Ford didn’t forbid markups, but even still, Herb Chambers Ford of Braintree walked back its initial price hike and pledged that the dealership would honor the manufacturer’s suggested retail price after all.
The social-media firestorm paid off when Ford took notice of the anger-some of it directed not at dealers but at the manufacturer itself-and told dealers that any shady sales practices, requests for extra deposits, or misleading advertising would result in the dealership not getting any Lightnings from the factory. On one Ford F-150 forum, a user said he couldn’t wait for the day that manufacturers tore a page from the Tesla playbook and sold directly to consumers-cutting dealers out of the equation entirely. United in their outrage, truck buyers took to the Internet to share their thoughts. The overwhelming demand for the Lightning, though, put that trend on steroids, angering legions of consumers across the country who received similar letters from dealers who had also decided to tack on pricey markups-one as much as $30,000 to get the truck sooner-and ask customers for additional deposits. Ever since the pandemic caused supply-chain issues and microchip shortages, car inventories across the country have shrunk, and many dealerships have subsequently jacked up prices for consumers desperate to get their hands on a new car. High demand and higher prices for cars are, of course, nothing new. This will be locked in across all trim lines for both the 2022 & 2023 model years.” Chase considered canceling his reservation. “I have had a meeting with my general manager, and the price point has been set at $10,000 over MSRP. “As a dealership, we are going to be selling these vehicles over MSRP,” it read, referring to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. When Chase opened the email, though, he suddenly felt a lot less enthusiastic.
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