Gee, Thanks FORD! $20 whole bucks!

[Tigger]

But you might have sold the Bronco Sport and kept the VIN in your FordPass App. I guess you could argue that since you originally paid for the BS the $20 is yours but if your sold it then who should get the $20 ?

Me. Anytime the question is, “who deserves the money?” the answer is “me”!

edit: and I love this quote from above, @Dude

"Dude, chill out. It's only one egg!"

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[coopny]

I can't agree with anyone on here who says "take the $20".

I have been in contact with Ford. Three levels of escalation. They agree it cannot be retrofit into my existing vehicle.

The next step is a PO Box. Another dept in Dearborn MI.

Ford for a while disclaimed the $20 savings on the window sticker. People were told, up front, what they were not getting. This is offering the same compensation to people who would have gladly taken delivery of the vehicle minus the feature or credit as those who bought the car depending on it for some future point or resale value.

If Ford even cut a $20 check in the name of the owner to the address, one could argue it wasn't disingenuous but delayed. Instead they sent a service action letter that required someone to open it, read it, and enroll in a website to get the same $20 back that they wouldn't have spent in the first place had Ford done their homework.

I plan to engage with Ford for more as this does impact the future value of the vehicle for me. I'm not using Wi-Fi 24/7 now, but I bought a car with it in mind so if I went on a remote vacation, I had a full size cellular antenna for reception at more remote sites.

 

[Dude]

I can't agree with anyone on here who says
take the $20

I plan to engage with Ford for more as this does impact the future value of the vehicle for me

Good luck !

 

[sajohnson]

I can't agree with anyone on here who says "take the $20".

I have been in contact with Ford. Three levels of escalation. They agree it cannot be retrofit into my existing vehicle.

The next step is a PO Box. Another dept in Dearborn MI.

Ford for a while disclaimed the $20 savings on the window sticker. People were told, up front, what they were not getting. This is offering the same compensation to people who would have gladly taken delivery of the vehicle minus the feature or credit as those who bought the car depending on it for some future point or resale value.

If Ford even cut a $20 check in the name of the owner to the address, one could argue it wasn't disingenuous but delayed. Instead they sent a service action letter that required someone to open it, read it, and enroll in a website to get the same $20 back that they wouldn't have spent in the first place had Ford done their homework.

I plan to engage with Ford for more as this does impact the future value of the vehicle for me. I'm not using Wi-Fi 24/7 now, but I bought a car with it in mind so if I went on a remote vacation, I had a full size cellular antenna for reception at more remote sites.

That's what I was getting at above -- if something is removed/deleted from a vehicle, the buyer/owner should be reimbursed based on the market/MSRP value of that item.

What if a BS was supposed to come with the tow package and a full size spare but there was a mix-up and that didn't happen. The buyer paid $X for the tow package (IIRC our was $540). Would it be OK for Ford to give the buyer a refund based on *their* cost -- say, $300?

Of course the WiFi hotspot is not an option with a clear price, so that makes it more difficult. Maybe it is an option in another Ford vehicle?

As you mentioned, having a full-size dedicated cellular antenna can make the difference between getting reception and being stuck, having to hike out -- which, depending upon where you are, may be difficult to impossible.

One way of valuing the hot spot feature might be to find something equivalent -- which it sounds like you'll want to do anyway. Wilson makes good gear:
https://www.wilsonelectronics.com/

This looks good (but pricy). They use a full-size Bronco in one photo:
https://www.weboost.com/products/drive-reach-overland

I haven't done business with them recently, but when I did they were very friendly and helpful.

 

[Bucko]

I simply cannot loose life over a 20 dollar bill.

Not worth any fight IMO.

Ford wins this one.

 

[coopny]

That's what I was getting at above -- if something is removed/deleted from a vehicle, the buyer/owner should be reimbursed based on the market/MSRP value of that item.

Yes, but the problem here is that the value of a feature can exceed the cost of it. It potentially could make or break one's purchase decision for the vehicle. Having the wi-fi hotspot available was important to me even though I don't currently use it, because A) vehicle resale value and B) having the use of it available if I decide to go on long road trips in my BS BL.

If, say, there was a mistake at the factory, and my hotspot was removed, and it was a $20 credit on the window sticker - I could make a decision on whether I accept the offer for that deletion, or I could decide not to buy the vehicle. This is why there's a federal civil penalty of up to $1,000 for Monroney stickers being wrong (which, IMO, these days is ridiculously low as that threshold applies even if the error on the sticker was deliberate).

What if a BS was supposed to come with the tow package and a full size spare but there was a mix-up and that didn't happen. The buyer paid $X for the tow package (IIRC our was $540). Would it be OK for Ford to give the buyer a refund based on *their* cost -- say, $300?

It's cut and dry there. Cost is based on what was charged to customer.

WOf course the WiFi hotspot is not an option with a clear price, so that makes it more difficult. Maybe it is an option in another Ford vehicle?

I"m not aware of any vehicle where it's an option. Most of the hardware is already there from the cellular perspective to allow FordPass Connect functionality anyways. What's different is having hardware to drive the hotspot. Whatever chip has been in shortage, at points.

I haven't done business with them recently, but when I did they were very friendly and helpful.
[/QUOTE]

I have a WeBoost (Wilson) Drive Reach, which is the same booster but without as aggressive of an antenna and it works really well. They're also a great company - I have a 4G booster from 2014 in another car (low/midband freqs did not change with 5G, and the ultrawideband stuff is super short range anyways) and when the power supply died in 2019, I called them to ask for the part number to order a new power supply. Without blinking or asking for proof of purchase when I got it, they offered to send a replacement power supply, free of charge. They're really great people. The product cannot produce signal where there's nowhere, but it works.

This isn't a substitute to me for buying a vehicle on the basis of a feature of it being present and it being absent.

I simply cannot loose life over a 20 dollar bill.

Not worth any fight IMO.

Ford wins this one.

This is an apology/bare minimum concession by Ford basically conceding that you can offer a $20 concession for saying something was present in a car, not shipping it, and then offering a letter which isn't a check/cash/money order but a process to opt in (if you read the letter, did it in time, etc.) to get $20 in several weeks.

I'm sorry but again, this isn't like we ticked a box ordering our cars saying that the wifi was a +$20 option, oh sorry we missed it, that was worth $20 to you, here's the $20 you paid back. That's still ludicrous but whatever.

You can put whatever value or refusal point on features that you want. You could charge $10,000 for heated massage seats. I'd say no thanks, but I'd know I declined and my car didn't come with them. You could charge $100 for a stupid gimmick light in the car that plays Disco inferno whenever the ignition is on. Obviously that's ludicrous and useless example, but I could accept to build or buy the car on the basis of that feature being included at X price.

Going more realistically, on the 2023 Expedition my folks bought, the towing hook is not obvious. There's a decorative trim piece. My father bought that vehicle as he needs to tow trailers that are heavier than what a BS or Explorer can handle. He doesn't do it daily, it's one or two times a year, but it was an absolute purchase factor in the vehicle over other brands/makes, and other Ford vehicles that were less expensive.

We could all argue over "how badly does one need a hotspot" but we depend on vehicle companies to be honest with us at the time of sale to know what we are and are not buying.

Ford offering $20 ex post facto for a feature they said they shipped is not commensurate.

 

[Nosmo Rex]

I got the letter yesterday too. I wondered when I bought my OBX (a '23) why I didn't see the credit on the window sticker and it was obvious I didn't have the functionality. I never intended to use the hotspot, so I'll consider the $20 check a "win".
Edit to add: I actually saw this on my vehicle dashboard on Ford.com before I received the letter.

 

[Arcee]

Considering a consumer USB WiFi adapter these days is like $10, it isn't at all surprising that mobile WiFi Hotspot hardware being purchased in the quantity that a company like Ford would buy would be valued at $20. Perfectly reasonable.

 

[sajohnson]

Generally speaking, when it comes to features/parts that were supposed to be installed and functional but were eliminated, there are a couple considerations:

1) Is the owner interested in the feature? Is it something they really wanted?
2) What is the MSRP/retail value of the feature?

If the owner does not care about it, and plans to keep the car until it is a pile of rust and then recycle it -- no big deal, except they paid more for the car than they should have had to.

If the owner does care, perhaps even based their buying decision on that feature being present, that's much worse.

If the owner will/might trade or sell the car, and the feature (if present) would have added significant value, then the owner is taking a loss.

 

[coopny]

Considering a consumer USB WiFi adapter these days is like $10, it isn't at all surprising that mobile WiFi Hotspot hardware being purchased in the quantity that a company like Ford would buy would be valued at $20. Perfectly reasonable.

I believe you misunderstand the point. This is not a $10 USB that allows a laptop without wifi (which what laptop not manufactured in the last 18 years didn't have wifi on board?) to have wifi to connect to a wifi network. It is a feature where the vehicle itself can broadcast a wifi network to create internet for other wifi devices.

The scope is vastly vastly different. The pitch is that if you're taking your kids on long road trips they'll be able to stream entertainment. Or if you're driving as your spouse needs to remain connected to do their job, that this is an option. Or that if you take your BS offroad to a campsite, that you'll still be connected to your job, family, and loved ones.

Equivalence of "but it was standard therefore any compensation is fine" is unavailing to me.

I get where many might say that they never cared about it so $20 is $20 and why bother arguing, I'll won't argue. For me, #1 it was important to me for future use, #2 it sets an important precedent that Ford is held accountable to properly reimburse you for a failure to ship the vehicle as you understood it to be built and took delivery of.

Mandatory credits for things like auto liftgate sensors, wifi hotspots, a ton of other things were common during COVID chip shortages. People could "take it or leave it"; don't take the car or take the car. But the contraindications versus the manual were disclaimed on the window sticker. Ford said in 2022 yeah, your BS is not coming with a wifi hotspot, here's a $20 credit, buy the car or don't. Buyers had a choice.

Trying to tie a voluntary offer on what Ford decided to offer in a seller's market versus what the feature is worth people willing to take delivery or not in the past versus selling the car as having something and clawing it back is nonsense. I don't care who manufactured the car. The practice is outright bad and disingenuous.

 

[Dude]

I believe you misunderstand the point. This is not a $10 USB that allows a laptop without wifi (which what laptop not manufactured in the last 18 years didn't have wifi on board?) to have wifi to connect to a wifi network.

I do not believe the person that posted the following was referring to a USB WiFi Adapter as a solution, instead I believe the person was providing a comparative cost analysis stating that $20 is reasonable cost in high volume for the 4G AT&T modem that Ford installs to provide mobile hotspot. I agree with the stated comparative cost analysis stating that $20 is reasonable cost:

“Considering a consumer USB WiFi adapter these days is like $10, it isn't at all surprising that mobile WiFi Hotspot hardware being purchased in the quantity that a company like Ford would buy would be valued at $20. Perfectly reasonable.”

It’s not unreasonable that AT&T subsidizes the Ford Modem, perhaps that helps to reduce its cost to Ford. Just a guess.

Here is one possible solution for a vehicle 4G mobile hotspot that provides the vehicle hotspot for a monthly fee from either AT&T or TMobile. Cost for just the device not including the monthly fee is $64 but that is in quantity 1 not in high volume and I found other devices as low as $17 quantity 1.

Also, although I do not remember where I saw Ford state when purchasing a vehicle that “features at time of delivery may change” or other words to that affect.

Buying a Ford vehicle is on Ford’s terms and consumers are not dictating the price Ford sets (if any) for deleted features. Ford placed the value at $20 for the AT&T modem that was deleted, no Bronco Sport owner was consulted of course.

I believe if you press the issue with Ford, they will make a reasonable solution for you because goodwill is important to Ford.

 

[Dude]

Also, the AT&T Hotspot Modem is 4G technology… 4G technology has been available for 15 years, and experts consider 2030 to be the year 4G will begin phasing out. Some Bronco Sports will still be in (extended) warranty in 2030ish and could lose the Hotspot.

 

[tjbronco]

Just for reference, using your phone as a shared hotspot doesn’t “tie it up”. At least with AT&T service it works simultaneously as a phone. I assume other carriers are the same.

FYI - When I say tie it up, I mean that I want to keep my phone with me to use as a phone. With the MiFi, I can walk in a room (work or home), toss it on a table, and everyone has Wifi and I still have my phone on my person to use. I have used a MiFi for quite a few years - and they work great for my needs. Your mileage may vary.

 

[magicbus]

FYI - When I say tie it up, I mean that I want to keep my phone with me to use as a phone. With the MiFi, I can walk in a room (work or home), toss it on a table, and everyone has Wifi and I still have my phone on my person to use. I have used a MiFi for quite a few years - and they work great for my needs. Your mileage may vary.

I kind of see your point, but we are talking about your Bronco Sport. Now mine is a 2021 and it didn’t come with a table to toss things onto but maybe options changed.

 

[sajohnson]

FWIW:

This isn't exactly the same but when I realized the factory tow package eliminated the threaded hole for the rear towing eye, I spoke with our dealer and with Ford and they (eventually) gave use the Curt shackle hitch receiver that they sell online, to use as a rear recovery point.

That was a good solution because a) it solved the problem, and b) it cost Ford substantially less to give us a unit they bought in bulk than it would to give us enough money to buy one retail.

In this case with the hotspot, no doubt Ford would prefer to pay $20 rather than replace the hotspot functionality, but it might not cost that much more to offer an aftermarket unit purchased wholesale. Based on the replies in this thread, many owners would just take the $20 anyway.

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