Reserved within first 15 minutes, but dealer just told me I won't get a Lightning until 2023.

[Nick Gerteis]

For me its just the not knowing part. I understand I will have a considerable wait as demand far exceeds supply. But will that wait be 6 months..a year..18 months..longer? No idea. If Ford just said.."we expect to produce 15,000 units by Fall '22" up to 150k reservations converted by Fall of 2023 I'd have some idea. Also, I have no idea whether I am #50,000 or #120,000 in line. Just give me some sort of clue Ford...some idea of where I am in the pecking order.

I just feel this is an open ended, long term relationship.

An open ended, one sided, long term relationship. Yikes, I’ve been warned about that before!

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[Roy2001]

Looks I am lucky, 1st time Ford buyer, ordered close to 8pm PST on 5/19, that's 11pm EST. I am in Sacramento CA. I assume there are a lot of EV lovers. I got invitation on 4/12 and just ordered yesterday.

 

[snyce1]

My reservation was made very early during the Ford Lightning presentation, but when I contacted my dealership in November, I was told I was 14/667 in the order. Being naïve to this whole process I assumed that because I was in the top 2% of reservations at my large dealership, I would get a 2022 Lightning.
When I found out about dealership prioritizations, I asked if they were going to use them and I was assured, in writing, that they were not. Again, they confirmed I was 14/667 and they said I was in a great position to get a 2022.
Today, I was told that I am 27th in the order and that Ford recently told them they are only allocated "6, maybe 9" 2022 F150 Lightnings.
Granted, this means that even if I were 14th, I likely wouldn't get one. But it's still pretty annoying that I fell down to 27th somehow.
That's pretty disappointing. And it's very disappointing they couldn't have told me anything like this sooner. I bought a 2019 Lariat F150 and a 2020 Expedition from them.
Well, at least I can stop refreshing my Ford account!
My reservation was day 1, and my number is 108173xx

I reserved but ordered a hybrid and got it in 6 mos w several computer and power issues . Slow to devise ota for fix by Ford engineers . Hope lightning doesnt have the same issues the hybrid does .big risk ...

 

[neririn]

This happens all the time in all reservation industries. Ford is no different and nothing is going to change anytime soon. I stay over 100 nights a year at Marriott Hotels. If we all go to a Lightning unveiling at a sold out Marriott property and you all have reservations to stay the night and I don’t, I guarantee they will give me one of your rooms and cancel your reservation if I ask for it. They will do it in less than a heartbeat. Because my continued business has more provable value than some others.

 

[beatle]

Looks I am lucky, 1st time Ford buyer, ordered close to 8pm PST on 5/19, that's 11pm EST. I am in Sacramento CA. I assume there are a lot of EV lovers. I got invitation on 4/12 and just ordered yesterday.

Reading these posts I think I'm lucky too, maybe. I reserved at 10:03pm EST after the presentation. My dealer said I was #6 on their list but I'm not sure how many they were allocated. Once the configurator came online they asked me to build my truck (Lariat ER) and send them the PDF. My guess is they may have been further prioritizing people based on their trim levels and I may not have made the 2022 list if I were planning to order a Pro or XLT. That's my conspiracy theory at least.

 

[metroshot]

Looks I am lucky, 1st time Ford buyer, ordered close to 8pm PST on 5/19, that's 11pm EST. I am in Sacramento CA. I assume there are a lot of EV lovers. I got invitation on 4/12 and just ordered yesterday.

Same 1st time Ford truck buyer (did have Ford sedans in the past).

On day 1, I did not just jump the gun and choose any nilly willy dealer near me - I did a lot of calls and emails to dealers and most were charging over MSRP (dealer adjustment) on a customer ordered F150L.

Finally found a dealer 2 counties over passing by 7 dealers, that said they won't charge over MSRP.
Sure enough a year later, they still are sticking with MSRP.

Yes, I think I am VERY lucky since I reserved on day 2.

It helps to be in a ZEV state with a high volume, high allocation dealer - my dealer got 50 allocations.

A few extended which resulted in my number coming up - final cleanup wave for MY 2022 F150L on 4/12/22.

 

[jpepper07]

That doesn't make any sense. There is no good reason why a system for selling vehicles such as this exists. You should never be ok with that happening.

If I have a hotel reservation, I don't worry that the hotel will bump me and give my spot to somebody they like more.

If I reserve a book at the library, I don't have to worry that a regular customer liked more by the librarian will come take the book before I can pick it up.

If I make a reservation at a restaurant, I fully expect to get a table when I arrive. I've never had a restaurant bump me and give my table to a VIP.

Reservations are reservations... Regardless of the industry.

Why you think it's ok for a dealer to bump people with reservations is mind boggling. That defeats the entire purpose of the reservation.

That is not a fair comparison! lol

The difference with all those reservations is that those rooms, books, and restaurant tables already exists. You are booking time with them. You aren't buying the whole thing of something that doesn't exists. Also with rooms you pay the full price. Books...reservations aren't really a thing. A table they just give to the next one if you don't show and likely not let you reserve again.

You only paid $100 for a chance to make a build and submit it to ford. This isn't the same thing, maybe ford should use another word other than "reservation" if the general use and definition of reservation is what bothers you.

 

[jpepper07]

Same 1st time Ford truck buyer (did have Ford sedans in the past).

On day 1, I did not just jump the gun and choose any nilly willy dealer near me - I did a lot of calls and emails to dealers and most were charging over MSRP (dealer adjustment) on a customer ordered F150L.

Finally found a dealer 2 counties over passing by 7 dealers, that said they won't charge over MSRP.
Sure enough a year later, they still are sticking with MSRP.

Yes, I think I am VERY lucky since I reserved on day 2.

It helps to be in a ZEV state with a high volume, high allocation dealer - my dealer got 50 allocations.

A few extended which resulted in my number coming up - final cleanup wave for MY 2022 F150L on 4/12/22.

Wow! My dealer maybe got 2-4. I haven't heard but I really don't think it was more than 4. I am in a non zev state with a smaller dealer.

 

[greenne]

That is not a fair comparison! lol

The difference with all those reservations is that those rooms, books, and restaurant tables already exists. You are booking time with them. You aren't buying the whole thing of something that doesn't exists. Also with rooms you pay the full price. Books...reservations aren't really a thing. A table they just give to the next one if you don't show and likely not let you reserve again.

You only paid $100 for a chance to make a build and submit it to ford. This isn't the same thing, maybe ford should use another word other than "reservation" if the general use and definition of reservation is what bothers you.

It flat out says in the reservation "fine print" that it doesn't guarantee and particular place in line or a particular order.

 

[vandy1981]

Does anyone honestly think that Ford would have lost business if they had gone with a true first-in-first-out reservation model and didn't give dealers an opportunity to prioritize? They received at least two weeks of bad press when a small minority of dealers bid out priority slots in December and they alienated many potential conquest customers while they were at it. My truck is probably going to be built this week and I'm still annoyed with how Ford handled the reservation process.

Ford isn't going to win the EV transition if they only cater to their legacy customers and they allow dealers to play favorites with customers for often dubious reasons.

 

[LightningShow]

That doesn't make any sense. There is no good reason why a system for selling vehicles such as this exists. You should never be ok with that happening.

There is a good reason, Ford wanted to reward loyal customers. You just don't like the reason because it inconvenienced you.

 

[LightningShow]

This happens all the time in all reservation industries. Ford is no different and nothing is going to change anytime soon. I stay over 100 nights a year at Marriott Hotels. If we all go to a Lightning unveiling at a sold out Marriott property and you all have reservations to stay the night and I don’t, I guarantee they will give me one of your rooms and cancel your reservation if I ask for it. They will do it in less than a heartbeat. Because my continued business has more provable value than some others.

Correct. I'm a Diamond Hilton member. Hilton gives Diamond members a guaranteed room whether the hotel is full, or not. That means they're bumping people if I want a room.

 

[pstansel]

I haven't owned a Ford in 30 years. My build date is June 6th. So it clearly wasn't all loyal customers

 

[jpepper07]

Does anyone honestly think that Ford would have lost business if they had gone with a true first-in-first-out reservation model and didn't give dealers an opportunity to prioritize? They received at least two weeks of bad press when a small minority of dealers bid out priority slots in December and they alienated many potential conquest customers while they were at it. My truck is probably going to be built this week and I'm still annoyed with how Ford handled the reservation process.

Ford isn't going to win the EV transition if they only cater to their legacy customers and they allow dealers to play favorites with customers for often dubious reasons.

I absolutely believe that if they did first in first out that people would still have complained about other things due to this. First in first out would be a crap ton of problems and slow deliveries down because ford wouldn't be able to prioritize. That would have been more than 2 weeks of bad press.

 

[vandy1981]

Correct. I'm a Diamond Hilton member. Hilton gives Diamond members a guaranteed room whether the hotel is full, or not. That means they're bumping people if I want a room.

I wonder how they decide who gets to walk the plank?

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