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Three month old order sitting in USOB


fmorriso

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I decided to commemorate today's three month "anniversary" of my April 21 order for a Ford Escape Hybrid Limited by calling Ford directly to ask them why my order hasn't been scheduled yet.

 

During the course of the conversation with a very nice lady, I mentioned that somebody else who ordered April 17 has not been scheduled either. I emphasized that I did not want to "jump the line", only that I wanted to get in the back of the line. I also urged them to find and fulfill that other guy's April 17 order before processing mine.

 

She asked if I had first checked with my dealer. I mentioned both the Friday telephone call and the Saturday onsite visit, neither of which provided anything different than what I have been told for three months. I mentioned all of the dozens of emails, phone calls and personal visits to the dealer to find out what the hold up is.

 

I mentioned that while people who ordered from (just one example) Longmont Ford in Colorado were having no difficulty in getting their orders for essentially the same vehicle (FEHL) processed and delivered (July 18), my dealer in Virginia has zero allocation, thus my order still sits in the Unscheduled Order Bank (USOB). I told the nice lady on the telephone that my only immediate goal was to get a full VIN. Once I get a VIN, that means there is a "Serialize Date". The rest (Segment Date, Sequence Date, Blend Date, etc.) will pretty much take care of itself, barring a "commodity hold".

 

The lady at Ford agreed to escalate the issue to the their Customer Care Solutions Team.

 

Here's the response I received by email an hour or two later confirming the earlier telephone conversation:

 

Our records indicate that you contacted the Ford Customer Relationship Center on July 21, 2008 and our Customer Care Representative advised you that we will escalate this to our Customer Care Solutions Team so they can investigate your concerns further and work with your dealership to utilize all available resources to resolve your concern. A Customer Care Specialist will contact you within 2 business days.

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I decided to commemorate today's three month "anniversary" of my April 21 order for a Ford Escape Hybrid Limited by calling Ford directly to ask them why my order hasn't been scheduled yet.

 

During the course of the conversation with a very nice lady, I mentioned that somebody else who ordered April 17 has not been scheduled either. I emphasized that I did not want to "jump the line", only that I wanted to get in the back of the line. I also urged them to find and fulfill that other guy's April 17 order before processing mine.

 

She asked if I had first checked with my dealer. I mentioned both the Friday telephone call and the Saturday onsite visit, neither of which provided anything different than what I have been told for three months. I mentioned all of the dozens of emails, phone calls and personal visits to the dealer to find out what the hold up is.

 

I mentioned that while people who ordered from (just one example) Longmont Ford in Colorado were having no difficulty in getting their orders for essentially the same vehicle (FEHL) processed and delivered (July 18), my dealer in Virginia has zero allocation, thus my order still sits in the Unscheduled Order Bank (USOB). I told the nice lady on the telephone that my only immediate goal was to get a full VIN. Once I get a VIN, that means there is a "Serialize Date". The rest (Segment Date, Sequence Date, Blend Date, etc.) will pretty much take care of itself, barring a "commodity hold".

 

The lady at Ford agreed to escalate the issue to the their Customer Care Solutions Team.

 

Here's the response I received by email an hour or two later confirming the earlier telephone conversation:

 

Our records indicate that you contacted the Ford Customer Relationship Center on July 21, 2008 and our Customer Care Representative advised you that we will escalate this to our Customer Care Solutions Team so they can investigate your concerns further and work with your dealership to utilize all available resources to resolve your concern. A Customer Care Specialist will contact you within 2 business days.

:finger: I guess I should not feel as bad if you are still waiting for your VIN also. I did however see in the tracking thread that people who ordered even in May were getting Ship dates. What happeneded to First in First Out ordering.

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:finger: I guess I should not feel as bad if you are still waiting for your VIN also. I did however see in the tracking thread that people who ordered even in May were getting Ship dates. What happeneded to First in First Out ordering.

 

I can tell you that it is definately not FIFO ordering. There is the scheduling issue, parts avail., NY and Cali priorities, etc. The issues have all been discussed here. But I do feel your pain. I'm in there with ya, and feel the pain. But I'm only at the 2 month mark as of the end of this week or so. But Yea, I'm just as .... frustrated (?) with the process. It seems like this should be easier. It also doesn't seem like it would be that hard to make it easier. At least on my end, I don't get the feeling that there is anything wrong from the dealers perspective or end of things. It seems like this is just the way it goes, right or wrong, just the way it is.

 

Please keep us posted on what happens with your call to Ford. I'm very interested.

Edited by mmdlcab
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:finger: I guess I should not feel as bad if you are still waiting for your VIN also. I did however see in the tracking thread that people who ordered even in May were getting Ship dates. What happeneded to First in First Out ordering.

It's never going to be a perfect FIFO system. That's OK to a certain extent. For example, if Ford wants to reward the dealers that sell more vehicles with higher allocations, that's certainly an acceptable part of the equation.

 

But the system should also have some way of identifying orders that are just way, way, WAY overdue and start scheduling them, regardless of what the dealer's past sales record might warrant in the way of allocation "slots". To do otherwise punishes the customer for something completely out of their control.

 

After the vehicle is scheduled (and gets a full VIN), we all take our chances with material holds, annual plant shutdowns/vacations, etc. I could live with such a system.

Edited by fmorriso
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:finger: I guess I should not feel as bad if you are still waiting for your VIN also. I did however see in the tracking thread that people who ordered even in May were getting Ship dates. What happeneded to First in First Out ordering.

 

Hey Taz,

 

I see that your here in NJ. What dealership did you order from?

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I wanted to let you know that I received my VIN number today and my order (placed on 5/8/08) was received by the factory on July 18th. I say this not to rub salt in your wounds - but my order was placed with Purvis Ford in Fredericksburg, VA. Maybe VA orders are starting to move forward.

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I wanted to let you know that I received my VIN number today and my order (placed on 5/8/08) was received by the factory on July 18th. I say this not to rub salt in your wounds - but my order was placed with Purvis Ford in Fredericksburg, VA. Maybe VA orders are starting to move forward.

Congratulations. Enjoy the vehicle when it comes in. We'll have to meet somewhere half way, say Dale City, when mine comes in and compare vehicles. Mine will have 4WD, so even if it's December and I-95 is barely passable, I'll still be able to make it from up near Sterling.

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Hey Taz,

 

I see that your here in NJ. What dealership did you order from?

 

 

Hackettstown Ford. Where did you place your order from? I hope soon we get a VIN number. Only a little over two months have passed, but I placed a similar call today... :banghead: Waiting on customer service to call me back in the next 2-3 days...

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Hackettstown Ford. Where did you place your order from? I hope soon we get a VIN number. Only a little over two months have passed, but I placed a similar call today... :banghead: Waiting on customer service to call me back in the next 2-3 days...

Ordered from Flemington. Don't fret too much about not having a VIN# yet. We East coast customers take a back seat to the West coast customers. Not exactly fair but its the way Ford is doing things. FIFO would be ideal but I knew that wasn't going to be happening when I ordered. As long as your dealership has allotment and your not behind a ton of orders you "should" be getting a VIN# within the next few weeks or month and taking delivery around the end of September or early October. <<...this is based on what I have heard from my dealership sales manager and read online on the various Ford & Hybrid forums. The sales manager we have been working with gave us a delivery time frame of 9/1 - 11/30 with a "most likely" of mid October. To many factors to give a more exact date, fleet builds, taxi builds, batteries/part availability, weather delays..err transportation strikes, etc. etc and so on.

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Ordered from Flemington. Don't fret too much about not having a VIN# yet. We East coast customers take a back seat to the West coast customers. Not exactly fair but its the way Ford is doing things. FIFO would be ideal but I knew that wasn't going to be happening when I ordered. As long as your dealership has allotment and your not behind a ton of orders you "should" be getting a VIN# within the next few weeks or month and taking delivery around the end of September or early October. <<...this is based on what I have heard from my dealership sales manager and read online on the various Ford & Hybrid forums. The sales manager we have been working with gave us a delivery time frame of 9/1 - 11/30 with a "most likely" of mid October. To many factors to give a more exact date, fleet builds, taxi builds, batteries/part availability, weather delays..err transportation strikes, etc. etc and so on.

:happy feet: I think the VIN number would make me feel better. We should have as much of clout with being as close to NY as we are compared to California. I guess I am just anxious to get more information then it is is in the system.

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:happy feet: I think the VIN number would make me feel better. We should have as much of clout with being as close to NY as we are compared to California. I guess I am just anxious to get more information then it is is in the system.

I'm chomping at the bit here. When I get excited about something I want it yesterday!! I just have to keep reminding myself that when it does come the wait will be more than worth it. For me, something tangible would keep me at bay, I can't wait till the blend date when I can have a print out of the window sticker to replace the order status lookup I received from my dealership the week after I placed the order.

 

Tazjedi?? just curious, does that mean your a furry Skywalker?

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I'm chomping at the bit here. When I get excited about something I want it yesterday!! I just have to keep reminding myself that when it does come the wait will be more than worth it. For me, something tangible would keep me at bay, I can't wait till the blend date when I can have a print out of the window sticker to replace the order status lookup I received from my dealership the week after I placed the order.

 

Tazjedi?? just curious, does that mean your a furry Skywalker?

 

 

No, just an old username that stuck. I have had it since the days of bulletin board systems.

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There is basically two lines. :titanic:

 

One line is to simply get a number (your VIN number). That lines is about 14 to 16 weeks long. :censored:

 

Once you are luckily enough to get your number, you get to go stand in a new line. I don't know if we have a handle yet on how long that line can be. But eventually, your hybrid pops out. :shift:

 

IMHO, Ford used the DMV as a model on which to base its waiting-in-line queues. :soapbox:

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Ordered from Flemington. Don't fret too much about not having a VIN# yet. We East coast customers take a back seat to the West coast customers. Not exactly fair but its the way Ford is doing things. FIFO would be ideal but I knew that wasn't going to be happening when I ordered. As long as your dealership has allotment and your not behind a ton of orders you "should" be getting a VIN# within the next few weeks or month and taking delivery around the end of September or early October. <<...this is based on what I have heard from my dealership sales manager and read online on the various Ford & Hybrid forums. The sales manager we have been working with gave us a delivery time frame of 9/1 - 11/30 with a "most likely" of mid October. To many factors to give a more exact date, fleet builds, taxi builds, batteries/part availability, weather delays..err transportation strikes, etc. etc and so on.

I'd be inclined to agree with the West coast bias theory, if it weren't for the fact that Longmont (Colorado) Ford (NE of Denver) is delivering FEHL's that were ordered more than a month after mine. I don't know how they managed to win the "allocation lottery", but them's the facts. Check out the pictures of a Peal Black 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited ordered from that dealer just outside of Denver at Pictures of 2009 FEHL

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Please keep us posted on what happens with your call to Ford. I'm very interested.

It figures the one day I'm in two long meetings is when Ford's Customer Response Escalation Team tried to call me. My cell phone vibrated in the middle of the second meeting, but being old fashioned (or is it just plain old?), I never answer my cell phone when in a meeting. By the time I was able to check for messages, it turned out to be a woman from "Ford" who wanted to talk to me about the "issue" I was having with "getting my 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid scheduled", but she would first need some information in order to further investigate:

1. Year of the vehicle - I kid you not! She actually requested the year after opening her message with I'm calling...about your 2009...!!!

2. Dealer ID number

3. Order codes

 

Of course, I've sent that same information to Ford CRC twice already, but obviously, the right hand doesn't talk to the left hand (do hands talk? I wonder what language they speak?).

 

Her message said she would try again Thursday before 5 PM. Her message on my cell phone left no phone number to use to call her back. No last name either. When I got home, my home phone had a message with her contact information on it, so now at least I can initiate a call vs. waiting for her to call me back.

 

She comes across as not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, wouldn't you say?

 

Meanwhile, I hope to have some exciting news about my "backup plan" that I'm working on, hopefully by early next week.

 

Surely you didn't think I was going to sit idle and not have a backup plan, do you? (I know, "and don't call me Shirley"...).

Edited by fmorriso
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It figures the one day I'm in two long meetings is when Ford's Customer Response Escalation Team tried to call me. My cell phone vibrated in the middle of the second meeting, but being old fashioned (or is it just plain old?), I never answer my cell phone when in a meeting. By the time I was able to check for messages, it turned out to be a woman from "Ford" who wanted to talk to me about the "issue" I was having with "getting my 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid scheduled", but she would first need some information in order to further investigate:

1. Year of the vehicle - I kid you not! She actually requested the year after opening her message with I'm calling...about your 2009...!!!

2. Dealer ID number

3. Order codes

 

Of course, I've sent that same information to Ford CRC twice already, but obviously, the right hand doesn't talk to the left hand (do hands talk? I wonder what language they speak?).

 

Her message said she would try again Thursday before 5 PM. Her message on my cell phone left no phone number to use to call her back. No last name either. When I got home, my home phone had a message with her contact information on it, so now at least I can initiate a call vs. waiting for her to call me back.

 

She comes across as not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, wouldn't you say?

 

Meanwhile, I hope to have some exciting news about my "backup plan" that I'm working on, hopefully by early next week.

 

Surely you didn't think I was going to sit idle and not have a backup plan, do you? (I know, "and don't call me Shirley"...).

I got a return call from the same team yesterday. I was told at this point I should have a VIN, and my order would be escalated. It would take 1-2 days to find out additional information and I will receive a call back from them on Friday. I will post what happens after that call. So far no backup plan, what is yours? (Maybe buy foreign...)

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I placed an order on 3May for a loaded FEHL, and todate the dealer knows nothing on my order. I'm from New Jersey also and it does sounds like we do have a problem just getting in line. I did order under the x-plan that could be factor also. I guess the next step is to start making calls to ford. If anyone has some names and phone numbers it sure would be a big help at this point. EMAIL me using this site. Thanks for any help.

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I got a return call from the same team yesterday. I was told at this point I should have a VIN, and my order would be escalated. It would take 1-2 days to find out additional information and I will receive a call back from them on Friday. I will post what happens after that call. So far no backup plan, what is yours? (Maybe buy foreign...)

I spoke with Gail/Gayle of Ford CRC today and explained the situation. She took all the information (sounded like nobody gave her any of the details I had given to her co-workers, so she had to ask for every detail again). She said she's going to talk with the regional (DC-MD-VA-PA) sales manager to find out more. Her goal is to get back to me no later than 5 PM next Wednesday. No promise to do anything more than that. No promise of a VIN.

 

My backup plan to get an FEHL is taking shape. Just say I now have backup plans, plural, and leave it at that. I promise to reveal the details when this is all over.

 

I can say I'm through initiating communication with my dealer. If they want to talk to me, they can pick up a phone or a mouse. What's about to happen to them is going to be fun to watch, but I will wait until the right time to reveal the details.

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I got a return call from the same team yesterday. I was told at this point I should have a VIN, and my order would be escalated. It would take 1-2 days to find out additional information and I will receive a call back from them on Friday. I will post what happens after that call. So far no backup plan, what is yours? (Maybe buy foreign...)

Today, at 1:00 PM EDT, my sales rep called to inform me that somebody at Ford (didn't say what part of Ford) called the Regional Sales Manager who in turn called the Dealer Sales Manager who in turn told my sales rep that my vehicle "will be built sometime in September and as soon as we have a Serialized Date or a VIN I'll let you know". I sensed that he may have just come from "the wood shed" (perhaps along with his DSM) because he didn't sound very happy.

 

My response: Thank you for calling. Please don't call me back unless it's to report the full VIN of my vehicle because that's the critical next step in the process. Our conversation ended at that point.

Edited by fmorriso
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I'd be inclined to agree with the West coast bias theory, if it weren't for the fact that Longmont (Colorado) Ford (NE of Denver) is delivering FEHL's that were ordered more than a month after mine. I don't know how they managed to win the "allocation lottery", but them's the facts. Check out the pictures of a Peal Black 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited ordered from that dealer just outside of Denver at Pictures of 2009 FEHL

 

I was under the impression that Ford has not even completed tooling up the assembly line for the 2009 FEH yet. How can Colorado be receiving some already ???

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I was under the impression that Ford has not even completed tooling up the assembly line for the 2009 FEH yet. How can Colorado be receiving some already ???

 

 

The production line for the '09 Escape started up on June 23. The FEH and MMH are both built on the same line as the gas powered Escape and Mariners.

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I was under the impression that Ford has not even completed tooling up the assembly line for the 2009 FEH yet. How can Colorado be receiving some already ???

April 17 - Ordering window opened

 

April 21 - I placed my order for a 2009 FEHL

 

May 15 - Scheduling began

 

June 23 - production began

 

Today - no VIN as of yet.

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April 17 - Ordering window opened

 

April 21 - I placed my order for a 2009 FEHL

 

May 15 - Scheduling began

 

June 23 - production began

 

Today - no VIN as of yet.

 

That is a real bummer. I went into my local (California) Ford dealer, sat down with a salesman, wrote up an order and two weeks later I have the VIN number. Go figure. One thing, this was the first 2009 FEH the dealer was ordering. In other words I was #1 at this dealership. In any event, the plant is shutting down, so I figure I'm about where you are.

 

Good luck on getting that VIN.

Edited by Hook686
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That is a real bummer. I went into my local (California) Ford dealer, sat down with a salesman, wrote up an order and two weeks later I have the VIN number. Go figure. One thing, this was the first 2009 FEH the dealer was ordering. In other words I was #1 at this dealership. In any event, the plant is shutting down, so I figure I'm about where you are.

 

Good luck on getting that VIN.

I too was the very first person to order a FEH or FEHL from my dealer on April 21. Only two other orders have been placed after mine at that particular dealer.

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