Heated Debate with Dealer about Private Offer

[Aman]

I took my build sheet, ECF10955 and @fordvideoguy formula post. But if you already have your cert# you should be good to go.

My formula derived cert# brought up someone elses truck with the same exact order code as mine when my salesman looked.

The dealer rep was urked when I tried showing him Tim's post when I was trying to explain how to get cert#. Thats when they said "I dont do formulas", haha these guys.

I have a delivery pick up this week and i was told by Ford customer service that i have a private offer and, only dealer can tell and they dont know amount.By the way this is for September 2022 order. Did any one in forum get private offer for 2022 booking.

Sponsored

 

[JennyLink]

It can be frustrating, for sure — even a well-meaning sales manager (like ours) may not understand the process or what they are supposed to do. Be polite but persistent with the sales manager — tell him that it’s your understanding that he’s got to work with his Ford rep (“sales and inventory specialist”) to get that exception on your order.

Or as we told our sales manager — “We agree that we’re entitled to the private offer, right? And we understand what the problem is, right? So all you need to do is work with your Ford rep to figure out the process that can make it happen.”

I would think the fact that you DO have a certificate number should help, even though it isn’t showing up on your current order because of the address change.

To get the offer, the system requires that Customer Name, Address, Order Number, and COVP verification number match.

The fact that you have a certificate number means your MY22 was put through the required COVP process. (Customer Order Verification — it’s meant to prove that you are a real customer and a real order.). A lot of people have struggled getting their offer because their dealer didn’t put their order through COVP.

Last summer I verified that the order was in the COVP database, and it was. I never dreamt that ordering a new vehicle would be so challenging. I understood why Ford instituted the COVP, but also knew there had to be a contingency for updating incorrect legitimate customer information. Since the dealer is almost 200 miles away, I'm going to phone the sales mgr. in the morning. It's a learning challenge for all of us. Thank you again for your help. I hope to post good news soon.

 

[JennyLink]

I have a delivery pick up this week and i was told by Ford customer service that i have a private offer and, only dealer can tell and they dont know amount.By the way this is for September 2022 order. Did any one in forum get private offer for 2022 booking.

I'm glad your wait time wasn't as long as some of us. I did notice that the dealership didn't want to hear anything that Tim Bartz, at Long Macarthur Ford said or posted. However, if it wasn't for him and this group I'd be in the dark on all of this. Enjoy your new Mav.

Corrected Tim's last name and added the dealership.

 

[BradnChristine]

Last summer I verified that the order was in the COVP database, and it was. I never dreamt that ordering a new vehicle would be so challenging. I understood why Ford instituted the COVP, but also knew there had to be a contingency for updating incorrect legitimate customer information. Since the dealer is almost 200 miles away, I'm going to phone the sales mgr. in the morning. It's a learning challenge for all of us. Thank you again for your help. I hope to post good news soon.

You are right. It absolutely should not be this hard to correctly purchase a vehicle.

Yet @Ford Motor Company has created all of these hoops and has not provided consumers with any way to actually resolve obvious issues like this. I'm very disappointed in Ford's lack of follow through on the entire ordering and verification process. It would not be hard for them to do everything a whole lot simpler.

Simply having an email address to a Ford Consumer Omsbudsman would allow for a much easier way to resolve your type of OBVIOUS issue.

It is OBVIOUS that you merit the Private Offer, and why Ford would use an address or ZIP Code as a verification is beyond silly. Heaven help any person who got married and changed their last name during the long, drawn out ordering process. Thank goodness they didn't use a Driver's license to verify because mine changed from AZ to WY while I waited an absurd 491 days. I did get my PO without incident.

 

[KdeB]

Last summer I verified that the order was in the COVP database, and it was. I never dreamt that ordering a new vehicle would be so challenging. I understood why Ford instituted the COVP, but also knew there had to be a contingency for updating incorrect legitimate customer information. Since the dealer is almost 200 miles away, I'm going to phone the sales mgr. in the morning. It's a learning challenge for all of us. Thank you again for your help. I hope to post good news soon.

You are right. It absolutely should not be this hard to correctly purchase a vehicle.

Yet @Ford Motor Company has created all of these hoops and has not provided consumers with any way to actually resolve obvious issues like this. I'm very disappointed in Ford's lack of follow through on the entire ordering and verification process. It would not be hard for them to do everything a whole lot simpler.

Simply having an email address to a Ford Consumer Omsbudsman would allow for a much easier way to resolve your type of OBVIOUS issue.

It is OBVIOUS that you merit the Private Offer, and why Ford would use an address or ZIP Code as a verification is beyond silly. Heaven help any person who got married and changed their last name during the long, drawn out ordering process. Thank goodness they didn't use a Driver's license to verify because mine changed from AZ to WY while I waited an absurd 491 days. I did get my PO without incident.

In our case, it was the space in our last name. Always causes problems with computer systems everywhere. Our MY22 order was put in without the space — which was fine with us. But then sales rep put MY23 order in WITH the space.

It’s stupid when computer systems override human common sense… All our other info matched, and any human person could see the orders were placed by the same person.

 

[KdeB]

I'm glad your wait time wasn't as long as some of us. I did notice that the dealership didn't want to hear anything that Tim Burton said or posted. However, if it wasn't for him and this group I'd be in the dark on all of this. Enjoy your new Mav.

Hee hee, “Tim Burton.” I wouldn’t listen to what that crazy film director said either, when it came to cars.

Easy typo to make … But just for the record, @fordvideoguy is Tim Bartz, at Long Macarthur Ford. He’s helped so many of us on this forum that I thought we should get his name on the record.

 

[JennyLink]

Hee hee, “Tim Burton.” I wouldn’t listen to what that crazy film director said either, when it came to cars.

Easy typo to make … But just for the record, @fordvideoguy is Tim Bartz, at Long Macarthur Ford. He’s helped so many of us on this forum that I thought we should get his name on the record.

oops. LOL Should've checked b4 posting.

 

[KdeB]

oops. LOL Should've checked b4 posting.

He’ll probably get a kick out of it …

 

[uga]

Perhaps reach out to Tim, he might be able to help you. Tell him you will buy your next car from them, lol !

 

[JennyLink]

Perhaps reach out to Tim, he might be able to help you. Tell him you will buy your next car from them, lol !

I did. I sent a message yesterday on their FB page.

 

[uga]

Just realized you are in GA, reach out to your local TV stations and see if they might be interested in this story. A little bad press will wake up FORD !

 

[JennyLink]

Just realized you are in GA, reach out to your local TV stations and see if they might be interested in this story. A little bad press will wake up FORD !

That's a good suggestion. Will entertain the thought if I don't make progress in the next few days. Thanks for the idea.

 

[JennyLink]

Spoke with Ford Marketing yesterday and my special offer certificate is now valid thru 7/5/2023. Spoke to the sales mgr. at the dealership asking him to send my information over to their Ford Sales & Inventory Specialist. He said that all the other times he has tried, the rep. will not budge and let the COVP be updated. He said they will not update mine but will try again with the rep. He suggested to talk to Ford Customer Care again and kick it up a notch. Called Ford Customer Service said they would open up a case & file a complaint against the dealership. BUT I still need to continue to work with the dealership. For weeks now I'm just going in circles between the dealer, Ford Customer Svc., and Ford Marketing. I think my next move is to file a complaint with the BBB.

UPDATE: As of May 11th, 2023, Ford has finally approved my certificate transfer to my new address. I started checking on the special offer in January 2023, was told by different people at the dealership that it would not be honored, picked up my truck in early March and was still told to give it up, also had many phone calls with Ford cust. service and Ford marketing. Finally in early April, I sent an email to the dealership's GM and one of the dealership's business partners. The GM finally acted on it and submitted it to Ford. After that it took Ford a month to approve the transfer. Glad I was persistent, but I feel like I won the lottery. Hooray!

 

[JennyLink]

Just realized you are in GA, reach out to your local TV stations and see if they might be interested in this story. A little bad press will wake up FORD !

Just wanted to let you know that my neighbor two doors over is UGA and has the yard to prove it. LOL

 

[uga]

BBB is a complete waste of time but keep trying.......................................

Sponsored