hey guys, i ordered my GT in march under the impression that they would take my x-plan pin with no problems. now i'm hearing horror stories of dealers backing out of their promises. anyone have experience with this?
I hope not mine is being built this week and I have been told time and time again...x-plan is no problem, if they don't give it to me the dealer will have a big big problem!
I ordered my Stang on 3/3/05 and was told up front that X-plan would not be a problem and ordered the car under those terms. On 5/26 I got a call from my salesman that I finally had been serialized and had a build week of 6/27. I verified this for myself by the calling the VOPC lady.
I then got a call last week from a completely different salesman at the dealership letting me know that the original salesman I was working with was suddenly no longer at the dealership and that he would be taking care of me from here on out. He reassured me that all was well and that he would keep me posted on the status.
I brought up the fact that I ordered on X-plan and of course I got dead silence from him. I asked him point blank if he was going to honor the x-plan price. Of course at this point I am kicking myself because I did not get anything in writing other than my DORA. He said he would check with the general manager and call me back.
Next day the dreaded call comes. He basically explains that no one at the dealership was ever authorized to sell a Mustang on X-plan and he proceeds to apologize for the misunderstanding yada yada yada...
I ask him what are we looking at here and he tells me he can sell it to me for sticker price. At this point after all this ridiculous waiting I give in. I just don't have the energy for any kind fight at this point especially in light of the fact that I did not get anything in writing.
I went down the next day to the dealer and get it all in writing and signed by him and the manager so I can sleep at night. My stang is locked in for production now and soon I will have it.
I guess I learned a lesson that I should have had it in writing. I will definitely never ever EVER order a car from anyone ever again. Some of you may say that I am being walked on by the dealer but at this point I just want the whole ordering process to be over.
In many places sticker is the lowest price your going to find.. I had a problem even locating a dealer willing to sell a 6 to me at sticker .. and none of them would give me X-plan even the dealers that participated in the plan would say we do but not on the Mustang.
Ultimatly after days of hunting I found a dealer willing to sell at sticker and even he was not selling ALL his cars at sticker .. Just the one I was intrested in because it had been on the lot for some time and he wanted to move it. I had to travel out of state 2 hours though to get the car because no one in my area of NY was going to sell anything less then 3k over sticker on any Mustang. Anyways I hope that gives you an idea of what your dealing with in some areas.
Moral of story is I would have attempted to negotiate price before or during the ordering process and asked for it in writing.
You might be okay, it just depends on the dealer. I ordered mine in March, it was built June 7th, delivered June 16th, x-plan price, they even waived the dealer fees.
I'd have to agree with the sentiment that it depends on your dealer. I ordered mine in late march, built May 23, delivered June 3 and X plan was never a problem.
Obviously, if you order on X-plan you should receive it on X-plan. That doesn't mean that the dealership will honor their own word or that Ford can force them to do so. However, it should show on your DORA whether or not the car was ordered on X-plan. (Keep in mind that the dealership can order as a regular MSRP order and still sell the car on X-plan pricing) If your DORA indicates the order was placed on X-plan you have ammunition. If you call Ford Programs Manager Rick Crossland and inform him that the dealership is backing out of an X-plan he can call on your behalf. He CAN NOT force them to sell the car at X-plan, however he can apply pressure. If the dealership is an SVT dealership or a presidential award winner, that is how Ford GT's and Shelby's are allotted. Those are the big money makers for dealerships and those allotments can easily be made to disappear if customer satisfaction is too low. This is a last resort, but it is the best route to getting your car if the dealer tries to reneg. Calling a lawyer or TV station won't get you anywhere.
Remember you have to purchase your car within six days of delivery to the dealership on X-plan or all bets are off. Keep a close eye out once the robot lady starts giving "shipped" dates. Good Luck