Mike Levine saying outright he does NOT care about Granger/Chapman/SAC

[JDS]

Hmmmm. Who knew that having everyone pick the same dealer was a bad idea. I'd rather support my local dealer. There's absolutely no reason to pick any dealer that's more than 200 miles away, so for all those out of state buyers - that's on you.

100% incorrect. I have at least $5,000 maybe $10,000 reasons. Plus there are 3 ford dealers within 5 miles of where I live. Only one of them has a decent service department. How would it be any different purchasing from the local one that gives you the best deal and using the one with the best service department for all future follow-up, vs. purchasing out of state and doing the same thing. It is not.

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[andrusoid]

I had one of the Granger 2k off deals and finally came to my senses. How is a small dealer in a small market going to handle hundreds (guessing, but, yeah) of reservations and deliver? Don't be making saints out of them. Yes, they are upfront about wanting to grow their dealership, but at some point you have to tell people, uh, don't think we can get you a vehicle this year.

Got a call back from Granger. Basically my res. with them is #861 or something and I couldn't expect a Bronco for 3 to 4 years at the current rate. Needless to say I moved the order to my local dealer at MSRP.

 

[TXNavy]

What about those of us who placed our order with a small local dealer that didn't create a special deal to attract a large number of orders???

 

[andrusoid]

100% incorrect. I have at least $5,000 maybe $10,000 reasons. Plus there are 3 ford dealers within 5 miles of where I live. Only one of them has a decent service department. How would it be any different purchasing from the local one that gives you the best deal and using the one with the best service department for all future follow-up, vs. purchasing out of state and doing the same thing. It is not.

And, have you asked Granger where you are in line? I was #861 or something. 3 to 4 year wait. Went with my local for MSRP.

 

[mpeugeot]

Got a call back from Granger. Basically my res. with them is #861 or something and I couldn't expect a Bronco for 3 to 4 years at the current rate. Needless to say I moved the order to my local dealer at MSRP.

And I am now number 955. Winning!

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

Question, the reservation system has failed to go the way everyone wanted, they way it was intended, I think on all of that we can agree. But if it weren't for the reservations and dealers trying to get more reservations, hence more allocation, does anyone here think that any dealers would have been selling units at invoice?

I mean with all of the demand, out of all of the units produced, how many would have even sold for MSRP? Seriously, the mark ups would have been much larger if all 190,000 plus those didn't reserve were trying to buy at the same time.

But many are waiting their turn because of their reservation, so there isn't 200,000 plus looking to buy today. There would have been no discounts at all, let along very many at MSRP.

 

[JDS]

And, have you asked Granger where you are in line? I was #861 or something. 3 to 4 year wait. Went with my local for MSRP.

Local MSRP? That is like a real sasquatch. Plus I am like #40@ my dealer, but likely playing the parts constraints sweepstakes because I ordered all of them.....

 

[WyoBronc]

So, I must admit I was a bit put off by some of the $1,000-$2,000 dollar under invoice crowd. There was a certain amount of arrogance when one of them would browbeat another member for being so naive as to pay MSRP, or wanting a Bronco so badly as to pay an ADM because there was no one within a 100 miles charging MSRP. And I viewed the people saying they are there for the responsiveness and helpful nature of Granger (for example) as being akin to someone saying they only bought their penthouse magazine for the articles….does penthouse still print magazines? Might have aged myself.
But then I reached out to Zach, because of his reputation and my concern with price negotiations for my upcoming 2022 reorder, even though I’m not his customer, I have a feeling I will be in the future. Now I get it. I just wished Ford would get it…but they have proven to be a company void of integrity. They are never going to do the right thing because doing the right thing is counterintuitive to their current culture, and a leopard can’t change it’s spots.
Ford’s unethical treatment of these small dealerships trying to grow their businesses through old school work ethic and small town honesty and values doesn’t compute with Ford because they only see the bottom line. And the fact that they would, in effect, throw the baby out with the wash, and subject their own buyers (not customers) to collateral damage while trying to rein in small dealerships that dared to color outside the lines is a new level of bottom line appeasement and vindictiveness.
I have a day 1, 1st 10 minute reservation and a #1 mid-large dealership allocation without a VIN. I am going to my dealership tomorrow to renegotiate price for my reorder of a MY22 Bronco without any leverage because Ford apparently won’t allow us to transfer orders. I am not optimistic. And if things go south, I will have them 99 my 6:10pm mountain time #1 allocation order indefinitely and buy a Jeep from Zach.

 

[RBF 1401]

You are right though, I am not sympathetic to the plight of those who chased great discounts to certain dealers. I read, and stayed quiet, when people posted about their amazing deals, and insinuated that anybody paying MSRP was a sucker, or was just giving their money away. There was an arrogance to their posts then, so I don't feel bad for them now when the deals maybe wasn't as good as they thought it would be.

I don't wish them ill will, I hope they get their Bronco and I think Ford should honor the orders and deliver them in the same timeline as others. That said, contrasting the arrogance or gloating of the " I got a great deal" posts from a year ago to the " I am getting screwed " posts today...sorry, I just don't feel bad for them.

1.) I didn't order through Granger for the deal, I did it because my two local dealers are brothers-in-law, both crooks, and wouldn't even talk to me about my Bronco reservation. And like most people, I am staying there because I can't get honest deals IN WRITING from my local dealers.
2.) Almost everyone with Granger knew it would add time and travel to this process, but by Ford's original allocation formula I would have had my Bronco in 2022, but the new formula puts me at 2024 or 2025. Part of Granger allowing so many orders was 50% of the original allocation formula was based on Bronco orders and Ford has cut that portion in half to 25%.
3.) I've never gloated about Granger's deal or insulted anyone paying MSRP, but I have gloated about their honesty, integrity, and helpfulness. I'm happy for you if you were able to procure a Bronco for MSRP, just as I would be happy to be able to buy one at MSRP as well. Even Granger Motors has often said that if you can find an honest deal locally that you should take it.
4.) I'm not asking for sympathy, but since you mention having no sympathy for people who switched to Granger and Stephens, do you have any sympathy for the people who have had dealers quote one price but add $5k or $10k to it once the Bronco showed up? Or the folks whose dealers flat out stole their reservation or canceled it without their permission? Or the ones who when the Bronco showed up, the dealer said they've had so many offers for it that they can't have it even though they ordered it?

Buying from Granger or Stephens or Chapman is a guarantee that you aren't going to get unexpectedly screwed. If I could find a dealer with a 50 mile radius of me who could guarantee that, I would buy from them.

I know a few dealers that are closer to me than Granger that are fairly trustworthy, but they are still out of town and I would still be doing everything by phone and email. But already, two of them have admitted to having a similar problem with allocation. Maybe not to the extent of Granger, but I still would have no chance of getting a 2022.

If you found a Ford dealer you can trust, I am happy for you. I honestly hope your dealer has less reservations than allocations and doesn't try to pull an shenanigans on you when your Bronco shows up.

 

[Epenney]

In case anyone's been waiting for an answer:
@mrlevine Fill your Bronco reservation orders ahead of allocations. We’ve already waited 15 months. Stop punishing your customers. #reservationsoverallocations
His answer tells me they just don't care.

in case he deletes his tweet, here's what it says:

Mike Levine
Replying to @robtraut and @KogodBiz
That’s exactly the plan for more than 98% of customers that didn’t place orders with a small dealer that created a special deal to attract a large number of orders.

I just stopped in to my dealership, they had 200 orders and received 4 YTD Not sure if they are considered Large / Medium/ Small but seems like 2% is a rather small allocation. He said I should expect mine early 2022... reserve 2/2021 order 3/2021.
At that rate, I will have a bronco in 2121.

 

[rutherk1]

No I don't.
In the modern world I COULD have my personal car QR/UPC, follow my car through manufacturing via WebCam Feeds, and have it personally delivered to my house at less than the mark up at the dealership.

"Dealerships" could all be converted to Repair and Maintenance Shops and it would not phase me one bit....

if US Auto had not bribed our lawmakers to create systems to force us to sit in a dealership for 2+ hours doing "4 boxes, saying no to undercoating, and asking the finance guy to fix the numbers back to the initialed agreement from the sales floor.

Go buy a Tesla . They don't have dealerships. But when you want to buy a replacement battery or motor you cant.

I do agree there are issues, especially with American dealerships. At the end of the day, we are all advanced primates building things with stuff we dug out of the ground so I try to be reasonable.

 

[Rahkmalla]

Hmmmm. Who knew that having everyone pick the same dealer was a bad idea. I'd rather support my local dealer.

Chapman is 25 minutes from my house and was the closest dealer even willing to commit to any price at all, let alone a discount. I got told "we'll determine market value when the truck arrives" or some variant thereof 6 different times. Why would I agree to pay an unknown amount of ADM vs 4% below invoice?

There's absolutely no reason to pick any dealer that's more than 200 miles away, so for all those out of state buyers - that's on you.

If I weren't in Chapman's backyard, I'd still have ordered there, because the 6 closest dealers were clueless about the car and their price. We don't all have the luxury of supporting our local dealer when our local dealer has zero interest in supporting us.

But, ya know, keep blaming the victims... we were "asking for it" right?

 

[BigSteveO]

In case anyone's been waiting for an answer:
@mrlevine Fill your Bronco reservation orders ahead of allocations. We’ve already waited 15 months. Stop punishing your customers. #reservationsoverallocations
His answer tells me they just don't care.

in case he deletes his tweet, here's what it says:

Mike Levine
Replying to @robtraut and @KogodBiz
That’s exactly the plan for more than 98% of customers that didn’t place orders with a small dealer that created a special deal to attract a large number of orders.
[/QUOTE

I’m wondering where Chapman falls in this allocation process. They’re a dealer offering discounts but at the same time I’m pretty sure they’re one of the larger Ford dealers in the Pennsylvania area.

Tom sent out a email stating they had around 100 allocations

 

[andrusoid]

So, I must admit I was a bit put off by some of the $1,000-$2,000 dollar under invoice crowd. There was a certain amount of arrogance when one of them would browbeat another member for being so naive as to pay MSRP, or wanting a Bronco so badly as to pay an ADM because there was no one within a 100 miles charging MSRP. And I viewed the people saying they are there for the responsiveness and helpful nature of Granger (for example) as being akin to someone saying they only bought their penthouse magazine for the articles….does penthouse still print magazines? Might have aged myself.
But then I reached out to Zach, because of his reputation and my concern with price negotiations for my upcoming 2022 reorder, even though I’m not his customer, I have a feeling I will be in the future. Now I get it. I just wished Ford would get it…but they have proven to be a company void of integrity. They are never going to do the right thing because doing the right thing is counterintuitive to their current culture, and a leopard can’t change it’s spots.
Ford’s unethical treatment of these small dealerships trying to grow their businesses through old school work ethic and small town honesty and values doesn’t compute with Ford because they only see the bottom line. And the fact that they would, in effect, throw the baby out with the wash, and subject their own buyers (not customers) to collateral damage while trying to rein in small dealerships that dared to color outside the lines is a new level of bottom line appeasement and vindictiveness.
I have a day 1, 1st 10 minute reservation and a #1 mid-large dealership allocation without a VIN. I am going to my dealership tomorrow to renegotiate price for my reorder of a MY22 Bronco without any leverage because Ford apparently won’t allow us to transfer orders. I am not optimistic. And if things go south, I will have them 99 my 6:10pm mountain time #1 allocation order indefinitely and buy a Jeep from Zach.

I got my order transferred with the help of Mike Levine, Ford's Customer Communications Director. Try tweeting @mrlevine.

 

[kput]

Ford doesn't appreciate it when a dealer tries to "cheat" the allocation system, nor are they required to fulfill all their orders, just because they came up with some gimmick promotion to try and grow their business. Not really sure why anyone is surprised by any of this.

Great news, is that Ford allows you to transfer your reservation without losing your place in line, so you won't be stuck waiting til 2026 when Granger's 876th Bronco rolls through the lot.

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