Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

abacomike

tyguy said:

I wish we could tag people like they did that bear. Kidding...kinda'. :-)

If the Bears of the world were the dominant specie, tyguy, they would be tagging people.  Wouldn't that be interesting?  A kind of "Planet of the Apes, er, Bears" phenomena. 

Mr_Shiftright

Support your right to arm bears!

snakeweasel

iluvmysephia1 said:

The dog I grew up with had to be euthanized at 12 years old. The loss still affects me at times when I think of the happiness she gave me in my teens. When I got angry at someone or something, she was there. When I cried, she was there. When I was sick or injured, she would never leave my bed. She was a Godsend!

abacomike - I sure appreciate your views on canines. I see that most everyone on Edmunds - us oldtimers on here, feel pretty much the same way. My wife and I have had two Pomeranians pass away - one when I was in college in mid-Missouri, and the last one happened at our Willcox, AZ, home in Dec.2009. That Pom, named Rocky, was only 6 pounds and he loved my wife something fierce. That early morning my wife called me on my cellphone early - must've been around 6:30AM - I knew something was up. Rocky (he had a heart murmur and who knows what else was wrong with his little heart) was having trouble breathing. Mrs.iluv didn't even want to leave him on the bed to take a shower she was so concerned about him. I called the other RT at the hospital to come spell me for the day - he was such a big help because he volunteered to help me and take my 12 hour dayshift that morning.

I got home and the Mrs. said "Daddy's home, Rocky!" She handed him to me and I knew he was in bad shape because his little head just smacked in to my stomach. Rocky died right in my arms - the Mrs. said he waited for Daddy to get home. We drove to a vet so they could verify the death but I did that for her - I knew he was dead. I buried him in our backyard in Willcox, AZ. Our first Pom, Abby, died in June of 2004 at the same age- 10 and also of heart troubles.

Now we have the 8 y/o Chow Chow and the soon-ta-be 12 y/o Pomeranian, Cotey, left. Cotey's getting older and he has that Pomeranian affliction of the collapsing trachea to deal with - it makes him cough sort of harshly for a minute or so every several hours. Not much can be done to alleviate it.

They're such dolls - they love us unconditionally - they go nuts when we get home!

My dog (that I posted a picture of) passed away a few years ago. She go attacked by what we think was a coyote and she survived the attack and I took her to the emergency vet. The vet told me that she was in a very bad state and we discussed the need to put her to sleep. So I called my wife and she wanted to say goodbye to Sophie (our dog) so I went home and picked her up and we returned to say our goodbyes. Well as soon as my wife walked in Sophie started to get more peppy and the vet thought that she could make it. He bandaged her up, gave us some medication for her and told us to see her regular vet in the morning.

Her normal vet did an ultrasound and found that the puncture wounds were very deep and she would need to have surgery but due to her advanced age (she was 15 at the time) the vet said she most likely would not survive it. So the second time in less than 24 hours I had to make that difficult decision. Man I loved that dog, she could never be replaced.

jmonroe

abacomike said:

@jmonroe:

JM, there comes a time when there are more important things to do with one's money than buy high-end cars.  I just went into the donut hole with my health insurance company.  That means I pay 50% of the cost of all prescriptions until I pay out of pocket another $4800.  Four of the 12 medicines I take are branded which means a 90 day supply costs $1056.  The others cost me $425 for 90 days.

Insulin costs me another $900 for 90 days.  So since I had the heart attack, it is costing me about $1200 a month just for prescriptions and to see a specialist, $15.00 per visit or another $90 a month. 

Before I spend another dollar on a car, I have to consider my health.  That's why this is the last Mercedes-Benz or any other premium luxury car I will ever buy.

OK Mike, I see where you are coming from now but you still ain't gonna like it.

jmonroe

abacomike

@jmonroe said:

"OK Mike, I see where you are coming from now but you still ain't gonna like it." 

Not like what?  If you mean the Genesis, I don't know yet - I'm not looking to buy a car at this time.

If you mean I won't like ""not" owning a Mercedes-Benz E or CLS, you might be right - but all good things must come to an end when there is another need for loose change - namely health care.

I am 71 years old and I only need transportation for food shopping and to get me to the mall to take my walks.  Other than that, the car sits in my parking space most of the time.  The car is 4 months old and it has 2400 miles on the odometer.  

I need to to learn to be satisfied with less, that's all. 

jmonroe

abacomike said:

@jmonroe:

The Deauville Hotel in the early 1960's was a premium hotel on Miami Beach.  I have seen great shows there.  But, the Doral and the Fountainbleau hotels were the epitome of luxury and show business.  Martin & Lewis performed at the Fountainbleau as did Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Henny Youngman, Don Rickles, Rowan & Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., etc.

I couldn't afford to stay at the Deauville for my honeymoon - that's why we stayed at the Castaways - 30% less per day for the room.

Like I said before, this was our honeymoon. To convince me that I made the right choice, Mrs. j picked up the amount I was short of so we could stay at the Deauville vs. a lesser rated hotel. Never hurts to have a backer.

Do you really think I only married her for her looks.

jmonroe

sda

<I need to to learn to be satisfied with less, that's all.



That is a hard and humbling lesson that I believe most of us need to learn. I know I do.

stickguy

Mike, you don't have to settle for less. Just to keep your fabulous Benz through the bumper to bumper warranty period. so, another 3.5 years before you have to even worry about downgrading!

Then just pick up a 20 YO Merc. GM with 10,000 miles on it for next to nothing from some other geezer!

jmonroe

That is a hard and humbling lesson that I believe most of us need to learn. I know I do.

I'll tell you this, I ain't going to learn any damn thing at my age and that includes living with something less than a Hyundai. C'mon man.

jmonroe

stever

abacomike said:

I need to to learn to be satisfied with less, that's all. 

Less is more.

More or less.

abacomike

stickguy said:

Mike, you don't have to settle for less. Just to keep your fabulous Benz through the bumper to bumper warranty period. so, another 3.5 years before you have to even worry about downgrading! Then just pick up a 20 YO Merc. GM with 10,000 miles on it for next to nothing from some other geezer!

You are right, as usual, about keeping the CLS through its warranty, not the old tin lizzy, though.  No reason I can't experience what it's like to take my car in for an oil change!  It would be a new experience for me - and I would have something to look forward to!  I feel rejuvenated at the very thought of all these new upcoming experiences! 

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Mike, you don't have to settle for less. Just to keep your fabulous Benz through the bumper to bumper warranty period. so, another 3.5 years before you have to even worry about downgrading!

Then just pick up a 20 YO Merc. GM with 10,000 miles on it for next to nothing from some other geezer!</blockquo

Hey that's my territory! :@

[Deleted User]

abacomike said:

If the Bears of the world were the dominant specie, tyguy, they would be tagging people.  Wouldn't that be interesting?  A kind of "Planet of the Apes, er, Bears" phenomena. 

Mr_Shiftright said:

Support your right to arm bears!

LOL. I was picturing big tags on people's ears that read something like "doesn't play well with others." I thought about that big tracking collar, too, and then I remembered we do actually tag people already in the form of those ankle monitors. I was walking out of work when that thought hit me, and I started laughing out loud. People justifiably think I'm crazy.

abacomike

tyguy said:

If the Bears of the world were the dominant specie, tyguy, they would be tagging people.  Wouldn't that be interesting?  A kind of "Planet of the Apes, er, Bears" phenomena. 

Support your right to arm bears!

LOL. I was picturing big tags on people's ears that read something like "doesn't play well with others." I thought about that big tracking collar, too, and then I remembered we do actually tag people already in the form of those ankle monitors. I was walking out of work when that thought hit me, and I started laughing out loud. People justifiably think I'm crazy.

You are definitely not crazy - I met your wife and daughter and neither of them would admire you as they do if you were odd or mentally challenged!  

[Deleted User]

Thanks Mike!

abacomike

tyguy said:

Thanks Mike!

No thanks needed - just be yourself - people are impressed with "yourself!"

stickguy

If circumstances require, I can cut back quick. Not to the point of giving up having a car. I would go on the lam before I did that!

if late next year the budget says cheap, I'll just call OldFarmer and see what kind of deal I can work out with him!

driver100

stever said:

abacomike said:

I need to to learn to be satisfied with less, that's all. 

Less is more.

More or less.

Sounds good in theory, but in practice......not always

driver100

stickguy said:

If circumstances require, I can cut back quick. Not to the point of giving up having a car. I would go on the lam before I did that!

if late next year the budget says cheap, I'll just call OldFarmer and see what kind of deal I can work out with him!

Oldfarmer should stick around, if any of us get into financial trouble he will be the man to see.

snakeweasel

stever said:

abacomike said:

I need to to learn to be satisfied with less, that's all. 

Less is more.

More or less.

[Deleted User]

Have you guys seen the Scott Sterling soccer clip? If not, here's a link to his incredible skills:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8F9jXYOH2c0

Well, after a year of recovery, he's returned to sports:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oY2nVQNlUB8

What an incredible display of multi-discipline athleticism.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

If circumstances require, I can cut back quick. Not to the point of giving up having a car. I would go on the lam before I did that!

if late next year the budget says cheap, I'll just call OldFarmer and see what kind of deal I can work out with him!

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

If circumstances require, I can cut back quick. Not to the point of giving up having a car. I would go on the lam before I did that!

if late next year the budget says cheap, I'll just call OldFarmer and see what kind of deal I can work out with him!

lol....would I buy a used car from that guy? Not likely, but there is an ad on TV with one of those guys....he always ends the ad by yelling IT'S HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE! He talks over other people like his daughter or somebody too, but he does have a huge KIA dealership. I think some people are attracted to this kind of ad. It's like at those carnivals where the carny guy insults you so you will get so mad you will play his fixed games :@

Michaell

@driver100 - interesting that you mention that the screamer ads are for a Kia dealership.

Kia has been making some pretty nice cars and SUVs for a few years, but IMO the dealership experience is killing them. Many of the posters I encounter on the boards who are interested in leasing a Kia don't have nice things to say about their local dealer - anywhere in the country.

houdini1

I could tell many stories about our cat Junior. We got Junior as a kitten in Oklahoma City. We also had a little Poodle, Cocoa, and Junior and Cocoa would gang up on the neighbors little dog. Cocoa would distract him and Junior would pounce on his back. Junior always thought he was a dog and would go on walks with us, etc. He would lie out by the street and greet all the school kids coming home from school.

They both made the move with us to San Francisco in the late 70's. While there a stray cat had kittens under our house, so we had to help raise them and find homes for them. One day a couple of Keesh Hounds (spell), nice dogs who lived down the street, came barreling up our driveway. Junior met them head on and kept them away from the kittens until we could get them to safety.

In 1980 they moved with us to Kansas City. Shortly afterward Junior started losing weight and became very listless, etc. The Vet diagnosed feline leukemia and said Junior would have to be put to sleep. He was about 8 years old at the time. We left Junior with the vet overnight and I went back the next day to say good bye. Junior seemed to be better, and against the very strong objections of the vet, I decided to take him home. My wife hand fed him for a week, and by then he had completely recovered. He lived for another very healthy 10 years. He has been gone now for about 20 years and we still miss him terribly.

PF_Flyer

It's not even May yet and our group is getting excited. Our tix to the 100th Indy 500 arrived
Had to use the sky to show the see-throughness of them (that OUGHT to be in the dictionary)
Now I should try to get some Edmunds swag for us to wear to the race and get some shots of that!

stever

Michaell said:

Many of the posters I encounter on the boards who are interested in leasing a Kia don't have nice things to say about their local dealer - anywhere in the country.

That's certainly true here - the people don't seem actively evil though. It's mostly that their pricing ideas are last century and they are into mop and glow fees big time. That's pretty much the case with the Buick/Chevy dealer too. The no haggle Ford/Honda/Hyundai/Mazda dealer has it figured out the best although they have horrible Yelp reviews.

iluvmysephia1

Scion's no-haggle, too. But then again, they're no more, too.

stickguy

Kia dealers evolved around serving a certain market segment ("no credit, no problem!"). Tough to also deal with buyers with money and good credit that are more interested in the product and the price than getting a payment they can handle on anything.

There are 2 Kia dealers by me. The one is not bad, I could shop there. The other is slime city and I won't step in the place (or the sister Mitsubishi or dodge/jeep stores)

PF_Flyer

Interesting that Kia dealers seem to have develop this image. Way back when, we had then Kia CEO Len Hunt on here for a guest chat and as I was part of the team working the chat, I was on the phone with him and he really impressed me and was very upbeat and convincing about the brand and vehicles. Shortly after that, in Feb 2008, he resigned. If the company had adopted his attitude, I can't imagine that there would be a problem with perception of dealers, but you never know how things are going to play out

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, that's interesting. It's not the 100th anniversary, but the 100th running. The first Indy was 2011. I guess the various "war years" interrupted it.

PF_Flyer

Yep, a couple of times that rubber and gas were in shorter supply.

nyccarguy

@abacomike - I'm with @stickguy on this.  Yes it sucks that you have to spend all this money on medication & healthcare.  You should by no means relegate yourself to a less expensive car "just because."  Your CLS 400 is a mighty fine automobile.  It is gorgeous, and is no slouch in the performance area either.  Even though you just use it to get yourself to & from the mall, back & forth to the grocery store, and for doctor'so appointments, you still deserve to do it in comfort and style.  It is basically paid for.  I know you took out a small loan.  You might as well keep this one for an oil change or 2.  Maybe even (GASP) until the warranty is up. LOL. The CLS is reliable and if anything major goes wrong, it's covered by MB's 4 year/50K BtoB warranty.

A woman on Yahoo parenting wrote an article about the looks she gets when she goes to the welfare office with her kids in her Mercedes.  The car was bought and paid for before things for her family went financially south.  It is reliable.

I'm doing pretty good as far as cars go, "with less."  I turned in the lease of my 2011 BMW 328xi. 230 hp  Naturally aspirated Inline 6, leather, sunroof, navigation, heated seats, heated steering wheel, solid ride, great handling, Xenon Headlights, bank vault quiet interior..

My Legacy's H4 engine pumps out a whopping 175 hp.  It has cloth seats & no sunroof.  It does have heated seats, automatic climate control, AWD.  There is a lot more wind noise evident in the cabin compared to my former BMW.  I took out a loan instead of leasing.  I hope to have the car paid off sooner than the 6 year loan term.  It gets me to and from work. 

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

stickguy said:

Mike, I would have lost it at Walmart over that. First politely tell the woman that no, I was waiting, she can take my small (under 20!) order. If she didn't, I would have yelled at every manager type I could find.

Though I also would have probably gone to a different line before that!

I hate Walmart for that reason. Checkout is always a mess. But dang, they have really cheap insulin!

Couldn't you just throw dollar bills at them at around 115% of what you think it might cost to cover margin of error, and walk out with your items?

You could have done that but the legal term for that is theft.

If you leave legal tender on the register worth an equal amount to what you take; how is that theft? If it is a retail store it is a fair assumption the items on the shelves are for sale at the marked prices. You couldn't do this for just anything, but at a store intended to sell items, it seems fair enough.

If any of you want to leave a suitcase filled with 100,000 dollars, my S4 that isn't for sale, well, your welcome to "steal" it at that amount.

A few issues with it, first how does the store know what you took and if you placed enough money on the counter to pay for it?

Secondly legally a sale isn't made until the conditions of a contract are fulfilled such as offer and acceptance. If the store didn't accept your money there is no acceptance on the part of the store and therefor they haven't consented to you taking the merchandise out of the store.

Thirdly there is no way the store could confirm that the items taken were saleable, was the items merchandise for sale or were the store fixtures that you just took.

Fourthly is the legality of the sale, many store sell things that are legally controlled, either by age or by time of sale (i.e. liquor, one of our favorite subjects, can only be purchased at certain times by individuals over a certain age). How does the store know that your not a 20 year old with a bottle of scotch in that bag of stuff you just walked out with.

Finally legal tender prior to services being performed can be whatever the store want's it to be. If they want you to pay for that box of fruit loops with 50 used Band-Aids they can.

Simply put you can't just walk out with something while throwing money at an employee.

Now that I think about it if you do actually throw money at an employee that could be considered assault and/or battery.

So what your saying is my business proposition for an checkout worker-less retail or grocery store will have many legal hurdles if I implement the "honor system" for checking out your own items and paying for them.

Forgetting that some my take advantage of an "honor system" at the checkout stand, if a store has no employees to verify age, are they still under the legal hook for selling alcohol? After all, couldn't the honor system apply to both the dollar amount, and the legal age to buy something (if your 20, you dishonor yourself by buying liquor). I suppose some overzealous gov't bureaucrat or prosecutor would like to hold the store liable. I think the ATF has made it clear you can't sell to minors, and it's the stores responsibility to ensure that, rather than personal accountability, but that doesn't mean the US is doing it right.

Many stores are implementing a system where one checkout employee oversees 4-6 automated checkout lanes. I'd like to take it a step further.

Heck, I know in my old college town they were going to try and pass a law and hold party thrower's home residents responsible for underage drinking. Effectively saying you'd have to card people attending the party despite the fact it is private property and a private party. I remember when I heard of this proposed law it sounded completely UN-American and unconstitutional to me. Just punish the underage drinkers; why hold the homeowners/residents responsible? Lastly, just make the legal drinking age 18 already and avoid all of the wasted law enforcement energy; it's either that, or prohibition.

abacomike

Mr_Shiftright said:

Oh, that's interesting. It's not the 100th anniversary, but the 100th running. The first Indy was 2011. I guess the various "war years" interrupted it.

Hey shifty, you need to brush up on your math - the first Indy was back in the early 1900's.  Don't worry, it happens to all of us! 

abacomike

@nyccarguy:

Thanks for the pep talk - much appreciated.  I intend to cut back when and if I get a new car.  In the meantime, you and everyone else here is correct - driving a 3 year old CLS is not being a slouch, that's for sure.

LOVED YOUR GASP!!!    

ab348

stickguy said:

Kia dealers evolved around serving a certain market segment ("no credit, no problem!"). Tough to also deal with buyers with money and good credit that are more interested in the product and the price than getting a payment they can handle on anything.

There are 2 Kia dealers by me. The one is not bad, I could shop there. The other is slime city and I won't step in the place (or the sister Mitsubishi or dodge/jeep stores)

Up here the same is true for Hyundai dealers. It remains a hurdle for them as they attempt to move upmarket. I know a lady locally whose husband bought a Genesis new and is having untold problems with getting service/warranty issues addressed at the dealer. This is happening at the supposedly "good" dealer of the two locally too, not the one run by the local slimeball dealer group. I think that service depts/management that are used to downmarket buyers adopt an attitude that is incompatible with the luxo market, though I have also heard from more than one person that Hyundai Canada is notoriously tight on after-sale support issues.

ab348

andres3 said:

So what your saying is my business proposition for an checkout worker-less retail or grocery store will have many legal hurdles if I implement the "honor system" for checking out your own items and paying for them.

Forgetting that some my take advantage of an "honor system" at the checkout stand, if a store has no employees to verify age, are they still under the legal hook for selling alcohol? After all, couldn't the honor system apply to both the dollar amount, and the legal age to buy something (if your 20, you dishonor yourself by buying liquor). I suppose some overzealous gov't bureaucrat or prosecutor would like to hold the store liable. I think the ATF has made it clear you can't sell to minors, and it's the stores responsibility to ensure that, rather than personal accountability, but that doesn't mean the US is doing it right.

Many stores are implementing a system where one checkout employee oversees 4-6 automated checkout lanes. I'd like to take it a step further.

Heck, I know in my old college town they were going to try and pass a law and hold party thrower's home residents responsible for underage drinking. Effectively saying you'd have to card people attending the party despite the fact it is private property and a private party. I remember when I heard of this proposed law it sounded completely UN-American and unconstitutional to me. Just punish the underage drinkers; why hold the homeowners/residents responsible? Lastly, just make the legal drinking age 18 already and avoid all of the wasted law enforcement energy; it's either that, or prohibition.

There are many retailers already with checkouts that do not have cashiers working. Certainly they are common here in Canada. Grocery stores, Home Depot, Walmart all use them here. I expect self-checkouts are fairly common in the US by now?

I used to work at an alcohol retail chain and age checks cannot easily be automated. We tried. In those instances you need human involvement.

The laws likely vary from place to place but it is not unusual to hold bar owners/servers responsible for overserved patrons. The underage/homeowner situation seems to follow a similar rationale. The problem with trying to hold 14 year-olds responsible for breaking the law is that (at least in Canada) young offenders are held to a different standard under the rationale that they know not what they do. We had an infamous case locally where a pair of 15 year-old couples went to a parents house and got blitzed on vodka shots that someone provided them, then started to engage in sexual activity. Long story short, photos were taken and later circulated, which a couple of years later helped push one of the young women over the edge (she had lots of other problems too) and she committed suicide. The story, when it came out, became a cause celebre. The parents in both the case of the residence where it occurred and the girl allowed to run wild got off scot-free. My personal view is that there should have been some consequences for them as well.

abacomike

In my condo development (5000 residents), the most popular cars are the Sonata, the Elantra, the Accord and the Camry, in that order.  All I see is Hyundai's in the community and on the road.

My son has a Sonata, but he's had a lot of problems with it.  He had the rear axle and suspension replaced and the front suspension - as well as a rebuild on his FWD transmission - car is 3 years old.  He is trying to find time to get the car in for other problems, but they don't give him a loaner.

graphicguy

So, found out Costco had a sale on wiper blades. Goodyear Hybrid, supposedly their best.

I've briefly mentioned before how the CTS' blades aren't necessarily big on longevity. For around $5/ea, I sprung for an extra set.

You can see why the CTS' wiper blades don't last too long. The Goodyear wipers are worlds better than those that came with the CTS. Worth it if you think you'll need a set any time soon. Costco had a bunch of sizes.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

If circumstances require, I can cut back quick. Not to the point of giving up having a car. I would go on the lam before I did that!

if late next year the budget says cheap, I'll just call OldFarmer and see what kind of deal I can work out with him!

lol....would I buy a used car from that guy? Not likely, but there is an ad on TV with one of those guys....he always ends the ad by yelling IT'S HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE! He talks over other people like his daughter or somebody too, but he does have a huge KIA dealership. I think some people are attracted to this kind of ad. It's like at those carnivals where the carny guy insults you so you will get so mad you will play his fixed games :@

That sounds like Billy Fuccillo who owns multi-line dealerships all over NY. That young woman in his ads is supposed to be a salesperson in his local store but is roumored to be more than a daughter to him. I understand he also has dealerships in Florida.

My BIL went to his local Nissan store and left disgusted by the high pressure.

ab348

graphicguy said:

So, found out Costco had a sale on wiper blades. Goodyear Hybrid, supposedly their best.

I've briefly mentioned before how the CTS' blades aren't necessarily big on longevity. For around $5/ea, I sprung for an extra set.

You can see why the CTS' wiper blades don't last too long. The Goodyear wipers are worlds better than those that came with the CTS. Worth it if you think you'll need a set any time soon. Costco had a bunch of sizes.

Odd, I have always found that the OEM wiper blades from the dealer were far superior to any aftermarket brand I tried, most of which were junk in 6 months regardless of what they cost.

I suspect there are few actual manufacturers of wiper blades. I doubt that Goodyear or Michelin blades are actually made by them.

fezo

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50
That last point is interesting. I haven't traveled outside the U.S. since before visas were required to go to Canada. Last time I think I only had to show a driver's licence and answer some perfunctory business or pleasure questions.

What did you need to enter? I assume the 6 months limit is to determine your permanent residence status. I know if I lived in Florida for 6 months and one day I wouldn't have to pay NY state income tax.

You need a Passport to go from the US to Canada or visa versa these days....not a Visa as that is a lot of paperwork. We also pay $50 a year and got a Nexxus card. It gets you through customs faster....they have done background checks on you and they know you are highly unlikely to commit a crime. If they do catch you coming across the border doing something illegal then you are finished....so, you have to be extra careful and you have to admit to taking say goods across that should be declared....you have to tell them, not wait for them to ask.

Yes, we are allowed to stay a total of 182 days = 6 months. We are in Florida for 5 months and save days because we do cross the border at other times of the year. If we go on a cruise ship for 5 days from say Miami then those days are still counted as being in the US since we left and came back to the US.

US is concerned about people overstaying their visiting time, and staying for longer periods of time. I have to fill out a US tax form that states I pay taxes, have assets, do my banking, own property and cars in Canada, and I am not doing anything to earn income while I am in the US. I am not complaining, I understand why it is done and that is fine....I am a guest and am glad I am able to be here.

You probably want to stay in NY state OF because of your work and family, lifestyle. But, for some people Florida offers a great lifestyle at a pretty modest price. I know lots of people especially as the baby boomers retire, who were going to be U.S.snowbirds but once they spent a winter here decided to give up their home in the North. Some of them have an RV or a boat etc, and head north for 3 months in the summer.

If you think it appeals to you it is really worth considering....Florida is like going to camp for seniors, every day.



I think I mentioned before that my ideal retirement would be to live in Florida about 9 months and spend summers back in NY. Best of both worlds.


That would work. Pick u an orange grove....

suydam

Or California year round!

driver100

graphicguy said:

So, found out Costco had a sale on wiper blades. Goodyear Hybrid, supposedly their best.

I've briefly mentioned before how the CTS' blades aren't necessarily big on longevity. For around $5/ea, I sprung for an extra set.

You can see why the CTS' wiper blades don't last too long. The Goodyear wipers are worlds better than those that came with the CTS. Worth it if you think you'll need a set any time soon. Costco had a bunch of sizes.

GG, this is something I was thinking about with that position as an agent buying luxury cars. We found out the position would be legal, no law against buying cars and shipping them out of the country, and it could be lucrative....big profit, and these guys need cars so I don't think the agent is going to get stiffed.

I think the problem for most of us is the whole set up is a bit gray market........car companies don't like it because they don't want their cars shipped to some of these countries for some reason.

So, this is what I am thinking....do we really care if we upset the car companies? You had a Cadillac and they didn't worry about you, we had an Audi and they sure didn't worry about me, we've just had a story about a Hyundai that had problems and the dealer ignores them.

I am thinking it could be my chance for revenge against car companies. I am thinking of signing up and buying Audi's to sell into the export market.

*******About windshield wipers, how come we can get a man to the moon but we can't make a wiper that really works?

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

If circumstances require, I can cut back quick. Not to the point of giving up having a car. I would go on the lam before I did that!

if late next year the budget says cheap, I'll just call OldFarmer and see what kind of deal I can work out with him!

lol....would I buy a used car from that guy? Not likely, but there is an ad on TV with one of those guys....he always ends the ad by yelling IT'S HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE! He talks over other people like his daughter or somebody too, but he does have a huge KIA dealership. I think some people are attracted to this kind of ad. It's like at those carnivals where the carny guy insults you so you will get so mad you will play his fixed games :@

That sounds like Billy Fuccillo who owns multi-line dealerships all over NY. That young woman in his ads is supposed to be a salesperson in his local store but is roumored to be more than a daughter to him. I understand he also has dealerships in Florida.

My BIL went to his local Nissan store and left disgusted by the high pressure.

That's him but that picture must have been taken 20 years ago, he looks a lot different now. I often thought there was something going on with the young lady in the ads, how else would she put up with him talking over her all the time and generally being obnoxious.

Here are a few things I found out about Billy. He currently has a deal where if you buy a car you go on a cruise with him and his friend

Here's some general facts:
Billy Fuccillo Kia's Huge Failure Rating
Better Business Bureau Rates Fuccillo Kia Of Cape Coral Huge "F"
FORT MYERS, FL. -- You've seen Billy Fuccillo on TV and either hate the commercials or love them. Selling Kia brand automobiles at his Cape Coral dealership, he claims to be the largest Kia dealer in the world and closes every commercial with "It's Huge."

But, like his advertisements, it's not always the whole truth you get. In the car business, there's lots of tricks to sell cars and Fuccillo is a master of most of them. A little puffery here and a little misleading word there,,,it's all part of the game to get cars sold fast.

Fuccillo plays up his "huge" dealership and gifts and prizes he regularly give to buyers but unless customers check carefully they'll miss one huge red flag, the local Better Business Bureau review of Fuccillo Kia.

The West Florida Better Business Bureau has given Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral a failing or "F" grade for at least the last year.

The BBB says the grade was a result of the "complaints filed against business, Failure to respond to 2 complaints filed against business, 4 complaints filed against business that were not resolved, and the Length of time business has taken to respond to complaint(s)."

The BBB cites 38 complaints against the Cape Coral dealer in the last three years with 14 in the last 12 months. From the total over three years, 18 complaints were about service or products, 14 for advertising and sales issues, 4 for billing and collection issues, and 2 for warranty issues.


If you read what a scam the low prices and cruise ship and cash prizes are you will find it amazing he can get away with it
READ ABOUT WHAT A SCAM BILLY IS RUNNING

Here is part of how all the scams work, I found it fascinating:
The promotions offered by Fuccillo Kia Of Cape Coral is sponsored in conjunction with American Hole'n One. American offers contest "insurance," paying off when customers actually win an expensive prize. Not that the odds of winning are great. They aren't.

To cut way down on the odds, winners of the electronic gifts, the $1,000 Target card, and the new Kia must have received "an original mail piece...addressed to you." We determined that the mailing list being used by Fuccillo and American Hole'n One has names and addresses that are at least 11 years old. The name on your mailing piece may not even have your name on it. You can't win if that's not your name.

"Submitting a mailer addressed to another person or on behalf of another person is prohibited." says the disclaimer's fine print.

The fine print goes on to say winners have to pay their own federal, state and local taxes, registration fees and insurance. A big surprise in the very unlikely event you win a $16,000 car and immediately have to figure how to pay taxes due on it.

And those prizes for just showing up? Two iPad minis are theoretically available. Odds of winning? One in a half million. The same odds for the one $1,000 Target gift card, the Nintendo game system, and the Kindle Fire, and the 2013 Kia.

But, the odds get better for smaller gift cards. One in 50,000 for the $100 card, better odds but chances are you aren't going to win even that.

So what will you really win if you show up in person? Odds are you'll get a $5 Target card. The odds are 499,986 to 500,000. Everyone wins

thebean

abacomike said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Oh, that's interesting. It's not the 100th anniversary, but the 100th running. The first Indy was 2011. I guess the various "war years" interrupted it.

Hey shifty, you need to brush up on your math - the first Indy was back in the early 1900's.  Don't worry, it happens to all of us! 

Shifty is correct, with all due respect Mike.  May 30, 1911 was the first Indy 500 race.

abacomike

thebean said:

abacomike said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Oh, that's interesting. It's not the 100th anniversary, but the 100th running. The first Indy was 2011. I guess the various "war years" interrupted it.

Hey shifty, you need to brush up on your math - the first Indy was back in the early 1900's.  Don't worry, it happens to all of us! 

Shifty is correct, with all due respect Mike.  May 30, 1911 was the first Indy 500 race.

But his post says "2011"!!!! 

"Oh, that's interesting. It's not the 100th anniversary, but the 100th running. The first Indy was 2011. I guess the various "war years" interrupted it."

I rest my case! 

graphicguy

ab...if Goodyear's wiper blades are worse than the Cadillac OEM blades (which Cadillac dealership wanted $70 for), then I don't even want to know where Cadillac gets theirs. For what it's worth, the Goodyear wipers "look" better than the Caddy OEM wipers. Even if they only last a few months, for $5/ea, I got my money's worth.

driver...good point. Car manufacturers can build self driving cars, but can't engineer a decent windshield wiper.

About buying lux cars here and shipping them to different countries. So, if your car, E400, pretty well loaded, has an MSRP of $70K here, but can be sold by the manufacturer (not sure what sort of retail environments exist outside of NA) in another country for 3X that, then they don't want competition from their own dealers here.

I know people who buy iPhones and iPads in the U.S. and make 3x their investment by shipping them overseas via ebay. Nothing illegal about it.

Matter of fact, manufacturers want to keep that route to market and profit all to themselves.

Sounds unfair to me.

Billy Fuccillo....old adage applies...if it sounds too good to be true, it is. No one is out any money by participating in his promotion. Hell, people buy lottery tickets all the time. Odds are even worse there, plus, they don't get a $5 Target card for their effort.

thebean

abacomike said:

thebean said:

abacomike said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Oh, that's interesting. It's not the 100th anniversary, but the 100th running. The first Indy was 2011. I guess the various "war years" interrupted it.

Hey shifty, you need to brush up on your math - the first Indy was back in the early 1900's.  Don't worry, it happens to all of us! 

Shifty is correct, with all due respect Mike.  May 30, 1911 was the first Indy 500 race.

But his post says "2011"!!!! 

"Oh, that's interesting. It's not the 100th anniversary, but the 100th running. The first Indy was 2011. I guess the various "war years" interrupted it."

I rest my case! 

LOL, what a stupid I am.      I read Shifty's post and completely missed the 2011.  And I'm cold sober.  Thanks for correcting my oversight.