If you really want something, you can guarantee that scalpers are after it, with the goal of selling it to you at an outrageous markup. It’s become quite a problem in recent years, with scalpers buying up things like PS5s, sneakers, concert tickets and even an overpriced whistle shaped a bit like a Cybertruck.
Apparently, it could even happen to electric cars. So much so that Ford has put measures in place to ensure people don’t try and scalp the upcoming F-150 Lightning pickup truck. In short, if you have a F-150 Lighting, you may not be able to sell it for an entire year.
News of this move came from the F-150 Gen 14 forum, with Ford sending a notice to dealers supporting “no resale” clauses. That means dealerships can, if they want to opt-in, ask F-150 Lighting buyers to sign something that prevents them from selling the car for one whole year.
A Ford spokesperson confirmed this to Roadshow, but confirmed this decision will be entirely between dealers and their customers. It will also be up to the dealer to check with local and state laws to ensure requiring a signed no resale agreement is legal.
This is not a new concept, however. A lot of highly anticipated vehicles, particularly supercars, have been subject to no resale agreements in the past. Ford itself did a similar thing with the Ford GT, and sued John Cena for violating a two-year no resale agreement in 2017. The actor/wrestler reportedly sold the car for a hefty profit within a month of purchasing it.
The Ford F-150 Lighting has proven to be incredibly popular, which is no surprise seeing as how Ford’s F series has long been the best selling vehicle in the United States. Ford even had to shut down its reservation page, after 200,000 people signed up to purchase the electric truck.
Ford says that its full production capacity is arounds 70,000 to 80,000 units per year. Ford has already promised to double its F-150 Lightning production capacity by next year, but for now it means some reservations won’t be filled for some time.
With the electric truck market starting to heat up, with the likes of the Rivian R1t and GMC Hummer EV already out on the road, it’s no surprise Ford wants its EVs going to people who aren’t trying to make a quick buck.
On a related note, Ford is also taking action against a “limited number” of dealers that have allegedly violated sales and service agreements. According to the automaker, these dealers have been making customers pay additional deposits and payments for the F-150 Lightning.
It’s not clear what those payments were, but Ford claims it negatively affects its own reputation as well as that of other dealers. Any dealers caught doing this will lose their F-150 Lightning allocation for the rest of the year. Considering its existing popularity, that would be a huge blow. Hopefully that will bring some of the sketchier dealers back in line.
