Pre delivery checklist

[1TRKMND]

Hey all, I nedd HELP. I had read a post on here were someone put together a great letter that you would send to a dealer before delivery. A list of expectations, so to speak. I can't find it anywhere! Looking for help.... I would love to send it along to my dealer just to reinforce what I have already asked of them. The letter talked about why the seat plastic should be left on, why the plate bracket shouldn't be installed. I too look at this whole experience like Xmas... with one fast present that I get to document and unwrap! Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks again...

 

[STIG302]

I don't remember seeing a letter, but I specifically told them not to do anything except the required inspections. I explained that I wanted to prep and clean it. They didn't have a problem because it saves them time.

 

[jimprw]

That is a good idea that I never even thought of. My dealer did the normal prep for new vehicles EXCEPT waited to ask me if I wanted the license plate bracked installed - apparently they knew to hold off on that from the GT 500s they have sold. They also didn't put on their usual dealer sticker on the rear deck for which I was very grateful!

Only complaint I had was that they also removed the plastic on the Radio led plate and in doing so (?) put some surface scratches on it...you definitely want the dealer to leave that on so your radio plate lense plastic is pristine.

 

[MNG_BOSS302]

Hey all, I nedd HELP. I had read a post on here were someone put together a great letter that you would send to a dealer before delivery. A list of expectations, so to speak. I can't find it anywhere! Looking for help.... I would love to send it along to my dealer just to reinforce what I have already asked of them. The letter talked about why the seat plastic should be left on, why the plate bracket shouldn't be installed. I too look at this whole experience like Xmas... with one fast present that I get to document and unwrap! Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks again...

Found this from another site. A list and some discussion.

The list I gave my dealer.
1. I want to be there the day it comes in (and bring it home that day) - do nothing to it until I get there.
2. Still in transport mode when off truck - do not remove it with computer before I get there.
3. They said they need to sell it with 7 miles on it - I said no test driving without me.
4. Do not install license plate bracket - same on dealer badging.
5. No add on coatings exterior or interior.
6. Do not remove plastic from interior.
7. During set up do not remove any build stickers, tags, markings or window sticker.
8. Do not open cover or mats packages.
9. No other customers in it etc.
10. Very careful on cleaning exterior.
Even though I would prefer they don't touch it, I am ok with dealer prep to get mechanical sign off so to speak.

I don't think any of us are being, or this list specifically is, a little much (you won't get it if you don't ask and as I am waiting delivery this is my one chance to get it how I would like instead of one sitting as stock on a showroom floor). I am excited to get the car, so I want to be there and bring it home the day it arrives. It is my car, ordered how I want, I paid for it, I am the customer. So to tell the dealer (that only got 2 Boss allocations for the entire year) to not treat it like one of the hundreds of Focus's, Fiesta's, trucks that go in/out of their doors - treat it special like the car it is, is not unreasonable. I want to be the one that is in it for test drive, I want to open the original packages like a kid at Christmas (why should I let some guy at the dealership that I do not even know do that even if it is only mats and a car cover), I want to remove the window sticker and interior plastic covers and save them, I don't want holes drilled to mount the plate bracket (hard to undo that once it is done), and I don't want them to offer any rides to other customers or let them in it or leaning over the fenders and looking at the engine (I have seen some at dealers and guys are all over them, people are in them, salesmen are offering to take them out for a test drive, people starting them in the showroom). And as far as preserving, yes I want to take pictures and document where all the different build markings, tags, stickers, orientation of brackets, clamps, how ever my car was built. So whether I keep it for a year and get a 13 or keep it 30 years mod it or leave it stock, I would like to document with pictures how it was built, how it looked the day I took delivery of it. 40 years ago not too many people were concerned about the build difference between a Dearborn, Metuchen or San Jose Boss, where some one put a check mark, where a tag was located and how it was oriented, what was red oxide coated, where there was overspray (now look at restorations). Will the 12 become what the 69/70 is, I don't know and not my concern at this time, but they deserve to be documented. Mine will be (as I am going to guess many others will be) and I am going to enjoy owning it, driving it and working on it. You enjoy yours too and I will post pic's when mine gets here.

 

[1TRKMND]

That's the one! Nice find mng_ I can't thank you enough. Hopefully mailing this to my dealer will drive my point home. Perfect, thanks again!

 

[svtrich]

mng 302,you crack me up. if you ever saw new cars are drivein off the train or on the auto transport trucks.all you guys $hit your pants :'(.I worked for one of the nations largest.I saw it all
Rich

 

[1TRKMND]

Thanks for that! All I can do is ask the dealer to respect my wishes. "discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments" guess that explains why they drive but don't own and probably won't! ;D

 

[MNG_BOSS302]

mng 302,you crack me up. if you ever saw new cars are drivein off the train or on the auto transport trucks.all you guys $hit your pants :'(.I worked for one of the nations largest.I saw it all
Rich

Rich,
Yes, we have heard the stories and thus one of the reasons we feel the need to make lists with driving limitation expectations. Delivery inspections will catch any damage done and get charged back. Unfortunately the knuckleheads that don't respect other peoples stuff end up showing their buddies just what a-holes they are by trashing someone elses car. I agree with 1trkmnd.

 

[Factory Tech]

mng 302,you crack me up. if you ever saw new cars are drivein off the train or on the auto transport trucks.all you guys $hit your pants :'(.I worked for one of the nations largest.I saw it all
Rich

Rich,
Yes, we have heard the stories and thus one of the reasons we feel the need to make lists with driving limitation expectations. Delivery inspections will catch any damage done and get charged back. Unfortunately the knuckleheads that don't respect other peoples stuff end up showing their buddies just what a-holes they are by trashing someone elses car. I agree with 1trkmnd.

A little yes, a little no. I work for Ford and go to assembly plants pretty regular. Honestly, to the guys in the assembly plant they're all "just meat" and after the first ones of any new or special model is off, they barely even notice them. Hell, they're too busy. One thing I have yet to see is a fat guy doing drive offs. The car comes off the line and goes over a 100 yard surface rattle test (a road you never want to know your car drove over) and then they get out and leave it for the trucking company, who drive it anywhere from half a mile to several miles away to await shipment, which could be days or hours.
The only exception to the "just meat" description I can recall is when Kentucky Truck started running the Harley Davidson F350. The urban legend is on the first day they put 5 trucks on the line, and at the trim station where they put on the H/D emblems they brought out 2 boxes of 50 emblems (left and right side of line)...when the 5th truck got to that station they had to pull it off the line because they were out of emblems. Dunno how true that is, but to this day HD trucks are not trimmed with emblems or stripes on the line anymore, they are taken to paint repair and hand trimmed, by a tech who has to sign for each set of badges he uses.
And every tool box in the plant has a HD emblem on it, I'm sure. ;D

And as for the "don't touch the wrap, don't do X Y and Z... " I can tell you that everyone smiles when they do it, and mentally mark you as a pain in the ass who they'd rather avoid next time you come in. Not the salesman, but the service guys definitely, I see it at almost every dealer I go to, they don't want the hassle of you going over every inch of the car every time you get an oil change, and it's kind of an insult to them when you act like that. I try my best to make sure I don't make enemies in the garage, if certain things come up, they can be the difference between getting taken care of or waiting until they fell like working on it. I've seen a tech in a garage wait a week for a $5 part that he actually kept a few extra in his toolbox, just because he was almost as big an asshat as the guy who owned the car.

 

[STIG302]

...And as for the "don't touch the wrap, don't do X Y and Z... " I can tell you that everyone smiles when they do it, and mentally mark you as a pain in the ass who they'd rather avoid next time you come in. Not the salesman, but the service guys definitely, I see it at almost every dealer I go to, they don't want the hassle of you going over every inch of the car every time you get an oil change, and it's kind of an insult to them when you act like that. I try my best to make sure I don't make enemies in the garage, if certain things come up, they can be the difference between getting taken care of or waiting until they fell like working on it. I've seen a tech in a garage wait a week for a $5 part that he actually kept a few extra in his toolbox, just because he was almost as big an asshat as the guy who owned the car.

Well I can tell you any service manager worth their salt will do their best to correct techs like the ones you describe. I took mine in for an oil change and they left oil on the hood, handle, fender and console near the emergency break. The service manager took manager took my complaint very seriously. The next time I took my car in, it came back exactly the same way I gave it to them. Maybe that's the difference in small town dealerships. As an owner and a customer, I expect the service department to treat my car with respect no matter if it's a focus or GT500. If I get an inkling of anything different, I will elevate my complaint and find another place. If you think someone is an asshat for being meticulous and caring about his ride, then maybe you should find another profession.

 

[Factory Tech]

Actually I was calling the mechanic an asshat, but I guess the way I wrote it doesn't read what I meant. I don't deal with customers at all, and honestly I'm glad I don't. Most are okay, and I take a lot of pride in my work, but there are some people you can't please.

And none of this relates to how I feel, or what I approve or disapprove of, I'm just telling what happens sometimes. Being picky about your car and service is great, but you don't need to insult a guy who considers himself a professional. And some people do.