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marketing
loans
Miss A Payment And Gadget Disables Car
Auto loan lenders are using an annoying beeping box to make sure sub-prime borrowers pay on time. Cars are fitted with a device such as the "On Time" gadget. When the monthly payment gets near due, it starts blinking. On the due date, it starts beeping. If the payment isn't made, then the device prevents the car from starting. After the borrower makes a payment, the lender gives them a code that resets the box and stops the blinking and beeping. Lenders love the device and say it's reduced default rates by 30%. Maybe they should invent something like these for houses.
High-tech gear disables car if borrower misses payment [USAToday] (Thanks to Luis!)
terms and conditions
Merchant Tries To Forbid Chargebacks
A reader wrote in to ask us if we've ever seen anything like the "Chargeback Abuse Policy" that Luxury Car Tuning in Las Vegas includes in their terms—"You agree not to file a credit card or debit card chargeback with regard to any purchase," and if you do anyway, you have to pay any fees that normally the merchant must pay when dealing with a chargeback. The reader wants to know, "Is this allowed by any merchant agreement that you know of? Sounds pretty ridiculous to me. How likely would it be that they could get away with this?" More »
salvage
Mazda To Destroy $100 Million Worth Of Brand New Cars
Two years ago the freighter Cougar Ace nearly sank, spending weeks bobbing at an impossible-looking angle in the North Atlantic. The cargo was eventually saved (you can read about the salvage effort here), but what does one do with cars that have spent weeks at sea? Can you be sure that they weren't damaged? More »
complaints
After the contract was signed, mistakes made by a fibbing Geico agent resulted in Ana's car insurance shooting up over $1,000 a year. No wonder they have a caveman a mascot, their customer service is prehistoric. Here's her story... UPDATE: Commenters point out that GEICO did nothing illegal, this all the usual chain of events in getting insurance. Either the first Geico rep wasn't as upfront as they should have been about how locked in the rates were, or the consumer misunderstood them, but everything else proceeded pretty much as normal. In other news, insurance companies suck.
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Geico Insurance Quote Increases Over $1,000 After Bait And Switch
After the contract was signed, mistakes made by a fibbing Geico agent resulted in Ana's car insurance shooting up over $1,000 a year. No wonder they have a caveman a mascot, their customer service is prehistoric. Here's her story... UPDATE: Commenters point out that GEICO did nothing illegal, this all the usual chain of events in getting insurance. Either the first Geico rep wasn't as upfront as they should have been about how locked in the rates were, or the consumer misunderstood them, but everything else proceeded pretty much as normal. In other news, insurance companies suck.
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polls
The Legend Of The $1.549 Gas
Tony was pumping gas at a Maryland convenience store when he noticed something awesome: the gas, advertised for $3.54, was only $1.54. He then did the right thing and told the store about it. "My friends are ridiculing me for informing the store clerk of the error," writes Tony, "but the way i figure it - I would be complaining if it had been ringing up at $4.54/gallon instead so how would it be any better if i tried to rip them off?" Good point Tony, and good consumering! Though, it sounds like not everyone was honest as Tony. He adds, "By the way, i noticed the place was unusually busy today. I imagine a few people informed their friends who told their friends..." What would you have done? Select your answer from our morality poll inside... More »
followups
Protesting Honda Civic SI Get Transmission TSB
Those Honda Civic SI owners who were holding protests in front of dealerships about the widespread transmission problem (where the 3rd gear kept grinding, popping out and randomly going into neutral), finally have their day. Honda issued a TSB (technical service bulletin) on the issue, so now owners experiencing the problem can go their dealership and get it repaired for free, provided they are still under warranty. It's not quite the recall owners were hoping for, but it's something. Guess Honda has now heard of the problem they previously said they "never heard of before." Must have been all that negative news coverage. Here's links to the TSB (for Honda dealers, for Acura dealers (PDF)) so you can print it out and bring with you. Inside, one of the original newscasts covering the uproar.
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bureaucracy
Florida Judges Tosses Out Thousands Of Bogus Toll Fines
A Florida judge tossed out thousands of Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority and Florida Turnpike Authority toll violation citations for people getting tickets for no apparent reason because their toll transponders malfunctioned. Citizens were subjected to a "bureaucratic morass" when they tried to sort out the bogus tickets, made all the worse because their accounts were on auto-debit. [Orlando Sentinel]
success stories
8 Monthlong Dodge Charger Problem Fixed After Consumerist Post
Whenever Brian drove his Dodge Charger in the rain, all the dash lights flashed and he had trouble restarting his car, but after 8 months of strife, his problem got fixed after his story posted to The Consumerist. The next day after the post went up, Brian got a call from Paul at Danbury Dodge, his dealership. Paul wanted Brian to bring his car in so the Chrysler tech could inspect it. Brian brought in the car during a rainy day, the problems were recreated, and the Chrysler tech diagnosed and fixed the problem in less than four hours. On repeated visits before this, the dealership kept claiming they couldn't recreate the problem. A rep for Chrysler VP TP Lassdora also called Brian up, apologized profusely, and offered five years of free oil changes and extended Brian's service contract. "In the end, I believe that the Consumerist story forced Chrysler to get involved, whereas Danbury Dodge was content to ignore my complaints," writes Brian. "Thank you to the staff and the readers of the Consumerist for motivating Chrysler and Danbury Dodge to fix my car." Inside, the original video showing how Brian's dashboard reacted in the rain.
UPDATE: Brian says the tech said the root problem was frayed and rubbing wires.
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auto repair
Caliber Collision Center Damages Car Brought In For Repair
Sean's car had a blowout over the Easter weekend, and he had it towed to Caliber Collision Center for repair. Three weeks later he "forcefully retrieved" it from their lot—they kept telling him it wasn't drivable due to "very serious suspension damage," but he visited the shop in person on April 11th "to find that their shop gate is wide open, and my vehicle is unlocked." Now there are scratches on the bumper and one of his speakers has a hole in it, and when he called USAA to complain he was told the scratches would constitute a second comprehensive claim within a month and that his premiums will consequently go up.More »
rentals
Save On Car Rentals By Renting After Busy Holidays
Our favorite travel troubleshooter blogger Chris Elliot interviewed a car rental salesperson to reveal six insider tips on how to get the most for your money. We like number 5, rent after a busy holiday.
5. Timing is everything. The largest expense incurred by a car rental company is depreciation. Basically, these companies are leasing all the cars in their fleet. They're charged different rates for different types of cars. "It is very important for car rental companies to have as many cars on the road as possible, as any cars that are sitting are not making money, and are actually costing the company money in depreciation fees." A customer who shows up after a busy holiday weekend can more or less name the price for a rental car. "They should be begging for you to take cars off their lot," he adds.To get a view on what goes on inside the (twisted) mind of some car rental salespeople, check out our "6 Confessions Of An Alamo Car Rental Agent."
6 secrets car rental companies don't want you to know [Elliot]
(Photo: oliliqui)
complaints
It's Been 4 Months, GEICO, Where's My Money?
Jonathan writes:On January 1st, a friend of mine went to visit another friend in CT (I am from NJ), and unfortunately hit black ice, and proceeded into a guardrail. The accident, although at the time did not seem too terrible (even though the front end looked completely shot), and I figured I would be up and driving relatively soon. Little did I know this would not be true at all...
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bad rentals
Zach tried to rent a truck from Budget last month, and not only did he not get the truck, but he didn't get the compensatory gift card they offered by way of apology. In fact, pretty much the only real thing he got from Budget was a $50 fee on his credit card for being a "no show"—even though he arrived at the location a half hour before closing only to find it locked up. Oh, and the location was 150 miles from his home.
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Budget Rents Man A Truck, Then Closes Early And Charges $50 "No Show" Fee
Zach tried to rent a truck from Budget last month, and not only did he not get the truck, but he didn't get the compensatory gift card they offered by way of apology. In fact, pretty much the only real thing he got from Budget was a $50 fee on his credit card for being a "no show"—even though he arrived at the location a half hour before closing only to find it locked up. Oh, and the location was 150 miles from his home.
More »
identity theft
(Thanks to Volksaddict!)
Why Did Advance Auto Still Have Customer Credit Card Numbers On File From 7 Years Ago?
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Advance Auto said a computer hacker may have gotten financial information of up to 56,000 customers at 14 stores in Virginia and seven other states. The Roanoke company said the customers shopped at the 14 stores from December 2001 to December 2004.Why would a company have customer info on file for so long? I found one credit card processor's FAQ which said that the max for chargebacks is 180 days, which is only in the case of when a merchant has violated merchant rules (otherwise it's 120). So Advance Auto was about 2375 days overdue for a records wipe. It's time to start tightening up the lax security standards on the retail level that have created a playground of plunder for identity thieves.
(Thanks to Volksaddict!)
Snapshot of the economy: Small car sales up in March, SUV sales down. Those experiencing the biggest deltas? Toyota Yaris:up 83.2%, Nissan Titan: down 44.9% [Kicking Tires]
complaints
Buick Doesn't Tell Dealerships About Fire Hazard
There are efficient ways to initiate a recall and issue safety notices, and then there's the Buick way. After determining a potential fire hazard in the certain Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Regals, Buick sent out safety notices in advance of a probable recall to its customers. It alerted them of the hazard, and recommend they have a mechanic investigate any suspicious burning smells. What they neglected, however, was to inform their dealerships of the hazard. Reader Tculkin, who had already complained of burning smells to another mechanic, followed the advice in his safety notice and immediately called his local dealership. The dealership had no idea what he was talking about. Literally, they didn't get the memo. Details, inside... More »
shopping
Shopping Strategy Of Millionaires: Buy Used Or High Quality
Ordinarily I find "money tricks of millionaires" lists to be sort of annoying and unhelpful, but this one, found on the Dumb Little Man productivity blog, and based on a book called 'The Millionaire Mind' by Dr. Thomas J. Stanley, is an exception. It offers one bit of practical advice that I think everyone should at least consider. More »
elder abuse
A volunteer in Chicago claims that her client, a 65-year-old woman with dementia, was given a GMAC auto loan for a new 2007 Pontiac, even though she only makes $900 a month and has no driver's license. Now the car has been repossessed and the car lot is saying she owes them nearly $8,000.
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GMAC And Car Dealership Scam Old Lady For Nearly $8,000
A volunteer in Chicago claims that her client, a 65-year-old woman with dementia, was given a GMAC auto loan for a new 2007 Pontiac, even though she only makes $900 a month and has no driver's license. Now the car has been repossessed and the car lot is saying she owes them nearly $8,000.
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