justventing

[justbrett]

So I arrive at the dealership to take delivery of my new Dash Green XR6 ute this afternoon (having specifically ordered that colour and a few options) after a four and a half week wait, get through all the paperwork and I'm starting to get a little excited.

I'm asked to take a seat while the finishing touches are applied to the ute. It's taking a while so I step out the front of the showroom for a smoke, walking up and down and admiring the stock they had sitting out the front. I spy a Dash Green XR sedan and I'm thinking to myself "What a good colour choice, good job Brett".

Then the salesman and dealership manager emerge from the doors, the manager introduces himself and we shake hands. "Nice touch" I thought. Then he says "Brett, there's been a muck up with your order, I don't know how it's happened but your car's not green, it's silver." The salesman has a big grin on his face and I go along with what I thought was a wind-up "That's OK, I didn't really want the green anyway." and chuckle away. The salesman and I exchange glances, and I'm still under the impression that everything's good (the guy's got a sense of humour).

So we walk down to the dealership's detailing bay, still as far as I was aware joking about the silver ute that's waiting for me. And fair enough, not a Dash Green XR6 ute to be seen anywhere. There was however, a nice looking silver one, funnily enough, with all the options I had ticked when I ordered my ute!

Cutting a longer story short, I now have to wait at least another four weeks for my ute to be built (again!). It's not that I don't like silver, but picky me thought that having spent $40 odd K, deserved the colour I asked for.

They did offer a reduced price on the silver ute but I wasn't interested. It wasn't the dealership's fault apparently, it was the group's stock controller who placed the order.

I'm not even angry at the moment, I still have the trade-in to drive around so I'm not majorly inconvenienced. I am however absolutely dumbfounded at how the hell a wrong colour car gets within 5 minutes of delivery before an pretty obvious up like this is realised.

Anyone else had this happen??

[CAMS290]

That's terrible, but I suppose things like this do happen.
I think that they let you know at the last minute so maybe you might of taken the silver one without complaining.

I would expect some kind of compensation like a free service or accessory as a gesture of good will for their stuff up.

[Mr Hardware]

Anyone else had this happen??

In general terms you've done pretty damn well for yourself if the mugs at a stealership get it right the first time.

[ThePistonHead]

I would let Ford Australia HQ know about this, be sure to write them a letter if anything to know about the stuff up and try and prevent it from happening to anybody else.

[sprint347dave]

you could have at least posted a picture of a Dash Green XR6 ute so we can see what all the fuss is about,,haha

[jaydee]

No I've never been faced with this dilema. All my cars have been 2nd hand, never been lucky enough to afford a brand spanker.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Ummm that would you off..

Why did they not realise earlier tho.. Fair enough stock controller ordering wrong colour but surely the contract you signed which would have had to be looked at while doing pre delivery would have stated Dash green..

Im glad you stood your ground and told them to fix it!

[XR Martin]

I smell BS.
Someone probably came in and offered to buy that green XR6 Ute out the back, dealer goes nah mate its sold. Dealer gets his arm twisted, makes a few extra grand, but now has to figure out how he is going to break the news to the original owner. Finds a silver one with the same options and hopes you take it.

Or the guy who ordered the silver one and changed his mind, and instead wanted the nice green one next to it, a bit of arm twisting later green one is now his.

Either way man, I think you got stooged, id be taking my money elsewhere.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

I smell BS.
Someone probably came in and offered to buy that green XR6 Ute out the back, dealer goes nah mate its sold. Dealer gets his arm twisted, makes a few extra grand, but now has to figure out how he is going to break the news to the original owner. Finds a silver one with the same options and hopes you take it.

Or the guy who ordered the silver one and changed his mind, and instead wanted the nice green one next to it, a bit of arm twisting later green one is now his.

Either way man, I think you got stooged, id be taking my money elsewhere.

I hear you but they are usually more ethical then that.. The only other thing i can think of is the other one got broken!

[UNR8D]

^^ ahh NO.

used to work for a dealership, had this happen to me with a aurion sportivo, everything including the books on my desk said black, walk out to do final inspection on the car 1 hour before delivery, it was silver... order error via stock controller, it happens, owner was compensated by having dealer principals Presara with free fuel untill his car arrived, he then brought a further 3 cars thru me...

its business, different departments communicate but you know know 100% of everything, it gets fixed..

[justbrett]

Originally Posted by sprint347dave

you could have at least posted a picture of a Dash Green XR6 ute so we can see what all the fuss is about,,haha

Haha, would have taken a photo if it was actually there!!

Surely when dealing with goods of this value business processes should be in place to prevent this kind of stuff up. It's not like a missing set of mats or something as trivial as that. Good thing my boss isn't theirs or someone would be out the door before they knew what hit 'em.

Who knows what the service schedule is on the FG's? How many freebies should I hit them up for when it finally arrives, again?

[hendrixhc]

When i bought the misses suzuki swift we were sold the RE2 upgrade for a grand extra which included the colour coded body kit, alloys six stacker and graphics. When we go to pick it up got the six stacker and the alloys but nothing else. Appears they had changed to RE3 kit and the sales guy didnt know his sh.. so the dealer decided stuff it just wont supply it.

I cut the sh..s and asked for RE3 kit to be coloured coded cause gray plastic on a black car looked crap. No go, point blank refused. so i ended up negotiating free qwindow tint, 5 year warranty and 3 years free servicing.

Turned out a better deal, specially considering the way the misses drives!!

[Romulus]

Happened to me when I ordered my Velocity BAII XR6T manual. Turned up Winter White. I took the car with a discount some freebies thrown in. Glad I did. Velocity ended up being a fad colour.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by UNR8D

^^ ahh NO.

used to work for a dealership, had this happen to me with a aurion sportivo, everything including the books on my desk said black, walk out to do final inspection on the car 1 hour before delivery, it was silver... order error via stock controller, it happens, owner was compensated by having dealer principals Presara with free fuel untill his car arrived, he then brought a further 3 cars thru me...

its business, different departments communicate but you know know 100% of everything, it gets fixed..

So why didnt the dealer to ring to let him know it came in the wrong colour? Or tell him when he got there? Or while he was doing the paperwork?
Instead the dealer waited until right at the end, after everything had been done to tell him, and then tried palming off another one in the wrong colour.

[prydey]

what i want to know is, according to your story, why is the salesman standing there with a big grin on his face?? is this amusing to him? what a knob.

[BAxtER]

I can understand why you needed to vent, not good at all. Good on you for standing your ground...like yo said its 40k...
Now if anyone is interested in a fully optioned xr6 ute in silver pm the OP for the dealer...you might get a good deal?

[Pinch]

My brothers girlfriend got 'gazumped' on her Fiesta Zetec recently. All was going well, if a little delay because of supply issues from Europe.

Then the lies started. Won't bore you with all the crap that went on over another few months but it was 'on the boat' ' on the dock' etc etc. Actually had the arrangement to pick it up on the Saturday. Went in and they said "sorry, we just can't supply it - we are cancelling the order". After 6 months.

Went to another dealer and ordered one (points for persistence), and low and behold in doing their stock checks there was one that did come in to the original dealer, right colour, right options, and right time. Someone must have made a better offer I guess.

Absolute rubbish service. A deal is a deal in my book.

[Busted]

Not good at all.
10/10 for standing your ground and not taking the silver one.

Don't know how the stock controler could stuff up the paint codes when ordering there not even close. Dash (DS) lightning strike (O9).

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

So why didnt the dealer to ring to let him know it came in the wrong colour? Or tell him when he got there? Or while he was doing the paperwork?
Instead the dealer waited until right at the end, after everything had been done to tell him, and then tried palming off another one in the wrong colour.

That is just shonky - the buyer should have been informed as soon as they knew. I'd hit them up for a partial refund or some extras. A spare key and remote plus other stuff. Try for around $1000 worth. Teach them a lesson for stuffing up. This situation is a sandwich and it's time for them to take a big bite.

[Gobes32]

Similar thing happened to a mate of mine also, rocked up to the dealer to pick up his manual silver xr6 ute and it's an auto......... Everyone starts scratching their heads and there is much apologizing. All of a sudden the detailer pulls out from the gargage in a manual silver xr6 ute and can't understand what all the fuss is about......... ha ha. No one bothered to check the order number on the windscreen, everyone was going by the number plates which were bolted on to the wrong car. Dealer was fantastic and offered a free service for the stress.

[Falc'man]

Hahahahahaha... oh... you're serious? Just kidding. That's disheartening but I'm glad you didn't accept their offer. They should have made amends by knocking some off for making you wait another month...

[waggaclint]

Sounds to me like they had a silver one in stock they wanted to get rid of...Surely it cant be that hard to get the colour you want hey..Id go and check at another dealer to see how long the wait for a green one really is...