Ford not honoring order price, price includes increase

tazzoom · 04-14-2005

Well I'm going to pick up my long awaited Stang tomorrow with great excitement, however the dealer told me today that the price will include the price increase

Ford added in February even though I ordered in December! He claims he spoke to the regional rep who said there is nothing he can do because the car is so popular and all the rep would do is send a $100 certificate

for goods and services which hardly makes up for the $600 increase. The dealer suggests I add a personal letter to my survey and he thinks I will get some money back from Ford. I'm not hopeful! Fortunately I'm still paying under MSRP otherwise I'd probably not take the car.

Has anyone else experienced this and how did you handle it? And did you have any success?

I'm bummed and told the dealer that Ford may get this sale but they won't make a customer out of me. I'm tired of companies stressing how important customers are in their marketing and then showing they don't care about anything but the MONEY!

**pcfrisch** · 04-14-2005

I cannot even see how this is legal, What a rip off, sounds like a good class action suit, maybe they are creating an artificial shortage for this, I have been reading that the auto companies are in trouble due to sales.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tazzoom

Well I'm going to pick up my long awaited Stang tomorrow with great excitement, however the dealer told me today that the price will include the price increase

Ford added in February even though I ordered in December! He claims he spoke to the regional rep who said there is nothing he can do because the car is so popular and all the rep would do is send a $100 certificate

for goods and services which hardly makes up for the $600 increase. The dealer suggests I add a personal letter to my survey and he thinks I will get some money back from Ford. I'm not hopeful! Fortunately I'm still paying under MSRP otherwise I'd probably not take the car.

Has anyone else experienced this and how did you handle it? And did you have any success?

I'm bummed and told the dealer that Ford may get this sale but they won't make a customer out of me. I'm tired of companies stressing how important customers are in their marketing and then showing they don't care about anything but the MONEY!

4511.21 · 04-15-2005

I would say "see la later"...go somewhere else if they will not honor your original agreed upon price. That dealer would not get my business....even if I had to wait somewhere else.

BadHenry · 04-15-2005

We ordered Feb. 14 picked our car up yesterday there had been a $414 price increase since we ordered. Our Dealer, Grand Ledge Ford charged us the price it was when we ordered it in Feb. The price on the sticker was with the $415 increase but dealer honored the price when we ordered it. We didn't have to say anything about it. My guess is your dealer being greedy.

sam_abuelsamid · 04-15-2005

I also ordered mine Feb. 17/ the week before the increase. The invoice reflected the new price, but when I took delivery, the dealer told me the price was locked in when the order was submitted to Ford. I paid the price that was shown on my order sheet, about $400 under the price shown on the invoice.

dekujala · 04-15-2005

I ordered mine Feb 8th and Picked it up March 22nd. The window sticker clearly reflected the increase of about 400 bucks, but I paid what I originally signed when ordering. Dealer told me by signing that and putting the money down I did it guarenteed my price.

My guess is they know they can try to sell for above MSRP if you refuse it, so they are trying to get every last penny from you.

Bad Dealer

ILikeBond · 04-15-2005

I'm a lawyer. While I'm not familiar with your state's laws about this, the suggestion that the dealer has no option but to charge you more "smells" funny, especially if you put a deposit down. Tell the dealer you'll pay the increased price, but you'll report him to the Better Business Bureau and may seek legal representation, as you are *pretty sure* that his failure to honor the agreed-upon price is unlawful, and that he is *not* bound to increase your price (since dealers can always negotiate price, this is a rediculous suggestion). If you're trading a car in, suggest, first, that he make up the price difference on your trade-in.

Note that if you had not yet signed any papers - if it was just a word-of-mouth agreement on the price - even if you had put a deposit down, it is unlikely that you have legal recourse. However, "real world" recourse, such as reporting to the BBB, on these forums, on the dealer survey, etc., your dissatisfaction, may have more effect anyway. It's a few hundred dollars, which is unfortunate. But the bigger deal, IMHO, is he's screwing with you. So, eye-for-an-eye. He screws with you, time to screw with his share of the marketplace. Hopefully you can end up costing this dealer more than the surplus he's charging you, just by way of the potential customers you steer away from him.

Good luck.

graphicguy · 04-15-2005

Ford price protects ordered cars.

Have the dealer contact Ford about the price protection. If they refuse to do so, tell them you'll contact Ford about the price protection.

$600 price increase? I was price protected on my X plan, but the amount was $250. I wasn't aware that there had been $600 in increases.

nonsensez9 · 04-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4511.21

I would say "see la later"...go somewhere else if they will not honor your original agreed upon price. That dealer would not get my business....even if I had to wait somewhere else.

I'm sure the dealer would be pleased if you did go elsewhere... that way they could charge 6k more.

Tastyone · 04-15-2005

On a similar "Dealer Money Grabbing" note, I ordered my car in Early February, they promised delivery by mid to late May at the latest. On April 15th I went to the dealer to check on my status, they told me it was still unscheduled and I probably would'nt see it till July..here's the kicker..the manager then said "by the way we will have to adjust the value of your trade given the extended wait". I basically told him to s$%t in his hat, here he is saying the car you bought won't be delivered when we promised and by the way we want more money

mustangtk · 04-15-2005

If you signed a contract specifying the options etc. the price would be set the day you signed the contract. The dealer CANNOT charge you the price difference if the selling price was written on the order contract. I work at a dealer (a tech) and I ordered mine in Nov. and received it early Feb. the salesmanager told me the price was increased in Jan but would give me the price agreed upon in Nov.... Damn straight!!!
P.S. They are now charging 6k over MSRP for the convert GT's and 5k for base converts. They reached their quota number and have getting GT converts from other dealers that don't have a big Mustang clientele.

d6_05GT · 04-15-2005

I ordered mine in November last year.

I got it for MSRP, but since then I've noticed that the same car will have a few hundred dollars in the MSRP.

I would have been happy with a price $600 more and still under MSRP.

However, Everyone is right. When you ordered and paid your $500 or whatever up front. That is a contract deal. I don't think they can do that.

wildboar · 04-16-2005

my dealer tacked on the msrp change to my car when I bought it. I was like wtf we signed on this price. He said cost of materials changed, nothing he could do about it. I was like you can put it down to what we signed on. He said, you can leave. And I can sell the car to someone else. I was pissed. I was SO close to leaving, but if I did not have to wait forever to get the car I was excited about I just paid the 300 bucks. and they will get a nice survey. I already got the phone calls telling me how they want me to rate them. I told them how they will be rated. bastards.

Edit: They were hoping I did not buy the car, cause they already had this on the window. (i did not pay mark up)

kj_cinci · 04-16-2005

Did not see this before... and did not read others replies... I hope you guys are standing your ground and protecting you consumer rights!

When I got my invoice I could see the price hike was on it. Figured I'd let it be for then... Then when I picked it up last Saturday I showed my DORA with the old MSRP and the Invoice. My DORA even stated I was price protected at the price at order! So they just knocked the diff $420 off... Paid exactly $25K for my sticker $27,990 car... (x-plan and some 'loooong wait discount'. )

You must have something signed from order with the ordered, agreed and signed upon price! Don't pay the new price!!

Tominator · 04-16-2005

Most car dealers would rip out their own mother's heart while she was kicking and screaming to get another few hundred out of a sale. They will tell you anything to get your money.

A lawyer's advice will cost you much more than a few hunderd if you decide to press the case and the dealer is quite aware how to legally extract money from a customer.

Tell him to shove it and go elsewhere. Report this to the BBB and shop for a dealer with at least a two moms!