My dealership is playing this game also. Ordered 11/2021 and they’re saying the msrp went up. I mentioned price protection and they have no answers for it. Just, “are you willing to pay the new msrp? If not we can sell it to someone else”. This all after I get a build date.
My understanding is Ford will credit the dealer back for the difference between the built sticker price and the price you ordered at. If they sell it to another individual, a person that didn't order at the reduced price, there is no credit coming from Ford to the dealer. If this is correct, there is no reason for them not to credit you the difference. They don't get to keep the difference unless you buy the truck at sticker price. Explain that to them. Can they sell it at sticker to someone else? Of coarse they can. But they won't make any more profit than selling it to you at the price when you placed the order.
When my truck came in, my salesman called to let me know it had arrived. I asked him if I was locked in on the ordered price. He said no it was the new sticker price. I told him we would chat later when I came to see the truck. When I got there he had spoke to his boss, or the guy that does all the ordering, and they said I would only be charged the price when I ordered. So my salesman didn't know how it worked but sorted it out for me.