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Advice on placing an order with out of state dealer


Civrelm

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I am thinking of placing an order with an out of state dealer that was offering me 2% under invoice.  I know invoice doesn't mean a lot, but all of the local dealers here are adding dealer chargers well over invoice. 

I did an online build and sent it to a out of state dealer.  They provided me a Preview Order, but it had a mistake, and sent me a invoice for a 5K non-refundable deposit.  I want the Preview Order to be corrected at a minimum.  Is it customary to request a non-refundable deposit upfront?   The dealer says that the truck I am ordering is one they cant sell in their area and don't want to get stuck with a truck they can't sell (F350, XLT, CC, SB, 2WD, SRW 10,700 GVWR) .    I appreciate any red flags, comments or suggestions.

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40 minutes ago, Civrelm said:

I am thinking of placing an order with an out of state dealer that was offering me 2% under invoice.  I know invoice doesn't mean a lot, but all of the local dealers here are adding dealer chargers well over invoice. 

I did an online build and sent it to a out of state dealer.  They provided me a Preview Order, but it had a mistake, and sent me a invoice for a 5K non-refundable deposit.  I want the Preview Order to be corrected at a minimum.  Is it customary to request a non-refundable deposit upfront?   The dealer says that the truck I am ordering is one they cant sell in their area and don't want to get stuck with a truck they can't sell (F350, XLT, CC, SB, 2WD, SRW 10,700 GVWR) .    I appreciate any red flags, comments or suggestions.

Get them to correct the order and have and have a purchase contract drawn up that guarantees the final price and that the configuration is as per the order.  I don't blame them for requesting a deposit (but I would request that it be refundable if the truck doesn't arrive by a certain date, 6 months or more, or if the delivered truck deviates from the requested configuration).  $5k seems steep, but there are probably not a lot of buyers for a SWR 2WD in their area.

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Given the current situation with Super Duty orders, I would not take that chance on a non refundable deposit.  If you do go ahead put a time limit on it so you can get a refund if it takes more than 3 or 4 or 6 months.  Don’t leave it open ended.

 

You also need to be clear on the price and make sure it either excludes any Ford rebates or if the rebates are included make sure they are spelled out.  Also any dealer fees, etc.  My suggestion is to get an out the door price with details exclusive of any factory rebates with a note that says you either get the rebates at order time or at delivery whichever is better.  that way you know exactly what you’re getting.

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27 minutes ago, akirby said:

Given the current situation with Super Duty orders, I would not take that chance on a non refundable deposit.  If you do go ahead put a time limit on it so you can get a refund if it takes more than 3 or 4 or 6 months.  Don’t leave it open ended.

 

You also need to be clear on the price and make sure it either excludes any Ford rebates or if the rebates are included make sure they are spelled out.  Also any dealer fees, etc.  My suggestion is to get an out the door price with details exclusive of any factory rebates with a note that says you either get the rebates at order time or at delivery whichever is better.  that way you know exactly what you’re getting.

 

In addition, any Buyer's Order with the vehicle specifications and pricing, as akirby smartly suggested, must be signed by both parties. If it's not signed by the dealership, the terms aren't enforceable. 

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45 minutes ago, ice-capades said:

 

In addition, any Buyer's Order with the vehicle specifications and pricing, as akirby smartly suggested, must be signed by both parties. If it's not signed by the dealership, the terms aren't enforceable. 


Are you suggesting they would slap on a $10k ADM causing a backlash with forum members, fake Google reviews and threats of lawsuits requiring Ford to negotiate a compromise?

 

That would never happen…..?

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2 hours ago, Civrelm said:

I am thinking of placing an order with an out of state dealer that was offering me 2% under invoice.  I know invoice doesn't mean a lot, but all of the local dealers here are adding dealer chargers well over invoice. 

I did an online build and sent it to a out of state dealer.  They provided me a Preview Order, but it had a mistake, and sent me a invoice for a 5K non-refundable deposit.  I want the Preview Order to be corrected at a minimum.  Is it customary to request a non-refundable deposit upfront?   The dealer says that the truck I am ordering is one they cant sell in their area and don't want to get stuck with a truck they can't sell (F350, XLT, CC, SB, 2WD, SRW 10,700 GVWR) .    I appreciate any red flags, comments or suggestions.

 

From a risk perspective, it certainly isn't a deal that would be of interest to me. First consideration - I don't care what is customary, as with all negotiations, I determine my expectations and more importantly, a walk away position. A non-refundable deposit is a walk away condition for me.

 

A $5,000 non-refundable deposit means you are carrying a fairly substantial risk. Personally, if I invest $5,000 in a non-refundable deposit, I am looking for a substantial return on my money, with a savings of at least double the deposit. With a fairly base level truck, your savings, less additional costs of getting the truck home, I just can't imagine that you can generate at least $10,000 in savings. Taking into account the current delays, with the additional risks, I suggest requiring 3x return in savings.

 

For deposit I wouldn't even provide a $5,000 refundable deposit. BTW - my Sales Manager did not want any deposit when we completed and signed off the order with fixed price and value for trade-in.

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I only gave my dealer a $100 deposit when I ordered mine back in June. I picked up the truck a week ago.   My saleswoman called me back Monday, asking me to stop back so she could refund my $100 deposit since they didn't account for it in the sales paperwork. I thought that was honest.  

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How much more is it to switch to 4WD?  That's probably the issue.  No one in WA state wants 2WD either.  Completely useless in the north.  When I bought a tractor, the John Deere dealer had one 2WD tractor that they said that JD swears they ordered, but they never would have.  It sat there for years.  Useless.

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31 minutes ago, ScottK1 said:

How much more is it to switch to 4WD?  That's probably the issue.  No one in WA state wants 2WD either.  Completely useless in the north.  When I bought a tractor, the John Deere dealer had one 2WD tractor that they said that JD swears they ordered, but they never would have.  It sat there for years.  Useless.

 

Just North of you in BC and I drove a F-350 4x2 for 8 years and never needed 4-wheel drive.

 

In addition to being cheaper, the 4x2, provides a few hundred extra lbs of payload, which I needed with the SRW.

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I had considered 4x2, especially since near term don't expect to need 4x4 as we're turning into snowbirds.  However, the day I brought the trailer home, I parked it in an empty campground lot, which was soaked from rain.  Went to move it, and started digging a little hole.  Had to engage 4x4 to get off that lot.

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16 hours ago, Rangers09 said:

 

Just North of you in BC and I drove a F-350 4x2 for 8 years and never needed 4-wheel drive.

 

In addition to being cheaper, the 4x2, provides a few hundred extra lbs of payload, which I needed with the SRW.

 

I can't even leave my own neighborhood in the winter without 4WD.  Subaru Forrester is the #1 selling car in WA because of the excellent AWD system (and we have one with downhill descent control, also needed to leave our neighborhood in the winter).  Must be nice to not need all that. 

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34 minutes ago, ScottK1 said:

 

I can't even leave my own neighborhood in the winter without 4WD.  Subaru Forrester is the #1 selling car in WA because of the excellent AWD system (and we have one with downhill descent control, also needed to leave our neighborhood in the winter).  Must be nice to not need all that. 

 

We are in the Metro Vancouver area and rarely get snow, with this morning being an exception. Got about 1/2" which will probably be gone by mid-afternoon. If we were in the Rockies, I could see a need for 4x4. However, even in the Lower Mainland, all our dealers only order 4x4 SD's for stock orders. 

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