America's next great storyteller is a New York used Audi salesman
Mr. Barry, our esteemed dealer principal, and resident village idiot bought this car last night... and today we had to open an hour later than usual because he was bragging about this incredible 2008 Audi A-6 Avant, luxury wagon and we had to research all of the option codes. I mean this baby is looooooooaded with an original MSRP of nearly 60 (gulp) thousand dollars. Night Blue with Beige premium leather... then it has option wxp1 a wood and leather steering wheel ... that looks sensational. Then it's got option blank blank for rear and side sunshades, premium leather, technology package and rear camera, premium package, Bose Audi even Audi Care which is prepaid scheduled maintenance. Enough... but not enough for Mr. Barry... he says it has the 18HGL Package that is a $2495 option. We're looking and we're looking and can't find the option.. and oh by the way the price of this Avant is $42,495 so all of a sudden $38,995 with all this and Audi Certification looks like a deal. So after two hours of mumbo jumbo, Mr. Barry comes clean..sorta. He admits that he's at his vacation home in Hilton Head, S.C. and he runs into an Audi Vice-President(no names, please). Mr. Barry buys him a round of golf... the Audi Exec wants to show his gratitude... his brother in law is turning in his one of a kind Avant wagon, and Mr. Audi wants to direct the car to Mohegan Lake. Great.. nice touch, OK. Nope! Mr. Barry decides that after his last encounter with the nice people at the IRS when he tried to deduct his vacation home as a used car facility, he's going to wise up... he'll just make up an option and put it on a loaded loaded car you can't find anywhere... 18HGL... 18 holes of golf, plus dinner, plus airfare, plus car rental, plus plus $2495, and pocket the money. So after we threaten to turn Mr. Barry into his good friends at the IRS again, you can now buy this impossible to find luxury wagon for $38,995... now a steal.
Auto dealers see minor growth despite multiple obstacles
Spokane area vehicle dealerships have embraced a new survival plan. It’s called Hold On – It Should Get Better.
Area dealers say their 2011 business plan is to make a bit more money on vehicle service and repairs, keep hunting for good used cars to spur visits to their lots, and wait for the rebound.
Since the mid-2000s, new car and new truck dealers in the region have had to survive factory bankruptcies, a painful, job-sucking recession and, for import sellers, a sudden disruption this spring in getting new cars from Japan.
Now, most dealers say the business climate looking ahead is much the same as it has been for the past half-year – OK but nothing to rave about.
“We’re not sure what ‘normal’ business is anymore,” said Shayne Goff, general manager at Wendle Motors in north Spokane.
“The one good thing about the market is we’ve seen the highs and lows taken out of the picture. It’s now a more steady business plan. … We’re seeing small growth, and not every month. But it’s nothing like it used to be, in boom times.”
Which?It said the advice service, Consumer Direct, took 38138 complaints about used vehicles bought from dealers. An earlier OFT study found that many car buyers Consumers need to know their rights before buying second hand carRise in used car 'complaints'Buying a used car - know your consumer rights -all 76 news articles »
(Katie Falkenberg, For the / September 14, 2010) By Jerry Hirsch, California car dealers could reap as much as $80
