Ford is combating to hold the 2022 F-150 Lightning from being scalped — the firm has despatched a discover providing to assist sellers stop 2022 F-150 Lightning patrons from reselling their vans, in accordance to a report from CNET. If a vendor chooses to add a no-sale provision supplied by Ford to its contracts, the purchaser may have to agree to “not promote, supply to promote or in any other case switch possession curiosity in the Vehicle prior to the first anniversary of the date hereof.” The discover additionally warns sellers towards making an attempt to increase the costs of the vans themselves.
While the transfer might assist cease folks making an attempt to flip their reservation for the electrical pickup right into a payday, some have criticized the transfer as Ford making an attempt to management what folks do with their property. The Lightning, although, is releasing at a time when vehicles can be laborious to come up with — the worth of used vehicles has been skyrocketing as auto producers wrestle to sustain with the demand for brand new autos. Some sellers have even been including their very own markups, with potential patrons reporting tens of hundreds of {dollars} in further charges.
Here’s a narrative. I used to be initially going to get a @MercedesBenzUSA EQS 580. Even had one reserved and prepared for pickup. The vendor referred to as to inform me there was a $50k (not a typo) markup on the automotive. I handed. Infer what you’ll about the vendor mannequin defending customers. https://t.co/XIbzdzB5CX— Jon Rettinger (@Jon4Lakers) December 29, 2021
CNET and Teslarati notice that Ford’s message to dealerships additionally warns sellers that they may not obtain any Lightnings in 2022 in the event that they ask prospects for further deposits or funds, which the memo says is seen as “threatening prospects by withholding their alternative to convert reservations to orders.”
Ford’s not being as strict with its prospects — whether or not they have to agree to the no-sale provision is up to the vendor. A Ford spokesperson informed CNET that the “requirement is between a vendor and their buyer,” and stated that it was the vendor’s selection whether or not to embody the provision if it’s legally allowed of their state. In a screenshot (initially posted on the F150 Gen14 discussion board) reporting to present the message despatched to sellers, it’s clear that it’s elective — however it additionally says that Ford is “providing help” for the provision.
Ford says it’s gotten round 200,000 deposits for the electrical pickup
Ford’s upcoming electrical pickup appears to be hotly anticipated — the firm stated that round 200,000 folks had put down $100 deposits for it between May and December 2021. The firm has additionally stopped taking reservations for the truck, which is supposed to begin delivery in the first half of this yr. Ford lately introduced that it’s aiming to make 150,000 F-150 Lightnings by mid-2023.
Scalping has been a significant frustration for customers, as producers like Ford, GM, Sony, and others have wrangled with manufacturing slowdowns precipitated by the ongoing chip scarcity. Some retailers have tried to decelerate resellers by solely making inventory out there to paid subscribers, however it’s nonetheless troublesome to get your palms on gaming tech like the PS5, Xbox Series X, or graphics playing cards (until you’re prepared to pay scalpers’ exorbitant costs).
It’s potential that demand for Ford’s EV might stay excessive all through the subsequent yr, due to scarce competitors. The electrical Silverado introduced at CES this yr isn’t set to begin manufacturing till spring 2023 (and Chevy says the first vans to roll off the line will be its $105,000 RST First Edition). Rivian, which remains to be working by way of its pre-orders, lately introduced that fashions with the expanded battery had been delayed till 2023, and Tesla’s Cybertruck nonetheless doesn’t have a strong launch date (although it was lately noticed on a take a look at observe).
https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/8/22872969/ford-f-150-lightning-electric-pickup-resale-ban-dealerships-year-scalping-shortages
