The Plan & Offer - Stephens Auto Center's Mid Atlantic Bronco Connection

[StephensAutoCenter]

Also, we didn't have April scheduled builds until March, so May can happen between now and mid-April.

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[Compta38]

seeing a bunch of Badlands, Lux, MIC etc. get scheduled with later reservations than many of us. This is beyomd irritating. Summer is nearly out of the equation at this point.

 

[GaryB2220]

Also, we didn't have April scheduled builds until March, so May can happen between now and mid-April.

ooof. John, i think you are totally right about Ford not getting all dealers scheduled the same day. We get all hyped up because we hear when they START scheduling for the next build cycle, and then expect that you will be getting those phone calls made THAT DAY. if i remember correctly, they started scheduling for April builds back in February. So if it took them (Ford Scheduling) 2-4 weeks to get to you, we can probably expect a similar delay this time around. So you should be hearing from Ford April 7th to the 14th on May's build allocation

 

[tallboy33]

And the award for the most likely winning Occasion of things you've heard base on Fords actions goes to....
2nd Occasion: "....you're getting hosed." Paraphrased of course.

 

[StephensAutoCenter]

seeing a bunch of Badlands, Lux, MIC etc. get scheduled with later reservations than many of us. This is beyomd irritating. Summer is nearly out of the equation at this point.

This can happen with dealers with lower reservation numbers (or orders without reservations) and higher allocations. These are also (probably) being sold at MSRP or more than likely, above MSRP.

I believe the disconnect occurred back in the beginning stages just prior to reservations opening and continued until somewhere around the point that ordering began in 2021. I *think* Ford assumed everyone knew the process would be bound to the allocations allotted on a per-dealer basis and that everyone knew how the build system works.... even though they said "by timestamp". But timestamp in their policies and procedures evidently turned out to be "by timestamp" per-dealer, not overall. Not only did the customers assume (in general) that "by timestamp" meant no matter where the order went, all orders would be fulfilled in timestamp order, so did many of the dealers (us in particular) as the "per dealer" wasn't included in the early information.




/john

 

[dingle87]

This can happen with dealers with lower reservation numbers (or orders without reservations) and higher allocations. These are also (probably) being sold at MSRP or more than likely, above MSRP.

I believe the disconnect occurred back in the beginning stages just prior to reservations opening and continued until somewhere around the point that ordering began in 2021. I *think* Ford assumed everyone knew the process would be bound to the allocations allotted on a per-dealer basis and that everyone knew how the build system works.... even though they said "by timestamp". By timestamp in their policies and procedures evidently turned out to be "by timestamp" per-dealer, not overall. Not only did the customers assume (in general) that "by timestamp" meant no matter where the order went, all orders would be fulfilled in timestamp order, so did many of the dealers (us in particular) as the "per dealer" wasn't included in the early information.




/john

 

[GaryB2220]

(All of us trying to deduce the facts that Ford won't allow themselves to share)
https://c.tenor.com/1RXoW6pyTXMAAAAd/jeff-bridges-what.gif

 

[Wanted33]

Pretty ballsy of them to post in here considering what they’ve done to SAC’s allocations….

@Ford Motor Company

I'm not carrying water for Ford, heaven knows I have my problems with the company also. But, the folks on the other end of that line is just folks like us that were given a script to follow. They don't/didn't make any of the shitty decisions that have turned this whole situation into a fiasco. I wish we had a direct line to the knuckleheads that screwed this thing up, but they are insulated by to many layers of people that have to take the heat.

 

[Skeletor]

I have to say that my opinion of Ford has diminished greatly as this whole process has played out. I used to regard Ford as one of the best auto manufacturers out there, but I dont think I've ever seen an international corporation operate as poorly as Ford has for the Bronco rollout.

If I ever do get my Bronco (and I say if because I cannot wait forever) it could be the last Ford I ever purchase. Their products lack innovation. Their customer service is subpar, and the quality of some of the products they are manufacturing is questionable at best and very poor at worst.

It's overall been pretty disappointing as a person who used to consider themselves a "Ford guy."

 

[FastAndLight]

I have to say that my opinion of Ford has diminished greatly as this while process has played out. I used to regard Ford as one of the best auto manufacturers out there, but I dont think I've ever seen an international corporation operate as poorly as Ford has for the Bronco rollout.

If I ever do get my Bronco (and I say if because I cannot wait forever) it could be the last Ford I ever purchase. Their products lack innovation. Their customer service is subpar, and the quality of some of the products they are manufacturing is questionable at best and very poor at worst.

It's overall been pretty disappointing as a person who used to consider themselves a "Ford guy."

I'm right there with you, except for saying that this will be the last Ford I ever purchase. I'm still not even clear if I'm going to ever get this one, and I could see myself picking up a used Ranger in a few years for some light truck duty.

What has me most concerned is the epic levels of management failure that have led to this situation. If I were a large institutional investor or on Ford's board I'd be worried about whether the failures displayed in the Bronco process are indicative of the quality of leadership, management, planning, product engineering, operations, and vendor management across all of the different products. Cynically, I wonder if that is why Ford separated the electric products into a separate business. Maybe it gives them some measure of plausible deniability regarding their ability to execute complex new product launches in the future.

All of that bitterness aside, I did one of their mini off-rodeo events in the North GA mountains a few weeks ago, and it was amazing. In some ways it made me even more frustrated, because the vehicle was great. And now, I'm still stuck not having a clear picture of when mine will ever get built.

 

[Gyddeup]

I am fortunate in that both my husband and I still have solid dependable vehicles to drive, so while I would love to be enjoying my new bronco now it is a luxury item for me. I just keep telling myself that the longer it takes the more cash I will have to throw at it....hell I may be able to just pay cash by the time that mine makes it here with all of the constraints that I have on my order lol. I see the ones on the other dealers lots with 15-20k adm and will wait for exactly what I want from Stephen's...it is frustrating, but I think that it will be well worth the wait!

 

[Bronco wannabe]

What has me most concerned is the epic levels of management failure that have led to this situation. If I were a large institutional investor or on Ford's board I'd be worried about whether the failures displayed in the Bronco process are indicative of the quality of leadership, management, planning, product engineering, operations, and vendor management across all of the different products. Cynically, I wonder if that is why Ford separated the electric products into a separate business. Maybe it gives them some measure of plausible deniability regarding their ability to execute complex new product launches in the future.

All of that bitterness aside, I did one of their mini off-rodeo events in the North GA mountains a few weeks ago, and it was amazing. In some ways it made me even more frustrated, because the vehicle was great. And now, I'm still stuck not having a clear picture of when mine will ever get built.

Institutional investors don't give a crap about what has happened to Bronco customers. What they do care about is how much money they've made the last two years with the stock price more than doubling. When Bronco reservations opened, the stock price was around $6/share. It peaked at $25 in January of this year, and now it's around $17/share.

Farley makes almost all his decisions based around how Ford is going to get their stock back to investment grade. He's done a phenomenal job at making the stock price soar.

 

[GaryB2220]

Their products lack innovation.

The only thing you said i didnt agree with. The Bronco is certainly an innovation and improvement against the vehicles it is competing with. The A pillar mounted mirrors, electronic sway bar discconnect (factory standard option), the GOAT modes, the 360 cameras, and ecoboost engines in general were all great innovations. Squeezing that much juice out of such small displacement engines is a feat in of itself. I also think they knocked it out of the park with the aesthetics of the vehicles and all of the little easter eggs. Ford powerplants are very popular with european sports car makers. Then there is the massive EV push that Ford is making.
I think Ford is being innovative. But they certainly fall behind in build quality, fulfilling orders/delivering vehicles, communicating with customers, controlling their dealers predatory practices, and overcoming supply chain woes.

 

[Lothbrok]

Institutional investors don't give a crap about what has happened to Bronco customers. What they do care about is how much money they've made the last two years with the stock price more than doubling. When Bronco reservations opened, the stock price was around $6/share. It peaked at $25 in January of this year, and now it's around $17/share.

Farley makes almost all his decisions based around how Ford is going to get their stock back to investment grade. He's done a phenomenal job at making the stock price soar.

This is so true

 

[FastAndLight]

Institutional investors don't give a crap about what has happened to Bronco customers. What they do care about is how much money they've made the last two years with the stock price more than doubling. When Bronco reservations opened, the stock price was around $6/share. It peaked at $25 in January of this year, and now it's around $17/share.

Farley makes almost all his decisions based around how Ford is going to get their stock back to investment grade. He's done a phenomenal job at making the stock price soar.

Indeed. I don't mean to imply that they care about our fate, but in taking a long term view, they care about how the company is run and how well it can execute its core business. And the Bronco rollout failures inform that view. If the F-150 Lightning has the same fiasco, then I think you will start seeing some downward pressure on that stock price.

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