Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Big Bend, West Virginia

Big Bend, WV Car Consumer Discussions

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by alejandrom on Fri Nov 07 09:53:26 PST 2008

As someone noted earlier, if a customer is going to receive worse service as a result of a no-profit deal, the SM should step in and enlighten the customer of this, since the customer has no way of knowing whether the dealer is making a profit. The only problem with that idea is the customer would never believe the SM or the salesmen. When I sell cars at or below invoice the customer still believes that I'm making profit. Do I bend over backwards to help the customers I make a big profit on? Absolutely. They deserve to be helped over and above the call of duty. For the customer who wants to grind me in a grueling 5 hour car deal and take all of the profit...well....they get what they pay for. Extra keys for a used car? Sorry...can't help you. There's a scratch I didn't notice can you get it buffed out? Sorry...you took all the profit and left with a $100 mini deal. I can't help you. That's just the way it goes in this business. If you wan to grind the salesmen and take all of his profit then the quality of service will decline exponentially. Alejandro.

Re: Is it possible to back out of a car purchase? [mattgg1]

by madmanmoo on Tue Nov 04 09:29:33 PST 2008

You comment is why car dealers in general, and car salesmen in particular, will always possess a negative image in the eyes of the public. Really? So we're going to take great care of the guy who grinds us down to every last penny? The customers who pay profit, they won't get any preferential treatment? Really? They are all treated the same? In my business, there are regularly time where we make little/no profit on a client, but we do not treat them differently. Well, good for you. I'm not sure what you do for a living, but I take the best care of my profit paying customers. They have earned it through their loyalty and their willingness to pay for a product. I will bend over backwards to help them out. The folks who don't pay a dime in profit? I couldn't care less. They are unloyal and only focused on themselves, not the big picture. It's silly and shortsighted to think that the people paying the most profit don't get preferential treatment. Try your hand at car sales before you cast judgement.

gus, dino, matt

by graphicguy on Tue Oct 07 12:39:29 PDT 2008

gus.....It's pretty clear that the General and their dealers are trying to get their inventory off the lots as quickly as they possibly can. I think from the dealer's standpoint, they've got slow moving inventory that's costing them floorplan money the longer it sits there. And, it's been sitting there for awhile (particularly trucks and SUVs). That'll happen when your business is down by double digits for a little while. They're bending over backwards to get that stock off the lot. Your story, as well as many others, prove the point. matt....no offense taken. Appreciate your comments. Yeah....Saturn started out as yet another "volley" fired at the "yoda/honda" products that GM can compete with the best of Japan. Good concept. Poor execution. Now, they're just another GM brand. Too many similarities than differences between the brands on the GM stables. Will it be an Outlook, a Traverse or an Enclave? Same recipe. Same ingredients. Same taste. Just a different look. Personally, I still think GM has too many brands. Pontiac, and/or GMC, and/or Buick could go, and few people would miss them. Hummer may as well be history. Saab....never could understand that acquisition to begin with. Toyota's suffering a little GM-itis.....got too big and took their eye off the ball. Don't hear them crowing about overtaking GM these days. They've got other more pressing things on their plate. Somebody had to pay for the 0% financing. They're clearing the lots, too. Honda seemed immune. But, the latest figures for them shows they're down, too. Nissan, surprisingly took a huge fall. To me, the time is right for a radical change in their pricing structure. No one wants to take that risk, however.

Re: 09 Outback owner [noey8]

by jim2345 on Mon Oct 06 11:29:08 PDT 2008

Hi Noey, I'm really no expert. All I know is what I have read and you should know that I have been driving Jeeps for 20 years. But on paper, the Outback looks like the perfect replacement for me so I've been doing my homework and I really want one because I'm ready to "downsize". In part it's for the fuel economy but also I no longer have a trailer to pull so I don't need the big engine. I never go off road (on purpose) and really just need something that will keep me on the roads in winter, when I do most of my driving. I'm up in the mountains skiing every chance I get - at least twice a week. And my driveway is long and steep, so anytime I'm out and it snows, I run the risk of not making it back up. This happens to my wife all the time and about every other winter, she gets her FWD Sable stuck sideways on our driveway when she loses traction halfway up and slips back toward the street. I've solved these problems for 20 years by keeping the driveway cleared for my wife and buying Jeeps for me, but it's really overkill. I'm ready for something more car-like but I hate bending my knees and back at the same time to "crumple" myself into my wife's Sable. My jeep fits me just right - I can stand up straight along side it and slide my butt sideways onto the seat - don't have to bend anything to get in! I'm expecting the Outback, with the same ground clearance as my Jeep to be pretty much the same - maybe just duck my head a little. But to answer your question about transmissions, I'm leaning towards the automatic so my wife can also use it once in a while - maybe it will even become hers one day. So when I go to the dealer this month for a test drive I plan to drive both. I'm not expecting the test drives will show any big difference in traction so it's going to come down to one thing - is the automatic powerful enough? I read somewhere (Edmunds?) that the 4-cylinder auto is a real snooze - but's that's OK with me as long as it's not dangerously underpowered. I plan to give the sportshift feature a workout to be sure of this. The other big deal for me (and if you've read my other posts in this forum you must know) is the tires. I just don't want to leave the dealership with those Potenzas still on. I hope I can work something out with them on tires. - Jim

Coffee is for Closers...

by donkeypunch1 on Wed Oct 01 06:13:14 PDT 2008

End of the month. Great time to buy a car, but strongly advise just walking in "cold". 90% of the time your either going to waste your time and get PO'd or spend more than you should have. Don't beleive me? Walk on in and see how it works out. The local dealer by me is at least 3K higher than a 15 mile drive and no amount of negotiating, haggling, price comparing is going to change that. Complete waste of time. It's probably late to acquire your own financing if you haven't already (unless you have a local credit union with decent rates). If you pull the trigger tonight, just make sure you don't get get a great price on the van, only to get completely bent on financing or trade. Give the following a shot: 1. Go to Honda.com website and click on "find dealer" (DON'T use the request quote button). 2. At that point, select "request a quote" next to each dealer after you have list of dealers. 3. Fill out your info. don't put a phone number down, you call them if you want...they don't call you. Ask for the following: - Obviously request model your looking for in dropdown. - In "comments" section put something to the effect: Would like an OTD (out the door) quotation on EXL RES. Please itemize charges: Base Price, destination and document fee; only extras should be tax, title license. I would like your best possible price, as I intend to purchase tonight. Additionally, please include the color selection that you have available. I'm checking with several dealers in the area and will be purchasing shortly, so your promptness and bottom line is appreciated. Don't give them your phone number, if their serious, they'll put it in writing. - Press Send 4. Go Back to "find dealer" enter your zip and you'll get the same list. select "request quote" by the next dealer and this same form that you initially entered will be available. just press send. 5. Repeat to at least 8 dealers in your area. If your in a metro area. I'd send to everyone EVEN the closest. 5 1/2. Go to your credit union, capitalone.com or whomever your comfortable with and get your own financing. You should have a check in your back pocket when you go to buy the car or their going to bend you over. The big players will overnight you a blank check. If your a costco member, check out costco dot com and get the capital one rate there. You should get 5.9 apr for 60 months, which you will use as your fallback. 6. Sit back..you're in the drivers seat. 7. Wait for quotes to come in. 8. You'll find out who's serious. - some will give you HIGH price - some won't respond so go to their website and request a quote with same info as above (I found Honda has some deadlinks on their website to dealers) On the day before I was ready to buy, I called the nonresponders and was able to get them in the mix. - a few will give you a pretty aggressive price - you may end up with a clear cut low ball great price 9. Forget about the morons that ask you to call them for an appointment (The VIP treatment means getting bent over). On the ones that are really high, if you want reply and tell them they are off by whatever the diff is between them and your lowest price. i.e, "you're off by $2600, if that's your best shot, I'll pass thanks". 10. Let the few that are low sit a few days and then reply back. Note that you appreciate their offer. That you have a few others that are right there and that you'd like to buy from them. Your making the decision in the next 48-72 hours. (If you can time this for the end of the month, I think that will work in your favor.) Is this your best price? (If you want any accessories, nows the time to ask for them). Alternatively, you can name a price to see if they can get there, personal choice really here. I don't think you have anything to lose by seeing how hard you can push. If they won't hit the lowball price, then ask how low they can go and say you may come back if the lowball dealer doesn't come through. Here's why, my lowball dealer was writing a quote that said on an 08, but only when I called and said I'll be over this afternoon with a check for this amount for an 08 and he affirmed but then called back in 10 minutes to say he meant 07. Make sure again to qualify that Destination should be included and that there should be no dealer extras on the car (ask them to confirm this). Get an itemized out the door price. Base+Desination+Doc, + tax + title + license. Make sure that the documentation/processing fee does not exceed $100. In some states the most they can charge is $59. 11. Wait for your responses. Hopefully you should have a pretty good price (better than you have from your other guy). 12. Take the best quote you've got and email it to the internet dept sales person of the dealer closest to you and tell them you'd like to buy local if they can beat it. If they match or beat and have your color choice go buy from them. 13. If not, go back to the person with best quote and requalify the details? "You have this color in stock and this price includes destination? Only Extra's are Tax, Title License? They reply in writing with a "yes", then call them to once again firm these detials and make an appointment to meet them and drive (and hopefully buy) the car. 13.5 When you show up prepare for the bait 'n switch or worse but STICK TO YOUR GUNS. HAVE YOUR EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOU. I did all of the above plus called on my drive to the dealer and confirmed everything was still true; only to be told that they had only one van and it wasn't the color we had discussed. In addition, it had accessories on it that I did not want. As a result, I threatened to leave (coat on and stood up) and suddenly a van showed up that was what we wanted. Drive the EXACT VAN you are buying. Make sure it's the year you want and check the odometer. Make sure you like it, no rattles, etc. Inspect it for scratches, etc. Should be fine, but make sure. You've come this far, don't overlook final details. (After we had agreed to a deal, I got the "it's the salesman's/manager's fault" from the manager/salesman when the other wasn't around.) 14. Show up with your own financing as noted previously. When you pull the check from your pocket, their going to ask where/what your rate is. If you have good credit tell them you have 5.5% for 60 months. If they ask to see paperwork details on the check, make sure the ONLY thing you show them is the dealer details DO NOT SHOW THEM THE INTEREST RATE...DONT EVEN bring those details with you. It is NONE of their business. If you have good credit (780+, odds are they'll beat the 5.5% and you'll save even more money. Show up without a blank check and try to get 5.4% or lower and odds are it'll never happen. 14.5 You have a trade-in? Research your price on kbbdotcom and edmunds dot com. If its and older car with high mileage don't expect to much, sell it on craigslist, someone at work, or expect to take your $1500 at t

Re: I know this has been explained to me before... [Mr_Shiftright]

by grbeck on Wed Sep 24 14:26:45 PDT 2008

The truth is probably more frightening - Studebaker's leaders had no idea of how sick their company really was. After the merger, Packard's controller visited South Bend and was horrified to discover that Studebaker's break-even point was well over 300,000 vehicles! The company had only hit that figure once before (1950). When he confronted Studebaker's top management with this information, they dismissed it, noting that the company had made money on lower volume in other years. What Studebaker management missed is that, one, during the early 1950s, their labor costs had drifted far out of line with the Big 3; two, their factory was increasingly antiquated and less productive than competitors' facilities; and three, beginning with the Ford Blitz of 1953, discounts by ALL car companies were necessary to move the metal. Studebaker had made money on lower volume during the postwar sellers' market, when demand outstripped supply, and it could charge more for its vehicles and maintain volume. Once the postwar sellers' market ended, factors one and two reared their ugly heads with a vengeance. Studebaker also didn't take into account that a fair percentage of its total profit was coming from defense work. A Studebaker staffer "costed out" a 1953 Commander Starliner using GM's cost structure. He discovered that GM could have sold it for LESS than the cost of a Chevrolet. Studebaker had to sell it at Buick prices, and was still not making any money! The entire merger had been conducted on a "friendly" basis. Neither side spent much time examining the other's books. If anything, Packard management could be accused of not exercising due diligence prior to the merger. If this happened today, there would probably be shareholder lawsuits galore. The real blow to Studebaker-Packard came when the insurance companies that Nance thought would extend the company credit to redo its lines for 1957 took one look at the company's rapidly deteriorating condition in 1955 and said "no." At that point, the company was finished. But 1956 was an election year, and incumbent President Eisenhower didn't want what would have been the biggest industrial bankruptcy in the nation's history to occur during an election year. (Hmmm...does this sound familiar?) Hence, he "encouraged" Curtiss-Wright to help out Studebaker-Packard. Curtiss-Wright coveted Studebaker-Packard's defense business, and it wanted to use the company's losses for tax write-off purposes. Roy Hurley of Curtiss-Wright looked at the company with an accountant's eye, and realized that, with the collapse of Packard sales in 1956, and its lower volume, it made sense to rationalize production in South Bend. He also realized that it made sense from a financial standpoint to base future Packards on Studebaker bodies and mechanicals, as opposed to the other way around. Thus, Packard's Detroit plant was closed, its new V-8 engine plant sold, and those moves killed the true Packard car. Packard never really recovered its footing in the postwar years, even though its production feats during World War II rivaled those of GM, Ford and Chrysler. Unfortunately, Packard's president during this time was George Christopher, brought in from GM to prepare for the mass production of the 120. He foolishly abandoned true luxury cars, and after the war, when Packard could have made a bid to return to its luxury roots, he emphasized dull medium-priced models, and approved really bad styling for the 1948-50 models. He refused to restyle the "pregnant elephant" 1948-50 cars until it was too late. By then, Cadillac had come out with the 1-2-3 punch of the 1948 tailfinned cars, the 1949 V-8 engine, and the 1949 Coupe de Ville, and it had a lead in the luxury market that Packard (and Lincoln and Chrysler Imperial) could not overcome. The early postwar Packards were well made and well-engineered, but park a 1949 Packard next to a 1949 Cadillac - it's no contest as to which is better looking, or more "youthful" and exciting. In many ways, Packard represented the "old wealth" that was swept away by the Great Depression and World War II. It was a conservative car with impeccable quality and low-key, but recognizable, styling. I recall reading that someone once said that Packards of the 1920s and 1930s were the best American cars ever made. Cadillac appealed to the "new" rich (rising industrialists, Hollywood stars, athletes) who were brash, wanted to show off their success, and did not necessarily come from one of the old families or from society. Times changed, and Packard didn't - or coudn't.