Lightning Reservation Holders Beware...

[Blainestang]

Not for Tesla. I had no problem with the long wait. Same with F150EV, these are new models and trying times. Most important, they are great vehicles and worth a wait.

I agree on both counts, but my point was that waiting years for something that's in high demand / low supply is not unique to Tesla, so it's not a knock against the direct-to-consumer method, which it seemed like you were implying. Maybe you weren't?

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[techguydave]

Not sure I'd blame Ford for producing great products people want (MachE, Bronco, F150EV) and having high demand for them.

Nobody's blaming them for that. What they are blaming them for is dealing with dealerships. How long you wait for a vehicle has nothing to do with the process you go through once it's time to actually buy and receive the vehicle. I think you're talking about the reservation process. We're talking about the purchasing process, which somewhat ties into reservations for Ford, at least.

When you get to buying your vehicle, will you be paying MSRP? 2k more? 10k more? If you preordered the first day, will you still get your vehicle next year? Or did you happen to choose the wrong dealer with a bad allotment? Or did Ford suddenly change the allotment and you're now waiting until '23?

 

[metroshot]

Until trade laws change where we can cut out the independent dealers, buying from the manufacturer will not be a reality.

It's a shame that a some greedy Ford dealers (who are all independent owner/operator) spoil it for the rest.

But that's the reality - car dealers are all independent businesses, buy their brand from the manufacturer(s), and sets the prices / terms / conditions.

Glad to see that some dealers are very straightforward and allowing you to order and buy it at MSRP.

 

[lancersrock]

Until trade laws change where we can cut out the independent dealers, buying from the manufacturer will not be a reality.

It's a shame that a some greedy Ford dealers (who are all independent owner/operator) spoil it for the rest.

But that's the reality - car dealers are all independent businesses, buy their brand from the manufacturer(s), and sets the prices / terms / conditions.

Glad to see that some dealers are very straightforward and allowing you to order and buy it at MSRP.

I don't understand how Tesla and rivian are getting around these laws but Ford can't? I mean I can buy almost anything else directly from the OEM why are vehicles different? Honest questions not attitude.

 

[GarageMahal]

I don't understand how Tesla and rivian are getting around these laws but Ford can't? I mean I can buy almost anything else directly from the OEM why are vehicles different? Honest questions not attitude.

Its complicated : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_US_dealership_disputes

Biggest complication is that Ford has an existing dealer network and is not allowed to compete with them (either by law or by contract).

 

[Pedaldude]

Look at the Bronco forums for a taste of what to expect when Lightning orders start hitting dealer lots. It's not pretty! However, there are some tips that might help those who want to be prepared.

Avoid converting reservations with dealers currently adding ADMs on Broncos.

Find out what your state's legally binding sales contract looks like. Pretty much all dealership 'sales agreements' are pretty much bullshit.

X-Plan pricing might be revoked like on Bronco, so don't count on it, however, if you qualify it might be possible to get the agreed price to be matched beforehand if it's a gamble the dealer is willing to take to get the order.

 

[RavenYZF-R6]

Look at the Bronco forums for a taste of what to expect when Lightning orders start hitting dealer lots. It's not pretty! However, there are some tips that might help those who want to be prepared.

Avoid converting reservations with dealers currently adding ADMs on Broncos.

Find out what your state's legally binding sales contract looks like. Pretty much all dealership 'sales agreements' are pretty much bullshit.

X-Plan pricing might be revoked like on Bronco, so don't count on it, however, if you qualify it might be possible to get the agreed price to be matched beforehand if it's a gamble the dealer is willing to take to get the order.

Good idea checking for Bronco and Mach E prices. My dealer is at msrp for those but also has a $699 dealer fee.

 

[olooney]

With the Bronco's many of us on the forum we able to get together and convince local dealers to get us discounted pricing if we moved over to their dealership as a group. Has anyone on this forum discussed this possibility?

 

[Pedaldude]

...My dealer is at msrp for those but also has a $699 dealer fee.

X-Plan caps the doc fee, also make sure the prices are their actual prices and not just their web pricing, many dealerships with MSRP prices on their website will add the ADMs when you show up in person. You might try emailing and inquiring specifically about out the door pricing.

Also, when I ordered my truck, even though I had X-Plan pricing; I wrote diagonally across the entire page of the order sheet that I signed "No dealer add-ons," just so that there wouldn't be any confusion, since the local dealer likes to install a $2,500 package on every truck they sell which is mostly just bullshit like a $30 aftermarket alarm system, $15 VIN etching on the glass and nitrogen filled tires. The only things included that most people get are tinted windows and sprayed bedliner, which even if you don't shop around don't come anywhere near $2,500. Mostly dealer add ons are just another way to rip people off.

Things like shitty aftermarket alarms are almost worse than ADMs because they can impact the reliability of your vehicle, just search for pictures of the absolutely amateur hour installations that some people are seeing when they uninstall them.

With the Bronco's many of us on the forum we able to get together and convince local dealers to get us discounted pricing if we moved over to their dealership as a group. Has anyone on this forum discussed this possibility?

One possible problem with this is Ford prioritizing allocation over reservations, so if too many people are with one dealership, not all reservation orders will arrive if it exceeds that dealership's allocation.

 

[Mean Red GT]

One possible problem with this is Ford prioritizing allocation over reservations, so if too many people are with one dealership, not all reservation orders will arrive if it exceeds that dealership's allocation.

This was one of my main reasons for starting this thread was to make Lightning reservation holders aware that Ford changed the rules to the game so now the Bronco reservations may be meaningless just because of which dealer you used to convert your reservation to an order.

 

[greenne]

Said it before, I'll say it again..I don't know why people are hell bent on getting rid of dealerships and think that direct sales are so much better.

I have no love for dealerships, but I use them as much as they use me and under NORMAL circumstances competition works out for the consumer if they are willing to put in the effort.

Let's look at what happens when there is not a chip shortage. You(consumer) research a product and find the dealer that will offer the car you want at the lowest price. If you can't find one they'll order one for you. Hell, if you're lazy..you can find a dealer that offers a NO HASSLE price. But in the end how many people pay MSRP? I'd venture to guess almost everyone ends up paying less than MSRP. Personal note, I've been buying cars for more than 20yrs now and I've NEVER paid MSRP for a vehicle. (The Lightning will be the first).

We go to direct pricing..what happens? Everyone gets to pay MSRP. Great...that means for 99% of us we will be paying more for the vehicle. I mean do you REALLY think Ford(or anyone else) are going to lower the price if they start selling direct.

Getting rid of dealers is a losing situation, IMHO. Less competition==higher prices.

 

[techguydave]

Nothing you can say will ever convince me that having to do hours and hours of research finding a "good" dealership then having to still navigate through all of the sales game is worth it.

I'd pay MSRP all day every day for true no haggling purchasing. It's an outdated model that only hangs on due to their absurd lobbying.

 

[rdr854]

Nothing you can say will ever convince me that having to do hours and hours of research finding a "good" dealership then having to still navigate through all of the sales game is worth it.

I'd pay MSRP all day every day for true no haggling purchasing. It's an outdated model that only hangs on due to their absurd lobbying.

So what you are saying is that saving $5K to $10K off of MSRP is not worth an hour or so of Internet research to find a vehicle at a good price? That has typically been my savings on Fusions, Suburbans and Volvos.

 

[techguydave]

so what you are saying is that saving $5K to $10K off of MSRP is not worth an hour of Internet research to find a vehicle at a good price? That has typically been my savings on Fusions, Suburbans and Volvos.

Honestly: Yes. Now, I wouldn't pay over MSRP for that convenience, but having to put up with mind games and cutting through bullshit to save under MSRP isn't worth my time and mental bandwidth.

I f**king hate it and hope this process dies a painful death.

 

[Pilot2022]

So what you are saying is that saving $5K to $10K off of MSRP is not worth an hour or so of Internet research to find a vehicle at a good price? That has typically been my savings on Fusions, Suburbans and Volvos.

one thing to also note is that MSRPs are inflated...there was a reason that every ad on TV pre-covid was offering few thousand off or % off.
If there was a realistic MSRP, savings thousands becomes a moot point. You don't hear anyone saying that Tesla's are overpriced. Tesla offers a price and people either take it or don't. No need to play shell games of over-inflated MSRP and then jumping through hoops to "save" $.

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