Letter to the editor re GM experiences -

[jake75]

In today's COLUMBUS DISPATCH -I don't fault GM fore the shortage of a hot new model - that is to be expected. I remember a 4 month wait for a 2001 PT Cruiser - also had to put $500 down. But my dealer was not charging a penny over msrp while others were adding $2,000 to $3,000.Chrysler did make one major stupid misstep - at the end of the 2001 model year they canceled all unfilled orders people had been waiting months for, and told these customers they would have to reorder a 2002 AND pay the price increase. They should have said, we're sorry we couldn't fill your order but you will get a 2002 at the same price. It wasn't long before PT's were backing up on dealers' lots and dealers were offering discounts to move them.. The letter Sometimes, GM isn't ready to sell carsFriday, July 17, 2009 3:08 AMThe Associated Press article "How to keep GM's motor revving" in the Sunday Dispatch made me chuckle. In 1985 I bought my first new car, a Chevy Camaro. When I called General Motors' customer service line to complain about the exorbitant cost for air filters that were available only through the dealers, I was told (and I kid you not), "Well that's just tough (expletive), what the (expletive) are you going to do about it?"I informed the young 'gentleman' that I'd never buy another GM product as long as I lived.Since then I've purchased (all new) two Toyota Camrys, a Toyota Avalon, a Toyota Yaris, a Toyota pickup truck and a Dodge Ram. However, when Chevy brought out the 2010 Camaro, I must admit that I was all a-twitter. The car's retro styling, reminiscent of the '68-'69 models, was enough to lure me back to GM after a 24-year hiatus.Being the forgiving sort, I informed the salesman that I was prepared to buy a Camaro that day. Much to my chagrin, I was told that the dealer was waiting to backfill orders placed last year and that if I gave them a down payment, I could get a new Camaro in approximately four months.Wow, what a concept. Introduce a hot new car and then don't give the dealerships any cars to sell? Ask me to write a down-payment check to a bankrupt company and wait four months for a car when the lot's full of every other model? I think not.The AP article talked about quality, fuel efficiency and the like, but GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson would do well to rethink this silly business model, as it's pretty obvious that people buy cars when they're available for sale.I will get over not having a new Camaro. As for GM, I guess I'll visit them again in another 24 years.JIM GALLOGalena

[joatmon]

sounds like the guy was looking for a reason to continue to hate GM.

[ramenboy...]

that's one good reason though... another reason is that fritz and maximum bob are like the left hand and the right hand on 2 different people... one doesn't know what the other is doing.

[Vibe_dude]

The guy sounds like a idiot to me.If he had any clue he would know that GM is on a very limited budget,and that these cars are on back order and that he would have to wait to get one.It is a brand new car that they are not going to flood the market with and devalue the car like they use to do. They build the new camero as people order them,but if he would have done his homework and not got "all a-twitter" he would have known this.Just wait till the volt comes out and see when you can get one.lol

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by Vibe_dude »The guy sounds like a idiot to me.If he had any clue he would know that GM is on a very limited budget,and that these cars are on back order and that he would have to wait to get one.It is a brand new car that they are not going to flood the market with and devalue the car like they use to do. They build the new camero as people order them,but if he would have done his homework and not got "all a-twitter" he would have known this.Just wait till the volt comes out and see when you can get one.lolI agree about the new Camaro/Camero (which is it?). I just thought the much earlier experience was a hoot. Of course, when you think about it what did he expect to gain by calling GM to complain. BUT . . . it is consistent with my experience with GM "cusrtomer service"about 1978. It was 25 years before I bought another GM car.

[tnpartsguy]

IT is ridiculous. Why would GM not suspect that demand would be very high and build more cars..... heck, stop building something thats not selling....say...a Hummer, or a Buick, and build MORE Camaro's to meet demand!!btw Jake, it is Camaro

[star_deceiver]

They build less cars so that the demand is there and so they don't have to offer discounts. It's a business model that works well, but only when done right. Just wait 'till next year and all the preorders are done with.... the old gm will come shining through and there will be plenty of overproduced cars on the lot!

[silvrhawk7]

Thats like the time back in the late 80s when a friend of mine called GM to complain about the paint peeling on his car, due to the overbake issues. GM told him they were going to do nothing about it and he was welcome to sue them....Talk about screwed up, that wasnt the first time i had heard that as well. I guess eventually they helped some people out...

[jake75]

coughlincars.com ad today2010 Camara 2SS 6 available orders $37,8802 others in stock

[jimincalif]

Quote, originally posted by silvrhawk7 »Thats like the time back in the late 80s when a friend of mine called GM to complain about the paint peeling on his car, due to the overbake issues. GM told him they were going to do nothing about it and he was welcome to sue them....Ford was the same way, I had major problems with a POS Aerostar. Ford's so-called customer service is simply a line of defense to keep any bad information from getting to management. They did nothing, did not care, did not want to know. I interpret this to mean they don't want my money either, so I'm happy to oblige. Government bailouts or not, it will take a full generation of doing things right for the US makers to overcome the damage they did to themselves. It may not even be possible.

[tnpartsguy]

We actually have 4 on our lot as of this morning. Not advertising them for sale, just saying they ARE out there...

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by tnpartsguy »We actually have 4 on our lot as of this morning. Not advertising them for sale, just saying they ARE out there...Q - are the prices being asked over msrp (also sometimes achieved by dealer add-ons).?

[Old Tele man]

...I might get beatup for saying this, but "...all of the them (GM, Ford, Chrysler) can go bankrupt for all I care."...I'd be more than happy to buy a Toyota Matrix with a Pontiac "V" medallion on it's nose (double entendre statement!)

[star_deceiver]

I wanted to see a complete asset liquidation for the GM and Chrysler bankrupcies.... but alas, no massive fire-sale for me

[ToolGuy]

This is a lie, I do not believe it! Having worked in a GM call center years ago, you would be fired if you said this. I think this gent called a dealer and was told that. GM customer assistance has nothing to do with parts, or prices. "Customer service line to complain about the exorbitant cost for air filters that were available only through the dealers, I was told (and I kid you not), "Well that's just tough (expletive), what the (expletive) are you going to do about it?"However, it is true and sad, GM dealers are asking over invoice for Camaro's. No one should cater towards this and walk out of a dealer if one is doing this. If people do not do it, dealers will learn the hard way and stop this practice. I do know for a fact, some people where paying $30,000 for a PT Cruiser when it launched in 2001, for a car on a dealer lot. Better to order it and wait, you will still get it and probably faster then quoted for a wait time. Goes for the new Camaro too!

[jake75]

In April 2000 when I ordered my PT Cruiser they were on allocation and many dealers were asking about $3,000 over msrp on orders as well. The dealer I bought from (had bought there before) was only asking msrp - and that was the only car I ever paid msrp for. My PT Crusier arrived 4 months later (just as estimated by the dealer). If I had any brains I probably should have resold it and made a quick $5,000. The economist in me tells me I really paid $24,000 for that PT and not the $18,800 msrp because I could have sold/traded it for that $24,000 the day I got it. I am pretty sure a Honda dealer would have traded me straight up for a $24,000 Odyssey van and thus there would have been no double sales tax issue.. I got 9,400 in trade for it 50 months/30,000 miles later - so it cost me less than $190/month to drive it. No repairs that I remember. Just oil changes and tire rotations.