Dealer screwed up

[EmCel]

They are talking smart business practices?
Nobody in the history of business has lost money on a sale, nobody.
RIIIIIGHT!

Exactly. I'm pretty sure that they made their money, it's always the same tactics...

"You're getting a great deal"
" we've never given anyone that much discount"
"Listen, we're losing money but just for you I can ..."
And so on....

I get it, it's business. I do a bit of sales too, I gotta make money too. A little lie here and there is fine but you have to take care of the customer even after the deal is done. You want that customers business again. Referrals and good customer service makes you more money.

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[Cobra Jet]

This is the reply.
Mr. Bird,

I'm sorry that the Mustang you bought wasn't perfect. You negotiated a large discount on a limited availability vehicle and in the end we made less than $800 on the deal. We were shocked at the cost of repair because we thought it would just be a bumper cover. So an $1800 repair would mean that it costs us $1000 to sell you that car. Not a great business model.

Any chance the work can be done for less?


i`m going to get another estimate to do my part.
In the interest of resolving this i've refrained from giving him a lecture about what else a good business model involves... it was hard to do though.

I don’t recall if I have responded to this or not (involved with a lot of threads and PM’s on here)....

Here’s how you handle it, if you have not already:

1) Call the Ford Corporate 800# and request to speak to your Regional CSR. If you have already done that and are not making headway with the CSR, call the 800# again, and demand to speak to a Supervisor. When you get the Supervisor, you politely explain your dilemma and also tell them you don’t appreciate the treatment you have had being a new Ford Owner. Request immediate assistance and resolution to make you whole, otherwise do inform the Supervisor you’re seeking legal counsel (even if you have not yet). Also state you will make it a public issue on all of their Social Media platforms, as well as any Social Media you belong to, as your new Ford Ownership experience is horrible and the Dealership is being ignorant.

2) Request the Franchise Owner’s name and phone number. Request a face to face meeting (via phone, Skype, Zoom, whatever). When you get that Appointment, you tell him exactly how you’re being treated and how you’re being patient enough to be made whole, that you haven’t yet blasted his Dealership via all Social Media Channels. Read off to him the emails you have received too.

3) Write back to the person last emailed you and state:
It’s a shame you feel the need to berate a Customer who came and bought a vehicle from you, who had better negotiating skills than you or your Sales Team. I have elevated this ignorant experience within your Franchise as well as Ford Corporate. I have also taken the appropriate action to seek legal counsel for the damages to the vehicle. I have reached out to my local News Station’s Investigative Team to bring your ignorance to the Public’s attention with how Customers of your Dealership are treated.

4) Did you get a Survey from when you purchased the car? Or any emailed survey from that Dealership? If so, fill it out all negatives and leave negative comments as to your experience. It flows back to their top tier folks as well as Ford Corporate. You WILL get a phone call or email back asking you to contact them - because they don’t like negative reviews AND the Dealership gets penalized for any Customer who leaves such a review. Yes, it works.

Don’t be a pushover, DON’T show all of your cards, they don’t need to know who you reached out to (even if you haven’t yet). When dealing with ANYONE, speak in a polite (but firm) and professional manner (as much as you are pissed, cussing and throwing a fit won’t get you any further). Stand your ground and be firm with every statement backing it up with facts.

You will come out on top; take the above and run with it.

Here’s the thread with all the Ford #’s if you don’t have them handy:
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/the-ford-800-info-for-those-needing-it.111571/

 

[jabberwoki]

I've pretty much done everything you've mentioned. I'll see what happens after I get 2 more estimates.

 

[CJJon]

...but cars cost less in Puyallup!

 

[Cobra Jet]

I've pretty much done everything you've mentioned. I'll see what happens after I get 2 more estimates.

What did the Ford Supervisor from Ford Corp say?? And you had a meeting with the Franchise Owner and could not make headway?

Keep trucking - there’s no way I’d back off at all. They’re ignorant and you have to put them in their place - again professionally and politely.

Why get more estimates? Don’t even send them any more estimates and definitely not lower estimates.

You paid good money for a brand new car without damages - they need to make it right.

At what point are you in the process?

 

[jabberwoki]

Well ford`s involved otherwise they`d not have responded for sure. I got 2 more estimates just to be fair on my part both were within $50.
The ball is now in their court.
I've sent every bit of correspondence to ford as well as the 3 estimates.
I`ll give them till tomorrow to get back to me.

 

[jabberwoki]

Looks like they are going to take care of it.
That being said , i`ll relax when its all done.

 

[Joe B.]

Hope it gets resolved.
Just saw the thread and reminded me how I got "screwed" on my new '17 three years ago. I'm as OCD as they come, but in this case the holes are still there where no one but me knows. I'll forget them again in a couple days.
Dealer did call and ask what they could do to make it "right". I declined, as at least they left the front bumper untouched as I requested.
If they can't do something as simple as a license plate installation, how could they possibly make anything "right"?
Have not been to a dealer since I bought her.

 

[jabberwoki]

Finally going into the shop tomorrow. I`ll be so glad when this is all done.

 

[Dr. Norts]

Hope it gets resolved.
Just saw the thread and reminded me how I got "screwed" on my new '17 three years ago. I'm as OCD as they come, but in this case the holes are still there where no one but me knows. I'll forget them again in a couple days.
Dealer did call and ask what they could do to make it "right". I declined, as at least they left the front bumper untouched as I requested.
If they can't do something as simple as a license plate installation, how could they possibly make anything "right"?
Have not been to a dealer since I bought her.

Even someone who's half brained would look and go oh the plastic bosses moulded into the bumper are for the licence plate.

That's someone who has no idea about anything and shouldn't be allowed to use tools. Someone at the dealership should be fired over something like that.

Ford needs to start attaching sticky arrows with Instructions even though it shouldn't need any.

 

[Point45]

The bigger screw is what came with mine.

The dealer did not mount the rear plate, not even the dealers paper plate so it all came packaged in a bag.

I'm glad I got mine from a place that seemed to specialize in svt cars. It was a coincidence/chance I bought from this dealer but I'm glad it worked out that way.

 

[Rapid Red]

Good going Steve........ 3 cheers

 

[Nardly]

Call BBB in your area. I have resolved dealer issues with them.

 

[pyrophilus]

You would trust them to do an oil change after this??

I agree, I would not want then touching my car, albeit the plate was probably installed by a minimum wage kid who washes the cars before delivery. My bumper also has a missed "spot" for the right license plate screw.

That being said, when I was dating my wife, she had a 2000 Jetta 5spd, and when we went to a gas station, she popped the hood was checking her oil. I thought she had turned into a gear head since I last knew her 10 years ago in HS, but she told me that the car loses oil and she adds about 1/8 quart a week. She said dealer told her it's normal to lose oil past piston rings if you accelerate hard on manuals...

She streetparked the car so didn't have oil spots to monitor. I went under the car and noticed that the oil pan drain bolt was over torqued and had stripped the threads on the aluminum oil pan!

I took the car to dealer and told them. They claimed it was probably done by some local street garage. I told them unless my gf likes to get oil changes done at 1500mi intervals it's impossible, because all oil changes were the complimentary ones done at their dealer.

The manager continued to say that they don't over tighten oil drain plugs, and I saw through the window, a tech putting an air tool wrench on a oil pan drain bolt on a nissan quest! (It was a vw/nissan dealer).

After I pointed at the guy doing this, the manager agreed to pay HALF the cost of a new oil pan, and half the labor, but the quote was around a grand, so they wanted to charge me $500. I ended up buying an oversized oil drain bolt, and tapping new larger threads.

Fast forward 20 years later, I purchased a pre-owned 19 GT PP, and when I went down to the dealer 4.5 hours away to test drive, I noticed that the front plates were never installed on the bumper. I paid deposit, and I insisted that they do NOT install the front plates. I told them that if they drill, I am taking my deposit back.

I had a weird feeling, so two days later, I called the salesperson and insisted that he write a note, "do not drill this bumper", and TAPE it to the front where the reference indents were for the front plate screw holes.

When I went to pick up the car, he said, "it's good thing that we put that memo, because the prep guys wanted to drill the bumper, but they called me because I left the note".

I also told them that I do NOT want an oil change. They did the old change anyway. I was afraid they may put only 8qt of oil, so I brought down three, 1 qt bottles of motor craft 5w-20. I check the level and sure enough, it was low, and I added 1.5 qts.

Fast forward 4 months later, I decide to do oil change this morning. The idiot that did the oil change screwed the filter on so tight that I couldn't get it off with my hands. The metal dome/cap filter wrench wouldn't fit with the 3/4" ratchet head.

I found a metal strap-style filter wrench, and tried it. Just ended up mangling the filter housing, but wouldn't budge.

I found my filter wrench that looks like a set of channel locks. I used that and finally got the filter off. I had to use the wrench to turn more than half turn before I was able to grunt and turn the rest with my hands!!! The filter was completely mangled as I had to squeeze the crap out of it to get grip on the filter.

I don't understand. Most filters SAY, "hand turn until gasket touches, then turn additional 3/4 (ir 1) turn, ON THE BOX. I use 3/4 turn and I have never needed a wrench to remove my filters.

I get it. When i do an oil change, I am checking the driveway for the next few days to see if I have a leak, and I get that most customers won't be doing this, so that the dealer tech probably over tightened to ensure nothing leaks... but.

I find that 3/4 to 1 turn is more than enough to mate and seal the gasket, not to mention that is what the manufacturer is insisting on!

Anyway, I have never gotten oil change done at dealer (except when I picked up my 19) because I find that even at dealers, they assign oil changes to the low level "techs", and they always manage to screw it up.

I have been at a nissan dealer where a nissan quest was in the shop. Because the filter was over tightened and the gasket warped, and car had lost oil, and the owner decided to drive it like that back to the dealer.

I've had dealers forget to do the complimentary oil change on my mother's car, because I came home for the break during grad school, brought her infiniti in for service, had the comp. oil change, come hole to find that the filter housing is caked with dirt, and oil is black. I took it back to be told that it was done, but oil "look" old because new oil probably mixed with bit of old oil. I asked them to drain some in front of me, and we'll send it in for testing, and see what the labs will say. That quickly changed their tune and they "re-performed the oil change to customer's satisfaction".

As for All American Ford, I tried sooo hard to lease my two EB mustangs from them, but they were weird. When I called about a mustang and express desire to come down and test drive/look at it, the salesperson hesitates and says they have multiple dealers and the car may not be on their lot... this happened every single time I tried to ask if I could see a mustang that was on their listing.

 

[pyrophilus]

And this is why the last time the car was at the dealership was the day we took delivery.

THIS!! I brought my '19 GT in to the ONE dealer that has not screwed up (too much), to get window dropping looked at under warranty.

I ended up fixing it myself thanks to the good folks here, and dried out my connectors and put switch lube.

Anyway, when I went to pick up the car, the service manager said, "you know, we get excited when a mustang comes in, because we don't get to service then regularly". It's probably (exactly) what you said.

I only bring my car in if it is a recall or something that is under warranty and is expensive.

If it is a warranted repair but part is cheap, I just end up buying the part online and doing the repair at home.

BTW, my decision to finally stop leasing and get a mustang to keep has a lot to do with this forum.
I used to own a lot of maximas because maxima.org had really great tech advice. I went from barely knowing how brakes work to doing exhaust headers, bearing repacking, cc joint repacking, and my own body work. When I just couldn't look at maximas anymore (ugly and they weren't the 4DSC anymore), I missed the forums.

I think this is one of the best car forums I have ever been on. Things like the technical helps, to the, "I came across the rarest mustang" thread... y'all kill me...

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