Nasty experience trying to buy a new Mustang
6/6/07, 04:24 PM
#41
I figured if I was gonna buy the new Mustang, I would order it just like I wanted.
Wichita Falls Ford told me MSRP, no ifs ands or buts. Said they were sold the day they hit the lot. ( This was November 2004.) They were very smugish.
I contacted Bowie Ford and Vernon Ford, both 50 miles away. Bowie said 500 under MSRP which at the time was fairly good, ADMs of 2-5K werte common at the time. Vernon Ford never replied.
Pruitt Ford in Burkburnett Tx, 15 miles away, beat Bowies deal so I ordered from them. I ordered it Nov 26th 2004, along with Fords 17" Polished bullits, and took delivery April 8th 2005. SInce the wait was so long, Pruitt gave me the polished bullits w spinner caps at cost.
I needed a car for the kid in college and bought a 2005 Ford 500 from them after I order the Mustang.
If your in the North Tx, SW Oklahoma area I would highly recommend Pruitt Ford in Burkburnett Tx.
Wichita Falls Ford told me MSRP, no ifs ands or buts. Said they were sold the day they hit the lot. ( This was November 2004.) They were very smugish.
I contacted Bowie Ford and Vernon Ford, both 50 miles away. Bowie said 500 under MSRP which at the time was fairly good, ADMs of 2-5K werte common at the time. Vernon Ford never replied.
Pruitt Ford in Burkburnett Tx, 15 miles away, beat Bowies deal so I ordered from them. I ordered it Nov 26th 2004, along with Fords 17" Polished bullits, and took delivery April 8th 2005. SInce the wait was so long, Pruitt gave me the polished bullits w spinner caps at cost.
I needed a car for the kid in college and bought a 2005 Ford 500 from them after I order the Mustang.
If your in the North Tx, SW Oklahoma area I would highly recommend Pruitt Ford in Burkburnett Tx.
6/6/07, 05:22 PM
#42
Legacy TMS Member
I do believe it's all about the dealer. I cant say enough about how well my dealer treats me. I went with my dad and help him buy an '05 off the lot then a year later an '06 vert. When I got ready to order mine I went in and got a different salesman who didn't know me from anyone else, I told him that I would be using X-plan and I wanted to order the car and I had everything written down I wanted, I just wanted to get a ballpark price and and idea on a time frame when I did order it. He asked if I looked at the ones they had and I told him that another dealer had done a search for me and there was not one that matched exactly what I wanted in the entire state of FL. He went inside and talked to the boss and came back and said no problem he's ordering it right now. I then told him that I was in the middle of refinancing my house and I would not have a deposit for about a month and he said no problem. So in the end they did exactly what they said they would without so much as a penny deposit.
6/6/07, 05:50 PM
#43
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I had a very good experience with Smith Ford in Conway AR. Ordered mine on xplan, car arrived 5 weeks later. This was after a really horrible experience with a huge dealer in Little Rock where, among many other issues, the salesperson claimed Ford wouldn't let them sell a GT on xplan.
6/6/07, 05:52 PM
#44
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All these horror stories are making me ill. Can't believe other salespeople out there treat people like this. Its amazing they all still have jobs. I know I wouldn't have lasted a day with an attitude some of the places have.
I' sorry to all who had a bad experience. Wish I could have helped.
I' sorry to all who had a bad experience. Wish I could have helped.
6/6/07, 05:58 PM
#45
Well you figure all the times that customers run into 'that idiot' that is only around for 2 weeks and how that can put of someone to a dealer. They're usually the ones meeting you at your door in the parking lot.
6/6/07, 07:19 PM
#46
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). They gave me $800 off and a very good deal on my 97 GT and I was the proud owner of a new 06 GT premium. 
6/6/07, 09:07 PM
#47
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
Well, dealers make a big stink about the surveys. A lot of privileges from Ford are dependent on the VOC. Its a pass/fail affair so if it was a good dealer hit em up top marks(almost perfect=fail-it's stupid), if not, bomb the survey. But send it in!
And of course, don't buy another car or get service from a dealer that did you wrong. Survey's and your wallet make the biggest statements. But remember, car buying is always stressful even if the experience is a good one. Just make sure that you 'hate' a dealer for the right reasons and not a simple miscommunication. A lot of times a small misunderstanding rubs someone the wrong way that can easilly be resolved and live can go on. But if they actively do something knowingly wrong?, screw em.
And of course, don't buy another car or get service from a dealer that did you wrong. Survey's and your wallet make the biggest statements. But remember, car buying is always stressful even if the experience is a good one. Just make sure that you 'hate' a dealer for the right reasons and not a simple miscommunication. A lot of times a small misunderstanding rubs someone the wrong way that can easilly be resolved and live can go on. But if they actively do something knowingly wrong?, screw em.
I quit because they had the worst reputation in the state and still do.( I came with the old dealership when they bought it.)
The GM and the owner know me and I was treated very, very well.
I would have had to honestly give them high marks on a survey.
I never got one.
I am pretty sure they prevented one from being sent to me on purpose.
6/6/07, 09:23 PM
#48
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I purchased mine via the fleet manager at my local (small) dealership back in May of 2004. They didn't need a deposit because if I didn't take delivery they would not have had any problem unloading the car. I didn't worry about pricing at the time since production on the 05's wasn't even starting until September of that year.
When September finally rolled around, I inquired as to my build date, and told the fleet manager that I thought $500 over invoice was reasonable. She agreed and said we had a deal. When the car arrived in October (exactly as ordered & the first '05 the dealer took delivery of), I gave her the check, she gave me the keys, and off I went with my new ride. The whole transaction couldn't have been easier, and I was gone within a half an hour.
So I guess it depends on the dealer, and I recommend going through a fleet manager when possible.
Needless to say, within a few weeks as the '05s started arriving on the showroom floor the price at the same dealer was $3K over MSRP. So I feel fortunate I bought mine when I did.
When September finally rolled around, I inquired as to my build date, and told the fleet manager that I thought $500 over invoice was reasonable. She agreed and said we had a deal. When the car arrived in October (exactly as ordered & the first '05 the dealer took delivery of), I gave her the check, she gave me the keys, and off I went with my new ride. The whole transaction couldn't have been easier, and I was gone within a half an hour.
So I guess it depends on the dealer, and I recommend going through a fleet manager when possible.
Needless to say, within a few weeks as the '05s started arriving on the showroom floor the price at the same dealer was $3K over MSRP. So I feel fortunate I bought mine when I did.
6/6/07, 10:47 PM
#49
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[QUOTE]
man what a great quote!!! Its funny to me how bad the press get on domestic cars, while most imports get a free pass....for now anyway. But you still hear that Fogien cars last forever.....
http://www.automotive.com/features/9...621/index.html
Of course there's a lot of room for improvement, but Ford as a whole is above average. Notice who are below average and who the bottom 9 (the 9 worst makes as far as sales satisfaction) are.
But for the press, what fun would it be criticizing their current imported heroes while they're in their glory! It's more fun to kick the home team while they're down....[/quote]
Of course there's a lot of room for improvement, but Ford as a whole is above average. Notice who are below average and who the bottom 9 (the 9 worst makes as far as sales satisfaction) are.
But for the press, what fun would it be criticizing their current imported heroes while they're in their glory! It's more fun to kick the home team while they're down....[/quote]
6/7/07, 12:21 PM
#50
Mach 1 Member
All these horror stories are making me ill. Can't believe other salespeople out there treat people like this. Its amazing they all still have jobs. I know I wouldn't have lasted a day with an attitude some of the places have. I' sorry to all who had a bad experience. Wish I could have helped.
I' sorry to all who had a bad experience. Wish I could have helped.
6/7/07, 02:44 PM
#51
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I figured if I was gonna buy the new Mustang, I would order it just like I wanted.
Wichita Falls Ford told me MSRP, no ifs ands or buts. Said they were sold the day they hit the lot. ( This was November 2004.) They were very smugish.
I contacted Bowie Ford and Vernon Ford, both 50 miles away. Bowie said 500 under MSRP which at the time was fairly good, ADMs of 2-5K werte common at the time. Vernon Ford never replied.
Pruitt Ford in Burkburnett Tx, 15 miles away, beat Bowies deal so I ordered from them. I ordered it Nov 26th 2004, along with Fords 17" Polished bullits, and took delivery April 8th 2005. SInce the wait was so long, Pruitt gave me the polished bullits w spinner caps at cost.
I needed a car for the kid in college and bought a 2005 Ford 500 from them after I order the Mustang.
If your in the North Tx, SW Oklahoma area I would highly recommend Pruitt Ford in Burkburnett Tx.
Wichita Falls Ford told me MSRP, no ifs ands or buts. Said they were sold the day they hit the lot. ( This was November 2004.) They were very smugish.
I contacted Bowie Ford and Vernon Ford, both 50 miles away. Bowie said 500 under MSRP which at the time was fairly good, ADMs of 2-5K werte common at the time. Vernon Ford never replied.
Pruitt Ford in Burkburnett Tx, 15 miles away, beat Bowies deal so I ordered from them. I ordered it Nov 26th 2004, along with Fords 17" Polished bullits, and took delivery April 8th 2005. SInce the wait was so long, Pruitt gave me the polished bullits w spinner caps at cost.
I needed a car for the kid in college and bought a 2005 Ford 500 from them after I order the Mustang.
If your in the North Tx, SW Oklahoma area I would highly recommend Pruitt Ford in Burkburnett Tx.
6/8/07, 01:25 AM
#53
Mach 1 Member
When I ordered my car, I placed the order over the phone with my salesman. I rattled off all the option numbers I wanted and he filled out the data in the online order system then read them all back to me. No down payment. No hassles. No waiting in line. All in all, I think it took less than 10 minutes to place the order and less than two hours to pick up the car and get all the other paperwork and inspections done.
Needless to say, I was/am a VERY happy customer. Of course, the fact that my mom has worked at this dealership for 12 years and I have known the sellsman for over 8 years probably helped. A lot!
However it worked out, Vision Ford in Alamogordo NM REALLY took good care of me and my car.
The office manager kept a VERY close eye on my car. She kept the keys to it in her desk and would only let the prep folks move it when they absolutely had to. She made one of the preb guys walk from one side of the dealership to the other to get the cleaning stuff he needed from the detail shop when they found a scuff on the leather. Normally, they would have driven it over there and then back.
When I went to pick it up, it was locked away in a small showroom next to the main showroom. Nice and safe and I there was not a bunch of visitors getting there hands all over MY car! The car only had 3.9 miles on the odometer too. Other than the mileage put on the car during the build and delivery, the only trip it made was the finial inspection when they drove it to the gas station and filled it up, then back to the dealership and into the private showroom.
I was happy.
Needless to say, I was/am a VERY happy customer. Of course, the fact that my mom has worked at this dealership for 12 years and I have known the sellsman for over 8 years probably helped. A lot!
However it worked out, Vision Ford in Alamogordo NM REALLY took good care of me and my car.
The office manager kept a VERY close eye on my car. She kept the keys to it in her desk and would only let the prep folks move it when they absolutely had to. She made one of the preb guys walk from one side of the dealership to the other to get the cleaning stuff he needed from the detail shop when they found a scuff on the leather. Normally, they would have driven it over there and then back.
When I went to pick it up, it was locked away in a small showroom next to the main showroom. Nice and safe and I there was not a bunch of visitors getting there hands all over MY car! The car only had 3.9 miles on the odometer too. Other than the mileage put on the car during the build and delivery, the only trip it made was the finial inspection when they drove it to the gas station and filled it up, then back to the dealership and into the private showroom.
I was happy.
I had been in contact with several dealers, then narrowed it down to two that said they would accept x-plan. I looked at the order guides and made my choices, then decided to pull the trigger. Called on dealer and he said 'order today and it's going to take a year to get the car since Ford is backed up in orders', hung up and called the next dealer and told him that the other dealer said. He put me on hold and came back and said 'order now and we'll get it in six weeks' Placed the order over the phone, and went in and picked up the paperwork and gave him a small deposit for the car (never cashed the check).
The car arrived 9 weeks later, I got the call when I was at work, and drove over and picked it up when I got off work. The car was parked in front when I arrived. I looked it over, went inside and took care of the paperwork and wrote a check for $29.000 (I still had a small balance as I bought an extended warrenty and LoJack).
I've bought/leased several new cars and this was the easiest buying experience I've had.
6/8/07, 05:19 AM
#54
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Eastgate Ford in Beavercreek, OH. That dealership has been bought out and has been renamed Hidy Ford. Since then, I've stopped in once or twice. They must've cleaned out all the old sales staff, because everyone I talked to was pretty nice.
6/8/07, 10:50 AM
#55
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here is my recent buying experience.
i wanted a new car because my old one had a 5spd and i needed an auto (back problems and bad traffic). i went into brandon ford and figured since i hadnt looked at a stang recently i would look at all of them. v6 was nice - liked the gt (just not the combos they had on the lot - also really liked the CS), and really liked the shelby gt they had. explained that i was x-plan and financing wouldnt be an issue for any of the cars i was looking at. though i drove a gt and v6, i got to sit in the shelby and hear it idle.
here's my observations
- i know you dont like to go on rides with some of the limited production vehicles - but i likely would have bought the shelby had i been offered a test drive. if you know someone is an enthusiast, can afford the car, and is in your dealership for the 2nd or third time in as many days - they are interested. i am not interested, however, in filling out a purchase agreement to test drive a **** car. if i wanted to read the specs i would have opened a Car & Driver magazine.
- a vehicle walkaround does not consist of saying how 'kick ***' this car is - especially when you know no real details about the car.
- a vehicle test drive should not include the phrase "floor it here" to test acceleration...especially when you are just passing a county jail on a small road... there might be some cops around. i would rather go to the interstate where i can get to speed legally
- yes black looks good - but when i say i dont like black, i wont change my mind, regardless of what the grant cardone sales guy teaches you
instead my wife got me a white gt/cs from another dealer. i showed up - he handed me the keys to make sure i liked everything and all was fine with the car. came back and wrote him the check.
i wanted a new car because my old one had a 5spd and i needed an auto (back problems and bad traffic). i went into brandon ford and figured since i hadnt looked at a stang recently i would look at all of them. v6 was nice - liked the gt (just not the combos they had on the lot - also really liked the CS), and really liked the shelby gt they had. explained that i was x-plan and financing wouldnt be an issue for any of the cars i was looking at. though i drove a gt and v6, i got to sit in the shelby and hear it idle.
here's my observations
- i know you dont like to go on rides with some of the limited production vehicles - but i likely would have bought the shelby had i been offered a test drive. if you know someone is an enthusiast, can afford the car, and is in your dealership for the 2nd or third time in as many days - they are interested. i am not interested, however, in filling out a purchase agreement to test drive a **** car. if i wanted to read the specs i would have opened a Car & Driver magazine.
- a vehicle walkaround does not consist of saying how 'kick ***' this car is - especially when you know no real details about the car.
- a vehicle test drive should not include the phrase "floor it here" to test acceleration...especially when you are just passing a county jail on a small road... there might be some cops around. i would rather go to the interstate where i can get to speed legally
- yes black looks good - but when i say i dont like black, i wont change my mind, regardless of what the grant cardone sales guy teaches you
instead my wife got me a white gt/cs from another dealer. i showed up - he handed me the keys to make sure i liked everything and all was fine with the car. came back and wrote him the check.
6/8/07, 02:07 PM
#56
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Yeah, we read that article at our weekly sales meeting. You could easily replace Ford Mustang with any make and model and get the exact same article to make a fuss about.
This type of article is not the type of stuff we worry about too much, cos it can be anybody anywhere selling any car.
This type of article is not the type of stuff we worry about too much, cos it can be anybody anywhere selling any car.
I've been fortunate enough to purchase many fine vehicles. From those experiences, I have believed for a long time that the problem with Ford and the other big 3 sales people is that they do not know their products. And this is totally the opposite of sales people I've encountered at the dealerships of foreign manufacturers.
When I purchased my GT, I was looking to order one of the first 07's. In 2 days reading this forum and others, I ended up knowing more about the SN197 than any of the Ford salesman I encountered [and I went to 6 or 7 dealerships]. It was a joke. It reminded me of the time when I was shopping for a Cadillac STS for my wife. The salesman asked me if I was considering any other vehicles, and when I mentioned BMW, the old man virtually broke out in tears. It was pathetic.
Little Black Pony and Ford better figure this thing out before it's too late. Didn't Ford just eliminate 1/3 of its workforce? Or was it 1/2?
6/8/07, 02:24 PM
#57
Mach 1 Member
here is my recent buying experience.
i wanted a new car because my old one had a 5spd and i needed an auto (back problems and bad traffic). i went into brandon ford and figured since i hadnt looked at a stang recently i would look at all of them. v6 was nice - liked the gt (just not the combos they had on the lot - also really liked the CS), and really liked the shelby gt they had. explained that i was x-plan and financing wouldnt be an issue for any of the cars i was looking at. though i drove a gt and v6, i got to sit in the shelby and hear it idle.
here's my observations
- i know you dont like to go on rides with some of the limited production vehicles - but i likely would have bought the shelby had i been offered a test drive. if you know someone is an enthusiast, can afford the car, and is in your dealership for the 2nd or third time in as many days - they are interested. i am not interested, however, in filling out a purchase agreement to test drive a **** car. if i wanted to read the specs i would have opened a Car & Driver magazine.
- a vehicle walkaround does not consist of saying how 'kick ***' this car is - especially when you know no real details about the car.
- a vehicle test drive should not include the phrase "floor it here" to test acceleration...especially when you are just passing a county jail on a small road... there might be some cops around. i would rather go to the interstate where i can get to speed legally
- yes black looks good - but when i say i dont like black, i wont change my mind, regardless of what the grant cardone sales guy teaches you
instead my wife got me a white gt/cs from another dealer. i showed up - he handed me the keys to make sure i liked everything and all was fine with the car. came back and wrote him the check.
i wanted a new car because my old one had a 5spd and i needed an auto (back problems and bad traffic). i went into brandon ford and figured since i hadnt looked at a stang recently i would look at all of them. v6 was nice - liked the gt (just not the combos they had on the lot - also really liked the CS), and really liked the shelby gt they had. explained that i was x-plan and financing wouldnt be an issue for any of the cars i was looking at. though i drove a gt and v6, i got to sit in the shelby and hear it idle.
here's my observations
- i know you dont like to go on rides with some of the limited production vehicles - but i likely would have bought the shelby had i been offered a test drive. if you know someone is an enthusiast, can afford the car, and is in your dealership for the 2nd or third time in as many days - they are interested. i am not interested, however, in filling out a purchase agreement to test drive a **** car. if i wanted to read the specs i would have opened a Car & Driver magazine.
- a vehicle walkaround does not consist of saying how 'kick ***' this car is - especially when you know no real details about the car.
- a vehicle test drive should not include the phrase "floor it here" to test acceleration...especially when you are just passing a county jail on a small road... there might be some cops around. i would rather go to the interstate where i can get to speed legally
- yes black looks good - but when i say i dont like black, i wont change my mind, regardless of what the grant cardone sales guy teaches you
instead my wife got me a white gt/cs from another dealer. i showed up - he handed me the keys to make sure i liked everything and all was fine with the car. came back and wrote him the check.
The attitude of this Ford salesman says it all. This is the exact problem: APATHY.
I've been fortunate enough to purchase many fine vehicles. From those experiences, I have believed for a long time that the problem with Ford and the other big 3 sales people is that they do not know their products. And this is totally the opposite of sales people I've encountered at the dealerships of foreign manufacturers.
When I purchased my GT, I was looking to order one of the first 07's. In 2 days reading this forum and others, I ended up knowing more about the SN197 than any of the Ford salesman I encountered [and I went to 6 or 7 dealerships]. It was a joke. It reminded me of the time when I was shopping for a Cadillac STS for my wife. The salesman asked me if I was considering any other vehicles, and when I mentioned BMW, the old man virtually broke out in tears. It was pathetic.
Little Black Pony and Ford better figure this thing out before it's too late. Didn't Ford just eliminate 1/3 of its workforce? Or was it 1/2?
I've been fortunate enough to purchase many fine vehicles. From those experiences, I have believed for a long time that the problem with Ford and the other big 3 sales people is that they do not know their products. And this is totally the opposite of sales people I've encountered at the dealerships of foreign manufacturers.
When I purchased my GT, I was looking to order one of the first 07's. In 2 days reading this forum and others, I ended up knowing more about the SN197 than any of the Ford salesman I encountered [and I went to 6 or 7 dealerships]. It was a joke. It reminded me of the time when I was shopping for a Cadillac STS for my wife. The salesman asked me if I was considering any other vehicles, and when I mentioned BMW, the old man virtually broke out in tears. It was pathetic.
Little Black Pony and Ford better figure this thing out before it's too late. Didn't Ford just eliminate 1/3 of its workforce? Or was it 1/2?
6/8/07, 02:28 PM
#58
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The only test drive I had in an 05 Mustang was at 'the ford innovation drive event' that was held a month or two before I pulled the trigger and ordered my car. I didn't even test drive my 05 before buying the car. I got the call that the car was in, drove to the dealership to check out the car after work and drove it home same day.
I joined TMS and several other Mustang sites in order to do research on the 05 Mustang several months before placing my order. So after 5 months of doing research on the car I knew more then all of the salespeople I talked to, and they admitted to that fact.
I joined TMS and several other Mustang sites in order to do research on the 05 Mustang several months before placing my order. So after 5 months of doing research on the car I knew more then all of the salespeople I talked to, and they admitted to that fact.
6/8/07, 03:29 PM
#59
Mach 1 Member
however - had the dealership had cars on the lot - would you rely on experiences of others or try to form your own first-hand opinion? like i said - i can read magazines to see how something is - but when i go to buy - a test shouldnt be asking for too much - especially since price wasnt an issue
I ordered because at the time I wanted to buy a new Mustang dealers were charging ADM's and I had x-plan, so the only way to use the plan was to order the car.
As I said before when I saw the concept of the new Mustang I knew I wanted one (if I remember right this was in late 2003/early 2004, but I could be wrong on the date), so I signed up on Mustang sites and started my research of the car since there was nothing available at the dealerships at that time on the new Mustang at that time.
Personal experiance -vs- experience of other Mustang owners before buying the car...I think both of them are important.
Before I got my car I already knew of all the issues others were having, so I knew what to expect when my car arrived.
6/18/07, 06:29 PM
#60
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Orlando Sentinal??? Isn't this the Rag that wanted to publish the Autopsy Photos of the late Dale Earnhardt? What a real Skumbag of a paper they are.
My dealer ordered mine for me with No money down, exactly what I wanted, Using my Pin # in June of 2004! If you are a Jerk you get what you deserve is all I can say.
My dealer ordered mine for me with No money down, exactly what I wanted, Using my Pin # in June of 2004! If you are a Jerk you get what you deserve is all I can say.
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