Need help with dealer and reservation (RESOLVED)

[lightspeed]

Hi all,

Thanks for anyone who is willing to help.

I'm at the dealer now and they are adamant on a ADM after agreeing to MSRP. You guys have all heard similar stories.

What this dealer is telling me is that they put the ADM in the $100 RESERVATION process and that I should have seen the +10K at that time (May 19, 2021).

I am a detail oriented person and would have noticed a 10K adjustment during reservation. But I don't remember ANYTHING in the reservation process that had any pricing statement or any statement of dealer markup. I remember, give us $100 and we will reserve a spot. That's all.

Does anyone here have and screenshots or proof of the reservation process that there was any part of the process showing dealer markups? I don't have great records that far back because I didn't expect this to become such a shit show.

Thanks for any help!

This is resolved and I was able to leave with my 23 Lariat ER at MSRP + 1300 for ceramic-paint/leather protection, which I never would have approved, but they already did it (so they say) and I was willing to give them that.

Thanks for everyone that responded. It made a difference in making sure that I didn't miss anything. I also called a friend at Ford and they confirmed that dealers cannot add ADM during the reservation process.

As others have pointed out, the dealer can tell Ford to automatically add ADM during the ORDERING process and that would show up in the "difference from total MSRP" line when the order is accepted. My line has $0 in it.

At the end of the day, the dealer made good on their price and I am satisfied with the resolution.

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[Lime Green]

There was no way a dealer could add anything with the reservation process. Ford took the reservation payments and you plucked the dealer.

The place a dealer could add the ADM was at the time you ordered your truck. They should have presented it then. In fact, your pricing was supposed to be agreed upon at the time of order and all should be visible in your Ford account online.

 

[lightspeed]

There was no way a dealer could add anything with the reservation process. Ford took the reservation payments and you plucked the dealer.

The place a dealer could add the ADM was at the time you ordered your truck. They should have presented it then. In fact, your pricing was supposed to be agreed upon at the time of order and all should be visible in your Ford account online.

Thanks. That's what I remember too. I don't remember a single part of the reservation process that involved pricing.

This dealer claims it was visible during the reservation process.

 

[Driver8]

Do you know a California lawyer? Letting the dealership know you are about to get them on the phone might help you get back on track. But I am just confrontational that way.

 

[Driver8]

Maybe also letting them know you intend to report this exchange with Ford:

https://insideevs.com/news/559386/ford-threatens-dealers-f150-lightning/

 

[lightspeed]

Thanks guys those are all options on the table for sure.

What I need first is proof that ADM was NOT part of the RESERVATION process.

I already have proof that they didn't add anything during the ordering process. If anyone has screenshots of the reservation process that would be amazing. I understand that this would be hard to find since nobody would have expected this level of scumbaggery from dealers.

 

[Driver8]

And this:

https://www.carscoops.com/2022/02/f...itted-to-getting-rid-of-unreasonable-markups/

 

[Lime Green]

There was nothing other than the $100 fee for the reservation. You didn’t pay the dealer, it was done through Ford and you could have switched dealers at any time up until placing your order. Some dealers let their customers know what their pricing would be - after they got the reservation info from Ford.

 

[Driver8]

From the Ford website:

https://www.ford.com/support/how-to...htning-reservation-closure-order-information/

What is the dealer selling price?

The dealer selling price is the price the dealer is willing to sell the vehicle for in a purchase transaction and corresponds to the estimated dealer selling price for the vehicle displayed in the pricing summary at the time of your online (or offline) order. The estimated dealer selling price excludes available incentives, governmental taxes and fees, title or registration fees, and dealer-installed options. All current available incentives (including AXZD-Plans Pricing), taxes, and fees will be applied at the time of vehicle delivery and prior to signing the Purchase Agreement. The final selling price, including dealer installed options, taxes, fees, and applicable incentives, will be reflected in the Purchase Agreement.

 

[Driver8]

Same site (emphasis added):


What is an online order?

By completing the order process, you are not purchasing a vehicle but rather placing an order request with your selected dealer. An order request sends your vehicle configuration to the dealer who will then process your order request. Your agreement to purchase the vehicle will be with your dealer and not with Ford and will be signed at the time of delivery of the vehicle via the Purchase Agreement.
To complete the order process for a vehicle:

1. Create and/or login to your Ford account.
2. Select your preferred vehicle configuration (including available vehicle models and options) and submit the required information for your order.
3. Select an authorized Ford dealer if a dealer was not chosen previously*.
4. Pay an order deposit that goes directly to the selected dealer. Note: The amount of the deposit varies by dealer. By paying an order deposit, you are agreeing to the dealer’s estimated selling price for your selected vehicle as displayed on the order summary page, which may differ from the MSRP**.

 

[bmwhitetx]

Some screenshots of the reservation process on the web. The last pic is my actual reservation page showing dealer - no markup info is available to display.

 

[Driver8]

From:

https://www.ford.com/help/terms/reservations-payments-orders/#order

6. Dealer Right to Decline.​

​

Your selected Dealer, at its sole discretion, may decline your order request prior to acceptance, for any reason. You will be notified by email if your Order is declined, refunded your Order Deposit, and advised to select a new Dealer. Please ask your Dealer for their refund policy before you place your order request.​

(Emphasis added.)

Not a California lawyer, but if your order progressed like mine, there was a stage prior to your vehicle being scheduled for production when your online order status showed as something like 'dealer accepted order.'

Maybe it is in your email or maybe someone who is not in production can screen-shot the language.

 

[Driver8]

Can you still access your online order? When I log into Ford.com, it shows my pricing.

I believe dealer ADM was supposed to show up on the line "Difference from Total MSRP."

 

[Driver8]

I don't think they could have added ADM during the reservation process. I remember that I had to call my dealer after I made the reservation to confirm they were not going to add ADM. The recourse then was that you switch your reservation to another dealer before being invited to order.

 

[Driver8]

I believe the time for them to "add ADM" was when they set things up just prior to the order bank being opened. I'm trying to find an article or bulletin that describes that process.

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