Cash for Clunkers program could ruin dealers!

Hello again,

This is a little rant I wrote on the Cash for Clunkers page.

You can read it HERE on there page designed for "Dealers who break the rules page"


"This is a heartfelt apology to the consumers out there… Because in all you are the ones that are suffering over this program. Its it a great idea YES. Was it ran as smoothly as possible. APSOLUTLY NOT! But it is not the dealers fault. And still is not. We all go to work every day to get paid.. Would you let $3,500 or $4,500 walk out the door not knowing if you are on the hook for it? Never mind that there are dealers with 30-40 of these cars sold. So if that dealer sold 40 of these cars and the government rejects these deals… What is it to do. Pay the $180,000.00?? No it would have to close its doors. And all the government seems to be doing is pointing fingers at dealers… I work at one. We have just about go out of the ruts of the older days in having a bad name. Why are they trying to put the blame on us??? This is not our program. Not our money… If they had a proper plan in place from the get go this would of been much better program. I am very happy that they are doing something. But.. There is no guarantee the dealer does get paid. I have seen several of these deals get rejected. And if it is a paperwork issue. (mind you we were not told what format to send the paperwork in) it goes back to the beginning stage. So submit paperwork… wait 10 days… find out your rejected because something didn’t send to them. And its not as simple as send that piece.. It is start over. I am just saying.. All in all…. That as is the dealer should be able to wait until it is funded. Just like any other deal. If there is a college grad rebate in a deal what happens? The deal is not approved until the bank contacts the college and confirms all is good. SO why is this different? Why should dealers put there money on the line for a government program. Mind you. As a dealer. We are not GM, Nissan, Ford, Toyota. We are franchises owned by people who have built up there business. I am sorry for this huge rant.. But I do not want to see this ruin reputations of dealers that have fought long and hard to get there good reputations."



Now to further my rant.. This really really upsets me... (if you couldn't already tell...) To think that (and I did) this program is running down the road and the gov is once again pointing fingers at us. (the dealers) Why didn't they use there very large database. That they do have! And find consumers that were driving cars for over a year that qualify for this program and send them the vouchers.... Buy a new car with 5 mpg better get $3,500... Buy one with 10mpg better and get $4,500. Then its guaranteed. Not leaving the blame or the burden of loosing money on the dealer.. Oh wait... to protect themselves.... Yes I see it. Clear as a bell. Because why put all those people to action. Put the program out there.. Make all the rules.. But not be the one accountable or really in charge. MAN!!!!!! This KILLS ME.. Is this really what our government is all about???? And now they are putting to press that the dealers can not wait to get funded. We have to do the deal and register the cars... Before they ok the deal?? What???? How in the world does that make sense. So if they say NO. We loose? Its not our program.. Its YOURS! One of my favorite quotes... ""No ticky... No laundry!" In other words... If there not willing to guaranty the money to us. Why would we use it as cash. And there are Dealers out there trying best they can to protect themselves. Yes if a customer demands to have they car. They should be responsible if the $4,500 is not paid by the government. Or wait til its approved... You are getting $4,500 for a car that's in most cases not worth it... Right? So why not wait til you can get that money for it? Do you get the discount at the grocery store with out the coupon? NO.. Do you get to use any money from the government without waiting.... NO! So why do the dealers have to put up there cash. (if they have it to cover it) For a Government program. I do not see the sense in this.. From the dealers view. Oh man does it make sense from the government.. There the HERO.... Here is your new car... Here is some funny money for it.. (that we WILL have to pay for at some point) oh and wait.. Rules changed again. This one doesn't qualify. But Oh well.. said dealer will pay for that... All good.. RIGHT???? WRONG!


I cant (or I could) go on and on... I just hope at the end of the day when the smoke clears.. That dealers like us or anyone out there do not get blamed or punished for a gov run program.

Do I think this program can work.. YES. People just have to be patience. And I hope that all parties can agree on that. :)

Thanks again for reading..

Jereme