akirby

So what's the total market for that type of vehicle and what is the TC's market share and profit level. You don't know and neither do I and without that info you can't make a call either way.

Hey Dean - here is your 'rarity' - a dealer selling an ordered car out from under someone and getting caught. I'm with viperpilot on this one - just allow Ford to hold these yahoo dealers accountable when they try to screw customers or just do a bad job. As it stands right now, Ford can't defend their brand or do anything to ensure their customers are treated well by the dealers. I'm sure there are only a few of these really bad dealers, but that's all it takes. And it only takes ONE dealer to sue Ford using the franchise laws to stop Ford from doing anything. Just because you and chiefstang work at reputable dealerships doesn't mean they're all that way. And that's all we're saying.

Ditto on the flu shots. I can't remember the last time I had the flu and I'm not about to get it injected into me now. Ear infections have more to do with anatomy than anything else and fever can easily hit 104 plus the extreme pain. Strep can turn into scarlet fever in kids. Both can be treated with simple amoxicillin. Other than that most everything else is just a temporary inconvenience.

Let's say a customer ordered a mustang GT on X plan and I had a walk-in who wanted the same vehicle willing to pay $500 more. I sell them the ordered vehicle, re-order it and tell the X plan customer that theirs was delayed and it will be another 3-4 weeks. Yes, it happens. Not a lot but it happens.

The gain is that customers know exactly where their vehicle is and the gain for dealers is they don't have to field calls from customers all the time asking where their vehicle is. I don't see any downside for an honest dealer. But I guarantee you some dealer somewhere would object and play the franchise law card and get it stopped. It's happened too many times in the past.

Thanks. Those are the numbers I was looking for. GM is still way too top heavy in terms of employees and overhead and having 4 brands only makes it worse.

It's the "instant gratification" society we now live in. They don't want to wait for nature to run it's course - they want it fixed NOW NOW NOW! 2 exceptions for me were strep throat and ear infections or a high fever.

I think you overestimate the honesty of some dealerships (some, not all).

Because some dealers don't want Ford giving out information directly to the customer which might conflict with information the dealer is giving the customer?

True, but at least he's not doing it here anymore.

I think it's the dealer's fault. Not exactly sure how yet - give me a few hours and I'm sure I can come up with something!

Because the dealers don't want it to be available to the public?

I know, but at least the whining will be about something different..........

I was in retail sales for 6 years before and during college so I understand the challenges of dealing with the public. How should Ford handle dealerships who lie to customers and/or provide poor customer satisfaction? Currently Ford has no recourse and when the dealer screws up then Ford gets the blame (I'll never buy another Ford again because Ford couldn't fix my car, etc. etc. etc.).

No mention of that feature in the 2011 order guide.

I'll be glad when Mercury and the Panthers are finally gone so we don't have to listen to all the whining any more......

A 2.0L ecoboost won't be anywhere near 300 hp or 270 lb/ft. A 2.5L might get there though. But it's doubtful you'd be able to get 35+ mpg even with the 2.0L.

I agree that communication could be better, but as viperpilot pointed out in a lot of cases the dealer isn't using the system properly. What customers want is consistency and there certainly is no consistency between dealers. So make the web option a minimum of $500 over invoice so that dealers could negotiate below that. You'd still have people using it just to avoid the typical dealer allocation and ordering issues.

Radio Frequency.

Gee Dean - all I hear from you is whining and no solutions to the problem. How about this: Ford dealers can choose to opt in to a factory program whereby a customer can order the vehicle they want directly from the Ford build and price website after being pre-approved by Ford Credit online. Then they choose a local participating dealer to take delivery. The price is set (X plan e.g.) and agreed to by the dealers when they agree to participate. The order goes in at highest priority (lowest numerically) and does not affect dealer allocations. Buyer is charged a deposit that is non-refundable at a certain point in the build process but that credit can be applied towards another vehicle. Allow the buyer to track the vehicle's detailed progress and status via the website. The dealer gets a X plan sale with NO upfront work at all and no risk - if the buyer walks away then it's Ford's issue, not the dealer's. The buyer is happy that he can get the vehicle he wants at a fair price without having to deal with dealership sales people. This is a win-win for dealers and Ford but there is NO way dealers would allow this to happen. They'd sue under the franchise laws and win of course. Now let's hear Dean cry about why this is a bad idea..........

Exactly. Remember the Falcon a few months ago?

But that's exactly the point - you can afford to sell fewer Lincoln units at a combined Ford/Lincoln dealership because Ford pays for the overhead (service, office support, financing, etc.). Besides, we know there are big changes planned for Lincoln over the next 4 years so sales should be up significantly if they continue to execute on plan.

Ford can't force a dealer to close unless they do something illegal (and even then I'm not so sure). What Ford has been doing is buying out the franchises of marginal dealers, or cutting their allocation to the point they decide to close up shop on their own. If a dealer has a franchise then Ford is legally required to sell them vehicles. That's why it's so costly for Ford to consolidate or reduce dealerships - they have to bribe them.

Dean - I don't remember all the details of the failed program and I was not suggesting it was any type of solution to the ordered vehicle problem. I was just pointing out how little power Ford has over dealers and how they are legally prohibited from doing certain things to help the customers because they violate franchise laws. In every other retail industry I can think of, the mfr controls who sells their products and can take the products away if the retailer doesn't meet their standards. How can you possibly justify making it ILLEGAL for Ford to do the same thing?

You're quite the drama queen today. What the hell was in whatever you were drinking this morning? I'm pretty sure Ford footed the bill for everything and all the dealer had to do was complete the paperwork and take the profit. The point is Ford's reputation gets dragged in the dirt because of some bad dealers and there is very little they can do about it. And that's wrong.