Hmmm Stories of my demise have been greatly exaggerated?

[macdarren]

So two weeks ago when my Fiesta was suppose to arrive via the Sloth Train, it was reported Totaled in a Freak Hail storm by the regional Rep. After extensive searching a similar replacement could not be located so my dealer reissued the order and I began the waiting process once more. Even with expedited shipping the earliest I was told I could expect the car was sometime in November. My last update was that it was scheduled to be built sometime in Oct.....I put the cash back in to the CD and settled in for another 1-2 month wait.

Yesterday I got an email from the Dealer, guess what shows up on the delivery truck but my original car. Now never damaged and waiting for me to come pick it up. The claim is there was some mix-up with the VINs and the car that was reported totaled was not mine but one with a similar VIN. I am a little suspicious though my sales person claim that when he questioned his management the confirm that the car that was reported destroyed did in fact have a different VIN and the the regional guy must have made a mistake when they put him to checking on why my car had not arrived. In general I would take that pretty much at face value but my question is where had the car been for 2-3 weeks?

Other members of the Faction that were waiting for cars with nearly identical build dates and VINs have had their cars for some time. In addition assuming cars are built more or less in VIN order then cars with VINs close to mine have been sold by local dealer for some time and the current batch on the dealer lots are all several thousand higher. I am headed to the Dealer today, but I am not sure what more I can find out on Sunday. At least I can inspect the car but I am not sure I could spot repair damage. Maybe if I can't see it, it doesn't matter but I'd hate to start to have paint or body problems or random squeaks rattles or electrical issues in a year or two or worse three plus after the warranty is up.

Any ideas on what to look for? I wonder what the story is on where the car has been. Maybe it got shipped to some alternate dealer by mistake. Seems like VIN accuracy would be pretty important around the car business and I know mistakes can happen but VINs do have Check digits in them to prevent just this sort of thing, seems like it would be pretty unlikely a simple typo caused a mixup, the computers should have rejected a bogus VINs at almost every turn.

Oh well off to the Dealer to see what I can see, with luck I could be a true Fiesta owner by the end of the week.

[Captainmorbid]

Wierd. Maybe if you pm the resident ford customer service on here, they can track your vin through inventory?

[ragland223]

If the car was repainted it will probably still have a smell of fresh paint. The other way to tell is to look inside the door jambs, hatch/trunk jambs and hood jambs. If they repainted the car this is where they usually would end the new paint so you would see a definite tape line.

Good luck.

[macdarren]

At the dealer now. Car seems to be intact. Strangly pretty dusty inside on the dash but other than that no obvious signs of damage or repair

Took it for a short drive (strangely it had 33 miles on it already.) Car seems tight, didn't hear any rattles etc. The story is that the regional rep messed up looking at a list of totaled cars and just made a mistake reporting mine was on the list. The delay in delivery was explained as just inspection and then trucking delays. Seems a bit odd but it is a smaller dealership and they say sometimes they won't get the truck until their are enough to fill the truck so it has prossibly been sitting at the train depot for a couple weeks awaiting transport to the dealer and they just stopped looking for it once it was reported totaled and were very surprised when it showed up on the regular delivery truck.

Dealer seems rather annoyed at Ford in the fact that this is a rather specific custom build and since they requested a replacement another has been scheduled as part of thierry allocation and they would prefer an easier to sell
configuration. For myself I would prefer there not be an identical vehicle running around in my neighborhood. Just because I like unique.

Sitting here waiting for the finace guys to get things together since my previous pre qualification has expired and cash is tied for the time being.

[macdarren]

Finance guy just tried to slip an extra $200 onto the pricea and an extra $500 for the dealer alarm...WTF. Then tried to move up the ESP and push me into fords finance instead of my credit union. Ford's finance rate is about twice what my prequal at the CU.

Not terribly happy, thought we had this all worked out already but this is a different group of people than my previous visits. Maybe the weekend crew or something.

[macdarren]

Okay I think we have a deal. Going to skip the ESP since the dealer would not get close to what I can get on line and I have time on that. No dealer alarm or markups. Somehow Ford can suddenly match the CU on the financing. I may still switch to the CU but for now this will work. Payment is a bit higher than I wanted since my down is lower but I can pay that in to reduce the term. So far so good. They are preparing the docs now. I am going to go take a second look at those door jambs and hood edges etc. While I wait.

[telero]

Originally Posted by macdarren

Dealer seems rather annoyed at Ford in the fact that this is a rather specific custom build and since they requested a replacement another has been scheduled as part of thierry allocation and they would prefer an easier to sell
configuration.

Originally Posted by macdarren

Finance guy just tried to slip an extra $200 onto the pricea and an extra $500 for the dealer alarm...WTF. Then tried to move up the ESP and push me into fords finance instead of my credit union. Ford's finance rate is about twice what my prequal at the CU.

At the point that started trying to pull that crap, I would have threatened to walk on the whole deal, leaving them with two of the less than easier to sell configurations...and by threaten to walk I would have left he dealership and told them to call me when they were ready to offer $1000 below what had been negotiated or a free ESP.

[macdarren]

Well the deed is done. I ended up with just the car I ordered no dealer stuff and no ESP. They offered to give me another .5 off my credit union interest rate to get me to buy the ESP but that only saved $5 a month on the payment and though it might be nice to spread it out I will just order the ESP online and save the $600.

Sales pictures to come...I have to pickup my other car from the dealer (they offered to drive it back for me but no one there could drive "3 on the tree" imagine that, and I wanted to drive the Fiesta.) Next my new baby gets detailed waxed up for her new car head shots.... Then the mods begin.....the sport spoiler from the factory needs installation along with my Ford racing suspension and remote start, SS door sill plates and maybe some better rubber.

Of note when you order both the SES and the sport appearance package you get a little ripped....black led bezzels (website shows chrome though I like black better on this car). Same with side and rear window moldings but I wish they had been chime.

[macdarren]

Darn just realized my dealer's prep guy didn't follow my request to not install the front plate holder. Does this think leave holes in the bumper if so I guess
I am stuck with running a plate...not the end of the world but still....

[appleinfl]

What a story! Can't wait to see some pics!