Another fans odyssey in Shelby ordering....

http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums...0&#entry126617

 

It is a shame what Ford it doing to its customers

 

Ford is between a rock and a hard place with no viable alternatives or solutions. They can't demand dealers to be concerned for the Mustang enthusiasts segment of the market when inventories are piling up with other models and the Mustang crowd won't help Ford because the are getting screwed.

Recently my mother needed a new car. I was the decision maker and Ford lost out on the sale. Of course, Ford doesn't know about it, neither does the local Ford dealer but I do and I would be less than truthful if I were to state I didn't enjoy sticking it to them but there was a touch of sadness at the same time. There is a price to pay for being disloyal.

The sour feelings and bad publicity we generate is not going to make things any better for Ford or their dealers. The word of mouth can be a two way sword and as time passes they will feel the other side.

 

someone at blue oval apparently deleted the thread. What a joke.

 

I think your right

 

Just wondering... if they are protecting dealers etc?

Sounds like I"m not the only one that signed a pre-deal, at a locked price looking for answers.

 

They should eliminate dealers all together and let the public deal with the manufacturer JMO

 

Well, I don't think that's feasible, but they should be giving some of these dealers a mighty backhand for the way they have been treating the Ford Faithful. I know I will not soon forget certain dealers in my area for the way I was treated.

 

so that is why i am reading about x plan

 

I hear you man! I have a list and no need to check it twice...and they were bad.

 

can someone who read before it was deleted recap for the rest of us?

 

yes please times two

 

Quick summation, the fellow had a contract signed the day after pricing was announced. Did all the right things, nailed the numbers down, protected himself. 2 weeks pass, dealer contacts him to say Oopps, we didn't have a clue and demand is higher than we charged for and would he now like to rip up the contract so that the dealer can make another couple of grand. He suggests that they have no leg to stand on, they suggest they will just not give him the car, he says my lawyer says you suck donkey genitals.

You know, the usual Shelby crap.

FWIW, about a half dozen good dealer principles said he was golden, so we were hoping it was done with.

 

I would have his lawyer draw up a draft. WTF, Jet? Has every dealer in North America lost their mind?!?!?
Sickening...

 

Sir, I submit that it not the exclusive province of any one group, strata, or gender, but I ask over and over again these days, Did the Romans know that their civilization was failing? or are we just dancing while the building falls?

2.50 for a gallon of gas, and yet we have 3 more or less two tonne 500 horse cars and a few at 600 or even 700(1001?) and well beyond two tonnes.Children's role models plastered all over the media exposing themselves, starlets abducting children from third world countries, etc, etc, etc.



RIGHT NOW, WE are the most decadent and damaging society that humanity has ever breed. And thats not a good gang to be in.

And to top it all off, my winning bid for an earth crossing asteriod on E-bay was pulled because of shill bidding!!



^ sort of.

 

man that stinks, my dealer was very reasonable. i walked in said x plan they said cool ,4 months later i signed a bizzilion pieces of paper, out the door i went in my 07 gt

sorry to hear it, hopefully he can get the car out of them.

 

Well, I agree and disagree, my friend. Most decadent? Naaaah, but we are trying pretty hard!
I believe there is good and bad.....it's just that the bad gets all the press!!! When is the last time (exception: holidays) that they aired a "good" story? For this, I blame the Media as a whole. "Good" to them does not sell newspapers or titilate the viewer (their opinion, not mine). So, we're bombarded with crap all the time. I have a little more faith in humanity than you do, I guess.

Back "on topic", that was no shill bid on the asteroid, I won it!!! It's in my living room......

Okay...really back on topic, I don't know of anyone who is particularly pleased with their dealers when it comes to this car, or should I say most folks are unhappy with the treatment they have recieved in pursuit of this car.
What comes around goes around. I know I will never recommend or deal with a couple of shiftless dealers in my area (by shiftless, I mean not honoring their word).
Anyway, it's looking like a number of Ford dealers will be cut loose very soon. Not a good thing, IMO, but I wonder if in some cases this may be poetic justice...

 

When everyone wants everything at giveaway prices by the thousands, and something comes out that makes true profit, it isn't greedy for a dealer to ask for it-not if someone is willing to pay for it. If Nike shoes and Coach purses worked at dealer profit margins, their products would cost $10. The average retail/wholesale margin at actual MSRP is 7%. For the one Explorer a person buys a dealer stocks and maintains 200(x $30,000 each), to sell at less then $1000 margin on average(in a perfect world).

If you were suddenly to become a dealership owner, you would be in a panic attack about the cost of operations versus profit margin per unit. Its actually one of the lowest profit margin retail operations at the highest operating costs. A Shelby at 10K over is about the same as normal Home Depot store-level margin. At 50K over it would be a like a Coach store. Triple that and you are bargain Jewelry store levels....But alas, there are no invoices online for Plasma TV plastic boxes or diamonds, and everyone is just peachy-keen going to the store and buying them.

Technically you can never get ripped off by a dealer buying a car if you sign the paperwork. How 'expensive' something is, whether its a $450,000 watch, $120 pair of sneakers, $40,000,000 recreational aircraft, or a $50,000 car is all relative to personal perception. Personally, I really don't care for the markups, but it makes good business sense, and most businesses are in business to make money. If it costs $10 total to make an ipod but they can get $100 for one, does mac feel obligated to the public to sell them for $10.70(actually $10.08 or so)?

As for dealers and information on the SGT's, there is somewhere between zero and zero formal information given out about these cars, you have to actively find out what you can.

Now for price jacking after taking a deposit for an order that is a different matter entirely because a dealer was too stupid to maximize profit...Although most dealers retain the best lawyers in town as the vast amount of investment they have, and the tendency to get targeted by scams. But its usually more an issue of etiquette then legalities on non-tangible vehicles on order. If you bought one and took it home(financing contract complete and secure) and the next day they wanted more money for the sale price of the car that's another matter. If you read your forms you sign as well, typically most include a waiver of all rights to sue the dealership.

As for a dealership's 'word'; something from a salesperson or even sales manager holds little weight. You need to have something on paper based on a true final decision maker's signature-i.e. a general manager or the owner. If a GM finds out something that a sales manager agreed to and doesn't like it, he/she will be 'forget it' and end of story. I kind of find it hard to believe that a GM will be like 'yea sure x-plan on a shelby no problem'...

 

I can't buy one right now either, and I have worked for my dealer for 8+ years. It is NOT the dealers fault; it is the people who pay the ADM, which is actually the sale price. If your home is appraised for $150,000 and ends up bringing $165,000, does that make you a crook? Would you tell the buyer to only give you $150,000? Of course not, and it's not any different; it's called free enterprise. I can't wait for the prices to come down so I can buy one (or a Boss).
I also agree, however, that a signed agreement by both parties should be tough cookies for either side; if the dealer agreed to MSRP, tough cookies for the dealer. If someone has a deal now for a 2008 at MSRP and you can buy them at invoice when it is delivered (a long shot at best, I know), then tough cookies for the buyer.