Gentlemen, if you're going to respond to this thread with flamethrowers, I forgive you. But, if you read and respond thoughtfully, we might be able to help ourselves along with people we don't even know and will never even meet.

The first thing I want to make clear is I highly respect the skills of the technician. I became a very successful design engineer in the electronics business because starting at the bottom and working my way up, I learned as much from the more experienced techs and assemblers as they wanted to teach me.

The second thing I want to make clear is that there are many excellent, unselfish, honest, humble business managers out there -- I happen to work for the very best of them presently.

But, as the current mess on Wall Street shows, dishonest and greedy business people are not eliminated from an organization with anywhere near the ruthless efficiency as sloppy techs or incompetent engineers. In the business world it seems that cream rises to the top... but so also does scum.

Now, let's say a fellow Super Duty owner finds himself broken down a long, long way from home with no idea where to turn or what to do. Wouldn't it be great if he could draw on some sort of customer driven quality assurance system to make sure he wasn't being gouged?

I'm talking about "Strength in numbers." It works for the NRA, the AAA and untold other industry, trade and social groups. Could it possibly work for FTE members as well?</snip></snip></snip></snip></snip>

 

Dealerships are set up as several departments where each department is a separate profit center, sometimes working hand in hand with another , and sometimes as individual profit centers.

For the parts department, parts for the service dept are billed as list price.
Parts to walk in customers usually are also billed as list, but some give the customer a break. Parts to shops are usually given a percent off, or trade price. Usually there is a dealer who pushes itself as a major parts supplier to shops. They usually do volume wholesale parts business and depending on monthly sales figures, they can get a monthly kickback from the mfr lwhen they hit certain incentive levels.

If I need an oem part, I always push for over the counter trade price, and if they do not budge, usually I go elsewhere. Then there is the aftermarket parts stores. Autozone,etc. Typically less than dealers, much better pricing.

 

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Actually what your talking about is "minority politics" not "strength in numbers"(I know all y'all are getting a warm and fuzzy feeling when I chime in like this). By minority I mean a nearly focused group in this case Ford Superduty owners not the types of groups we normally associate as minority.

It is a wonderful idea and one that I would be behind, I'm just a little cynical about human nature though because it won't ever change. If they "see" an moment to make money they will particularly during times that even a little bit makes a difference.

 

I found this by Googling +car +dealership +rating...

Edmunds Car Dealership Ratings & Reviews

I'm wondering, "Should we link to this system, or should we try to come up with our own?"

My inclination is to try working with Edmunds.com. I like their website and their affiliate Autotrader.com.

 

In any "official" way, I don't think FTE would be interested in rating dealerships...

Better to keep it down to posting new threads titled "Need a good dealer in my area" and going from there.

 

I called several dealers and was quoted $240-$270 to service the tranny (maintenance) on my 07 F250 dsl. So I agree to go to one, 30 miles away, as long as they could get me in and out promptly as a "first thing" appointment today.

They open at 8, I got there at 7:45.
My phone contact wrote it up, another brought me coffee while I was at the counter (Starbucks by the way).
I went to the waiting area and connected to their free WiFi (and my office) for 45 minutes.
Three other employees passing by asked if I was taken care of and if they could get me anything.

So, what were the discrepancies?
My truck was ready in 45 minutes, not the hour or so I was quoted.
They washed the windows without asking, vacuumed too.
The price wasn't what we agreed; it came to $180.
They forced me to take some coupons good for discounts on any visit.

Fookin a'holes.

 

I brought the idea up when i first joined, making something like ratemyteacher.com due to legal crap, it cant happen here

 

LOL!! You are living in the past!

Parts billed on service RO's are marked up over MSRP (list), sometimes as high as 50% over.

One method dealers use, is to double their cost, then add 10% for a "new" MSRP.

Parts to walk in customer are also marked waaay up.

The computerized counter invoices might show a "discount" but the customer is (usually) paying at least 20% over MSRP.

On some front counter invoices that show a discount, there's a box on the invoice that says "customer type."

Customer type 00 = marked up (20-40%), then discounted, usually 5-10%. The customer thinks he's "getting a deal." Uh huh...yeah right.

Customer type 02 = actual discount off MSRP.

Discounts to "the trade" (garages, body shops) depends on how good a customer these trade customers are.

Back in the 1960's/70's, the usual body shop discount was 30%, 20-25% to garages.

Today, the trade is lucky to get a 20% discount on anything.

Every day here on FTE, I see where some member was quoted a gawd awful price for a part.

Usually when I run the part number (if not mentioned, I can look it up) on one of the FOUR FTE Ford Dealer parts department sponsors websites, the so called "MSRP" drops between 20 to 40% off what the member was quoted.

The most flagrant example I've seen here: One FTE member was quoted $300.00 for one 351W valve cover $300.00!!

Actual Ford MSRP is $105.00, buying it from a sponsor: $84.00.

There are still a few dealerships that "go by the book" but these are few and far between today.

Post a couple of part numbers for parts you bought recently, I'll run them to see what you really paid.

As mentioned above, FTE has FOUR Ford dealer parts department sponsors that give members a discount off the actual MSRP.

Two of the FTE Ford dealer parts department sponsors are on this very page.

Look among the sponsors for links to their website: FTEpartsguy.com & DirectFordParts.

 

When I am in need of going to my Ford dealer for parts I do have one advantage, my B-I-L has been the parts department mgr for the big Chrysler dealer in the area for decades. The result is that I get parts at cost + 5% They know that he will return the favor.

 

Unfortuneatly the dealer I used for many years closed up shop because the owner got up in years and at over 70 YO decided to call it quits. A major large area dealer bought them and after that they didn't last long. The dealer had good people and good techs working there.

The service and parts has turned into a big money maker, however the often very high prices make people look elsewhere.

 

This is an entry that needs to be on my contacts list. Care to share the name of the dealership?