Clarification on 1000$ bonus cash

[sajohnson]

This is the same page that I was referring to when I read the offer details. Salesman said that there were no offers for the vehicle. The he asked if I’d like to buy one today, I guess inferring that if I got one now that I would receive the incentive???

Broncolution,

Thank you for starting this thread -- it covers an important topic.

From the posts I've read, dealers are all over the map when it comes to the Ford $1,000 order credit. Some come out and tell customers about it. Others pretend it doesn't exist -- presumably hoping to pocket it (the definition of fraud).

Unfortunately, your salesman and our salesperson and finance guy are in the latter category. Not only were we told several times (on the day we ordered) that we would have to pay any MSRP increases (a blatant lie) -- the $1,000 credit was not mentioned. Then, when we went to pick it up last month, they swore up and down that the $1,000 order credit did not apply to the BS, and never had! I knew that was false.

The salesman even had a page open on his monitor listing which Ford vehicles qualified and which did not. The font was so small that I couldn't read it. He said that the "Bronco Sport" was not on either list, but the "Bronco SUV" did NOT qualify. I said that a) "Bronco SUV" refers to the "regular" Bronco; b) the fact that the Bronco Sport was not on either list was very strange, and c) I knew for a fact the BS qualified -- and had for months!

Nope. They both continued to insist that there was no $1,000 order credit for the BS!

Finally, to cut through the bs, I found an official Ford page on my phone that clearly showed that all BS trim levels qualified. Oddly, at that point they both dropped it like a hot coal. Neither of them even looked at the page I found!

They grudgingly gave us the $1,000 credit, but then insisted -- several times -- that it only applied to the BS Badlands! That was clearly not true, and I have no idea why they would make that claim because we bought a BS BL. Maybe they were concerned we'd tell others that we got the $1,000 and then they would expect it? That makes little if any sense though, because Ford has been advertising their $1,000 order credit nationwide for months.

Sadly, buying a car is still an adversarial transaction. Most dealers see potential buyers as marks/suckers to be lied to and taken advantage of. It would be an interesting topic for a book -- the story of how presumably decent people begin working for an auto dealership and turn into compulsive liars and sociopaths.

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[Broncolution]

Broncolution,

Thank you for starting this thread -- it covers an important topic.

From the posts I've read, dealers are all over the map when it comes to the Ford $1,000 order credit. Some come out and tell customers about it. Others pretend it doesn't exist -- presumably hoping to pocket it (the definition of fraud).

Unfortunately, your salesman and our salesperson and finance guy are in the latter category. Not only were we told several times (on the day we ordered) that we would have to pay any MSRP increases (a blatant lie) -- the $1,000 credit was not mentioned. Then, when we went to pick it up last month, they swore up and down that the $1,000 order credit did not apply to the BS, and never had! I knew that was false.

The salesman even had a page open on his monitor listing which Ford vehicles qualified and which did not. The font was so small that I couldn't read it. He said that the "Bronco Sport" was not on either list, but the "Bronco SUV" did NOT qualify. I said that a) "Bronco SUV" refers to the "regular" Bronco; b) the fact that the Bronco Sport was not on either list was very strange, and c) I knew for a fact the BS qualified -- and had for months!

Nope. They both continued to insist that there was no $1,000 order credit for the BS!

Finally, to cut through the bs, I found an official Ford page on my phone that clearly showed that all BS trim levels qualified. Oddly, at that point they both dropped it like a hot coal. Neither of them even looked at the page I found!

They grudgingly gave us the $1,000 credit, but then insisted -- several times -- that it only applied to the BS Badlands! That was clearly not true, and I have no idea why they would make that claim because we bought a BS BL. Maybe they were concerned we'd tell others that we got the $1,000 and then they would expect it? That makes little if any sense though, because Ford has been advertising their $1,000 order credit nationwide for months.

Sadly, buying a car is still an adversarial transaction. Most dealers see potential buyers as marks/suckers to be lied to and taken advantage of. It would be an interesting topic for a book -- the story of how presumably decent people begin working for an auto dealership and turn into compulsive liars and sociopaths.

It really saddens me to hear that there are still dealers out there that are trying to take advantage in this day and age. They know everyone is now capable of pulling almost all
The information they have with a smartphone.

This forum is another fantastic avenue of information. Somewhere we can compare notes and verify what really can be done. I’m glad we are shedding some light on this as I know there are and will be mutiple others wondering how this works.

Side note I called Ford customer service number and also messaged Ford motor company on this board. Neither were helpful on this topic. Referred me back to dealer for more information.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

It really saddens me to hear that there are still dealers out there that are trying to take advantage in this day and age. They know everyone is now capable of pulling almost all
The information they have with a smartphone.

This forum is another fantastic avenue of information. Somewhere we can compare notes and verify what really can be done. I’m glad we are shedding some light on this as I know there are and will be mutiple others wondering how this works.

Side note I called Ford customer service number and also messaged Ford motor company on this board. Neither were helpful on this topic. Referred me back to dealer for more information.

This is why Granger Ford is so popular on the forums. It’s not always about the discount. It’s about the way you are treated. They were great to work with.

 

[sajohnson]

It really saddens me to hear that there are still dealers out there that are trying to take advantage in this day and age. They know everyone is now capable of pulling almost all
The information they have with a smartphone.

This forum is another fantastic avenue of information. Somewhere we can compare notes and verify what really can be done. I’m glad we are shedding some light on this as I know there are and will be mutiple others wondering how this works.

Side note I called Ford customer service number and also messaged Ford motor company on this board. Neither were helpful on this topic. Referred me back to dealer for more information.

Auto dealers and mfrs have been playing 'good cop, bad cop' for decades. If dealer gives a customer a hard time about (say) doing warranty repairs, and that customer calls the mfr, the mfr's CSR will typically say something like, "I'm sorry, but our dealerships a independent businesses. There is nothing we can do. Have a nice day."

Of course there IS something they could do -- up to and including revoking their franchise agreement and shutting them down -- they just don't want to. The amount of business being generated by a dealer is always more important to the mfr than the hit to their reputation caused by any unethical behavior by that dealer.

It's as if a person's house was burglarized, the homeowner knew who did it, called the police and the police said, "You should go talk to the burglars and see if they will give your stuff back..."

If dealerships operated like all other retail operations in America, almost all of these problems would cease to exist. Buying a car would be like buying a TV at Costco. The price would be published and fixed; any rebates would be clearly listed; the salesperson would be on salary and have absolutely no incentive to lie/cheat/steal. In fact, the sales consultant would be there to help you by pointing out pros & cons, features, other makes & models to consider, etc.

Think how much more enjoyable that would be. It would almost certainly help the car business overall. As things are, many people are very reluctant to enter the 'lion's den' that is most dealers. It ranks right up there with root canals as a least favorite experience.

 

[sajohnson]

This is why Granger Ford is so popular on the forums. It’s not always about the discount. It’s about the way you are treated. They were great to work with.

Absolutely right.

I strongly considered Granger. For those who haven't read my previous posts about them, the primary reason we decided to go ahead and buy locally (for full MSRP) was because I have had several bad experiences over the years when trying to get warranty work done at a dealer that did not sell the vehicle. I've read dozens, if not hundreds, of posts over the years from people who have had the same experience -- both with cars & trucks and RVs.

Granger was tempting though, because of their reputation and their pricing (6% under invoice). They are about 1,000 miles away from us, which is obviously a drawback, but we do have family in Iowa so we could have combined picking up our BS BL with a visit.

Knowing what I know now (sleazy antics by local dealer), I'd obviously be even more inclined to go with Granger. I'm still not sure that I would though. I'm just not up for anymore rude treatment from, and arguments with, service advisors.

Maybe I'm making too much of that issue though. After all, the BS has been very reliable so far (according to CR) so there's a good chance we will not need warranty service.

 

[Moltenburn]

Absolutely right.

I strongly considered Granger. For those who haven't read my previous posts about them, the primary reason we decided to go ahead and buy locally (for full MSRP) was because I have had several bad experiences over the years when trying to get warranty work done at a dealer that did not sell the vehicle. I've read dozens, if not hundreds, of posts over the years from people who have had the same experience -- both with cars & trucks and RVs.

Granger was tempting though, because of their reputation and their pricing (6% under invoice). They are about 1,000 miles away from us, which is obviously a drawback, but we do have family in Iowa so we could have combined picking up our BS BL with a visit.

Knowing what I know now (sleazy antics by local dealer), I'd obviously be even more inclined to go with Granger. I'm still not sure that I would though. I'm just not up for anymore rude treatment from, and arguments with, service advisors.

Maybe I'm making too much of that issue though. After all, the BS has been very reliable so far (according to CR) so there's a good chance we will not need warranty service.

FYI to most folks out there. Warranty work is warranty work Ford dealership 97% of the time could give two shits if you bought the car there. I buy a new car every couple years with numerous different manufactures and here in CO, I have never ran into this. I am taking for a 20 ish car purchase sample.

Future buyers do not let this be a reason to avoid a good dealer like Granger.

 

[sajohnson]

FYI to most folks out there. Warranty work is warranty work Ford dealership 97% of the time could give two shits if you bought the car there. I buy a new car every couple years with numerous different manufactures and here in CO, I have never ran into this. I am taking for a 20 ish car purchase sample.

Future buyers do not let this be a reason to avoid a good dealer like Granger.

I have no doubt about your experience. I've seen many other similar posts.

In addition to whether the vehicle was purchased from the dealer in question, there are a few variables at work (at least potentially) that might help explain the different treatment people get -- location (NYC or Fargo, ND?); mfr (some are better than others at reimbursing dealers); value of vehicle; if the customer has done business at that dealership -- on down to (in some cases) the service advisor's preconceived ideas/feelings about people based on their personal characteristics (i.e., do they appear to be wealthy? Is it someone they consider attractive?)

I'm not suggesting any of the above is always in play, just that they exist and may explain why some people say, "My dealer gave me a new $70,000 loaner, thoroughly detailed my car, and threw in a voucher for dinner for 2 at a nice restaurant -- meanwhile another person was given the stiff-arm. "Take it back where you bought it!"

Let's take location. IDK about Colorado, but generally speaking, people treat each other better (and companies treat their customers better) in the Midwest, compared to large metro areas like Boston, NYC, D.C., etc. So that is one factor.

Another is the dealership itself. That's probably a big one. Even in/near large cities there are reportedly dealers that have no problem with warranty work. So a dealer's business philosophy has a large influence on how people are treated.

The fact is, many (if not most) dealerships see warranty work as *losing* money, because it pays less (either 'book time' or labor rate or both) and the mfr pays less for parts as well. I've read numerous articles and posts from people who work at dealerships (current and former service advisors) that confirm this.

Finally, I am absolutely NOT trying to talk people out of buying from Granger. In fact, in my post above I wrote:

"Maybe I'm making too much of that issue though. After all, the BS has been very reliable so far (according to CR) so there's a good chance we will not need warranty service."

My point is that getting warranty service can be (not is, but can be) a huge PITA if you go to a dealer that did not sell you the car -- sometimes even at the selling dealer.

People are free to do what they will with that info. It would not hurt my feelings one bit if half of the Bronco Sports were sold by Granger.

 

[Broncolution]

I just wanted to update with some new information. I was just able to “confirm” that there is a certificate number that gets attached to your custom order with your name on it. I put confirm in quotations because the dealer did not want to show me my respective certificate for some odd reason. I did get the number for it though.

Being now cautious and questioning the validity of this info I contacted ford, ask them to see if they could find the same certificate, and they were able to confirm the same information that the dealer stated to me.

Hope this information helps.

 

[P-NUT]

Can anyone confirm that on end of March 2022 that there was an incentive? A screenshot would be wonderful if possible.

Can anyone confirm that on end of March 2022 that there was an incentive? A screenshot would be wonderful if possible.

 

[Cactusjk]

Well I placed it through my Ford Dealer so should be good. Will see.

I thought the incentive was extended past 4 April?

 

[Broncolution]

Well I placed it through my Ford Dealer so should be good. Will see.

I thought the incentive was extended past 4 April?

It was, last time I checked it stated if ordered before 07/05/22.

 

[sajohnson]

I just wanted to update with some new information. I was just able to “confirm” that there is a certificate number that gets attached to your custom order with your name on it. I put confirm in quotations because the dealer did not want to show me my respective certificate for some odd reason. I did get the number for it though.

Being now cautious and questioning the validity of this info I contacted ford, ask them to see if they could find the same certificate, and they were able to confirm the same information that the dealer stated to me.

Hope this information helps.

I don't think I've heard of this before -- at least I don't recall being given a "certificate number".

What sort of certificate is it? What is it used for?

Just curious.

 

[Broncolution]

I don't think I've heard of this before -- at least I don't recall being given a "certificate number".

What sort of certificate is it? What is it used for?

Just curious.

So from what I understand every custom order that is placed during the incentive period should be assigned a certificate from ford for the rebate. It isn’t a physical piece of paper, it is something that is in fords system. If you have custom ordered ask your salesperson about it. If he has no idea what your talking about ask the finance manager to do a search. Then cross reference your findings with ford customer service.

If you don’t want to deal with your dealer just call ford directly and ask them about the national custom order incentive and see if they can locate your certificate in system.

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