Nissan is one of the top auto brands in the country, which is nice and all, but the owner of the country’s largest chain of auto dealers gave us a peek under the hood to explain why he doesn’t like the practices that help get it there. Namely, the company gives huge rebates and incentives to dealerships that make their sales goals. [More]
car dealers
Customer Turned Down For Loan, Threatens Kia Dealership With Handgun
By 8.10.15
There are many ways to deal with the situation when you’re turned down for a car loan. You could, for example, try a different dealership, or apply for financing through your own bank or credit union first. We do not recommend the tactic that one man in Kansas took last week, which was to pull out a handgun and threaten Kia dealership employees with it. [More]
Family Spends Evening Trapped Inside Car Dealership, Escapes Using Electric Saw
By 7.20.15
A family in Massachusetts recently had what was arguably one of their most exciting Friday nights out as a family, when they managed to get themselves locked inside the Chevy dealership where they were car-shopping. The employees had locked up for the night, apparently not noticing the family there. They called for help and none arrived, so they borrowed a saw and cut through the lock. [More]
Yes, Those Are Real Cars Poking Out Of This Dumpster
By 1.16.15
Car dealerships are always looking for the next great way to get potential customers to look in their direction and think about maybe buying a shiny new car. They employ balloons, air dancers, signs: anything that might catch the eye of someone driving by. One way to get some attention is to toss some cars in a dumpster. That’s what Pacific Nissan in San Diego did, and the promotion is working out for them. [More]
Michigan Joins List Of Tesla-Hating States; Bans Direct Sales Of Cars
By 10.21.14
Even though only a few dozen Teslas have been sold to people in Michigan, and even though the electric vehicle maker has no storefront display operations in the state, the home of America’s auto industry has decided it needed to pass a law actually banning carmakers from selling automobiles to Michigan consumers without first going through a franchised dealership. [More]
Yet Another Car Dealership Begs For Perfect Survey Scores
By 5.30.14
We aren’t in the car business. We won’t pretend that we know how automakers should run things. However, the evidence shows us that maybe the current system of evaluating dealerships isn’t working out so well. It gives them incentives to lie and falsify data, not to provide good customer service. [More]
Missouri The Latest State To Add Legislation That Would Bar Direct Sales Of Tesla Cars
By 5.9.14
Tesla has its work cut out for it in Missouri, where yesterday legislators followed states like New Jersey and added a nugget into a previous bill going around that would bar the company (or any other carmakers) from selling vehicles directly to consumers in that state. Tesla, of course, isn’t happy about this. [More]
Car Dealers Charge White Customers Less Than Everyone Else, Study Finds
By 1.23.14
Things that are okay for a car dealer to do: charge a buyer seeking financing a different rate based on his or her credit history. Things that are completely not okay for a car dealer to do: charge a buyer seeking financing a different rate based on his or her race. And yet they just keep doing it anyway. [More]
Have A Very Hyundai Christmas, In Late August
By 8.30.13
Maybe they sent out the wrong mailing at the wrong time. Maybe they’re planning way ahead. Or maybe Gabriel’s local Hyundai dealership is putting whatever random crap gets people to open messages from them in the subject lines of their e-mails. In Gabriel’s case, it worked. He opened it. [More]
I Tried Online Car Shopping With TrueCar, Got Same Old Hardball Crap From Dealership
By 7.16.13
The new site TrueCar is a great concept: you can figure out a price for your car and trade-in online, without any of the frustrating negotiations, or even changing out of your pajamas. Reader Alex used the site to get a price for a new Jeep, and his eight hours of trouble began when he and the dealership valued his trade-in differently. [More]
Should I Trade In My Car Or Sell It Myself?
By 7.2.13
When buying a new car, should you trade your old one in or see how much you can get on the open market? The conventional wisdom is that you get more money on your own, but meeting with buyers and doing paperwork is a hassle you may not want to bother with. Also consider the tax advantages in some states if you trade in at the same dealer where you buy your new car. [Consumer Reports] [More]
Why Is Dealership Checking My Credit When I'm Paying In Full?
By 8.14.12
Brad and his wife drove a few hours to a car dealership, planning to pay cash for a new vehicle. Well, not cash exactly: they were putting part of the balance on a credit card (for airline miles or other rewards, we’re guessing) and had a cashier’s check for the rest. The dealer agreed to this deal over e-mail and over the phone. Then, when they reached the dealership, they were handed a credit application to fill out. Wait, why did they need their credit checked when payment in full was sitting right there in their hands? [More]
Who Put A Used Battery In My New Car?
By 6.8.12
Amanda’s car is pretty new: it’s a 2008 Honda Civic. She’s its first and only owner, and a trusted family member performs all maintenance on it. When the battery died recently, a mechanic changed it out for her. What was supposed to be the car’s original battery….wasn’t. It was a reconditioned battery that had clearly served her well for 4 years, but didn’t belong in a factory-fresh car. So how the heck did she end up with a used, refurbished battery instead of the shiny new one that it clearly deserved? [More]
Want To Look At A Car? Dodge Dealership Needs All Of Your Info
By 5.21.12
Allen wanted to look at a new Dodge Charger. Not test-drive it. Just look at it, and maybe check out the interior or sit inside. But the dealership he visited wouldn’t let him even look at the car without taking down his name, address, driver’s license information, and phone number. Annoyed, he left the dealership and did a Google Images search or something instead. [More]
No, Of Course This Car We're Selling Has Never Been In A Severe Accident
By 2.23.12
Last year, Brandon’s car was destroyed in an accident, and he went shopping for a new-to-him vehicle. He found a nice 2008 Honda Civic at a good price with a clean Carfax report. Sweet deal! Now Brandon’s in the market for a new car. At another dealership, he learned that the Civic isn’t worth as much as he had thought as a trade-in, because the vehicle had sustained severe body damage in an accident, then was rebuilt. How did they know this? The now-updated Carfax report, of course. [More]
Is It Time To Get A Cheap Dealer-Financed Car Loan?
By 1.20.11
With banks continuing to stick to high (well, higher) lending standards, and car dealers eager to move inventory, now could be the right time to buy a new car and finance it through the dealer, according to SmartMoney. Rates are as low as zero percent, and . “nothing beats 0%,” says Paul Taylor, of the National Automobile Dealers Association. [More]
Skeezy Car Dealer Is Holding My Deposit Until I Come Back To Talk To Him
By 7.5.10
Don plopped down $500 at a Hyundai dealership with the understanding that he’d get his money back if the sale fell through. He wasn’t happy with the terms of the deal, so he went with another dealership and was assured that he’d get the money back. The dealer still has the deposit and told Dan he’d like him to come in and have a sit-down about why the sale didn’t happen. Dan just wants his $500. [More]
Disgruntled Former Dealership Employee Disables More Than 100 Cars Remotely, Honks Horns
By 3.18.10
Some car dealerships and lenders have equipped cars with devices that disable the ignition or make the horn honk nonstop when payments are late. We wrote about this last year, but didn’t realize that the interface has fantastic potential for pranks. And that’s how a laid-off car dealership employee was allegedly able to disable the ignitions of more than 100 cars purchased from the dealership. Or set off their horns in the middle of the night. [More]
