Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

ab348

@robr2 said:
Jr. grew up in the business and is still the owner. My understanding is that he has surrounded himself with smart managers and is very intelligent about the business. But he knows when to take the advice of his managers. He is in his mid 50's and seems to be going through a mid-life crisis with the long hair, Van [non-permissible content removed] and the band. But music has always been a big part of his life and he uses it as the basis of his foundation.

Thanks for those videos - there were some others there too that came up after those finished. Interesting. Nothing against him, he seems to be doing what he wants to do and has the money to do it. He just doesn't impress me as all that sharp, but who can say. I searched and found that his dealerships all have really lousy ratings on Yelp, even worse than typical, FWIW - I don't know how credible that site is. Buyers really did not seem to like their sales tactics.

stever

Thanks for that @abacomike, got another poster irritated with the system since his salesperson apparently took it in the shorts for an almost perfect survey and it put a sour note on their relationship.

oldfarmer50

@explorerx4 said:
koctails. Mike's point about the sales survey does show you have some leverage. I'm sure the salesperson said something like, 'You may be getting a survey in the mail from Ford Motor Company. If for any reason you can't complete it as completely satisfied, let us know.'
Maybe you can think of something reasonable to negotiate. I doubt if they are going to renegotiate the contract, though.
One caveat, you have to actually get the survey. I had a bad sales/delivery experience one time, and couldn't wait to fill it out, but it never showed up.
I called Customer Service and told them I never got the survey. They said it was sent out and asked to verify my information. It turns out my address was listed in the town where I bought the car, over 40 miles from where I lived at the time. It was probably the salesperson's address.

LOL that would be the ultimate in sleazy behavior. Last two new cars I bought I never got a survey from the manufacturer. Got something from J. D. Power which I tossed. If that was the CSI I couldn't tell. I mentioned it to the salesman for my Mitsu and he seemed indifferent. Didn't act like he had any money riding in it.

Maybe the survey went to his house too.

qbrozen

@oldfarmer50 said:
A guy at work just leased a 2014 Accord LX for $89/ month. He was very proud of this. Seeing that some members of this board are doing the same I inquired about the deal. He said he got the deal by putting $4000 down! I think he could have gotten $198/ month with $1000 down and $260/ month with zero down.

Is it 36-mo? Because, actually, rule of thumb on a lease says $30 change in payment per $1k down. So his $0 down number would have been $209. Doesn't sound bad to me.

driver100

RE: BOSH JR. @ab348 said:ting. Nothing against him, he seems to be doing what he wants to do and has the money to do it.

Nothing against Jr either, but, he did inherit the business. That doesn't mean it is a slam dunk to build it into something even more successful, but, it is a nice advantage.

I wish I was given a car dealership when I was a young man. In fact, if there is reincarnation, I will state right now, I'd like to come back as the only son of a major Mercedes dealership.

nyccarguy

I'm one step closer to taking the plunge and punching my CCBA card. I stopped by the Subaru Dealer in Rye, NY where I drove the Impreza last week. This time I stopped by to put the newly redesigned 2015 Subaru Legacy through its paces. My test model was a Legacy Limited.

I sat in the car and adjusted its mirrors while my sales guy attached a demo plate. Dash materials are very high quality and soft touch plastics are everywhere. The seats are padded very hard, almost with a Mercedes-like stiffness.

Foot on the brake, shift into Drive, & off I go. I immediately notice how much more responsive the 2.5L is compared to the 2.0 L in the Impreza. The steering does provide decent feedback for being electric, but its still too light for my tastes (to make matter worse, I drove my BMW today).

I hopped on the highway. The engine pulls strongly while the CVT responds to every stab of the throttle. This car will have absolutely no trouble keeping up traffic at the normal 70 - 75 mph clip I usually cruise at.

My biggest issue with the dashboard is its layout. The tach is on the right and the speedo is on the left (My Hondas and my BMW have tach on the left & speedo on the right). This is going to take some getting used to.

The ride is definitely on the taut side of comfortable. Which is fine by me. It rides very close to an old school Honda before they started softening up the suspensions to market to the Camry crowd.

There is a bit more body roll than I like & I'm used to, but again I'm comparing it to my BMW & my Prelude (with thicker sway bars) so take that with a grain of salt.

Handling characteristics are pretty neutral. I took an off ramp a bit faster than I should have (kept looking down at the tach, thinking it was the speedo) and the Legacy definitely didn't under steer.

Brakes seemed pretty good. Pedal feel was linear and progressive. I'm spoiled by my 328xi's stellar stoppers though.

As you can all tell, I liked the car a lot.

I parked the car and went back into the showroom. The sales guy asks what I think. Then says "you'll be happier with the Legacy coming from a Bimmer." I tell him I like it and am interested in a 2.5i Premium w/ EYESIGHT.

We go inside & he brings his manager over. The manager says, "didn't I see you here last week with a different car?" He asks me some questions about my BMW then asks me if I plan to lease or finance. The manager tells me that the EYESIGHT cars will most likely come in around the end of October, early November. He says "thanks for stopping by." Then my salesman pulls out the binder off his desk. Opens it up, punches the invoice number in for the car & the EYESIGHT option into a calculator. He says: we can order you the car for this. We are low pressure here. Take a day, a week, a month. I'm not going to call you or email you as I sense you seem to know what you want.

So now, what do I do? Should I lease a base 2.5i car for 3 years? Lease or Finance a 2.5i Premium? Or factory order a 2.5i Premium w/ EYESIGHT?

robr2

@driver100 said:
RE: BOSH JR. ab348 said:ting. Nothing against him, he seems to be doing what he wants to do and has the money to do it.

That's true but as I said, he's a pretty smart guy. He grew up in the business and was running most of it while his Dad was alive. Here's a pretty good article with some of his rules for entrepreneurship:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacey-alcorn/the-automatic-life-billio_b_4787641.html

bwia

@driver100 said:

RE: BOSH JR. @ab348 said:ting. Nothing against him, he seems to be doing what he wants to do and has the money to do it.

Nothing against Jr either, but, he did inherit the business. That doesn't mean it is a slam dunk to build it into something even more successful, but, it is a nice advantage.

I wish I was given a car dealership when I was a young man. In fact, if there is reincarnation, I will state right now, I'd like to come back as the only son of a major Mercedes dealership.

Ernie Boch Jr. is a shrewd businessman. Rather than become one of those mega multi-brand dealerships his strategy is to be #1 in a few brands. For example, his Honda and Toyota dealerships are #1 in New England and I believe were #1 in the nation.

Over the years I have purchased an Olds Cutlass (1988), a Honda Civic (2002) and a Toyota Avalon (2000) from the Boch Organization. The Olds dealership is now a used car and repair shop, doing a bang-up job with insurance claims and repairs.

BTW, I believe Ernie Jr. has his own jet (the Norwood Airport is just across the street) and is known to fly to distant places just for a pizza or to play with his band. Eccentric or spoiled millionaire, you decide.

driver100

@nyccarguy said:So now, what do I do? Should I lease a base 2.5i car for 3 years? Lease or Finance a 2.5i Premium? Or factory order a 2.5i Premium w/ EYESIGHT?

Good review NYC...I felt like I was right in the car with you, and I could empathize with what you are trying to accomplish. Get a car that will be satisfactory enough but come within budget.

I think, to answer your question.... Lease or Finance a 2.5i Premium? Or factory order a 2.5i Premium w/ EYESIGHT? it depends on the monthly cost of each, and what your budget will allow. I wouldn't give up anything you really want for a few bucks a month or you will become disatisfied and it may cost you more to get out of it. Leasing is good if it gets you through a tough time and gives you some flexibility, though getting out of a lease can be costly.

I would factory order at this time of year, but, as you said you have a reason why you don't. I think it is best and not much more to drive a one year newer car. I wouldn't get the base model though, get it the way you want it.

The Driver Rule of Thumb about life: Buy what you want within reason, plan your life in a positive way so you will move forward and will like the things you buy and get, but, have a back up plan just in case (kind of a worse case senario plan). Tell us what your thoughts are.

driver100

@robr2 said:He grew up in the business and was running most of it while his Dad was alive. Here's a pretty good article with some of his rules for entrepreneurship:

>

I like good business stories too. I agree with his ideas about running a business. I enjoy music too but I don't think that has much to do with his success. Bosh got a good start, taking over a $billion company to begin with. He stands back and lets the experts do what they do...which is the way to do it. Even if he is just the guy that keeps it all flowing, then he deserves credit. His philosophy about money is probably accurate, it just makes it so you don't have to worry about it, life after that is pretty much the same...3 meals a day, a few hours of TV, maybe play golf or something.

Since family businesses don't usually survive the 2nd and especially the 3rd generation, that alone is an accomplishment.

Sounds like the kind of guy that would be interesting to get together with.

roadburner

Too funny- I should know better, but I saw a car on Oxmoor Ford's website and hit the "Ask a Question" link to ask if the car had HID headlamps. Here is what I received:

Hello RB,

Thank you for submitting your vehicle inquiry to Oxmoor Ford Lincoln. We have not only quoted the vehicle you requested, but have also provided several similar versions of this vehicle in an effort to give you a comprehensive view of the different options that are available in our inventory.

Additionally, we have provided some great values we can offer you from our new vehicle inventory. At Oxmoor Ford Lincoln we have a wide variety of vehicles for you to choose from and will work with you to find something that will meet your needs. Please call or stop by anytime if you have questions or simply to take a test drive.

And people still ask why I refer to the dealer group as "Oxmorons"

isellhondas

@koctailz said:
abacomike driver100 I did receive a survey in my email from fordquicktouch@researchhq.com I was planning on blasting them on it.

I was also planning on talking to finance manager or sales manager regarding my experience and do so in a polite manner. I know yelling and swearing never ends with a good result. I will bring up the survey and ask them how much a good review is worth to them.$$. I have a feeling they don't give a crap. All of the Ford dealers in my area have poor online reviews. You have to go out of the bay area a bit to find some that have better reviews.

also when I bought the car by the time we were done it was 9pm on friday and dealer was closed and didn't have time to prep and wash car. they told me to call and come back to get it washed. i have called 3 times with no call back. im making sure these guys wash the car even if i have to drive it onto the showroom floor.

I'm disappointed that you would consider selling yourself out for giving a good survey.

You expected honesty from that store. You should do likewise with your survey.

mako1a

I don't remember where I got this article on the big Tesla plant, but it is sure worth a read.
forbes.com/sites/markrogowsky/2014/07/29/all-in-tesla-panasonic-could-announce-nevada-gigafactory-deal-this-week/

The Tesla 3 excites me more than any Mustang to date.

abacomike

@isellhondas said:
You expected honesty from that store. You should do likewise with your survey.

Here, here, Isell! Great answer!

I still maintain that going in to see the Manager or Owner of the dealership will do nothing for koctail - best thing to do is complete the survey honestly and send it in. Let the dealership determine if further contact with a disgruntled customer is warranted.

The damage is/was done - nothing can correct that now.

henryn

@isellhondas said:

>

I'm disappointed that you would consider selling yourself out for giving a good survey.

>

You expected honesty from that store. You should do likewise with your survey.

I understand your point completely, and basically I agree with you.

But ... (you knew there was a "but" coming, didn't you? )

The way this game is setup, by the manufacturer's, any survey that is less than perfect is in fact a failing grade. So they (the dealer and the manufacturer) are asking you to lie from the beginning. Where exactly does honesty and integrity came into that?

oldfarmer50

@ab348 said:
. I searched and found that his dealerships all have really lousy ratings on Yelp, even worse than typical, FWIW - I don't know how credible that site is. Buyers really did not seem to like their sales tactics.

Yelp has credibility problems of it's own. Just heard they got sued by a business owner whose Yelp ratings dropped after he refused to pay them $1000 a month.

oldfarmer50

@qbrozen said:
"... Doesn't sound bad too me.."

I may be misremembering the zero down number. Might have been $230 not $260 but wasn't as low as $209. I'm not saying he got a bad deal just that he didn't really know anything but the monthly payment. If he got a bargain it was all from the dealer.

He also did his deal backwards from how most on here would do it. You guys would figure from zero down.

His only certain mistake was the $700 mop&glo.

laurasdada

@roadburner said:
GEICO declared war on radar detectors so I will never patronize them.

That is how I think of GEICO, too! Whenever I see their ads, I think of their stance on detectors. More tickets=higher rates!

abacomike

@laurasdada said:
That is how I think of GEICO, too! Whenever I see their ads, I think of their stance on detectors. More tickets=higher rates!

I never knew they were "anti-radar-detectors"! I don't use one, so it really doesn't bother me at all. I don't usually go over the speed limit. How do they know if you are using one or not? Do they have "drones" overhead following cars that are insured by them to see if there is a radar detector in the front windshield?

I have checked with all the major insurance companies and have not been able to beat Geico's rates down here in Southeast Florida. I wish I could. I would love to have Liberty Mutual or Nationwide or Allstate or Farmer's or any Tier 1 rated insurance company - but they are $300+ a year more than Geico for the same exact coverage.

I just checked with Geico for rates on the 2015 E400 Sedan, and my rates will actually decrease $50.00 every six months ($100.00 per year) when the new car is insured next month. So my semi-annual premium then becomes $650.00. That is significantly below the other companies down here.

oldfarmer50

Bet this new happened at Chick-fil-a.

http://consumerist.com/2014/09/04/mcdonalds-customers-injured-when-golden-arches-fall-on-their-vehicles/

laurasdada

I don't remember the details, but years ago GEICO came out in favor of banning detectors. Or supporting states that banned them. Don't know if there's any relationship with their rates/using a detector.

IIRC, banning detectors can be considered illegal in that they operate on the public airwaves. They are simply receiving signals broadcast over the public domain frequencies. They used to be illegal in CT, no more.

explorerx4

@michaell, one of my kids used to work on the BMW Golf account in 2012. Not sure if she ever made it to Colorado.

verdugo

@nyccarguy said:

Interesting point that he's telling me the invoice is $24,622, but when I calculate it here on edmunds, it comes out to $24,277. Why the $345 discrepancy?

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/impreza/impreza2014.html#prices

Has all the info you'd ever want to know about Subarus.

driver100

@abacomike said:I still maintain that going in to see the Manager or Owner of the dealership will do nothing for koctail - best thing to do is complete the survey honestly and send it in. Let the dealership determine if further contact with a disgruntled customer is warranted.

And I think there is nothing wrong in going in and explaining to the manager/or owner why you are disatisfied with the treatment you received. If you do it in a non-adversarial businesslike fashion then you are reasonable and should be heard.

I don't think the survey or consumer sites should be used as blackmail, but, I do think you can fill it out and state the reasons you were not satisfied and you can tell the manager you are going to do it.

Here is the reason why I think this is fair and reasonable. In my business, I tried to be as fair and honest as possible, to my customers, suppliers and employees. However, I found that very dishonest people can take advantage of my honesty and fairness. So, I had to make a new rule:
I will be as honest and fair as I can possibly be.....BUT....if you do anything dishonest or not fair to me, I will use similar methods to defend myself if I have to. I do this because you CANNOT be fair and reasonable to certain people, they will walk all over you.

verdugo

@koctailz said:
Thanks for all the info guys...

explorerx4 I leased a 2014 Ford CMax Energi. I bought it for the carpool stickers basically! This vehicle receives a $6500 lease rebate and the way that is calculated in the lease is very convoluted and I spent a lot of time reviewing this instead of the lease rate.

That's the same car we leased. It was nice that the sticker got extended until 1/1/2019.

Get your green sticker as soon as you can (I think you have to wait for your plates.) Less than 3,000 left.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm

Per budget trailer bill, SB 853 (Statutes 2014, chapter 27), the green decal limit has been increased by 15,000 to a total of 55,000 stickers.
As of August 25, 2014, 52,034 "green" stickers have been issued. Green stickers are valid through January 1, 2019.

driver100

@isellhondas said: You expected honesty from that store. You should do likewise with your survey.

I think he can and should be honest with his survey. He feels cheated by a salesman who deceived him. At the end of negotiations both parties should feel they made a good deal. The salesman did a bait and switch move...either on purpose or by accident, in either case it should be fixed. The dealer won't be out anything.....he'll just make the profit he should have made...not some bonus because of a small human mistake the customer made.

abacomike

@driver100 said:

"I think he can and should be honest with his survey. He feels cheated by a salesman who deceived him."

Driver, he was not deceived by the salesman solely - the manager sets the pricing and constructs the lease using money factors which is then converted to a monthly payment.

So it was the sales manager and/or the finance manager who really was at fault! The salesman just presents the numbers.

In today's dealerships, the salesman does not develop the offers - it's the manager at the sales desk who sets pricing and lease constructs.

stever

@laurasdada said:
That is how I think of GEICO, too! Whenever I see their ads, I think of their stance on detectors. More tickets=higher rates!

Whenever I see their ads, I think how much cheaper their insurance would be if they weren't spending so much money on marketing. Ditto Progressive. But I'll buy on price (I've had the same insurance for four years - that's a record for me, but I'll go with a new company soon since we've moved).

robr2

Back in the 80's, Geico did make a conscious decision to not insure anyone with a radar detector. Their reasoning was that users of radar detectors have an inclination towards speeding which is a risky behavior in the eyes of an insurer.

I did a google search for the topic and there wasn't one example of it actually happening today. Lots of discussion group fodder saying that "they heard" or "I had a friend whose cousin's wife's old boss..."

driver100

abacomike So it was the sales manager and/or the finance manager who really was at fault! The salesman just presents the numbers> @abacomike said:
>

Mike, I guess I missed that part...if I am dealing with a salesperson that is the person who gets on the computer and comes up with the amount. When I bought the Mercedes I never saw a manager, the salesman didn't leave my sight...he wrote up the deal, he gave me the discount.

But, whether it was the salesman or the manager, our friend was taken advantage of. I know he signed and is legally committed to what is on paper, but, if the dealership personnel were really fair, they would know they mislead their customer, accidentally or on purpose, and if they are decent human beings, they will modify the invoice.

driver100

@stever said:I think how much cheaper their insurance would be if they weren't spending so much money on marketing.

Not necessarily. Rates could be cheap because of the volume of business they do....they get that volume because of the ads. Some companies work on no advertising low volume principle, some on lots of advertising = high volume = lower prices principle. If no one knows about them volume will be less, prices will be higher.

Just a business decision.

abacomike

@driver100 said:

"When I bought the Mercedes I never saw a manager, the salesman didn't leave my sight...he wrote up the deal, he gave me the discount."

They must do things differently in Canada when it comes to arriving at a selling price. In every dealership I've worked for, only the sales manager has the authority to agree to a selling price for a vehicle. The salesman is not authorized to develop a final selling price for a vehicle.

As for ordering a car, I can honestly tell you I do not know what my final selling price will be next month for the car I ordered. I know I will be paying invoice less $500 for my Mercedes Benz Club Discount less whatever USAA's incentive will be (no yet published - and won't be until the 2015's hit the dealerships).

I do not know what the dealership will offer me for my 2014 CLS550, but it should be around $62,000+/-, depending on auction pricing.

What surprises me is that your dealership has put in writing exactly what they will give your 2012 BMW almost 2 months before your new car arrives. 4% off MSRP is understandable, of course. But I assume you have all of this in writing signed by the sales manager. If not, there may be some surprises in store for you when your new car arrives.

dino001

I know one thing about car insurance - stay too long and you are paying 20-30% more than others, it's guaranteed. They see each renewal as an invitation to raise the price next time. The only exception was Progressive that kepts its rate for several years, even lowered at some point, then they woke up and hit me with two sequential 15% increases. I took the first one, but after the second I called and the lady said it's the way it is, so I thanked them and moved away back to the old rate.

The insurers generally don't care about keeping current business - it's a different department. New business is what counts - of course they subsidize it through marketing budget, hoping you'll not move again when the honeymoon is over.

Another time Ameriprise raised its rate by 40% with attached letter of adverse credit due to rapid increase of debt - it was just because I refinanced my house, but the old debt did not drop from the record yet at time they were drafting the renewal. When I called them just before the actual renewal time (I got a notice two months in advance) and told check my credit now, the lady said new rate wasn't related to the credit. Really, so what was that adverse credit letter about? I thanked them for their business and moved on with Allstate, current with them. They are creeping the rates slowly up, last time 10%, this time 5%, if they keep it up that way, within next two-three cycles I'll have to thank them and ask somebody else.

It's generally not good to go from one to another too often - it will catch up with you. However, three-four years is just the sweet spot for me.

BTW, everybody talks about GEICO being cheap - I don't know why, but not for me. They hates me, they never gave me a best rate no matter how good my record was. And I don't mean they missed it by two bucks, it's usually 20% or so. I had good experience with Progressive, Traveler's, Allstate, Ameriprise. Some other companies kept rates close, but Liberty Mutual and GEICO hate me for reasons unknown. I have no tickets, no recent claims, last claim over 5 years ago, excellent credit score - but still, they often come significantly higher than many others. Liberty is even worse - their rates are from the Moon.

dino001

Just checked Progressive - they are quoting me $200/6 months less then the renewal offer (same coverage). Time to switch...

roadburner

@robr2 said:
Back in the 80's, Geico did make a conscious decision to not insure anyone with a radar detector. Their reasoning was that users of radar detectors have an inclination towards speeding which is a risky behavior in the eyes of an insurer.

The real story is that there is virtually no increase in loss exposure from a driver who picks up the occasional speeding ticket(I have a friend who used to serve in the KY Legislature; during a hearing he asked some insurance industry reps for proof that speeding tickets increase loss exposure. Two decades later he is still waiting). By making it easier to cite speeders GEICO was/is hoping to profit.

End of story.

abacomike

@dino001‌ said:

"Just checked Progressive - they are quoting me $200/6 months less then the renewal offer (same coverage). Time to switch..."

In your previous post, you mentioned that they are interested in new business, etc. In retrospect, I would have to agree with you. I went with Liberty Mutual 3 years ago because their rates were great. First renewal a year later - 20% increase. Second renewal last year - 25% increase - and I have no tickets and no claims for 15 years and an 800+ credit score with all the credit reporting agencies.

So, I began to price other companies and ended up with Geico. Their first renewal on May 30th showed a reduction of $50 every 6 months. If their rates remain fairly steady when my next renewal comes on November 30th, I will stay with them. Even if they go up a little, I will still stay with them. But I won't sit still for 20% increases with no claims or tickets.

I was told you do much better if you stay with an insurance company for 2 or 3 years - I'd love to stay with one company for 10 years - but not if they indiscriminately raise my rates through the ceiling.

robr2

@roadburner said:
The real story is that there is virtually no increase in loss exposure from a driver who picks up the occasional speeding ticket(I have a friend who used to serve in the KY Legislature; during a hearing he asked some insurance industry reps for proof that speeding tickets increase loss exposure. Two decades later he is still waiting). By making it easier to cite speeders GEICO was/is hoping to profit.

End of story.

...well Geico is a for profit business - they can make the rules as long as they are legal.

driver100

@abacomike said:What surprises me is that your dealership has put in writing exactly what they will give your 2012 BMW almost 2 months before your new car arrives. 4% off MSRP is understandable, of course. But I assume you have all of this in writing signed by the sales manager. If not, there may be some surprises in store for you when your new car arrives

>

Yes, I have a contract that states the value of my trade in, the cost of a current 2014 E350, with all additional charges, a notation that shows I get 4% off, whatever the price of the 2015 E400 will be. They can calculate the value of my trade in today, and know what it will be worth by mid October.

I bought the last 2 cars this same way. Maybe the salesmen here have more latitude, as we are a little easier going in most manners. I think the sales manager thing is like a barier to break you down....wastes time, and gives the dealership more excuses to try to break the customer down.

I am sure the salesman would call on the sales manager here if the action got hot and heavy.

abacomike

JUST GOT SOME BAD, BUT EXPECTED NEWS

Just got a call from my son - the blood tests confirmed that the tumor is malignant and the MRI shows it has grown a little in the past 6 weeks. They are going to notify him in the next few days to set up radiation treatments to attempt reducing its size and eventually kill the darn tumor. At least it has not spread as far as they can tell.

He does not want me to go back out there at this point since there is really nothing I can do for him now.

I just wonder when things stop being negative in my life. I've researched this form of malignant tumor and the prognosis is not usually very good. What can I say - I am just devastated.

houdini1

@robr2 said:
Back in the 80's, Geico did make a conscious decision to not insure anyone with a radar detector. Their reasoning was that users of radar detectors have an inclination towards speeding which is a risky behavior in the eyes of an insurer.

I did a google search for the topic and there wasn't one example of it actually happening today. Lots of discussion group fodder saying that "they heard" or "I had a friend whose cousin's wife's old boss..."

I found a 2014 article on carinsurance.com that said Geico canceled a guy's insurance policy because he owned a radar detector back in 1988 in Maryland. He appealed to the state insurance comm. and his policy was reinstated. Same thing happened in 1989 in California. Insurance also reinstated. Currently no ins. co. has a question about a radar detector on their application.

The article also stated that radar detectors are illegal in a couple of states (Virginia & D.C.) and in most of Canada.

isellhondas

@abacomike said:
isellhondas said:

"I've heard that a lot of the companies that do all of the advertising will drop a person like a bad habit if they have a claim or get a couple of tickets."

Isell, you reach a point when the major insurance companies want a premium of $2100 for 1 car per year, that you start pricing other companies. Geico charges me $700 every 6 months ($1400 a year) for the exact same policy limits. That's a savings of $600 per year which I consider significant.

Liberty Mutual, USAA, Allstate, State Farm, Nationwide, etc., want about the same premium. Only Geico is reasonable.

Should I spend 30% more to insure with State Farm? Allstate? Liberty Mutual?

I'm glad you are happy with Geico and I'm surprised you are saving that much. State Farm covers our cars and out home. I shopped around a few years ago and, yes, I could have saved a very small amount. Nothing like the amount you stated.

Hopefully, you will never have a claim but if you do, I hope you don't get dropped.

A friend went with one of the discount ins. companies and after getting rear ended twice in a year sitting at a stop light they dropped him. Said he was "accident prone" even though he did nothing but sit there.

stickguy

Mike so sorry to hear. I just lost my Mom last week to the big C (intestinal, so different but still insidious type). Have the memorial/internment Saturday. Only hope is you catch it early, and treat aggressively. So hopefully the treatment on your son does the job. Helps to be otherwise young and healthy, to be able to fight the beast.

abacomike

@isellhondas said:

"Hopefully, you will never have a claim but if you do, I hope you don't get dripped."

Dripped, dropped, same thing. But yes, I hope for the same. No matter which company one insures with, when you have a claim, not only do you have to worry about getting dropped, but what about the huge increase in premiums.

Several companies claim they won't drop you, but when they raise their rates 30%, you end up dropping them!

koctailz

@verdugo I made sure the one I bought had the green HOV sticker right on it. Most of the dealers I dealt with around here obtained the HOV stickers to put on the cars on the lot. This is why in about 2 months the # of stickers jumped from 45,000 to 55,000. I expect they are almost out. Dealers might play hardball with those green stickers cars on their lot when the 55K is hit. There is a bill to increase to 70K, but even if it passes it won't take effect until January 1.

@abacomike @driver100 I am going to email the sales manager to see if he is interested in meeting with me regarding this or if he doesn't reply to my email I will just drop in on him. it may do nothing, but I think it will make me feel better. i do like to call people out when they behave badly.

when i was playing with the figures after the fact and looking at the money factor....i was charged something close to roughly .001 and the correct money factor is closer to .0001. I am probably way too naive...but could they have made a math error? It was late Friday nite and the finance guy I signed with had only been there 2 weeks according to him. I think though the figures were already pre-filled from the sales manager/finance manager before I sat down. @abacomike is correct that the sales guy was basically the delivery person. he went into the finance room and would come back with info. he wasn't responsible for running any numbers.

abacomike

@stickguy said:

"Helps to be otherwise young and healthy, to be able to fight the beast."

No question about it. He is usually in great shape as he is a personal trainer and must be physically fit, which he is.

But these cancers are usually very aggressive and there is only a 20% chance they can keep it from growing and spreading. I don't think I can handle losing both my children so soon.

isellhondas

I guess what we pay for car insurance is pretty trival compared to the health of a loved one.

Mike, my thoughts and a prayer are with you. Know that!

isellhondas

In our market area, there happens to be another Honda Dealer that also sells Honda lawn mowers, generators and other related items.

Years ago, they had a short lived promotion where they "gave away" a Honda lawnmower with every new Honda they sold that weekend.

I had recently sold a new Civic to a jerk of a customer who made it a miserable process. I was glad when he finally left with his new car!

So, he sees the lawnmower ad and he calls me...

" Hey, Craig...I just got my survey and I'm holding it in my hand...do I get a free lawnmower?"

Me: /" Nothing is ever free, they just built the price of that lawnmower into the price of the car!"

" Well, I guess I'll have to give you a crappy survey...I want to talk to your GM!"

And, he did. The ONLY time I ever heard our GM lose his temper with anyone!

And, yep I got the exact survey he promised!

stickguy

Yes Mike, losing a parent is sad and stressful, but something to expect. I would never want to outlive my kids, but my philosophy is that life (God, whatever you call it) is what you get, and you just deal with it as best as possible and move on. You really can only control how you react, not what is handed to you.

venture

I don't think I can handle losing both my children so soon.

>

Mike - you're the toughest guy I know. You will be OK. I feel really bad for you and wish there was something I could do for you.

driver100

@abacomike said:
JUST GOT SOME BAD, BUT EXPECTED NEWS

Very sorry to hear that Mike. We are all hoping for the best possible outcome.