Mike Levine saying outright he does NOT care about Granger/Chapman/SAC

[RedHotFuzz]

So, Ford will piss off a few thousand to keep the rest of the 190,000 happy.

How many of those 190,000 reservation holders do you estimate are "happy" right now?

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[Razorback]

Levine doesn't understand it's not all about the savings of using a small dealer. I had 2 reservations. 1st one means more to me than anything. Called the original dealership to explain the importance and wanting to make sure everything in good order on reservation. Didn't hear a thing from them for a month. Had the opportunity to switch to a small dealer and did it. Service is so far beyond what the big dealership offered.

 

[NewBroncoOwner]

In case anyone's been waiting for an answer:
@mrlevine Fill your Bronco reservation orders ahead of allocations. We’ve already waited 15 months. Stop punishing your customers. #reservationsoverallocations
His answer tells me they just don't care.

in case he deletes his tweet, here's what it says:

Mike Levine
Replying to @robtraut and @KogodBiz
That’s exactly the plan for more than 98% of customers that didn’t place orders with a small dealer that created a special deal to attract a large number of orders.

Still up and what a tool bag

 

[tn3sport]

The larger dealers pushed back on funding of the new Bronco Showroom construction at their dealerships unless they received a higher allocation. Its as plain and simple as that. They have 100 of these special Bronco dedicated showroom buildings forecast at mostly top 100 largest dealers. But, dealers have to buy-in and fund the construction; thus, they demanded a larger allocation of the vehicles.

Think like a business owner and the decision from Ford became obvious. They can reach more and sell more, in the future, at the expense of a few hundred reservation holders at a small dealer trying to do a volume buy....

The story of the 2% is just not an issue that is getting mainstream traction. Fringe stories here and there, but everyone knows the Bronco is supply constrained across the board... the detail about a subset that ordered from a small contingent of dealers is lost... Thus, Ford had little to risk in the decision.

 

[Rahkmalla]

Still up and what a tool bag

The fact that he doesn't even have the sense to delete it is just as telling as the fact that he posted it to begin with.

 

[rugbysecondrow]

For someone this situation doesn’t affect or apply to you sure have a lot to say about it.

If you don't have a Bronco yet, you are impacted by the policy decisions Ford rolls out. I don't have my Bronco yet, so I am impacted.

You are right though, I am not sympathetic to the plight of those who chased great discounts to certain dealers. I read, and stayed quiet, when people posted about their amazing deals, and insinuated that anybody paying MSRP was a sucker, or was just giving their money away. There was an arrogance to their posts then, so I don't feel bad for them now when the deals maybe weren't as good as they thought it would be.

I don't wish them ill will, I hope they get their Bronco and I think Ford should honor the orders and deliver them in the same timeline as others. That said, contrasting the arrogance or gloating of the " I got a great deal" posts from a year ago to the " I am getting screwed " posts today...sorry, I just don't feel bad for them.

 

[bajabronco57]

Ford has hundreds of other dealers to consider. The same way they don't want dealers gouging customers, they don't want a small dealer having people travel from all around the country to pick up a Bronco and then head home, expecting the local dealer to take care of them as though they bought it there. Put yourself in another dealers shoes. You are a Ford shop, you are offering fair (MSRP?) pricing and you have a Bronco specialist. You loose sails or margin because a dealer 500 miles away is "low balling", knowing they can sell a few warranties, custom parts and accessories and then never have to deal with day to day customer service issues.

I haven't worked at a dealership in years but when I was there the majority of the profit was from service and used car sales, not new cars. The new car is basically there to get you to use their service department. I don't see that me buying it out of area is at all an impact in that case. Yes technically it is less revenue, but not at a clip that would make any sort of impact.

 

[Rahkmalla]

The story of the 2% is just not an issue that is getting mainstream traction. Fringe stories here and there, but everyone knows the Bronco is supply constrained across the board... the detail about a subset that ordered from a small contingent of dealers is lost... Thus, Ford had little to risk in the decision.

Let's say the 2% number is accurate. That's 2400 Broncos. If your top 100 dealers account for 25% of sales, then fulfilling the 2400 you've just pissed off means your average top100 dealer loses 6 broncos between MY22 and MY23.

pissing off 2400 customers willing to order a truck sight unseend over 6 trucks per dealership over 2 years? come on. there's "little risk" and there's downright ill-thought.

 

[MNbronco]

The larger dealers pushed back on funding of the new Bronco Showroom construction at their dealerships unless they received a higher allocation. Its as plain and simple as that. They have 100 of these special Bronco dedicated showroom buildings forecast at mostly top 100 largest dealers. But, dealers have to buy-in and fund the construction; thus, they demanded a larger allocation of the vehicles.

Think like a business owner and the decision from Ford became obvious. They can reach more and sell more, in the future, at the expense of a few hundred reservation holders at a small dealer trying to do a volume buy....

The story of the 2% is just not an issue that is getting mainstream traction. Fringe stories here and there, but everyone knows the Bronco is supply constrained across the board... the detail about a subset that ordered from a small contingent of dealers is lost... Thus, Ford had little to risk in the decision.

I think Ford is forgetting that the 2% they are shoving to the side are enthusiasts that already have multiple Fords or have bought multiple Fords. Also, lets not forget they will be future brand ambassadors for the Bronco and likely repeat buyers.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

If a big dealer wants more reservations then they should have been more competitive and transparent regarding price.

What are you talking about? I've read here that dealers like Galpin Ford have more orders then they can fill too, the big dealers already have the reservations, they need the units to fill them too.

Did you really think Ford would give more units to a small dealer in a small town compared to a dealer in a major market where millions of potential customers live?

And they are still going by the time stamp... like I said I wish Ford would please both. But again a dealer like that has thousands of customers to keep happy and to the other posters question, a lot more than a few thousand, that was the point. I haven't read anything bad about my dealer.

 

[1975U15]

Big dealer or small dealer does not matter, Ford stated they were building all reservations prior to stock units...that is the issue. If a big dealer wants more reservations then they should have been more competitive and transparent regarding price.

This simple concept is the main point. The I told you so's continue to avoid this and other lies Ford told their enthusiast base.

 

[OmahaKevin]

I don’t see what the big deal is here. 98% will get their reservations filled by the end of 2022. The cost of getting $1-2k under invoice turns out to be a slightly longer wait. Everything is a gamble, sometimes it pays off and other times it doesn’t.

We all took that gamble under the stated rules. The reason everyone is angry is that @Ford Motor Company changed the rules and based on @mrlevine 's phrasing it was specifically because of a few successful dealers.

 

[69351windsor]

Its still unconscionable the blatant disregard Ford has for reservationists & still begs why are they supporting the price gouging tactics with such zeal.....AND I still say it was because they've always wanted a Base going for $50-$60K & upper trims into the $100k's, there must be some impressive 'ol boys network with the shit-bags at the big cheater dealers. I hate to say it but the next salvo will be Ford just cancels all reservations outright in favor of $25K ADM....I mean really -- having to wait five years? That to me is about the same as them saying - "just forget it, you're out".

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

Some of you need to learn reading comprehension, I never said large dealers wanting more reservations, I said large dealers that already had a large number of reservations that they can't fill too. Do their customers wait longer because those dealers are losing normal expected allocations to a few small WHEN they also have the reservations to fill. I agree with the time stamp, but I was talking macro numbers, not micro.

 

[Bronco23]

Let's say the 2% number is accurate. That's 2400 Broncos. If your top 100 dealers account for 25% of sales, then fulfilling the 2400 you've just pissed off means your average top100 dealer loses 6 broncos between MY22 and MY23.

pissing off 2400 customers willing to order a truck sight unseend over 6 trucks per dealership over 2 years? come on. there's "little risk" and there's downright ill-thought.

The problem is that it isn't 2%. What he wrote was "98% of customers that didn't place orders with a small dealer" the question is what does that represent? if 75,000 people placed orders with "small dealers" then that number is 98% of say 50,000 assuming 125,000 orders.

His tweet is deceiving and gives the idea 98% of order holders are not affected when that is not the case. it is 98% of a mysterious number.

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