Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

andres3

driver100 said:

For those of little faith! I wrote to my MB rep this morning just to see how things were progressing with my E400. Here is my reply:

"Your E400 is inbound to the dealership, it should be arriving either today or tomorrow. I have made the request for the trickle charger to be installed. Unfortunately the service is not transferrable, but I have some great news, because of the delay in the car getting her, Mercedes Benz is paying for your 3 Service Plan!!"

I had two oil change/services done and didn't get to use my 3rd one, so I thought I should get a rebate for 1/3rd. Getting a free full service plan is even better though....worth $1200.

So, how does that compare with a car being in the service bay for 3 months and a company that does nothing for you and won't even try to communicate with you.....in fact, goes to battle against you?

It's so much nicer having a company work with their customer as a team rather than an enemy or adversary.

However, the day 3 oil changes are worth $1,200 is the day I'm dead. That being said, VW did nothing to return the 1/3 or 2/3 of unused service on our diesel-gate buyback. That extra $300 I clawed from the salesman just basically makes us even.

ab348

driver100 said:

So, how does that compare with a car being in the service bay for 3 months and a company that does nothing for you and won't even try to communicate with you.....in fact, goes to battle against you?

Well, in fairness you aren't working on your third buyback from them. Besides, that $1200 is probably just a fraction of what the service actually costs them, and they probably invested the $80K cheque from your insurer that you gave them months ago. They probably made a bundle on the red-hot stock market.

isellhondas

dino001 said:

But after you showed up shopping for one but not getting it "today" for whatever reason, you would at least expect a periodic call/email until you told them you were done for a moment. That's what I don't get here. They sit all day, plenty of time when nobody is bothering them, what do they do? Call people from some BS prospect list they got from their manager (got plenty of those), but not the guy who was there three days ago, gave them all data and actually hinted for a follow up. That's what beats me.

In the store where I worked we were told to follow up "until they buy or die". I have to say, I didn't do that. Instead I imposed my own values system which the store probably didn't like. I would certainly give them a call the next day or soon afterwards. I would thank them for coming in and I would ask them if they had any questions. Depending on their reaction I would continue to call them from time to time until I realized I was kicking a dead horse. If I had no response to two or three left messages, I was done. Now, I MIGHT wait a month and call them one final time.

If I approached a customer on the lot I was quick to size them us as serious or non serious. I'm sure I missed the mark on occasion but any seasoned salesperson can usually spot a "stroke" a mile away. By definition, a stroke is a person who has no intension of buying anything and is there to kill time. The worst of these were "test Drivers" whose idea of a fun day was to flit from lot to lot driving cars.

Having said that...Yes, it was possible to turn a "stroke" into a buyer but this wasn't as easy as management
would tell you it was. I was always nice to everyone and once in awhile I would be happy to see a former stroke return and buy a car from me sometimes after several years.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

nyccarguy said:

driver100 said:

We did trex.....I like the idea you don't have to worry about it after. Deck is about 10X18 with the see through glass railings. Thought it would be about $3500, ends up being about $8800.

I could almost have bought back our mint condition Passat for that!

$8,800 sounds cheap. We are going bigger. I'm expecting to get estimates in the $30K range from licensed contractors.

$800 is cheap! For an inanimate deck that we use about 8 times a year!

My psycho neighbor built a deck that looks like an outdoor sound stage....as part of the $70k pool deal. Actually the pool cost closer to $80k because they hit hard rock and he had to hire a guy with a huge digger to come in and remove some rocks....at $8000 for half a day. What a moron!

If you trying to get me upset you just did it. 8 grand for a guy to play in the dirt for a half day. That's almost as much as I made working as a consultant for 4 full days. Way ta go. :@

jmonroe

isellhondas

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

graphicguy- this should rekindle your romance with Cadillac; the stunningly tasteful wheels are only a $2,795 option...

btw...just to get back to this picture.
Was that picture in the dictionary as an example of UGLY?
Spend $60000 and blow it with those wheels, that actually cost $2800

I would state my opinion of those red wheels but after that I would probably disappear again!

graphicguy

roadburner said:

graphicguy- this should rekindle your romance with Cadillac; the stunningly tasteful wheels are only a $2,795 option...

I can barely contain myself!!!!!!

graphicguy

driver100 said:

For those of little faith! I wrote to my MB rep this morning just to see how things were progressing with my E400. Here is my reply:

"Your E400 is inbound to the dealership, it should be arriving either today or tomorrow. I have made the request for the trickle charger to be installed. Unfortunately the service is not transferrable, but I have some great news, because of the delay in the car getting her, Mercedes Benz is paying for your 3 Service Plan!!"

I had two oil change/services done and didn't get to use my 3rd one, so I thought I should get a rebate for 1/3rd. Getting a free full service plan is even better though....worth $1200.

So, how does that compare with a car being in the service bay for 3 months and a company that does nothing for you and won't even try to communicate with you.....in fact, goes to battle against you?

NOW THAT is good customer service.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

A note to GG:
I thought they were going to install the new exhaust system last week?
I wonder if they will call you when your car is ready....or do they confiscate it because you are going to arbitration?
I bet they road test it this time.
Or, maybe they want to keep it in top form and present it at the arbitration meeting.

Apparently, they're installing it today. They said I can pick it up tomorrow afternoon, a scant 36-48 hours before arbitration!

stickguy

pass on the pick up at all. let them hang onto it until the hearing is over. Might be a moot point by then anyway.

driver100

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

A note to GG:
I thought they were going to install the new exhaust system last week?
I wonder if they will call you when your car is ready....or do they confiscate it because you are going to arbitration?
I bet they road test it this time.
Or, maybe they want to keep it in top form and present it at the arbitration meeting.

Apparently, they're installing it today. They said I can pick it up tomorrow afternoon, a scant 36-48 hours before arbitration!

Probably so you can drive it over to show the panel how well it is running! I don't think they should be allowed to drive it there without your permission.

abacomike

graphicguy said:

A note to GG: I thought they were going to install the new exhaust system last week? I wonder if they will call you when your car is ready....or do they confiscate it because you are going to arbitration? I bet they road test it this time. Or, maybe they want to keep it in top form and present it at the arbitration meeting.

Apparently, they're installing it today. They said I can pick it up tomorrow afternoon, a scant 36-48 hours before arbitration!

GG, as long as you have everything documented and written down, including a timeline as to what happened etc., you should be OK.  You've been without this car for 3 months and the dealer even took back the loaner while your car was still in service.

I wish you the best of luck!  

stickguy

tell them you are out of town, and after what, 4 months, there can't possibly be any rush. And if you were somehow forced to take it (or they delivered to your driveway!) odds are within 10 minutes of driving, you would find a nice list of problems and it would be going back anyway.

abacomike

@jmonroe

I read, with interest, your "book", chapter and verse, including the preface.  Great story JM.  I enjoyed it!

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

So, how does that compare with a car being in the service bay for 3 months and a company that does nothing for you and won't even try to communicate with you.....in fact, goes to battle against you?

Well, in fairness you aren't working on your third buyback from them. Besides, that $1200 is probably just a fraction of what the service actually costs them, and they probably invested the $80K cheque from your insurer that you gave them months ago. They probably made a bundle on the red-hot stock market.

I am not working on my 3rd buy back because all the cars have been flawless so far. They have had the check (I have U.S. spell check on my computer, otherwise I usually write cheque - I like cheque because then you know what you mean) since October, but I doubt they would have invested it in the stock market, and I don't know if the interest would equal $1200.

But, I am still way ahead of where GG is....in fact if this continues this way it is the best scenario possible, and JMonroe may even lose his bet on the delivery day

driver100

abacomike said:

@jmonroe

I read, with interest, your "book", chapter and verse, including the preface.  Great story JM.  I enjoyed it!

Yeh, up for the best non-fiction true story book of the year award. second only in size to War and Peace.

stickguy

Driver, I think the quoting got out of whack for a few people. the 3 buybacks was directed at GG, not you! Amazing that this is his 3rd go around with Caddy at this. Mind blowing odds.

driver100

stickguy said:

Driver, I think the quoting got out of whack for a few people. the 3 buybacks was directed at GG, not you! Amazing that this is his 3rd go around with Caddy at this. Mind blowing odds.

Stick...I did catch that....I am saying my situation has been compared to GGs. One big difference is I haven't had to have 3, count them - 3 buy backs. All our MBs have performed beautifully.

ab348

I just had a vision of you arriving at the dealership on delivery day, seeing the gleaming new E400 out front, getting a hearty handshake from the sales guy, sitting down to sign the papers, and them then saying, "so then all we need is your cheque for $xx,xxx. WE have the cheque? No, there's no cheque here. What are you talking about? Someone, quick, page Security!"

graphicguy

abacomike said:

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

A note to GG:
I thought they were going to install the new exhaust system last week?
I wonder if they will call you when your car is ready....or do they confiscate it because you are going to arbitration?
I bet they road test it this time.
Or, maybe they want to keep it in top form and present it at the arbitration meeting.

Apparently, they're installing it today. They said I can pick it up tomorrow afternoon, a scant 36-48 hours before arbitration!

GG, as long as you have everything documented and written down, including a timeline as to what happened etc., you should be OK.  You've been without this car for 3 months and the dealer even took back the loaner while your car was still in service.

I wish you the best of luck!  

Thanks, Mike. Appreciate the support.

jmonroe

stickguy said:

pass on the pick up at all. let them hang onto it until the hearing is over. Might be a moot point by then anyway.

I agree.

I wouldn't put it past them to send a hit-car after him once he leaves the lot with it.

We couldn't take that tale.

jmonroe

jmonroe

abacomike said:

@jmonroe

I read, with interest, your "book", chapter and verse, including the preface.  Great story JM.  I enjoyed it!

Thanks. I did my best to keep it interesting AND short.

jmonroe

stickguy

hopefully the end result is (either before or after the hearing) he walks out of there with a check (or signed legal paperwork to get one shortly). Case just seems so cut and dried, that quite possibly Caddy knows they are not going to win, but have been playing the string it out game all along hoping GG would cave/give up and go away. probably why they tried to slap together the car (as unsafe as it was), just to make him think it was not longer a real lemon situation!

If so, as soon as he walks in with a folder full of paper and a mean look on his face, they will fold and try to just cut the deal. I wonder though, what implications are to actually going to, and losing the arb hearing? That might have to count as an official lemon buy back stat (bad for them) but if they "out of the kindness of their hearts" just take the car back and cancel the hearing, it all gets swept under the carpet. Plus, they can just take the now miraculously fixed CTS and put it right out on the used car lot. Assuming the dealership is stupid enough to do it!

jmonroe

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@jmonroe

I read, with interest, your "book", chapter and verse, including the preface.  Great story JM.  I enjoyed it!

Yeh, up for the best non-fiction true story book of the year award. second only in size to War and Peace.

Just for that I am going to post all the conversations I had with my fellow employees and my uncle. The one with my uncle and what transpired after that with my call to the SM is priceless. You'll see. :@

jmonroe

graphicguy

Stick....I question their intent, too. But, as I read the other day, Cadillac is flush these days with the bug profits they're making on Pickups and SUVs. So, they don't feel they need customers right now.....that is, until they start crying the blues somewhere down the line when their profits turn into losses because they keep repeating the same stupic mistakes and treat their customers like garbage.

28firefighter

@graphicguy are you bringing an Attorney with you?

fintail

Might not be objectively (or subjectively) worth it, but that's indeed what it can cost - especially if that price is in loonies.

andres3 said:

However, the day 3 oil changes are worth $1,200 is the day I'm dead. That being said, VW did nothing to return the 1/3 or 2/3 of unused service on our diesel-gate buyback. That extra $300 I clawed from the salesman just basically makes us even.

explorerx4

@graphicguy,
You are going to have to see that car at least one more time to get your plates, papers, stash and anything else of yours in there.

jmonroe

explorerx4 said:

@graphicguy,
You are going to have to see that car at least one more time to get your plates, papers, stash and anything else of yours in there.

He'll probably be able to get everything other than the "stash". That's what the BBB has been smoking for 2 months. All gone now.

jmonroe

thebean

Don't discount the possibility that the hearing is fixed and arbitrator will rule in Caddy's favor since the car is now fixed.  Since the hearing was delayed until they could find one that Caddy approved of, I would not be surprised if the fix is in.  I sure hope not for GG's sake, but I have zero faith in business these days.  They can "politic" their way to just about anything over an average person.  If this happens, then it should be all-out war by GG, with the media and lawyers brought in.  

abacomike

jmonroe said:

@jmonroe

I read, with interest, your "book", chapter and verse, including the preface.  Great story JM.  I enjoyed it!

Thanks. I did my best to keep it interesting AND short. jmonroe

Interesting?  Definitely!  Short?  No comment . 

andres3

stickguy said:

pass on the pick up at all. let them hang onto it until the hearing is over. Might be a moot point by then anyway.

What if they start charging a $50/day parking/storage fee?

I know a hotel in SF apparently thinks a $50 per night parking fee is appropriate. I remember when Motel 6's rented for less then that!

andres3

thebean said:

Don't discount the possibility that the hearing is fixed and arbitrator will rule in Caddy's favor since the car is now fixed.  Since the hearing was delayed until they could find one that Caddy approved of, I would not be surprised if the fix is in.  I sure hope not for GG's sake, but I have zero faith in business these days.  They can "politic" their way to just about anything over an average person.  If this happens, then it should be all-out war by GG, with the media and lawyers brought in.  

Kind of like traffic court, eh?

If the cop shows up, it's game over unless you have a violation with several elements to it. Even then, some judges just want the mahogany fixed as fast as possible in their courtroom, never mind who gets ran over in the process.

oldfarmer50

"We all walked away a bit disappointed in what we saw, and are now thinking of ways to gain a bit more privacy in our back yard."

Get a big dog and train him to bark at the smell of smoke or loud music.

andres3

stickguy said:

Driver, I think the quoting got out of whack for a few people. the 3 buybacks was directed at GG, not you! Amazing that this is his 3rd go around with Caddy at this. Mind blowing odds.

Perhaps they should give him all 3, and between that stash of parts, perhaps they can FRANKENSTEIN a car together that actually runs?

3 lemons makes for lemonade, OR 3 STRIKES and your Out!

Mind blowing odds.... or business as usual? If GG had received exemplary customer service perhaps he'd have had 9 lemons consecutively by now, but at least he would have had good customer service.

dino001

isellhondas said:

I would certainly give them a call the next day or soon afterwards. I would thank them for coming in and I would ask them if they had any questions. Depending on their reaction I would continue to call them from time to time until I realized I was kicking a dead horse. If I had no response to two or three left messages, I was done. Now, I MIGHT wait a month and call them one final time.

If I approached a customer on the lot I was quick to size them us as serious or non serious. I'm sure I missed the mark on occasion but any seasoned salesperson can usually spot a "stroke" a mile away. By definition, a stroke is a person who has no intension of buying anything and is there to kill time. The worst of these were "test Drivers" whose idea of a fun day was to flit from lot to lot driving cars.

Having said that...Yes, it was possible to turn a "stroke" into a buyer but this wasn't as easy as management
would tell you it was. I was always nice to everyone and once in awhile I would be happy to see a former stroke return and buy a car from me sometimes after several years.

Next day call/email was all I wanted. Volvo guy was supposed to check if a red V60 T6 R-design was available anywhere in the US (turns out there are three showing up on Autotrader, far away, closest one is near Pittsburgh, loaded with some extra $2000+ stuff I don't care for - not necessarily junk, but not very value enhancing for me.

When I was just a test drive, I would tell them. This would happen if an unusual engine/transmission/suspension option combination shows up that I'm considering for a future (I'm a weird guy with weird tastes), but I know it won't be around at the time I'm ready to order. I'd be upfront about it and appreciative of their time. I'd then come outside of busy times, like early Saturday, when clearly nobody else is there, so they can't say I'm taking their time away from paying customers. I do that really sparingly, but I'd do that and feel no remorse, if that's really in consideration for my next vehicle. I did that perhaps couple of times in last five years. BMW also has these annual drive events, when you can come and drive something without even a hint of pressure to buy at the moment. The manufacturer supplies the vehicles and personnel. I attended couple of those, so I would not bother poor salespeople who try to make a dollar. So, I'm respectful to their time and even if I'm not buying "today", I don't consider myself a stroke.

This round I was telling them there were only two or three models I was looking and the field was already narrow. I'm coming to their place in a vehicle that I bought new and now it is over 5 years old (perfect time to change) - the vehicle is either of their brand, or brand that is competitive, or in case of Volvo more expensive/prestigious (at least a little). Unlike Hondas you used to sell, BMWs and Volvos are quite common to be purchased as special orders - ability to customize is part of the experience, should you wish it. With such an ability, it's also normal that a person would be more deliberate, if they can choose from literally hundreds of thousands of combinations (BMW often would say so on their ads). What else should I do to get a simple follow up email (not even a phone call) from these guys?

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

graphicguy- this should rekindle your romance with Cadillac; the stunningly tasteful wheels are only a $2,795 option...

Did the dealership lose a bet?

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

When I woke up today and raised the window blinds I had sudden thoughts that maybe I need to make a big move. We had 8 inches of heavy wet snow overnight followed by freezing rain. Forecast didn't call for this much but that's par for the course here. Welcome to the first day of Spring! I have about had it with winter in the northeast.

Wow, how did that one miss us? Here it was sunny and 48. About 60% of last week's snow is gone.

andres3

dino001 said:

isellhondas said:

I would certainly give them a call the next day or soon afterwards. I would thank them for coming in and I would ask them if they had any questions. Depending on their reaction I would continue to call them from time to time until I realized I was kicking a dead horse. If I had no response to two or three left messages, I was done. Now, I MIGHT wait a month and call them one final time.

If I approached a customer on the lot I was quick to size them us as serious or non serious. I'm sure I missed the mark on occasion but any seasoned salesperson can usually spot a "stroke" a mile away. By definition, a stroke is a person who has no intension of buying anything and is there to kill time. The worst of these were "test Drivers" whose idea of a fun day was to flit from lot to lot driving cars.

Having said that...Yes, it was possible to turn a "stroke" into a buyer but this wasn't as easy as management
would tell you it was. I was always nice to everyone and once in awhile I would be happy to see a former stroke return and buy a car from me sometimes after several years.

Next day call/email was all I wanted. Volvo guy was supposed to check if a red V60 T6 R-design was available anywhere in the US (turns out there are three showing up on Autotrader, far away, closest one is near Pittsburgh, loaded with some extra $2000+ stuff I don't care for - not necessarily junk, but not very value enhancing for me.

When I was just a test drive, I would tell them. This would happen if an unusual engine/transmission/suspension option combination shows up that I'm considering for a future (I'm a weird guy with weird tastes), but I know it won't be around at the time I'm ready to order. I'd be upfront about it and appreciative of their time. I'd then come outside of busy times, like early Saturday, when clearly nobody else is there, so they can't say I'm taking their time away from paying customers. I do that really sparingly, but I'd do that and feel no remorse, if that's really in consideration for my next vehicle. I did that perhaps couple of times in last five years. BMW also has these annual drive events, when you can come and drive something without even a hint of pressure to buy at the moment. The manufacturer supplies the vehicles and personnel. I attended couple of those, so I would not bother poor salespeople who try to make a dollar. So, I'm respectful to their time and even if I'm not buying "today", I don't consider myself a stroke.

This round I was telling them there were only two or three models I was looking and the field was already narrow. I'm coming to their place in a vehicle that I bought new and now it is over 5 years old (perfect time to change) - the vehicle is either of their brand, or brand that is competitive, or in case of Volvo more expensive/prestigious (at least a little). Unlike Hondas you used to sell, BMWs and Volvos are quite common to be purchased as special orders - ability to customize is part of the experience, should you wish it. With such an ability, it's also normal that a person would be more deliberate, if they can choose from literally hundreds of thousands of combinations (BMW often would say so on their ads). What else should I do to get a simple follow up email (not even a phone call) from these guys?

Just try another dealer. I went to many dealers in San Diego County recently, and was treated pretty darn well overall. There are a few that seem to rather push you out the door than do a test drive; that's not a good policy as I'll remember the dealer that let me do a test drive more.

Even the prestigious cars are treated like commodities by most buyers now. Customer comes in and just says I want a BMW for $299/mo. No other criteria probably. There has to be a reason every single dealership orders all their cars fully loaded in white, black, or some non-color in between.

dino001

I will. These were not the closest dealers anyway. I just thought they'd me extra motivated.

On the color, you're absolutely right. I just can't stand it - black, white, silver, champagne, grey, quartz, more grey, darker grey, lighter grey. Great choice.

andres3

stickguy said:

hopefully the end result is (either before or after the hearing) he walks out of there with a check (or signed legal paperwork to get one shortly). Case just seems so cut and dried, that quite possibly Caddy knows they are not going to win, but have been playing the string it out game all along hoping GG would cave/give up and go away. probably why they tried to slap together the car (as unsafe as it was), just to make him think it was not longer a real lemon situation!

If so, as soon as he walks in with a folder full of paper and a mean look on his face, they will fold and try to just cut the deal. I wonder though, what implications are to actually going to, and losing the arb hearing? That might have to count as an official lemon buy back stat (bad for them) but if they "out of the kindness of their hearts" just take the car back and cancel the hearing, it all gets swept under the carpet. Plus, they can just take the now miraculously fixed CTS and put it right out on the used car lot. Assuming the dealership is stupid enough to do it!

I think this is how Carmax ends up with recent model lemons. Cars that dealers know are lemons but haven't been officially labeled as such. What dealer wants to be known for selling lemons?

ab348

driver100 said:

Stick...I did catch that....I am saying my situation has been compared to GGs. One big difference is I haven't had to have 3, count them - 3 buy backs. All our MBs have performed beautifully.

You keep drawing the comparison between your good Mercedes experiences and his with Cadillac.

Besides, the number is not 3. That's just Cadillacs. Don't forget BMW, Toyota, Audi... is there a pattern here?

Sometimes a business chooses to fire a customer.

28firefighter

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Stick...I did catch that....I am saying my situation has been compared to GGs. One big difference is I haven't had to have 3, count them - 3 buy backs. All our MBs have performed beautifully.

You keep drawing the comparison between your good Mercedes experiences and his with Cadillac.

Besides, the number is not 3. That's just Cadillacs. Don't forget BMW, Toyota, Audi... is there a pattern here?

Sometimes a business chooses to fire a customer.

Maybe I'm missing something, but who has had buybacks from BMW, Toyota and Audi?

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@jmonroe

I read, with interest, your "book", chapter and verse, including the preface.  Great story JM.  I enjoyed it!

Yeh, up for the best non-fiction true story book of the year award. second only in size to War and Peace.

Just for that I am going to post all the conversations I had with my fellow employees and my uncle. The one with my uncle and what transpired after that with my call to the SM is priceless. You'll see. :@

jmonroe

Can't wait

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Stick...I did catch that....I am saying my situation has been compared to GGs. One big difference is I haven't had to have 3, count them - 3 buy backs. All our MBs have performed beautifully.

You keep drawing the comparison between your good Mercedes experiences and his with Cadillac.

Besides, the number is not 3. That's just Cadillacs. Don't forget BMW, Toyota, Audi... is there a pattern here?

Sometimes a business chooses to fire a customer.

I didn't start the comparison thing. Others started to compare my virtual E400 to GGs experience.

Do, you think it is the owners fault these cars are faulty?

Not sure about the others...no proof either way, but if this was the owner (GG) at fault, wouldn't they have just left him in the dust by now? I mean they have, but not even tried to fix his car at all and told him it was driver error, so we are leaving you high and dry.

andres3

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Stick...I did catch that....I am saying my situation has been compared to GGs. One big difference is I haven't had to have 3, count them - 3 buy backs. All our MBs have performed beautifully.

You keep drawing the comparison between your good Mercedes experiences and his with Cadillac.

Besides, the number is not 3. That's just Cadillacs. Don't forget BMW, Toyota, Audi... is there a pattern here?

Sometimes a business chooses to fire a customer.

The way to fire a customer is to give them their money back in full. Not doing so would be like firing an employee and not giving them their back pay that they've already earned.

sb55

@oldfarmer50
I pm'd you.

abacomike

28firefighter said:

Stick...I did catch that....I am saying my situation has been compared to GGs. One big difference is I haven't had to have 3, count them - 3 buy backs. All our MBs have performed beautifully.

You keep drawing the comparison between your good Mercedes experiences and his with Cadillac. Besides, the number is not 3. That's just Cadillacs. Don't forget BMW, Toyota, Audi... is there a pattern here? Sometimes a business chooses to fire a customer.

Maybe I'm missing something, but who has had buybacks from BMW, Toyota and Audi?

I had a 2008 BMW replaced and the replacement had the same fault in the electrical system.  I just went to Mercedes right after that.

roadburner

And now for something completely different...
This is my son's senior year at South Carolina, and being a huge sports fan he managed to find some tickets to the NCAA Regional in Greenville to watch the Gamecocks. As you might know, SC clobbered Duke and is headed to NYC for the Sweet Sixteen. Tonight he called me and told me that-thanks to friends with very affluent parents-he had lined up free tickets and lodging for next weekend- all he needed was $200 for airfare. I figured it was a small price to pay... He sure can't say he had a deprived childhood; he's attended a bunch of NCAA basketball and football games- including three bowl games as as well as a dozen NCAA tournament games.
Not to mention seeing Totenham play the Chicago Fire, an F1 race at Indy, two Indy 500s and a NASCAR race at Sparta KY.

cdnpinhead

andres3 said:

I know a hotel in SF apparently thinks a $50 per night parking fee is appropriate. I remember when Motel 6's rented for less then that!

Hell, I remember when Motel 6s rented for $6, well, not quite -- it was $6.95, and if you wanted to watch the TV you paid extra for the little key that turned a switch on the side. I get the feeling that several of the people here wouldn't board their pets in the kinds of lodging I used in my 20s -- carriage trade, and all that. There are still lots of Motel 6s that go for less than $50/night out in those dreaded red counties in flyover country.

stickguy

that was a great game. Joint was rocking. Not often you get one that is relatively local to both teams like that.

And fun time for him to get to go to NYC on top of it.