Consumerist
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cars
Need A New Car? Consider A Saturn
The Washington Post notes that although Saturn dealerships have until this time next year to close, many will be saying goodbye sooner due to low inventory, and that's partly why now is a good time to buy a Saturn. That is, if you don't plan on reselling it in a couple of years. More » -
dirty tricks
New Jersey Dealership Goes Under, Leaves Customers Without Titles To Their Cars
When Patrick Dunn's auto dealership in New Jersey went out of business a few months ago, something weird happened to "40 or 50" customers who had bought cars from him, writes Bob Braun at NJ.com. The company Dunn had taken out business loans with, Automotive Finance Corporation (AFC), went to Arkansas and asked for reposession of the cars in New Jersey. The Arkansas department of motor vehicles assumed AFC meant for unsold cars on the lot, so they granted the request—and now AFC says it owns titles to cars that people are already driving and paying for. More » -
cars
Was Your Cash For Clunkers Deal Rejected After Being Approved?
Edmunds.com, the car info website, is asking people who participated in the short-lived Cash for Clunkers program to contact them if something went wrong. Although they can't fix any problems, they're trying to collect data on consumers who are being asked to pay back the government rebate after already being approved, which was forbidden under the rules of the program, so they can present the data to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More » -
stunts
Buy A Car, Get A Free AK-47
Want a new car, but also want an AK-47? Head to Max Motors in Butler, Missouri, where with any new car purchase you'll receive a voucher good for $450 to spend at a local gun shop. It doesn't have to be an AK-47, but you don't have to be a red-blooded man either, you big city sissy.
The logo at Mark Muller's dealership is... an old west caricature pointing two pistols at those who pass by. He said it's a nod to what he calls "big city" ways. "We really are different than the big city dealers."
"Car Dealer Gives AK-47 With Purchase" [KCTV Kansas City] (Thanks to Dooley!)
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insurance
Customer Drops Off Car At Dealership For Repairs, Gets Tires And Wheels Stolen Instead
Before you drop off your car at your local dealership for any sort of repairs, make sure you're clear on the chain of liability should anything happen to it—especially right now, when dealerships can barely afford those flappy air things, much less tires. A woman in Charlotte, NC was left with around $1,000 in damages when the tires and wheels were stolen from the 2005 Audi she'd left with the dealership over the weekend. More » -
gm
Chrysler/GM Car Glut: Savings Opp Or Nightmare?
To add insult to injury, Chrysler and GM will NOT be buying back vehicle inventory from dealerships that recently received closing notices. Maybe we have two new candidates for Worst Company in America next year! On the other hand, maybe this is good news for consumers. Large inventories + need for quick cash = SALE! More » -
auto bailout
GM To Close Up To 1200 Dealers
The automotive bloodbath continues today as GM plans to eliminate up to 1,200 dealerships. The dealers could start getting notification as soon as Friday. More » -
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bankruptcy
Chrysler Will Close One Fourth Of Its Dealerships Next Month
Chrysler notified its dealers today that it will close 789 of its 3,189 dealerships on June 9th. The National Automobile Dealers Association estimates that about 38,000 jobs will be lost as a result.
More »Mark Calisi, 47, who owns Eagle Auto-Mall in Riverhead, New York, says he was "devastated" to learn that his dealership would be closed. He said Chrysler accounts for a third of his business, which also sells Volvo, Mazda and Kia, and that on Thursday he had to sack 30 of his 100 employees.
"I can't even give severance because Chrysler's not taking back my parts," he said.
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us fidelis
Car Warranty Racket Exposed On Today Show
The Today show recently aired a terrifically entertaining exposé of US Fidelis, one of the biggest companies behind the auto warranty racket that you've probably encountered via junk mail, telemarketing, or even on TV. They start by looking at an individual who spent $3,180 on one of their auto warranties only to be left stranded when her car overheated and they refused to pay. More » -
auto
Where Did The Cars Go? Manufacturers Are Confiscating Cars From Dealerships
Here's a weird symptom of the disease that's killing the auto industry — empty car dealerships, some of which are still open for business. More » -
followups
Vincent To Get Car He Wants
Yesterday we brought you the story of Vincent who got "gold misted" at a Chevy dealership. After his story went up he learned that his brother-in-law's cousin works at a Chevy dealership and will get him the car he wanted. "Life is good :-)" announced Vincent.
PREVIOUSLY: Chevy Takes Time Away From Failing To Try To Rip Off Customer
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curry chevrolet
Chevy Takes Time Away From Failing To Try To Rip Off Customer
UPDATE: Vincent To Get Car He Wants
The key phrase in Vincent's story of how he didn't buy a car from Curry Chevrolet is "gold mist." That's the color of the car the dealership tried to get him to buy against his will even though he was promised blue, and a euphemism for what else they tried to do to him in the sale process, including adding someone else's car to his insurance policy! His full story is over at his blog, but really, with the amount of trouble these guys are in, it's amazing they're still trying to pull the same sneaky tricks instead of bending over backwards to please customers and move cars off their lots.
Do Not Buy a Car From Curry Chevrolet in Scarsdale [Insignificant Thoughts] (Photo: afagen)
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jeep
Jeep Incapable Of Selling To Man With $24,000 In Cash
It's amazing the hassle Bruce went through trying to buy a Jeep with $24,000 cash. Even though he's ready to buy the car outright, the car salesman almost convinces him to finance because that way you get $1,500 back. Total cost of the loan: $31,732...they wanted him to spend an extra $7,132 to "save" $1500. Luckily his mom steps in and saves him from getting taken for a ride. His journey doesn't stop there, nor does it end with a successful Jeep purchase. They can't even sell a car to a guy who shows up with cash in hand ready to buy... no wonder they needed a bailout. Full story inside... More »
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customer service
How Can I Write Great Complaint Letters?
Nancy asks, "I’m preparing to send a letter to Nissan’s customer service about a horrific experience I had at my local dealership. Do you have any pointers about tone or what specifically to include so that I know my letter will be taken seriously?" Great question! More » -
dealerships
Zombie Trade-Ins! When The Dealership Goes Under, Your Old Cars Come Back To Haunt You
Meet Christine O'Kelly. She just bought a new Kia and traded in her old car. Kia of La Quinta, California sold her a new Sorento and offered her $4,000 for her trade-in. They then took the other $4,000 she owed on her old car and rolled it into the new loan. That was in October. Now she's getting calls from former employees of the now out-of-business dealership — telling her that she is still responsible for the trade-in and had better come pick it up. More » -
cars
Expensive Cars Are Cheap Right Now
Consumer Reports analyzed late-summer car deals and the results are none too surprising. The biggest incentives are on gas-gourgers and big vehicles, the cars no one wants right now. More » -
general motors
Maybe GM Can't Sell Cars Because Its Dealerships Won't Sell Them
Consumerist reader Chris decided to take advantage of GM's please-buy-a-car Employee Discount sale that we wrote about yesterday, so he headed off to two different dealerships in the NY/NJ area. What he found were deserted showrooms with salesmen who ignored him or argued with him over the existence of specific models he'd looked at online. He adds, "tonight I’m off to Toyota for some hard numbers on a Corolla and Camry." More »
dealerships
Know your financial obligations: Though you let your car get voluntarily repossessed, you're still responsible for the unpaid balance on the loan, plus any storage and transportation fees, plus interest charges. [
New York, 9:00 AM
Sun Nov 22
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