Refusing “Mandatory” dealer add-ons?

[VermontBroncoMan]

After reading that Ford has received 230,000+ Bronco reservations, I have decided to get in line and reserve one.

I was looking at my local dealers website and they charging $199 for “Capital Nitro Advantage” which is nothing more than filling the tires with nitrogen.

Because I flat out refuse to pay 200 dollars for nitrogen in my tires that will be immediately let out to air down and drive off road, I started looking into other dealerships.

It gets worse: Crossroads Ford is charging $497 for “dealer installed package that includes Ford Protect Surface Care, Llumar Door Edge Guards and Door Handle Cups.”

I don’t want these fees forced on me during purchase and am now starting to understand why some buyers are shunning their local dealers and going several states away so they aren’t ripped off.

My question is has anyone been able to negotiate and not have to pay for these BS additions?

EDIT: I would also welcome any dealer recommendations. I am located in central NC, but don’t mind driving to get a deal.

I can talk to you folks from a dealer perspective. I own 3 Ford dealerships up here in Vermont and we have taken over 120 plus orders for the new Bronco. MY stores will never sell a Bronco for over sticker price or require folks to pay for stuff they do not need or want to get their Bronco. Any dealer doing this is short sighted!

As a dealer, we have been screaming for years to the people at Ford to bring it back only if it is done right and believe me as someone who has seen all the new Bronco's in person, they got it right! I own an 72 and 79 and my brother/partner has 3 early Bronco's.

I sincerely hope dealers do not blow this opportunity to showcase the new Bronco and the cult following it is sure to create. I know personally there are a lot of good dealers out there that will do the right thing when it comes to these early orders and It would be sad to me to see other dealers try and capitalize on a single transaction. Handling these new customers with respect and a genuine shared enthusiasm for the new Bronco is how my dealerships will transact. Many of the existing orders we have taken are folks that will be new to the brand. This can and should result in a lot of future business in both vehicle and accessory sales.

In fact, our only plan is to get out ahead of their arrival at the dealerships and have a significant amount of accessories on hand so folks can customize them they way they want to at or near the time of delivery.

Sponsored

 

[Wanted33]

Hilbish Ford in Kannapolis, NC has always worked well with me, and they don't have any stupid add-ons.

 

[yankee hat with no brim]

I can talk to you folks from a dealer perspective. I own 3 Ford dealerships up here in Vermont and we have taken over 120 plus orders for the new Bronco. MY stores will never sell a Bronco for over sticker price or require folks to pay for stuff they do not need or want to get their Bronco. Any dealer doing this is short sighted!

As a dealer, we have been screaming for years to the people at Ford to bring it back only if it is done right and believe me as someone who has seen all the new Bronco's in person, they got it right! I own an 72 and 79 and my brother/partner has 3 early Bronco's.

I sincerely hope dealers do not blow this opportunity to showcase the new Bronco and the cult following it is sure to create. I know personally there are a lot of good dealers out there that will do the right thing when it comes to these early orders and It would be sad to me to see other dealers try and capitalize on a single transaction. Handling these new customers with respect and a genuine shared enthusiasm for the new Bronco is how my dealerships will transact. Many of the existing orders we have taken are folks that will be new to the brand. This can and should result in a lot of future business in both vehicle and accessory sales.

In fact, our only plan is to get out ahead of their arrival at the dealerships and have a significant amount of accessories on hand so folks can customize them they way they want to at or near the time of delivery.

Holy crap..I think i'm going to Vermont to buy my car.

Will you match the granger deal?

 

[ChrisMig]

I can talk to you folks from a dealer perspective. I own 3 Ford dealerships up here in Vermont and we have taken over 120 plus orders for the new Bronco. MY stores will never sell a Bronco for over sticker price or require folks to pay for stuff they do not need or want to get their Bronco. Any dealer doing this is short sighted!

As a dealer, we have been screaming for years to the people at Ford to bring it back only if it is done right and believe me as someone who has seen all the new Bronco's in person, they got it right! I own an 72 and 79 and my brother/partner has 3 early Bronco's.

I sincerely hope dealers do not blow this opportunity to showcase the new Bronco and the cult following it is sure to create. I know personally there are a lot of good dealers out there that will do the right thing when it comes to these early orders and It would be sad to me to see other dealers try and capitalize on a single transaction. Handling these new customers with respect and a genuine shared enthusiasm for the new Bronco is how my dealerships will transact. Many of the existing orders we have taken are folks that will be new to the brand. This can and should result in a lot of future business in both vehicle and accessory sales.

In fact, our only plan is to get out ahead of their arrival at the dealerships and have a significant amount of accessories on hand so folks can customize them they way they want to at or near the time of delivery.

Can I change my order to you? NJ isn't far..I'll drive.....

 

[blkreaper]

But why should we have to work in order to get a vehicle buying experience that doesn't suck?

Not fair to force the customer to "shop" around for a dealership that isn't full of assholes.

The lack of consistency is what will kill the car dealership business model within the next decade. Not sure where these guys will work. Guess they can sling boxes in an Amazon sweat shop, err Amazon warehouse and distribution center is what I meant; not really....

you can blame the government for that. Tesla can sell their own vehicles but traditional Car manufactures have to have a third party in between. Ford can't tell someone else how to run their company. I do wish they would stop selling to them though

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

you can blame the government for that. Tesla can sell their own vehicles but traditional Car manufactures have to have a third party in between. Ford can't tell someone else how to run their company. I do wish they would stop selling to them though

Well aware. These are state laws that force car manufacturers to use dealership networks to sell vehicles. It's all about insuring states collect sales taxes. These laws are now outdated. Federal law may even soon require online retailers to collect local sales taxes; this is the Commerce Clause. As result, dealerships serve as a sort of job welfare for semi-skilled and educated workers. The service department are the only ones with true skills and they'll survive.

Anyway, it is now easy to tag or track what state a product is being sold to. Carvana and whoever else do this already and you are allowed to purchase a vehicle out of state, just ensure your state gives protection from double taxation (most do).

Make sure you vote in ways that are friendly to you, not just to businesses who show at every damn turn that they don't care at all about you as their customer unless forced to do so.

Everyone on this forum should use this upcoming inconsistent experience to remember how you can collectively disrupt this business model which is outdated and dumb.

 

[blkreaper]

Well aware. These are state laws that force car manufacturers to use dealership networks to sell vehicles. It's all about ensuring states collect sales taxes. These laws are now outdated. Federal law may even soon require online retailers to collect local sales taxes; this is the Commerce Clause. As result, dealerships serve as a sort of job welfare for semi-skilled and educated workers. The service department are the only ones with true skills and they'll survive.

Anyway, it is now easy to tag or track what state a product is being sold to. Carvana and whoever else do this already and you are allowed to purchase a vehicle out of state, just ensure your state gives protection from double taxation (most do).

Make sure you vote in ways that are friendly to you, not just to businesses who show at every damn turn that they don't care at all about you as their customer unless forced to do so.

Everyone on this forum should use this upcoming inconsistent experience to remember how you can collectively disrupt this business which is outdated and dumb.

well said my friend

 

[xXChartmanXx]

As long as Ford will do X plan on the Broncos, I'm good as Crossroads WF said they'll accept it. That caps their fees at $100. If they aren't going to do that then I'll be looking at other dealerships.

Mike Levine has stated that they will accept all plans A through Z for the Bronco. He is the North American Product Communication Manager so pretty sure he's in the know.

 

[VTBronco]

I can talk to you folks from a dealer perspective. I own 3 Ford dealerships up here in Vermont and we have taken over 120 plus orders for the new Bronco. MY stores will never sell a Bronco for over sticker price or require folks to pay for stuff they do not need or want to get their Bronco. Any dealer doing this is short sighted!

As a dealer, we have been screaming for years to the people at Ford to bring it back only if it is done right and believe me as someone who has seen all the new Bronco's in person, they got it right! I own an 72 and 79 and my brother/partner has 3 early Bronco's.

I sincerely hope dealers do not blow this opportunity to showcase the new Bronco and the cult following it is sure to create. I know personally there are a lot of good dealers out there that will do the right thing when it comes to these early orders and It would be sad to me to see other dealers try and capitalize on a single transaction. Handling these new customers with respect and a genuine shared enthusiasm for the new Bronco is how my dealerships will transact. Many of the existing orders we have taken are folks that will be new to the brand. This can and should result in a lot of future business in both vehicle and accessory sales.

In fact, our only plan is to get out ahead of their arrival at the dealerships and have a significant amount of accessories on hand so folks can customize them they way they want to at or near the time of delivery.

Hi there,
I'm in VT and have a reservation at Heritage in South Burlington. I also spoke briefly to Lamoille - neither of them know concretely about X-Plan so they indicated. Which dealerships do you own if you don't mind me asking? What you said hit the nail on the head.

Also - do you foresee having a model in-store to drive/check out? I can't justify dropping serious $$$ on a car I haven't seen or driven.
Thanks!!

 

[BuckeyeinNV]

Does anyone know if this is true? It says X-Plan caps doc fees at $100....





Can I be charged a “document fee” (doc fee) by my dealer?
Yes. Dealers will be permitted to assess up to $100 in documentary fees on each delivery to an eligible purchaser under the terms of the Plan, unless otherwise provided by state or local laws or regulation. Each dealer is responsible for complying with applicable laws or regulations.

• What if I am in a state that allows the dealer to charge more than $100?

Unless otherwise provided by state or local laws or regulation: In states where dealers are not permitted to charge as much as $100 for doc fees, dealers would be capped at the lesser amount as provided by the state. In states that permitted more than $100, dealers would be permitted to charge the Plan customer $100. In states that permitted more than $100 and also required that all customers be charged the same amount, dealers may charge the Plan customer $100 and indicate any additional fees have been paid by Ford Motor Company or Lincoln Motor Company as part of the AXZD-Plan Program dealer reimbursement on the buyer's order.

• How does this change the $275 administration fee?

There is no change. The $275 administration fee covers costs of managing the New Vehicle Purchase Program.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1451043-x-plan-fees.html

 

[Big L 65]

I am in VA and I go out of state as VA charges a dealer doc fee of $699. NY state charges $75.

I purchased my GEN1 and GEN2 Raptor from NY at invoice and plan to buy my Bronco from the same dealership. I know this dealership well and they already said they will sell the bronco to me at invoice and perhaps even lower.

where in NY you located at? Hopefully Long Island i need your salesman lol

 

[Wasatch]

So you are ordering a bronco and they are saying your can't have it without them molesting it first?? WTF! I am a dealer in southern Indiana and we don't play those games. No add, no doc, no B/S. Tell them to stuff the etch and anything else they are trying to add on. Jesus, no wonder people hate dealers.

I started as a Ford Rep calling on dealers in 1979. It is very sad that the BS has not changed much in all that time. An automobile is the second largest purchase one makes excepting a house. Why am I not looking forward to the Bronco purchase in the same way I have looked forward to the purchase of a house.

 

[VermontBroncoMan]

Can I change my order to you? NJ isn't far..I'll drive.....

Absolutely. My team and I will take care of you. Choose either Twin state ford in saint J or Lamoille Valley Ford in Hardwick. Both in Vermont. Email
me personally with the change and I will follow up. [email protected]

Whatever man. If you like car sales people good for you, but you're in a lonely camp with that. There's a reason why "I hate buying a car and the sales people" is a thing.

Don't worry about what class level I'm in, you're not an economist, or likely anything of substance really.

Selling cars isn't a transferable skill. Hard to flip that to selling anything else. That people skills talk is just what car sells people tell each other. The fact that car sales has such bad customer service experiences shows that the people skills are lacking. You can find an outlier to anything, but who cares about that?

Most people here will have/has had questionable experiences buying a car at some point. As you bring attention to, I own luxury cars, which generally means a better overall buying experience than what one can expect from a Ford dealership, and I still hate it and have shared those details in previous posts. At any rate, I'm moving down to a Ford, so you can wax poetic and read into that whatever you like.

Not sure if you've read previous posts on the topic, but the reason why the internet hasn't taken over the car buying transactions is due to state law, not consumer choice.

Bet you're someone who still actually also goes to the mall.... To cruise the parking lot maybe?

I respect your opinion. Love to know what you actually do for a living. You seem to know a lot. Should have built your own suv by now but apparently that’s to easy for you. Respect

Hi there,
I'm in VT and have a reservation at Heritage in South Burlington. I also spoke briefly to Lamoille - neither of them know concretely about X-Plan so they indicated. Which dealerships do you own if you don't mind me asking? What you said hit the nail on the head.

Also - do you foresee having a model in-store to drive/check out? I can't justify dropping serious $$$ on a car I haven't seen or driven.
Thanks!!

Hey VTBronco, We do not have the Concrete details on x-plan but if Ford does offer It then we would 100% honor it. We believe we will be able to secure a Bronco or 2 for our loaner/rental fleet so customers like you can get the experience prior to taking delivery and maybe even before your final order.
I own Lamoille Valley Ford in Hardwick and Twin State Ford in Saint J and also am also a partner with Bokan in Saint Albans. My email is [email protected].

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

Absolutely. My team and I will take care of you. Choose either Twin state ford in saint J or Lamoille Valley Ford in Hardwick. Both in Vermont. Email
me personally with the change and I will follow up. [email protected]

I respect your opinion. Love to know what you actually do for a living. You seem to know a lot. Should have built your own suv by now but apparently that’s to easy for you. Respect

Hey VTBronco, We do not have the Concrete details on x-plan but if Ford does offer It then we would 100% honor it. We believe we will be able to secure a Bronco or 2 for our loaner/rental fleet so customers like you can get the experience prior to taking delivery and maybe even before your final order.
I own Lamoille Valley Ford in Hardwick and Twin State Ford in Saint J and also am also a partner with Bokan in Saint Albans. My email is [email protected].

Nah Vermont, I'm a pretty dumb guy really, just trying to help my fellow enthusiasts to be treated fairly. There is lots of opportunity for Bronco buyers to be taken advantage of because for many of us, Bronco is the only option. Because of this, we need to get you Ford dealers attention. Judging by your posts, you seem to run a fair dealership, so I have a lot of respect for you and wish you the best. Hopefully your setting of a good example will rub off on your peers. Next time I'm up that way to ski the Beast of the East, Stowe, or Sugarbush, may have to stop in to say hi.

What I do for a living? Awe shucks man, this is the internet; I just play video games all day down here in my moms basement!

 

[Bronc-O]

The dealership is going to get their money somehow. If I’m going to get forced into dealer add in’s (probably will) I’ll at least make sure it’s something I want like floor mats or undercoating.

My salesman has about a half dozen of those window sticker side bars on his window showing various dealers add on's and a sign saying something to the affect of we don't do this.

Sponsored