Comments on: What is Cash for Clunkers (C.A.R.S.) Doing for YOU?

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:32:05 +0000

Mindy, where did you get that info? Your dealership fronted the money to the customer, and then you are paid directly into your dealership account the $3500 or $4500 by the NHTSA via CitiGroup – so why would General Motors (US Motor Liquidation Co.) need that money that your dealership fronted, without interest?

P.S. Of the 82 submitted deals for CARS, we’ve been paid on 80, with just 2 Under Review – one of them since July 28th!

P.P.S. For those of you who submitted these for your dealership, I hope they paid you very handsomely for your tireless efforts.

By: jeff

jeff — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:07:06 +0000

i have had one approval left for three days, why do you mock me nhtsa?

By: Mindy

Mindy — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:56:55 +0000

I understand that after my invoice is paid, I have to submit a payment voucher supplied by the government to General Motors. Does anyone know how to access the payment vouchers?

By: Jon Groenig

Jon Groenig — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:58:17 +0000

Let’s face facts, this is a mainly a dealer exchange, we understand the ins and outs of our business and why some dealers did what they did, they tried to make sure they kept their doors open when the government didn’t pay out in a timely fashion (the nerve of those assholes).

Another thing to keep in mind is you only see a handful of customers bitching throughout this thread when in reality 700,000 people made purchases, overall it looks like most dealers followed the guidelines or customers understood the risk the dealer was taking and were willing to work with them.

So I guess the best thing to do is look at this in a positive light, because we all know you would have still be driving your clunker for quite a bit longer than the month these dealer inconvenienced you. The only reason these customers bought was the government rebate, so be happy, you are driving or will be driving a new car soon and you won’t need to carry your supply of duct tape a bailing wire with you anymore.

Oh yea, I am glad this will get back to a being a dealer forum now.

By: jeff

jeff — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:30:03 +0000

Yikes, so much tension, you could cut it with a knife. A knife that will have to be scanned, converted to a pdf file and sent as a legible attament to the NHTSA for review. My dealership has several knives rejected, but we are about 50% paid on the sales of 84 cars under this program. Thank Goodness we had, and still have available capital for this. This is the part that consumers do not know or care about. If the dealer was on this program, then that dealer was under the impression the they would be loaning the money to the NHTSA while they processed these documents to then pay the dealer back. We, like many are still waiting for in most cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars, and have been for nearly two months. You are all welcome, and thanks for participating in the program.

By: John Quinn

John Quinn — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:02:43 +0000

Last-Last-Last thing: my SINCERE aplogies to John Quinn at Reed-Lallier. I HONESTLY am not John Quinn from Reed-Lallier. I was very confused by the reference until I googled it myself. Next time, I’ll try to pick a name that’s not already in use!!

By: John Quinn

John Quinn — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:55:56 +0000

I was done here too, but one last thought: It’s been very interesting to see the chasm here between Dealers and Consumers. Obviously, the Dealers on this (Dealer) forum are “in the know” here: this is our business, our livelihood — we know what we are talking about — we are the professionals in this equation. As such we often tend to forget (at least I do — and it’s 13+ years for me here…) how EMOTIONAL people get about their cars. And while it can provide a chuckle (or several chuckles ), or provide a headache, it actually can be one of the nicer parts of our job: for every one of “those” people that just can’t be pleased no-matter-what, there are many of those who actually “love” their new cars, become friends with their salespeople for life, and make this job fun. So Deb — don’t let the few bother you. You can see how the dealers on this string have attempted to factually, locically explain to the consumers (on this DEALER forum) what’s really happening, only to be completely ignored by irrational, emotionally-charged thought processes. And that’s OK — I’m the same way at the Doctor’s office: I hate sitting in that waiting room! Even though logically I know that the Doctor and his staff have no intention of frustrating me, and are doing the best they can, it’s easy to get annoyed (emotional) and topical to “slam” the encounter when relating my woes to Aunt Betty. That’s just the way we’re wired, I guess. We’re going to make our point, find the facts we think support our cause (twist them to fit if we have to), and complain. So at the end of the day, you (and by “you” I mean “we,” “us,” “everyone”)can sit back and either be thankful for your good fortune, or complain about how unfair life is: we all know people on both sides of that aisle. So this is my last clunker post: at the end of the day, 700,000 consumers got a “freebie” from the government, dealers got their first decent month in almost 2 years, there were some problems, and some difficulties, it was tough, it was fun. There will always be the people that complain, but the majority of the people — and I helped several hundred — were thrilled with the program and couldn’t believe their good fortune. I’ll stick with those folks, and continue to bend-over backward when any of them ever need anything. Take care!!

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:38:29 +0000

I want to thank the car dealership people who answered my questions earlier in quest for understanding the program, what was right, what was wrong, how things work.

I still have great respect for those who did it right AND I must now add, showed respect for the customer behind the water cooler as well as in the showroom.

I am sorry my frustration at non compliant dealers caused Kim any further distress by the comments of Mr. John Quinn. Mr. Quinn, General Sales Manager, for me negated some of the positive attitude I had developed towards those who claim to have done it right-delivered the car on the first day of sales etc. I asked him to correct where I was wrong because I happen to genuinely want to know and have no problem admitting when I misunderstand or do not understand something. I have less patience for hiding ignorance as a means to what? A false impression? More bad information, or ignorance? I do not work in the auto industry. I don’t expect all who do to know everything about any one else’s profession or day to day procedures. I sought information from all the sources I could, including the manufacturer-at many levels, lawmakers in the government who crafted the C4C, the usual suspects in this program-NHTSA, the CARS hotline, the dealership I worked with, dealerships I didn’t work with etc.

Unfortunately, Reed-Lallier dealership, who I have no cause to doubt followed the rules, now, in my mind has a bruise. Is there a dealership who doesn’t claim the importance of Customer Service and Professionalism in describing their business and their employees? I thought and continue to think highly of my salesperson. I came to the conclusion that his dealership did not give him all the information he should have had, did not train him completely/properly on the program. However, that did not absolve the dealership and all the other management who, like Mr. Quinn, were in charge of submitting paperwork, were in charge of the program for their dealership, the owner and the finance manager -all who made statements and claims that were not in line with the program etc. They could have done things differently and chose not to.

Good luck to all those who do things right in the auto industry. You have a tough image problem to overcome.

My background happens to be in Customer Service for a Fortune 500 company. I have trained countless personnel to provide Customer Service to those who chose to do business with us. It is easiest to provide CS when the customer is happy. It is more of a challenge and telling of the quality of the individual and organization when the customer is not. Good CS can be had even when circumstances beyond your control come into play. Much of that lies in communication, education and honesty.

For those unjustly accused or included in negative comments you have my apologies and sympathy.
I have learned a good deal here.

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:38:09 +0000

Well Deb for the record both my husband and I work hard also. I have 3 children in college and one of them getting married next year. I do think about all of you and the work you do. But you don’t know who or what we have had to deal with. I expected our dealership to tell us the truth, but each time we talked to them it was one lie after another, and the sad thing is they couldn’t even keep there lies in line from one person to the next. So, if your dealership is different than that Great! and Thanks, I am sure that your customers must love you. I wish I could say the samething about ours. (Maybe it’s because once there stock is sold they are down to only one line and possibly losing that also).

By: Deb

Deb — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:19:24 +0000

I wasn’t going to comment any further but the more I thought about Kim and Ann’s posts the more infuriated I became. Therefore I need to say briefly that ladies you are welcome. The fact that I work hard and can afford a newer vehicle did not give me the opportunity to take advantage of this program. However, again because I work hard, my taxes enabled you to purchase new vehicles. As my taxes go up via increase in income, utilities, soda(!?)
I’ll be thinking of you far longer than you will be of a dealer that was trying to protect their business. I believe you owe your neighbors, employers, and family a thank you.