Clunker for FIT buying experiences
#141
08-01-2009, 10:18 PM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
I'm going to shove in a few general interest things for those still working on their deals. I was going to put it in the NEWS section over here:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...kers-news.html
But it might be better to put these couple things in with deals being done.
1. The House approved the $2B additional funding, but it still has to go through the SENATE. So as of right now, there is no additional $2B.
"Cash For Clunkers" Future Depends On Senates Vote For $2 Million Infusion - FOXBusiness.com
Heh, they said million, not billion for the title of their story.
What you can do:
Call, email, write your Senator. Of course I have link:
U.S. Senate: Senators Home
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2. NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) has suggested to dealers NOT to close deals in the CARS program over the weekend.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/31/autos/nada_no_deals/
3. There is a LOT of money at stake for the dealers. Let's do simple math again. Let's use 10 deals per dealership. Let's use $4,000 as the rebate. In this article, a man owns 264 franchises/dealerships.
The Smell of Fear and Burning Oil: Clunker Rebates Bring Out Hopeful - WSJ.com
How much are all of his dealerships waiting for, using the above numbers?
$10,560,000
That's a lot of money to be waiting for. But those figures are LOW, from what we all have been reading about the program. Right?
Remember, there is still no clear wording that we can all point to, to know WHO is on the hook for the $4,500 or any rebate that doesn't go through. If it's just paperwork that has to be resubmitted after corrections, fine.
The dealer will be stuck, and turn back to the consumer. The consumer will say they, themselves followed the rules and the dealer should go back to the government and the government will shrug. Big mess.
What you can do:
Be sure your dealership is processing you only under the CARS program. If they are doing double contracts, MY suggestion (just an opinion from a layperson) is to find another dealership that will process ONLY under the CARS program.
My guess is that you can't have two valid, legal contracts that vary, for the same thing. I would be very uncomfortable signing two contracts, for anything. There's nothing to prevent them from running the contract that is more favorable for them.
There are a lot of dealerships that ran the contract for CARS only. They are just as up in the air as any dealership that does the contracts this weekend. The government has said it will honor all contracts done over the weekend.
There is NO reason to fill out an additional contract. Don't do it. You probably give up some rights if you do. There is strength in numbers, and you want to be in the same boat as everyone else. Really.
If there is a problem, signing the second contract will have the dealership USE that contract. And you are no longer one of the group of people that qualified for CARS and then your dealer didn't get the money. You'd be on your own, facing the dealer.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...kers-news.html
But it might be better to put these couple things in with deals being done.
1. The House approved the $2B additional funding, but it still has to go through the SENATE. So as of right now, there is no additional $2B.
"Cash For Clunkers" Future Depends On Senates Vote For $2 Million Infusion - FOXBusiness.com
Heh, they said million, not billion for the title of their story.
What you can do:
Call, email, write your Senator. Of course I have link:
U.S. Senate: Senators Home
------
2. NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) has suggested to dealers NOT to close deals in the CARS program over the weekend.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/31/autos/nada_no_deals/
3. There is a LOT of money at stake for the dealers. Let's do simple math again. Let's use 10 deals per dealership. Let's use $4,000 as the rebate. In this article, a man owns 264 franchises/dealerships.
The Smell of Fear and Burning Oil: Clunker Rebates Bring Out Hopeful - WSJ.com
How much are all of his dealerships waiting for, using the above numbers?
$10,560,000
That's a lot of money to be waiting for. But those figures are LOW, from what we all have been reading about the program. Right?
Remember, there is still no clear wording that we can all point to, to know WHO is on the hook for the $4,500 or any rebate that doesn't go through. If it's just paperwork that has to be resubmitted after corrections, fine.
The dealer will be stuck, and turn back to the consumer. The consumer will say they, themselves followed the rules and the dealer should go back to the government and the government will shrug. Big mess.
What you can do:
Be sure your dealership is processing you only under the CARS program. If they are doing double contracts, MY suggestion (just an opinion from a layperson) is to find another dealership that will process ONLY under the CARS program.
My guess is that you can't have two valid, legal contracts that vary, for the same thing. I would be very uncomfortable signing two contracts, for anything. There's nothing to prevent them from running the contract that is more favorable for them.
There are a lot of dealerships that ran the contract for CARS only. They are just as up in the air as any dealership that does the contracts this weekend. The government has said it will honor all contracts done over the weekend.
There is NO reason to fill out an additional contract. Don't do it. You probably give up some rights if you do. There is strength in numbers, and you want to be in the same boat as everyone else. Really.
If there is a problem, signing the second contract will have the dealership USE that contract. And you are no longer one of the group of people that qualified for CARS and then your dealer didn't get the money. You'd be on your own, facing the dealer.
#142
08-01-2009, 10:36 PM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
We've been talking about this for awhile, the whole process. Just like with any other special or sale or incentive, the early bird gets the worm.
Those specials that come out weekly in the newspaper? If you want the special low price of the week, you'd better get there on the day the special starts. As there's no guarantee that they will get more in before the end of the week, when the special ends.
It's not like the grocery store is hiding the cereal in the back, or that Target has hidden the neat table just to thwart your buying intentions. And the dealers aren't hiding cars.
Many people went down before the program started and put down a deposit, on the car they wanted. Or went down right away, to pick from what was on the lot.
Believe me, if the dealers have any cars coming in, they are getting them on the lot as soon as possible. They want to sell cars as much as people want to buy them.
I checked a couple dealerships online. Looks like both got new stock. And both have sold some too. No more orange, they're all sold. The stick nav in TW is gone. One of the dealerships is down to it's last TWB (auto nav). That one has no BSP. None have BBP. Very few sticks.
Remember that what is popular in one area may not be so popular in another area. Can you check another dealership? Use the Find A Dealer tool on the Honda site:
Locate a Dealer - the Official Honda Web Site
#143
08-02-2009, 11:49 AM
I'll add my C4C experience - I went to Walser Honda in Burnsville, MN (a no-haggle dealer) on Tuesday and everything went pretty well. My Fit had about $850 off MSRP ($450 dealer incentive + $400 for buying a car that had been on the lot since March). I had gone in a week earlier to close the deal & put a deposit on the car, bringing all the documentation. The dealer droped in my Mugen Quick Shift and Sport Pedals and I was out the door in about 1.5 hours after financing and going over all the paperwork.
When I went in to pick up the car, the dealership was going cuckoo-bananas. People everywhere, deals being inked left and right. The staff had a pretty good handle on things, giving me an additional $200 for my 2000 Jeep Cherokee's scrap value (of which they kept $50). So total Clunker money - $4650.
The only annoyance I had was that C4C officially went live on Monday but the dealer had lined up their sales by the hour and my deal didn't close until Tuesday night. Waiting a week for a car you've been already waiting to buy for a couple years is tough. They said they had something like 115+ deals lined up before C4C even really started that they plowed through that week.
It's interesting, for how much business the dealers are doing, every salesman I've talked to has just whined about the paperwork and how they're barely getting more sales out of C4C. I don't really believe that this stuff is as onerous as they're making it sound nor do I believe that they're not selling many more cars than usual. I went back in on Saturday to get a little strip of foam (left over from shipping) removed from my front bumper and the place was still hopping.
In any case, I'm tremendously excited to have my new Fit. If not for C4C, I was going to wait until next summer to get a new car and there's a 90% chance it would have been a new Ford Fiesta (I'm super excited about those things coming stateside). However, going from a car with a 16 mpg rating (19 observed) to a car with a 29 mpg rating (37 observed on 1st tank) is just delightful. I really love the Fit and listening to the little 1.5 liter motor rev up into VTEC range is just fun as crap and it drives like a dream. I'm very proud to be a Fit owner and I'm looking forward to years of fun in my little orange car.
When I went in to pick up the car, the dealership was going cuckoo-bananas. People everywhere, deals being inked left and right. The staff had a pretty good handle on things, giving me an additional $200 for my 2000 Jeep Cherokee's scrap value (of which they kept $50). So total Clunker money - $4650.
The only annoyance I had was that C4C officially went live on Monday but the dealer had lined up their sales by the hour and my deal didn't close until Tuesday night. Waiting a week for a car you've been already waiting to buy for a couple years is tough. They said they had something like 115+ deals lined up before C4C even really started that they plowed through that week.
It's interesting, for how much business the dealers are doing, every salesman I've talked to has just whined about the paperwork and how they're barely getting more sales out of C4C. I don't really believe that this stuff is as onerous as they're making it sound nor do I believe that they're not selling many more cars than usual. I went back in on Saturday to get a little strip of foam (left over from shipping) removed from my front bumper and the place was still hopping.
In any case, I'm tremendously excited to have my new Fit. If not for C4C, I was going to wait until next summer to get a new car and there's a 90% chance it would have been a new Ford Fiesta (I'm super excited about those things coming stateside). However, going from a car with a 16 mpg rating (19 observed) to a car with a 29 mpg rating (37 observed on 1st tank) is just delightful. I really love the Fit and listening to the little 1.5 liter motor rev up into VTEC range is just fun as crap and it drives like a dream. I'm very proud to be a Fit owner and I'm looking forward to years of fun in my little orange car.
Last edited by jakecarolan; 08-02-2009 at 12:44 PM.
#144
08-02-2009, 12:30 PM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
Yay, Stevedee! That's very good to hear.
I have the feeling that a lot of things weren't covered too well...We can all read "The Rule" and see there is a lot missing. If we have questions, that means something in there wasn't clear. It's not that we're all missing the same parts. And by "we" I mean consumers AND dealerships.
My guess is additional instructions may have gone out. Maybe something clarifying a part that was being missed when deals are being submitted and rejected.
Someone somewhere is looking at the submitted deals at the government, and perhaps doing face palms and head banging on the walls, thinking everyone is stupid. The instructions were lacking in clarity.
Each state has different laws on the taxing, so maybe it took awhile for California to make it's rules clear. Or for dealers to learn what the rules were. We have a major problem with pollution in California, so you'd think the state government would be most eager to have Californians participate in the program.
Your deal is complete. Don't forget about the tax credit for your sales tax!
I have the feeling that a lot of things weren't covered too well...We can all read "The Rule" and see there is a lot missing. If we have questions, that means something in there wasn't clear. It's not that we're all missing the same parts. And by "we" I mean consumers AND dealerships.
My guess is additional instructions may have gone out. Maybe something clarifying a part that was being missed when deals are being submitted and rejected.
Someone somewhere is looking at the submitted deals at the government, and perhaps doing face palms and head banging on the walls, thinking everyone is stupid. The instructions were lacking in clarity.
Each state has different laws on the taxing, so maybe it took awhile for California to make it's rules clear. Or for dealers to learn what the rules were. We have a major problem with pollution in California, so you'd think the state government would be most eager to have Californians participate in the program.
Your deal is complete. Don't forget about the tax credit for your sales tax!
According to Automotive News, NHTSA -- the government bureaucracy responsible for administering the CARS program -- conducted a webinar for automobile dealers last Monday. During that session, retailers were reportedly told that the federal rebate cash they'd be receiving would be non-taxable. Now, for the buyers trading in so-called clunkers, this is indeed the case. Unfortunately for car dealers, however, it appears that NHTSA got the explanation wrong. In fact, AN reports that the IRS issued an advisory bulletin yesterday confirming that yes, the federal rebates dealerships receive for CARS trades count as taxable gross income.
Apparently, some retailers believed that since their customers weren't getting taxed, neither were they. And if the Automotive News account of events is accurate, it's fairly obvious that NHTSA didn't fully understand the tax implications either when they conducted their webinar. As a result, some dealer smiles around the country are likely turning into frowns this weekend. The money line in the AN piece comes from Dick Heider, a dealer accountant who points out that the CARS cash simply counts as a normal payment to the retailer, and thus is taxable. "What you are dealing with are people who don't understand accounting," he says. Apparently, on all sides of the equation.
Doh! Dealers learn Cash for Clunkers rebates count as taxable income — Autoblog
That's where the new instructions came from.
#145
08-02-2009, 12:57 PM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
I'll add my C4C experience - I went to Walser Honda in Burnsville, MN (a no-haggle dealer) on Tuesday and everything went pretty well. My Fit had about $850 off MSRP ($450 dealer incentive + $400 for buying a car that had been on the lot since March). I had gone in a week earlier to close the deal & put a deposit on the car, bringing all the documentation. The dealer droped in my Mugen Quick Shift and Sport Pedals and I was out the door in about 1.5 hours after financing and going over all the paperwork.
When I went in to pick up the car, the dealership was going cuckoo-bananas. People everywhere, deals being inked left and right. The staff had a pretty good handle on things, giving me an additional $200 for my 2000 Jeep Cherokee's scrap value (of which they kept $50). So total Clunker money - $4650.
The only annoyance I had was that C4C officially went live on Monday but the dealer had lined up their sales by the hour and my deal didn't close until Tuesday night. Waiting a week for a car you've been already waiting to buy for a couple years is tough. They said they had something like 115+ deals lined up before C4C even really started that they plowed through that week.
It's interesting, for how much business the dealers are doing, every salesman I've talked to has just whined about the paperwork and how they're barely getting more sales out of C4C. I don't really believe that this stuff is as onerous as they're making it sound nor do I believe that they're not selling many more cars than usual. I went back in on Saturday to get a little strip of foam (left over from shipping) removed from my front bumper and the place was still hopping.
In any case, I'm tremendously excited to get my new Fit. If not for C4C, I was going to wait until next summer to get a new car and there's a 90% chance it would have been a new Ford Fiesta (I'm super excited about those things coming stateside). However, going from a car with a 16 mpg rating (19 observed) to a car with a 29 mpg rating (37 observed on 1st tank) is just delightful. I really love the Fit and listening to the little 1.5 liter motor rev up into VTEC range is just fun as crap and it drives like a dream. I'm very proud to be a Fit owner and I'm looking forward to years of fun in my little orange car.
When I went in to pick up the car, the dealership was going cuckoo-bananas. People everywhere, deals being inked left and right. The staff had a pretty good handle on things, giving me an additional $200 for my 2000 Jeep Cherokee's scrap value (of which they kept $50). So total Clunker money - $4650.
The only annoyance I had was that C4C officially went live on Monday but the dealer had lined up their sales by the hour and my deal didn't close until Tuesday night. Waiting a week for a car you've been already waiting to buy for a couple years is tough. They said they had something like 115+ deals lined up before C4C even really started that they plowed through that week.
It's interesting, for how much business the dealers are doing, every salesman I've talked to has just whined about the paperwork and how they're barely getting more sales out of C4C. I don't really believe that this stuff is as onerous as they're making it sound nor do I believe that they're not selling many more cars than usual. I went back in on Saturday to get a little strip of foam (left over from shipping) removed from my front bumper and the place was still hopping.
In any case, I'm tremendously excited to get my new Fit. If not for C4C, I was going to wait until next summer to get a new car and there's a 90% chance it would have been a new Ford Fiesta (I'm super excited about those things coming stateside). However, going from a car with a 16 mpg rating (19 observed) to a car with a 29 mpg rating (37 observed on 1st tank) is just delightful. I really love the Fit and listening to the little 1.5 liter motor rev up into VTEC range is just fun as crap and it drives like a dream. I'm very proud to be a Fit owner and I'm looking forward to years of fun in my little orange car.
Many dealers are certainly doing better:
“It’s hugely successful. Of the 86 new cars (sold for the month) we have 30 of them that were from the program, that’s 35 percent for the month, that’s a good push,” said David Harrison, general sales manager for Magnussen’s Auburn Toyota.
Auburn Honda has seen similar sales numbers through the federal program, and will continue with the program when payment by the government is secured.
“As long as the money is available, we will be participating — we’ll do it,” said Jim Hitchcock, general sales manager for Auburn Honda. “We will do it as long as the government says that it’s OK.”
Domestic dealers are also seeing an increase, including Magnussen’s Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Auburn, which on top of the government subsidy is offering up to another $4,500 through Chrysler, thus giving buyers up to $9,000 in credits. Mike Crabb, general manager of Dodge Chrysler Jeep, said that roughly 65 percent of sales recently have been through the federal program.
“I haven’t seen this much activity in any type of promotion, whether it was a factory-type situation with a rebate or the first real government intervention into incentives for vehicle sales, since right after 9/11 when automakers introduced 0 percent financing for the first time,” Crabb said. “It’s really that much of a stir.”
"Cash for Clunkers" gets weekend reprieve - Auburn Journal
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Ford itself is doing well, with a 52-week high:
Shares of Ford Motor Co. soared Friday as investors expressed enthusiasm for increased vehicle demand under the "cash-for-clunkers" program, which Congress is rushing to expand.
Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford's shares jumped 61 cents, or 8.3 percent, to close at $8. That's a 52-week high for the stock. It has traded as low as $1.01 over the past year.
Ford hits 52-week high on cash-for-clunkers demand - BusinessWeek
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Sounds like you had a positive experience, other than having to wait a bit. Still, it's certainly worth waiting a week for the $4,500, isn't it? I've been sitting around a week and nobody has offered me $4,500.
The gas savings alone is enough to make you very VERY happy!
I can see stopping in at your usual gas station, only to realize you don't need gas yet. And when you finally do need gas, the folks at the station saying "Hey, we thought you moved, because you haven't been in for awhile!"
#146
08-02-2009, 05:25 PM
C4C - Purchased a Fit Yesterday
I did all the paperwork for a nice silver Fit Sport yesterday. I had a 1990 Ford F150 to give them. Nice truck, but I never would have been able to sell it for $4500.00. The Fit has some accessories installed that makes it look even nicer. I can't wait for them to call to tell me I can pick it up. But who knows how long it will take for the gov't to work this out with all these dealers. It could be weeks. I hope something doesn't happen to make this deal fall through. I'd be bummed!
#147
08-02-2009, 10:04 PM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
I did all the paperwork for a nice silver Fit Sport yesterday. I had a 1990 Ford F150 to give them. Nice truck, but I never would have been able to sell it for $4500.00. The Fit has some accessories installed that makes it look even nicer. I can't wait for them to call to tell me I can pick it up. But who knows how long it will take for the gov't to work this out with all these dealers. It could be weeks. I hope something doesn't happen to make this deal fall through. I'd be bummed!
#148
08-03-2009, 01:00 AM
I picked up my new 2009 Fit Sport AT w/ Navi on Thursday. Got the price down to $18670 (+tax and tags, not including the CFC money) with only a little bit of haggling; this was almost $1k off MSRP and about $300 under invoice according to Edmunds... I could have probably gotten it lower if I bothered to check the date the car was manufactured and realized it was sitting on the lot for a couple months (doh!). Don't know if it made a difference, but I didn't mention CFC until after we agreed on the price. I put the deposit down on Tuesday, dealer verified the insurance requirement on Wednesday, picked up on Thursday morning. The paperwork wasn't too bad.
Traded in a 1994 Toyota Camry wagon with a V6. It was a rust bucket, with a tampered odometer which pretty much makes it worthless since nobody would want to touch it... but I'd guesstimate it had close to 300,000 miles on it anyway. Just made the 18 MPG cutoff (the dealer messed up when checking it the first time, as the sedan version doesn't qualify... had to correct them on that one). It was relatively painless, as the dealer has already done a few of the CFC deals already and seemed to know what they were doing. Got an extra $100 for scrap value too. On top of that, PA doesn't tax the CFC money.
Like a lot of people, I would have probably waited another year or two, but the money was too tempting to pass up!
Traded in a 1994 Toyota Camry wagon with a V6. It was a rust bucket, with a tampered odometer which pretty much makes it worthless since nobody would want to touch it... but I'd guesstimate it had close to 300,000 miles on it anyway. Just made the 18 MPG cutoff (the dealer messed up when checking it the first time, as the sedan version doesn't qualify... had to correct them on that one). It was relatively painless, as the dealer has already done a few of the CFC deals already and seemed to know what they were doing. Got an extra $100 for scrap value too. On top of that, PA doesn't tax the CFC money.
Like a lot of people, I would have probably waited another year or two, but the money was too tempting to pass up!
#149
08-03-2009, 09:40 AM
Rebate
Not sure if they think they're going to wait for the rebate or just for the govt to give them the go ahead. They had about 20 stacks of paperwork from people before me. I saw all the C4C cars and trucks lined up in their lot.
#150
08-03-2009, 10:05 AM
I picked up my new 2009 Fit Sport AT w/ Navi on Thursday. Got the price down to $18670 (+tax and tags, not including the CFC money) with only a little bit of haggling; this was almost $1k off MSRP and about $300 under invoice according to Edmunds... I could have probably gotten it lower if I bothered to check the date the car was manufactured and realized it was sitting on the lot for a couple months (doh!). Don't know if it made a difference, but I didn't mention CFC until after we agreed on the price. I put the deposit down on Tuesday, dealer verified the insurance requirement on Wednesday, picked up on Thursday morning. The paperwork wasn't too bad.
On top of that, PA doesn't tax the CFC money.
Like a lot of people, I would have probably waited another year or two, but the money was too tempting to pass up!
On top of that, PA doesn't tax the CFC money.
Like a lot of people, I would have probably waited another year or two, but the money was too tempting to pass up!
#151
08-04-2009, 07:15 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
Through Friday, August 7th, 2009, the CARS program is valid!
Still, the White House inexplicably extended the program to Friday after officials Sunday said it would end Tuesday because it was out of money.
Read more: Obama administration seeking more cash for 'Clunkers' program
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Still, the White House inexplicably extended the program to Friday after officials Sunday said it would end Tuesday because it was out of money.
Read more: Obama administration seeking more cash for 'Clunkers' program
--------
#152
08-04-2009, 09:22 AM
I can see a bit of griping over additional paperwork. They aren't getting paid any extra themselves for doing more work. Nobody likes more work getting dumped on them without getting more pay.
#153
08-04-2009, 10:01 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
They're getting $50 for processing the paperwork and destroying the engine, plus whatever the difference between the dealer's "best estimate" of the salvage value of the vehicle and whatever they actually get. That said, it is extra work, and I didn't push as hard on a price as I might have. The dealer quoted me invoice + delivery to the dollar (which was a couple of hundred below what Edmunds said was TMV for the area), and didn't screw around with hidden charges or padding such as paint protectant. I felt I got a fair price, and that the dealer got a fair profit. Their asses are hanging out on this, because the customer only pays them the discounted price, and they have to wait for an unknown amount of time (at least 1-2 weeks) before they get the $3500-4500 rebate credit from CARS. Multiply that by hundreds of car sales, and a dealer is carrying a pretty big overhang. But, at least the cars are off the lot, and I have no doubt that they will be reimbursed eventually. I would argue that fewer dealers are going to go broke from the CARS program than from not selling vehicles.
#154
08-04-2009, 10:08 AM
It's usually commission only for the salespeople. I'd guess they don't see a penny of any administrative fee, that would be office personnel. Ones that process and send the papers, like in finance, and I'd also bet they (the ones in Finance) don't see a dime of the administrative fee either. And salespeople definitely do NOT share in any salvage income, anymore than they pay for the detailers.
#155
08-04-2009, 10:10 AM
My C4C experience was very positive with Steve Padgett's Danville Honda (southern Virginia).
Two weeks before the rebate program began, I had requested by email quotes for a 2009 Sport Fit (both manual and auto) from eight dealers in NC and VA within about 60 miles. To minimize haggling, I told the dealers that I wanted the quote to include all the factory and dealer costs (except taxes, title and license) and that I would only follow up with the two lowest quotes.
My wife and I test drove manual and auto Fits (quickly deciding on the manual!) at the lowest quote dealer on the Saturday before C4C officially started. When we started to firm up the pricing the "low quote" dealer pretended to have misunderstood my three very specific emails and wanted to add a $299 documentation fee to his original quote. When he would not go below that price we went to the second dealer in Danville (who was still $150 less than the quote plus doc price of the first dealer).
Chris Starnes, the Sales Manager at Danville Honda, honored his email quotation and was willing to find and deliver our manual white Sport Fit from another dealer in Richmond. Daryl Bagbey was our salesman on the transaction. Stacy Bagbey handled the business/finance end. Everything went smoothly even though the CARS program could have created many problems. Everyone at Danville Honda was professional and without pressure. A very satisfactory experience.
The car transferred from Richmond came with wheel locks, carpet and pinstripes (all at no extra charge). With a $4500 rebate on our 1988 Mistubushi (worth perhaps $750) the total cost to us for a manual transmission Sport Fit including tax (3%), title and license was about $12,500. This was less than the lowest priced used Fits I have seen on the market, so we bought our first new car in 35 years!
I emailed both NC Senators to encourage their support for an extension to the CARS rebate program in the vote this week. I pointed out that this program convinced my wife and I to withdraw and spend $12,500 from our savings which we would have otherwise not spent.
I believe that this $1 billion program has shown more immediate, favorable results for the local economy and industry than giving $700 billion dollars TWICE to Wall Street and the insurance industry. The perception at the "grass roots" level is that most of the bailout money went into executive bonuses.
Two weeks before the rebate program began, I had requested by email quotes for a 2009 Sport Fit (both manual and auto) from eight dealers in NC and VA within about 60 miles. To minimize haggling, I told the dealers that I wanted the quote to include all the factory and dealer costs (except taxes, title and license) and that I would only follow up with the two lowest quotes.
My wife and I test drove manual and auto Fits (quickly deciding on the manual!) at the lowest quote dealer on the Saturday before C4C officially started. When we started to firm up the pricing the "low quote" dealer pretended to have misunderstood my three very specific emails and wanted to add a $299 documentation fee to his original quote. When he would not go below that price we went to the second dealer in Danville (who was still $150 less than the quote plus doc price of the first dealer).
Chris Starnes, the Sales Manager at Danville Honda, honored his email quotation and was willing to find and deliver our manual white Sport Fit from another dealer in Richmond. Daryl Bagbey was our salesman on the transaction. Stacy Bagbey handled the business/finance end. Everything went smoothly even though the CARS program could have created many problems. Everyone at Danville Honda was professional and without pressure. A very satisfactory experience.
The car transferred from Richmond came with wheel locks, carpet and pinstripes (all at no extra charge). With a $4500 rebate on our 1988 Mistubushi (worth perhaps $750) the total cost to us for a manual transmission Sport Fit including tax (3%), title and license was about $12,500. This was less than the lowest priced used Fits I have seen on the market, so we bought our first new car in 35 years!
I emailed both NC Senators to encourage their support for an extension to the CARS rebate program in the vote this week. I pointed out that this program convinced my wife and I to withdraw and spend $12,500 from our savings which we would have otherwise not spent.
I believe that this $1 billion program has shown more immediate, favorable results for the local economy and industry than giving $700 billion dollars TWICE to Wall Street and the insurance industry. The perception at the "grass roots" level is that most of the bailout money went into executive bonuses.
#156
08-04-2009, 10:27 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
My C4C experience was very positive with Steve Padgett's Danville Honda (southern Virginia).
Two weeks before the rebate program began, I had requested by email quotes for a 2009 Sport Fit (both manual and auto) from eight dealers in NC and VA within about 60 miles. To minimize haggling, I told the dealers that I wanted the quote to include all the factory and dealer costs (except taxes, title and license) and that I would only follow up with the two lowest quotes.
My wife and I test drove manual and auto Fits (quickly deciding on the manual!) at the lowest quote dealer on the Saturday before C4C officially started. When we started to firm up the pricing the "low quote" dealer pretended to have misunderstood my three very specific emails and wanted to add a $299 documentation fee to his original quote. When he would not go below that price we went to the second dealer in Danville (who was still $150 less than the quote plus doc price of the first dealer).
Chris Starnes, the Sales Manager at Danville Honda, honored his email quotation and was willing to find and deliver our manual white Sport Fit from another dealer in Richmond. Daryl Bagbey was our salesman on the transaction. Stacy Bagbey handled the business/finance end. Everything went smoothly even though the CARS program could have created many problems. Everyone at Danville Honda was professional and without pressure. A very satisfactory experience.
The car transferred from Richmond came with wheel locks, carpet and pinstripes (all at no extra charge). With a $4500 rebate on our 1988 Mistubushi (worth perhaps $750) the total cost to us for a manual transmission Sport Fit including tax (3%), title and license was about $12,500. This was less than the lowest priced used Fits I have seen on the market, so we bought our first new car in 35 years!
I emailed both NC Senators to encourage their support for an extension to the CARS rebate program in the vote this week. I pointed out that this program convinced my wife and I to withdraw and spend $12,500 from our savings which we would have otherwise not spent.
I believe that this $1 billion program has shown more immediate, favorable results for the local economy and industry than giving $700 billion dollars TWICE to Wall Street and the insurance industry. The perception at the "grass roots" level is that most of the bailout money went into executive bonuses.
Two weeks before the rebate program began, I had requested by email quotes for a 2009 Sport Fit (both manual and auto) from eight dealers in NC and VA within about 60 miles. To minimize haggling, I told the dealers that I wanted the quote to include all the factory and dealer costs (except taxes, title and license) and that I would only follow up with the two lowest quotes.
My wife and I test drove manual and auto Fits (quickly deciding on the manual!) at the lowest quote dealer on the Saturday before C4C officially started. When we started to firm up the pricing the "low quote" dealer pretended to have misunderstood my three very specific emails and wanted to add a $299 documentation fee to his original quote. When he would not go below that price we went to the second dealer in Danville (who was still $150 less than the quote plus doc price of the first dealer).
Chris Starnes, the Sales Manager at Danville Honda, honored his email quotation and was willing to find and deliver our manual white Sport Fit from another dealer in Richmond. Daryl Bagbey was our salesman on the transaction. Stacy Bagbey handled the business/finance end. Everything went smoothly even though the CARS program could have created many problems. Everyone at Danville Honda was professional and without pressure. A very satisfactory experience.
The car transferred from Richmond came with wheel locks, carpet and pinstripes (all at no extra charge). With a $4500 rebate on our 1988 Mistubushi (worth perhaps $750) the total cost to us for a manual transmission Sport Fit including tax (3%), title and license was about $12,500. This was less than the lowest priced used Fits I have seen on the market, so we bought our first new car in 35 years!
I emailed both NC Senators to encourage their support for an extension to the CARS rebate program in the vote this week. I pointed out that this program convinced my wife and I to withdraw and spend $12,500 from our savings which we would have otherwise not spent.
I believe that this $1 billion program has shown more immediate, favorable results for the local economy and industry than giving $700 billion dollars TWICE to Wall Street and the insurance industry. The perception at the "grass roots" level is that most of the bailout money went into executive bonuses.
About how long did it take for you to get through the paperwork part? The CARS forms in particular?
Very glad to hear you messaged your Senators too. The Senators NEED to hear those stories as examples of the effectiveness of the program.
I see there are matching names for the salesperson and the finance person, is it a family-run business?
#157
08-04-2009, 10:55 AM
We spent about one hour on Saturday at the dealership putting down a $500 deposit, then picked up the car on the next Friday (it had to be driven from another dealer about 125 miles away and "cleaned up").
I had read the CARS information on the .gov websites (including "The Rule"), I had copies of the EPA mileage page and I faxed all the required forms (title, proof of insurance, registration, etc.) to the dealer while we were waiting for our selected car to be brought in from the other dealership.
So there was almost no delay when we picked up the car and completed the transaction (perhaps another hour total plus the time I spent checking out the new car and transferring tools, etc.).
As I said a very pleasant experience compared to 35 years ago! Steve Padgett's Danville Honda is a new dealership at the former location of John Hoover Honda so they are trying hard to please. Three of the Bagbey clan have worked at the dealership but they do not actually own it.
If you do your homework and are working with a good dealer, even allowing for the delays inherent in any new program, the process should go OK. The dealer is the one taking most of the risk and should be supported, which is why I did not actually do any further haggling (I just requested quotes or asked a dealer if he would match another quote).
I think that it is important for folks to tell their Senators to support the extension, today if possible. As I said earlier, this appears to be the best economic boost that actually works on the local level and it does pull money from savings accounts with at least a 3X multiplier and into circulation.
I saw that 62% of the CARS trade-ins were trucks, which means that the typical gas mileage/pollution benefit may not be as dramatic as our purchase of the Fit (if the new vehicles are actually also trucks).
I had read the CARS information on the .gov websites (including "The Rule"), I had copies of the EPA mileage page and I faxed all the required forms (title, proof of insurance, registration, etc.) to the dealer while we were waiting for our selected car to be brought in from the other dealership.
So there was almost no delay when we picked up the car and completed the transaction (perhaps another hour total plus the time I spent checking out the new car and transferring tools, etc.).
As I said a very pleasant experience compared to 35 years ago! Steve Padgett's Danville Honda is a new dealership at the former location of John Hoover Honda so they are trying hard to please. Three of the Bagbey clan have worked at the dealership but they do not actually own it.
If you do your homework and are working with a good dealer, even allowing for the delays inherent in any new program, the process should go OK. The dealer is the one taking most of the risk and should be supported, which is why I did not actually do any further haggling (I just requested quotes or asked a dealer if he would match another quote).
I think that it is important for folks to tell their Senators to support the extension, today if possible. As I said earlier, this appears to be the best economic boost that actually works on the local level and it does pull money from savings accounts with at least a 3X multiplier and into circulation.
I saw that 62% of the CARS trade-ins were trucks, which means that the typical gas mileage/pollution benefit may not be as dramatic as our purchase of the Fit (if the new vehicles are actually also trucks).
#158
08-04-2009, 11:34 AM
Hi, I'm a new member and a first time poster.
I purchased my Fit with the Cash for Clunkers program, and let me tell you what a chaotic and hectic experience it was. I started shopping on about June 25th.
I was driving a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It was my BABY, and I will never never stop missing or loving that thing, but it was on the skids. The transmission was starting to give me a hard time, it had rust holes in the side of the car, the A/C didn't work, it had 192,000 miles on it, and it was just time for it to go. I was in the market for a used car. With a little help from my grandmother, I was hoping to drive away with at least a decent used car.
My family and I had decided that the Jeep was worth too much to us to sell, as we wouldn't even receive $500 bucks for it. It was worth more to us than it was to anyone else. I was hesitent, and I thought it was a long shot, but I let my mom know about the CARS bill, and she said to do it up. That there was no way we were ever going to see that much money for my car, and considering we spent $6000 on it about 8 or 9 years ago, that it was too good of a deal to pass up.
So I started shopping. I saw the Fit and was IMMEDIATELY smitten. I went to Walser Honda in Burnsville, MN, test drove the car and decided that this was THE car...the perfect transition from the world of SUV's to the world of efficient, reliable cars.
I work for a bank and did a loan application through my work. It took over a month to get approved. I had made a deposit on my Fit a week or so earlier, and finally, check in hand, called up my dealership to say that I was ready. This was a Monday.
They were booked through Thursday. Reluctantly, as I was hearing rumours that the program would be out of money before that, I made my appointment for 6:30pm on Thursday of last week.
I'm signing all the paperwork and I am about 10 minutes away from driving off in my new car when my salesman gets told he can't sell the car, that the program has been suspended and that they were accepting no more deals.
I was devestated, to say the least. It had taken me weeks to get used to the idea that my Jeep was going to become a cube and that I was going to have a car payment. Finally I was ready to let go and I was told that I couldn't.
However, on Friday morning, I received a phone call from two of the three people I had been working with to tell me that all systems were go, that the government was going to honor everything at least through the weekend.
I arrived at the dealership at 6:20 or so, and they said that there were so many deals they were trying to squeeze in that it was gonna be a 3 hour wait or so. At that point, what's an extra three hours? So I waited. They were very accomodating to all of their customers. They ordered pizza and had soda for the kids that were stuck there with their parents, they had computers and a satellite equipped TV available, and we waited.
Finally, they called my name. It was like a huge party at my car dealership. Everyone there had been working so much at that point that they decided to just have fun with their customers and loosen their ties. I am so glad they did because they eased my anxiety and stress so much by just being normal people, not scary car salesmen. I don't think I smiled and laughed as much in years as I did on Friday night. Not because I was getting a new car, but because these people were hilarious, friendly and understanding to my frustrations. They actually turned people away for being rude and impatient. I love these people.
Anyway, at 9:50 pm, almost 4 hours after they normally close on Fridays, I drove off in my Black Fit Base. I love it. LOVE IT.
The experience was arduous and painful, but the people I worked with took a lot of the sting out of it. I went from stressed to excited to nervous to disheartened to excited to complete disappointment back to excitement. Now I just hope I don't get a phone call saying "Your deal wasn't approved." as someone will be choked.
Haha, and that's my loooooooong journey to my short Fit.
I purchased my Fit with the Cash for Clunkers program, and let me tell you what a chaotic and hectic experience it was. I started shopping on about June 25th.
I was driving a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It was my BABY, and I will never never stop missing or loving that thing, but it was on the skids. The transmission was starting to give me a hard time, it had rust holes in the side of the car, the A/C didn't work, it had 192,000 miles on it, and it was just time for it to go. I was in the market for a used car. With a little help from my grandmother, I was hoping to drive away with at least a decent used car.
My family and I had decided that the Jeep was worth too much to us to sell, as we wouldn't even receive $500 bucks for it. It was worth more to us than it was to anyone else. I was hesitent, and I thought it was a long shot, but I let my mom know about the CARS bill, and she said to do it up. That there was no way we were ever going to see that much money for my car, and considering we spent $6000 on it about 8 or 9 years ago, that it was too good of a deal to pass up.
So I started shopping. I saw the Fit and was IMMEDIATELY smitten. I went to Walser Honda in Burnsville, MN, test drove the car and decided that this was THE car...the perfect transition from the world of SUV's to the world of efficient, reliable cars.
I work for a bank and did a loan application through my work. It took over a month to get approved. I had made a deposit on my Fit a week or so earlier, and finally, check in hand, called up my dealership to say that I was ready. This was a Monday.
They were booked through Thursday. Reluctantly, as I was hearing rumours that the program would be out of money before that, I made my appointment for 6:30pm on Thursday of last week.
I'm signing all the paperwork and I am about 10 minutes away from driving off in my new car when my salesman gets told he can't sell the car, that the program has been suspended and that they were accepting no more deals.
I was devestated, to say the least. It had taken me weeks to get used to the idea that my Jeep was going to become a cube and that I was going to have a car payment. Finally I was ready to let go and I was told that I couldn't.
However, on Friday morning, I received a phone call from two of the three people I had been working with to tell me that all systems were go, that the government was going to honor everything at least through the weekend.
I arrived at the dealership at 6:20 or so, and they said that there were so many deals they were trying to squeeze in that it was gonna be a 3 hour wait or so. At that point, what's an extra three hours? So I waited. They were very accomodating to all of their customers. They ordered pizza and had soda for the kids that were stuck there with their parents, they had computers and a satellite equipped TV available, and we waited.
Finally, they called my name. It was like a huge party at my car dealership. Everyone there had been working so much at that point that they decided to just have fun with their customers and loosen their ties. I am so glad they did because they eased my anxiety and stress so much by just being normal people, not scary car salesmen. I don't think I smiled and laughed as much in years as I did on Friday night. Not because I was getting a new car, but because these people were hilarious, friendly and understanding to my frustrations. They actually turned people away for being rude and impatient. I love these people.
Anyway, at 9:50 pm, almost 4 hours after they normally close on Fridays, I drove off in my Black Fit Base. I love it. LOVE IT.
The experience was arduous and painful, but the people I worked with took a lot of the sting out of it. I went from stressed to excited to nervous to disheartened to excited to complete disappointment back to excitement. Now I just hope I don't get a phone call saying "Your deal wasn't approved." as someone will be choked.
Haha, and that's my loooooooong journey to my short Fit.
Last edited by ShaylaRCakes; 08-04-2009 at 11:43 AM.
#159
08-04-2009, 11:49 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: West Coast, USA
Posts: 1,448
And I think your point is an important one.
I know that the billions that were distributed didn't all end up in the hands of executives as bonuses, but those are the ONLY stories hear about. And those companies still had to close facilities, lay off workers, etc. There is no "feel good" part.
Here, with the CARS program, we get to see all kinds of "feel good" stories. Happy buyers. Happy sellers.
Every manufacturer, every dealer, same deal. This time, as so many participated, you didn't have to be frustrated over a "good deal" that was out of your area...or even out of your STATE.
It was YOUR town, or YOUR nearby city dealership. All those people who work there, they're your neighbors or local citizens, they are part of the community.
It's all inter-related. AND it's very well spread out. Among dealerships and the people who work at those dealerships. Of course the manufacturers are making money and all their employees. But it's not just one manufacturer or one city that benefits.
That is what makes it SO DIFFERENT than anything else. That's what makes it so SUCCESSFUL too.
#160
08-04-2009, 06:32 PM
It was a little sad when I went to pick up my Fit and saw the line of clunkers that were on their way to final burial. I looked over at my old truck with C4C written all over it and it saddened me knowing it would be demolished into nothing. On the other side, however, were all the new cars that were ready to be picked up. I saw a shiny new Black Fit Sport with a congratulations with my name on it, waved goodbye to my clunker, and rode off with a smile from ear to ear.