Just found out, after 10 weeks of waiting for my truck, that my order is still on hold because my dealer does not have an allocation for a Super Duty. When I placed my order, I was told that I was first in line for their next allocation. The dealership assured me I would get my truck in 12 weeks, and they would have an allocation. Today my dealer told me their next allocation would be in week 26, or the last week in June. So, with the KTP shut down for 2 weeks next month, it will be 6-8 weeks before I get my truck. When I placed my order I had no idea that the number of trucks my dealer sells per month would impact how long my order would take. With that in mind, make sure your dealership has an allocation for your truck, before you order. I have been burning up the phone lines to Ford customer relations and marketing to find out if they can speed up the allocation process, we'll see what happens. I can understand limiting the number of trucks a dealership can order for stock, but holding up a customer order? I feel like a six year old on the day before Christmas that just found out it will be delayed until February........or March.

Oh yea, forgot to mention how helpful my dealership has been.

 

Put in another order with a bigger dealer. FAST!

 

That sucks, I'm lucky enough to have a dealer that stocks over 100 super duties at a time, so pretty sure my dealers allocation is quite large, they have been the number 1 truck selling dealer in Canada before and I am sure they are still right around the top spot. Certainly is not something you'd expect to encounter when placing a custom order, something that is being built for what you ask for should be above and beyond the allocation, allocation should just be dealer stock.

 

The only good thing about this is by the time I get the truck all of the passes on the west side of Marysvale will be open.

 

Tomahawk

How would one go about making sure that the dealer has an allocation? Given your experience, it not be wise to rely on the word of the dealer.

 

Unfortunately it all comes down to finding a dealer you can trust and that will be honest with you. I've ordered my last 2 trucks from the same very small town dealer that doesn't have near the allocation that the HUGE dealers only 60 miles away have.

The difference is my dealer is honest and tells me his next allocation slot. I prefer to order my trucks so I get all the options exactly how I want them (used to be a bigger deal when Ford still sold a stick shift). I've always been willing to wait to get exactly what I want as long as I was not being lied to.

If your dealer is lying to you, shop around. If he's been honest, just wait patiently.

 

Yes buyer beware. Some dealers especially mine, could care less if you are happy, or satisfied, if they make any reference to the fact that they really are concerned it is just lip service. Case in point. Long story just to get the 2011 to my town Rapid City SD. Then after calling Ford marketing I find out that the pickup was indeed delivered to the dealer on the 14th, after it was supposed to be in on the 7th. The dealer said that they hadn't seen it and was probably still in Denver. I told the salesman that it was on their lot, and that I have already seen it on their lot, I got this response. " I can't do anything with it until they bring it to me ready for sale." "I'll call you when I get it".
Today it is still setting in the same place, as it was when it was unloaded. All I get from them is BS, like "we have 20 salesmen, I have to wait my turn" "We got 7 loads in and it may take a while" "We are very busy right now and we'll get to it we can". Everyone except Bush and Obama, have been blamed for the delay. I really don't think that they care.

I just went over to look and my new truck is still in the same place, not moved. Maybe tomorrow? I really doubt it.

Sorry, I just needed to vent!

 

This is why it is almost as important to find the right salesman as it to find the right dealer. When I go into a dealership, I look for the salesman with all the awards, he/she usually sits right by the door. The best salesman tend to be the most honest and straight forward, hence they get repeat customers and become #1.

If you have the best guy/gal in the dealership, they usually get priority and/or know how to pull the strings to get things done.

 

The sale is not completed until the buyer is driving off the lot in the truck.

I've seen where so many of us waiting on vehicles have resorted to calling Ford marketing and customer service to get updates on the status of our trucks. That's not our job as a concerned retail customer, that's the job of the salesman. A low volume dealership with a small allocation should be on top of any delays in a retail customer's order and keeping them updated on progress.

I understand that Ford wants to give the best treatment to its best customers, the large volume dealership. Hence allocation and priority in retail orders go to those customers. But retail customers at smaller allocation dealers should also be considered as good customers by Ford and not be shoved to the back of the line. At the same time, the small allocation dealership needs to stress customer service and do everything possible to expedite a retail customer's order. That is if they want to remain in the business of selling trucks.

It's not over till I'm driving off your lot in my ordered truck.

 

My friend owns a Ford dealership and what he tells me is, do the obvious and ask your dealer if they have allocation to order a new truck. Then be sure that within 2 weeks after placing order they give you a VIN number. No VIN by that time usually means the order has not been submitted.

 

Unfortunately you don’t know you’re dealing with a “piece of work” until you’re deep into the process. It’s too bad the customer doesn’t come first. My order was placed in the order bank May 5th with a promise of 6-8 weeks. Apparently the whole allocation factor conveniently didn’t figure into the equation. The dealer tells me there is no ETA yet but the truck has been pulled and scheduled for production. I’m sitting at 6 weeks. I know there are others out there that have been waiting as long or longer.

The worst part is, you don’t really feel like you have a say in the process of spending 50k+ and that you should feel lucky that Ford allows you to give them your money! Are we in a recession?

 

After a few phone calls to Ford marketing and customer relations, it's become crystal clear they can offer no help with dealer allocations, but they were all very polite while telling me they could not help me. I also spoke with my dealerships rep from Ford, I wish I had a transcript of that conversation. Bottom line from her was, "if you don't want to wait 8 more weeks for your order, buy one from dealers stock." I slapped my balding forehead "why didn't I think of that!" Problem solved!
I think the key to addressing the allocation issue is talking to the right person at the Ford regional office in my area. That's where all dealership transactions take place, I think. I will try to talk at them tomorrow.

Ever since my dealerships sales mangler told me "there's nothing you can do to speed thing up" I have been very motivated to prove him wrong.

 

You could speed it up by finding a new dealer with a bigger allocation...

 

It sounds to me more like the dealer doesn't realize their in a recession. However, if your ordering your truck, I think you have a pretty big say it Just the dealer hasn't been very good. Remember the dealer is separate from Ford.

I wish Ford would just open their own dealerships, but then all the independent ones would .

 

Well after 6 weeks of not getting my VIN or build date the dealer finally admitted that they don't have any allocation. "Maybe another 6 weeks." I'm pissed, they knew they didn't have allocation 6 weeks ago and should have been upfront. Ford marketing told me to talk to the dealer about trying to get additional allocation from their regional rep. I would buy one off the lot, but they only have 1 and it is not what I want. It is also the only one they have gotten this year.
Most of the dealers around here only have XL or XLT on the lots, if any.
If they can't get the additional allocation, I'm going to get my deposit back and buy from someone else. Maybe I'll have another dealer drop ship it to this one just to rub it in their face.
If I can't get my deposit back, I may bite the bullet and walk away out of principle.
So much for my nice camping trip this summer, there is no way I'll have an ordered truck by the end of July.

Another thing that pisses me off is that after using the build and price on ford's website, they sent the info on what I wanted to this dealer. So Ford told me this dealer would take care of me with the truck I had in mind. Even asked when I was planning to buy.