23 months after we first posted her story, Angela Weigold writes in with the latest update about a Prius salesmen who left multiple harassing phone messages daily, calling Anela a “whore” and put her phone number on online escort websites.
cars
By 7.2.08
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Anyone got $15 billion laying around? Merrill Lynch says GM needs it. Bad. [Reuters]
Car Sales Plummet: Automakers Just Don't Make The Cars You Want
By 7.1.08
CNNMoney says that consumers are avoiding gas guzzling SUVs and buying… nothing! whaddayaknow.
By 7.1.08
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A Consumer Reports study finds that 79% of consumers surveyed say they plan on buying a car with better fuel economy. [Consumer Reports]
Buy Super-Cheap Costco Gas Without Costco Membership
By 6.28.08
Costco sells gas for $0.10-0.15 less per gallon than retail stations, but only to members who pay annual dues. Blueprint For Financial Prosperity claims to have found a way for non-members to access the bargain gas…
By 6.25.08
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In an effort to spur sales, General Motors is offering no-interest, six-year loans on new vehicle purchases through June 30th. Unfortunately, only the slow-selling models (i.e., not very fuel efficient) are included in the sale. Oh, also they’re raising prices on 2009 models. [New York Times]
Honda Rolls Out Hydrogen-Powered Fuel Cell Car
By 6.24.08
Honda’s FCX Clarity rolled off their Japanese assembly line last week and arrived in California where some Hollywood big shots were eager to get their hands on the new “zero-emission” car that runs on hydrogen and electricity. According to CNN Money, the car emits only water and none of the gases which are thought to contribute to global warming. A few dozen cars will be leased to certain individuals this year and some will be available to the general public on a very limited scale in early 2009. Details, inside…
IRS Increases Business Mileage Deductible From 50.5 To 58.5 Cents
By 6.23.08
To help ease the pain of higher gas costs, starting July 1st the IRS will increase the allowable business deductible for business vehicles from 50.5 to 58.5 cents per mile. The IRS is also going to raise the rate for calculating computing deductible medical or moving expenses from 19 cents to 27 cents a mile, also starting July 1st. The rate for charity services, requiring an act of law to change it, remains at 14 cents per mile. If you’ve been meaning to claim business mileage deductions, July 1st will be a great time to begin. Here’s info on how to get started.
Beware The "MPG Illusion" When Comparing Fuel Efficiency
By 6.20.08
Sure, switching from a gas guzzler to a highly efficient (and probably much smaller) car is best for the environment, but it’s not a realistic solution for large families or people who can’t afford it. But don’t let the fact that you can’t buy a 40 mpg car turn you off of a trade up in efficiency anyway. A couple of economists have pointed out that “using ‘miles per gallon’ as a measure of fuel efficiency leads people to undervalue the benefits of replacing the most inefficient automobiles.” Their point: if you’re driving a gas guzzler, even a small improvement in fuel efficiency can generate significant savings.
Who Is $4 Gas Hurting? Starbucks!
By 6.19.08
A survey by Kelley Blue Book says that new car shoppers are giving up Starbucks to help offset the cost of $4 gas. Sorry, big green mermaid lady! The KBB study results reveal that 28 percent of new-car shoppers have stopped going to Starbucks or other coffee houses entirely, and 21 percent indicate they are going less often due to skyrocketing gas prices.
What Goes Into The Price Of Gas?
By 6.16.08
When you fill up at the pump, how much of the wallet you’re emptying goes towards the actual gas, and how much goes towards other stuff? Blogger FiveCentNickel crunched the Department of Energy numbers:
This BMW Dealership Doesn't Handle Criticism Well
By 6.14.08
David had a pretty bad experience when he purchased his Mini Cooper from Brecht MINI/BMW in Escondidio, California last year: “Salesman Luis blatantly lied to me about the car’s future routine service requirements,” their employees wouldn’t help him schedule that service, and “they were completely unresponsive when I mentioned these problems to Brian, the service department representative.” When a MINI USA customer service rep called him for a follow-up review last week, he was honest about the level of service he received. That didn’t sit well with Brian over at Brecht, who left David a terse, oddly worded voicemail a few days later.
Gas Thieves Are Drilling Into Vehicle Tanks
By 6.11.08
Perhaps you thought an old-fashioned siphon was the only way to steal gasoline from a vehicle, but thieves have other ways of accessing your gas tank. Heidi Perkins of Waxahachie, TX. spent $90 filling up her Dodge pickup. Yet, only a few days later her gauge was reading below empty, according to the Star-Telegram. She went to the gas station to refill and noticed the gasoline escaping from a freshly drilled hole in her gas tank. More, inside…
Sears Auto Sucks As Hard As Sears Repair
By 6.10.08
While Sears Auto may not be the division of Sears that leaves you without hot water for three weeks, or refuses to refund the money on the TV they never delivered, they are the division that magnificently screws up changing a tire then tries to bill you for the labor it took them to fix their mistake. Reader R writes in to tell us when he needed to replace a damaged tire, Sears Auto had the cheapest price. After three hours and two different tires, he left Sears Auto with the damaged tire he drove in with. Sears botched the first attempt at a tire change by giving him a tire in the wrong size, then presented him with a bill for the additional labor it took them to get it right. When R balked at paying to fix their mistake, the manager on duty put the busted tire back on the car. Classy! Read his story, inside.
Hybrids Better Values than Other Car Options
By 6.10.08
The conventional wisdom around hybrid cars has been that they will save a significant amount on gas costs during their lifetimes and are better for the environment, but that those benefits come at a cost — a higher initial price that makes a hybrid an overall more expensive option for transportation. But Yahoo Green has an analysis showing this is not the case when all of the various economic factors surrounding a car purchase are considered. In fact, it turns out that buying a hybrid is a better financial move than purchasing a comparable non-hybrid car because of the following reasons:
Advantage Rent-A-Car Says 49 Hours In Shop Equals 22 Days
By 6.9.08
Paul is being cheated by Advantage Rent-A-Car in one of the most transparent, odious scams we’ve seen a rental car company try to pull. After a thief damaged his rental on a recent trip, Advantage says because the car was in the shop for 49 hours, he owes them 22 days worth of rent. “I asked how they got that number and they said they use a 4 hour work day, which is laughable! Even with that it would only be 12 days. Even if you are generous and give them 2 weekends it only gets to 16!”
Castle Toyota Rescinds Scholarships After Students Decide To Mourn Their Dead Teacher Instead Of Staging A Commercial
By 6.8.08
Poor Howard Castleman. All he wanted was a little PR for his car dealership. Castleman planned to give four scholarships to students at Patterson High School in Baltimore, but instead of honoring Castleman’s charity by inviting the media and displaying his dealership’s banner at the senior’s farewell ceremony, the school instead decided to honor a long-time teacher who recently died of a heart attack…
