Lincoln Dealers Protesting Dealership Upgrades, Demand To See Future Product First
While Ford is demanding that Lincoln dealers invest millions in renovating their showrooms, franchise holders are balking at Ford’s demands until they see the upcoming product that Ford claims is in the pipeline for its luxury brand.
Ford has asked dealers for the million dollar upgrades despite claims that all-new product won’t be available for another two years. Dealers are understandably reluctant to invest in their showrooms with limited knowledge of the upcoming product. Ford has threatened to withhold rebate money if dealers do not comply with the new upgrades.
Other profitable franchises are complaining about the platry buyout settlements Ford is offering, with many saying that the buyout packages are extremely undervalued relative to the revenue generated by the franchises.
[Source: Automotive News]
More by Derek Kreindler
Comments
Join the conversation
GM outright removed franchise licenses. Ford is underwhelming them to reduce the number. Less bad press this way.