I stopped by the Saturn dealer on Saturday to see if my company fleet car had come in. I wasn't really planning on going through the paperwork on a Saturday, as this is an almost non-revenue exercise for the dealer on what's supposed to be their busy day of the week. But this dealer is about 30 miles from my house and since I happened to be in the area I stopped by to see if it was there.
Anyway, turns out my car had arrived that morning, and the fleet guy was more than happy to fill out the forms, and the PDI guy wasn't doing anything anyway. In fact, I was the only "customer" in the dealership the whole time I was there.
Another salesman offered to fill out the temporary plate, and the fleet manager took quite a bit of time to show me features of the car. I signed a form that authorized a small check from the fleet company to the dealer. Everyone was very helpful.
Only excitement in the showroom was the Alabama-Florida SEC championship game on the TV. I was out of there in less than an hour.
"I hope you aren't talking about me because I don't feel that way at all."
I didn't have you in mind. You had better be my Edmunds friend. After all, I'm trying to keep my promise to you about the "grammar/spelling" thing. You were concerned about the site crashing again, remember?
Though we haven't always agreed, you have been professional and respectful in your posts to me. As a consumer, I appreciate that tolerance. As a previous Honda owner, I can tell you that my wife would prefer that we have a CRV and an Accord in our garage. I'm the one who buys the Fords and the Chryslers. Based on the current conditions, let us hope that I can continue to do so.
Now look at what's happening. If you had listened to me a year ago and allowed her to purchase the new furniture, she wouldn't be looking at those realty books. You may be buying much more than furniture in 2009. :P
roadburner....I thought about changing the orientation 180 degrees from my old set up. But, that would have meant going back to 5.1 vs 7.1. Decided to keep it longer but narrower to accomadate 7.1. What I gave up, however, was the ability to go to one of those 90+ inch screen/projector set ups "snake" mentioned. Being set up in my basement (which also includes a bar and pool table set up behind the home theater), the ceiling height was a problem for the projector (Low basement ceiling). The projector, being dead center of the room, would have looked like a big pimple with the box I would have constructed from the ceiling to hold it.
Since it's in my basement "rec room" I just went with the biggest flat screen I could find to mount it on the wall. I've got one of those "3 seat" home theater set ups. My seating area is about 12' from the screen. 60" viewing was perfect. 52" is perfect for your 8' seating area.
Light is not an issue for me. So, plasma is fine. In a brightly lit room, LCD is definitely the way to go.
I originally wanted to go with "in wall" speakers. But, as my project wore on, I just got too lazy to do the extra bracing in the walls that was needed. This was several weeks ago, but I just wanted my home rebuild to be finished. Guess I just ran out of steam.
In any event, I'm pleased with the results. Like you, this is the 2nd home theater I've done. I think any mistakes that could have been made, I made, including mounting a big heavy plasma about 1.5 inches crooked (remember, measure twice, cut once). Tried to live with it, but couldn't and redid it. Those mistakes were made either when I was in a hurry, or looking for shortcuts.
Back to cars....I'm in the midst of getting Christmas cards from my local Chevy guy. My Honda guy used to send me a little flyer every month....talking about the families who bought cars from him (with pictures of them in their new cars), giving service "tips", etc. Always had a little blurb at the end of it offering $50 for every referral he sold to. I haven't heard from him in a couple of months, so I'm wondering if he's still at that dealership.
As an English Major, some of the grammar and spelling I see here can be pretty bad. I just don't want anyone embarassed to the point they stop posting.
All of this time you have been hiding your major from me! I knew that we had a kindred spirit of sorts. I'm with you. I would never want to embarrass a poster. I've only done one correction since the site returned. The poster asked me to do it for them. See, you CAN teach old dogs new tricks.
All of us computer science majors considered the university requirements for literature merely "fluff". Then again, most of us only speak binary....English classes should have covered our "foreign language" requirements..... :P
I knew that you had to be a technical major of some sort. While reading your home theater posts, I wondered what in the hell all of those gadgets were that you were describing. I have enough trouble just figuring out how to use my Dish Network system.
And just how long were you out after Mrs. jmonroe hit you?
I said that years ago when I was closer to my fighting weight. I did a pretty good rope-a-dope back then even if I have to say so myself. (and layoff that ‘dope’ thing, I’m still not totally helpless )
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
For those of you looking for the elusive "Wii", just saw the circuit city bought a bunch of them. At least locally, if you get there tomorrow a.m an hour before they open, you can get a "que" ticket to buy one when they open. This thing has been in the market for a year. My son bought one last year. Don't remember him having this much difficulty getting one. But, different story, for whatever reason, now.
Economy must be doing better than expected.
Kind of glad I don't have any small "young'uns" in the house anymore.
"Sorry sweetheart.....Daddy didn't try hard enough to get that Wii for ya'"
"Since Ford planned ahead and showed some smarts they get to continue. GM and Chrysler go bankrupt. Ford gets to buy their successful lines, Caddie, Chev, Jeep, and a few trucks."
Since Ford planned ahead and showed some smarts they get to continue. GM and Chrysler go bankrupt. Ford gets to buy their successful lines, Caddie, Chev, Jeep, and a few trucks.
Ford getting Caddilac, thats interesting. Would they change the name back to the Henry Ford Motor Company?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I overheard some women talking at work the other day. They were discussing the great deals on new cars that are available. Their consensus was that it would be a bad idea to buy from the big 3 because if they went bankrupt who would provide warranty services. I have to admit I had never thought of that. My way of thinking is that if a car is so unreliable that it would need warranty service, I wouldn't buy it in the first place.
I wonder if the sales people have had to face this new objection to buying their cars. What would you say to such an objection?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
JB Says, Ford will buy with what? their valuable stock? Snake says Ford getting Caddilac, thats interesting. Would they change the name back to the Henry Ford Motor Company?
I'm not an accountant but Ford will control the bankrupt GM and Chryco. Those 2 will get shares in Ford and some assembly lines will be able to continue. This will be an American automotive company and will only have the best of the best to offer....if this line up doesn't work nothing will. The GM/Chryco bankrupcy will allow them to close down assembly lines and close dealerships. The new company will be smaller but will offer only the best cars from the current Big 3.
Hmmm. Can't imagine that post will be with us for too long...
I received a gas rebate program after a timeshare presentation (didn't buy. Surprise!). $10 rebate for 10 tanks of gas over a two year period. The first 5 submissions were honored, slowly, but only two of the final five were. And I believe that the two were only honored because the Evil Wife contacted the timeshare outfit (as the gas rebate/scam company in Texas NEVER answered their phone or returned calls). I didn't bother pursuing, the $70 more than paid for the gas going to/from the property. Got a free lunch and use of an indoor pool/hot tub on a very cold November day. So, not so much a waste!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
As far as car companies are concerned, nothing would surprise me. I have a sneaking suspicion that companies, other than U.S companies, are also in serious trouble but won't admit it....yet. It will be very interesting to see how things play out. My bet is that the Europeans are next. They have got to be hurting.
No, I did FORTRAN on some ancient IBM mainframes (punch cards and all!) though I dabbled a bit with assembly on PCs. As I recall, the "green cards" were not actually green - yellow, perhaps?
Anyone know whether dealerships ever used such high powered computing tools way back when? I'm sure that would have intimidated the customers!
Most Fortran programs were run on IBM 370s back in the late 70s. Fortran was popular with the EE majors while Cobol with the MIS people and PL/I for the CS majors. That was when keypunched cards carried in 2000 cards per case were the norm for input. Yeeew.
companies, other than U.S companies, are also in serious trouble but won't admit it....yet
European companies yes, but maybe not all of them. BMW and VW seem to be doing quite well.
I'd like to change the name of the new U.S. company with Ford leading and just producing the top 10 cars from GM and top 4 from Chrysler. GM & Chryco will get shares in Ford for selling their rights to Cadillac, Chev and Jeep etc.
Many Fortran (II, III or IV?) programs were run on IBM 360s (in the early '70s), using Hollerith cards. How many were big enough geeks to know how to use a drum card on the keypunch so you could tabulate quicker?
Also, since there appear to be people on here as old as me, when did the slash go from the O (as in Ohio) to the zero? I remember writing FORTRAN (with the slash through the O) many, many times "back in the day." Stayed away from computers until the '80s when I got my Kaypro and found out the change had been made.
No, I did FORTRAN on some ancient IBM mainframes (punch cards and all!) though I dabbled a bit with assembly on PCs. As I recall, the "green cards" were not actually green - yellow, perhaps?
Actually the original was a green pamphlet, which came out with the IBM360 in the 60s. It changed several colors over the next few decades but most still called it the green card.
Like most people, I really have mixed emotions about the thought of the big three going down. Yes, they certainly brought this on themselves but the far reaching ramifications of one or more of these guys going away are worse than scary.
Yes, I have heard people say they wouldn't buy a car from a company that may not around. It's not just warranty work. What if they need a front fender for their six year old Chevy Impala and there is no company to provide one?
What about the resale value of an orphan down the road?
I'm not taking any pleasure in any of this in case anyone is wondering.
"01001002...You guys talk too much! Oops! Richard, did I misspell that sentence?"
Your spelling was perfect. There are only three grammar/spelling rules for binary: (1) Watch your spaces. (2) Use no commas. (3) Use only Arabic numerals. :P
Like you, I view the situation with mixed emotions. At first, I was against helping them; but when I read about the 533,000 jobs lost in the month of November, I thought about the impact of closing the doors on the Big 3. As Joel has pointed out, it isn't just the Big 3. All businesses who have anything to do with cars would suffer the consequences. I guess that we shouldn't "cut off our nose to spite our face". Let's hope that the overseers of this money do a good job.
I also read where Honda sales were down last month. Houdini mentioned a few posts back that perhaps other car companies are in trouble and just won't admit it. What is your take on this, and how is Honda REALLY doing?
How many were big enough geeks to know how to use a drum card on the keypunch so you could tabulate quicker?
Hey, I remember doing that until my boss saw me doing it and said, “If you want to be a a keypunch operator I can arrange that but don’t expect me to pay you as an engineer”. We have people around here that do that. :mad: So, I went back to filling out “load sheets” for the keypunch operators to create those monstrous lists for the specifications of the hardware we were using.
Also, since there appear to be people on here as old as me, when did the slash go from the O (as in Ohio) to the zero?
I remember having to put the slash through the O’s on those load sheets I mentioned above. Come to think of it, that’s why I started punching cards with the common info and doing that stuff myself, that is, until my boss told me to play like I was an engineer and not a keypunch operator. Until now that kind of stuff was just a bad memory from the past until you brought it up. :confuse:
Heck, I remember using a slide rule before the calculators came out. Couldn’t go out to 8 decimal places but if I squinted real good I could do 3 or 4.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
tidester....this is going back to the '80s, but my university still had those big IBM behemoths with punch card readers. Aside from the required Math and Logic classes, we had to learn to program some proprietary (to the university) language called DATAMILL to program via punch cards. Went through COBAL and FORTRAN. Then, onto the more "modren stuff" (for the time) VAX PDP 11/70 (mini mainframe) using VMS. Those were the first ones we used terminals for. That's also about the time we got our first look at "C". Also about the time that we started drawing lines, points and arcs on the screen. That led to the GUI (graphical user interface) we all use every day on our MACs (yeah) and PCs.
Probably not politically correct to state here, but us "geeks" were fueled by caffeine and our girlfriend's "diet pills" to stay awake at night trying to get our programs to run right, working in the computer labs into the wee hours of the night/morning.
Ahhhh.....those were the days.
The card for the IBM 360 did indeed change colors over time. But, still referred to as the "green card".
Man, am I that old?
Again, back to cars. I'm noticing a lot of dealerships actually touting the economy as a reason to come shop with them. Something along the lines of...."the economy is bad. We're so "overloaded" with vehicles that we're slashing prices to the bone."
Craig....I know this makes you nuts. But, now even the dealerships are using the bad state of economic affairs to get people in the showroom.
What if they need a front fender for their six year old Chevy Impala and there is no company to provide one?
Plenty of places that stamp out body parts for older vehicles, insurance companies make sure of that. But I agree with you and would be more worried about finding a starter for a 10 year old vehicle.
A local domestic delaer is doing radio spots that say " We are desperate". How pathetic to say that even if it's true.
We are definatly down but I would hate to be selling a different brand right now.
I'm really getting tired of the customers who seem to delight in reminding us how bad things are and why we should be willing to lose a lot of money just to sell them a car!
I'm really getting tired of the customers who seem to delight in reminding us how bad things are and why we should be willing to lose a lot of money just to sell them a car!
I agree 110% Some people take it to extremes. It is along the same mind set that with the banks in the trouble they are they should give 2% loans, but they are not. There rates are higher because they need the profit. Just like us. If you are going to sell less work harder for profit on the ones you sell.
isell......being a marketing person at heart, I don't know that I would ever use the tag line of "we are desperate". That doesn't really make anyone want to shop at a place that states that. That has too many negative connotations. You're inviting people who will want to buy below your cost with an ad like that.
Not a good sustainable business model if you ask me.
I don't know....maybe that gets people in the door. And, maybe that's all they're trying to do. Then, they can attempt to make a deal. But, it would be a hard row to hoe given their "desperation" statement.
I agree with you on one point. Honda, and maybe Ford, seem to be the manufacturers are most likely to ride out the storm.
I like Honda's recent ads stating "hey, we're still making good, reliable, well-engineered cars. We're going to be around to continue to do so."
Matter of fact, I would consider it a great marketing coup if Mullaly would withdraw Ford's request for Federal loans, bailouts, guarantees. From what we're reading, they can make it through the next 12 months.
I'd prepare ads that state...."We're so confident in our people, our products and our company, that we don't want any handouts." Then, I'd hit GM and Chryco where they're most vulnerable and end the ad with..."Visit out showrooms to find out why out competitors can't do the same?"
Risky, but if it fails, they can always come back in 8 months and say they need the same help we're offering to GM and Chryco.
Interesting note in the news, Congress is asking for the "big 3" top execs to step down as part of the loan/bailout package. Nothing like sitting in front of Congress, and having them telling you that you have to accept responsibility and fire yourself. I like it.
While we're still the U.S. sales leader, we acknowledge we have disappointed you,” the ad said. “At times we violated your trust by letting our quality fall below industry standards and our designs became lacklustre.”
The unsigned open letter, entitled “GM's Commitment to the American People” ran in the trade journal Automotive News, which is widely read by industry executives, lobbyists and other insiders.
In the ad, GM admits to other strategic missteps analysts and critics have said hastened its recent decline.
“We have proliferated our brands and dealer network to the point where we lost adequate focus on the core U.S. market,” the ad said. “We also biased our product mix toward pick-up trucks and SUVs.”
They are still asking for a hand out and hope to change all this around.
"...Can you name a make and model of a car that has not had warranty service?..."
Hmmmmm. That's a good question. On new cars I have owned the 74' Charger had some minor issues fixed under warranty, 80' Dodge had a paint problem fixed under warranty, 86' Toyota started falling apart a few months after the 3/36 warranty expired, so no warranty repairs but sure could have used them.
My 08' Mitsu has had zero issues so far.
The rest of my cars have been purchased used with 30 day warranties at best and I never had anything go within warranty.
I guess my point was that I would not buy a car if I thought I would ever need the warranty. I'm not a big believer in warranties. There are usually too many loop holes and conditions. So a car maker not being around to offer warranty coverage would not stop me from buying a car if the price was right.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
A local domestic delaer is doing radio spots that say " We are desperate". How pathetic to say that even if it's true.
Are you advocating that dealers go old-school and be untruthful with buyers? Like, “The only reason you see so many of the model you want on our lot is because we couldn’t keep them around. So, we asked other dealers to ship the ones they had to us. Business is just peachy with us”. Believe it or not, just last week, I spoke to a secretary here who was told something like that. :mad:
Seriously, I don’t take any joy in car sales being down and I feel for you guys in the biz. When things get back to normal we’ll all be better off. It can’t happen soon enough.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
j....no, not saying to be untruthful. Just to focus on something other than the state of the economy.
The cars haven't changed. If dealerships were selling good cars before, they still are (if their doors are still open). By telling the public that your dealership is desperate (be it true or untrue), you're also telling them that your product is somehow inferior. And, that you've come to the point where you want to appeal to the "least common denominator" to get people into your showroom. I don't see how that helps the customer, nor the dealership. Matter of fact, I'm of the mind that if a dealership is indeed advertising they're that desperate, I'd probably be less likely to shop with them for fear they won't be around long enough to take care of me after the sale.
Low price or not, a car still costs a pretty big chunk of change. I'd like a little piece of mind that where I buy it from is going to stand behind it.
Desperation doesn't give any consumer the "warm and fuzzies".
I don't think I've ever bought anything as a result of the seller's desperation to sell it.
Perhaps a small handful of people who were already in the market for a vehicle will hear those ads and figure they can get a better deal, but I can't imagine the number of people responding would significantly affect sales.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Some of you might recall that I considered buying a 2008 Mustang Bullitt, but the local dealer laughed and scratched when I mentioned the X-Plan(their Bullitt Mustangs also wore a $10K ADM sticker, BTW). Care to guess who is now emailing me with offers of employee pricing and rebates? I'm debating whether to email them or to drop by in person to tell them that there will be snowball fights in Hell before I EVER buy a car from them...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
That goes to show you that no matter how ridiculous the low price is that you offer for a vehicle, how the dealer handles that situation speaks volumes on whether they would lose you as a potential customer. I'm sure if he politely and professionally turned down your orignal X-Plan offer, you'd feel different now and may have ended up buying.
roadburner...joel....I mentioned a while back that a good friend of mine was trying to buy a Mustang Cobra. Even as the market got soft, some dealerships were holding to ADM. He bought one...finally....at a bit over invoice several weeks ago. He had to travel about 90 minutes to a dealership to get it at the price, but he got it.
And yes, he's now receiving offers from the local stores to buy a Cobra....at substantially discounted prices off MSRP. That's a far cry from what they were telling him not so long ago.
A couple of weeks ago, his wife's G35 got totaled (she's fine....car obviously is not).
After debating on what to buy, she decided to replace the G with a truck. At one time, I would have "guffawed" at that. But, I went from a 330i to an Accord and never looked back. So, I'm in no position to say anything.
Anyway, on a fluke, my friend called the Ford dealer he bought the Cobra from. Told them of his wife's plight. They talked about the trucks they had all on the lot while on the phone. They picked a color, and the options she wanted. Got a great quote on a new F-150. The dealership delivered the truck to his door step (again, 90 minutes away). His wife test drove it....liked it. Deal was done at his kitchen table.
I have no idea how the sales person got back to the dealership. But, that's one way to gain a customer (for 2 vehicles, no less).
Comments
Anyway, turns out my car had arrived that morning, and the fleet guy was more than happy to fill out the forms, and the PDI guy wasn't doing anything anyway. In fact, I was the only "customer" in the dealership the whole time I was there.
Another salesman offered to fill out the temporary plate, and the fleet manager took quite a bit of time to show me features of the car. I signed a form that authorized a small check from the fleet company to the dealer. Everyone was very helpful.
Only excitement in the showroom was the Alabama-Florida SEC championship game on the TV. I was out of there in less than an hour.
On a Saturday.
Mikey
And just how long were you out after Mrs. jmonroe hit you?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I didn't have you in mind. You had better be my Edmunds friend. After all, I'm trying to keep my promise to you about the "grammar/spelling" thing. You were concerned about the site crashing again, remember?
Though we haven't always agreed, you have been professional and respectful in your posts to me. As a consumer, I appreciate that tolerance. As a previous Honda owner, I can tell you that my wife would prefer that we have a CRV and an Accord in our garage. I'm the one who buys the Fords and the Chryslers. Based on the current conditions, let us hope that I can continue to do so.
Richard
Richard
Since it's in my basement "rec room" I just went with the biggest flat screen I could find to mount it on the wall. I've got one of those "3 seat" home theater set ups. My seating area is about 12' from the screen. 60" viewing was perfect. 52" is perfect for your 8' seating area.
Light is not an issue for me. So, plasma is fine. In a brightly lit room, LCD is definitely the way to go.
I originally wanted to go with "in wall" speakers. But, as my project wore on, I just got too lazy to do the extra bracing in the walls that was needed. This was several weeks ago, but I just wanted my home rebuild to be finished. Guess I just ran out of steam.
In any event, I'm pleased with the results. Like you, this is the 2nd home theater I've done. I think any mistakes that could have been made, I made, including mounting a big heavy plasma about 1.5 inches crooked (remember, measure twice, cut once). Tried to live with it, but couldn't and redid it. Those mistakes were made either when I was in a hurry, or looking for shortcuts.
Back to cars....I'm in the midst of getting Christmas cards from my local Chevy guy. My Honda guy used to send me a little flyer every month....talking about the families who bought cars from him (with pictures of them in their new cars), giving service "tips", etc. Always had a little blurb at the end of it offering $50 for every referral he sold to. I haven't heard from him in a couple of months, so I'm wondering if he's still at that dealership.
As an English Major, some of the grammar and spelling I see here can be pretty bad. I just don't want anyone embarassed to the point they stop posting.
Richard
Richard
I said that years ago when I was closer to my fighting weight. I did a pretty good rope-a-dope back then even if I have to say so myself. (and layoff that ‘dope’ thing, I’m still not totally helpless
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Cool, in that case:
01001000 01101001 00101100 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01100010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001 00100000 01100101 01101110 01101111 01110101 01100111 01101000 00111111
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Translation: "Hi, is this binary enough?"
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
For those of you looking for the elusive "Wii", just saw the circuit city bought a bunch of them. At least locally, if you get there tomorrow a.m an hour before they open, you can get a "que" ticket to buy one when they open. This thing has been in the market for a year. My son bought one last year. Don't remember him having this much difficulty getting one. But, different story, for whatever reason, now.
Economy must be doing better than expected.
Kind of glad I don't have any small "young'uns" in the house anymore.
"Sorry sweetheart.....Daddy didn't try hard enough to get that Wii for ya'"
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Back on topic, cars have computers now and computers are binary.
Ford will buy with what? their valuable stock?
Ford getting Caddilac, thats interesting. Would they change the name back to the Henry Ford Motor Company?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I wonder if the sales people have had to face this new objection to buying their cars. What would you say to such an objection?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Did you look that up in your "green card"? Anyone that knows what the "green card" is has been in computers way too long.
Ford will buy with what? their valuable stock?
Snake says
Ford getting Caddilac, thats interesting. Would they change the name back to the Henry Ford Motor Company?
I'm not an accountant but Ford will control the bankrupt GM and Chryco. Those 2 will get shares in Ford and some assembly lines will be able to continue. This will be an American automotive company and will only have the best of the best to offer....if this line up doesn't work nothing will. The GM/Chryco bankrupcy will allow them to close down assembly lines and close dealerships. The new company will be smaller but will offer only the best cars from the current Big 3.
It will be called Chryfog (Chrysler, Ford, GM)
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I received a gas rebate program after a timeshare presentation (didn't buy. Surprise!). $10 rebate for 10 tanks of gas over a two year period. The first 5 submissions were honored, slowly, but only two of the final five were. And I believe that the two were only honored because the Evil Wife contacted the timeshare outfit (as the gas rebate/scam company in Texas NEVER answered their phone or returned calls). I didn't bother pursuing, the $70 more than paid for the gas going to/from the property. Got a free lunch and use of an indoor pool/hot tub on a very cold November day. So, not so much a waste!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Can you name a make and model of a car that has not had warranty service?
No, I did FORTRAN on some ancient IBM mainframes (punch cards and all!) though I dabbled a bit with assembly on PCs. As I recall, the "green cards" were not actually green - yellow, perhaps?
Anyone know whether dealerships ever used such high powered computing tools way back when? I'm sure that would have intimidated the customers!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
European companies yes, but maybe not all of them. BMW and VW seem to be doing quite well.
I'd like to change the name of the new U.S. company with Ford leading and just producing the top 10 cars from GM and top 4 from Chrysler. GM & Chryco will get shares in Ford for selling their rights to Cadillac, Chev and Jeep etc.
The new name is GOFOCO
G for GM, F for Ford and C for Chryco
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Also, since there appear to be people on here as old as me, when did the slash go from the O (as in Ohio) to the zero? I remember writing FORTRAN (with the slash through the O) many, many times "back in the day." Stayed away from computers until the '80s when I got my Kaypro and found out the change had been made.
How 'bout them used cars?
Actually the original was a green pamphlet, which came out with the IBM360 in the 60s. It changed several colors over the next few decades but most still called it the green card.
Yes, I have heard people say they wouldn't buy a car from a company that may not around. It's not just warranty work. What if they need a front fender for their six year old Chevy Impala and there is no company to provide one?
What about the resale value of an orphan down the road?
I'm not taking any pleasure in any of this in case anyone is wondering.
Your spelling was perfect. There are only three grammar/spelling rules for binary: (1) Watch your spaces. (2) Use no commas. (3) Use only Arabic numerals. :P
Richard
I also read where Honda sales were down last month. Houdini mentioned a few posts back that perhaps other car companies are in trouble and just won't admit it. What is your take on this, and how is Honda REALLY doing?
Richard
Hey, I remember doing that until my boss saw me doing it and said, “If you want to be a a keypunch operator I can arrange that but don’t expect me to pay you as an engineer”. We have people around here that do that. :mad: So, I went back to filling out “load sheets” for the keypunch operators to create those monstrous lists for the specifications of the hardware we were using.
Also, since there appear to be people on here as old as me, when did the slash go from the O (as in Ohio) to the zero?
I remember having to put the slash through the O’s on those load sheets I mentioned above. Come to think of it, that’s why I started punching cards with the common info and doing that stuff myself, that is, until my boss told me to play like I was an engineer and not a keypunch operator. Until now that kind of stuff was just a bad memory from the past until you brought it up. :confuse:
Heck, I remember using a slide rule before the calculators came out. Couldn’t go out to 8 decimal places but if I squinted real good I could do 3 or 4.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Probably not politically correct to state here, but us "geeks" were fueled by caffeine and our girlfriend's "diet pills" to stay awake at night trying to get our programs to run right, working in the computer labs into the wee hours of the night/morning.
Ahhhh.....those were the days.
The card for the IBM 360 did indeed change colors over time. But, still referred to as the "green card".
Man, am I that old?
Again, back to cars. I'm noticing a lot of dealerships actually touting the economy as a reason to come shop with them. Something along the lines of...."the economy is bad. We're so "overloaded" with vehicles that we're slashing prices to the bone."
Craig....I know this makes you nuts. But, now even the dealerships are using the bad state of economic affairs to get people in the showroom.
Plenty of places that stamp out body parts for older vehicles, insurance companies make sure of that. But I agree with you and would be more worried about finding a starter for a 10 year old vehicle.
We are definatly down but I would hate to be selling a different brand right now.
I'm really getting tired of the customers who seem to delight in reminding us how bad things are and why we should be willing to lose a lot of money just to sell them a car!
It's some of the electrical parts, trim pieces ect that would be impossible to find.
Hey, maybe a junkyard would be a good investment?
I agree 110% Some people take it to extremes. It is along the same mind set that with the banks in the trouble they are they should give 2% loans, but they are not. There rates are higher because they need the profit. Just like us. If you are going to sell less work harder for profit on the ones you sell.
Not a good sustainable business model if you ask me.
I don't know....maybe that gets people in the door. And, maybe that's all they're trying to do. Then, they can attempt to make a deal. But, it would be a hard row to hoe given their "desperation" statement.
I agree with you on one point. Honda, and maybe Ford, seem to be the manufacturers are most likely to ride out the storm.
I like Honda's recent ads stating "hey, we're still making good, reliable, well-engineered cars. We're going to be around to continue to do so."
Matter of fact, I would consider it a great marketing coup if Mullaly would withdraw Ford's request for Federal loans, bailouts, guarantees. From what we're reading, they can make it through the next 12 months.
I'd prepare ads that state...."We're so confident in our people, our products and our company, that we don't want any handouts." Then, I'd hit GM and Chryco where they're most vulnerable and end the ad with..."Visit out showrooms to find out why out competitors can't do the same?"
Risky, but if it fails, they can always come back in 8 months and say they need the same help we're offering to GM and Chryco.
Interesting note in the news, Congress is asking for the "big 3" top execs to step down as part of the loan/bailout package. Nothing like sitting in front of Congress, and having them telling you that you have to accept responsibility and fire yourself. I like it.
While we're still the U.S. sales leader, we acknowledge we have disappointed you,” the ad said. “At times we violated your trust by letting our quality fall below industry standards and our designs became lacklustre.”
The unsigned open letter, entitled “GM's Commitment to the American People” ran in the trade journal Automotive News, which is widely read by industry executives, lobbyists and other insiders.
In the ad, GM admits to other strategic missteps analysts and critics have said hastened its recent decline.
“We have proliferated our brands and dealer network to the point where we lost adequate focus on the core U.S. market,” the ad said. “We also biased our product mix toward pick-up trucks and SUVs.”
They are still asking for a hand out and hope to change all this around.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Hmmmmm. That's a good question. On new cars I have owned the 74' Charger had some minor issues fixed under warranty, 80' Dodge had a paint problem fixed under warranty, 86' Toyota started falling apart a few months after the 3/36 warranty expired, so no warranty repairs but sure could have used them.
My 08' Mitsu has had zero issues so far.
The rest of my cars have been purchased used with 30 day warranties at best and I never had anything go within warranty.
I guess my point was that I would not buy a car if I thought I would ever need the warranty. I'm not a big believer in warranties. There are usually too many loop holes and conditions. So a car maker not being around to offer warranty coverage would not stop me from buying a car if the price was right.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Are you advocating that dealers go old-school and be untruthful with buyers? Like, “The only reason you see so many of the model you want on our lot is because we couldn’t keep them around. So, we asked other dealers to ship the ones they had to us. Business is just peachy with us”. Believe it or not, just last week, I spoke to a secretary here who was told something like that. :mad:
Seriously, I don’t take any joy in car sales being down and I feel for you guys in the biz. When things get back to normal we’ll all be better off. It can’t happen soon enough.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
The cars haven't changed. If dealerships were selling good cars before, they still are (if their doors are still open). By telling the public that your dealership is desperate (be it true or untrue), you're also telling them that your product is somehow inferior. And, that you've come to the point where you want to appeal to the "least common denominator" to get people into your showroom. I don't see how that helps the customer, nor the dealership. Matter of fact, I'm of the mind that if a dealership is indeed advertising they're that desperate, I'd probably be less likely to shop with them for fear they won't be around long enough to take care of me after the sale.
Low price or not, a car still costs a pretty big chunk of change. I'd like a little piece of mind that where I buy it from is going to stand behind it.
Desperation doesn't give any consumer the "warm and fuzzies".
Perhaps a small handful of people who were already in the market for a vehicle will hear those ads and figure they can get a better deal, but I can't imagine the number of people responding would significantly affect sales.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
Care to guess who is now emailing me with offers of employee pricing and rebates?
I'm debating whether to email them or to drop by in person to tell them that there will be snowball fights in Hell before I EVER buy a car from them...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
And yes, he's now receiving offers from the local stores to buy a Cobra....at substantially discounted prices off MSRP. That's a far cry from what they were telling him not so long ago.
A couple of weeks ago, his wife's G35 got totaled (she's fine....car obviously is not).
After debating on what to buy, she decided to replace the G with a truck. At one time, I would have "guffawed" at that. But, I went from a 330i to an Accord and never looked back. So, I'm in no position to say anything.
Anyway, on a fluke, my friend called the Ford dealer he bought the Cobra from. Told them of his wife's plight. They talked about the trucks they had all on the lot while on the phone. They picked a color, and the options she wanted. Got a great quote on a new F-150. The dealership delivered the truck to his door step (again, 90 minutes away). His wife test drove it....liked it. Deal was done at his kitchen table.
I have no idea how the sales person got back to the dealership. But, that's one way to gain a customer (for 2 vehicles, no less).