How to Special Order a New Mustang
3/30/05, 03:32 PM
#1
I'm writing this thread because I was totally ignorant as I'm sure many others are. I think anyone with knowledge regarding this should pass it on in this thread.
Allotment:
This is the part that the dealerships DO NOT TELL YOU unless you corner them and push for answers. You have to persist and don't let up. No matter how much they smile and tell you they are your friend, your buddy, your pal, they are full of IT. Just remember that. Follow the following policy and you will be ok.
The All or None Policy
Suspect All - Trust None
(I'm sorry if this offends any 'honest' salesmen but I've been jilted on every car purchase ever made at a dealership.)
On to Allotments....
Each dealership gets a certain number of allotments per month, per car, or car type. What I found out several months after I ordered the GT is that they were only getting around 3 GT allotments per month, though the number fluctuated. It all depends on a bunch of stuff I don't really understand, but face it, bigger dealers get more, the little guy gets less.
Theory vs Reality
OK, I digress. The cold hard fact is the dealer will tell you ANYTHING to get you to sign on the dotted line. They want your money, nothing more, nothing less. Here's how mine went down.
Theory: I went in and wanted to purchase a new 2005 Mustang Gt, 5-speed, with IUP. It was November 20th I believe. I filled out all the paperwork and payed a $100.00 reserve fee based on the fact that the salesman told me it would surely be built and delivered within 2-3 months. (Key note here, I work in a law enforcement capacity and a tape recorder doesn't hurt because they will push the limits on promises, trust me) He said of course, however he couldn't gaurantee it, but the order would be placed immediately.
Reality: Placement of the Order. Placement of the order in this sense purely meant I went into a stack of orders on a desk in the back room. You see, they were already OVER their allotment. If say, they had an allotment of 3 in October (purely hypothetical since they won't tell me specifics) and they had 8 orders then here is what would happen.
October Orders = 3
October Qued on Desk = 5
Now in November they have 8 people come in and want GT's.
November Orders = 3
November now in Que = 10 (5+5)
See how it keeps stacking up. But they mislead you to believe that your order IS indeed at FORD in que, not on a dusty desk at the local dealership. Trust me, any civil court in the world would think they were extremely misleading, if you want to go to that extreme to get an even lower price.....
Meanwhile I call them over and over searching for a build date and get, "Your in que (on the desk) and will get yours built. Don't worry." This is extremely frustrating because they will specifically tell you that "THEY" have your order which they use in the same sentacne as the word FORD, thereby leading you to believe that FORD indeed has the order. Meanwhile, to justify their existence in life, they are talking to you on the phone and pointing to the lady in the back office when they say "THEY". But that part may be mere speculation, they may not gesture at all. The point is they will mislead you into believing that FORD indeed has your order in que so that they don't loose your business, your MONEY. After all, that is the entire reason they run a business, is to take your MONEY. Whether it is fair and square is another factor.
At the three month deadline I call and am told, "Yours is next in line to be built." Well this really makes me wonder as I call several times and if it's next in line to be built during this month, and the guy tells me the Mustang plant is working 3 shifts, 24 hours a day, then how could it possibly be next and not have a build date.
So now, it's March 30th, 2005, over 4 months later and I call again. This time I've read enough on the forums here to know about allotment. So I drill the guy and get the admission that FORD doesn't have my order, THEY do. This time of course, I have been enlightened enough to figure out on my own (thanks to this forum that is) that THEY really means Bob Sight Ford in Lee's Summit, MO. It's still sitting there on the desk but yet again, I'm still magically "Next in line to be built."
So I grill the guy even more and he tells me that on April 1st (hopefully not an April Fool's Day Joke) they will receive their new allotment from FORD. He stated he will call me then and let me know the status of my car.
__________________________________________________ _______
To wind things down a bit, here is what you need to do. First off, research and ask the big questions right up front;
:bang: What is your monthly Allotment for Mustang GT's (or V6 if that's your preference)
:bang: Are you over your allotment currently so I can know where I stand in que.
:bang: If I place an order today, what will be my que number either with YOU or FORD if you are not over your allotment. (Good luck finding one now that isn't over).
A little knowledge goes a long ways and I wish I could of known this going in. And yes, it's my fault for not researching.
Please, I beg you, save some frustration and call around first. Find out the answer to those questions and if you have to pay an extra grand to get a car 5 or more months earlier, do it.
And to all you knowledgeable people out there that know more, please enhance this thread with more tidbits of wisdom.
Thank you,
Allotment:
This is the part that the dealerships DO NOT TELL YOU unless you corner them and push for answers. You have to persist and don't let up. No matter how much they smile and tell you they are your friend, your buddy, your pal, they are full of IT. Just remember that. Follow the following policy and you will be ok.
The All or None Policy
Suspect All - Trust None
(I'm sorry if this offends any 'honest' salesmen but I've been jilted on every car purchase ever made at a dealership.)
On to Allotments....
Each dealership gets a certain number of allotments per month, per car, or car type. What I found out several months after I ordered the GT is that they were only getting around 3 GT allotments per month, though the number fluctuated. It all depends on a bunch of stuff I don't really understand, but face it, bigger dealers get more, the little guy gets less.
Theory vs Reality
Side Story: A little boy comes home from school and says "Daddy Daddy, please help me with my homework."
Dad says, "Sure son, what is it."
Son says, "Tomorrow in school, I have to explain the difference between Theory and Reality."
Dad says, "Why son that's simple. Go upstairs and ask your mother if she would have sex with the mailman for 1 million dollars."
The son ran upstairs, then came back and told his father, "Mom said she would."
The boys father told him to go back up and ask his sister the same question.
The boy ran upstairs and soon returned exclaiming, "Sister said she would too!"
The father looked at his son and said, "See son. There ya have it. In theory we're millionairs, in reality we live with a couple of girl of ill reputes."
Dad says, "Sure son, what is it."
Son says, "Tomorrow in school, I have to explain the difference between Theory and Reality."
Dad says, "Why son that's simple. Go upstairs and ask your mother if she would have sex with the mailman for 1 million dollars."
The son ran upstairs, then came back and told his father, "Mom said she would."
The boys father told him to go back up and ask his sister the same question.
The boy ran upstairs and soon returned exclaiming, "Sister said she would too!"
The father looked at his son and said, "See son. There ya have it. In theory we're millionairs, in reality we live with a couple of girl of ill reputes."
Theory: I went in and wanted to purchase a new 2005 Mustang Gt, 5-speed, with IUP. It was November 20th I believe. I filled out all the paperwork and payed a $100.00 reserve fee based on the fact that the salesman told me it would surely be built and delivered within 2-3 months. (Key note here, I work in a law enforcement capacity and a tape recorder doesn't hurt because they will push the limits on promises, trust me) He said of course, however he couldn't gaurantee it, but the order would be placed immediately.
Reality: Placement of the Order. Placement of the order in this sense purely meant I went into a stack of orders on a desk in the back room. You see, they were already OVER their allotment. If say, they had an allotment of 3 in October (purely hypothetical since they won't tell me specifics) and they had 8 orders then here is what would happen.
October Orders = 3
October Qued on Desk = 5
Now in November they have 8 people come in and want GT's.
November Orders = 3
November now in Que = 10 (5+5)
See how it keeps stacking up. But they mislead you to believe that your order IS indeed at FORD in que, not on a dusty desk at the local dealership. Trust me, any civil court in the world would think they were extremely misleading, if you want to go to that extreme to get an even lower price.....
Meanwhile I call them over and over searching for a build date and get, "Your in que (on the desk) and will get yours built. Don't worry." This is extremely frustrating because they will specifically tell you that "THEY" have your order which they use in the same sentacne as the word FORD, thereby leading you to believe that FORD indeed has the order. Meanwhile, to justify their existence in life, they are talking to you on the phone and pointing to the lady in the back office when they say "THEY". But that part may be mere speculation, they may not gesture at all. The point is they will mislead you into believing that FORD indeed has your order in que so that they don't loose your business, your MONEY. After all, that is the entire reason they run a business, is to take your MONEY. Whether it is fair and square is another factor.
At the three month deadline I call and am told, "Yours is next in line to be built." Well this really makes me wonder as I call several times and if it's next in line to be built during this month, and the guy tells me the Mustang plant is working 3 shifts, 24 hours a day, then how could it possibly be next and not have a build date.
So now, it's March 30th, 2005, over 4 months later and I call again. This time I've read enough on the forums here to know about allotment. So I drill the guy and get the admission that FORD doesn't have my order, THEY do. This time of course, I have been enlightened enough to figure out on my own (thanks to this forum that is) that THEY really means Bob Sight Ford in Lee's Summit, MO. It's still sitting there on the desk but yet again, I'm still magically "Next in line to be built."
So I grill the guy even more and he tells me that on April 1st (hopefully not an April Fool's Day Joke) they will receive their new allotment from FORD. He stated he will call me then and let me know the status of my car.
__________________________________________________ _______
To wind things down a bit, here is what you need to do. First off, research and ask the big questions right up front;
:bang: What is your monthly Allotment for Mustang GT's (or V6 if that's your preference)
:bang: Are you over your allotment currently so I can know where I stand in que.
:bang: If I place an order today, what will be my que number either with YOU or FORD if you are not over your allotment. (Good luck finding one now that isn't over).
A little knowledge goes a long ways and I wish I could of known this going in. And yes, it's my fault for not researching.
Please, I beg you, save some frustration and call around first. Find out the answer to those questions and if you have to pay an extra grand to get a car 5 or more months earlier, do it.
And to all you knowledgeable people out there that know more, please enhance this thread with more tidbits of wisdom.
Thank you,
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RaceMoto (7/31/18)
3/30/05, 03:43 PM
#3
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I'm with Scuba... Always get VOC and DORA. The DORA confirms that the dealership did send the order to Ford and it's in the database and merely needs to be pulled for production.
Could have saved a lot of time and frustration. :bang:
Could have saved a lot of time and frustration. :bang:
3/30/05, 03:48 PM
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Originally posted by jwede@March 30, 2005, 4:48 PM
The KC region gets very little GTs. Even if the dealer has an allocation, it doesn't mean that the region has a car to fill it.
The KC region gets very little GTs. Even if the dealer has an allocation, it doesn't mean that the region has a car to fill it.
3/30/05, 04:25 PM
#6
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Very good observations, Lee. I only wish I had known last November what I know now regarding allotments! As far as the theory vs. reality thing, when I pressed my salesman about where we were on the "list" (after waiting 3 1/2 months), was told our order went in on 11/29 (theory) when (reality) we placed the order 11/11! Also, the beginning of March he told us that they would get zero allotment for the month.
I decided at that point to help him out with his allotment problem and cancelled the order. We managed to find one in dealer stock that was close enough to our order and picked it up a couple of weeks ago. No regrets.
I sincerely doubt that I will ever place another order with any Ford dealer after this debacle. :nono:
I decided at that point to help him out with his allotment problem and cancelled the order. We managed to find one in dealer stock that was close enough to our order and picked it up a couple of weeks ago. No regrets.
I sincerely doubt that I will ever place another order with any Ford dealer after this debacle. :nono:
4/21/05, 08:00 PM
#7
The Good News
Well, all my jumping up and down here and apparantly on several phone calls did some good. I received the last allotted GT for THIS particular Ford dealer and actually, my car is now built. I have the VIN and word that it's awaiting shipment on rail to Kansas City, MO. I should have my '05 within the next two weeks. Just barely under the wire but I made it.
Well, all my jumping up and down here and apparantly on several phone calls did some good. I received the last allotted GT for THIS particular Ford dealer and actually, my car is now built. I have the VIN and word that it's awaiting shipment on rail to Kansas City, MO. I should have my '05 within the next two weeks. Just barely under the wire but I made it.
4/21/05, 08:08 PM
#8
P.S.
To all those that are purchasing and put in your down payment.....
The price you agree on will not be the final price. My price was supposed to be $100.00 over invoice due to a special they have with the Police Credit Union. When I payed my $100.00 deposit in November of last yeaer I received a printout called "Vehicle Order Confirmation". This stated that the vehicle would cost $24,896.46.
This week when I went in to sign the final papers as my car had been built, the price was nearly $700.00 more. Granted, I am getting a great price compared to many of you out there but just wanted everyone to know what is up with this. Apparantly Ford raised the prices on a few things at the first of the year. Even though I ordered it the previous year, I still got stuck paying the $100.00 over invoice. The reason is:
The Vehicle Order Confirmation sheet they give you says at the very bottom, "THIS IS NOT AN INVOICE". This is how they justify raising the price on you 6 months later when you get your car.
Again, I'm not that sad as the same car on Ebay has been going for thousands over the invoice and I'm still only paying less than $800 over the invoice from November of last year.
Just realize that the price MAY go up even though they will NOT tell you this.
To all those that are purchasing and put in your down payment.....
The price you agree on will not be the final price. My price was supposed to be $100.00 over invoice due to a special they have with the Police Credit Union. When I payed my $100.00 deposit in November of last yeaer I received a printout called "Vehicle Order Confirmation". This stated that the vehicle would cost $24,896.46.
This week when I went in to sign the final papers as my car had been built, the price was nearly $700.00 more. Granted, I am getting a great price compared to many of you out there but just wanted everyone to know what is up with this. Apparantly Ford raised the prices on a few things at the first of the year. Even though I ordered it the previous year, I still got stuck paying the $100.00 over invoice. The reason is:
The Vehicle Order Confirmation sheet they give you says at the very bottom, "THIS IS NOT AN INVOICE". This is how they justify raising the price on you 6 months later when you get your car.
Again, I'm not that sad as the same car on Ebay has been going for thousands over the invoice and I'm still only paying less than $800 over the invoice from November of last year.
Just realize that the price MAY go up even though they will NOT tell you this.
4/21/05, 08:13 PM
#9
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You forgot to mention the sharks in the credit office that will try to get you to buy a whole bunch of worthless bullpoo in addition to the car you have paid for.
4/21/05, 08:38 PM
#10
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Originally posted by fleasome@April 21, 2005, 8:03 PM
The Good News
Well, all my jumping up and down here and apparantly on several phone calls did some good. I received the last allotted GT for THIS particular Ford dealer and actually, my car is now built. I have the VIN and word that it's awaiting shipment on rail to Kansas City, MO. I should have my '05 within the next two weeks. Just barely under the wire but I made it.
The Good News
Well, all my jumping up and down here and apparantly on several phone calls did some good. I received the last allotted GT for THIS particular Ford dealer and actually, my car is now built. I have the VIN and word that it's awaiting shipment on rail to Kansas City, MO. I should have my '05 within the next two weeks. Just barely under the wire but I made it.
Just wondering if the dealer told you the car was built, or if ERL told you?
4/21/05, 08:50 PM
#11
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Originally posted by fleasome@April 21, 2005, 9:03 PM
The Good News
Well, all my jumping up and down here and apparantly on several phone calls did some good. I received the last allotted GT for THIS particular Ford dealer and actually, my car is now built. I have the VIN and word that it's awaiting shipment on rail to Kansas City, MO. I should have my '05 within the next two weeks. Just barely under the wire but I made it.
The Good News
Well, all my jumping up and down here and apparantly on several phone calls did some good. I received the last allotted GT for THIS particular Ford dealer and actually, my car is now built. I have the VIN and word that it's awaiting shipment on rail to Kansas City, MO. I should have my '05 within the next two weeks. Just barely under the wire but I made it.
Also rule of thumb. Always when you place an order have them print you a copy of the VOC then and have the person encharge of ordering the car sign it. Always nice to have something like that in hand.
Specially when you find out a month and 1/2 later that the salesman that took the order was fired.
But makes it nice that the person i talk to about the order has the info and can't bs to much when you know he has it. And also your standing in his office. Never call just show up. Haha
4/21/05, 08:59 PM
#12
Well, THEY told me. Not ERL but after all the BS I'm not worried now. They had something there showing it had been built but I'm not sure what ERL stands for or if that was it.
Also, yes, they tried to sell me stripes but sorry if anyone else has them but they just don't look right on a Lime gold.....er Legend Lime car. IMO.
They tried to sell a bunch of other stuff too. All I got was the undercoating and clear coat stuff which was really cheap.
I made sure they are not putting any of their "Joe Blow Dealer" tags on it and refused to sign the final papers until I have the keys in my hand and verified they havn't put any stupid logo's on it.
They tried to sell me the super extended warranty but I told them I was putting on a supercharger which would void the ENTIRE warranty. So that settled that.
I don't want any of the wheels or the $5000.00 air freshener hanging pine tree (<= Joke) so I'm done. With my trade in (where they are really screwing me but I don't wanna bother with it) I'm getting the GT with the works for under $26k. So I'm happy.
Also, yes, they tried to sell me stripes but sorry if anyone else has them but they just don't look right on a Lime gold.....er Legend Lime car. IMO.
They tried to sell a bunch of other stuff too. All I got was the undercoating and clear coat stuff which was really cheap.
I made sure they are not putting any of their "Joe Blow Dealer" tags on it and refused to sign the final papers until I have the keys in my hand and verified they havn't put any stupid logo's on it.
They tried to sell me the super extended warranty but I told them I was putting on a supercharger which would void the ENTIRE warranty. So that settled that.
I don't want any of the wheels or the $5000.00 air freshener hanging pine tree (<= Joke) so I'm done. With my trade in (where they are really screwing me but I don't wanna bother with it) I'm getting the GT with the works for under $26k. So I'm happy.
4/21/05, 11:07 PM
#13
See if they actually put the order in the system, you would have been locked in on the old pricing. Ford guaranteed price protection for orders in the system, not those sitting in a pile on a dealership desk, when the prices went up. NO way it went up $700 either.
4/22/05, 04:28 AM
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Originally posted by dustindu4@April 22, 2005, 12:10 AM
See if they actually put the order in the system, you would have been locked in on the old pricing. Ford guaranteed price protection for orders in the system, not those sitting in a pile on a dealership desk, when the prices went up. NO way it went up $700 either.
See if they actually put the order in the system, you would have been locked in on the old pricing. Ford guaranteed price protection for orders in the system, not those sitting in a pile on a dealership desk, when the prices went up. NO way it went up $700 either.
4/22/05, 04:45 AM
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Originally posted by stangscuba98a@March 30, 2005, 5:43 PM
If you ordered when you did you should have asked for the DORA to confirm order was placed....
If you ordered when you did you should have asked for the DORA to confirm order was placed....
4/22/05, 05:57 AM
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Originally posted by RaGsHoCkEy88@April 22, 2005, 7:15 AM
dealer order receipt acknowledgement
dealer order receipt acknowledgement
Thanks
4/22/05, 06:09 AM
#18
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Originally posted by Ponycar+April 22, 2005, 6:00 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ponycar @ April 22, 2005, 6:00 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-RaGsHoCkEy88@April 22, 2005, 7:15 AM
dealer order receipt acknowledgement
dealer order receipt acknowledgement
Thanks
[/b][/quote]
The DORA will be available the day after the order is placed.
4/22/05, 06:10 AM
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The dealer should have placed your order as soon as you signed. That way they would have received a DORA and it is dated. It also shows at what price level the car is ordered at. If the vehicle comes in at a different price level, the dealer is protected back to the original price level. It has to be delivered to the same name as on the original order so make sure your name is on the DORA. If the delivery name is different, Ford will not pay. It can be as igsignificant as a different 1st initial or the last name even being mispelled.
The only things NOT price protected are increases in freight charges which does not happen too often and increases in the dealer advertising fees which just occurred.
As far as the allocation process goes, I will attempt to explain it as simply as I can. There are two types of dealers, Contact dealers which have a zone rep that physically calls on them [usually bigger dealers in bigger towns or metro areas]. The other is Select dealers which are usually your small rural dealers. I am not that familiar with the Select dealer allocation process but i do know that is is a lot less than contact dealers. i will explain how this process works for Contact dealers. Each region receives an allocation of vehicles for each vehicle line heavily weighted on sales history. Within each region there are a number of smaller zones which in turn receive their allocation percentage of the regions allocation, again heavily wweighted on sales history. The allocation is divided up among the dealers in the Zone. it is usually dependant on sales history but there is some politicing invloved. For example in our zone there are 23 dealers. We are the #1 dealer in our zone so we earn a higher percentage of allocation. But let's say that for example in particular months allocation period, Ford is trying to sell extra Freestars and no one wants any. A certain dealer may take extra Freestars and barter to get additional Mustangs [or other product he needs].
So now the months allocation is decided for the next months production. Let's say for example that we earn 5 Mustangs for the month. We do not know what commodities are available until each weeks production. This too varies by region. California may get a higher percentage of convertibles than we do. So you do not know how many of your allocation will actually be GT's or Verts. Nor do you know what your next months allocation is going to be. A dealer will help himself "turn" what units he has to keep earning them. That is why there are deals on V-6's so a dealer does not have too high a days supply or he will not earn additional allocation.
So if you are planning on ordering a vehicle, especially a "hot" vehicle, go to a metro dealer who normally will get a higher allocation. If that dealer has a fleet dept, try to talk to the Fleet Manager or Commercial Manager. They are usually more experienced, know how the ordering system actually works, and are used to not playing games with customers. They will tell you like it is and not blow smoke up your *** or tell you what you want to hear. Most "Floor" salespersons have NO clue how to order a vehicle or how the system works. heck, there are some sales managers who don;t know how tht ordering system works as they have a sales secretary to do all the work.
Sorry this post was so long and I would be happy to answer any questions.
The only things NOT price protected are increases in freight charges which does not happen too often and increases in the dealer advertising fees which just occurred.
As far as the allocation process goes, I will attempt to explain it as simply as I can. There are two types of dealers, Contact dealers which have a zone rep that physically calls on them [usually bigger dealers in bigger towns or metro areas]. The other is Select dealers which are usually your small rural dealers. I am not that familiar with the Select dealer allocation process but i do know that is is a lot less than contact dealers. i will explain how this process works for Contact dealers. Each region receives an allocation of vehicles for each vehicle line heavily weighted on sales history. Within each region there are a number of smaller zones which in turn receive their allocation percentage of the regions allocation, again heavily wweighted on sales history. The allocation is divided up among the dealers in the Zone. it is usually dependant on sales history but there is some politicing invloved. For example in our zone there are 23 dealers. We are the #1 dealer in our zone so we earn a higher percentage of allocation. But let's say that for example in particular months allocation period, Ford is trying to sell extra Freestars and no one wants any. A certain dealer may take extra Freestars and barter to get additional Mustangs [or other product he needs].
So now the months allocation is decided for the next months production. Let's say for example that we earn 5 Mustangs for the month. We do not know what commodities are available until each weeks production. This too varies by region. California may get a higher percentage of convertibles than we do. So you do not know how many of your allocation will actually be GT's or Verts. Nor do you know what your next months allocation is going to be. A dealer will help himself "turn" what units he has to keep earning them. That is why there are deals on V-6's so a dealer does not have too high a days supply or he will not earn additional allocation.
So if you are planning on ordering a vehicle, especially a "hot" vehicle, go to a metro dealer who normally will get a higher allocation. If that dealer has a fleet dept, try to talk to the Fleet Manager or Commercial Manager. They are usually more experienced, know how the ordering system actually works, and are used to not playing games with customers. They will tell you like it is and not blow smoke up your *** or tell you what you want to hear. Most "Floor" salespersons have NO clue how to order a vehicle or how the system works. heck, there are some sales managers who don;t know how tht ordering system works as they have a sales secretary to do all the work.
Sorry this post was so long and I would be happy to answer any questions.
4/22/05, 06:13 AM
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Originally posted by ISELLFORD@April 22, 2005, 6:13 AM
The dealer should have placed your order as soon as you signed. That way they would have received a DORA and it is dated. It also shows at what price level the car is ordered at. If the vehicle comes in at a different price level, the dealer is protected back to the original price level. It has to be delivered to the same name as on the original order so make sure your name is on the DORA. If the delivery name is different, Ford will not pay. It can be as igsignificant as a different 1st initial or the last name even being mispelled.
The only things NOT price protected are increases in freight charges which does not happen too often and increases in the dealer advertising fees which just occurred.
As far as the allocation process goes, I will attempt to explain it as simply as I can. There are two types of dealers, Contact dealers which have a zone rep that physically calls on them [usually bigger dealers in bigger towns or metro areas]. The other is Select dealers which are usually your small rural dealers. I am not that familiar with the Select dealer allocation process but i do know that is is a lot less than contact dealers. i will explain how this process works for Contact dealers. Each region receives an allocation of vehicles for each vehicle line heavily weighted on sales history. Within each region there are a number of smaller zones which in turn receive their allocation percentage of the regions allocation, again heavily wweighted on sales history. The allocation is divided up among the dealers in the Zone. it is usually dependant on sales history but there is some politicing invloved. For example in our zone there are 23 dealers. We are the #1 dealer in our zone so we earn a higher percentage of allocation. But let's say that for example in particular months allocation period, Ford is trying to sell extra Freestars and no one wants any. A certain dealer may take extra Freestars and barter to get additional Mustangs [or other product he needs].
So now the months allocation is decided for the next months production. Let's say for example that we earn 5 Mustangs for the month. We do not know what commodities are available until each weeks production. This too varies by region. California may get a higher percentage of convertibles than we do. So you do not know how many of your allocation will actually be GT's or Verts. Nor do you know what your next months allocation is going to be. A dealer will help himself "turn" what units he has to keep earning them. That is why there are deals on V-6's so a dealer does not have too high a days supply or he will not earn additional allocation.
So if you are planning on ordering a vehicle, especially a "hot" vehicle, go to a metro dealer who normally will get a higher allocation. If that dealer has a fleet dept, try to talk to the Fleet Manager or Commercial Manager. They are usually more experienced, know how the ordering system actually works, and are used to not playing games with customers. They will tell you like it is and not blow smoke up your *** or tell you what you want to hear. Most "Floor" salespersons have NO clue how to order a vehicle or how the system works. heck, there are some sales managers who don;t know how tht ordering system works as they have a sales secretary to do all the work.
Sorry this post was so long and I would be happy to answer any questions.
The dealer should have placed your order as soon as you signed. That way they would have received a DORA and it is dated. It also shows at what price level the car is ordered at. If the vehicle comes in at a different price level, the dealer is protected back to the original price level. It has to be delivered to the same name as on the original order so make sure your name is on the DORA. If the delivery name is different, Ford will not pay. It can be as igsignificant as a different 1st initial or the last name even being mispelled.
The only things NOT price protected are increases in freight charges which does not happen too often and increases in the dealer advertising fees which just occurred.
As far as the allocation process goes, I will attempt to explain it as simply as I can. There are two types of dealers, Contact dealers which have a zone rep that physically calls on them [usually bigger dealers in bigger towns or metro areas]. The other is Select dealers which are usually your small rural dealers. I am not that familiar with the Select dealer allocation process but i do know that is is a lot less than contact dealers. i will explain how this process works for Contact dealers. Each region receives an allocation of vehicles for each vehicle line heavily weighted on sales history. Within each region there are a number of smaller zones which in turn receive their allocation percentage of the regions allocation, again heavily wweighted on sales history. The allocation is divided up among the dealers in the Zone. it is usually dependant on sales history but there is some politicing invloved. For example in our zone there are 23 dealers. We are the #1 dealer in our zone so we earn a higher percentage of allocation. But let's say that for example in particular months allocation period, Ford is trying to sell extra Freestars and no one wants any. A certain dealer may take extra Freestars and barter to get additional Mustangs [or other product he needs].
So now the months allocation is decided for the next months production. Let's say for example that we earn 5 Mustangs for the month. We do not know what commodities are available until each weeks production. This too varies by region. California may get a higher percentage of convertibles than we do. So you do not know how many of your allocation will actually be GT's or Verts. Nor do you know what your next months allocation is going to be. A dealer will help himself "turn" what units he has to keep earning them. That is why there are deals on V-6's so a dealer does not have too high a days supply or he will not earn additional allocation.
So if you are planning on ordering a vehicle, especially a "hot" vehicle, go to a metro dealer who normally will get a higher allocation. If that dealer has a fleet dept, try to talk to the Fleet Manager or Commercial Manager. They are usually more experienced, know how the ordering system actually works, and are used to not playing games with customers. They will tell you like it is and not blow smoke up your *** or tell you what you want to hear. Most "Floor" salespersons have NO clue how to order a vehicle or how the system works. heck, there are some sales managers who don;t know how tht ordering system works as they have a sales secretary to do all the work.
Sorry this post was so long and I would be happy to answer any questions.
What is a dealer processing fee? What is processed in the "fee" other that a NIVCS form for the state or provincial registries. If a customer is buying the car outright and is not using Ford Credit why is the dealer processing fee required. Seems to me that it is an easy add on rip off for the dealer to pass on to the customer.