Can Ford Canada really be this stupid?

[BenSenise]

I get regular emails from Ford Canada with various offers and announcements. A few weeks ago I received an email advertising their winter package deal with a "Customer Appreciation Certificate" for $100 off a tires, wheel, and TPMS purchase.

This is where the fun starts. The dealer has never seen or heard of this and can't apply it. Ford Canada customer support says the same thing. I called and also wrote in online. Now everyone is basically saying sorry, we don't know what this is our how to use it. I'm sure I've used up more than $100 worth of food employees time nevermind my time.

I'm quite ticked off that a) a company can be this stupid, and b) they tempt me with an offer and then refuse to honor it. A bit of false advertising?

Am I the only one in Canada who received and tried to take advantage of this offer? Don't the dealers have the resources at Ford to ask for guidance?

I'm hoping that someone here has some knowledge and can tell me how to solve this puzzle.

[akirby]

Are you sure this came from Ford Canada and not some individual dealer? Can you post a pic?

[atomcat68]

Or is it a scam where you call the number on the coupon or email tham with your customer info to make the certificate "valid"

[J-150]

Are you sure this came from Ford Canada and not some individual dealer? Can you post a pic?

Yes, Ford of Canada sends out these deals via email regularly. Usually there is a discount code attached. There is obviously a miss in the marketing department cascading the promotion to the front lines.

 

I recommend the OP suggest his dealer refers to the discount code in the email.

[BenSenise]

I'm on a tablet so editing is difficult so I won't multi quote.

- yes, from Ford Canada. Not a dealer. From: info@email.fordcanadanews.ca

 

-i can't post a pic from this tablet. It is technically possible but a huge hassle.

 

-no scam. No phone number other than Ford Canada customer support which I called and got nowhere. They basically said "we can't help you."

 

- yes, there is a code in the email. I forwarded the email with the code to two dealers. Neither one had a clue.

 

Next step is BBB. This is a perfect example of bait and switch. Here's $100 for wheels and tires. Oh, sorry, we couldn't figure out what to do. Now please pay the whole bill.

 

This kind of stuff really pi**es me off and I'm the kind of jerk who will push it to the end while inflicting as much pain as I can along the way. Now I will not settle for the $100. It's going to take much more than that to get rid of me.

Edited November 13, 2016 by BenSenise

[akirby]

It's not bait and switch. That would be incredibly stupid. Sounds like marketing didn't enter the offer in the system or they sent out the flyers in error. Either way I'm sure it was an honest mistake and not a scam.

[J-150]

I'm on a tablet so editing is difficult so I won't multi quote.

- yes, from Ford Canada. Not a dealer. From: info@email.fordcanadanews.ca

 

-i can't post a pic from this tablet. It is technically possible but a huge hassle.

 

-no scam. No phone number other than Ford Canada customer support which I called and got nowhere. They basically said "we can't help you."

 

- yes, there is a code in the email. I forwarded the email with the code to two dealers. Neither one had a clue.

 

Next step is BBB. This is a perfect example of bait and switch. Here's $100 for wheels and tires. Oh, sorry, we couldn't figure out what to do. Now please pay the whole bill.

 

This kind of stuff really pi**es me off and I'm the kind of jerk who will push it to the end while inflicting as much pain as I can along the way. Now I will not settle for the $100. It's going to take much more than that to get rid of me.

Uh, no. Not BBB. The LAW. The Federal "Competition Act" governs this. Basically, you tell the dealer to honour it or you hand it over to the Competition Bureau. This is the government body that issues the big dollar fines for false advertising, bait & switch, etc.

 

You ever hear about companies like Sears or The Bay receiving half million dollar fines for advertising irregularities? It's the Bureau that is behind those fines

 

 

http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/home

[notquitesane]

If you do a Whois search on the fordcanadanews.ca from your email above reveals the following information.

Registrant:
Name: Wunderman, a division of The Young & Rubican Group of Companies, Ltd.

 

Administrative contact:
Name: Zeeshan Sumar
Postal address: 60 Bloor Street West
8th Floor
Toronto ON M4W3Z1 Canada
Phone: +1.4169219050x4357
Fax:
Email: zeeshan.sumar@yr.com

 

Ford of Canada's website is www.ford.ca. Whois gives the following info with who registered that domain name.

Registrant:
Name: Ford Credit Canada Limited

 

Name: Rick Kret
Postal address: One American Road
Dearborn MI 48126 United States
Phone: +1.3133223000
Fax: +1.3133905011
Email: dnsmgr@ford.com

 

So it doesn't look all that legit to me.

[akirby]

Bingo. That didn't come from Ford Canada.

[RichardJensen]

Y&R is a subsidiary of WPP which also owns JWT, the longtime Ford ad agency.

 

It's a legit source

 

But obviously a defective campaign email.

 

If I had to guess, I would say it was an errant email from a test market pilot that was limited to a smaller region, etc.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_%26_Rubicam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WPP_plc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Walter_Thompson#Notable_clients

[RichardJensen]

But hey, you could always call Y&R and see if they can provide some insight.

[J-150]

Y&R is Fords agency in Canada. Wunderman is a sales promotion/ DR division.

 

It's legit.

Edited November 14, 2016 by J-150

[ute]

I never received this offer and I am in Canada , get a lot of other offers but have not seen that one .

[akirby]

Y&R is Fords agency in Canada. Wunderman is a sales promotion/ DR division.

It's legit.

The company may be legit but the offer is not legit if it's not in the system. Like Richard said it's probably just a clerical error.

[J-150]

The company may be legit but the offer is not legit if it's not in the system. Like Richard said it's probably just a clerical error.

The clerical error is Marketing not communicating with Sales

[BenSenise]

Good stuff everyone. Thanks for the good discussion. I would believe that this promotion was targeted and not everyone would receive it. I'm guessing that it's because I asked my dealer for a quote a few months ago.

 

In any case, the dealer has agreed to give me the $100 off but i think it's just the path of least resistance for them and that they have not actually solved the problem. I asked if that was the case but they have not answered that question yet.

 

All in all, it's just another example of the sheer stupidity and incompetence of the large corporation.

[fordmantpw]

Chill out dude. Sounds like you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. It was likely a simple mistake somewhere along the line. I sure wish I was perfect, but I still don't think I would rake people over the coals and proclaim incompetence over a simple mistake amounting to a grand total of $100. Sometimes the end doesn't justify the means.

[Harley Lover]

Chill out dude. Sounds like you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. It was likely a simple mistake somewhere along the line. I sure wish I was perfect, but I still don't think I would rake people over the coals and proclaim incompetence over a simple mistake amounting to a grand total of $100. Sometimes the end doesn't justify the means.

 

x2

[BenSenise]

Chill out dude. Sounds like you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. It was likely a simple mistake somewhere along the line. I sure wish I was perfect, but I still don't think I would rake people over the coals and proclaim incompetence over a simple mistake amounting to a grand total of $100. Sometimes the end doesn't justify the means.

Sorry 'bout that. Next time I'll run my post by you so you can give me permission to express my opinion.

[fordmantpw]

Sorry 'bout that. Next time I'll run my post by you so you can give me permission to express my opinion.

 

That'd be great, thanks!

[akirby]

I'm the kind of jerk who will push it to the end while inflicting as much pain as I can along the way. Now I will not settle for the $100. It's going to take much more than that to get rid of me.

 

That pretty much says it all.

 

If you're going to act like that then you should expect some pushback.

[Pioneer]

Wouldn't it be cheaper, even with the $100 off, to just get a set from Tire Rack?

[fordmantpw]

Wouldn't it be cheaper, even with the $100 off, to just get a set from Tire Rack?

 

I don't know about Canada, but around here, our dealer is cheaper than Tire Rack, and that includes mounting/balancing whereas Tire Rack only includes the tires. Our dealer will also match any price you bring them, though I've never needed to in the 3 sets I've bought from them.

[Pioneer]

 

I don't know about Canada, but around here, our dealer is cheaper than Tire Rack, and that includes mounting/balancing whereas Tire Rack only includes the tires. Our dealer will also match any price you bring them, though I've never needed to in the 3 sets I've bought from them.

I can't see wheels and TPMS sensors being cheaper at the dealer. Tire Rack sells 4 TPMS sensors for $168 (I've been looking at winter wheels), and the dealer wants almost $100 apiece.

[fordmantpw]

I can't see wheels and TPMS sensors being cheaper at the dealer. Tire Rack sells 4 TPMS sensors for $168 (I've been looking at winter wheels), and the dealer wants almost $100 apiece.

 

Yeah, you're likely right. I was just thinking tires.