I figured I'd pass this along since I had questions with this stuff, I hope this will help others.

I just ordered 2 GT Mustangs and was not aware of this until the General Sales Manager who I was dealing with brought it up to me. He stated that Ford started doing this the 1st of the year. All he needed was to put everything together and submit my info in their computers. He then gets a decision back with a printout from Ford stating my rebates are "protectable". This protects me in case rebates get reduced, I will still get what they are now as long as they sell the car to the original customer named on the order and it happens within 5 days of the car's actual delivery date to the dealer.

I was not worried about the $500 getting protected because I can't imagine it would go to $0 but he was able to lock in our $750 "Private Cash" offers as well. I received one in my name just this Saturday at my house (expires 5/2) and my dad used one that came to his house but in my brothers name (expires 4/17).

Also, something to note - the $500 college cash cannot be used in combination with the private cash so $750>$500 no brainer there.

 

They "protected" a $750 Private Cash for us that would've expired about a month before our ordered 2011 V6 MCA arrived. I didn't know they had started protecting other rebates. We bought the 2011 using x-plan, plus got $2250 off in rebates, including the $750 Private Cash.

 

Incentive Protection is a new thing this year at Ford. We have to have a signed buyer's order, DORA (dealer order receipt acknowledgement) for the order, and a current VINCENT (vehicle incentive report) for the special ordered car. Typically, rebates don't get worse as the year progresses, but you just never know!

 

Well i'm glad you are getting the same thing i got when i picked up my 2011 last Dec at the time of order the dealer allowed me to lock in and protect my rebates and coupon. Upside i was locked in that amount of savings downside the rebates got a smidge better while i waited.. But maybe this is just my and my dealer at that time either way the coupon was expired and they honored it Yeah FORD !!

 

If they got better, you can appy the new ones. It does not mean you are locked out from new incentives, just that you wont lose the old ones.

 

Good news!

I don't understand why they didn't do this before. I've bought another brand of car in the past because that dealer had what I wanted in stock. The only reason I didn't special order was because I didn't want to risk losing rebates. I didn't even trust Ford when I was sure there would be equal/better rebates when the car came in because of the "from dealer stock" wording. All they would have to do is change their practices and say a special order is NOT dealer stock and you would have to start all over.

 

Now lets see if the dealers come up with a way to scam the system and lock in rebates for all their stock.

I had a car dealer distant cousin who invented the scam that got the guy in Fargo in so much trouble. He payed his debt to society. Plus he's dead now (it was a long time ago) so i guess its okay to say. But I bet there are dealers trying to figure out a way to make all their stock orders appear to be customer orders. LoL

 

They'd have to go through a lot of trouble, or Ford would have to be pretty sloppy/oblivious to that sort of thing. I mean it would look really suspicious.

That's why they photocopy your ID when you place a special order.

 

Why? It's not like us dealers get the rebate money! The rebates go to the customers.

 

Don't give me that innocent dealer act. (I'm kidding of course)

Just spit-balling: A dealer orders some of their stock when rebates are high using fictitious customer names to lock in the rebates. Then if they sell the car when rebates are low or gone, they might try to tell Ford they sold it to the original customer and pocket the money or pass some on to the customer undercutting their competition. If rebates are higher then, they could say the original customer walked and play it straight. There were $1500 in rebates when I bought my Mustang but I never held that money in my hand or had it pass thru any of my accounts. I may have signed some papers but Ford isn't doing any handwriting analysis.

Of course a dealer doing this would go to jail for fraud if caught, but if there is a chance of pulling it off, some dealer somewhere probably will try to do it. there are BAD people (and sometimes desperate people) in this world.

Hopefully there are enough checks and balances. Just because you don't see a way, doesn't mean someone else won't find some loophole and take a shot. I only say that because I had a cousin (or great uncle by marriage or whatever he was) I mentioned before who sold lots of cars to lots of customers when one or both never existed.

 

Two reasons the dealer can't scam Ford.
1. rarely do the rebates decrease on a given model year.
2. So what happens when the dealer locks the rebate in under one persons name and then sells it to another??? As a customer you have to sign the paperwork with your name stating you received the rebates. I see like zero chance of them scamming the system with a rebate lock.

 

lol. I've ordered four new units from Ford and never gave a photocopy of dl prior to delivery. Never even put down a deposit now that I think of it.

 

Just ordered some more brochures, hoping to get a $750 coupon!!

 

I spent some years working for law enforcement. And I have been responsible for security for an organization with billions of dollars in revenues. You see stuff you wouldn't believe. That's probably why I automatically think about the weaknesses of a system.

I know you wouldn't do anything illegal, but a criminal mind will. A scam artist wouldn't mind sending Ford documents with any name they need to put on it. What happens if the rebates go higher or didn't change? A scammer just says the original buyer backed out. That happens all the time. It doesn't keep the next customer from buying the car and getting the rebates. Ford would not bat an eye about that. The scammer didn't make anything off that deal but neither did they take any real risk. I'm just saying.

And that's my final word on the matter [/Gump]

 

Your really overthinking things here daddy.
And that's my final word on the matter