http://forums.autoweek.com/thread.jspa?for...&threadID=11457

 

Very interesting. I wonder if it's legit?

 

Sounds fishy to me...

Why would FORD care if the dealers are getting additional margin. It would simply indicated to FORD that they might need to raise their MSRP a little....

I still do not see why ADM bothers people so much, you can always say no and find another dealer or a nother car for that matter. Last time I checked this was still America and you still had the right to say no and the dealer still had the right to ask whatever they wanted to....

as a wise man once said: "You do not get what you deserve, you get what you negotiat."

 

This is valid Jeff, just like on a small scale - Phones for example, why would pay complain about paying 650 dollars for when the razr first came out, when you could get it for 500 with a 2 year contract. (yeah you end up paying mre in the long run for the svc, but wouldn't you need svc anyways?) You just don't do unwise decisions like that and for people to pay 15k over for a car is their dumb decision, whether dealers are autocrats or not.

 

Look at the dates on the first three posts of that thread... December 2004!! And we all know what has happened in the past year... ADM's were all the rage. So much for that idea, huh?

 

This WHY it should bother Ford. They bring a great product to market, then dealers drive prospects away by pulling the ADM cr@p. Sure, we can walk away (and people do), but that's hardly what Ford want, is it?

 

Why should Ford care if dealers chase prospects away? Ford made their money when they sold the car to the dealership. Remember, Ford does NOT own the dealerships.

 

Funny,

I do not recall too many mustang GT's on the lots when the craze was in full swing and dealers were asking ADM....

As I recall, FORD could not make them fast enough....

Now I ask you, if your plant is at capacity why would you go after a dealer for asking a little more???????

It is called supply and demand.... get over it....

 

I hope it's the real deal. I started looking last May, I went to a dealer , they found one for me. THIRTY NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS ! I was told there was no way I could get a GT, never. I went to another local dealer, known to be honest. Four months later I got the exact GT I wanted. They even knocked 300 bucks off the sticker cause it took a bit longer than they told me . I love it when people ask me who sold me my car !

 

They didnt care when the Ford GT was marked up. Didnt here any bemoaning the fact the GTs were marked up, and I sure as heck dont think they will say anything when the Shelbys go for 10000+ over MSRP.

 

How shortsighted. You don't work for GM by any chance, do you?

Connect the dots from A to B to C with me, OK?

What you said above is correct. But here's the problem: If Ford dealers (who are the FIRST LINE OF REPRESENTATION for the entire company) gain a reputation for gouging customers and laughing at them and treating them like dirt, then that customer walks away pissed off and tells all his/her friends, "DON'T EVER BUY A FORD!"

Ford has a serious image and PR problem, and if the dealer network isn't part of the solution, then it's part of the problem.

All of which is academic anyway, cause I hear Bill Ford is looking at completely gutting and reengineerng the entire Ford dealer network.

 

I work for Volvo Truck. The relationship between the dealer and the parent company is a complex one. But in the end companies have to control their dealerships on some level. Ford has been notorius for taking a hands off approach when it comes to their dealerbase. The problem is that this is fords brand and they need to be actively involved in how it is represented.
Cheers

 

:scratch:

And the dealership will buy how many more, when they can't shift them with the markups??? Or are you implying that dealerships buy cars from Ford in order to hoard them for themselves?

Let me break it down - the dealer buys to sell. If no-one buys what he's selling, he's not going to order more. Net result = reduced sales for Ford.

And yes, there was a shortage of GT's for a while. Is anyone here really niave enough to think that this means ADM's haven't impacted sales? I personally know of people who've gone elswhere because of the ADM's, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one. The simple fact is ADM's are costing Ford sales. My guess is, the CFO would like to do something about that.

 

I think that problem here is that most people who complain about the AMD are younger people who cannot stand to wait a little while...

About this time next year, the market will be flooded with GT's and the ADM will go away and price incentives will most likely be in their place. ( Especially since gas is likely to go up to the $2.50-$3.00 range )

Again, it is called supply and demand and there is nothing wrong with it...

However, it does not seem to fit with the "I want it now and I want it my way" mentality of this younger generation...

 

Are you deliberately missing the point?

 

 

The point is:

IT IS SUPPLY AND DEMAND and it is not personal, it is business.

And NO, I do not think FORD cares or will be hurt by the practice that has been going on at all dealers of all makes and models as long as there has been auto dealers.

NEW HOT MODEL = ADM Get over it....

 

Whatever. The thread was about this vile practise perhaps being looked into. If you're happy to pay ARTIFICIALLY inflated prices for goods, that's fine.

Gas price gouging in La after Katrina was "supply and demand". I suppose you think that was ok, too? There's FMV and there's opportunistic overpricing. The latter costs customers - for every sucker, there's someone who goes to Toyota - perhaps never to shop Ford again.

Let's just hope that Ford manage to do something to stop these clowns marking up their product out of the budget of loyal customers.

 

Yeah, there's lots of folks in the market for a Mustang GT that will buy a comparable Toyota instead...

Anyone heard of an XBOX 360? Buy one on Ebay. I don't think the ADM's are hurting sales much at all. nyone who wants one and is patient can find a dealer who will sell one for sticker or less. There are those who will be miffed, but if they are so offended they will never shop Ford again over ONE car, so be it.

 

jeez, ok, bad EXAMPLE.

For the lacking in imagination, is this better - "...for every sucker, there's someone who goes to GM and buys a discounted GTO - perhaps never to shop Ford again..."?

And I'm sure Ford will be glad to hear you deem only those with a given mental fortitude are "worthy" to buy their product. Or wait, are you saying their $ don't count?

While you're at it, perhaps you should email Starbucks with your revolutionary insight into sales and marketing and let them know that there's no need to have a store on every corner - if people want a d@mn coffee bad enough, they'll wait long enough and search hard enough to find one.

A LOST SALE IS NOT GOOD FOR ANY BUSINESS!

(loud enough?)