why i did not get to buy my 2025 lariat today in morgan hill calif

[prsncat]

I still haven't found that California presale customer inspection law you wrote about.
Any luck on your end?

I am not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be one.

I consulted with a lawyer friend (not specializing in this area), and she indicated (without diving in too deeply) that it's an interpretation of the Uniform Commercial Code and the California Buyer's Rights.

The UCC stipulates that a buyer has the right to inspect the goods before purchase.

The CBR extends this to the buyer through a PDI. The potential buyer is entitled to a copy of the PDI and to conduct an independent verification before completing the purchase. In fact, the dealer must complete an inspection before accepting it from the transport company, and file any claims against the transport company before the PDI to you (and the transfer of ownership to you).

FWIW, the dealer is also obligated to disclose damage equal to or greater than 6% of the MSRP (but not obligated if less than that).

In short, don't focus on the law, but focus on what is reasonable. They want to mitigate their risk by doing their due diligence to ensure you are who you say you are and that the funds are valid. In turn, you reserve the right to receive a copy of the PDI and to conduct an independent pre-delivery inspection before signing anything. The dealer should disclose to you their policy for how many days you have from their PDI completion to the moment you complete the transaction.

A due bill can be used to install accessories or perform services (such as applying PPF, adding a spray-in bedliner, installing window tinting, or ceramic coating) after the transaction is complete.

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[Glen Baker LLC]

I am not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be one.

I consulted with a lawyer friend (not specializing in this area), and she indicated (without diving in too deeply) that it's an interpretation of the Uniform Commercial Code and the California Buyer's Rights.

The UCC stipulates that a buyer has the right to inspect the goods before purchase.

The CBR extends this to the buyer through a PDI. The potential buyer is entitled to a copy of the PDI and to conduct an independent verification before completing the purchase. In fact, the dealer must complete an inspection before accepting it from the transport company, and file any claims against the transport company before the PDI to you (and the transfer of ownership to you).

FWIW, the dealer is also obligated to disclose damage equal to or greater than 6% of the MSRP (but not obligated if less than that).

In short, don't focus on the law, but focus on what is reasonable. They want to mitigate their risk by doing their due diligence to ensure you are who you say you are and that the funds are valid. In turn, you reserve the right to receive a copy of the PDI and to conduct an independent pre-delivery inspection before signing anything. The dealer should disclose to you their policy for how many days you have from their PDI completion to the moment you complete the transaction.

A due bill can be used to install accessories or perform services (such as applying PPF, adding a spray-in bedliner, installing window tinting, or ceramic coating) after the transaction is complete.

The buyer has the right to inspect the goods before purchase.
I could Not find anything about a mandatory customer pre-purchase inspection LAW that was passed within the last five years in California.

 

[flashfearless]

This is why you should never say you're paying in cash. You should let them write you a loan and pay it off in 3 months.

 

[JoHanna]

so i ordered my2025 lariat in early september 25. after the folks sent me a 2026 vin, i called the ford store last week and , miraculously they were receiving exactly what i ordered, and it was in richmond, ca,waiting to be delivered.
so i drove the hour drive to morgan hill, they knew i was paying cash, check, and deal would not be done til check cleared. i wasn’t bringing the ruby red beauty home until the bed cover was installed anyway. they were going to deliver when done.
ready to write check, they have my drivers license, been emailing and phone calls all week, and they ask for more proof of who i am, some sort of computer check that i have to agree to. i said no. they asked again and sad this was mandatory. i said show me the law. no law, just store policy the inventory manager says. i said no got up to go and manager says wait, he walks away and comes back,says “sorry if you want the maverick you must say yes.”. i say no and walk out without my ruby red 25 hybrid lariat.
why in the world couldn’t i buy my maverick? why would they do this?
they could have googled me, my name comes up. ulterior motive by this ford store?
[/QUOTE

So I recently purchased the 25 Lariat Hybrid for cash in SoCal and the dealership said they had to run a credit check. I asked why and was told it’s to verify I am who I claim to be and there’s little to no possibility that the cash was stolen. The dealership is then required by law to report the transaction to the IRS.
Something to do with money laundering rules.
It didn’t actually bother me and to be honest I REALLY wanted that truck I’d waited months for.

 

[pigsareus]

Actually most places these days can verify your check in minutes, before you even leave the dealership

banks take in person deposits all the time, the teller looks at the check , checks person's ID and then completes the deposit, check gets sent to the issuing bank and all is good. Except when it isn't. Not until the person who had their check stolen and washed and manipulated gets their statement that they find someone has intercepted/stolen/manipulated a check they wrote and has withdrawn funds from their account. This is where the cops get involved and where you try to get your money back. Don't blame the dealer at all, but they should have informed him of the process up front and told him there is at least a few day wait until the check clears that he can claim his new ride.

 

[NedF]

I'm not sure what your dealers issue was but when I bought my 2025 hybrid I was informed that I would need a cashiers check from my bank prior to taking delivery. The alternative was to wait till a personal check cleared. Sounds like some shenanigans going on

My hand shook a little but my dealer took a personal cheque (Canadian spelling). I had called and confirmed and his replay was, "It's ok, we know where to find you!"

 

[JTMO]

Folsom Ford took my check, no issues. And I have my credit locked so they only could have done a soft check.

Morgan Hill, they likely has a lot of fraud.

 

[Milwrdfan]

There's a big difference in reporting requirements of large financial transactions that require reporting to the government (I believe if it is anything over $10K). I am not a lawyer and don't know the specific requirements, but I believe that if it's a check (personal/certified/bank/etc.) then no government reporting is required because if needed, the money can be traced back to where it came from. But if it's a true cash transaction (i.e. one brings in a suitcase of dollars to pay for a vehicle), then it needs to be reported as a cash transaction, primarily to report potential money laundering schemes. Not reporting a large cash transaction, or structuring several smaller (i.e. under 10K) cash transactions to get around this reporting requirement are both illegal.

 

[TwoTone]

so i ordered my2025 lariat in early september 25. after the folks sent me a 2026 vin, i called the ford store last week and , miraculously they were receiving exactly what i ordered, and it was in richmond, ca,waiting to be delivered.
so i drove the hour drive to morgan hill, they knew i was paying cash, check, and deal would not be done til check cleared. i wasn’t bringing the ruby red beauty home until the bed cover was installed anyway. they were going to deliver when done.
ready to write check, they have my drivers license, been emailing and phone calls all week, and they ask for more proof of who i am, some sort of computer check that i have to agree to. i said no. they asked again and sad this was mandatory. i said show me the law. no law, just store policy the inventory manager says. i said no got up to go and manager says wait, he walks away and comes back,says “sorry if you want the maverick you must say yes.”. i say no and walk out without my ruby red 25 hybrid lariat.
why in the world couldn’t i buy my maverick? why would they do this?
they could have googled me, my name comes up. ulterior motive by this ford store?

I guess you've never heard of fraud or a fake ID?

 

[AutobahnSHO]

This is why you should never say you're paying in cash. You should let them write you a loan and pay it off in 3 months.

That's too much to the bank. We only paid $118 in interest on ours.

We hadn't gotten email notifications about our truck after the first year, dealer called 6 months later on a Friday evening that the truck had arrived- we went Saturday morning to buy it and hadn't been able to transfer money from one bank to another. So yes we got the dealer's recommended loan (local bank, made sure there were no penalities for early payment) and when we got the coupon book in the mail we paid it off (first month).

Every month the loan is open is more interest paid.

 

[Ranch]

Folsom Ford took my check, no issues. And I have my credit locked so they only could have done a soft check.

Morgan Hill, they likely has a lot of fraud.

Folsom Lake Ford is where I bought my Maverick and they also took my personal check.

At first they wanted me to take out a loan and then pay it off on the first month but I didn't want to hassle with it. So without any argument they took my check and I was done.

 

[Surly Old Bill]

banks take in person deposits all the time, the teller looks at the check , checks person's ID and then completes the deposit, check gets sent to the issuing bank and all is good. Except when it isn't. Not until the person who had their check stolen and washed and manipulated gets their statement that they find someone has intercepted/stolen/manipulated a check they wrote and has withdrawn funds from their account. This is where the cops get involved and where you try to get your money back. Don't blame the dealer at all, but they should have informed him of the process up front and told him there is at least a few day wait until the check clears that he can claim his new ride.

in the 1990's, we had to wait about 4+ MONTHS for the bank to recognize a wire transfer from a buyer in Japan. THAT was obviously a scam by the local bank (not a large bank with many locations). They were collecting interest on that large sum of money held by their bank while it was officially "in limbo". It was probably the only 7-digit transfer/deposit they had every seen, and were making the most of it.

 

[KenE]

Maybe next time get a certified check from your bank, i mean who the hell uses checks to pay something off, especially one the size of a vehicle that cost 40k on your word you have it in the bank. I've bought cars with certified checks multiple times with 0 problems.

I do. Purchased based new Mav at local dealer, personal check, drove home same day. Depends on dealer, their policy, & location. Admittedly a Certified Check is better 99% of the time.

 

[Deleted member 45110]

I

so i ordered my2025 lariat in early september 25. after the folks sent me a 2026 vin, i called the ford store last week and , miraculously they were receiving exactly what i ordered, and it was in richmond, ca,waiting to be delivered.
so i drove the hour drive to morgan hill, they knew i was paying cash, check, and deal would not be done til check cleared. i wasn’t bringing the ruby red beauty home until the bed cover was installed anyway. they were going to deliver when done.
ready to write check, they have my drivers license, been emailing and phone calls all week, and they ask for more proof of who i am, some sort of computer check that i have to agree to. i said no. they asked again and sad this was mandatory. i said show me the law. no law, just store policy the inventory manager says. i said no got up to go and manager says wait, he walks away and comes back,says “sorry if you want the maverick you must say yes.”. i say no and walk out without my ruby red 25 hybrid lariat.
why in the world couldn’t i buy my maverick? why would they do this?
they could have googled me, my name comes up. ulterior motive by this ford store?

Since you were Not financing,
And the id hassle irritated you...
Why Not just bring all cash when bank opened?


Agree with other posters that commented there's some missing information in the story.

 

[Suzukiridr14]

Amazing how things have changed. I remember buying a new Toyota pickup in 1981. Bought it in California on a Sunday and drove it home to Washington then went to my credit union gave them the paperwork they mailed the check to the dealer. I put no money down at the dealer and they gave me the truck just on my word.

It's not 1981 anymore. Back then, people were trust worthy, today with all the scams that can happen with todays electronics, I don't blame dealers to trust you on your word.

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