Wrong car ordered by the dealer

[2010SE Monochrome]

After about 6 weeks wait time, a local dealer received my supposed car from the factory. Only problem is I ordered a completely different car than what came (aside from the fact that it was, indeed, a Manual 2010 SE). I had chosen the tuxedo black, manual with sun & sync, monochrome, and a few interior add-ons. What actually arrived was a sterling grey manual with base appearance package.

 

All they’ve offered me is to sell me the current vehicle as is or to order yet another car which would have to be the 2011 SE. On top of an 8-10 week minimum wait for the new cars to roll out, I’m not terribly fond of the changes they’ve made to the new models, and although it’s negligible at this point, the price has increased by about $300 for the new model year given the same packages.

 

I’ve accepted that it’s the dealer’s fault for the problem, but I’m more interested in whether or not I have any recourse here. The sale’s manager has made it painfully clear that because of my ‘x-plan’ he can’t do anything on the price. Is there someone I would be able to call in order to work out a more favorable outcome?

[Moosehead]

If it were me I'd assume they just sold the car to someone else, maybe for more... and then found you this one.

 

There are always other dealers!

[bbf2530]

After about 6 weeks wait time, a local dealer received my supposed car from the factory. Only problem is I ordered a completely different car than what came (aside from the fact that it was, indeed, a Manual 2010 SE). I had chosen the tuxedo black, manual with sun & sync, monochrome, and a few interior add-ons. What actually arrived was a sterling grey manual with base appearance package.

 

All they’ve offered me is to sell me the current vehicle as is or to order yet another car which would have to be the 2011 SE. On top of an 8-10 week minimum wait for the new cars to roll out, I’m not terribly fond of the changes they’ve made to the new models, and although it’s negligible at this point, the price has increased by about $300 for the new model year given the same packages.

 

I’ve accepted that it’s the dealer’s fault for the problem, but I’m more interested in whether or not I have any recourse here. The sale’s manager has made it painfully clear that because of my ‘x-plan’ he can’t do anything on the price. Is there someone I would be able to call in order to work out a more favorable outcome?

 

 

Hi 2010SE. :D Unfortunately, this is strictly a Dealer/Customer issue and auto Dealers are independent franchises (by law). So other than contacting the Dealership owner directly, there is no one at Ford you can call to help with your problem.

 

In all honesty, it sounds as though the Dealer either never ordered your car in the first place (6 weeks is generally too short a wait time for a factory order), or they sold it out from under you to a non X-Plan buyer (for a higher profit) and told you it was ordered incorrectly to cover their behinds (slightly).

 

If you even want to have any sort of relationship with this Dealership after what they have done, your options are limited. Here are a few (in the order of what I would recommend myself, not that my opinion matters in this case ):

- Order a 2011 and wait. Just curious, what is it that you are "not terribly fond of" in the 2011 model changes?

- Have the Dealership see if they can locate and trade for another more suitable 2010 model from another Dealership.

- Take what the Dealer has on their lot now.

 

Since you are purchasing on the X-Plan, the Dealer can not do anything on the price, unless they are willing to sell to you off the X-Plan at a lower price than X-Plan. And that is not likely. What you can negotiate for is a free or reduced rate service package, a free/reduced rate ESP Plan, a series of free oil changes etc.. Other than that, the options are pretty limited, since in the end, the Dealer does not even have to sell a car to us if they do not want to.

 

I realize this is not the greatest news for you, but it is the reality.

 

Let us know how you make out.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

[TX 2010 Ford Fusion Sport]

What changes to the new models aren't you fond of? One I wish I had now is the universal garage door opener.

Edited June 5, 2010 by TX 2010 Ford Fusion Sport

[kpeex]

The loss of the fold-down passenger seat is a disappointment to me.

 

Just curious, OP, what were the "few interior add-ons" that you ordered?

Edited June 5, 2010 by kpeex

[Rodeo]

If it were me I'd assume they just sold the car to someone else, maybe for more... and then found you this one.

 

There are always other dealers!

Ditto!

 

Your car came in and someone connected to the dealership took it instead. Nobody blows the order like you described.

[Grey]

If you decide to order a 2011 to your specifications, ask the dealership to call their Regional Sales Rep and explain the situation to them. They may be able to expedite the new order for you.

 

What is negotiable on X-Plan? The trade in value, an exteneded service plan, the interest rate, dealer accessories, maintenance plan, etc. Everything but the price of the vehicle from Ford..

 

In this case, the salesperson might have given the wrong option content to the ordering manager or the order got confused with another order - it happens. That is why I review the DOR after I place an order with a dealership. Better to catch it in 2 or 3 days, then when it comes in wrong!

[2010SE Monochrome]

…

The loss of the fold-down passenger seat is a disappointment to me.

 

This, to me, was the biggie. I tended to be the de facto transporter of skis and snowboards when my group went on trips up north. The loss of fold-flat passenger seat means I may not be able to fit everything and I’d rather avoid roof racks.

 

Missing in the interior was the ambient lighting option. I’ll be the first to admit it was completely unnecessary from a practical standpoint, but that doesn’t change my opinion that it was a fun and noticeable way to distinguish the car from most of what is on the road today. It’s now only available in the SPORT and SEL models. A small loss, sure, but it’s something that shouldn’t be missing either way.

 

…

In this case, the salesperson might have given the wrong option content to the ordering manager or the order got confused with another order - it happens. That is why I review the DOR after I place an order with a dealership. Better to catch it in 2 or 3 days, then when it comes in wrong!

 

This is what they said had happened, and I wish I would have known that when it was ordered. I figured having the printout with all specs and option numbers would have been a surefire way to avoid mistakes, but it’s becoming more and more clear to me that nobody understands the difference between an appearance package and a “monotone,” as they call it, package. And that includes the sales managers from at least two local dealers. I would think this car, which everyone says is flying off the lots, would carry with it a higher incentive to learn packages, options and other facts so as to at least feign proper knowledge.

 

C'est la vie

 

 

Thanks all for the quick replies!

[bbf2530]

This, to me, was the biggie. I tended to be the de facto transporter of skis and snowboards when my group went on trips up north. The loss of fold-flat passenger seat means I may not be able to fit everything and I’d rather avoid roof racks.

 

Missing in the interior was the ambient lighting option. I’ll be the first to admit it was completely unnecessary from a practical standpoint, but that doesn’t change my opinion that it was a fun and noticeable way to distinguish the car from most of what is on the road today. It’s now only available in the SPORT and SEL models. A small loss, sure, but it’s something that shouldn’t be missing either way.

 

 

 

This is what they said had happened, and I wish I would have known that when it was ordered. I figured having the printout with all specs and option numbers would have been a surefire way to avoid mistakes, but it’s becoming more and more clear to me that nobody understands the difference between an appearance package and a “monotone,” as they call it, package. And that includes the sales managers from at least two local dealers. I would think this car, which everyone says is flying off the lots, would carry with it a higher incentive to learn packages, options and other facts so as to at least feign proper knowledge.

 

C'est la vie

 

 

Thanks all for the quick replies!

 

 

Hi 2010SE. :D Although it is unlikely that you are confused, I figured I would post this to play it safe: You do know that it is the front fold-flat passenger seat that was eliminated, and that the rear 60-40 passenger seats still fold flat (except in the Hybrid model), correct? So you should still have no problem transporting skis and other equipment. I know from experience that just by folding the right rear seat flat (the 40 in the 60-40), I can fit my old school 207 cm skis. And with the newer/shorter skis now being used (and even shorter snowboards), you should have no problem transporting most any ski equipment imaginable ( I hope).

 

Again, my apologies if you already knew this, but I figured better safe than sorry and thought I would mention it.

 

Concerning the order screw-up? You are correct, no excuses.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Edited June 5, 2010 by bbf2530

[2010SE Monochrome]

\Yep. I was referring to the change away from fold-flat front seats. Some of the people who ride with me continue to use their old snowboards and old toothpick skis on occasion, and my concern was that certain pieces would not be able to fit without such an option. Must say I feel a bit more at ease since your old equipment fits without a problem. Apparently my perception of the car has been quite distorted since last seeing one.

 

Appreciate the input.

 

 

Also, if you had to guess, how much clearance would you say you have with your 207s in the car and the front seat up?

[bbf2530]

\Yep. I was referring to the change away from fold-flat front seats. Some of the people who ride with me continue to use their old snowboards and old toothpick skis on occasion, and my concern was that certain pieces would not be able to fit without such an option. Must say I feel a bit more at ease since your old equipment fits without a problem. Apparently my perception of the car has been quite distorted since last seeing one.

 

Appreciate the input.

 

 

Also, if you had to guess, how much clearance would you say you have with your 207s in the car and the front seat up?

 

 

HI 2010SE. :D Yes, it can be difficult to get some of us to give up the old ways!

 

Hopefully I can explain this in an understandable manner. The rear fold flat seats have a 60/40 split. The 60% side is the rear left and the 40% side is the rear right. With the rear right/40% side folded flat, I can put my 207's (I have a set of 207 K2 SLC's), in slightly diagonally, tips to the rear left in the trunk, tails behind the front passenger seat towards the door. And that is with the front seat positioned back far enough for a front seat passenger to be comfortable (which would be impossible with the front seat folded flat). And you can still fit a passenger in the rear left. Or you can fold the rear left down and fit even more/longer gear if you need to.

 

Now don't get me wrong, there is not much left over clearance, but there is enough to get the job done with 207's.

 

And just as an FYI: I have an MKZ, which did not have the front fold-flat seat available at all. I believe it has to do with the passenger side, power recline feature, which is standard on the MKZ, but I believe was not available until now on the Fusion (the 2011 models), I think that is why the fold-flat has been deleted from all models, even those without the power recline (cost savings).

 

Hope this information helps.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Edited June 6, 2010 by bbf2530

[shawn_carter69]

If you decide to order a 2011 to your specifications, ask the dealership to call their Regional Sales Rep and explain the situation to them. They may be able to expedite the new order for you.

 

What is negotiable on X-Plan? The trade in value, an exteneded service plan, the interest rate, dealer accessories, maintenance plan, etc. Everything but the price of the vehicle from Ford..

 

In this case, the salesperson might have given the wrong option content to the ordering manager or the order got confused with another order - it happens. That is why I review the DOR after I place an order with a dealership. Better to catch it in 2 or 3 days, then when it comes in wrong!

 

Just to ad a small point, the dealer can negotiate on X-plan. The are just very unwilling to as there is little to no mark-up on an X-plan deal. (I have sold Ford's for nearly 4 years) That being said there is almost no profit in a Fusion to begin with. (1600 in Canada so I would assume less in the US) Any dealer that tells you they can't negoiate is lying. No matter what deal you are getting. X-plan, A/Z-plan in the Ford world or any other Employee pricing national advertising done by GM or Chryler etc, they can all negotiate and if you handle yourself appropriately they will give you a better deal. I'm not saying that there is a ton more mark-up for them, but don't kid yourself they wouldn't the vehicle at a loss so there is still some profit margin to negotiate over.

Edited July 25, 2010 by shawn_carter69

[bbf2530]

Just to ad a small point, the dealer can negotiate on X-plan. The are just very unwilling to as there is little to no mark-up on an X-plan deal. (I have sold Ford's for nearly 4 years) That being said there is almost no profit in a Fusion to begin with. (1600 in Canada so I would assume less in the US) Any dealer that tells you they can't negoiate is lying. No matter what deal you are getting. X-plan, A/Z-plan in the Ford world or any other Employee pricing national advertising done by GM or Chryler etc, they can all negotiate and if you handle yourself appropriately they will give you a better deal. I'm not saying that there is a ton more mark-up for them, but don't kid yourself they wouldn't the vehicle at a loss so there is still some profit margin to negotiate over.

 

Hi shawn. :D X-Plan prices are set/price fixed by Ford, are guaranteed by Ford, and are a no-haggle, no negotiations sale. So to avoid any problems or misunderstandings for other forum members when the go to the Dealer: If a buyer is actually purchasing on the X-Plan (or AZD-Plans), and all AXZD-Plan paperwork (i.e. the "AXZD-Plan Pricing Agreement" etc.) is being correctly filled out and submitted to Ford by the Dealership, then a buyer and Dealer can not negotiate AXZD-Plan pricing. The price listed on the Factory Invoice in the box labeled X-Plan is the Plan price and is not negotiable. They can negotiate trade-in values and other Dealer add-ons, but not the actual X-Plan vehicle price. This information is all clearly spelled out on the Ford AXZD Plan website. In fact, if a Dealer submitted an "AXZD-Plan Pricing Agreement" to Ford with any amount other than the official X-Plan price listed on the Factory Invoice, it would be kicked back to the Dealership for correction and the Dealer would not be compensated until it was corrected.

 

However, where confusion may occur is here: On their own (non-AXZD-Plan), any Dealer can sell any car to any buyer for less than X-Plan if they wish. Heck, they can sell it to a buyer for less than AZD-Plan or even give the car for free to anyone they please. But then it is not an AXZD-Plan purchase. And on "Employee Pricing" sales to the general public, the same theory applies, since in reality the retail customer is still not actually getting the same "Employee Price" as a Ford Employee/Retiree when the "out the door" price is finally calculated (added Fees etc.).

 

So bottom line, there is no negotiating on official AXZD-Plan sales. If a buyer wants to negotiate they are not buying on the X-Plan. But a buyer can certainly try to negotiate their own deal with the Dealer for below X-Plan if they like. It doesn't happen often, but it is possible on some models. Of course, then there are always the extra Dealer fees that are traditionally added by Dealers onto non-Plan seals, which are are prohibited by Ford on AXZD-Plan sales. But that is a whole other story that has been dealt with in other threads.

 

Again, this information is all clearly spelled out in all Ford informational sources, such as the AXZD-Plan website. In addition, anyone can call Ford AXZD-Plan Headquarters for rules clarifications. Just as an aside (and not trying to one-up anyone), I have been doing this for over 20 years.

 

Hope this clears up any confusion.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

 

PS - Sorry if my post is long, but I prefer giving too much detail, instead of too little and leaving questions unanswered.

Edited July 26, 2010 by bbf2530

[shawn_carter69]

Hi shawn. :D X-Plan prices are set/price fixed by Ford, are guaranteed by Ford, and are a no-haggle, no negotiations sale. So to avoid any problems or misunderstandings for other forum members when the go to the Dealer: If a buyer is actually purchasing on the X-Plan (or AZD-Plans), and all AXZD-Plan paperwork (i.e. the "AXZD-Plan Pricing Agreement" etc.) is being correctly filled out and submitted to Ford by the Dealership, then a buyer and Dealer can not negotiate AXZD-Plan pricing. The price listed on the Factory Invoice in the box labeled X-Plan is the Plan price and is not negotiable. They can negotiate trade-in values and other Dealer add-ons, but not the actual X-Plan vehicle price. This information is all clearly spelled out on the Ford AXZD Plan website. In fact, if a Dealer submitted an "AXZD-Plan Pricing Agreement" to Ford with any amount other than the official X-Plan price listed on the Factory Invoice, it would be kicked back to the Dealership for correction and the Dealer would not be compensated until it was corrected.

 

However, where confusion may occur is here: On their own (non-AXZD-Plan), any Dealer can sell any car to any buyer for less than X-Plan if they wish. Heck, they can sell it to a buyer for less than AZD-Plan or even give the car for free to anyone they please. But then it is not an AXZD-Plan purchase. And on "Employee Pricing" sales to the general public, the same theory applies, since in reality the retail customer is still not actually getting the same "Employee Price" as a Ford Employee/Retiree when the "out the door" price is finally calculated (added Fees etc.).

 

So bottom line, there is no negotiating on official AXZD-Plan sales. If a buyer wants to negotiate they are not buying on the X-Plan. But a buyer can certainly try to negotiate their own deal with the Dealer for below X-Plan if they like. It doesn't happen often, but it is possible on some models. Of course, then there are always the extra Dealer fees that are traditionally added by Dealers onto non-Plan seals, which are are prohibited by Ford on AXZD-Plan sales. But that is a whole other story that has been dealt with in other threads.

 

Again, this information is all clearly spelled out in all Ford informational sources, such as the AXZD-Plan website. In addition, anyone can call Ford AXZD-Plan Headquarters for rules clarifications. Just as an aside (and not trying to one-up anyone), I have been doing this for over 20 years.

 

Hope this clears up any confusion.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

 

PS - Sorry if my post is long, but I prefer giving too much detail, instead of too little and leaving questions unanswered.

 

Well as I said it may differ in Canada cause I have sold below the X-plan price before. The dealer does not like to do it as there is little to no profit after the X-plan rebate to them. It is possible but very very unlikely. The only rule that I am aware of is that on X-plan (or A,Z etc) the dealer cannot sell te vehicle for more than the A/Z/X plan price and still get the rebate.

 

Again maybe things are different in Canada but I can only speak to my experiences.

[akirby]

Well as I said it may differ in Canada cause I have sold below the X-plan price before. The dealer does not like to do it as there is little to no profit after the X-plan rebate to them. It is possible but very very unlikely. The only rule that I am aware of is that on X-plan (or A,Z etc) the dealer cannot sell te vehicle for more than the A/Z/X plan price and still get the rebate.

 

Again maybe things are different in Canada but I can only speak to my experiences.

 

You can sell below X plan (or as bbf2530 pointed out - you can give the car away if you want to) but you can't turn it into Ford as a X plan sale. The X plan agreement says you pay exactly the X plan price - no more, no less. Perhaps it wasn't noticed or they look the other way.

[chitown]

You can sell below X plan (or as bbf2530 pointed out - you can give the car away if you want to) but you can't turn it into Ford as a X plan sale. The X plan agreement says you pay exactly the X plan price - no more, no less. Perhaps it wasn't noticed or they look the other way.

 

When we mentioned X-Plan to our sales guy, he completely switched modes. It was basically "If we go with X-Plan, I show you the price and you're talking to the finance guy in about 2 minutes if you like it". Whether or not one could actually negotiate against it probably depends on the salesperson. Ours? No way. Once he brought the printout over, negotiating ceased to exist in his world...he was no longer a salesperson. He was still friendly, but I don't think they are technically allowed to accept usage of X-Plan as a leverage technique. Again, some probably do anyway.

Edited July 30, 2010 by chitown

[bbf2530]

When we mentioned X-Plan to our sales guy, he completely switched modes. It was basically "If we go with X-Plan, I show you the price and you're talking to the finance guy in about 2 minutes if you like it". Whether or not one could actually negotiate against it probably depends on the salesperson. Ours? No way. Once he brought the printout over, negotiating ceased to exist in his world...he was no longer a salesperson. He was still friendly, but I don't think they are technically allowed to accept usage of X-Plan as a leverage technique. Again, some probably do anyway.

 

 

Hi chitown. :D So others do not get confused by accidentally misleading information, I wanted to address what you stated concerning "Whether or not one could actually negotiate against it probably depends on the salesperson." The AZX-Plan rules/regulations and program are set and administered by Ford, not the Dealer or salespeople. If a buyer is buying on the X-Plan and using an X-Plan PIN, there is no negotiating on the vehicle X-Plan Price. The price is set by Ford. The Dealer must follow the rules and fill out the paperwork with the proper X-Plan price listed on the Factory Invoice. Any variation and the Plan sale will be kicked back to the Dealer and they will not be compensated for the X-Plan sale until the mistake is corrected. No exceptions.

 

Hope this information helps.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

[shawn_carter69]

Hi chitown. :D So others do not get confused by accidentally misleading information, I wanted to address what you stated concerning "Whether or not one could actually negotiate against it probably depends on the salesperson." The AZX-Plan rules/regulations and program are set and administered by Ford, not the Dealer or salespeople. If a buyer is buying on the X-Plan and using an X-Plan PIN, there is no negotiating on the vehicle X-Plan Price. The price is set by Ford. The Dealer must follow the rules and fill out the paperwork with the proper X-Plan price listed on the Factory Invoice. Any variation and the Plan sale will be kicked back to the Dealer and they will not be compensated for the X-Plan sale until the mistake is corrected. No exceptions.

 

Hope this information helps.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

 

Just going to throw in my last 2 cents and leave it alone. I've checked with my GM and dealer principals. They can negotiate on A/Z/X plan purchase and still turn it in. They never do it as they is 0 profit on one of those deals. Again I wanted to point out it may differnet in Canada or whatever I'm not going to get involved any longer but as far as Ford of Canada is concerned the dealer can sell any vehicle they want at any price they want, using whatever programs they want as long as Ford of Canada gets their invoice amount for the vehicle, whatever the dealer does is their call. Dictating what a dealer sells the vehicle for is legally price fixing. Just talk to Toyota Canada about that one and the whole Access Pricing fiasco.

[akirby]

Dictating what a dealer sells the vehicle for is legally price fixing.

 

Exactly. That's why the A/Z/X/D plan participation is 100% voluntary. The dealer doesn't have to participate. But if they do participate then they must follow the rules.

 

Can the dealer go outside the rules? Sure. Happens all the time. That doesn't mean it's allowed. The rules aren't different in Canada - this is a Ford corporate program.

 

Would the dealer get in trouble if they went below X plan price? Who knows. All we know is the rules are very clear about what the dealer charges the customer.

 

Ask your GM/Principal to show you the rule in writing that says it's ok.

[Jshell757]

I caught wind of this topic, and even though it is a little old, I wanted to throw in my 2 cents. When ordering, X-plan or not, Unless you put down $$$ and have a written deposit agreement, then ANYTHING GOES. I have known my dealer and bought the last 2 cars from them, and referred COUNTLESS others to, so he ordered it with 0 down for me, and when it came in, he put it in the "Sold" lot and had me come in and look at it. As for the X-plan, even though I am X-plan, he sold it to me more like at the "A plan price", not a plan, but the price. Why? Mercury. Ever since they announced they are ending production, the incentives are FAR GREATER on the Milans then the Fusion/MKZ.

 

When I went in to pick up my car, I took a copy of the rebates and incentives from the other L/M dealer and showed it to them, after about 15 minutes, he said fine, I can give it to you for the A plan price, so I saved another $1200, I took the ESP as well, and that sealed the deal, that was at cost with Zero deductible and 1st day rental option.

 

Oh yea, there was another oops.

 

When I looked at it, I was like WTF?!?! They added this "Appearance" package to it, and it had Pin Stripes, Door and Wheel well strip molding, wheel locks, mini-mud flaps, and the Powercode remote start system.

 

When I saw it, along with the price, I knew they screwed up. I called the dealership manager over, and as he was walking up, he stopped and said "OH S__T. They had put that package on THE WRONG CAR!!!!

 

He looked at me, said well, what do you think, it was the last day of the month, Mercury was going out of business, the month was not that great, and he stated give me a reasonable number, so I did. To my shock and surprise, he looked at the sales person and sales manager and stated "Make It Happen" So I got the rest of the stuff, and even more off the car.

 

But in your case it sounds like they sold it out from under you, find a new dealer and make it happen.

[bbf2530]

I caught wind of this topic, and even though it is a little old, I wanted to throw in my 2 cents. When ordering, X-plan or not, Unless you put down $$$ and have a written deposit agreement, then ANYTHING GOES. I have known my dealer and bought the last 2 cars from them, and referred COUNTLESS others to, so he ordered it with 0 down for me, and when it came in, he put it in the "Sold" lot and had me come in and look at it. As for the X-plan, even though I am X-plan, he sold it to me more like at the "A plan price", not a plan, but the price. Why? Mercury. Ever since they announced they are ending production, the incentives are FAR GREATER on the Milans then the Fusion/MKZ.

 

When I went in to pick up my car, I took a copy of the rebates and incentives from the other L/M dealer and showed it to them, after about 15 minutes, he said fine, I can give it to you for the A plan price, so I saved another $1200, I took the ESP as well, and that sealed the deal, that was at cost with Zero deductible and 1st day rental option.

 

Oh yea, there was another oops.

 

When I looked at it, I was like WTF?!?! They added this "Appearance" package to it, and it had Pin Stripes, Door and Wheel well strip molding, wheel locks, mini-mud flaps, and the Powercode remote start system.

 

When I saw it, along with the price, I knew they screwed up. I called the dealership manager over, and as he was walking up, he stopped and said "OH S__T. They had put that package on THE WRONG CAR!!!!

 

He looked at me, said well, what do you think, it was the last day of the month, Mercury was going out of business, the month was not that great, and he stated give me a reasonable number, so I did. To my shock and surprise, he looked at the sales person and sales manager and stated "Make It Happen" So I got the rest of the stuff, and even more off the car.

 

But in your case it sounds like they sold it out from under you, find a new dealer and make it happen.

 

Hi Jshell. :D First, best of luck with your new car.

 

Next, I just wanted to try and correct some misunderstandings you seem to have concerning how X and A Plan purchases work. While yes, you got a great deal on your car, you still paid more than an actual A-Plan buyer would have paid (A-Plan being a Ford Employee or immediate family member).

 

Why is that, you may wonder? Because an real A-Plan customer would have received the same Incentives off of their A-Plan price that you did (and maybe even more). So while the Incentives you received brought your final purchase price down close to A-Plan, those same Incentives would have given an actual A-Plan buyer the same car for that much less than what you paid.

 

A quick example with some imaginary numbers (nice and round to make the discussion easy, but plug in any numbers and the results would be the same): Let's say your car MSRP'd for $28,000, had an X-Plan price of $26,000 and an A-Plan price of $24,000. And for the sake of discussion, let's say it also had $2,000 of Incentives cash available.

 

So the Dealer told you "Blah, blah, blah... and you got the X-Plan price of $26,000 minus $2,000 and you think you received A-Plan pricing of $24,000. That is incorrect, because an actual A-Plan buyer would have received the A-Plan price of $24,000 minus the same $2,000 incentive for a final price of $22,000.

 

The bottom line is that AXZ Plan buyers are eligible for all of the same publicly available Incentives as regular retail buyers. And of course the second dealer gave you the same Incentives as the first. Incentives are set by region. so unless the second dealer was a vast distance away, the Incentives were the same. He did not do you any favors, he simply gave you what you were entitled to in your region. So using the AXZ-Plan will always work out better in the vast majority of cases.

 

Concerning the Dealer selling the ESP at cost? If you tell us the exact Plan you purchased (Plan, time/mileage duration etc.) and the final price, I can almost guarantee that it would be available for less from any of several Ford Dealers who see the ESP Plan online.

 

The "Ooops,..darn...we put the "appearance package" on the wrong car" routine is also an old one. It costs them next to nothing and they usually get the buyer to pay something for it.

 

I certainly do not want it to seem as though I am picking on you (because I am surely not), I simply want to point out the correct AXZ-Plan information to avoid confusion for others who are not familiar with how AXZ-Plan purchases actually work. Again, some of us here are extremely familiar with the AXZ-Plan rules.

 

The bottom line is that if an AXZ-Plan buyer knows the Plan rules and holds the Dealer to them, it is certainly not an "Anything goes.." proposition. But if the buyer goes in like a wide eyed doe, they are a sitting duck, so to speak (sorry for the "mixed metaphors").

 

Hope this clears up any confusion.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

 

PS - Again, please understand that I am only trying to help. :grouphug:

Edited August 10, 2010 by bbf2530

[Jshell757]

Thanks for the info.

 

But I do know that I paid less then I was going to before.

 

I did get the incentives listed, and the A plan Price.

 

On my contract is shows the price before incentives, and yea, it's the A plan price. I checked with Ford Vehicles.com and put in my X-plan PIN info, and it was NOT USED!!! All it shows is the Date issued, nothing else.

 

He did not sell me the Car for A Plan, he sold it to me for the A plan price.

 

I checked on the incentives, from 2 other dealers, and they were the same on that car, this was according to Smart Vincent. So I got the A plan price, plus the $$$ off, I know because I have a copy of the invoice of the vehicle, and a copy of the invoice showing A/Z/X/D plans on the paperwork.

 

As for the package, The pin stripes, wheel locks, and the moldings are nice, but the remote start is REALLY NICE. I don't know if it was a total F--K up on their part, but I am glad that I have it.

 

I honestly think he gave me the A plan price, as he took some earlier Fusion/Escape Orders, and the customers never took delivery because of the Mercury Situation. He had some If this was an SE or SEL basic package, he would not have moved. But since the last SEL V6 AWD sat on the lot for a while, he did not want the same thing happening, so off it went. I know that he still made money, and that it was not a true A plan, but I got it for that number. I have the paperwork, and I remember signing the rebate forms.

 

If it were not for the last day of the month, a lack luster sales month, and Mercury going Bye-Bye, this would not have happened.

[akirby]

The extra discount you received from the dealer was due to dealer cash - about $1500 on the Mariner I was looking at. If you had used a X plan PIN you would have received all of the public incentives plus an extra $1500 rebate to cover the dealer cash. A plan buyers would have also received an additional $1500 on top of the advertised rebates.

 

Sounds like you got a good deal but not true A plan pricing. A-plan would have also limited the documentation fees to $75. How much were yours?

[Jshell757]

The extra discount you received from the dealer was due to dealer cash - about $1500 on the Mariner I was looking at. If you had used a X plan PIN you would have received all of the public incentives plus an extra $1500 rebate to cover the dealer cash. A plan buyers would have also received an additional $1500 on top of the advertised rebates.

 

Sounds like you got a good deal but not true A plan pricing. A-plan would have also limited the documentation fees to $75. How much were yours?

 

Oh I know it was not true A-plan, but it was DAMN CLOSE!!! :D

 

I thought it was something like that, I know that we got 2 rebates, and our X-plan was not used. So I am guessing that is the extra that he had, and I think the X to A plan was around $1100, not true A plan with the additional rebate, but still better then regular X plan. I checked my Document Fees, $128, not too bad, could have been better, but not too bad.

 

But Yea, If it were not for the mercury situation, and it being a SEL AWD, this would not have happened.

[bbf2530]

Oh I know it was not true A-plan, but it was DAMN CLOSE!!! :D

 

I thought it was something like that, I know that we got 2 rebates, and our X-plan was not used. So I am guessing that is the extra that he had, and I think the X to A plan was around $1100, not true A plan with the additional rebate, but still better then regular X plan. I checked my Document Fees, $128, not too bad, could have been better, but not too bad.

 

But Yea, If it were not for the mercury situation, and it being a SEL AWD, this would not have happened.

 

 

Hi Jshell. :D Unfortunately, our explanations are not quite making sense to you. Sometimes it can be difficult to explain all of this in back-and-forth Internet posts.

 

While your purchase is complete, we just want to be sure that others who may read this have the proper information concerning AXZ-Plan purchases, since Dealer misinformation (whether accidental/innocent or not) is common.

 

Anyway, when all is said and done, the fact that you are happy with the final result of your purchase is all that matters :grouphug: .

 

Best of luck with your new car! :beerchug:

Edited August 10, 2010 by bbf2530