Do not order through MAS (Military Auto Source)

[mpeugeot]

If they were operating on the installation you could make a complaint through the IG and the military exchange. If they are off base then the courts would seem to be your only recourse.

So MAS is a contractor operating on base under the authority granted it by NEXCOM/AAFES, which any action would either come from NEXCOM/AAFES via the contractual obligations they have or would have to be resolved in a civil court.

The funny thing is that this is the only information on their website regarding their price match guarantee:

Regulated Pricing and Exclusive Savings:
Military Auto Source’s on-base pricing is regulated and routinely audited to ensure you get a highly competitive price that is consistent across all locations. So no matter your base location, branch, or rank, you will get the same great price. In addition there are savings and offers available exclusively to military members only through Military Auto Source on both stock and build your own orders.

Price Match Guarantee:
We want your buying process to be worry-free, and to back that up on-base we offer a Price Match Guarantee on all stateside car, truck, and SUV deliveries. This means if you find a lower price on the same specification vehicle, we will match that price.

Early Order Advantage:
For those service members ordering a vehicle to coincide with their return to the U.S., the Early Order Advantage is a great option. It offers additional savings and provides an opportunity to reduce your loan amount and monthly payment by increasing your deposit over time.

Factory Direct:
Military Auto Source has been appointed by each of our manufacturer partners as the sole provider of this buying service for U.S. Military overseas. This means you’re not buying from a dealer but more directly from the factory, helping you avoid many of the headaches that sometimes accompany the buying process. This relationship also enables us to provide unique benefits and protections only available to those serving in and with the military.

If only that was the truth...

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[Machine Gun Fury]

I too was bamboozled by MAS!! I think that we should file a complaint.

 

[OtisFE]

Filing a formal complaint that could result in them getting booted from the base would probably get the attention of their upper management.

 

[mpeugeot]

I too was bamboozled by MAS!! I think that we should file a complaint.

Like I said, PM me, because I have already been fighting this and I intend to aggregate as many complaints as I can. So when I take this to the AAFES/NEXCOM headquarters for resolution of this situation, I want them to understand, this isn't just one service member complaining but rather a number of us who are asking them to hold the contractor accountable.

Edit - you already did PM me!!! LOL

 

[mpeugeot]

So here is the plan at the moment, on Monday, with whatever evidence I can collect from MAS people on Bronco 6G, I am going to follow-up with MAS's Teddy Rosaya who oversees Government & Manufacturer Relations with the Overseas Military Sales Group (basically from MAS), and ask him one more time to do the right thing (for everyone involved at this point) before I take this higher. If they are still unwilling to budge, I will take it to a higher authority (and I am pretty confident that I know who I need to contact).

So it's vitally important, if you have emails from MAS that has discussion regarding their low price guarantee (or any other interactions which appear to be inconsistent with honest transparent business practices) I need to hear from you. I already have solid evidence that I was not the only person who has has issues with their business practice. Additionally, these questionable practices were not limited to one region, but were evident in multiple geographic locations.

 

[i4Scooter]

So here is the plan at the moment, on Monday, with whatever evidence I can collect from MAS people on Bronco 6G, I am going to follow-up with MAS's Teddy Rosaya who oversees Government & Manufacturer Relations with the Overseas Military Sales Group (basically from MAS), and ask him one more time to do the right thing (for everyone involved at this point) before I take this higher. If they are still unwilling to budge, I will take it to a higher authority (and I am pretty confident that I know who I need to contact).

So it's vitally important, if you have emails from MAS that has discussion regarding their low price guarantee (or any other interactions which appear to be inconsistent with honest transparent business practices) I need to hear from you. I already have solid evidence that I was not the only person who has has issues with their business practice. Additionally, these questionable practices were not limited to one region, but were evident in multiple geographic locations.

Did you get any resolution?

 

[Silver-Bolt]

Costco also sells Ford. However you cannot currently get a Bronco through them. This is not a unique situation. You are dealing with what amounts to a broker. They can't broker a vehicle they can't get.

 

[Little Foot]

Just got this email from MAS trying to back out of their so called "Lowest Price Guarantee". MAS is supposed to be a special offering for military members fighting overseas in support or direct contact with the war efforts. They are in fact just another gimmick. I showed them a quote for a 4 dr advanced 4x4, Black Diamond, 2.7/auto MIC top, mid package and they responding saying they won't honor special orders. Considering that ALL Broncos are ordered, there is no way that my build is special....Here's the responce from MAS....
Dear TSgt Price,



I understand your concerns. However, as per information received from our Ford Product Manager, we only offer Lowest Price Guarantee for stock units/vehicles that exist. As we are still awaiting confirmation from Ford regarding the allocation for the 2022 Ford Bronco which is a limited allocation model, we cannot give a lowest price for a special order.



Once we receive an update regarding the allocation, we will let you know.



Regards,

That seems interesting as I've never had issues with price matching to include a Shelby GT500 that I ordered, but they may have their policies. You have to have a legitimate quote from a dealership on that exact build, etc...If you do have that in hand, continue to run it up the chain. MAS is a part of AAFES, so you can also go the route of filing an ICE complaint, etc...The only thing you have to lose is time.

 

[rhymeswithbronco]

Good luck fighting the bureaucracy, seriously. I was facing a 6 month enjoyment to Kuwait this year and considered using MAS for a Bronco order. Instead I ended up retiring, which was a much better choice financially, and ordering through my local dealer.

MAS is okay for that E-5 and below that needs an appliance to shuttle a spouse and 3 kiddos around, but the big difference between them and anyone else trying to profit off service members is that they're sharing a piece of the pie with the AAFES/NEX conglomerate. Again, good luck.

 

[thenewjs]

Not sure if it was MAS back then but I sat down with them while deployed to Okinawa in 2003 to buy a Silverado. They looked at my rank (E-4) and said I couldn't afford it and pushed a Colorado on me. I took it, with delivery at dealer my choosing in the states, later in the year.

About a month before I'm due back home, I get word the truck had arrived at the dealer early. Which allowed me to to get financing and a check to them. My wife verified it was on there in the showroom with a sold sign. Until I got home my wife said any time she drove by it was in the showroom.

By the time I get home, the truck is paid off. I get to the dealership and felt they were stalling, they kept saying the GM wanted to met with me, once he was done with another customer. He shows up out of nowhere and offers to buy the truck. I told them I'll think about it over the weekend. I left and immediately went to another dealer to look for a Colorado, but I'm told, the Colorado is not available yet. I reply, the other dealer has one. He explains their Colorado (my Colorado) is the only one in the area and belonged to Chevy.

I begin to think, I may have an unprecedented opportunity and begin looking for a base Silverado. I find one at Carmax and I point it out to the wife and I go find a salesmen. Walk back and the wife is sitting in a 2001 GMC Sierra C3, jumps out and says she loves it. The Denali replaced the c3 in 2002. Put a hold on the C3, go back to the dealer with my Colorado make deal where the pay me and a factory extended warranty for the c3.

With that, every FORD Bronco produced right now has a buyer, that put in an RSVP months to a year ago. FORD didn't put in a process for MAS for the Bronco.

 

[mpeugeot]

Did you get any resolution?

Nope, they just continued to jerk me around and claim that I didn't have valid quotes. Short of taking them to court, I am out of options, and although tempted to take them to court - I probably won't waste any more time on it. I even had good connections inside of the exchange services, but they don't care, you would have to sue them for them to honor the guarantee.

I did manage to help some other people and make their lives more difficult by helping others, and I am sure that they didn't appreciate the fact that I didn't let them swindle other people.

They even tried to cancel an order on a person who had ordered a MIC top - telling him that he ordered it wrong - I was able to pull the window sticker and prove that it was correctly ordered... They were scrambling because they were busted.

In the end, I can't bitch too much as I am driving a 2.7 Bronco that hasn't blown up yet. The courtesy delivery was a shitshow, the updates from MAS were inaccurate, the price was just barely under MSRP... But it could have been worse. That said, I have an order with Granger pending.

 

[mpeugeot]

With that, every FORD Bronco produced right now has a buyer, that put in an RSVP months to a year ago. FORD didn't put in a process for MAS for the Bronco.

They have a process in place for the Bronco but were only allocated 20 last year from my understanding (those were all awarded by lottery) and it is probably a similar situation this year.

 

[mpeugeot]

That seems interesting as I've never had issues with price matching to include a Shelby GT500 that I ordered, but they may have their policies. You have to have a legitimate quote from a dealership on that exact build, etc...If you do have that in hand, continue to run it up the chain. MAS is a part of AAFES, so you can also go the route of filing an ICE complaint, etc...The only thing you have to lose is time.

Like I said, I had some well placed connections at AAFES/NEX, and even that didn't work, I am referring to executive level management at AAFES HQ and the contract manager for the program. I have 3 legitimate quotes (as well as proof of multiple delivered vehicles with nearly identical builds at lower prices - including the VINs). They are pretty much untouchable.

 

[i4Scooter]

Nope, they just continued to jerk me around and claim that I didn't have valid quotes. Short of taking them to court, I am out of options, and although tempted to take them to court - I probably won't waste any more time on it. I even had good connections inside of the exchange services, but they don't care, you would have to sue them for them to honor the guarantee.

I did manage to help some other people and make their lives more difficult by helping others, and I am sure that they didn't appreciate the fact that I didn't let them swindle other people.

They even tried to cancel an order on a person who had ordered a MIC top - telling him that he ordered it wrong - I was able to pull the window sticker and prove that it was correctly ordered... They were scrambling because they were busted.

In the end, I can't bitch too much as I am driving a 2.7 Bronco that hasn't blown up yet. The courtesy delivery was a shitshow, the updates from MAS were inaccurate, the price was just barely under MSRP... But it could have been worse. That said, I have an order with Granger pending.

I am glad you still got your Bronco. I put a deposit down on a Bronco Raptor early last year (2021) to be 1st on the list. Wish me luck. This will be my 1st vehicle thought MAS and I have heard it will either be super smooth or a complete cluster f%^k.

The sales Rep I went through seems like a really good.

 

[mpeugeot]

I am glad you still got your Bronco. I put a deposit down on a Bronco Raptor early last year (2021) to be 1st on the list. Wish me luck. This will be my 1st vehicle thought MAS and I have heard it will either be super smooth or a complete cluster f%^k.

The sales Rep I went through seems like a really good.

So, some things MAS does fairly well, some things they don't. I want to be fair.

Here are some of the good things:
They did deliver at the agreed price without any shenanigans and without any unexpected additional fees.
They did work to make sure that the dealer didn't drill my front end to put the license plate bracket on the vehicle.
Their tracker on the website is not bad. VIN number pops on the website (before your rep will know).
They didn't screw up my order.

Some of the bad things:

Once it ships the tracker loses all usefulness, they were usually a week behind my information.
They were completely obvious as to why my built Bronco hadn't shipped (Dirt Mountain).
They were unwilling to honor their low price guarantee. Still no worries about ADM though.
They didn't take care of customers equally and were willing to lie with regards to delays/mistakes.
They don't provide you any way of getting your window sticker, blend date, etc.

I have seen the dealer network treat people much worse than MAS, but that doesn't mean how they behaved was right either... In hindsight, I have to admit, you could do much worse than MAS. Just stay on top of the process and it should go relatively smooth, use the available resources here, it will help you with everything.

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