Ford Motor Company Here

[Scooter]

Yes it came up at the same time as the US webpage, but we still don't have a BP.

I guess us Canucks just have to wait.

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[IPumpFe]

@Ford Motor Company I'm guessing the Ranger Raptor will be on a media tour for the next few months. Is there a public schedule for the location of those events? Is The Mid America Ford & Shelby Nationals one of them? I, for one, would love to see Shelter Green in person before I lock down my order. Thanks!

 

[Ranger#5?]

Exactly. They have their purpose, warranty work and service being it. Car sales should be just a side gig with pricing set from the manufacturer.

And providing a steady stream of used vehicles and helping people upgrade by taking their trade in. What do you do if you buy a new truck without even seeing 1 in person- and you hate it when it arrives on a transport at your house? You gonna get a free return and full refund no questions asked? The Amazon online model has really skewed people’s reality towards the way buying the 2nd biggest purchase in your life needs to be conducted for your own satisfaction. Dealers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon .

 

[shred5]

And providing a steady stream of used vehicles and helping people upgrade by taking their trade in. What do you do if you buy a new truck without even seeing 1 in person- and you hate it when it arrives on a transport at your house? You gonna get a free return and full refund no questions asked? The Amazon online model has really skewed people’s reality towards the way buying the 2nd biggest purchase in your life needs to be conducted for your own satisfaction. Dealers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon .

I am not positive but I do not believe dealers would go away. I think you just order from Ford and pick up at dealer. Dealer still handles service. I also think dealer will be there for test drives. There is no haggle and you buy direct from Ford.

Also think dealer still gets their cut on the sale but would be paid by Ford..

Do not quote me on this but it is what I heard and to me it would be the only way.

I am not sure how financing would work.

This would stop any dealer adds, fees and mark-ups.

 

[rwolfcastle]

I am not positive but I do not believe dealers would go away. I think you just order from Ford and pick up at dealer. Dealer still handles service. I also think dealer will be there for test drives. There is no haggle and you buy direct from Ford.

Also think dealer still gets their cut on the sale but would be paid by Ford..

Do not quote me on this but it is what I heard and to me it would be the only way.

I am not sure how financing would work.

This would stop any dealer adds, fees and mark-ups.

This is correct, dealers would still be there, they would just be owned by Ford and there would probably be fewer of them. Tesla does this. They have dealers set up in different states where you can purchase a Tesla and get service done.

 

[Ranger#5?]

This is correct, dealers would still be there, they would just be owned by Ford and there would probably be fewer of them. Tesla does this. They have dealers set up in different states where you can purchase a Tesla and get service done.

More likely dealers would simply drop Ford and pick up other franchises like Korean, anything in the Stellantis universe, Tata, Vietnamese, or even Chinese like BYD. 1 year after I bought my Pontiac Vibe Pontiac folded. The dealer I bought from already had Mazda and started carrying other brands without missing a beat. Remember Saturn, Scion, Plymouth? When those went away franchisees merged or sought other options to continue.

Ford has no intention or interest in owning dealerships and dealerships are independent for a reason. What you guys are suggesting makes no business sense.

 

[SGT Ranger]

Just to put things in perspective, from my understanding Tesla charges you exactly what you order. From my understanding the price cannot change just so someone can make a higher commission.

This can happen because in relative history, the company is new and it decided on this going into business with this model.

If Ford forced rules that would cause dealerships to lose money (and set pricing will) - they would revolt. Dealerships could bring Ford it its knees because, unlike Tesla, it has zero infrastructure to get cars to its customers directly.

As simple as it is, the whole problem is there is a very real power struggle happening between the people making the cars and the people selling them. For things to change is going to require some one to get short changed.

Good luck on that. "To big to fail".

 

[jrRaptor]

The reason the infrastructure isn't there is because of lobbying in DC to require the dealership model. Tesla has issues in many states because of this. It hasn't changed because dealerships don't want to lose a big portion of jobs and profit. Dealerships are like the middle management no one needs when it comes to car pricing and getting a car from the manufacturer. Those markups people pay are because of dealerships, not Ford. It's like anyone getting a franchise and making a profit according to their set pricing. One COULD buy a vehicle from the manufacturer for a lot cheaper without all the overhead cost of dealership personnel. But here we are. People don't like change, even if it would benefit some, yeah it would impact other's negatively. That's the price of progress.

 

[Ranger#5?]

When Ford invented the assembly line and produced affordable cars for the masses, you ordered it from a catalog and the only color option was Black. Eventually a guy named Cal Worthington responded to the need for customers wanting to see a car in person before buying and opened the 1st showroom. Blame Cal for the dealership model becoming the standard.

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