GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Just to let anyone from GM corporate who might read genvibe know how much Sharrett Pontiac Buick GMC of Hagerstown MD is really in there fighting for GM in this time of reduced demand for GM products.I got this letter from them today:Quote »SPECIAL TEST MARKETSharrett Pontiac Buick GMC of Hagerstown MD has beed selected as a site to conduct a Special Test Market Pricing and Financing Event. Your status as a Sharrett Pontiac Buick GM Special Test Market Customer qualifies you for this private sale.Due to recent record sales of pre-owned vehicles, we need to acquire several quality pre-owned 2003 Pontiac Vibe in order to fulfill special used vehicle requests. Our records indicate you own one of these vehicles and our sales managers have been authorized to by them back.We would like to exchange your 2003 Pointac Vibe for any new or certified pre-owned Volkswagen car, van or sport utility vehicle. With factory incentives and generous trade in values, we feel confident that you can make this exchange with little or no out of pocket expense and with a monthly payment that fits your budget., bring this letter for admittance to this event and present it to authorized representatives at Sharrett Pontiac GMC.Please stop by or call us at to schedule a convenient appointment and allow us the opportunity to make you an offer on your vehicle plus tour our new facilities with a friendly member of our staff.Due to the nature of this event and your status as a Special Test Market Customer of Sharrett Pontiac Buick GMC, this event will not be advertised to the general public. This will be your only notification. Please present this notification and one piece of identification to gain entrance to this private sale.This kind of ad is typical of any car dealer I have ever dealt with, all the stuff about my special status with them (special means they have my address), but (removed)? A Pontiac Buick GMC dealership trying to sell me a Volkswagen? THey even sent an extra $1000 incentive voucher. So GM, this devoted and loyal GM dealership is going out of their way to get me to buy one of your competitors' cars. Even willing to give me $1000 to not buy another GM product. Perhaps some regional manager or GM corporate muscle can let them know how much you appreciate their support.

This looked like some weird scam but Sharret does sell VWs (as well as Mazda and Subaru??). Outside of the spelling mistakes, "sales managers have been authorized to by them back." It's BUY morons, it looks like they just want to get you in the door. You've got a 2003 Vibe, right,so they think you are plum ready for a Volkswagon???I've never heard of this up here but sales people will do anything to hook a new lead and an existing sale is the best place to start.I hated doing sales.Andrew

Heh, here is hoping my dealer sends me that letter in regards to my GP. I will run, not walk, right on over.

sorry, I'm the moron, If you paid attention to my posts you'd have automatically assumed the typos were mine, (I suck at typing, I'll blame it on the small genvibe font ) and it was one of those things the genvibe spell checker didn't catch befcause it was a real word. The letter does say "buy them back" The only grammar mistake I saw in the letter was "several quality pre-owned 2003 Pontiac Vibe" instead of "Vibes" Just bothered me that it says Pontiac Buick GMC all through the letter, but they want me to buy a Volkswagen. Not another Vibe, not a Torrent or Solstice, or G6, but a full import. They should have sent it on a Sharrett Volkswagen letterhead, but all it says is Pontiac Buick GMC, even has pictures of a G6 and some Buick.

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Quote »we need to acquire several quality pre-owned 2003 Pontiac Vibe in order to fulfill special used vehicle requests.Oh, have I got a special quality pre-owned Vibe for them!!!

My GM dealership (where I bought my Vibe used with 18,000KM) had phoned me up offering to give me more money for my Vibe now with 50,000KM than I originally paid for it. I don't know why - but I thought something was 'up' and I refused.

It has been my experience over the years that Dealers love used cars due to the margins and straight up financing, no wait times, and demand. Believe it or not, used cars are in demand quite heavily here and south of the border... they love small SUVs and MiniVans down there and will by any old beater at a premium because they resell them fast to haulers who blow them across teh border for even more dough (but those folks run em for ever) while spring is a buying season for end of the year close outs and used (smart buyers buy new right now but your avg joe thinks they want to wait for the next year models that are or will be shortly coming out). I have always found that spring is the best time to buy new and sell used/trade, especially trucks and SUV type cars since winter is coming to an end and people want 'summer cars' or in that mode of thinking at least.

i heard vw's quality and reliability was going down ..from somewhere.... meh i like my vibe for now , if anyone offered me money for it id only take it if it was enough to get a AWD one

I use to work for a couple dealers, and those's letters are sent to customers with poor credit, past customers, and anyone they think they can get in the door.It's all about selling a car.And the thousand dollars isn't real, they just bump the price up to cover it.

Quote, originally posted by northvibe »i heard vw's quality and reliability was going downI never knew VW quality and reliability was ever up! I heard that today as well as I listened to that "Car Doctor" radio show in podcast form... That guy said they're fine as long as you don't mind mechanical or electrical problems... heh But I'll give credit where credit is due, this guy at work as a Golf TDI... When he starts his engine up on a cold night at 3AM, it is embarassing to say the least! Not for him, but more like for me. This goofy Vibe does more knocking and clattering than that stinkin' diesel VW can even dream about doing. Crazy stuff there! lol

I received a similiar letter from my Chevrolet dealer willing to buy back my 1998 Venture. If the head gasket was not leaking, tires had air, and paint stayed on the hood and quarter panels, I may have taken it to the dealer to have them buy it back! lol. The van has 160k miles, so I am saving it for my 15 yr old daughter to drive (yes, I am a poor mean dad that gives her a loser cruiser)! As for the dealer trying to get you into a different make, GM can not prevent that, but I am sure that the zone people could suggest that they focus on repeat business. To me, this means that VW sales are harder to make than Pontiac!

QUOTE "Please present this notification and one piece of identification to gain entrance to this private sale."(removed)!!!!!!Local Pontiac dealer has an singing ad that ends with "The dealer you can trust." Implying that you can't trust all of the other dealers. They are their own worst enemy.

used Pontiac VIbes are in high demand, so much that they are willing to exchange mine for a brand new volkswagen. This means either:- the car I have so ultra cool that people are paying exhorbitant proces for them and it is worth more than a brand new VW. Then why should I consider trading it?- There is some secret problem with the Vibe that they don't want to tell me about but are using this as a method to get those Vibes safely off the street without having to go public. I realize it's all just some marketing hype. Still pisses me off to see a GM dealer trying to get people to replace with non-GM cars.

Here's a quote from the dealership. $7,465 - $9,255Sharrett10312 Auto Place - Hagerstown , MD 17268Phone: 800-495-9755Contact: Internet Sales Manager - Jim HackneyBlack Book® Online** Take this appraisal to the dealership to receive a firm offer for your trade. **A sales person will contact you to make an appointmentCustomer information:Name: Hudson Hudson E-mail Address: hudson@rogers.comDay Phone: (555) 122-1212 Evening Phone: Appraisal Report No.: 205929495 Expires: February 23, 2006Trade-In Information:Year Make Model Series Style Engine Mileage Estimated Value2003 PONTIAC VIBE BASE 4D HATCHBACK N/A 60000 $7,465 - $9,255Trade-In Equipment:None (Variance from standard options)Trade-In Condition:ExteriorBody:Good, Glass:Good, Hail Damage:None, Lights:Good, Paint:Still Shines, Rust:None, Spent on Collision Repair:None, Unibody/Frame:Good, InteriorCarpet/Mats:Good, Door Panels:Good, Upholstery:Good, Vehicle you plan to purchase:Year Make Model Style Color2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 2.5 MANUAL UNDECIDED

KBB on a pretty loaded 03 Vibe Base in good condition is 7210 so that's not bad (US currency).

with my old truck ('01 nissan frontier), i used to get letters like this every two or three months. they'd always offer insane trade-in values, but when i'd go and talk to them about another vehicle (i actually wanted the same truck but with different options), they were *never* willing to work with me on the price, so i'd walk. oddly enough the extra trade in money was always nearly equal to the extra money they wouldn't take off the new vehicle...