Author Topic: Contacting Ford Motor Company (Read 18391 times)

jtyangel · « **Reply #25 on:** January 30, 2008, 10:52:45 AM »

Sending this to the automotive section. Some good info coming up regarding back office stuff at dealerships and could be useful to someone down the road.

Good luck getting this figured out Chuck.

RightCoast · « **Reply #26 on:** January 30, 2008, 04:38:27 PM »

Quote from: ChuckJ on January 30, 2008, 10:33:02 AM

Thought I'd give a quick update. My wife called the state licensing board first. They told her that all they could do was tell her the law. Then she called the Attorney General's office. They told her that they couldn't really help her unless she had an attorney which I find strange.

Odd.

Chris_ · « **Reply #27 on:** January 30, 2008, 06:25:25 PM »

Quote from: RightCoast on January 30, 2008, 04:38:27 PM

Quote from: ChuckJ on January 30, 2008, 10:33:02 AM
Thought I'd give a quick update. My wife called the state licensing board first. They told her that all they could do was tell her the law. Then she called the Attorney General's office. They told her that they couldn't really help her unless she had an attorney which I find strange.

Odd.

Thus far everything that I've heard from our state government has been odd.

The Department of Consumer affairs said that there was nothing that they could do. They just collect complaints and when they get enough (however many that is) they send the problem company a letter.

The Department of Revenue said that there was nothing that they could do and that she should contact the licensing board. They then said that it was okay for the dealership to keep giving temporary tags. When my wife explained that the law according to the Department of Revenue website said that it was illegal they backtracked and told her again that they couldn't help.

The State Licensing board said that all that they could do was to tell her the law. They couldn't do anything else.

The State Attorney General's office said that they can't do anything unless we have an attorney.

That's four state agencies that are sucking up tax money just so folks can answer the phone and say, "we can't help you". Why don't they just go to Walmart and buy a cheap answering machine?

I'm sure that if she could contact someone in Ford's corporate structure and explain what was going on in a Ford branded dealership that something would be done, but it's apparently very difficult to talk to anyone but flunkies at Ford.

RightCoast · « **Reply #28 on:** January 30, 2008, 07:38:57 PM »

One other thing you could try is talking to the dealership's service manager - often that person may be more willing to give you a Ford regional representitive's contact information. Don't bother with the advisors or sales department just call to see if he or she is there then go in and tell them the story and ask for a Ford contact. Just a shot.

Miss Mia · « **Reply #29 on:** January 30, 2008, 08:29:48 PM »

This is very strange ChuckJ. Have you talked to an attorney? That would be my next step. Or just take the vehicle back to the dealership.

Chris_ · « **Reply #30 on:** January 30, 2008, 08:38:02 PM »

You shoulda asked me back in September. I could have given you William Ford's phone number.

Chris_ · « **Reply #31 on:** January 30, 2008, 08:39:18 PM »

Ask them politely if they'd like to explain this just one more time...in front of a tv camera so they can be on the evening news. Most tv stations have reports that are anxious to do the "consumer advocate" thing. Sometimes just a phone call from the tv station will suffice.

Chris_ · « **Reply #32 on:** January 31, 2008, 03:35:14 PM »

I think she's made up her mind to go talk to an attorney tomorrow.

Chris_ · « **Reply #33 on:** January 31, 2008, 04:26:13 PM »

Quote from: ChuckJ on January 31, 2008, 03:35:14 PM

I think she's made up her mind to go talk to an attorney tomorrow.

That'll get their attention.

Miss Mia · « **Reply #34 on:** January 31, 2008, 06:45:25 PM »

Quote from: ChuckJ on January 31, 2008, 03:35:14 PM

I think she's made up her mind to go talk to an attorney tomorrow.

Good Chuck. Keep us all updated.

Chris_ · « **Reply #35 on:** January 31, 2008, 08:07:38 PM »

Miss Mia, you might can answer this one. How long does it usually take for a dealership to pay off a trade-in? The reason I ask is that I pulled my wife's credit report today to make sure none of this stuff has affected it. It did show the trade-in vehicle as being paid off; however, the vehicle was traded in October. The payoff didn't happen until December. Is this common?

By the way, Lacarnut suggested checking the owner's manual for some sort of contact number which sounded like a good idea to me. My wife happens to drive a Ford so today I pulled her manual and checked. The only contact number I could find was to the Ford Customer Relationship Department or whatever they are called. Not meaning to sound crude, but in the south you will sometimes hear the phrase "as useless as tits on a boar hog". I'm almost positive that whoever coined that phrase did so after speaking with the Ford Customer Relationship Department.

While I do realize that there has to be some barriers, I just can't understand how a company like Ford can insulate its corporate structure so completely from its customer base.

Lacarnut · « **Reply #36 on:** January 31, 2008, 11:29:04 PM »

I might be wrong but I think that it would be illegal to trade-in a vehicle that had two names on the title (your wife & her nephew) without both signing the title and putting it in the name of the dealer. You could find that out very easily by calling an auto title company in the yellow pages. Don't expect a lawyer to know all aspects of motor vehicle laws. You could get some good advise from a person that deals with auto titles on a daily basis.

Hoping you get it resolved soon, and you need to get your wife's name off of car #1 pronto.

Chris_ · « **Reply #37 on:** February 01, 2008, 05:05:49 PM »

Lacarnut, according to everyone we've spoken to it is indeed illegal without both signatures. One of the people that we spoke with handles auto loans at our bank. She has done that for several years. Before working at the bank she handled title work at a local Pontiac dealership for 10 years. With her background I'm pretty sure that she knows what she's talking about.

My wife spoke with an attorney today. He said that the Ford dealership was in the wrong, but all he really wanted to do was to write them a letter and urge them to speed things up.

She then met with our state representative and explained to him the entire situation and the lack of help from the various state agencies. To her surprise he actually called the county tax commissioner's office. The tax commissioner's office told him that if we would get the VIN of the new vehicle that they would call the finance company and try to expedite things on that end. He then called the Ford dealership and to hear their side (with my wife still at his desk) and explained to them that things really needed to be set right because from his view point there were some serious question about the legality of their actions. When he finished with the phone conversations he told my wife that he would be back in Atlanta on Monday because they were still in session. He gave her his office and cell numbers and told her to contact him after she got the VIN to the tax commissioner. He said that if he needed to he would make a visit to the Attorney General's office while he was in Atlanta.

Chris_ · « **Reply #38 on:** February 01, 2008, 05:07:03 PM »

I just noticed that I'm still a "newbie". I might make "member" before this thing is over with.

Atomic Lib Smasher · « **Reply #39 on:** February 01, 2008, 05:22:30 PM »

Quote from: ChuckJ on January 29, 2008, 11:25:37 AM

I'm having some trouble with a Ford dealership in southeast Georgia. I've been trying to get in touch with someone with the Ford Motor Company to get some help. Thus far I have had no success. I've been trying to find a contact number for a regional manager but haven't had any success with that either.

Does anyone have any advice?

By the way, contacting Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center is as productive as screaming "move!" to a rock.

Go somewhere else.. another Ford dealership. If they ain't answering the phones..... they don't want to help you. I'd be picking that phone up, helping you out with any questions, and closing the damn deal right about then and there. Guess the sales persons don't want that nice commission

.

(PM me and I can tell ya what and what not to do if you're looking for a car)

Chris_ · « **Reply #40 on:** February 01, 2008, 05:28:48 PM »

Quote from: ChuckJ on February 01, 2008, 05:07:03 PM

I just noticed that I'm still a "newbie". I might make "member" before this thing is over with.

We call it Becoming Relevant ;)

Chris_ · « **Reply #41 on:** February 01, 2008, 06:27:42 PM »

Quote from: freedumb2003 on February 01, 2008, 05:28:48 PM

Quote from: ChuckJ on February 01, 2008, 05:07:03 PM
I just noticed that I'm still a "newbie". I might make "member" before this thing is over with.
We call it Becoming Relevant

I used to be somewhat relevant once. Flippy Doo, the fictional spirit guide, used to use my computer to communicate with the world. Now Flippy has forgotten about me and I'm listed as "newbie". Oh well, I might not be relevant now, but I did drive by a Holiday Express this morning.

Chris_ · « **Reply #42 on:** February 01, 2008, 06:29:12 PM »

By the way, I've composed a nice little letter that I intend to send to the dealership's manager, the dealership's owner, and the Ford Motor Company. It probably won't accomplish any thing, but it did make me feel better writing it.

Miss Mia · « **Reply #43 on:** February 02, 2008, 05:42:19 PM »

Quote from: ChuckJ on January 31, 2008, 08:07:38 PM

Miss Mia, you might can answer this one. How long does it usually take for a dealership to pay off a trade-in? The reason I ask is that I pulled my wife's credit report today to make sure none of this stuff has affected it. It did show the trade-in vehicle as being paid off; however, the vehicle was traded in October. The payoff didn't happen until December. Is this common?

By the way, Lacarnut suggested checking the owner's manual for some sort of contact number which sounded like a good idea to me. My wife happens to drive a Ford so today I pulled her manual and checked. The only contact number I could find was to the Ford Customer Relationship Department or whatever they are called. Not meaning to sound crude, but in the south you will sometimes hear the phrase "as useless as tits on a boar hog". I'm almost positive that whoever coined that phrase did so after speaking with the Ford Customer Relationship Department.

While I do realize that there has to be some barriers, I just can't understand how a company like Ford can insulate its corporate structure so completely from its customer base.

It's usually paid off within a week or so of the trade in.

Miss Mia · « **Reply #44 on:** February 02, 2008, 05:45:10 PM »

Quote from: ChuckJ on February 01, 2008, 05:05:49 PM

Lacarnut, according to everyone we've spoken to it is indeed illegal without both signatures. One of the people that we spoke with handles auto loans at our bank. She has done that for several years. Before working at the bank she handled title work at a local Pontiac dealership for 10 years. With her background I'm pretty sure that she knows what she's talking about.

My wife spoke with an attorney today. He said that the Ford dealership was in the wrong, but all he really wanted to do was to write them a letter and urge them to speed things up.

She then met with our state representative and explained to him the entire situation and the lack of help from the various state agencies. To her surprise he actually called the county tax commissioner's office. The tax commissioner's office told him that if we would get the VIN of the new vehicle that they would call the finance company and try to expedite things on that end. He then called the Ford dealership and to hear their side (with my wife still at his desk) and explained to them that things really needed to be set right because from his view point there were some serious question about the legality of their actions. When he finished with the phone conversations he told my wife that he would be back in Atlanta on Monday because they were still in session. He gave her his office and cell numbers and told her to contact him after she got the VIN to the tax commissioner. He said that if he needed to he would make a visit to the Attorney General's office while he was in Atlanta.

Good to hear someone was out there to help you.

News:

Author Topic: Contacting Ford Motor Company (Read 18391 times)