Ordered one then dealer found one

[reedmother]

I ordered an Ice Storm SEL back in late Nov - but my salesman still kept looking around for one, since it looked like there wasn't much happening in the "build" dept. He went out of his way to track one down in Maine and I got it in the beginning of January. I think they figure they will have no trouble selling the one that I ordered. So, for those that are waiting too long, put some pressure on the sales person. 

[mtberman]

Great advice. I did the same thing.

 

I ordered one in late Nov, just as you did, and asked them to keep looking. I don't think they really did much looking. Car dealers' attention spans are generally pretty short and they naturally move on to the next car deal. Can't blame them.

 

Anyway, I stopped by on a quiet weekday afternoon a couple of weeks later and asked them to do a search. They were happy to help but we didn't find one. I went back in a couple of weeks later in late Dec and told them I'd take either the 302A package or the 303A, instead of just the 302A, as long as we could get it done by Jan 2. Sure enough, a matching car was incoming at a dealer about 450 miles away. They set up the trade while I was sitting there.

 

Going in on a quiet day and asking is really the only reason I got my car in January. They weren't super helpful by phone or email, but were great once I was there in person. We signed everything the day before the larger incentives expired and I took delivery shortly after.

[reedmother]

You can actually search yourself on a Ford dealer web-site. In my case, it was New England Ford Dealers. It even shows ones that haven't arrived yet. I did everything by email with my guy and he was happy to oblige.

[Adair]

I stalked, literally stalked, the dealerships in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana while waiting for mine. Never found anything even close to what I was ordering. It kept me busy tho :rant:

Thankfully it only took 6 weeks for mine to arrive :wub2:  But I definitely recommend doing your own research.

[mtberman]

+1 for stalking. It works. I've bought 2 cars that way. The first was a 2004 Prius in late '03. There were waiting lists for the car at the time. It was an unclaimed order and I bought it on the spot.

 

The second was in early '07, a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. It was also a wait list car at the time, and the updated 2008 model was just hitting dealer lots. I saw it at a Ford dealer but couldn't find it on the internet. It turns out they'd mistakenly used an incorrect (fleet) code when they ordered it. In fact, the dealer didn't even realize this until I came in and asked. The sales person said they'd been wondering why no one had bought it yet, considering how hard they were to get at the time. Anyway, they said 'no thanks' to my X-Plan offer. I left them my number, and a month later (on my birthday, coincidentally) they called and said they'd take the X-Plan deal if I came in that day.

 

My dealer said the same thing will happen with the car I originally ordered. It won't show up on the internet, but if someone happens to find it there, they will get a gray 302A package SEL with black seats and a sunroof, a car that is only otherwise available around here by special order.

Edited February 4, 2013 by mtberman

[pg13]

Similar story: We went to our dealer to order a C-Max SEL today expecting a two month wait. We ask if he could do one more search and he found one in New York only 80 miles away. We pick it up Thursday! :) 

 

There was a second bonus this one is white. My wife likes colorful cars ( just lived two years with an orange Edge) and wanted candy blue - I prefer the white.  :)