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Ford Refuses To Switch To Direct (Online) Sales Of Its Vehicles
Ford planned to switch to a so-called ‘agency model’ for the sale of new cars, in which the dealers are mainly conduits. Ford is now reportedly abandoning this.
Various car manufacturers want to switch to a sales model where you, as a customer, can buy a car directly from the manufacturer instead of from the dealer. This can be done, for example, through a sales agent, but also online. The dealer is still there to deliver the car, and of course, you can also go there for maintenance. Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz, among others, see a future in this. Ford’s plan to reduce the number of dealers would still hold.
The future for such a sales model looks less and less rosy. Stellantis is still reviewing its plans in this area after IT problems hampered online sales, while Mini encountered similar problems. Jaguar Land Rover, like Ford, would even abandon it altogether. Brands such as Volvo and, as mentioned, Mercedes-Benz are still sticking to their course towards direct sales of new cars, and Tesla, for example, has been no different from the start.
