I just realized that the dealer gave me the OK to get my car on the X-PLAN, but I never gave him the PIN number. I ordered my stang about 3 weeks ago. Is that normal? Will they just ask for the PIN when we square up at the end???

Thanks,

Mark

 

I didn't give my dealer a PIN until several weeks after I ordered. Then again my dealer is my cousin and he did know that I was going to be using the x-plan. I would get the PIN to him soon.

Chip in SC

 

They usually don't require it until delivery

 

thats what my dealer told me. I got my pin about two weeks before i actually orderd it. They said they wouldnt need it

 

Be CAREFUL here! Yes, the dealer should have confirmed your X-plan status before taking your order. I'd call your sales rep and be sure they have this on file. Otherwise, they will send the deal through to the F&I folks who will try to stick you. Be sure when your car comes in you are also paying the ORIGINAL X-Plan price you were quoted! Be sure you got a copy of your quote in writing and they gave you a copy!! When you sit down to sign the deal in the F&I office (the "little room") that you REMIND the F&I manager you are on X-plan. He should produce TWO documents for you to sign w/ your X-plan pin. Yes, you will need to INTERRUPT him because he will be too busy trying to sell you an overpriced, useless warranty. They send those papers into Ford to get reimbursed for not charging you an admin fee /ripoff $200-$500 "paperwork" fee the F&I folks charge..

Keep in mind my 5-xplan rules to live by:

1. The X-plan price is usually a few hundred dollars below the advertized 'invoice' price. This is the price X-plan participants pay INCLUDING any dealer 'admin' fee/'paperwork' fee.

2. X-plan price is usually 800 -1100 (depending on model/amount of options) above A/Z employee price.

3. The dealer CANNOT charge you the paperwork fee or the 'admin' fee for your order if they are charging the full X-plan price as long as your PIN is valid.

4. Since you are special ordering a car, be sure the X-plan price you were quoted at the time of your order is the same price you pay when its delivered.

5. Any variances in any of the above (try to charge you the admin fee despite paying full X-plan, try to tell you 'oh, we don't take X-plan' ,etc.)GET UP AND WALK OUT. Yea, the car will be sitting there on the lot. If it gets really bad, yes you are entitled to a refund of your deposit money if it gets really bad. Hint: motion to get up and go towards the door when sitting in F&I office. This body language will let the F&I guy know you mean business.


I had one exception to my own rules when I bought my car. I had to wait 6+ weeks for my car. During the time in between when I placed the order and it was sent to the factory, the X-plan price jumped up about $100. To compensate for the factory price change, the dealer put $600 down as a rebate towards my downpayment and charged me the $500 'admin' fee. As such, when I paid the new higher X-plan price my net bottomline was the same.

That was 18 months ago. I suspect now that we are into the 2007 model year the factory is in calmer waters as far as running price changes.

Hope this helps,


Eric.

 

Thanks for everyones feedback.

Eric - I think I will be OK here with no funny business from the dealer. The company I work for has a strong business relationship with them because one of our locations is next door to them. Our employees are always going over there during break and buying cars. We also have a credit union that is always refering business to this dealer. I think I'll be OK, but I appreciate the warning information

 

Same story here. The Xplan price on the printed final paperwork was about $100 higher than I originally was quoted. They also had $95 additional in processing and paperwork fees. I paid the extra $100 but had them take the $95 processing fee off.

 

Why did they even try and charge you the $95?

 

Hey guys, when you order the car, regular deal, or with a plan, if the price of the car goes up (it usually does several times a year) the dealer shouldn't even think of charging you that increase. When anyone orders a car, there is price protection that lasts for 7 days, from the day it comes in. If you pick the car up within that time, the price that was quoted on the original DORA, is the price you pay, no matter how much the increase is.

I had a customer order their car in 2005 in January, and due to the IUP shortage and the 5-speed delays, plus Ford's crummy allocation for GT's in the SE PA region, the car took 6 months to arrive, and the price went up several hundred $$. I never added the increase to the numbers that were signed for at the time of order, since he had price protection. Just wanted to let anyone know this, just incase the dealer tries to add the increase in price to your totals.

 

The only exceptions to this are freight and dealer advertising fees which Ford will not price protect for. On the forms you have to sign at delivery for X-plan, there is a line to indicate the price protection. ALso the dealer is REQUIRED to give you a copy of the factory invoice.