What can I do? Help!

I went to Walker Ford(727-507-8513) and bought a 2002 Black S/C HD on December 18, 2001. I put a $1,000 deposit on the vehicle which had been ordered on Novemeber 27, 2001.

Early January I called Ford to get information on my Build Date and they told me the dealer should have given me all the information about my truck, such as an order number they could used to find it's build information. All I had received was a receipt for my $1,000, they had put all my paperwork in a file(which I saw, it had an order date of 11/27/2001.

To make a long story short. I went to my Dealer on January 13, 2002 to get my info and they told me that Mr. Walker wanted my truck and that they had to order me a new one. So my build date has been pushed back considerably. I won't be getting the truck I bought, nor will I get it by the end of February as promised.

I told them it wasn't right but they insist that the owner is going to get my truck. Isn't a deposit a contract! If you agree that this is wrong will you support me and call Ken Osbourne (727-507-8513) and politely tell him the Lightning community shares my concern.

Shane Hamilton
St. Petersburg, FL 33703

 

cancel your order and demand your $1000 back.

Go buy it some where else, and when you get the truck go back to their dealership and show them how to do a real burnout

 

I agree with captain on this one.
Vin

 

The Ford dealer in Sycamore, IL sold his truck out from under him the day it arrived at the dealership. This was after he had waited nearly 4 months and sold his Mustang GT to me the day prior. He consulted a lawyer, and was told that since the dealership was still going to get him another truck and honor his contract, he was not out anything. So, no grounds for legal recourse.
He was able to get a free loaner until the new one came in.
I understand your frustration and sympathize with you. Dealers that do this type of thing should be avoided like the plague.

There is a $500 rebate now available on 2002 F-150's which you could maybe get from another dealer if you try, which you might not get as part of your original deal. Not available for Lightnings though.

Good Luck,

Lightning Bob

 

From a legal standpoint, there's nothing you can do. You put a deposit on "a" truck, not on a "particular" truck. Since you ordered your truck before they started building them, there is nothing legal that states which one you get. If you had ordered a truck that was already being produced, and your deposit slip had a VIN on it, that would be a different story.

From an ethical standpoint, that's a pretty crappy thing to do to a customer. You were told you were going to get your truck in a certain timeframe, and now that has been pushed back because the owner wants the truck. They could have at least lied to you and said something like "well somebody else had placed a deposit before you" or something other than "the owner wants your truck". Working at a dealer myself and knowing many dealer owners, let me tell you that most dealer owners are clueless to the real world, and all they care about is themselves. If I were you, I would get your deposit back, and get the truck elsewhere. If you get it from them, don't be surprised when you can't have a loaner because the owner needs it to take his kids to the circus (don't laugh, that happened at my dealer).

 

When my friend was going to trade his 99 white lightning in for his 01 red he went to Wayne Ford in New Jersey where he got his other truck from and a few other cars. Well he was aking the salesman there about the new T-birds this was before they came out and you can put money down on one. Well people who had signed a contract for the MSRP at 35,000 but then Ford saw that everyone wanted one and jacked the MSRP to like 45-46,000 and he said that those people that had signed the contract when they were 35,000 had to pay the price of 45,000 now i would have been real pissed about that. So it just goes to show you how much dealers stand by their contracts.
Vin

 

The contract protects the dealer, not the buyer.

 

I will be sure to call. I live in the area and will be ordering an L in the next week. I will not be going to Walker..

Jeff

 

When my dealer called to tell me my truck was in it, was late in the afternoon and I already had another commitment. I told him I would pick it up the next day after work. When I got there he laughed and said, "You know, I could have sold this truck four times today. People have been all over it." Since I paid about a $1100 under invoice, I guess I was just lucky he didn't.

 

Maybe you should contact one of the local TV stations. Every city has one or two stations that helps the consumer out when they get screwed by different businesses. Maybe all they need is a little bad press to change their mind and give you your truck. I would also contact the regional rep and tell them the same story and then tell them that now, since you will have to wait so long, you will be looking at what Dodge and Chevy has to offer. Also, send some complaints to Ford. Tell everyone you can find that will listen to ya and give 'em as much bad press as you can. Just my $.02

Later,
Roger

 

"FU@K MR. WALKER! GIMME MY TRUCK OR I AM GOING TO HAVE A CRASH TEST ON TEN OF YOUR MUSTANG GT'S WITH A F-550, CLOWNBOAT!"

 

Hey I got another idea.

TruBlu02 - go to the Walker dealer and ask them where another SVT dealership is. When they ask why " why don't you just buy from us"

reply with "word on the street is that this dealership is shady and takes care of it's employees before customers and that I don't want to deal with that".

 

Shane:

What that means is simply that someone wanted the black S/C HD and wasn't using the A or X Plan...

Somebody wanted it at sticker and it wasn't me. Remeber, I want the grey one...

Sorry man. I guess the customer doesn't come first.

Rich

 

Hammerton, Are you sure the dealer wanted the truck? I am not sure what avalibility is on these trucks. So some body may have paid way over list. And got your truck. Seen this done plenty of times. If I was you I would demend another thousand bucks off. And if he does not budge demand your deposit back. He at least owes you this for your aggrivation. Bob.

 

Oh, yeah.. Almost forgot.

I called Ozzy and told him to forget the grey one, too.

I won't do business with them if that's what they're going to pull....

Keep in touch.

Rich