Palm Coast Dealer Stole My Badlands

[Spike]

So after six months I finally got the notice that the Badlands BS I ordered was in and went to the dealer to close the deal today. I took it for a test drive and enjoyed every minute of it. Loved the way it purred when I excelerated and loved the view from the drivers seat. But when the sales manager handed me the closing statement there was a $6895 price increase on it. They called it a market adjustment.

When I ordered it in March they told me I could get the X plan price on it. I was prepared for that to change but not for the $6895 increase.

I walked but I am totally bummed and don't know if I will order another vehicle again. Has anyone had similar issues? Is there something you can do to prevent the unexpected price increase after ordering?

Be advised they will take your order and sell it to the highest bidder.

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[Rgill]

So after six months I finally got the notice that the Badlands BS I ordered was in and went to the dealer to close the deal today. I took it for a test drive and enjoyed every minute of it. Loved the way it purred when I excelerated and loved the view from the drivers seat. But when the sales manager handed me the closing statement there was a $6000 price increase on it. They called it a market adjustment.

When I ordered it in March they told me I could get the X plan price on it and I was expecting that to change but not expecting a 6K increase. They shuffled numbers around and were willing to offer it to me at 4K over invoice but took back my $1000 Ford incentives.

I walked but I am totally bummed and don't know if I will order another vehicle again. Has anyone had similar issues? Is there something you can do to prevent the unexpected price increase after ordering? This dealer is in Palm Coast FL so be advised they will take your order and sell it to the highest bidder.

Did you have an actual ”buyers order & Invoice” And not a preview order? A buyers order can be more binding to a court regardless of what they say. . As it does show amount due, etc. You could tell him you will sue him in small claims court for misrepresentation, fraud and breach of the buyers order and basically say you will drag it out enough to to cost him more in legal fees than the markup. Then call the local newspaper.

I worked on it up front that they would not do a market markup. This kind of stuff in the end will hurt Ford motor who is marketing special orders. It is one thing to mark up a dealer stock order. Another to do that to a special order. I think this is happening in California too. Mine will get about a grand of add ons though but I knew that up from. That plus MSRP gives them about 2500 over invoice.

 

[Spike]

I placed a $500 deposit when I made the order through the dealer and got a "Preview Order" form. It doesn't look like an actual sales agreement so not likely very binding but I have never ordered a vehicle before so did not know if this is the normal procedure or not. I am thinking of ordering a MY22 but don't want to get in this situation again so any advice is appreciated. My next order won't be in Palm Coast.

 

[Leenaya]

I placed a $500 deposit when I made the order through the dealer and got a "Preview Order" form.

I am no lawyer so I don't know what's legal and what's not, but I think Ford calls it a preview order for just that reason. They probably would argue that when the preview was made that was the price but the market changed. I have one of those preview orders as well, signed and all, but I don't think in the end it matter much.

I also am using the x-plan and had my sales person sign a form called the AXZD plan pricing agreement. I think that form might have helped keep the price the same, if it had been filled out all the way. Sadly I was told the invoice was not available as the vehicle wasn't put together yet and that's part of the paper that he signed. Most likely makes it invalid if the issue of a price increase ever came up.

If you look at it from the side of the dealer, its a good idea to get as many custom orders as possible as they get filled first. A shady dealer would likely use that to get a stockpile of sports that they can sell to any number of people who didn't order one for a huge profit.

In the end it comes down to how badly you want the sport, and the dealers know if you want it bad enough you will pay. If you do decide to get a 22 make sure you get a signed agreement that says they wont increase the price no matter what. I doubt you will get them to commit to a form like that in these days of car part shortages, but you can try.

 

[Econoline]

I'm in a similar situation to yours and have the same concerns. My dealer verbally agreed to X-Plan and $1k Customer Cash when I placed the order. I also have text exchanges with the dealer agreeing to those discounts. Now I'm waiting for the vehicle to arrive in mid-December.

Unfortunately there isn't much recourse if the dealer decides to charge MSRP or higher when the vehicle actually arrives. If that happened to me, I would probably threaten to sue in small claims court for "specific performance", meaning force the sale of that specific vehicle to me at the agreed to price, or award me the difference between agreed to price and new price.

 

[Chevyguy]

Is that coming from the dealer or the pricing from Ford?

 

[ZeroCool]

Thats unforgivable. I would go to the dealership at night and put down birdseed everywhere. Let them wake up to their entire fleet bombed.

 

[Osco]

Once again, I’ll ONLY buy what’s sitting in front of me. I will never special order Especially in this new world market.
Op you obviously got disposable money.
Lawyer up.

 

[Ponyrider]

I'd probably hire a lawyer to send them a nasty gram. I would definitely give them a review everywhere I could.

 

[JP25]

Koon's Ford in Falls Church, VA, did this to me as well - I wouldn't call it stealing in my case, but just unethical practice They did not mention the mark-up any time until we sat down to do the paperwork after the vehicle arrived, and tried to squeeze it in over my head. It was not mentioned on the window sticker (obviously), nor did the salesman mention it while we sat down and talked a few days before and when I test drove, nor even when they took my deposit for the vehicle as it hadn't arrived yet. They had me believe all that time that the price would be what the window sticker said.

 

[SM05]

Koon's Ford in Falls Church, VA, did this to me as well

Don't be too easy on them. They are known to be scumbags in the area.

 

[KodiakMomCrawler]

Once again, I’ll ONLY buy what’s sitting in front of me. I will never special order Especially in this new world market.
Op you obviously got disposable money.
Lawyer up.

That’s how I found my OB. My previous car was in the shop at the dealer and I was walking the lot - made sure my car seat fit in the back and it did, bought the car on the spot. Left my previous car there, leaking oil lol. After that, they sold all the other BS pretty fast. I always feel lucky that I got mine when I did. Seems like that’s the best way to get your hands on one these days..

 

[Rgill]

I placed a $500 deposit when I made the order through the dealer and got a "Preview Order" form. It doesn't look like an actual sales agreement so not likely very binding but I have never ordered a vehicle before so did not know if this is the normal procedure or not. I am thinking of ordering a MY22 but don't want to get in this situation again so any advice is appreciated. My next order won't be in Palm Bay.

I got a “retail buyers order and invoice” along with the preview order. which is separate from the preview order. This is a signed document It has all the pricing and balance due at the end. These can be legally binding.

 

[JEspey]

We took our first test drive at Palm Coast Ford, but didn’t want the dealer add ons and the market adjustment. Kept looking, and found ours at Autonation Ford in Sanford. It’s a little bit of a hike from SA, but worth it in the long run. They called me as soon as it arrived on the lot (it was a dealer order) and held it for me. Got it for MSRP less rebate, no add ons, and a very fair deal on my trade. This was back in April, so things were a little different then. Ask for Cowboy.

 

[Jrl]

So after six months I finally got the notice that the Badlands BS I ordered was in and went to the dealer to close the deal today. I took it for a test drive and enjoyed every minute of it. Loved the way it purred when I excelerated and loved the view from the drivers seat. But when the sales manager handed me the closing statement there was a $6000 price increase on it. They called it a market adjustment.

When I ordered it in March they told me I could get the X plan price on it. I was prepared for that to change but not for the $6K increase.

I walked but I am totally bummed and don't know if I will order another vehicle again. Has anyone had similar issues? Is there something you can do to prevent the unexpected price increase after ordering?

This dealer is in Palm Coast FL so be advised they will take your order and sell it to the highest bidder.

The only way you are protected on a sale like that is with a signed sales order with the end price and signed by the general manager not a sales associate, very clear and very simple. That is a contract.

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