Discriminated and Kicked out of Ford dealer for using Level 2 charger.Owner responds on Google.

[Battmobile]

If they want to put a sign charging is only for certain people with non-offensives vehicles like Prius and Leaf that's fine with me.

Just own up to it and stop pretending to be one way or the other and make the policy that everyone can follow.

Marketing/Sales 101 Things went so well recently for Starbucks when they had two African Americans arrested for not ordering coffee while waiting for a meeting.

 

[Brando]

I wanted to start this thread to see if any others had experiences like this at other dealerships because I haven't.

Is Ford installing these Level 2 chargers at dealers without training the employees on proper etiquette. This shouldn't be a lottery on how your going to be treated every time you pull up to a Ford Dealer making sure to say the right magical words.

side note: Considering US leadership, I'd suspect etiquette is an almost unknown concept in present day America.

 

[ralph142]

Do you guys read? He asked and it was okayed. The owner flipped out on him without checking.

 

[realvvk]

They may be anti-Tesla, but it's their business/land/investment, so they get to make da' rules. Sure, electricity may be cheap in your locale, but a couple of bucks is still a couple of bucks and it's rather presumptuous that they should give it you for free. Perhaps they installed the charger as a way to get peeps into their showrooms -- its a marketing/sales 101. An empty charger is attractive to passersby, a full charger certainly is not.

I just wanted to say it is not a couple of bucks. More like a few cents. Most public chargers are so slow that you have to stay for hours to reach $1 in electricity cost. Probably costs more to allow a person to use the bathroom.

Also, Battmobile did ask for permission and the owner should not have assumed that he did not.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I don't know, maybe this won't be a popular opinion... but it kinda sounds like you were looking for a fight, and found one. You had 200 miles of charge, but didn't really need more. You say you were checking it out in case of emergency, but your mother is installing a 50 amp charger. You knew how your shiny, detailed, MCR Model S on 21" wheels would look parked out front of a FORD DEALER. I'm sure you're well aware that ICE dealers across the country are super threatened by Tesla, but not by Bolts, Volts or Leafs.

I'm not saying anything he did was warranted, but it sounds like you did everything possible to elicit a response in the most passive/aggressive way possible, and then come here to complain about how you got such horrible treatment.

But that's just my take on it. <Flame suit ON>

 

[Battmobile]

I don't know, maybe this won't be a popular opinion... but it kinda sounds like you were looking for a fight, and found one. You had 200 miles of charge, but didn't really need more. You say you were checking it out in case of emergency, but your mother is installing a 50 amp charger. You knew how your shiny, detailed, MCR Model S on 21" wheels would look parked out front of a FORD DEALER. I'm sure you're well aware that ICE dealers across the country are super threatened by Tesla, but not by Bolts, Volts or Leafs.

I'm not saying anything he did was warranted, but it sounds like you did everything possible to elicit a response in the most passive/aggressive way possible, and then come here to complain about how you got such horrible treatment.

But that's just my take on it. <Flame suit ON>

I already said earlier. My family bought two trucks from this dealer and many more from another. Why would I pick a fight with my best chance at getting a discounted truck. That would be pretty stupid. My goal is to find a new truck by July.

And I asked for permission to charge for the millionth time and it was OK by the salesperson until the owner showed up to my car.

Obviously my car was clean I was visiting mom. And shes now open to installing a charger at her house after what happened at the dealer. Not before.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Why would I pick a fight with my best chance at getting a discounted truck.

Why is this place your 'best chance to get a discounted truck'? Truth is, a car dealer is going to sell you a car at a certain price to move it off their lot. It might be this dealer, or the other one, just depends on who needs the sale more that particular day. If you show up to buy a truck from this guy, he's not going to turn you away or give you any different of a deal that would make you walk out the door to the other dealer. If he needs to sell the truck to pay rent, payroll, or taxes, your little altercation isn't going to make him act any differently or offer you a worse deal and loose the sale.

 

[redgt]

I already said earlier. My family bought two trucks from this dealer and many more from another. Why would I pick a fight with my best chance at getting a discounted truck. That would be pretty stupid. My goal is to find a new truck by July.

And I asked for permission to charge for the millionth time and it was OK by the salesperson until the owner showed up to my car.

Obviously my car was clean I was visiting mom. And shes now open to installing a charger at her house after what happened at the dealer. Not before.

in your first post you said you TOLD the salesman you were going to charge your car not that you asked. It is definitely not his electricity to give away anyways. Maybe you should of checked with someone that has the authority to say YES

you should have only been charging there if it was an absolute emergency IMO and that is with an approval from someone with authority. seriously what is the point? you had plenty of charge

the owners point asking how'd you feel if someone plugged their car into an outlet at your house without permission is spot on

that dealer is running a business employing many people and trying to make money. they have a level 2 charger to charge their EV cars and plug in hybrids they have for sale on the lot and any cars they may be servicing

To say that you did not play any part the outcome is ridiculous

 

[Battmobile]

Why is this place your 'best chance to get a discounted truck'? Truth is, a car dealer is going to sell you a car at a certain price to move it off their lot. It might be this dealer, or the other one, just depends on who needs the sale more that particular day. If you show up to buy a truck from this guy, he's not going to turn you away or give you any different of a deal that would make you walk out the door to the other dealer. If he needs to sell the truck to pay rent, payroll, or taxes, your little altercation isn't going to make him act any differently or offer you a worse deal and loose the sale.

Common sense would say that if the dealer knows they have the potential to sell many cars to this family business why not heavily discount one truck to sell them 10 more later. Of course other dealers will be shopped for comparison.

 

[Battmobile]

in your first post you said you TOLD the salesman you were going to charge your car not that you asked. It is definitely not his electricity to give away anyways. Maybe you should of checked with someone that has the authority to say YES

you should have only been charging there if it was an absolute emergency IMO and that is with an approval from someone with authority. seriously what is the point? you had plenty of charge

the owners point asking how'd you feel if someone plugged their car into an outlet at your house without permission is spot on

that dealer is running a business employing many people and trying to make money. they have a level 2 charger to charge their EV cars and plug in hybrids they have for sale on the lot and any cars they may be servicing

To say that you did not play any part the outcome is ridiculous

I asked for permission and got it from a sales person. Was I suppose to chase down some owner at a golf course to get more approval.

With proper policy and procedures and training none of this would have happened.

Tesla trolls are real

 

[Zaxxon]

Tesla trolls are real

Oh, indeed.

 

[redgt]

Oh, indeed.

sure but there are also trolls who drive tesla's

 

[HankLloydRight]

Common sense would say that if the dealer knows they have the potential to sell many cars to this family business why not heavily discount one truck to sell them 10 more later. Of course other dealers will be shopped for comparison.

Hell no. It's the other way around. No car dealer is going to give you a heavy discount on a truck up-front with the loose promise of "oh, yeah, I'll be buying 10 more here in the future". No, the way it works is once you've already bought 10 trucks there, they might, might, give you a discount on the 11th. Or he'll say 'ok, buy 11 trucks right now, and I can make a great deal on all of them.'

 

[LN1_Casey]

I have had a couple of dealers refuse to allow me to charge my Model S (I always ask) and happily allow me to charge my Leaf.

Maybe because they know the leaf needs it.

*ba dum tish!*

;-D

 

[realvvk]

Maybe because they know the leaf needs it.

*ba dum tish!*

;-D

Oh, I needed it, no question

 

[Battmobile]

Hell no. It's the other way around. No car dealer is going to give you a heavy discount on a truck up-front with the loose promise of "oh, yeah, I'll be buying 10 more here in the future". No, the way it works is once you've already bought 10 trucks there, they might, might, give you a discount on the 11th. Or he'll say 'ok, buy 11 trucks right now, and I can make a great deal on all of them.'

Hell no is right, they don't discount anything. I called this morning to check and spoke with manager. They told me I had to get a punch card and only have two punches so far. After the 10th punch I get a free ice cream from Baskin Robbins. We are talking about icecream right?

 

[EVDRVN]

I asked for permission and got it from a sales person. Was I suppose to chase down some owner at a golf course to get more approval.

With proper policy and procedures and training none of this would have happened.

Tesla trolls are real

Here is what you wrote:

"I told the salesperson that sold my mother two $80k trucks I just wanted to use the restroom and charge my car."

Perhaps you were not clear in this post which was very clear on details like the building age and your shopping history but it was clear that you "told" the salesperson "what you wanted to do". So where did you ask and when did he say it was ok? That detail seems to be missing and it also is key to the issue at hand.

Also you said: "I quickly realized the tiny building looked liked it was built in the 1920's to sell Model T cars and had zero cars or space inside the showroom."

Seems you have never been there based on this comment but you recognized the sales person that sold your parents cars before?

Perhaps I'm missing something but the descriptions of the events seem odd. I don't think the guy should have touched your car however.

 

[Ostrichsak]

I already said earlier. My family bought two trucks from this dealer and many more from another. Why would I pick a fight with my best chance at getting a discounted truck. That would be pretty stupid. My goal is to find a new truck by July.

And I asked for permission to charge for the millionth time and it was OK by the salesperson until the owner showed up to my car.

Obviously my car was clean I was visiting mom. And shes now open to installing a charger at her house after what happened at the dealer. Not before.

You said it yourself. He was the OWNER and he doesn't have to obey what one of his employees said to you. It's HIS charger and if he doesn't want you to charge you don't charge. It's as simple as that. You're making this something it's not and giving Tesla owners everywhere a bad name as a result.

Should he have been more polite? Maybe. Seems like it would have been "better for business" but neither he nor us knows if you're buying a truck so did he really run off a customer? Nobody knows. I also bet he doesn't care either or he would have been more professional. I also seriously doubt you were humble and polite because I don't see this story unfolding the way you've laid it out for us. This is but one side of the story and we all know how the saying goes.

Just because a salesperson says you can have a F350 for free doesn't mean the owner has to be alright with that arrangement and anyone who ranks above the salesperson has absolute authority to veto any agreement you've made.

You said it yourself, you didn't NEED to charge. So don't. Move on. Thank him for the few pennies of juice you already got and be on your way.

The problem now is that for the rest of us if anybody actually NEEDS the juice to get somewhere that's one place we as Tesla owners can no longer go for help. Thanks. /sarcasm

 

[Battmobile]

All jokes aside its clear there is material to open the debate about this issue. Which is the whole point of this thread as I'm not looking for sympathy.

On one side you have people that think if a Nissan leaf can charge at non-Nissan dealers like Ford without harassment so can Tesla.

You also have Tesla selling chademo adapters to charge for free at Nissan dealers.

You also have a few people saying you shouldn't even think about charging at dealer level 2 chargers unless its a absolute emergency and you have to get on your hands and knees and @#(& ^#^* and get special approval from owner of dealer. Sales guys don't count.

My opinion is that until a manufacture like Ford builds electric cars they will continue to feel uncomfortable with Teslas parked there.

For the amount of money $$$$$$$ it takes advertising hundreds of thousands a year in advertising (Tv ads Etc) it would seem to me a few pennies worth of electricity is worth getting someone to visit your showroom and check out your new cars.

I've seen a view used Teslas used car lots like Ford and other dealers. Peoples needs change so they could go back to a ICE car.

The big problem I believe is that they need to stop installing these chargers dead smack in the middle and front of the showroom. I've only visited two dealer chargers before my episode at Ford. Audi had there charger close to service. And I though the new Audi interior was pretty nice. Second dealer I actually bought a new Jeep Wranlger JL for my wife at a small town remote dealer. And again the guys at Chrysler let me charger close to the service center.

The last thing these dealers should want is for someone to park at Model X with falcon wing doors open giving tours to every walking into the showroom.

 

[Battmobile]

Here is what you wrote:

"I told the salesperson that sold my mother two $80k trucks I just wanted to use the restroom and charge my car."

Perhaps you were not clear in this post which was very clear on details like the building age and your shopping history but it was clear that you "told" the salesperson "what you wanted to do". So where did you ask and when did he say it was ok? That detail seems to be missing and it also is key to the issue at hand.

Also you said: "I quickly realized the tiny building looked liked it was built in the 1920's to sell Model T cars and had zero cars or space inside the showroom."

Seems you have never been there based on this comment but you recognized the sales person that sold your parents cars before?

Perhaps I'm missing something but the descriptions of the events seem odd. I don't think the guy should have touched your car however.

Sales guy was supper nice and said yes to charging. He then proceeded to almost walking me almost completely back to the restroom. I felt guilty asking the guy to go look at cars in the hot son. Didn't want to offend them and on what I was really thinking putting them down compared to a larger dealer.