Ammunition for battling unscrupulous dealer

[AltoBlueLariat]

When it comes time to go into the dealer to pickup the Maverick you ordered and patiently waited for thinking you would pay MSRP and they decide to tack on additional cost for "market conditions", what strategies will you use to get them to back off?

This hasn't happened to me yet, but I want to be prepared to deal with the situation when my ordered Maverick arrives. Besides the obvious threats of complaining to Ford, adding their dealership to the various hall of shames on internet forms, contacting BBB, contacting your State department of commerce, what other actions can you think of that will make then reconsider their position?

I do understand that a Maverick on the lot is the sky is the limit and that supply/demand dictates prices. I am talking about a Maverick you ordered and at the time they said MSRP.

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[2022EOW]

As stated 1,000 times on many forum posts, if you didn't get it in writing, signed by both parties, what they said means nothing. It's their truck until somebody buys it. They don't care if it's you or somebody else that wants to pay more. You have to find a good dealer before ordering.

 

[HotJombalya]

Forgive me as I didn’t copy who wrote this comment in another thread, but it was such fantastic advice that copied it so that I could review when my day finally comes to pick up my Maverick. So a big thank you to that forum member and forgive me for not remembering who wrote it. Here it is:

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First, never ever ever get emotionally involved in a price negotiation. It's just business. If you show your emotions or start going crazy and get all fired up you are just giving them more leverage. They want you to walk away so they can keep this package added and jack up the MSRP on the next guy.

Now, consider where you have leverage. You dealer has leverage in that they are holding the vehicle and they have peopled lined up that would bay this bogus $2,500 plus even more! I agree they are in a strong position here but you have leverage to use as well as some negotiating "tricks". You have leverage in that they want a sale from you (since they have already devoted time to you) and they want your repeat business. You also have leverage in the fact that you can spread negative reviews about them. I would negotiate with the following steps (in this order order)

1. Ask to speak with their manager. Their manager is the decision maker of saying yes or no on these bs added packages. Don't go through your sales rep, go to the big boss.

2. I really do not see the value in this "Texas Protection Package", thanks but no thanks. If they say it's their policy to add this to all vehicles tell them that policy doesn't work for you and they should change their policy. Make this mark up their problem not yours.

3. I am confused, when we put in the order this package was not added. Why is it being added now? Everything laid out on this order sheet is what I wanted added, nothing else. No one told me this was a thing and this seems unfair and shady.

4. I know that dealerships make the most of their money in service, repeat service, for the life of the vehicle. I was planning on bringing my vehicle back in here for service but to be honest I will take my service business elsewhere if you don't remove this protection package.

5. I had set my budget at the price on the order sheet. Unfortunately this added package is a problem for my budget. Can you remove the protection package?

6. I need to discuss this with my wife, she is the one that has the final say in all this, I am just the messenger. I will need to come back next weekend with a final answer.

6. Dealer XYZ down the street has told me they do not add extra packages. I might have to transfer my order to them.

7. (This is where you "fall down in front of them". Imagine someone trips on their face. You would feel bad for them and rush over to help. You are going to "fall down" so they "feel bad"). I don't see why you all are adding this package when I do not want it. I was so excited for this vehicle and this is really ruining the whole experience. Now I am dealing with all this stress and back and forth trying to finalize this price when we already had an order sheet with the price. Is this how you treat all your customers? I'm not having a great experience here.

8. If they still wont budge you need to at least see if they will lower the price. You have already pointed out that these items add up to waaaaay less than what they are charging. Ask if they can meet you in the middle. Tell them that paying $500 for the package is your best and final offer. It's all you can squeeze out of your budget.

9. If none of the above works then you can either walk away or pay the fee. This negotiation will take some time but just think about how much money you make per hour at your job and look at $2,500 (plus even more if this is being added to a loan and that $2,500 will have interest applied to it over the life of the loan) in terms of hours you would need to work. I'm willing to bet you're ok with spending a day negotiating to try and save $2,500.

Good luck! Remember, in the end you can just accept and pay and you wont have to wait a year for another Maverick. But you should at least make a big attempt to get them to remove it.

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