Ford Changes How Broncos are Allocated - But Doesn’t Want You to Know

[toystwo]

So any ideas if a day 3 res will deliver about the same from any dealer?

Unfortunately I don’t think anyone can actually help with a question like that. I think you have to wait until Ford commicates the allocations to the dealers, then ask your dealer where you are in their reservation order and their estimate of when you will receive - and then hope you are talking with an honest and capable dealer.

Even then there won’t be certainty, as people will be changing dealers due to this allocation mess and could bump other people further down or up.

Sponsored

 

[Gamecock]

I agree, Nobody can be sure of anything Ford says.

They removed the sentence saying All reservations will be fulfilled before dealer stock from the FAQ. Levine helpfully replaced that removed sentence with 2021 model year reservations before dealer stock on Twitter.

Levine is not particularly careful with his word choices so its hard to know if that means anything for sure. But my bet is that in order to put even stronger teeth into the new allocation process that wording change means exactly what it says.

See post 154 on page 11 of this thread for the exact wording change.

I missed the "All Reservations will be filled before dealer stock" piece being removed. That's pretty sobering for anyone with a later reservation....obviously intentional and indicates a big change in the thinking. So basically, be high enough in your dealer's allocation number to get a 2021,...or you're SOL and will fall behind dealer stock orders, if you even ever get one.

 

[toystwo]

I missed the "All Reservations will be filled before dealer stock" piece being removed. That's pretty sobering for anyone with a later reservation....obviously intentional and indicates a big change in the thinking. So basically, be high enough in your dealer's allocation number to get a 2021,...or you're SOL and will fall behind dealer stock orders, if you even ever get one.

Yea, it’s in the first post - but see also post 154 because Ford tweeted “new” language later the same day as the original post.

So many posts in this thread are about stuff not related to the actual changes —production and shipping efficiencies, “this shouldn’t be a thread”, I’m in it to “steal glory” from others (which is a personal favorite, I love it), actually discussing the substance was very difficult with all the noise.

 

[toystwo]

Because Ford said that converted reservations would be built before dealer stock. Unless that is no longer true, and as I’ve said a few times, that would mean the reservation process is just a gimmick.

Ford removed that guarantee from their FAQ. Then tweeted (gotta love a good tweet) a guarantee but a different one - see original post, post 154 and the recent discussion above this post.

 

[Gamecock]

Ford removed that guarantee from their FAQ. Then tweeted (gotta love a good tweet) a guarantee but a different one - see original post, post 154 and the recent discussion above this post.

That really is despicable that they would make such a major change. I had just paid attention to the allocation change, as it was so egregious, but changing their commitment to build all reservations first is worse.

 

[toystwo]

That really is despicable that they would make such a major change. I had just paid attention to the allocation change, as it was so egregious, but changing their commitment to build all reservations first is worse.

I wasn’t willing to say they had definitely changed, but the more I think through it, the more I believe they intend to produce stock in 2022 ahead of reservations.

They have to do that for the new allocation plan to work as designed. Of course 2022 is going to have an allocation formula and it’s not going to allow small deep discounting dealers to deliver all their unfulfilled reservations before other dealers receive any product. Big dealers wouldn’t be OK with that and they drove the change to begin with.

We don’t know for sure (because Ford won’t tell us) so some would argue we should stay quiet and hope for the best.

 

[Razorback]

Makes those day one reservations pretty valuable.

 

[toystwo]

Makes those day one reservations pretty valuable.

To whoever holds them — if they want a Bronco. I don’t think there is any effective way to transfer a reservation.

 

[Razorback]

To whoever holds them, if they want a Bronco. I don’t there is any effective way to transfer a reservation.

There's not. Just valuable to the holder of the reservations.

 

[MYBRONCO]

Disclaimer:: I have not read the entire thread...

My thoughts below on the above document::

1) Any reservation placed after Sept 18th is probably a 22MY Bronco. Even if converted to an order within days of the order banks opening. Once the Jan 31 date passes, any reservation made after Sept 18th and converted gets placed into whatever line there might be for 22MY reserved and converted broncos.
- example:: Bronco Reserved on Sept 19, and Converted to an order the first day of order banks opening, becomes one of the first built broncos for 22MY(with standing my below example doesnt have any rollover).

2) Any reservation made before Sept 18th, and converted to an actual order by the deadline of Jan 31, 2022 will be a 21MY bronco and delivered to chosen dealership.
A) Delivery/production period of said Bronco then is based on timestamp of CONVERSION DATE.
- example:: Bronco (A) reserved Sept 17 and converted to an order on first day of order banks will be built and delivered before Bronco (B) that was reserved on July 15th and converted on Jan 30th.

With all of the being said, i would be willing to bet Ford has allowed some sort of "Stock" production broncos to be built for 21MY. These will be built after all the Pre-Sept 18/Pre-Jan 31 broncos have been built. That is where all the allocations for 21MY come into play.

 

[XCR440]

Ford should have not accepted reservations until now, cutting a couple months off the wait would have been a good move.

They should have limited reservations to X number of units or only a 7 day window to keep the number reasonable. This is the issue that created this mess, if it were the first 3 months of production that got reserved, it could have been easy to do in order, but with it being more than one model year, its a mess, especially when they told dealers that participating in the reservation program was "optional" as now its not fair to the customer to not go in order, but not fair to dealers to not give them Broncos for their customers since they didn't participate in the program, no way everyone's going to end up happy on this one.

What upsets me is they're still taking reservations, this should be stopped, or at least turned into a take my name for the next batch list instead of a reservation.

 

[Gamecock]

Ford should have not accepted reservations until now, cutting a couple months off the wait would have been a good move.

They should have limited reservations to X number of units or only a 7 day window to keep the number reasonable. This is the issue that created this mess, if it were the first 3 months of production that got reserved, it could have been easy to do in order, but with it being more than one model year, its a mess, especially when they told dealers that participating in the reservation program was "optional" as now its not fair to the customer to not go in order, but not fair to dealers to not give them Broncos for their customers since they didn't participate in the program, no way everyone's going to end up happy on this one.

What upsets me is they're still taking reservations, this should be stopped, or at least turned into a take my name for the next batch list instead of a reservation.

Good perspective. I get that dealers thought the process was unfair. The problem is that Ford rolled it out to the public as a reservation system that held them a place in line with Ford to get a Bronco. It’s wrong to change that once you put it into place and have all these people pay to get in the line. Take care of the dealers in some other way, but don’t go back and go back on the commitment and screw the consumers. It’s wrong.

 

[toystwo]

They should have limited reservations to X number of units or only a 7 day window to keep the number reasonable.

Ford could have done a whole lot of things to make this roll-out process better - but it’s principally encapsulated by two words Planning and up-front Communication. None of their issues/hiccups were particularly hard to anticipate.

Their current refusal to clearly communicate to consumers the recent changes they have made in how Broncos will he produced is inexcusable. It’s complicated and mostly hidden from view, so apparently they think it’s better to ignore it and presumably rely on the dealers to communicate to the affected customers (after Ford releases the allocation calculations to the dealers).

 

[toymaster]

OK, been in this shit-show since day one of the release, that is where my cred ends since I'm a jeep guy, not a bronco guy; I love Fords, but broncos have never inspired any stirrings in me, till B6.

As I read Ford's communications and understand the position of every stakeholder in the aforementioned S-show. Here is my 1/2 bit's worth....

The first people to place orders will get those fulfilled, in a reasonable order of which Ford has eluded to, before stock orders are started. The continuing list of reservations will be fulfilled along with stock orders. The cutoff date had to be at some point, Ford put that date at Sept 18, for what ever reason. The "early" reservation orders will be fulfilled first and in the usual way meaning options and shipping logistics. So, not "in order of reservation" exactly but as close as the efficient system will allow.

List of facts that influenced my present position.

1. Ford needed to know the demand the Bronco would generate, to make decision on where to put their resources. Perfectly sensible business move. Thus, the reservation idea was formed. (who wants to have to discount overstock, like jeep is doing on their "truck")

2. Ford does not care what dealer sales a bronco, their profit is the same, but this is not the end of the story.

3. Ford has to keep their dealers happy, so concessions were made.

4. The reservation system cannot go on forever but it is in Ford's interest to keep the stream of information coming as long as they can, the latest communication seems to be a transitional phase allowing for the dealers to get some stock while keeping the reservation system in place.

5. Any company is going to ship sold units before dealer stock when there are no intervening circumstance.

The new "changes" does affect the late comers to the game but should not change anything for the reservations made before the Sept date.

Sponsored