<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hybrids/" rel="tag">Hybrids/Alternative</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carsumer-advocacy/" rel="tag">Carsumer Advocacy</a></p><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1210992/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2009/05/fordemailhoax_opt.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><strong><small>2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid - </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Click above for high-res gallery</small></strong></em><br /><br />
<div align="left">We imagine the world of corporate PR to be a little bit of pushing your own message and a whole lot of "We need to respond to what?" We can also only imagine how Ford's PR folks felt today when issuing a statement in response to a hoax email that has been making the rounds. <br /><br />When we got an email earlier today from the "Ford Motor Company," we assumed it was the company's latest announcement on whatever. But the subject line, "Ford Motor Company OFFERS: Ford Fusion HYBRID Model 2010", seemed a bit fishy, and when we opened the email, the spamminess was unmistakable. The email claims that, because of the terrible economy, Ford would love to sell you a new <a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/13/abg-first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-43-1-mpg-on-the-street/">Fusion Hybrid</a> for just $15,000, or about half of the vehicles <a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/21/ford-fusion-hybrid-to-start-27-270-39-mpg-city/">$27,270 starting price</a>. The official response (available after the break, along with the spam email text) from Ford is that everyone should just ignore the email. <br /><br />One person who's going to have a hard time ignoring the email is Gary Settles, who is named in the email as Ford Sales Manager for FoMoCo. In reality, Settles is the sales manager for <a href="http://www.paulmillerford.com/dealership/staff.htm">Paul Miller Ford</a> in Lexington, Kentucky. Settles told AutoblogGreen that he has "no earthly clue" how his name got attached to the email, but speculated that it could be somebody local because of some of the wording in the email that matches letters he sends out to people who've purchased cars from him in the past. <br /><br />Oh, and if you're curious, Settles will indeed sell you a Fusion Hybrid, but the models he has available are more in the $30,000 price rage. <br /><br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/">First Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1210992/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1218256/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1218259/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1218264/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1218265/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: Ford, Gary Settles]<br /></div>
</div><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/15/15-000-fusion-hybrid-not-real-ford-issues-warning-on-email-hoa/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ford issues warning on email hoax offering $15k Fusion Hybrid</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/15/15-000-fusion-hybrid-not-real-ford-issues-warning-on-email-hoa/">Ford issues warning on email hoax offering $15k Fusion Hybrid</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 15 May 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/15/15-000-fusion-hybrid-not-real-ford-issues-warning-on-email-hoa/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1547316/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/15/15-000-fusion-hybrid-not-real-ford-issues-warning-on-email-hoa/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div align="center"><em><strong><small>2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid - </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Click above for high-res gallery</small></strong></em><br /><br />
<div align="left">We imagine the world of corporate PR to be a little bit of pushing your own message and a whole lot of "We need to respond to what?" We can also only imagine how Ford's PR folks felt today when issuing a statement in response to a hoax email that has been making the rounds. <br /><br />When we got an email earlier today from the "Ford Motor Company," we assumed it was the company's latest announcement on whatever. But the subject line, "Ford Motor Company OFFERS: Ford Fusion HYBRID Model 2010", seemed a bit fishy, and when we opened the email, the spamminess was unmistakable. The email claims that, because of the terrible economy, Ford would love to sell you a new <a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/13/abg-first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-43-1-mpg-on-the-street/">Fusion Hybrid</a> for just $15,000, or about half of the vehicles <a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/21/ford-fusion-hybrid-to-start-27-270-39-mpg-city/">$27,270 starting price</a>. The official response (available after the break, along with the spam email text) from Ford is that everyone should just ignore the email. <br /><br />One person who's going to have a hard time ignoring the email is Gary Settles, who is named in the email as Ford Sales Manager for FoMoCo. In reality, Settles is the sales manager for <a href="http://www.paulmillerford.com/dealership/staff.htm">Paul Miller Ford</a> in Lexington, Kentucky. Settles told AutoblogGreen that he has "no earthly clue" how his name got attached to the email, but speculated that it could be somebody local because of some of the wording in the email that matches letters he sends out to people who've purchased cars from him in the past. <br /><br />Oh, and if you're curious, Settles will indeed sell you a Fusion Hybrid, but the models he has available are more in the $30,000 price rage. <br /><br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/">First Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1210992/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1218256/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1218259/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1218264/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-4/1218265/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/12/fusionhybridabfd_05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: Ford, Gary Settles]<br /></div>
</div><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/15/15-000-fusion-hybrid-not-real-ford-issues-warning-on-email-hoa/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ford issues warning on email hoax offering $15k Fusion Hybrid</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/15/15-000-fusion-hybrid-not-real-ford-issues-warning-on-email-hoa/">Ford issues warning on email hoax offering $15k Fusion Hybrid</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 15 May 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/15/15-000-fusion-hybrid-not-real-ford-issues-warning-on-email-hoa/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1547316/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/15/15-000-fusion-hybrid-not-real-ford-issues-warning-on-email-hoa/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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