Exceedingly Long Oversimplified Explanation of Maverick Order Allocations

[AltEophile]

I just want to know does FIFO at least apply internally within the same dealership ? I have never bought a new car and was hoping I could order a Maverick all online which obviously is not a thing. Talked to a local dealer in Aug 2022 about ordering a 23 Maverick and they told me ordering window was mid September, but they weren’t sure exactly when so they got my contact info and I waited for a call or email that never came. September 20th, I call them and am told it’s the last day to order. I rushed down and got my order in, but have been sour with the dealer ever since. I assume I am now at the end of the line. If I hadn’t called, I wouldn’t be in line at all, as it is, I have to assume anybody who ordered a hybrid with a similar package on the first day of the window already has their truck while mine is getting built right now after 11 months. Dealer tells me it doesn’t work that way similar to this article, but with all else equal… I am convinced that at some point the spot you got in that ordering window has GOT to play a role. If not…. the system has a huge chaos element which is a bit shocking.

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[Ranch]

Nope. The dealer is buying the vehicle from Ford and simply promising to sell it to the customer. There is no consumer direct-order capability with Ford. That's why the allocations matter. It's the dealership that being given a vehicle to sell to the consumer.

It's also why a lot of the people who have their trucks sold out from under them have no real legal leg to stand on. Until you sign the papers upon delivery, it is not your truck. Any contract that would force them to sell it to you would also force you to buy it as soon as it comes in.

You're 100% right. I wrote the check out in the dealers name not Ford Motor Co. I bought my Maverick from the dealer plain and simple.

 

[commadorebob]

I know a lot of people try and make this argument but I disagree. It's just an excuse to try and justify bad Ford/dealer behavior. The dealer is just the middleman. It's like me going to Home Depot and buying a John Deere riding mower and saying I am not a John Deere customer.

Ford is the one that guarantees the specifications of the vehicle to the customer, not the dealer.
Ford is the one that gets sued by the customer if someone is hurt due to a safety flaw in the vehicle, not the dealer.
Ford is the one that guarantees the warranty to the customer and is responsible for repairs if the vehicle fails.
Ford is the one that buys the vehicle back if it falls under the lemon law.

Ask anyone in Ford sales and marketing they will tell you the end user is the target of their advertising and their customer.

That may be the case, but we have to use the dealership. If we don't buy the Maverick, the dealer keeps it to sell to someone else. So, it isn't our order until we sign that final paper. We have to use that dealership's allocations. If we don't place an order, the dealership gets a truck anyway. All our order does is give the dealership a high probability sale.

 

[RatherBeDrivingaManual]

In the last live stream... Tim did say, Ford can make enough Mavericks for all the 23 roll overs but they still might not get one due to allocations. That's a pretty messed up system.

 

[Automate]

That may be the case, but we have to use the dealership. If we don't buy the Maverick, the dealer keeps it to sell to someone else. So, it isn't our order until we sign that final paper. We have to use that dealership's allocations. If we don't place an order, the dealership gets a truck anyway. All our order does is give the dealership a high probability sale.

Yes, Ford holds our order and we must purchase through the dealer. But that does not absolve Ford of their responsibility of make sure their representative, the dealer, treats Ford's customer right.

 

[Jim Walker]

Why did Ford open order bank in July for the’24s, and not waited till Sept as usually new year car sales introduced as I did in Sept of ‘22, close friend ordered in July’23 and got schedule date other day and mine sets in limbo

 

[Jim Walker]

Why did Ford open order bank in July for the’24s, and not waited till Sept as usually new year car sales introduced as I did in Sept of ‘22, close friend ordered in July’23 and got schedule date other day and mine sets in limbo

is it cause of price increase, my dealer sent new copy other day with same info but with 2g price increase, little confused as thought this was a July issue they would resubmit, not mid August, but Ford chat say original order still there

 

[Bill Quattlebaum]

One of my biggest complaints is communication with the customer. So, I ordered a hybrid and 3 months later Ford says we have too many hybrid orders. I changed to Ecoboost thinking I have a better chance of getting a truck. Then, I find out the tow hitch is constrained. I drop the hitch and still no action. Then, I find out the full size spare is constrained. Now, in the last month I find out they will make more hybrids than Ecoboosts. So, if I had left my order as a hybrid, now I might have a better chance of getting a truck. Maybe, it would help if Ford would directly let you know what they can build at the time of your order. Some of this, I found out months after I ordered. Here I am 350 days later and not scheduled, while some new orders from July are already scheduled. Blame it on allocations or politics. It just isn't fair. And don't get me wrong, I do think the older orders should go first! I didn't know I was ordering a rare truck when I ordered an XL.

 

[colinl]

Yes, Ford holds our order and we must purchase through the dealer. But that does not absolve Ford of their responsibility of make sure their representative, the dealer, treats Ford's customer right.

Ford has a dealership agreement, which I've never read.

State protectionist laws probably affect what Ford can control of their dealerships. We see Ford can't force dealerships to sell at MSRP even on retail (custom) orders. What else would change if Ford could sell direct?

 

[Automate]

Ford has a dealership agreement, which I've never read.

State protectionist laws probably affect what Ford can control of their dealerships. We see Ford can't force dealerships to sell at MSRP even on retail (custom) orders. What else would change if Ford could sell direct?

I did not say Ford could get rid of the dealerships.

This topic is about allocations. Ford completely controls the allocation formula they use for the dealers. There are no state laws controlling the allocation formula. It's totally up to Ford.

 

[colinl]

I did not say Ford could get rid of the dealerships.

This topic is about allocations. Ford completely controls the allocation formula they use for the dealers. There are no state laws controlling the allocation formula. It's total up to Ford.

Ford believes this system sells the most vehicles. They aren't doing this out of spite or to constrain the supply. They want to sell more.

It's really frustrating to wait so long for vehicles but it's also deceptively easy to assume there's a better way, or a way to please everyone.

 

[fossil]

This topic is about allocations. Ford completely controls the allocation formula they use for the dealers. There are no state laws controlling the allocation formula. It's totally up to Ford.

Providing it falls within the contractual agreement with the dealers.

 

[Automate]

Ford believes this system sells the most vehicles. They aren't doing this out of spite or to constrain the supply. They want to sell more.

Providing it falls within the contractual agreement with the dealers.

For the 22 model year the allocation formula was completely based upon the number of a dealer's Maverick COVP orders. This makes since and was probably the fairest formula for both dealers and customers. The more orders you have the more Mavericks you get to deliver to customers.

For the 23 model year Ford changed the Maverick allocation formula to includes sales of not only the Maverick but also the Ranger, Escape and Bronco Sport. Why did they do this? To incentivize the sell of the higher margin vehicles.

Ford is in business to make money and keep their investors happy. So I understand why they did it. But it was definitely an anti-customer move. It caused dealers like Long McArthur who was a big advocate of Mavericks and supporting the Maverick community, to lose many of their Maverick allocations. And it made it harder for the customer to know how many Mavericks a dealer would get. A customer may have an idea of how many Mavericks a dealer sold the previous year. But knowing how many Rangers, Escapes and Bronco Sports they sold and how their sales compared to other dealers was impossible for the customer to know.

 

[Thundercougarfalconbird]

I just want to know does FIFO at least apply internally within the same dealership ? I have never bought a new car and was hoping I could order a Maverick all online which obviously is not a thing. Talked to a local dealer in Aug 2022 about ordering a 23 Maverick and they told me ordering window was mid September, but they weren’t sure exactly when so they got my contact info and I waited for a call or email that never came. September 20th, I call them and am told it’s the last day to order. I rushed down and got my order in, but have been sour with the dealer ever since. I assume I am now at the end of the line. If I hadn’t called, I wouldn’t be in line at all, as it is, I have to assume anybody who ordered a hybrid with a similar package on the first day of the window already has their truck while mine is getting built right now after 11 months. Dealer tells me it doesn’t work that way similar to this article, but with all else equal… I am convinced that at some point the spot you got in that ordering window has GOT to play a role. If not…. the system has a huge chaos element which is a bit shocking.

No, that is where priority codes come in and it's up to the dealer to set those numbers (originally 10-19, now it sounds like 3-19, with Ford setting 1-2). When the dealer gets their allocation, it then goes the lowest priority code of the build Ford is looking for. Your dealer could set every order as the same code and it's a crapshoot. Or dealer sets FIFO, with 2, then 3, then 4, etc. Or the dealer sets 10, 11, 12, etc. and saves 3-9 for their buddies or some one who offers them $ for a higher code.

That's where rollover Priority 2 set by Ford this year is important. Some dealers did not follow the rollover instructions for MY22 to MY23 and those orders were stuck at a higher number. Now Ford is setting it to 2 themselves to ensure those are a lower priority number (i.e., a higher priority) than a dealer could set on new MY24's.

 

[fossil]

It caused dealers like Long McArthur who was a big advocate of Mavericks and supporting the Maverick community, to lose many of their Maverick allocations. And it made it harder for the customer to know how many Mavericks a dealer would get. A customer may have an idea of how many Mavericks a dealer sold the previous year. But knowing how many Rangers, Escapes and Bronco Sports they sold and how their sales compared to other dealers was impossible for the customer to know.

I don't agree that dealers lost any real allocations but some did massively over sell in hopes of taking a bigger share of what could be built.
All those things that were impossible for a costumer to know are in public records for those that know where to look and dealers know where to look. Model, who sold, who bought all the county level. I don't buy the dealer ignorance excuse.

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