Dealer not dealing ...

[Huntpsu1]

Agree with Vince L. Give the dealer a net price out the door to you. This may be what you finance or pay cash, or a combo of both. Let the dealer figure out where he charges fees, gives credit for a trade, or adjusts the car's price. Not worth your effort argue minor points when all you should care about is the $$ you are putting in. Of course this requires some homework on your part to make sure the deal is good, but these days good info is readily at hand.

The only thing I would add is that there is no reason to go to a dealer after you know the vehicle specs. Send a written spec sheet of the vehicle you want and your terms via email or fax to the Internet manager at several dealerships. Tell them you can purchase any time. Have them send a written commitment back and then all you need do is walk in and fill out the forms. Forget haggling at the dealer. You are wasting time and only opening yourself up to future negotiations. If need be follow thru on a phone call if perhaps your offer is too low.

With smart phones and IPads today you can negotiate your next deal whie watching the game at home or sitting poolside!

 

[xplanfan]

If you haven't done so already check at your's or your spouse's work to see if they have any employee purchase discounts for Ford. I found that I could get the xplan price through my wife's work. Also, requested a brouchure from Ford's website - the last one I received had a discount for another $750 off the xplan price. I hope that helps.

 

[grrtrainman]

There certainly is a wealth of knowledge out here and it looks like many of us have been through this BS many times in the past. This “snowbird” down here in SW FL is finding that dealers are not getting back to me as promised. No, I am not being a PITA with them at all! Thanks to “jeeden”, “spitfisher”, et al for your input. Still trying … (but it now looks like I may have to wait until I head back to New England). Oh well…

 

[chili-cat]

Dealers in Minnesota are very competitive. I ordered a 2013 on 2/16, dealer I worked with sells everything at invoice minus rebates. I verfied the invoice price on Edmunds. Current rebates at time of delivery will apply (right now $500 from the factory + $500 from Farm Bureau membership). Price is set before you talk trade. My dealer used Manheim's auction prices to figure trade in, which in my case was about $1,000 under NADA average trade in.

I spoke with general manager at the dealership a few times, he said that the internet was too powerful a tool to fight against.

Good luck!

Edit: As part of the invoice price I'm paying the dealer's advertising assessment from from Ford $652 and the Ford's fuel charge $63.46 for delivery to the dealer. This isn't on Edmunds, but is on the dealers order confirmation from Ford that they gave me a copy of with my order #.

 

[jeeden]

If you haven't done so already check at your's or your spouse's work to see if they have any employee purchase discounts for Ford. I found that I could get the xplan price through my wife's work. Also, requested a brouchure from Ford's website - the last one I received had a discount for another $750 off the xplan price. I hope that helps.

This is HUGE. I bought my old 07 explorer with x plan (and the 2011 one I just one was an x plan deal). This is THE best deal anyone can really get. It is very restricting to the dealer also. There are very specific rules about what invoices they can show you, the price they show you, they have to add all rebates and other incentives on the price. I think xplan is like 3% over FACTORY INVOICE. If they break the rules, Ford could really hurt them for it. You have to play by some rules too like tell them when you first approach them that you have an x plan pin.

I got the x plan pin for my 2007 by being friendly with an employee on another ford site on the net. The employees of Ford are given a certain allowance (10 I think) of pins each year to give out to friends,family, and aquiantences.

 

[VinceL]

You won't get anywhere near kbb,nada, and Edmunds. Dealers use a trade in book by galves, its much less. If you do get close to kbb, you can bet they are making it up on the sales price of the new vehicle.

I got a Galves.com subscription for a day and it priced my car about 15% higher than Edmunds, KBB, NADA, and another 1 or 2 I ran. I was pretty surprised as my expectation was as you said. I only found 1 site, consumer reports, that had higher than the galves price. Weird...

 

[ColnagoRider]

double post

 

[ColnagoRider]

Dealers in Minnesota are very competitive. I ordered a 2013 on 2/16, dealer I worked with sells everything at invoice minus rebates. I verfied the invoice price on Edmunds. Current rebates at time of delivery will apply (right now $500 from the factory + $500 from Farm Bureau membership). Price is set before you talk trade. My dealer used Manheim's auction prices to figure trade in, which in my case was about $1,000 under NADA average trade in.

I spoke with general manager at the dealership a few times, he said that the internet was too powerful a tool to fight against.

Good luck!

Edit: As part of the invoice price I'm paying the dealer's advertising assessment from from Ford $652 and the Ford's fuel charge $63.46 for delivery to the dealer. This isn't on Edmunds, but is on the dealers order confirmation from Ford that they gave me a copy of with my order #.

I had a lease deal worked on a 2012, but after reading about some of the TSBs etc, thought I might as well wait for 2013. The offer for the 2012 had $500 cash from ford and $1000 cash for coming off a lease from another manufacturer. Can I get the same now for 2013?

Ford's web site still does not show 2013 lease options on Explorer - and dealer doesn't seem to want to get back to me an ETA for when the expect it.

Does anyone know the real deal about friends/family for X Plan? One of my friends just bought her car using family discount because her Dad works for Ford in MI. Obviously she qualifies, wonder if I could get a PIN through her? I did log in and got XPlan pricing for 2012, but 2013 doesnt show yet.

 

[rmp301]

That timer deal sounds like a blast. OK ........... You have 10 minutes to crunch the numbers with no time outs ... GO!

 

[Wilkinda65]

Bought mine with x-plan. Nice thing about it was after I built it on the x-plan pricing site i let me search for the vehicles in inventory and I printed out the pricing and took it with me to dealer. It was close to $3k off the sticker price

 

[VinceL]

That timer deal sounds like a blast. OK ........... You have 10 minutes to crunch the numbers with no time outs ... GO!

LOL, can't wait to do it, if only to see the look on their face!

 

[EX-SV]

Let gas prices rise significantly more for better situation for buyer.

 

[jeeden]

I had a lease deal worked on a 2012, but after reading about some of the TSBs etc, thought I might as well wait for 2013. The offer for the 2012 had $500 cash from ford and $1000 cash for coming off a lease from another manufacturer. Can I get the same now for 2013?

Ford's web site still does not show 2013 lease options on Explorer - and dealer doesn't seem to want to get back to me an ETA for when the expect it.

Does anyone know the real deal about friends/family for X Plan? One of my friends just bought her car using family discount because her Dad works for Ford in MI. Obviously she qualifies, wonder if I could get a PIN through her? I did log in and got XPlan pricing for 2012, but 2013 doesnt show yet.

He should have a set of pins available to him and can give you one. I think they get a new set every calendar year so he should have some left unless he gave them all out quick. You would have to provide your name and social security number and they will then generate a pin for you. As said above, you can then login and see inventory with the pin prices. You go down, get the one you want, sign the papers, it is all very quick because it truely is zero haggle. Don't forget to add incentives!

 

[Joe Dirt]

And no they may not offer all incentives on every calendar year. They're called incentives in order to get you to purchase a vehicle. If sales figures or needs to clear the pipeline do not dictate that they need to offer them in order to meet forecasts, they will not.

It always makes me laugh when people are pissed that they cannot get every incentive and rebate for a first run of a new model year vs. a get-rid-of-them previous year. I mean come on- think about it a little. Is Ford maybe offering a certain incentive to get rid of a 2012? Why would they offer you the same $$ to order a new 2013 when they want to use the $$ to get rid of a 2012 on the lot?

 

[peterk9]

After reading so many negative posts about dealerships and salesmen, I just want to add my 2 cents worth. I have yet to feel mislead in any transaction I have had. This applies to used and new vehicles. Since 1999 all my vehicles have been leases. This includes a 1999 Windstar, 3 Toyota Highlander Limiteds and my current 2011 Explorer Limited. When the Windstar lease expired, I test drove the 2002 Explorer but its ride was not suitable to me. Too harsh. I went to a Honda dealer to check out the Odyssey but didn't like their take it or leave it attitude. When I phoned Toyota and asked what kind of a discount I could get with no trade, I was told $3000. Ended up driving Highlanders for the next 10 years. I got a little better deal upon my actual visit and the same was applied to my subsequent leases. Had the same salesman for 10 years. When I read about and saw the new Explorer, I transferred the '09 Highlander lease and got the new Ex. Salesman was very polite and very knowledgeable about the Ex even though it hadn't actually come out yet. THis was December 2010.
I knew what I wanted to pay and after some back and forth discussion ended up very happy with the deal.

Peter

 

[jeeden]

And no they may not offer all incentives on every calendar year. They're called incentives in order to get you to purchase a vehicle. If sales figures or needs to clear the pipeline do not dictate that they need to offer them in order to meet forecasts, they will not.

It always makes me laugh when people are pissed that they cannot get every incentive and rebate for a first run of a new model year vs. a get-rid-of-them previous year. I mean come on- think about it a little. Is Ford maybe offering a certain incentive to get rid of a 2012? Why would they offer you the same $$ to order a new 2013 when they want to use the $$ to get rid of a 2012 on the lot?

I meant that he (the friend's father) will get a new collection of PINS from from each calendar year. Of course, all incentives are subject to what ford is offering at the time of the purchase. My only point was to make sure that you collect any incentives that are available on top of the xplan price because they are applicable under the ford xplan.

 

[Joe Dirt]

My comment wasn't directed at the pins, more at the people who continually ask why Ford offers $xxxx off on a <insert previous model year> and then how Ford sucks because they won't offer it on a newly ordered one of a new model year.

 

[cnsheets]

A dealership does not have to accept or sell a vehicle using the xplan. If a vehicle is in short demand, such as the Explorer, they do not have to sell to someone looking to use the xplan. I had a dealership tell me that they were not accepting xplan members on the explorer. I thought this was odd and had not heard of it before, so I called the Ford 800# for xplan and they confirmed that the dealer did not have to. I went to another dealer who had a larger inventory and they were willing to accept the xplan, but they didn't have the vehicle I wanted.

 

[jeeden]

A dealership does not have to accept or sell a vehicle using the xplan. If a vehicle is in short demand, such as the Explorer, they do not have to sell to someone looking to use the xplan. I had a dealership tell me that they were not accepting xplan members on the explorer. I thought this was odd and had not heard of it before, so I called the Ford 800# for xplan and they confirmed that the dealer did not have to. I went to another dealer who had a larger inventory and they were willing to accept the xplan, but they didn't have the vehicle I wanted.

I think I have heard that before. However, if they agree to do the xplan, they need to follow the rules of the plan.

I'm surprised dealers would do this since it is kind of a sure sale, but I guess if it is a really hot vehicle and they want to make more money than the alloted profit in the xplan I can see them turning it up.

I used the xplan at a dealer that didn't have the vehicle I wanted once and they just traded with another dealer, maybe it wasn't the most popular vehicle at the time.

 

[sc404]

Hi guys!

I just joined the forum as my wife brought her new Explorer home last night. I know I'm new here, but I'm not new to buying cars and JEEDEN has shared some very good info!

This was my process.

Printed out the window stickers and locations for all the explorers I was interested in and put them in a folder.

Accessed the Ford Partner website, links are readily available, to find X plan pricing. Subtracted 4% to find A plan price. Subtracted the current $1K rebate so I would know the bottom line.

Went to my local Ford dealer and sat down directly with the sales manager and showed him what I had and that I wanted to build a relationship with a dealer.

He pulled the REAL invoice that shows all the plan pricing at the bottom, which confirmed my math and we agreed on $700 above A plan minus rebate.

I think that was a fair deal...

The other option is what I did with my 2011 F-350. Build it online, email every dealer your willing to drive too and tell them that you will pay them $500 over A plan minus rebates for ordering it. I had to drive 80 miles, but it worked. Wish I had met the sales manager that we delt with last night a year ago!

Hope this helps someone!