GM BuyPower - your comments welcome

isellpotiac · January 2002

I can't say that I do remember speaking to you. I had tons of people looking for that type of stuff. The Buick store has thier own GMBuypower manager so I would be stepping on toes. If you have any problems feel free to e-mail me at pontiacsales@burdickcars.com joe

cyberfire12 · January 2002

I bought my wife's Century from an OK guy at the Taft Rd. store, He's low pressure and won't try to game you (not too much, anyway LOL!) Email for the name if interested-cyberfire12@classicrock.com

PAman · February 2002

Recently, I saw a new 2001 Olds Bravada advertised on ebay (of all places) for sale here in central Texas. I wanted to know more about the Bravada, since I drove one recently from LA to SF and liked it very much.

Here's the punch line--GM BUYPOWER DOESN'T LIST A 2001 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA!! I e-mailed them and asked whats up. Their response--this gets funnier and funnier--was that Oldsmobile didn't make the Bravada for 2001, but it would return as a 2002! I sent them the VIN for the one for sale, as well as the VINs for three USED 2001 Bravadas for sale on THEIR certified GM used car site, and asked, are you SURE? Their answer? "Perhaps you should go to Oldsmobile.com for your answer." Hilarious! When you go to Oldsmobile.com and click on the ready-to-buy button, guess where they send you?!? TO THE GM BUYPOWER SITE!!

By the way, if you want to see for yourself, go to the web site, and try to get information about building or buying a 2001 Oldsmobile Bravada. As of five minutes ago, the 2001 Bravada STILL doesn't exist on their web site!

Where's Rod Serling when you need him?

PAman · February 2002

According to the Buypower web site, there are NO 2003 Cadillac CTS sedans in the San Antonio, Austin, or Houston area.

Isn't this the same car that Cadillac spent several million dollars advertising on the Super Bowl, telling us that they are now available?

Oh well, maybe they are on the same storage lot as the 2001 Bravadas.

threnners · March 2002

I requested a quote on a 2001 Sunfire - it took 3 days to get a response back from the dealer.

"We no longer have this car on the lot but we can order you one"

Thanks but no thanks. (We decided to keep our current car anyway.)

usaf52 · March 2002

I don't think that GM Buypower shows the entire inventory in any given area. I searched for a 2002 Buick Century in graphite and came up with two in a large area by inputting various zip codes. The dealer came up with a pack of them in the same area. Evidently the
access we consumers have is limited, and the dealers have more info.
Also, that best price baloney is way off target. A dealer gave me a "best price" which was 600 bucks higher than two dealers gave me when I visited their lots in person.

prodocs · April 2002

Read thru all the posted messages...didn't find a single one that mirrored my experience. Tried to request a "best price" and always get an error message (like server doesn't understand command, or something like that). I've tried on my Mac G3/Netscape, an NT/Internet Explorer, and a UNIX box/Netscape. They all give me the same problem. I've tried this several times over several days, same result. I can't believe that ANYBODY even gets thru to the site.

I'm about to swallow hard and actually go face-to-face it with a live salesman (arrgh!).

mfullmer · February 2003

I used GM BuyPower for my 3rd vehicle lease a few weeks ago. I am befuddled at how archaic it is in comparison to others. I was tempted into looking at the new Expedition while searching for my new Tahoe.

Fords website is hands-down the winner there. When you "build" a vehicle and then search for it, it actually brings up vehicles like you are looking for, then gives vehicles that were close and even red flags the differences. Great thinking.

I hate having to look at each Monroney that looks like it may be around the MSRP of what I'm looking for. It's not very intuitive.

mfullmer · February 2003

Someone needs to be fired for putting their "payment estimator" together. What a piece of junk.

Example: I was trying to estimate my payment on the lease of a Tahoe LT with an MSRP of $45,030 and a purchase price of $40,507.

No way to do it!!!!!!!!!

It won't let you change the MSRP so it had the MSRP as a base LT ($38,xxx). Of course the depreciation on that amount and the price that I was going to pay was much different than actual.

Poor GM. Us loyals keep coming back but they need some real brains over there.

tk865 · February 2003

I used it to look for a truck for my dad. I set up 2 hotmail accounts the same day. Both had the same privacy settings. I used account "B" to register for a few things for me - edmunds, and a few other discussion boards. Account "B" has a fairly exposed email address. Account "A" was ONLY given to GM buypower. (and, through them, I assume some dealers). As of checking my accounts today for the first time in a few weeks, account "A" had 130 messages for porn, personal enlargement, credit cards, etc. (Mostly porn). Account "B" had one unsolicited credit card. That alone would keep me from ever using buypower again, I'm only glad I had the foresight to create a special account. I would have hated to have to delete my paid account through my ISP. If GM needs to make a buck so bad they need to sell my address to porn companies, maybe they should look to their products. My father, a die-hard Chevy man for 30+ years, will now be buying a Dodge. (due to lack of 5-speed V8 in something besides a reg cab, not due to the porn spam)

pluto5 · February 2003

IMO you should complain to Hotmail about the spam, not GM. I've used GM sites for yrs without getting any porn. As far as the trans issue, I would advise older people to buy an automatic in case someone else has to drive the car. I had to drive a friends F150 home with 4 speed when they took him to hospital since nobody else in his family could drive it. A real problem if he is very far from home. Also, GM makes great auto trans.......just my opinion.

tboner · February 2003

GM makes great auto trans.......just my opinion.

Uhhh, not in my experience. My wifes 91 Sunbird broke the input shaft on that unit, and it was driven by the 2.0L OHC engine. Mileage on the car was about 72K when we got rid of it, (one transmission and two headgaskets later)

My 87 LeSabre lunched it's tranny at 91K miles after religous service on the tranny every 30K miles.

Nope, give me a manual every time.

Back to your topic.

TB

pluto5 · February 2003

Sorry to hear about your experience, notice I used the present, not the past tense. I also had a series 200 GM transmission like your Sunbird but in a larger sedan that was less than perfect but it only required a minor repair whereas the DC product had to be replaced twice.

Back to the topic, my experience with GM buypower is that it's just a way for GM to advertise; if you want the best price you have to visit dealers and make them offers.

mikesurf · March 2003

Been looking at the Buick Rendezvous, in person
and via GM Buypower...true as noted above it wont
let you build and have system search for the car
you want....but I think it's a great help to avoid
DRIVING to each dealership. And, don't be silly
about phoning for inventory...some sales guys will
say anything to get you into the store. I have
found the buypower site to be acccurate with
inventory.
The big "But", pardon the expression, is that
some archaic dealers are not on it. There is one
dealer here in Orange County Cal next to a huge
senior citizen's project who is not on it, prob
figuring that the geriatric set is not into com-
puters. So, even if the inventory is accurate,
you may miss some dealers. Similarly, some stores
just will not acknowledge your request for a quote
Bet these are the slimy stores who will take 4
hours to make the deal and then be slippery in the
F&I Room.
I shopped Buick Rendezvous via 2 buy power
quote requests...a San Diego store ignored me, the
Long Beach store not only gave me a price quote
but answered my ? about lease rate/money factor.
And, the quote price as xlnt...met the net guy
too and he was great. He didn't have exact unit
I want (dont want 3rd seat), and instead I've
decided to go to Hawaii for 6 months...but buypwr
was great with the right dealer!

sonjaab · March 2003

I was told that GM dealers have to PAY and have a
trained Buypower person in order to be on it.
One of the larger dealers near me wasn't on buypower untill recently...............

bobw92 · March 2003

This past summer, I was looking for a new 2002 Suburban. Using Chevy's website, I could search the window stickers for the trim line and color I wanted. The two dealerships near me each had a Suburban in the color/options I wanted, so I used Buypower to request quotes from each dealer.

In 48 hours both responded. The closest dealer's price was invoice. The Buypower person was the sales manager. The second dealer was $500 above invoice. Their Buypower person was the Internet Manager.

I called the invoice dealer to confirm there were no "catches" (there wasn't), so I went down the next day to buy the vehicle. Since there was no further negotiations needed (he did throw in a free oil change), the paperwork and prep time took about 1.5 hours and away I went in my new truck!! Invoice minus the rebate ($2000 at the time) was quite reasonable to me. What could be easier? I'd use Buypower again without hesitation.

Bob

mfullmer · March 2003

I used GMBuyPower to get my Tahoe in January also and, I agree, it is a useful tool and saved me a lot of time.

My main point was that Ford's version (Ok, I admit it, I was actually thinking of an Expedition until my sanity took hold) is much better.

I liked that on Ford's, it would bring up a list that compared them to the one I had "built". It would then note the differences, where applicable. The GM site is just so time consuming since you have to actually look at the sticker to see how it compares.

muffin_man · March 2005

I had a great experience with GM Buypower when buying my Aveo, I was in and out of the dealership in 2 hours, with $3000+ off sticker to boot.

The big problem I have with the service is the way the search works. Searching one dealership at a time for one specific model? Very slow! If I search for a car, I should be able to choose how specific my search is, and define a searchable radius of dealerships.

And I would also like if dealerships would post sale prices on the site rather than automatic sticker, but that's just wishful thinking.

mc7077 · December 2006

I've read some praises of the 1st generation Monte Carlos of the 1970's...and like these people, I love them too. I also love the bigger 2nd generation Monte Carlos of which I own 2 of them..a 1974 and a 1976 model. To GM: Why is it you can't learn from companies like Daimler-Chrysler and Ford when they will bring back a very pleasing car design of the past and incorporate modern technology into it. Like the Challenger that is suppose to come out in a few years or so..looks outwardly just like the early 70's version and has plenty of go power and a manual transmission to go with it!! Fords retro styling of the Mustang is beautiful too. Why will GM and Chevrolet not listen and learn from these people??? I've heard the 'so-called Monte Carlo' of today is on the chopping block for another year. To me, there hasn't been a 'real Monte Carlo' since 1988...Monte Carlos are only!! V-8 powered, rear wheel drive cars!! Thet are not supercharged V-6's with automatic O/D transmissions that are basically run of the mill GM junk..cookie cutter cars for the masses and with a brilliant paint job...No No No..Hey GM..How about looking at building a 1971 Monte Carlo for the consumer nowadays and incorporate modern technology into it...I bet it would be a good seller!! I know, I know...the damn EPA and full framed, heavy cars are a thing of the past...but look at the behemouth trucks and SUVs out there!!! No, it wouldn't be a gas sipper and the person that is so ignorant to think it would be doesn't need to keep their eyes off of the Honda or Toyota.....GM should look into this suggestion and consider it carefully...either that or throw their arms up in exasperation and give up to the Japanese autos...lets bring back 'real' American automobiles again....why not??? There are already too many dually pickups and large SUVs carrying peoples lazy butts around and not serving their intended purpose!!!

GM BuyPower - your comments welcome

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