escalate my case and I would be contacted within 3 days regarding the issue.

So now I’m trying to figure out who I can contact regarding the issue. No one seems to have a direct supervisor and Ford customer service and the dealerships are obviously not on the same page to what Ford is telling customers through online ordering. I even went back and looked at Ford’s customer FAQ on price protection and it specifically states “Ford will honor the price on the day an order is placed”. Hopefully someone out there can point me in the right direction. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this truck for nearly 2 years, but I certainly won’t be paying over 60k on a base model truck!

Sponsored

 

[Eastbaylightning]

After nearly 2 years of waiting for my truck it's finally been shipped, and now it looks like my dealer is trying to push me out of the deal. I was a day 1 reservation holder for a Lightning Pro who opted to extend my reservation early in 2022 which I did. I was invited to order on 8/11/22 and given a private offer which states "you are eligible for unique private savings that will ensure your order price reflects 22MY pricing". I placed my order later that day. A few days later on 8/16/22 I stopped into my dealership to make sure that everything went through which they confirmed and printed my order which at the time base price was $46974. I signed this form with them which also stated "Price Level 320" and "Priced DORA", which at the time I believed locked in my price and would still get my private offer for deferring my reservation.

My build date was the week of 1/9/23 and recently I was notified my truck was built so I decided to visit the dealership yesterday to make sure all was good with pricing and options. Previously I had been dealing with my dealer's "technology specialist" who stated he did not have final pricing and I would have to meet with a salesperson to finalize the deal. Additionally he informed me there would most likely be a $1700 dealer installed option package that I would not be able to opt out of. I asked to be referred to said salesperson to which he never responded which is why I physically went in.

There were no salespeople available who specialize in EV's so I was given to the "sales manager" who gave me a printout saying my final price would be $68,285 to which I stated that was way off from the price I was expecting to pay. I had showed up prepared though and asked him to check the Smart VINcent program for my private cash offer and provided the 2 internal memos indicating the price increases from $46,974 to $51,974 which specifically state “Current converted retail orders awaiting scheduling are unaffected by this adjustment”, and the December 14th increase from $51,974 to $55,974. He did see my $7,000 private offer in SmartVINcent and stated they would apply that and my new total would be $60,674. I inquired to the dealer installed options which he confirmed was $1700 and included oil changes, windshield wipers, and cabin air filters for life. Additionally it would include an interior treatment and paint treatment which “guaranteed” the paint job for 5 years. I asked why I needed to pay for oil changes for life on an electric vehicle and what good an “interior” treatment would do on a vehicle with vinyl seats and a rubber floor and all he would say is that it was mandatory and if “if they weren’t allowed to add dealer options they wouldn’t be able to sell new vehicles”.

I continued to press the issue knowing he was wrong and informed me without a “certificate” in the system they would not offer price protection and that has never existed. I asked to speak with his supervisor to which he stated he did not have one and after 10 minutes gave me the 800 number to Ford customer service.

I contacted Ford in the evening and explained the whole situation as I have described above and he reaffirmed what the dealer had told me. There was no price protection and the $7,000 private cash offer was to “bring the price closer to the $46k base price” I had at the time I submitted my order. I explained that the $7,000 offer was the difference between the $46,974 at the time of my order to the MY22 pricing of $39974 to which he stated I was wrong. He continued to state there was no “price protection” and that has never been a Ford policy. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was told once again he does not have a direct supervisor but he would escalate my case and I would be contacted within 3 days regarding the issue.

So now I’m trying to figure out who I can contact regarding the issue. No one seems to have a direct supervisor and Ford customer service and the dealerships are obviously not on the same page to what Ford is telling customers through online ordering. I even went back and looked at Ford’s customer FAQ on price protection and it specifically states “Ford will honor the price on the day an order is placed”. Hopefully someone out there can point me in the right direction. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this truck for nearly 2 years, but I certainly won’t be paying over 60k on a base model truck!

Hi AZ23, Sorry to hear that you are struggling with this price protection issue. It was a pain for me too, but I was lucky to get an honest dealer. I guess it's all dependent on the dealer. Some dealers are playing game, but some are just not aware of the process. But price protection from what I learned is a standard process that Ford dealers are seeing every time.
I have a couple of screenshots that might help you in pushing back and getting that private offer + price protection. You can also contact Ford directly and get some information.
Hope these help!

 

[bryan995]

Option 1) Tweet @ford and @jimfarley98 and @ebergg
Option 2) Burn it all down

 

[Nate977p]

Not to go off topic, but I am deep into catching up on the threads on this topic, and didn't want to creat yet another.

Our Pro should be delivered this week and am trying to have my ducks in a row.

My understanding is we should be eligible for:
-$7,000 Private offer (which should be a discount in their system) and come right off the price.
-$5,000 Price Protection rebate (offer 325), and that is either at sale or 45 ish days later (depending on how dealer handles it)
-$4,000 Price Protection rebate - same process as the earlier.

Is this correct, and does anyone have the memo for the $4,000 price protection; I cannot find it anywhere.

Thanks in advance!

OP - best of luck on your situation. I think Social Media is your best recourse, or hounding the reps on the ford line. Maybe try another dealer and see if they have a contact if they are more helpful?

 

[Eastbaylightning]

OP, Another thing to add is you have you mention that you are part of a forum community and is fully aware of the whole price protection thing and good or bad dealers that are playing games will usually mentioned in the forum.

 

[AZ23]

Hi AZ23, Sorry to hear that you are struggling with this price protection issue. It was a pain for me too, but I was lucky to get an honest dealer. I guess it's all dependent on the dealer. Some dealers are playing game, but some are just not aware of the process. But price protection from what I learned is a standard process that Ford dealers are seeing every time.
I have a couple of screenshots that might help you in pushing back and getting that private offer + price protection. You can also contact Ford directly and get some information.
Hope these help!

Ya I knew this was a dealer specific problem, was only hoping mine would not be one of the difficult ones. Thanks for the screenshots, I actually already had both of those printed and in my file when I went in to visit. They were not interested in what either had to say which I think is crazy. It seems like there are multiple places in writing that contradict what they are telling me but it doesn't seem to matter.

 

[Its PJ Bia]

FWIW my dealer only saw a 7000 rebate at first. I then emailed him the 2 memos for the $5k and $4k increases and said that if he has questions he can call the 800 number at the bottom. A day later he came back and said this

" I did manage to confirm that you ARE eligible for price protection, I need to get the dollar amount from the original DORA from the Zone Manager for Ford which I am in the process of so just to relieve the concern, you will be all set."

It sounds like your sales manager doesn't want to work on this for you, so you may need to try the social media route to try and stir something up and see if someone who is aware of the price protection can assist. Price protection isn't anything new, so any dealers who claim its not a real thing are ill-informed, or want to steal money from you.

 

[NeuralFlow]

One thing you can do is report them to the state AG office. you have an agreement with Ford Motor Company. The dealer has certain rights to amend the final sales price. But to ignore your agreement with Ford seems like they are violating an agreement between parties. If enough people complain eventually they'll get tired of dealing with phone calls from AG offices. Those aren't great calls.

 

[GarageMahal]

Call Ford using number on website. The answers you got sound wrong and make me wonder if the dealership gave you their own number...

So sorry for you troubles

 

[jd350b]

I'll be starting my story within two weeks. I'll get my ducks in a row and begin the fight! Wish me luck. lol
It's really sad that we have to go through a battle. Ford is partial blame for making the process cumbersome and the dealerships (some of them) are just out for an unethical money grab.

 

[Artificial Intelligence]

What was the price shown on order form when you placed the order

 

[s_c]

@AZ23 I’m dealing with this now but unfortunately your dealer sounds like one of the worst with that mandatory oil change package… wishing you luck. What a joke they’d try that. Sounds like you’ll have some work ahead

that bs sounds worthy of putting in blast asap. Who you working with?

 

[jimfigler]

After nearly 2 years of waiting for my truck it's finally been shipped, and now it looks like my dealer is trying to push me out of the deal. I was a day 1 reservation holder for a Lightning Pro who opted to extend my reservation early in 2022 which I did. I was invited to order on 8/11/22 and given a private offer which states "you are eligible for unique private savings that will ensure your order price reflects 22MY pricing". I placed my order later that day. A few days later on 8/16/22 I stopped into my dealership to make sure that everything went through which they confirmed and printed my order which at the time base price was $46974. I signed this form with them which also stated "Price Level 320" and "Priced DORA", which at the time I believed locked in my price and would still get my private offer for deferring my reservation.

My build date was the week of 1/9/23 and recently I was notified my truck was built so I decided to visit the dealership yesterday to make sure all was good with pricing and options. Previously I had been dealing with my dealer's "technology specialist" who stated he did not have final pricing and I would have to meet with a salesperson to finalize the deal. Additionally he informed me there would most likely be a $1700 dealer installed option package that I would not be able to opt out of. I asked to be referred to said salesperson to which he never responded which is why I physically went in.

There were no salespeople available who specialize in EV's so I was given to the "sales manager" who gave me a printout saying my final price would be $68,285 to which I stated that was way off from the price I was expecting to pay. I had showed up prepared though and asked him to check the Smart VINcent program for my private cash offer and provided the 2 internal memos indicating the price increases from $46,974 to $51,974 which specifically state “Current converted retail orders awaiting scheduling are unaffected by this adjustment”, and the December 14th increase from $51,974 to $55,974. He did see my $7,000 private offer in SmartVINcent and stated they would apply that and my new total would be $60,674. I inquired to the dealer installed options which he confirmed was $1700 and included oil changes, windshield wipers, and cabin air filters for life. Additionally it would include an interior treatment and paint treatment which “guaranteed” the paint job for 5 years. I asked why I needed to pay for oil changes for life on an electric vehicle and what good an “interior” treatment would do on a vehicle with vinyl seats and a rubber floor and all he would say is that it was mandatory and if “if they weren’t allowed to add dealer options they wouldn’t be able to sell new vehicles”.

I continued to press the issue knowing he was wrong and informed me without a “certificate” in the system they would not offer price protection and that has never existed. I asked to speak with his supervisor to which he stated he did not have one and after 10 minutes gave me the 800 number to Ford customer service.

I contacted Ford in the evening and explained the whole situation as I have described above and he reaffirmed what the dealer had told me. There was no price protection and the $7,000 private cash offer was to “bring the price closer to the $46k base price” I had at the time I submitted my order. I explained that the $7,000 offer was the difference between the $46,974 at the time of my order to the MY22 pricing of $39974 to which he stated I was wrong. He continued to state there was no “price protection” and that has never been a Ford policy. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was told once again he does not have a direct supervisor but he would escalate my case and I would be contacted within 3 days regarding the issue.

So now I’m trying to figure out who I can contact regarding the issue. No one seems to have a direct supervisor and Ford customer service and the dealerships are obviously not on the same page to what Ford is telling customers through online ordering. I even went back and looked at Ford’s customer FAQ on price protection and it specifically states “Ford will honor the price on the day an order is placed”. Hopefully someone out there can point me in the right direction. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this truck for nearly 2 years, but I certainly won’t be paying over 60k on a base model truck!

You should be price protected to the $46974 prior to the $7k PCO. How does it even get to $69k. The current MSRP is only $55974 right?

 

[AZ23]

FWIW my dealer only saw a 7000 rebate at first. I then emailed him the 2 memos for the $5k and $4k increases and said that if he has questions he can call the 800 number at the bottom. A day later he came back and said this

" I did manage to confirm that you ARE eligible for price protection, I need to get the dollar amount from the original DORA from the Zone Manager for Ford which I am in the process of so just to relieve the concern, you will be all set."

It sounds like your sales manager doesn't want to work on this for you, so you may need to try the social media route to try and stir something up and see if someone who is aware of the price protection can assist. Price protection isn't anything new, so any dealers who claim its not a real thing are ill-informed, or want to steal money from you.

I had the 2 memo's outlining the 2 price increases since I placed my order. They said since it's not a "certificate" they would not honor it.

Call Ford using number on website. The answers you got sound wrong and make me wonder if the dealership gave you their own number...

So sorry for you troubles

The number I called was the 800 number on the Ford website.

What was the price shown on order form when you placed the order

The price I have on my invoice at the time I ordered was $46,974.

You should be price protected to the $46974 prior to the $7k PCO. How does it even get to $69k. The current MSRP is only $55974 right?

That was the original "out the door" price the manager quoted me. Sticker price $60,164, + $1,752 dealer installed options, +$5386 taxes + $980 registration. They did eventually acknowledge my 7k private offer which dropped the price to $60,674.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Looking forward the final word on this deal.

Sponsored