Yeah, I will name them, so that if anybody here is tempted to deal with them, you will be forewarned.

Mullinax is probably the largest Ford dealer in Florida. Multiple locations, mostly in Florida, at least one location in a nearby state.

Website shows half dozen of the Ford I'm looking at -- that's half a dozen, same make, model, year. I have inquired about a couple, I receive email from the "Internet Sales Department" assuring me that they are available. I ask for lease figures, telling them that I'm ready to move. Response is ... radio silence.

I check with the Mullinax facility where the vehicle is listed as located, I'm told that it was transferred to another location, or it is sold, or is currently being driven by an employee, or some other cockamamie reason that it is not avaiable.

Try another vehicle, same year, model, etc., and go through the same run-around.

Use the "Contact Us" web page, ask them exactly which of the vehicles shown on the web page is actually available. Response is ... radio silence.

WTF, Mullinax? This would be the third vehicle for me, from your company, but at this point it sure looks like it's not gonna happen!

And a really high volume seller at that.

My local dealer shows 95 in 'inventory'
44 in stock, 51 in transit

33 of the reasonable budget trim [XLT, about a $10k price spread], in stock.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

My local dealer shows 95 in 'inventory'

What model are you talking about? If they have what I want at the right price, I would consider buying it in Texas.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: V-Tail,

Try going through Fords Corporate website, you should be able to locate the vehicle you are looking for in your area and send an inquiry. Ford more than likely track it and follow up making sure you got the info you needed

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

My local dealer shows 95 in 'inventory'

What model are you talking about? If they have what I want at the right price, I would consider buying it in Texas.

Assuming you're still hunting an Explorer?
Planet Ford 45, have bought 2 trucks from them.
Can give you a sales contact, but I'm not sure.if he's used cars only. Email if you want his number.

Depending on timing, I could try to stop in to check it's there for sure, though a salesman could do the same as well.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Duplicitous Deceitful Shady Sneaky Shifty Car Dealers...

Thanks for the warning. Somebody warned me the other day that the water is wet.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

My local dealer shows 95 in 'inventory'

What model are you talking about? If they have what I want at the right price, I would consider buying it in Texas.

Fly us out and we will drive it back.

Plus you avoid the shitty practice seemingly every dealer in this state has of tacking on a $800-1000 “dealer fee”

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

Fly us out and we will drive it back.

The dealer insists that the buyer is there in person to sign the acquisition documents.

Plus you avoid the shitty practice seemingly every dealer in this state has of tacking on a $800-1000 “dealer fee”

Mullinax emphasizes in their advertising that they do not have ANY add-on fees. This is one thing (maybe the only thing) that they are being truthful about. I can verify from personal experience, having bought two Fords from them previously, and examined every penny of the sales documents. In fact, their title / registration fees are an estimate, and both times I received a small check back from them after the dust settled because they had slightly over-estimated.

As for any other Ford dealers in the area, that DO charge these ridiculous "dealer fee" add-ons, they would disappear from my transaction without even having to ask. I am eligible for Ford X-Plan pricing, which is strictly defined by the Ford mother ship, and specifically prohibits dealer fees.

You should try buying a Toyota………OMG, most of their dealers in FL are terrible.

quote:

Originally posted by 2Adefender:
You should try buying a Toyota………OMG, most of their dealers in FL are terrible.

We did, twice. Most recent was July 4, 2019 -- my wife bought a new RAV4 Hybrid in Sanford from the dealer formerly known as David Maus. It got very unpleasant. My wife ignored my suggestion that she pick the vehicle and then leave, while I handled the sales process, because she is a nice person and I knew that she would not like the way I handled the process.

Previous occasion, years ago when it was still David Maus, I lucked into a straight-forward sales guy, but almost came to blows with the putz who did the paperwork and took the payment. I called him out on a couple of outright lies. A manager had to come in and take over for him.

I have been told, don't know whether it's true, that all of the Toyota dealers in the central Florida area are owned by the same gang of crooks.

Never tell them that you've "decided to lease instead" until you're there at the stealership with the actual vehicle right in front of you. That way you've got them between the proverbial rock and hard place. Because there's NOTHING in the car-buying playbook that says that you the customer can't be as conniving and sneaky as they are.

quote:

Originally posted by monoblok:
Never tell them that you've "decided to lease instead" until you're there at the stealership with the actual vehicle right in front of you. That way you've got them between the proverbial rock and hard place. Because there's NOTHING in the car-buying playbook that says that you the customer can't be as conniving and sneaky as they are.

Same if paying cash.

Sorry to see this Vtail

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Duplicitous Deceitful Shady Sneaky Shifty Car Dealers...

Thanks for the warning. Somebody warned me the other day that the water is wet.

Is fire hot? I've watched several Utube videos on how to deal with them. About ten add on fees
you can tell them to strike off about seven of them. Say you have one shot on an out the door price.
Get up and walk towards the door, see what they do.

Search for the Chevy Dude videos . This guy really has some good advice for seeing through all of the dealer shenanigans .

Mullinax is supposed to be no haggle pricing, whereas whatever price they give you IS the price and somewhat discounted. I think in every industry people returning phone calls and email has been a rarity, customer service has gone by the wayside in most industries it seems. I would just drop in there one day and inquire if it's not too far away.

With X plan, the price is the price. You can go on Fords website, do a search for the vehicle, click on lease, put the xplan info in and you will have the price and it will show you which dealers near you have that vehicle right now.

Just wait until you get to know the smiling thieves in the service department.

I've purchased 4 new vehicles from the same dealership over the past 20 years, using the dealer service department for routine maintenance (no questions in the event of warranty issues).

After several incidents of lying and outright thievery I made a point of contacting the dealership owner to explain how his service personnel had cost him a paying repeat customer. That took about 2 months to accomplish, the norm being phone calls ignored, e-mails unanswered, unresponsive staff.

Usually small stuff like charging for tire rotation but not do the work, charging labor for replacing air filters during oil changes, trying to sell unneeded brake jobs, shocks, struts, alignment. Basically trying to milk the customer every time he comes in the door.

If I can buy an intake air filter for $20 at a parts store I know to expect $45 at the dealership, but tacking on $30 installation labor is ridiculous when you already have the filter in your hand and know you have to replace it whether or not I buy the new one.

When your service advisor reports my front brake pads are down to 3mm, then I go to my regular brake and alignment shop and find out they have 6mm remaining, the dullest knife in the drawer can cut through the crap.

When I just paid for tire rotation, then see the same scraped wheel in the same position and see that the road grime on all the lug nuts hasn't been touched with a wrench, it doesn't add up for me.

Got to where I expected them to try and sell me on changing the air in my spare tire.

When the trust is gone you will see that I'm gone also.

They make way more money on service than they make selling cars.

LoboGunLeather,

We recommend a coolant flush, a transmission flush, power steering flush, battery service, front, rear, and transfer case service (fluid changes)and an injection flush today together with a brake fluid flush.

Yes sir, I know your car only has seventeen thousand miles on it but it is a big investment and you wouldn’t want to neglect that investment, right?

How many times has that game been pulled on you?

We used to call them wallet flushes…

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
LoboGunLeather,

We recommend a coolant flush, a transmission flush, power steering flush, battery service, front, rear, and transfer case service (fluid changes)and an injection flush today together with a brake fluid flush.

Yes sir, I know your car only has seventeen thousand miles on it but it is a big investment and you wouldn’t want to neglect that investment, right?

How many times has that game been pulled on you?

We used to call them wallet flushes…

Wallet flush, cranium flush, colorectal flush. Pretty much the same thing.