Last visit with Parks Ford

[Bucko]

A regional Ford rep contacted me a week ago to find out why I was upset with Parks Ford in Gainesville Florida on a potential purchase. To recap, I went there a month ago to trade in my Bronco Sport on a Blue Bronco Big Ben, hoping that with the Ford incentives (employee pricing) could make a deal work. After emails back and forth with a sales rep to first see if this was doable, they assured me that a sale or lease could be made.

That visit was a waste of time, as they tried to push a white Bronco base model they had on their lot, and at a price tag of $53K.

Stepping forward, the regional Ford rep worked with me through another email trail and included a different Ford sales rep at Parks Ford to see if that first visit could be rectified.

A big no! I went back, as I was told they would work a deal on a Blue Big Ben they had on the lot (email to prove all this). I get there, the sales rep I was to work with was sick and could not make the appointment (hmmm, repeat of the first visit) and after 45 minutes of working with another sales rep who had no idea of the emails and working with the regional Ford rep, of which I had to provide a printed copy of those emails, led to this second visit being wasted time once again. They were trying to put me into a Blue (they had the color right) Outer Banks model, which was way over the price range I had talked about on the first two email trails with Parks Ford. I told them I was specifically wanting the Big Ben, as it was at a lower cost. I was ignored and finally told to go to another Ford dealer that I mentioned had what I was looking for.

Bottom line, Parks Ford did not pay any attention to my clear request, and the regional Ford rep was of no help to rectify.

Their service is good though, which is why I gave them a second chance.

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[Jake25]

Hekuva story ?

 

[TCBSport]

This is exactly the reason sites like Carvana are successful. If only they sold new ones these dealers would be reduced to Service centers.

 

[SN19745]

Try a different dealer. If they don’t want your business move on. Never pledge loyalty to any dealer or salesperson. Just your checkbook. The end product is the exact same.

 

[Sojourner]

Try a different dealer. If they don’t want your business move on. Never pledge loyalty to any dealer or salesperson. Just your checkbook. The end product is the exact same.

+1

And that other dealer could get the Bronco you want from Park.

 

[CLR]

Negotiate the price, financing, and the whole package before you even go into the dealer. Seems like you had a deal which they did not honor. Plenty of dealers out there, don’t support the crappy ones.

 

[Mwittke5857]

A regional Ford rep contacted me a week ago to find out why I was upset with Parks Ford in Gainesville Florida on a potential purchase. To recap, I went there a month ago to trade in my Bronco Sport on a Blue Bronco Big Ben, hoping that with the Ford incentives (employee pricing) could make a deal work. After emails back and forth with a sales rep to first see if this was doable, they assured me that a sale or lease could be made.

That visit was a waste of time they tried to push a white Bronco base model they had on their lot, and at a price tag of $53K.

Stepping forward, the regional Ford rep worked with me through another email trail and included a different Ford sales rep at Parks Ford to see if that first visit could be rectified.

A big no! I went back, as I was told they would work a deal on a Blue Big Ben they had on the lot (email to prove all this). I get there, the sales rep I was to work with was sick and could not make the appointment (hmmm, repeat of the first visit) and after 45 minutes of working with another sales rep who had no idea of the emails and working with the regional Ford rep, of which I had to provide a printed copy of those emails, led to this second visit being wasted time once again. They were trying to put me into a Blue (they had the color right) Outer Banks model, which was way over the price range I had talked about on the first two email trails with Parks Ford. I told them I was specifically wanting the Big Ben, as it was at a lower cost. I was ignored and finally told to go to another Ford dealer that I mentioned had what I was looking for.

Bottom line, Parks Ford did not pay any attention to my clear request, and the regional Ford rep was of no help to rectify.

Their service is good though, which is why I gave them a second chance.

Had a similar situation with McDavid Ford when I lived in Fort Worth. Made a deal (out-the-door Price) with a rep on a Tuesday, Wednesday when I got there he was also sick and after jumping through hoops with finance & extended warranty pitches, I was told the out the door price was given, didn't include dealer prep, registration and taxes which I SPECIFICALLY asked for as I had a cashier's check to pay for the car. Despite my better judgement, I accepted another vehicle which ended up being a manufacturer's buy-back with the notorious 6-speed trans. I drove it, seemed fine and I figured the issue was resolved. Not so it turned out. 2500 miles later, bells & lights went off and back to a NY dealer it went since I moved. Turned out to be a solenoid which was covered. 4800 later? same issue and thankfully it was covered. Another 3000 later, the gremlin returned, this time not covered and I was hit with a $450 bill. Another 3500 miles later? You guessed it, same issue. Ended up trading it in. Mind you, this was a 2016, in 2019 with 36,000 miles.

 

[Bucko]

Negotiate the price, financing, and the whole package before you even go into the dealer. Seems like you had a deal which they did not honor. Plenty of dealers out there, don’t support the crappy ones.

This is EXACTLY what I tried to do with the emails I sent prior to a visit. I was told by them to come in; they could make it work...twice.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice,shame on me.

 

[Dude]

This is EXACTLY what I tried to do with the emails I sent prior to a visit. I was told by them to come in; they could make it work...twice.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice,shame on me.

What’s your next step for a full size Bronco?

 

[Mwittke5857]

This is EXACTLY what I tried to do with the emails I sent prior to a visit. I was told by them to come in; they could make it work...twice.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice,shame on me.

I damn near swore of Ford entirely over that fiasco. I'll be 68 in 7 days and have been driving Fords since I was 16. You do the math on my product loyalty.

 

[Bucko]

What’s your next step for a full size Bronco?

I don't have one; yet, but always open to ideas.

There is a Ford dealership in Ocala Florida that I can try, as they have Broncos advertised with no markups and employee pricing (which I heard has been extended by Ford). My worry though is service should I have any warranty work needing performed. Ocala is about an hour from us, and I know that using our local Ford dealership (Parks Ford) for service may be an issue because we did not buy from them. Their service for our Bronco Sport has always been excellent, but with the stories told here by others that local dealerships don't like to service warranty work on a vehicle that was not purchased at that dealership concerns me. And of course, the way I was treated twice now for trying to be a loyal customer would go against my resentment for how I was treated recently with their sales department.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

I don't have one; yet, but always open to ideas.

There is a Ford dealership in Ocala Florida that I can try, as they have Broncos advertised with no markups and employee pricing (which I heard has been extended by Ford). My worry though is service should I have any warranty work needing performed. Ocala is about an hour from us, and I know that using our local Ford dealership (Parks Ford) for service may be an issue because we did not buy from them. Their service for our Bronco Sport has always been excellent, but with the stories told here by others that local dealerships don't like to service warranty work on a vehicle that was not purchased at that dealership concerns me. And of course, the way I was treated twice now for trying to be a loyal customer would go against my resentment for how I was treated recently with their sales department.

If you didn't buy from the Dealership shouldn't have anything to do with the Service provided. They're a Ford Dealership and should be happy to service your vehicle.

 

[davidg4781]

I don't have one; yet, but always open to ideas.

There is a Ford dealership in Ocala Florida that I can try, as they have Broncos advertised with no markups and employee pricing (which I heard has been extended by Ford). My worry though is service should I have any warranty work needing performed. Ocala is about an hour from us, and I know that using our local Ford dealership (Parks Ford) for service may be an issue because we did not buy from them. Their service for our Bronco Sport has always been excellent, but with the stories told here by others that local dealerships don't like to service warranty work on a vehicle that was not purchased at that dealership concerns me. And of course, the way I was treated twice now for trying to be a loyal customer would go against my resentment for how I was treated recently with their sales department.

I didn't buy from my local dealership but when I was in for service last, the lady urged me to come back and get my water pump replaced before I hit 36k miles so she can do it under warranty.

I guess even though she's grump and rude, she still looks out for her customer.

 

[RS1]

People move all the time. Service departments won’t care where you bought. Good luck searching v

 

[sajohnson]

I don't have one; yet, but always open to ideas.

There is a Ford dealership in Ocala Florida that I can try, as they have Broncos advertised with no markups and employee pricing (which I heard has been extended by Ford). My worry though is service should I have any warranty work needing performed. Ocala is about an hour from us, and I know that using our local Ford dealership (Parks Ford) for service may be an issue because we did not buy from them. Their service for our Bronco Sport has always been excellent, but with the stories told here by others that local dealerships don't like to service warranty work on a vehicle that was not purchased at that dealership concerns me. And of course, the way I was treated twice now for trying to be a loyal customer would go against my resentment for how I was treated recently with their sales department.

You are absolutely right to be concerned. From what I've read, and personally experienced over ~50 years, many/most? (but not all) dealerships do not like warranty work and will do whatever they can to avoid it because:
* The reimbursement rate for labor is less and/or the book time is lower.
* The dealer cannot charge the mfr as much for parts.
* It can be a hassle -- paperwork and having to return parts to the mfr.

Service managers continue to confirm that in online posts and comments.

In addition, over the last half century I've read hundreds of posts from vehicle owners who were given a hard time over warranty repairs. A common line from dealers is, "Take it back where you bought it." They routinely say the quiet part out loud.

Of course that's a violation of their franchise agreement, but apparently most mfrs don't enforce the contract. Boilerplate is, "Our dealers are independent businesses." That may be, but the mfr could yank their franchise if they cared about how their customers are being treated.

Essentially, the mfrs and dealers are in an ongoing disagreement over reimbursement for warranty repairs and the customer is stuck in the middle.

Needless to say, not all warranty work experiences with all dealers are bad. Some dealers even seem to look for warranty work (maybe Parks Ford is one of them) -- but enough have a serious attitude problem that it's a major issue.

FWIW -- as bad as car dealers can be, RV dealers are even worse -- but that's another topic.

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