Ford Seeking to Boost Lincoln Uses Discounts Faulted by Dealers
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Ford Motor Co., moving to support its limping Lincoln brand, has begun using a bonus program that car dealers criticize as confusing and unfair.
Such dealer-bonus programs, often called stair-step incentives, involve Ford paying dealers more cash per model as they cross sales thresholds. They are in effect this month in markets such as New York and Washington, D.C., according to memos distributed to dealers. The incentives available are as much as $1,500 per sale.