Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

driver100

One of the tennis guys this morning has a bit of a job delivering new cars...I think for a rental company. There was a feature on one car that he really liked, but, he can't remember what car it was on...possibly a Lexus or Infinity?

He said the blind spot warning lights were on the inside from windshield pillar instead of on the mirror. He thought that was a much better place to have them. Everyone loves this feature, but, it does sound like something that would be even better on the pillar....that would really be hard to miss.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

maybe you should cook for his dad next year

If he wants to come over here and join us fine.

Does that apply to all of us here on the site too?

abacomike

There is one thing I really like about having your own turkey as opposed to eating out - that's the "leftovers"! Last night, after dinner, I finished carving the rest of the turkey. On one plate I put the remaining leg and thigh along with the two wings and covered it with plastic wrap. I then finished carving the left breast and then cut out the entire right breast as one whole piece and wrapped that in plastic wrap.

For lunch today, I unwrapped the carved white meat, spread some mayo on two pieces of white toast, put the turkey on the toast, and cut it in to a sandwich. It was outstanding. I now have one whole breast which I will carve when making a sandwich. Dad thinks I'm having turkey and stuffing with him tonight for dinner - WRONG! He's having turkey (leg and thigh) and the trimmings (cranberry sauce, corn bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc.) I'm having something else. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing, in my opinion. Tomorrow evening, I'll carve some turkey, but I've had enough until then.

abacomike

Thanks to Snake, I don't have to worry about Thanksgiving next year. I'm just going to put my Dad on a plane and send him up to Snake's for the weekend. Me - I'm staying home and taking it easy!

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

maybe you should cook for his dad next year

If he wants to come over here and join us fine.

Does that apply to all of us here on the site too?

Yes just show up at 1060 W. Addison, Chicago, IL.

stever

abacomike said:

For lunch today, I unwrapped the carved white meat, spread some mayo on two pieces of white toast, put the turkey on the toast, and cut it in to a sandwich. It was outstanding.

lol, that's exactly what I'm doing this very minute. With a side of dressing and a yam.

By the way, in some dealerships the "fleet" manager operates just like the "internet manager" described. Just another word for salesperson.

explorerx4

Yes just show up at 1060 W. Addison, Chicago, IL.

In a black Dodge Monaco?

snakeweasel

explorerx4 said:

Yes just show up at 1060 W. Addison, Chicago, IL.

In a black Dodge Monaco?

Nope, it has to be black with a white roof and white front doors.

Bonus points if you have an over-sized speaker on the roof.

mako1a

Wrigley Field eh, snake?

driver100

I got a letter from an assistant to the President of Audi Canada just now. I read it, and really need your opinion on what to do. This reply is to an actual letter I sent...GG said that was the best way to get a response.

Here is the slightly altered email I got:

(Mr President) would like to thank you for your letter regarding the unexpected clutch repair recently performed at Audi ___________. A copy has been forwarded to me for review and response on his behalf. We are disappointed to learn of the circumstances that prompted you to contact us.



We have discussed this matter with both Audi Centre Oakville and our technical representatives. They diagnosed your vehicle with a worn clutch which is not considered a manufacturing defect. Although the dealer did already offer assistance on the repair, we have reviewed your request and would like to extend an offer to you for a $500 dealer credit as a final goodwill gesture on the matter.



If you wish to accept our offer, please reply to this email and we will send you a letter confirming our dealer credit.



If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to contact us at

Here is my problem, what do I do with a $500 dealer credit? I have bought pre-service for oil changes. The car only goes 5000 miles a year so I shouldn't need tires or hopefully other parts.
I don't think I would use the $500 to buy another Audi. They don't even have a shop that sells overpriced useless merchandise like bmw has.

Should I accept their offer and call it quits or go to arbitration. I just read auto companies hate going to small claims court. I also sent my problem to autoMD where mechanics give you free advice...if you're lucky.
I am leaning toward telling them the offer is a nice gesture but doesn't solve the problem or benefit me. Like stever said, does Audi always make flawless cars with parts that never breakdown.....and how can they be certain the parts wore out from the driver?

abacomike

mako1a said:

Wrigley Field eh, snake?

Yep, that's the address for Wrigley Field in Chicago.  Been there many, many times.  Used to have season tickets to see the Bears play when they played at Wrigley Field in the 60's and 70's, before they moved to Soldier's Field.  Also, saw many home runs hit into left and left center fields.

Too cold there for Thanksgiving next year!

abacomike

@driver100‌

Driver, see if they will send you a gift card for $500 which you can use to buy gasoline and explain to them that you won't be able to use the dealer credit since you have pre-paid maintenance already.

If they are not willing to accommodate you by issuing a gift card, tell them you have no choice but to go to arbitration.

They will probably state in arbitration that they offered you a dealer credit - which is a nice gesture.  It shows them in good light and you refused it.  

Try for the gift card first.  If they say no, then you go to arbitration.

driver100

abacomike said:

@driver100‌

Driver, see if they will send you a gift card for $500 which you can use to buy gasoline and explain to them that you won't be able to use the dealer credit since you have pre-paid maintenance already.

If they are not willing to accommodate you by issuing a gift card, tell them you have no choice but to go to arbitration.

They will probably state in arbitration that they offered you a dealer credit - which is a nice gesture.  It shows them in good light and you refused it.  

Try for the gift card first.  If they say no, then you go to arbitration.

Good thought. A $500 credit almost sounds like I can expect more problems and this can be used to offset the next repair bill.

I think they are bluffing....they still say it is a wear and tear item even though the dealer kind of acknowledged that it wasn't by offering a discount on the repair, and now they just want to get rid of me with a useless credit that could only be used to uy another Audi....which is the last thing I intend to do.

explorerx4

Too cold there for Thanksgiving next year!

Too cold?
We went to an outdoor hockey game at Soldier Field in Feb 2013.

abacomike

explorerx4 said:

Too cold there for Thanksgiving next year! Too cold? We went to an outdoor hockey game at Soldier Field in Feb 2013.

You have to understand the life of a southerner - I do not own a pair of gloves, a ski jacket, or even a wool sweater.  I own one pair of jeans and several sweatshirts and hoodies, and the rest of what I own are short sleeve golf shirts and 6-7 pairs of shorts.  I own one pair of dress slacks and I do not own a suit or sport jacket.

Like I said - too cold for Thanksgiving next year!

thebean

I think I might tell 'em to pound sand and go to either arbitration or small claims court.  In for a dime, in for a dollar.  Of course it's easy for someone like me who is not involved to say what I would do.  

ab348

abacomike said:

For lunch today, I unwrapped the carved white meat, spread some mayo on two pieces of white toast, put the turkey on the toast, and cut it in to a sandwich. It was outstanding.

I like mayo on one slice of the bread and leftover cranberry sauce on the other. Bonus if you have leftover stuffing in there too.

abacomike

thebean said:

I think I might tell 'em to pound sand and go to either arbitration or small claims court.  In for a dime, in for a dollar.  Of course it's easy for someone like me who is not involved to say what I would do.  

We do that all the time here - welcome to the club!!!

fezo

thebean said:

I think I might tell 'em to pound sand and go to either arbitration or small claims court.  In for a dime, in for a dollar.  Of course it's easy for someone like me who is not involved to say what I would do.  

I'll second that one. It seems to me they know they are wrong and are trying to find the sweet spot to get you to cave. I think if you do small claims court or arbitration you're going to win.

robr2

driver100 said:

Good thought. A $500 credit almost sounds like I can expect more problems and this can be used to offset the next repair bill.

I think they are bluffing....they still say it is a wear and tear item even though the dealer kind of acknowledged that it wasn't by offering a discount on the repair, and now they just want to get rid of me with a useless credit that could only be used to uy another Audi....which is the last thing I intend to do.

Nah, the dealer offered you the discount on the repair as a good will gesture out of pocket.

If I were you, I'd take the $500 in a gift card and move on with life. There are more important things than a few hundred bucks.

imidazol97

robr2 said:

driver100 said:

Good thought. A $500 credit almost sounds like I can expect more problems and this can be used to offset the next repair bill.

If I were you, I'd take the $500 in a gift card and move on with life. There are more important things than a few hundred bucks.

I think your real problem is 1500 miles or so. If you were with the car in Canada, you could take the parts to a knowledgeable mechanic and ask if this is clearly only possible from abusive use of the clutch or if there is something else that might have caused the problem.

You can't afford to fly back to hope to get the information and get a better position for negotiating. You probably don't want to have your daughter take the parts to a mechanic to act as an intermediary to get the information for you. Perhaps she could have the Audi expert mechanic give you a report in writing or have him/her call you.

You are hoist on your petard because of the distance. So I suggest asking for a gift card or cash settlement rather than a dealer credit and getting on with life.

fezo

Meanwhile, Gasbuddy sent me a message yesterday - the first they ever did that - advising if possible to not buy gas for the next three days as prices are going to substantially fall.

I'm really enjoying this. We're at $2.59 right now and I'm holding out for those three days.

Essentially what is happening is that Saudi Arabia is trying to make shale oil unprofitable. This is great news. For one, even at current prices which are dropping like a stone, shale is still profitable. Assuming they manage to get to the point where it's not it's the small time guys who are highly leveraged that are going to go under and if the price returns to where it is profitable someone else will jump in on the shale. I'm just as happy keeping shale at a minimum and holding it for emergency. Oil is a dirty biz no matter how you get it but shale is more so.

The really fun part is seeing who is most vulnerable to the price drop - Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela... Gee, what a shame... The Saudis, Kuwait and the UAE have huge amounts of money socked away for just such things. The others don't and Russia funds 45% of their economy with oil. Couldn't happen to nicer guys.

OPEC has been asking Brazil to limit production (they and Russia aren't in OPEC and Brazil basically told them to pound tar sand. Good for them.

If this holds steady for a while my 6 will be easy to run and I can guarantee you my next car will be more economical. If I shop as gas prices are falling I can probably steal an economical car while those who aren't thinking are out buying big SUVs. Works for me.

fezo

robr2 said:

driver100 said:

Good thought. A $500 credit almost sounds like I can expect more problems and this can be used to offset the next repair bill.

I think they are bluffing....they still say it is a wear and tear item even though the dealer kind of acknowledged that it wasn't by offering a discount on the repair, and now they just want to get rid of me with a useless credit that could only be used to uy another Audi....which is the last thing I intend to do.

Nah, the dealer offered you the discount on the repair as a good will gesture out of pocket.

If I were you, I'd take the $500 in a gift card and move on with life. There are more important things than a few hundred bucks.

But they haven't offered him a $500 gift card. Just Audi credit he's unlikely to use. I say go for it! If they do offer it as a gift card good anywhere that could change the equation but, having had a similar experience with Volkswagen years ago, I'd hold out for the whole thing.

driver100

thebean said:

I think I might tell 'em to pound sand and go to either arbitration or small claims court.  In for a dime, in for a dollar.  Of course it's easy for someone like me who is not involved to say what I would do.  

Between your reply and Mikes this is what I am thinking of saying - this is just rough notes, not the final copy..

Thank you for acknowledging your concern with our clutch problem which we cannot believe was caused by wear and tear. Since we have paid for servicing the car in advance, and since we would hope not to have any further issues with the car for the next 2 years (24 more months of warranty), the service credit is pretty well useless for us.

If you would refund $500 cash from our repair bill we would accept that.

Otherwise we'll proceed to resolve this issue through small claims court or through arbitration (CAMVAP).

Sincerely,

driver100

fezo said:

thebean said:

I think I might tell 'em to pound sand and go to either arbitration or small claims court.  In for a dime, in for a dollar.  Of course it's easy for someone like me who is not involved to say what I would do.  

I'll second that one. It seems to me they know they are wrong and are trying to find the sweet spot to get you to cave. I think if you do small claims court or arbitration you're going to win.

Very good comments fezo. I like getting another perspective...I see it that way to. They want to see what the lowest amount is I'll take......after all.these are car people, worse than dealing with salesmen (just joking Mike ).

imidazol97

fezo said:

Brazil basically told them to pound tar sand. Good for them.

LOL

abacomike

@driver100‌

Driver, I was a teacher for 8 years and a school administrator for 25 years - I was in the car business for only 10 years.  No need to apologize to me - remember I despise car salesmen and car dealerships for the most part!

driver100

robr2 said:

driver100 said:

Good thought. A $500 credit almost sounds like I can expect more problems and this can be used to offset the next repair bill.

I think they are bluffing....they still say it is a wear and tear item even though the dealer kind of acknowledged that it wasn't by offering a discount on the repair, and now they just want to get rid of me with a useless credit that could only be used to uy another Audi....which is the last thing I intend to do.

Nah, the dealer offered you the discount on the repair as a good will gesture out of pocket.

If I were you, I'd take the $500 in a gift card and move on with life. There are more important things than a few hundred bucks.

I don't think the dealer does that because they felt sorry for us. They did it because that was the most they could do for us without losing actual dollars.

$500 credit at the dealer is almost useless. If I needed tires for my Benz I would use it for that. Maybe I could sell the credit to someone for $400....but that's a lot of trouble.

I've told the story so I won't repeat it but Bell wanted to charge me $250 for a long distance call. I said it was impossible for me to talk that way, and then I proved it because my battery wouldn't last for 6 hours. I said I'll pay for the 5 minutes I used or I go to the FCC. They said they would split the bill. I said 5 minutes or I go to FCC. They cancelled the bill...this could be the same.

Besides, it's the principle and my wife is upset that they say it is her fault when she knows it isn't. Have a spine man Stand up for what is right....and truth and justice and the American Way.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

If you would refund $500 cash from our repair bill we would accept that.
Otherwise we'll proceed to resolve this issue through small claims court or through arbitration (CAMVAP).

May I suggest some additions:
"If you will refund $500 cash from our repair bill, we will accept that as an adequate resolution and be satisfied.
"Otherwise, we will be put in the position of needing to resolve this issue through small claims court or through arbitration (CAMVAP)."

That makes it clear you would be satisfied with the $500 in some cash equivalent rather than a store credit and that you are willing to negotiate, AND show that they would be PUTTING you in the position of having to seek further mitigation of what you believe are damages if they don't try further to accommodate you.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

robr2 said:

driver100 said:

Good thought. A $500 credit almost sounds like I can expect more problems and this can be used to offset the next repair bill.

If I were you, I'd take the $500 in a gift card and move on with life. There are more important things than a few hundred bucks.

I think your real problem is 1500 miles or so. If you were with the car in Canada, you could take the parts to a knowledgeable mechanic and ask if this is clearly only possible from abusive use of the clutch or if there is something else that might have caused the problem.

You can't afford to fly back to hope to get the information and get a better position for negotiating. You probably don't want to have your daughter take the parts to a mechanic to act as an intermediary to get the information for you. Perhaps she could have the Audi expert mechanic give you a report in writing or have him/her call you.

You are hoist on your petard because of the distance. So I suggest asking for a gift card or cash settlement rather than a dealer credit and getting on with life.

I can't fly back but I would arrange to go to arbitration after we get back in April. I do have the parts in the trunk, so I will get a mechanic to check it out. But, I am pretty sure that a worn clutch will be a worn clutch....the part that was defective was probably fixed when the clutch was removed...they can add a spring, oil a part, tighten a screw once it is out of the car.

But, how did they know it was wear and tear before they even took it out of the car? And they assumed it was W&T before the part was checked.

No, I'll make arrangements to go to arbitration once we go back. I don't mind paying if it was our fault...I just hate being ripped off. Like I said, I would have gone 50/50, I am a reasonable and fairly rational human being.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

If you would refund $500 cash from our repair bill we would accept that.
Otherwise we'll proceed to resolve this issue through small claims court or through arbitration (CAMVAP).

May I suggest some additions:
"If you will refund $500 cash from our repair bill, we will accept that as an adequate resolution and be satisfied.
"Otherwise, we will be put in the position of needing to resolve this issue through small claims court or through arbitration (CAMVAP)."

That makes it clear you would be satisfied with the $500 in some cash equivalent rather than a store credit and that you are willing to negotiate, AND show that they would be PUTTING you in the position of having to seek further mitigation of what you believe are damages if they don't try further to accommodate you.

I like that.....it is very clear, and will give them something to think about.

nelsonf

Could you ask the dealership to exchange the credit for a check? They seem to have been trying to help you out so far.

Nelson

robr2

driver100 said:

Have a spine man Stand up for what is right....and truth and justice and the American Way.

I do have a spine. But I also know that there is a point that fighting is only going to piss me off even more. Life is better spent without having to carry a grudge.

If you really feel that it was defective, then take the time and spend the money prove it. You have the parts, then pay someone to look at them.

abacomike

@driver100‌

Driver, the parts will only prove that the clutch was worn/burned up rather than prove the clutch assembly and accompanying housing and attachments were defective.  A mechanic will not be able to testify whether or not the clutch was defective.

Take the credit and run!  You can use the dealership credit to purchase anything in their parts department, boutique or anything else.  Buy your wife a nice Audi Jacket/coat, blouses, or any other boutique items.

There has to be a point where you realize it just isn't worth the time or aggravation to pursue this any further.

Swallow your pride on this one - just don't ever buy another Audi.  The dealership ate a nice chunk of the bill - they did their job.  

I am not going to fight Mercedes on this terrible mess - but I will tell everyone I know (and many I don't know) about Mercedes Benz's lack of concern or assistance in this horrible mess they put me in.  It just isn't worth any additional stress.

driver100

nelsonf said:

Could you ask the dealership to exchange the credit for a check? They seem to have been trying to help you out so far.

Nelson

I don't think the dealer will do that. This is a scheme so that Audi head office gets off at a discounted rate. The dealer will probably have to claim from Audi H.O. I am sure they feel this will be of some value to me and won't cost them much. The dealer has done all they can do. They don't want to be bothered any more.....interesting though they asked more from Audi...almost like admitting they thought Audi HO should pay up.

fezo

Why on earth would she want an Audi jacket or trinkets given the ill will generated?

That part I don't get.

I understand letting it go and be done but I think what Audi is offering to driver is useless to him.

driver100

robr2 said:

driver100 said:

Have a spine man Stand up for what is right....and truth and justice and the American Way.

I do have a spine. But I also know that there is a point that fighting is only going to piss me off even more. Life is better spent without having to carry a grudge.

If you really feel that it was defective, then take the time and spend the money prove it. You have the parts, then pay someone to look at them.

I was joking about the spine...and I usually like to take the route of less stress too, but, I don't like to be scammed. I would gladly have the parts examined, I just don't think they can get any real information from the parts. Yhe clutch will be show wear, how do we know if it was my wife who caused it - could be a faulty spring, loose part, lack of lubricant, something stuck....who knows. That's why even 50/50 would be somewhat fair....but, if they are going to be stubborn I will go for the whole enchilada.

ab348

I was wondering the same thing. You had mentioned you felt the service manager was trying his best to help you out. Presumably you paid the $1650 on a credit card. Do you think he would reverse that charge off your card when you get the Audi credit and then recharge you less the credit?

abacomike

ab348 said:

I was wondering the same thing. You had mentioned you felt the service manager was trying his best to help you out. Presumably you paid the $1650 on a credit card. Do you think he would reverse that charge off your card when you get the Audi credit and then recharge you less the credit?

Great idea - kill two birds with one stone.  It would just require a few bookkeeping maneuvers in their accounting department.

fezo

That would be a great solution if they're up to it and would stay with driver's 50-50 goal.

roadburner

driver100 said:

robr2 said:

driver100 said:

Have a spine man Stand up for what is right....and truth and justice and the American Way.

I do have a spine. But I also know that there is a point that fighting is only going to piss me off even more. Life is better spent without having to carry a grudge.

If you really feel that it was defective, then take the time and spend the money prove it. You have the parts, then pay someone to look at them.

I was joking about the spine...and I usually like to take the route of less stress too, but, I don't like to be scammed. I would gladly have the parts examined, I just don't think they can get any real information from the parts. Yhe clutch will be show wear, how do we know if it was my wife who caused it - could be a faulty spring, loose part, lack of lubricant, something stuck....who knows. That's why even 50/50 would be somewhat fair....but, if they are going to be stubborn I will go for the whole enchilada.

You might also mention that this whole fiasco has caused more than a few of your online friends to reconsider shopping for an Audi- it has essentially confirmed my suspicion that VAG prizes pinching pennies over decent customer relations...

driver100

fezo said:

Why on earth would she want an Audi jacket or trinkets given the ill will generated?

That part I don't get.

I understand letting it go and be done but I think what Audi is offering to driver is useless to him.

My thoughts exactly fezo, besides, I didn't see an Audi store. BMW has nice coats and jackets...I did get my wife one and it is great, but highly overpriced.

The $500 worth of service is like getting nothing unless another wear and tear part goes. Basically, they are giving me nothing of any value to me....I've gone through a lot to get this far.

driver100

abacomike said:

ab348 said:

I was wondering the same thing. You had mentioned you felt the service manager was trying his best to help you out. Presumably you paid the $1650 on a credit card. Do you think he would reverse that charge off your card when you get the Audi credit and then recharge you less the credit?

Great idea - kill two birds with one stone.  It would just require a few bookkeeping maneuvers in their accounting department.

Excellent point ab348. I guess I would have to clarify what the $500 service really means. I would think that the dealer can't just hand it in and get $500. If that was the case they would just hand me the $500. Also, if it is true, it would mean I would have to go through a whole big thing with the dealer....if it goes against Audi HO the dealer won't want to risk doing something that could get them into trouble.

driver100

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

robr2 said:

driver100 said:

Have a spine man Stand up for what is right....and truth and justice and the American Way.

I do have a spine. But I also know that there is a point that fighting is only going to piss me off even more. Life is better spent without having to carry a grudge.

If you really feel that it was defective, then take the time and spend the money prove it. You have the parts, then pay someone to look at them.

I was joking about the spine...and I usually like to take the route of less stress too, but, I don't like to be scammed. I would gladly have the parts examined, I just don't think they can get any real information from the parts. Yhe clutch will be show wear, how do we know if it was my wife who caused it - could be a faulty spring, loose part, lack of lubricant, something stuck....who knows. That's why even 50/50 would be somewhat fair....but, if they are going to be stubborn I will go for the whole enchilada.

You might also mention that this whole fiasco has caused more than a few of your online friends to reconsider shopping for an Audi- it has essentially confirmed my suspicion that VAG prizes pinching pennies over decent customer relations...

You are right about them losing customers over pinched pennies. If they fixed the car with no question there was a good chance we would get another one next time. Now, the possibility is extremely low, almost zero.

I don't think it will help to tell them that or that I have told others about my Audi/VW experience, it is better if they think I may be interested in buying another one.

driver100

abacomike said:

ab348 said:

I was wondering the same thing. You had mentioned you felt the service manager was trying his best to help you out. Presumably you paid the $1650 on a credit card. Do you think he would reverse that charge off your card when you get the Audi credit and then recharge you less the credit?

Great idea - kill two birds with one stone.  It would just require a few bookkeeping maneuvers in their accounting department.

I get the impression the dealer knows the rules. You can do what you want to do at dealer level, but Audi HO lays down the rules. I don't think they would risk their relationship/franchise to do something HO didn't intend on doing.

nyccarguy

@driver100‌

I've been following your clutch fiasco. @ab348 has the best idea. Now I know this really does suck. Your car is brand new (10K miles), it wasn't abused at all, & driven by a mature woman with decades of MT driving experience. It might not give you a hint of trouble ever again. Other than this, you seem to be happy with the way the car drives.

At 52,000 miles, I had to replace the clutch on my Prelude. It was my 1st MT car, but I didn't race it, or abuse the car in any way. I was under the impression that a clutch lasts about 100K miles, so when I got that call from my service advisor I wasn't too pleased. Then when he told me how much it costs to replace a clutch on a Prelude Type SH ($2,100), I almost lost it. I thought a clutch replacement was a $1,000 job. Clutch replacement on my Prelude requires removal & reinstallation of the ATTS unit which adds about 5 additional hours of labor hours to the job. I came very close to trading the car in, but there was nothing out there that I LOVED (that wasn't a $50K ///M3 anyway). So I bit the bullet, and discussed my options with my trusted service advisor. I bought an aftermarket (Centerforce) clutch and used the new Honda Pressure Plate & Throw Out Bearing. My car just ticked over the 155K mark (I've got over 100K on the replacement clutch), so I can officially tell you that it was Honda's weak clutch that failed prematurely.

nyccarguy

@oldfarmer50‌

I saw my first '15 Mustang "in the wild" tonight. Dark Blue. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it coming up in the rear view mirror. Looks MUCH better in person than in the pictures!

oldfarmer50

fezo said:

Meanwhile, Gasbuddy sent me a message yesterday - the first they ever did that - advising if possible to not buy gas for the next three days as prices are going to substantially fall.

I'm really enjoying this. We're at $2.59 right now and I'm holding out for those three days.

Essentially what is happening is that Saudi Arabia is trying to make shale oil unprofitable. This is great news. For one, even at current prices which are dropping like a stone, shale is still profitable. Assuming they manage to get to the point where it's not it's the small time guys who are highly leveraged that are going to go under and if the price returns to where it is profitable someone else will jump in on the shale. I'm just as happy keeping shale at a minimum and holding it for emergency. Oil is a dirty biz no matter how you get it but shale is more so.

The really fun part is seeing who is most vulnerable to the price drop - Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela... Gee, what a shame... The Saudis, Kuwait and the UAE have huge amounts of money socked away for just such things. The others don't and Russia funds 45% of their economy with oil. Couldn't happen to nicer guys.

OPEC has been asking Brazil to limit production (they and Russia aren't in OPEC and Brazil basically told them to pound tar sand. Good for them.

If this holds steady for a while my 6 will be easy to run and I can guarantee you my next car will be more economical. If I shop as gas prices are falling I can probably steal an economical car while those who aren't thinking are out buying big SUVs. Works for me.

Smart idea. This is a great opportunity to sell a gas guzzler or buy a gas sipper as the general public is....well....stupid. No historical memory at all.

Don't expect these gas prices to last. I've seen these price wars before (remember $1 gas during the Clinton administration) but if it continues too long the government will sieze the opportunity to raise gas taxes.

ab348

The provincial (state) government here is making noises about introducing a carbon tax. We already have a stiff gas tax but this would replace it and apply to all fossil fuels, so it would cover heating oil, nat gas, coal-fired generation (we have some of that), you name it. They say it would be revenue-neutral as it would go along with changes to the income tax system to compensate.

Say what you want about trusting any government to actually keep its promises but I do have to think that maybe the time has come, especially on vehicle fuel. I just shake my head when I see the number of absolutely massive pickups - especially dolled-up ones like F150 King Ranches, GMC Denalis, etc - taking up 2 (sometimes 4!) spaces in the mall parking lots. These trucks are often driven by pretty 30-something wives and are almost never used for work purposes. I am no environmentalist, but this just seems excessive, almost abusive to our world. Our gas prices would already make most of my American friends here weak in the knees thanks to taxes and yet it has had little apparent effect on this behavior so far.

houdini1

driver100 said:

robr2 said:

driver100 said:

Have a spine man Stand up for what is right....and truth and justice and the American Way.

I do have a spine. But I also know that there is a point that fighting is only going to piss me off even more. Life is better spent without having to carry a grudge.

If you really feel that it was defective, then take the time and spend the money prove it. You have the parts, then pay someone to look at them.

I was joking about the spine...and I usually like to take the route of less stress too, but, I don't like to be scammed. I would gladly have the parts examined, I just don't think they can get any real information from the parts. Yhe clutch will be show wear, how do we know if it was my wife who caused it - could be a faulty spring, loose part, lack of lubricant, something stuck....who knows. That's why even 50/50 would be somewhat fair....but, if they are going to be stubborn I will go for the whole enchilada.

driver, I think that is a good plan. Since they seem willing to negotiate, well, you are negotiating. If they won't budge further I think you have an excellent chance of winning this one.