No, *oldfarmer, it is not! The reason I would not sell a car under that $350 figure is because I still had to cover the "mini deal commission" for the Internet department.
As for in-stock vehicles only, yes. Internet sales department exists to sell cars in stock on our lot. I honestly don't ever remember building a car for a customer. I knew what cars in what color and with what options cars were being delivered to the port 6 weeks prior to their arrival. I had an inventory sheet showing what cars were available in my zone as well as far away as Texas and Chicago and New York. If a customer was looking for a particular car in a specific and interior color and with specific options, I never had a problem getting that car. I would either dealer trade for the car or buy it outright from the other dealer at factory invoice. I just had to pay for transportation.
Most dealers will do anything to get the customer in without giving a price.
The roots had gone too far into that old paper piping.
Is that a typo? I never heard of “paper” piping.
On top of this fiasco, we had a terrible flashflood last week with torrential downpours. This caused a bad leak from the downstairs roof to invade the den and kitchen areas. I've got to replace the lower roof immediately to the tune of $4K.
That’s got to be a real PITA. I guess when it rains it really does pour. I remember when we lived in SC when we had rain it was usually a real rain. That’s why downspouts were 4x5 and not 3x4 like they are up north. The first very hard rain we got washed the pine straw into a pile on the back side of the house. The neighbors across the street had their’s in the middle of the street. Just curious, did you have any roof vulchers come around after that rain? When a tornado hit the area near Son #1’s place in the spring of 2011 they were all over his neighborhood. Since he had hail damage his roof was replaced by his insurance. He didn’t really think his damage was that bad but two roof vulchers said, “oh yes it is but don’t worry, your insurance will pay for it”.
Am I having fun yet? Hell yes!
Here’s hoping this is the last of the events with your new place. I’ll bet ‘fez’ will be scared off when the will is read and he’ll probably just give your place to ‘oldfarmer’. :sick:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I remember in the 60's, my grandparent's next door neighbor came home with one of those Brougham's. It was maroon with the stainless roof and looked great. He was really proud of it.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Wow, what a terrific attitude. If that stuff happened right after I bought a house I'd be hunting down the previous owner or house inspector with evil intent. Did you have any clue that these problems existed prior to your purchase?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
A few years ago I called Fitzmall in Maryland to inquire about cars because their Internet price was so good and I have relatives in the DC area so it would be an excuse for a visit. Turns out the great deals were only on in stock car that were "lot queens" and an ordered car would cost the same as at a local dealer.
BTW, I'm sorry to hear about your continued illness. Chronic health problems can really wear you down. I really admire people like you and Fezo who can keep a good outlook despite illness. Me, I become impossible when I don't feel well day after day. Hope things work out.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Why shore he wills. We cin jus move them thar pigs into the leaky rooms and call it a waterin' trough. :P
When you mentioned the roof vultures I remember my BIL in DC told me that after a big storm these guys canvased his neighborhood telling everyone they had hail damage. I don't remember if he took them up on the offer.
I'd be suspicious that they would strip off an old quality roof and replace it with some cheap crap that wouldn't last as long as the original.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Oh yeah, me too, it was just that I was looking for a particular color/option combo. If they had what I wanted I would have gone with them. They had a good section for sure.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I'd be suspicious that they would strip off an old quality roof and replace it with some cheap crap that wouldn't last as long as the original.
In my sons case he would have needed a roof in another year, two at the most. In his case the hail damage was a blessing because the insurance picked up the tab, 100%. When the insurance adjuster came to inspect the damage he noticed that the wood fort/play set had some damage also and by the time the adjuster assessed the entire incidental damage my son was given a check for more than just the roof of the house. Talk about luck. My son asked the roofer guy why he didn’t notice that stuff too and he said he did but he didn’t want it to look like he was padding the damage. The roofer also said to my son, “I didn’t know that you had insurance that was that good. Some of your neighbors have a $1K deductible. Your $100 deductible paid off for you". The ironic part of this is my son was thinking about upping his deductible to $250 to save about $16 a year then he figured why bother and kept what he had.
FWIW, about 4 vulchers knocked on his door within hours of each other the day after the mild hail storm. He went with the guy that spoke English.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
BTW, I'm sorry to hear about your continued illness...
Thanks for your kind thoughts. Yes, indeed, it is no fun waking up day after day not feeling well. Definitely takes a lot out of me. And those antibiotics play havoc with my stomach and my joints.
Going in to see the doctor tomorrow morning. I don't understand why he doesn't just put me in the hospital for a few days and give me breathing treatments and IV antibiotics. I've been suffering with this, on and off, since April 30th.
I need to correct or further detail the Internet pricing on in-stock cars. That pricing applied to "all" cars in inventory - not just "lot queens" - and it also applied to any car "incoming" from the port in the next 30 days. So the pricing was good for anything on hand as well as on the ocean or at the port. What the pricing did not cover was if a customer wanted a car I had to dealer trade for. In those cases the cost would increase to $500 over to defray the transportation costs to get the car brought in from another dealer.
My dealership concentrated on volume sales even though it was a luxury dealership.
well, that dealer does price individual cars on the internet, and some of theme I believe show as incoming. So, you can pick anything they know about, but the price varies per car.
a few of my local dealers (one mutli-brand automall type operation, and a stand-alone Acura dealer) also do internet pricing that is generic (ie, any RDX AED base for a certain amount off MSRP). The Acura dealer though had a condition (to go along with incredible pricing) that the price quote was for an in-stock unit, and was valid for 7 days (have to take delivery).
Enjoy that new ride and don't give another thought about the deal. Look at this way: It's a gift to you and the Mrs. from yourselves. You earned it and you have a right to enjoy it.
Thanks richard. After a few days of mourning the loss of my cold hard cash, I'm glad we spent the money. My wife says she loves it even more every time she drives it. The space, comfort, drive, and handling are really impressive. It will probably get 80% of use highway. So low city mpg shouldnt be that bad.
After we finalized the deal on our recently purchased Hyundai Veracruz, our salesman directed us on how to properly fill out the CSI survey... and I quote." Mark every question with the perfect score of 10. If I get anything less than a 10 it is a failing grade... and I don't get paid." "Where it says, have I coached you on how to fill this out, mark "no". LOL. :P
Hard to believe, but at least he let's you know how it is. The part about him not getting paid was a bit ridiculous. But, I'm sure he meant he wouldn't get paid bonus money. :surprise:
This was the senior salesman, the bowlegged guy we met initially. He was a bit on the surly side. The guy he handed us off to, after about 15 minutes, was nice and pleasant. Took a lot of time with us on explaining all the features, and took us on a nice long test drive. I told him he did a good job and appreciated his efforts. I guess maybe he got a $50 cut. The general manager I negotiated with told me the surly bowlegged salesman got a $150 commission from the deal, which sounds like a "mini".
We're used to these old houses, so we weren't surprised when the plumbing and roofing problems appeared. I was thinking of you yesterday. Our house is not unlike yours---the one that you posted about a year ago. We do love it and the interior has been nicely remodeled---designer kitchen and baths.
Jmonroe: That wasn't a typo. Down here, they call that old terra cotta piping "paper". That's about what it's worth. Many of these old homes were built with it in the '40's and '50's. I wish that you could have been here the other day when I was talking with the plumber. I was discussing the ABS, schedule 80 piping that you advised me about earlier. The plumber had this look on his face like, "How in the hell does Mr. Richard know about this?" I looked so smart to him. I was careful not to say too much and tip my hand. :P No, we're used to this heavy rains down here. The vulchers only come out when we have tornados or hurricanes. We always stick with our local guys for repairs.
Old Farmer: The previous owner was pretty open about things. We knew that a new downstairs roof was coming---just not as quickly as it did. As for the plumbing, the house pipes are mostly new. It's the line to the street that failed. I had a separate plumbing inspector. He should have run the camera down that line during inspecition. I doubt that the previous owner would have agreed to fix it. He repaired all of the little things on my list. Besides, I negotiated him down $100,000 on the house. He wasn't too happy about that. As I pointed out to him, not too many people want a 4,200 square foot house that is 62 years old. I don't feel guilty at all about getting the price that I got. Had he kept his pants up and treated his wife like a human being, he would still have this house that he claims to have loved so much.
The roofer is here now. We're making progress this morning.
If he prices individual cars, then he is probably trying to reduce his inventory of "lot queens!" which I never did.
What I get a kick out of is the "FREE DEALER PRICE QUOTES" that Edmunds and dealers advertise. Does that mean that other dealers or web sites "charge" for their price quotes? A true misnomer if I ever heard one! Who charges for price quotes?
Car brokers are still in business and they do consumate leases and purchases, but I was talking about "a price quote". I was just attempting a little humor, but I guess I failed.
>No, we're used to this heavy rains down here. The vulchers only come out when we have tornados or hurricanes. We always stick with our local guys for repairs.
We had the vultures hot and heavy after a hailstorm a year ago May. The pattern is the roofers shows up and speaks English. He's the only one speaking English after that if you don't kick him off the property right away. So the local folk end up giving away jobs that the local roofing companies make for people who are actually living here to people with questionable status.
Also, some companies are formed just to rake in money after an event. The union guy across the street who is a firefighter is rabidly union and jobs. But he bit on a group just like I described: they incorporated a few days after the hailstorm, they employed only Mexican-speaking folks other than the "engineer" and the salesmen, and the money goes away from local business. Also, the company is gone and all those roofs are unwarrantied by the installer.
Since some people prefer local companies, I also heard about gypsy companies coming in, "renting" a local company's name and phone numbers, answering the phones as the local, established company, but using "imported" labor and questionable techniques. After soaking up as much of the local money as they can, they're gone. This occurred in the tornadoes this summer north of Louisville and in southern Indiana based on what I heard.
I had one vulture with no name on a red pickup with ladders in the back insist 3 times he was going to get on my roof and look. I thought I was going to have to call the police to get him off my property, and to invoke the no soliciting ordinance (our address is listed).
Later I had a local guy check the roof which I thought was undamaged by my inspection. He said it had damage. State Farm looked at it and everything else on the property and ended up paying for all the cost for the house and storage barn roof for local citizens to work for 1.5 days to repair. That company will be there 10 years from now if I have a need for their warranty til then.
Two local roofers started putting out signs saying "US citizens at work" along with their roofing company wire sign.
Good idea. Our roofer has lived here for 30 years and all of his roofers speak English. It does help in the communication process. They just finished the flat roof on the end of the house---just in time for a big rain storm! They'll do the lower back roof on Thursday. In the mean time, it's tarped. Thank goodness...it's pouring buckets.
That is cruel. We haven't had rain in our location for weeks--4 weeks? The weather people keep promising... last weekend was supposed to be rain showers overnight increasing on Saturday with more to follow on Sunday. Days in advance they were saying 1" and above. Once again, weathermen wrong.
What other occupation can you be consistently wrong and still come to work and smile the next day like nothing is wrong (well, maybe as a politician, grin).
Live right across the street and did like the vibe when I was there last year for a test drive. Will probably ask your advice in a few months when we shop for the wife's new Hyundai.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Mark every question with the perfect score of 10. If I get anything less than a 10 it is a failing grade... and I don't get paid." "Where it says, have I coached you on how to fill this out, mark "no".
Call the guy up when you get the survey and say, “NOBODY is perfect in every way but you guys did give me a good deal and the transaction was pretty painless, so I could go all 10’s with that. However, I’d feel guilty about saying I wasn’t coached about how to fill out the survey BUT for an oil change or two I can find a way to live with myself about giving a 10 on that one too. My honor is at stake here, ya know”.
What do you have to lose?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
*jmonroe, I would lose my dignity and self respect! Why would one want to lower themselves to the same level as that squirming salesperson who told him how to fill out the survey?
When I was in the business, I would have fired any of my salespeople who overtly even hints at how a customer should fill out a survey. Why? Because if the manufacturer found any evidence of "coaching" for survey completion, I would have lost my incentives for 30 days, and the second infraction was for 6 months. The 3rd time my dealership was found "guilty" we would have lost all incentives for a year - not just CSI incentives, but ALL incentives.
It just wasn't worth coaching because the penalties were very severe from our manufacturer.
But what I would do is this - if I had a customer who was unhappy with the manner we sold his car to him and was angry or belligerent, I merely refused to sell him a car. I just withdrew my offer and politely explained to the customer that, "...sir/madam, it is obvious to me that you are not happy with your deal or the manner in which the deal was consumated and I refuse to have dissatisfied customers. So, the best route for both of us is to just not make this deal. Thanks and good luck with your car shopping!"
On this way, if I was keenly aware of a problem, we just didn't do business.
I always made it a habit of walking over to every customer just before finalizing a deal (as did the other managers and even the owner, at times) to make sure they were happy with not only the deal, but also with the manner in which we treated the customer and happy with the process.
That way, we rarely had a bad survey come in. And what is even more important is that since the salespeople knew they had to make the customer happy because if they PO'd the customer, I would cancel the deal and they would lose their commission. So it worked sort of like a "reverse incentive" to ensure satisfied customers!
*jmonroe, I would lose my dignity and self respect! Why would one want to lower themselves to the same level as that squirming salesperson who told him how to fill out the survey?
Mike that was pretty much a tongue in cheek comment.
I always made it a habit of walking over to every customer just before finalizing a deal (as did the other managers and even the owner, at times) to make sure they were happy with not only the deal, but also with the manner in which we treated the customer and happy with the process.
You worked for high end dealerships so I’m sure the customers were treated differently. ‘jipster’ on the other hand bought a Hyundai a lot more snakes at the low end places. ‘jip’ already told you about a snake at his dealership and I could tell you something about a Hyundai dealership that I’ve dealt with. I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing about that.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
*jmonroe, I merely stated why "I" wouldn't lower myself, nor should anyone else! If you think I was trying to throw you a nasty comment or get you riled, then you mistook the rationale behind my thoughts. Why would I intentionally want to side-swipe someone like you who writes posts I enjoy reading and whom I have lots of respect for?
My wording was not intended to rile you or anyone else. I just tried to explain "MY" rationale for not lowering oneself to the level of people like that.
Sorry if you took my comments personally! Not meant to do that to you.
Sorry if you took my comments personally! Not meant to do that to you.
I didn't take your comment the wrong way. I just wanted to point out the differences in dealerships between high end and low end. I have dealt with 2 different Hyundai dealerships in my area and 1 was not very good at all. I'd be willing to bet that at the high end places the percentage is better than that.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
thanks. Looks nice. But would take a hit out of my car budget!
Turns out I have my center channel hooked up after all. So the only thing missing is my sub, because I don't want to deal with the wire. I might just try to find a small wireless one and be done with it.
I wish I had room for my nice towers (polks) but the sit too high and block the TV unless I lay them up against the wall. they also look odd there. So, I may get the sub, and steal the small bookshelves from my bedroom, since I never use the stereo up there. nice little tivolis. I think they might be this model:
No guys, not me. I won't be purchasing another car until September 2014 when the lease is up on my BMW (which was so filthy that I started washing it @ 9:30 pm).
My sister & brother-in-law have decided to replace his (badly aging) 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LS 4WD (low mileage, new tires, clean car fax) with a Ford Explorer XLT 4WD. The salesman @ the Ford dealer turned out to be one of my BIL's long time coaching buddies. The dealer's already offered him $4500 for his trade which seems like a lot. I'm going to get the lease rates & residuals from carman on the prices paid board & compare them to what's being offered to my sister & BIL (they have spectacular credit).
Stay tuned. Same bat time. Same bat channel.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Sorry to hear about the issues you and your wife are having with your new, old home. Fortunately you have the funds to cover these expenses.
Keep us updated. The stuff I was going to recommend is actually Sulfuric Acid. I was getting ready to box some up & send it your way.
Guys, in the future if you have a clogged drain & want to pour something down it to try and clear the stoppage, DON'T USE LIQUID DRANO OR LIQUID PLUMBER! You should use something high powered like Sulfuric Acid. Please be VERY CAREFUL with it as it is extremely caustic & will burn your skin.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I also wanted to keep you guys in the loop about a few things going on in my life right now.
As many of you know, I work in a bad neighborhood. Ever since I was little, my Dad (and my Grandpa before him) always had Great Danes as protection/house pets. So while the dogs technically aren't mine (as in live with me), I still see them on a daily basis. Their latest Danes were Mollie (Dark Brindle) & Maddie (Fawn), sisters from the same litter. After a short battle with skin cancer, we had to put Mollie to sleep a few weeks ago. She was only 5.
This past Sunday I took both of my sons (5.5 & 3) to the Yankees game. We had such a blast! It was so much fun. Something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life. After the game they had a special event for season ticket holders to let their kids run the bases @ Yankee Stadium. That was incredible watching my 2 guys run around the infield.
My store closes for vacation starting Saturday @ Noon. I can't wait. Sunday we're driving from our home here in Stamford, CT to family's house in Leesburg, VA. After spending a few days there, we'll be driving down to Charlotte, NC to visit family. From Charlotte, we are going to drive back up to Hershey Park & Dutch Wonderland in PA. We're very excited!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Sorry about "your" pup; my co-worker always brought her Lab to work; when he died I took it almost as hard as she did. My son is a sports nut too; college basketball and European football primarily. Enjoy your vacation; we just got back from a week in St Simons Island in Georgia.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Yes, we are very blessed in that respect. If this had happened a few years ago, I would have been devastated. We would have managed it, but it would have been uncomfortable to do so. This is really such a wonderful home. Once we get the roof completed and the pipe line to the street, we should be in good shape. I look at it this way. We don't have baths or a kitchen to remodel---done by previous owner. Also, the hardwood floors are just beautiful. I feel that the wonderful deal that we got on the house justifies this one time expense.
Thanks for the tip on the Sulfuric Acid. I'll remember that.
Sorry to hear about your dog. I can certainly identify with your loss. After two years, we still miss our dog Sterling. We think of him often.
Your vacation trip sounds really nice. We've been to those places and really enjoyed them. Hope North Carolina is good to you while you're here. Drive safely and let us know about the trip.
You gave me an interesting experience yesterday, though you didn't realize it. When we were talking about roofers, I used the term "vulchers" and you responded in your post with "vultures". I looked back at my post and wondered where I got "vulchers". A little research showed that "vulchers" is a slang gaming term that is related to hunters. I can't imagine why I typed it that way. At least I learned a new word.
A little research showed that "vulchers" is a slang gaming term that is related to hunters. I can't imagine why I typed it that way. At least I learned a new word.
Well, it’s going to be traced back to me so I might as well admit that I was the first one to use the word “vulchers”. It didn’t look right to me but when I used my spell check it didn’t give a better spelling. I saw vouchers, ulcers and some other words that weren’t even remotely close so I stayed with the improper spelling of “vulchers”. I don’t know why, other than laziness, I didn’t turn to my old dusty dictionary. I also don’t know why I couldn’t figure it out myself.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
At least now I know where I got it. You weren't actually far off from the meaning. After all, these fly by night roofers ARE hunters of a sort---looking for victims to rip off.
I have a weak signal out here on Vancouver Island in the middle of nowhere. Just to give you an idea of how little some people know about "How to Buy a Car".
The friend who drove us to the airport traded in a Fusion for a Lincoln. He got a price from the dealer and the dealer was going to throw in mats and some oil changes - not much.
He went to an out of town dealer, just to check. They said they would sell him the same car for $1000 less.
He told the original dealer he could get a better price out of town, would they do better. They asked how much did the out of town dealer discount the car? He said, he wouldn't tell them, but it was over $1000.
They said they would give him $1500 off, so he bought it.
I didn't tell him if they got to $1500 that quickly they probably would have gome to $2000. If he had asked I would have helped him research a price, but, he feels he saved $1500 and he likes his new car. And, as we all know, that is the most important thing.
We had a choice of a van, an Impala, or the small Volvo. Since we were driving for 2 hours down a rough logging road, I chose the boring Impala.
It does everything OK, and it is fairly big and strong, but it isn't what I would call a fun car, or particularly enjoyable to drive. Appliance is the word that comes to mind.
Internet is intermittent here, so I have caught up with all the posts and will check in from time to time.
Mike, how did the visit to the doctor go yesterday
Thanks for asking, Richard. Still have pneumonia, but he gave me another antibiotic - 5th round of antibiotics. He said my lungs sound better, but that it takes many weeks to get this resolved. He did add that I would live through this even though I felt like I would never get better.
So, it looks like a little more coughing and a little more being short of breath, bu hopefully I will improve shortly.
Terrible about the problems with the new home. But it seems like you are still happy you made the move. When these problems are corrected, you will have the rest of your lives to kick back and enjoy your new digs.
*driver, when I lived in Palm Desert, CA, we used to get away from the summer desert heat every year by flying up to Seattle on Alaska Air and took the ferry to Vancouver Island and then to Victoria. We used to spend a week at an Olde English Estate Hotel complex where they had no need for A/C and the accommodations and food were fantastic. I just don't remember the name of the place. Those gardens were a beautiful place to visit. Great summer vacation.
Comments
No, *oldfarmer, it is not! The reason I would not sell a car under that $350 figure is because I still had to cover the "mini deal commission" for the Internet department.
As for in-stock vehicles only, yes. Internet sales department exists to sell cars in stock on our lot. I honestly don't ever remember building a car for a customer. I knew what cars in what color and with what options cars were being delivered to the port 6 weeks prior to their arrival. I had an inventory sheet showing what cars were available in my zone as well as far away as Texas and Chicago and New York. If a customer was looking for a particular car in a specific and interior color and with specific options, I never had a problem getting that car. I would either dealer trade for the car or buy it outright from the other dealer at factory invoice. I just had to pay for transportation.
Most dealers will do anything to get the customer in without giving a price.
Hop this answers your question.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Is that a typo? I never heard of “paper” piping.
On top of this fiasco, we had a terrible flashflood last week with torrential downpours. This caused a bad leak from the downstairs roof to invade the den and kitchen areas. I've got to replace the lower roof immediately to the tune of $4K.
That’s got to be a real PITA. I guess when it rains it really does pour. I remember when we lived in SC when we had rain it was usually a real rain. That’s why downspouts were 4x5 and not 3x4 like they are up north. The first very hard rain we got washed the pine straw into a pile on the back side of the house. The neighbors across the street had their’s in the middle of the street. Just curious, did you have any roof vulchers come around after that rain? When a tornado hit the area near Son #1’s place in the spring of 2011 they were all over his neighborhood. Since he had hail damage his roof was replaced by his insurance. He didn’t really think his damage was that bad but two roof vulchers said, “oh yes it is but don’t worry, your insurance will pay for it”.
Am I having fun yet? Hell yes!
Here’s hoping this is the last of the events with your new place. I’ll bet ‘fez’ will be scared off when the will is read and he’ll probably just give your place to ‘oldfarmer’. :sick:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Wow, what a terrific attitude. If that stuff happened right after I bought a house I'd be hunting down the previous owner or house inspector with evil intent. Did you have any clue that these problems existed prior to your purchase?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Yes it did. I suspected that was the case.
A few years ago I called Fitzmall in Maryland to inquire about cars because their Internet price was so good and I have relatives in the DC area so it would be an excuse for a visit. Turns out the great deals were only on in stock car that were "lot queens" and an ordered car would cost the same as at a local dealer.
BTW, I'm sorry to hear about your continued illness. Chronic health problems can really wear you down. I really admire people like you and Fezo who can keep a good outlook despite illness. Me, I become impossible when I don't feel well day after day. Hope things work out.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
so, great deal as long as they have something you like, and they tend to have quite a few units at the internet special prices.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Why shore he wills. We cin jus move them thar pigs into the leaky rooms and call it a waterin' trough. :P
When you mentioned the roof vultures I remember my BIL in DC told me that after a big storm these guys canvased his neighborhood telling everyone they had hail damage. I don't remember if he took them up on the offer.
I'd be suspicious that they would strip off an old quality roof and replace it with some cheap crap that wouldn't last as long as the original.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Oh yeah, me too, it was just that I was looking for a particular color/option combo. If they had what I wanted I would have gone with them. They had a good section for sure.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
In my sons case he would have needed a roof in another year, two at the most. In his case the hail damage was a blessing because the insurance picked up the tab, 100%. When the insurance adjuster came to inspect the damage he noticed that the wood fort/play set had some damage also and by the time the adjuster assessed the entire incidental damage my son was given a check for more than just the roof of the house. Talk about luck. My son asked the roofer guy why he didn’t notice that stuff too and he said he did but he didn’t want it to look like he was padding the damage. The roofer also said to my son, “I didn’t know that you had insurance that was that good. Some of your neighbors have a $1K deductible. Your $100 deductible paid off for you". The ironic part of this is my son was thinking about upping his deductible to $250 to save about $16 a year then he figured why bother and kept what he had.
FWIW, about 4 vulchers knocked on his door within hours of each other the day after the mild hail storm. He went with the guy that spoke English.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Thanks for your kind thoughts. Yes, indeed, it is no fun waking up day after day not feeling well. Definitely takes a lot out of me. And those antibiotics play havoc with my stomach and my joints.
Going in to see the doctor tomorrow morning. I don't understand why he doesn't just put me in the hospital for a few days and give me breathing treatments and IV antibiotics. I've been suffering with this, on and off, since April 30th.
Again, thanks for your concerns.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I need to correct or further detail the Internet pricing on in-stock cars. That pricing applied to "all" cars in inventory - not just "lot queens" - and it also applied to any car "incoming" from the port in the next 30 days. So the pricing was good for anything on hand as well as on the ocean or at the port. What the pricing did not cover was if a customer wanted a car I had to dealer trade for. In those cases the cost would increase to $500 over to defray the transportation costs to get the car brought in from another dealer.
My dealership concentrated on volume sales even though it was a luxury dealership.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
a few of my local dealers (one mutli-brand automall type operation, and a stand-alone Acura dealer) also do internet pricing that is generic (ie, any RDX AED base for a certain amount off MSRP). The Acura dealer though had a condition (to go along with incredible pricing) that the price quote was for an in-stock unit, and was valid for 7 days (have to take delivery).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Thanks richard. After a few days of mourning the loss of my cold hard cash, I'm glad we spent the money. My wife says she loves it even more every time she drives it. The space, comfort, drive, and handling are really impressive. It will probably get 80% of use highway. So low city mpg shouldnt be that bad.
Hard to believe, but at least he let's you know how it is. The part about him not getting paid was a bit ridiculous. But, I'm sure he meant he wouldn't get paid bonus money. :surprise:
This was the senior salesman, the bowlegged guy we met initially. He was a bit on the surly side. The guy he handed us off to, after about 15 minutes, was nice and pleasant. Took a lot of time with us on explaining all the features, and took us on a nice long test drive. I told him he did a good job and appreciated his efforts. I guess maybe he got a $50 cut. The general manager I negotiated with told me the surly bowlegged salesman got a $150 commission from the deal, which sounds like a "mini".
We're used to these old houses, so we weren't surprised when the plumbing and roofing problems appeared. I was thinking of you yesterday. Our house is not unlike yours---the one that you posted about a year ago. We do love it and the interior has been nicely remodeled---designer kitchen and baths.
Jmonroe: That wasn't a typo. Down here, they call that old terra cotta piping "paper". That's about what it's worth. Many of these old homes were built with it in the '40's and '50's. I wish that you could have been here the other day when I was talking with the plumber. I was discussing the ABS, schedule 80 piping that you advised me about earlier. The plumber had this look on his face like, "How in the hell does Mr. Richard know about this?" I looked so smart to him. I was careful not to say too much and tip my hand. :P No, we're used to this heavy rains down here. The vulchers only come out when we have tornados or hurricanes. We always stick with our local guys for repairs.
Old Farmer: The previous owner was pretty open about things. We knew that a new downstairs roof was coming---just not as quickly as it did. As for the plumbing, the house pipes are mostly new. It's the line to the street that failed. I had a separate plumbing inspector. He should have run the camera down that line during inspecition. I doubt that the previous owner would have agreed to fix it. He repaired all of the little things on my list. Besides, I negotiated him down $100,000 on the house. He wasn't too happy about that. As I pointed out to him, not too many people want a 4,200 square foot house that is 62 years old. I don't feel guilty at all about getting the price that I got. Had he kept his pants up and treated his wife like a human being, he would still have this house that he claims to have loved so much.
The roofer is here now. We're making progress this morning.
Richard
If he prices individual cars, then he is probably trying to reduce his inventory of "lot queens!" which I never did.
What I get a kick out of is the "FREE DEALER PRICE QUOTES" that Edmunds and dealers advertise. Does that mean that other dealers or web sites "charge" for their price quotes? A true misnomer if I ever heard one! Who charges for price quotes?
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
assuming any of them are still around!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Car brokers are still in business and they do consumate leases and purchases, but I was talking about "a price quote". I was just attempting a little humor, but I guess I failed.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
We had the vultures hot and heavy after a hailstorm a year ago May. The pattern is the roofers shows up and speaks English. He's the only one speaking English after that if you don't kick him off the property right away. So the local folk end up giving away jobs that the local roofing companies make for people who are actually living here to people with questionable status.
Also, some companies are formed just to rake in money after an event. The union guy across the street who is a firefighter is rabidly union and jobs. But he bit on a group just like I described: they incorporated a few days after the hailstorm, they employed only Mexican-speaking folks other than the "engineer" and the salesmen, and the money goes away from local business. Also, the company is gone and all those roofs are unwarrantied by the installer.
Since some people prefer local companies, I also heard about gypsy companies coming in, "renting" a local company's name and phone numbers, answering the phones as the local, established company, but using "imported" labor and questionable techniques. After soaking up as much of the local money as they can, they're gone. This occurred in the tornadoes this summer north of Louisville and in southern Indiana based on what I heard.
I had one vulture with no name on a red pickup with ladders in the back insist 3 times he was going to get on my roof and look. I thought I was going to have to call the police to get him off my property, and to invoke the no soliciting ordinance (our address is listed).
Later I had a local guy check the roof which I thought was undamaged by my inspection. He said it had damage. State Farm looked at it and everything else on the property and ended up paying for all the cost for the house and storage barn roof for local citizens to work for 1.5 days to repair. That company will be there 10 years from now if I have a need for their warranty til then.
Two local roofers started putting out signs saying "US citizens at work" along with their roofing company wire sign.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Good idea. Our roofer has lived here for 30 years and all of his roofers speak English. It does help in the communication process. They just finished the flat roof on the end of the house---just in time for a big rain storm! They'll do the lower back roof on Thursday. In the mean time, it's tarped. Thank goodness...it's pouring buckets.
Richard
That is cruel. We haven't had rain in our location for weeks--4 weeks? The weather people keep promising... last weekend was supposed to be rain showers overnight increasing on Saturday with more to follow on Sunday. Days in advance they were saying 1" and above. Once again, weathermen wrong.
What other occupation can you be consistently wrong and still come to work and smile the next day like nothing is wrong (well, maybe as a politician, grin).
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Call the guy up when you get the survey and say, “NOBODY is perfect in every way but you guys did give me a good deal and the transaction was pretty painless, so I could go all 10’s with that. However, I’d feel guilty about saying I wasn’t coached about how to fill out the survey BUT for an oil change or two I can find a way to live with myself about giving a 10 on that one too. My honor is at stake here, ya know”.
What do you have to lose?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
*jmonroe, I would lose my dignity and self respect! Why would one want to lower themselves to the same level as that squirming salesperson who told him how to fill out the survey?
When I was in the business, I would have fired any of my salespeople who overtly even hints at how a customer should fill out a survey. Why? Because if the manufacturer found any evidence of "coaching" for survey completion, I would have lost my incentives for 30 days, and the second infraction was for 6 months. The 3rd time my dealership was found "guilty" we would have lost all incentives for a year - not just CSI incentives, but ALL incentives.
It just wasn't worth coaching because the penalties were very severe from our manufacturer.
But what I would do is this - if I had a customer who was unhappy with the manner we sold his car to him and was angry or belligerent, I merely refused to sell him a car. I just withdrew my offer and politely explained to the customer that, "...sir/madam, it is obvious to me that you are not happy with your deal or the manner in which the deal was consumated and I refuse to have dissatisfied customers. So, the best route for both of us is to just not make this deal. Thanks and good luck with your car shopping!"
On this way, if I was keenly aware of a problem, we just didn't do business.
I always made it a habit of walking over to every customer just before finalizing a deal (as did the other managers and even the owner, at times) to make sure they were happy with not only the deal, but also with the manner in which we treated the customer and happy with the process.
That way, we rarely had a bad survey come in. And what is even more important is that since the salespeople knew they had to make the customer happy because if they PO'd the customer, I would cancel the deal and they would lose their commission. So it worked sort of like a "reverse incentive" to ensure satisfied customers!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Well, the way I see it, you can't drive money....
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mike that was pretty much a tongue in cheek comment.
I always made it a habit of walking over to every customer just before finalizing a deal (as did the other managers and even the owner, at times) to make sure they were happy with not only the deal, but also with the manner in which we treated the customer and happy with the process.
You worked for high end dealerships so I’m sure the customers were treated differently. ‘jipster’ on the other hand bought a Hyundai a lot more snakes at the low end places. ‘jip’ already told you about a snake at his dealership and I could tell you something about a Hyundai dealership that I’ve dealt with. I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing about that.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
*jmonroe, I merely stated why "I" wouldn't lower myself, nor should anyone else! If you think I was trying to throw you a nasty comment or get you riled, then you mistook the rationale behind my thoughts. Why would I intentionally want to side-swipe someone like you who writes posts I enjoy reading and whom I have lots of respect for?
My wording was not intended to rile you or anyone else. I just tried to explain "MY" rationale for not lowering oneself to the level of people like that.
Sorry if you took my comments personally! Not meant to do that to you.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I didn't take your comment the wrong way. I just wanted to point out the differences in dealerships between high end and low end. I have dealt with 2 different Hyundai dealerships in my area and 1 was not very good at all. I'd be willing to bet that at the high end places the percentage is better than that.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Turns out I have my center channel hooked up after all. So the only thing missing is my sub, because I don't want to deal with the wire. I might just try to find a small wireless one and be done with it.
I wish I had room for my nice towers (polks) but the sit too high and block the TV unless I lay them up against the wall. they also look odd there. So, I may get the sub, and steal the small bookshelves from my bedroom, since I never use the stereo up there. nice little tivolis. I think they might be this model:
http://www.epinions.com/reviews/pr-Tivoli_TDM2_Home_Audio_Main_Stereo_Speaker
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
My sister & brother-in-law have decided to replace his (badly aging) 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LS 4WD (low mileage, new tires, clean car fax) with a Ford Explorer XLT 4WD. The salesman @ the Ford dealer turned out to be one of my BIL's long time coaching buddies. The dealer's already offered him $4500 for his trade which seems like a lot. I'm going to get the lease rates & residuals from carman on the prices paid board & compare them to what's being offered to my sister & BIL (they have spectacular credit).
Stay tuned. Same bat time. Same bat channel.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Keep us updated. The stuff I was going to recommend is actually Sulfuric Acid. I was getting ready to box some up & send it your way.
Guys, in the future if you have a clogged drain & want to pour something down it to try and clear the stoppage, DON'T USE LIQUID DRANO OR LIQUID PLUMBER! You should use something high powered like Sulfuric Acid. Please be VERY CAREFUL with it as it is extremely caustic & will burn your skin.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
As many of you know, I work in a bad neighborhood. Ever since I was little, my Dad (and my Grandpa before him) always had Great Danes as protection/house pets. So while the dogs technically aren't mine (as in live with me), I still see them on a daily basis. Their latest Danes were Mollie (Dark Brindle) & Maddie (Fawn), sisters from the same litter. After a short battle with skin cancer, we had to put Mollie to sleep a few weeks ago. She was only 5.
This past Sunday I took both of my sons (5.5 & 3) to the Yankees game. We had such a blast! It was so much fun. Something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life. After the game they had a special event for season ticket holders to let their kids run the bases @ Yankee Stadium. That was incredible watching my 2 guys run around the infield.
My store closes for vacation starting Saturday @ Noon. I can't wait. Sunday we're driving from our home here in Stamford, CT to family's house in Leesburg, VA. After spending a few days there, we'll be driving down to Charlotte, NC to visit family. From Charlotte, we are going to drive back up to Hershey Park & Dutch Wonderland in PA. We're very excited!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
You didn't fail. I laughed.
My son is a sports nut too; college basketball and European football primarily. Enjoy your vacation; we just got back from a week in St Simons Island in Georgia.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Yes, we are very blessed in that respect. If this had happened a few years ago, I would have been devastated. We would have managed it, but it would have been uncomfortable to do so. This is really such a wonderful home. Once we get the roof completed and the pipe line to the street, we should be in good shape. I look at it this way. We don't have baths or a kitchen to remodel---done by previous owner. Also, the hardwood floors are just beautiful. I feel that the wonderful deal that we got on the house justifies this one time expense.
Thanks for the tip on the Sulfuric Acid. I'll remember that.
Sorry to hear about your dog. I can certainly identify with your loss. After two years, we still miss our dog Sterling. We think of him often.
Your vacation trip sounds really nice. We've been to those places and really enjoyed them. Hope North Carolina is good to you while you're here. Drive safely and let us know about the trip.
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
Well, it’s going to be traced back to me so I might as well admit that I was the first one to use the word “vulchers”. It didn’t look right to me but when I used my spell check it didn’t give a better spelling. I saw vouchers, ulcers and some other words that weren’t even remotely close so I stayed with the improper spelling of “vulchers”. I don’t know why, other than laziness, I didn’t turn to my old dusty dictionary. I also don’t know why I couldn’t figure it out myself.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I bought Klipsch computer speakers on rb's recommendation. Couldn't be happier.
Richard
The friend who drove us to the airport traded in a Fusion for a Lincoln. He got a price from the dealer and the dealer was going to throw in mats and some oil changes - not much.
He went to an out of town dealer, just to check. They said they would sell him the same car for $1000 less.
He told the original dealer he could get a better price out of town, would they do better. They asked how much did the out of town dealer discount the car? He said, he wouldn't tell them, but it was over $1000.
They said they would give him $1500 off, so he bought it.
I didn't tell him if they got to $1500 that quickly they probably would have gome to $2000. If he had asked I would have helped him research a price, but, he feels he saved $1500 and he likes his new car. And, as we all know, that is the most important thing.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It does everything OK, and it is fairly big and strong, but it isn't what I would call a fun car, or particularly enjoyable to drive. Appliance is the word that comes to mind.
Internet is intermittent here, so I have caught up with all the posts and will check in from time to time.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Thanks for asking, Richard. Still have pneumonia, but he gave me another antibiotic - 5th round of antibiotics. He said my lungs sound better, but that it takes many weeks to get this resolved. He did add that I would live through this even though I felt like I would never get better.
So, it looks like a little more coughing and a little more being short of breath, bu hopefully I will improve shortly.
Terrible about the problems with the new home. But it seems like you are still happy you made the move. When these problems are corrected, you will have the rest of your lives to kick back and enjoy your new digs.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
*driver, when I lived in Palm Desert, CA, we used to get away from the summer desert heat every year by flying up to Seattle on Alaska Air and took the ferry to Vancouver Island and then to Victoria. We used to spend a week at an Olde English Estate Hotel complex where they had no need for A/C and the accommodations and food were fantastic. I just don't remember the name of the place. Those gardens were a beautiful place to visit. Great summer vacation.
Enjoy your trip out there!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger