GM tells dealer to pull Camaro ad.

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/FREE/60501004/1041/TOC01ARCHIVE

*SIGH* I know that a friend of mine went to a dealership a while ago (which will be unnamed but you can do the math) and asked if they were taking deposits on the new Camaro, just to see what they knew.

Their answer? In so many words...

"New Camaro? What new Camaro? Camaro Concept? Never heard of it. No idea what you are talking about. You want to leave a deposit on a car we had absolutely no prior knowledge of? SURE! We'll take your desposit. Write the check right now and we'll set it up. However, it is a non-returnable deposit and we will not be able to guarantee you any particular price. Sign here."

Does everyone see how many problems there are in that situation?

"New Camaro? What new Camaro? Camaro Concept? Never heard of it. No idea what you are talking about. You want to leave a deposit on a car we had absolutely no prior knowledge of? SURE! We'll take your desposit. Write the check right now and we'll set it up. However, it is a non-returnable deposit and we will not be able to guarantee you any particular price. Sign here."

:irk: :irk:

a fool and his money are parted easilly

Yeah, I saw an ad for a local dealership advertising that you could come in and reserve a new Camaro. :confused:

When I was selling cars awhile back someone went into our larger dealership and gave them a $10,000 check to hold a new Ford GT... right after the concept came out... of course they took it, :rolleyes:

:rolleyes:
What dealers do to make a buck makes me sick…..

Scott was telling me its ok to go put your name on a waiting list, but absolutely don’t put any money down or sign anything legally bounding.

I may not buy until the second or third year of production since I’m going to need to get my financial life in order after college and also waiting for the vert; thus I don’t care about getting my name on any list.

I did think this was funny though concerning when the viper concept came out:

“One man sent a check for $60,000 to then-Chrysler President Robert Lutz, for two Vipers - one for himself and one for his wife. Chrysler returned the checks.”

I would so do that as a joke……maybe I’ll send a cancelled check for $35,000 to Mr. Lutz…:lol:

De - ****ing -spicable.

I could see if they wanted to attract attention to the dealership and had people come in. Give them a little print out with some info on it and send them back out the door.

Taking deposits is purely exploitative though.

That dealership is "Corvette King" anyway, I would think they wouldnt need to resort to such.

Definitely shady, but I found this promising:

"Chevrolet hopes to announce its plans for the Camaro this summer, Albano says."

"New Camaro? What new Camaro? Camaro Concept? Never heard of it. No idea what you are talking about. You want to leave a deposit on a car we had absolutely no prior knowledge of? SURE! We'll take your desposit. Write the check right now and we'll set it up. However, it is a non-returnable deposit and we will not be able to guarantee you any particular price. Sign here."

Does everyone see how many problems there are in that situation?


You have to understand that, with very few exceptions, when you are dealing with a car salesman, you are not usually dealing with intelligent life. They usually have no significant knowledge of the auto industry in general or of the brand of vehicle their dealership sells…most of them are just passing time until they find a real job or car salesman (or Credit Card collector) is the only job they can qualify for.

It’s very likely that if GM does announce that they are building the next Camaro, people on boards like this will know the details long before most salesmen bother to become aware of it!

In late 1978 I was ready to order a brand new, Black/Gold 1979 TransAm and went to the largest Pontiac dealerships in the Seattle area to order it. At the time, I owned a 1976 50th Anniversary Black/Gold TransAm, of which there were less than 3,000 made (only about 600 with T-Tops). The idiot SALES MANAGER of this dealership argued with me for 20 minutes claiming the GM never produced the car I owned and had with me that night.

Needless to say, I left that dealership and ordered my 1979 from a much smaller dealer closer to home (in Bremerton, WA) who had a salesman that actually knew something about the cars Pontiac made.

Never underestimate the stupidity of a car salesman and if you happen to find a good one, don’t loose his business card or cell phone number!

Check out the story about Camaro deposits - http://www.camaro5.com/

Never good to attract the attention of GM's big whigs :eek:

In late 1978 I was ready to order a brand new, Black/Gold 1979 TransAm and went to the largest Pontiac dealerships in the Seattle area to order it. At the time, I owned a 1976 50th Anniversary Black/Gold TransAm, of which there were less than 3,000 made (only about 600 with T-Tops). The idiot SALES MANAGER of this dealership argued with me for 20 minutes claiming the GM never produced the car I owned and had with me that night.

Needless to say, I left that dealership and ordered my 1979 from a much smaller dealer closer to home (in Bremerton, WA) who had a salesman that actually knew something about the cars Pontiac made.

Sounds a lot like what I went through trying to "convince" certain GM (even Pontiac) dealerships that the 25th Anniversary Trans AM I owned actually WAS a limited edition car and had a much higher retail value than a normal 1994 T/A. Trade in values differed GREATLY from dealership to dealership... some as low as $3,000, some as high as $10,000... just depended on the intelligence of the people working there. Hell, even a Ford dealership recognized the car was a collectible and offered me $7,500... I just didn't want a Mustang :D and nothing else they had really appealed to me (couldn't afford a V8 Lincoln LS).

I think the best example was the dealership selling a 2002 "Collector's Edition" Trans AM and touting it as highly collectible, and then saying my car just had a decal package :confused: :rolleyes:

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448106

That's friggin great.:rolleyes:

That's just what we need. :think:

Morons.

:no:

Can't wait to see how much "market adjustment" the new Camaro will have when it hits the dealer lots. :irk:

And the amount of people actually wanting to pay that money, too... :no: :lol:

Customers can reclaim Camaro deposits if they wish, Stanford says.


:mad:

Don't ever do deposits, ever. They are just a way for the dealer to make interest off of YOUR money, while using it against you as a commitment to pay over the fare price of a vehicle.

Sounds a lot like what I went through trying to "convince" certain GM (even Pontiac) dealerships that the 25th Anniversary Trans AM I owned actually WAS a limited edition car and had a much higher retail value than a normal 1994 T/A. Trade in values differed GREATLY from dealership to dealership... some as low as $3,000, some as high as $10,000... just depended on the intelligence of the people working there. Hell, even a Ford dealership recognized the car was a collectible and offered me $7,500... I just didn't want a Mustang :D and nothing else they had really appealed to me (couldn't afford a V8 Lincoln LS).

I think the best example was the dealership selling a 2002 "Collector's Edition" Trans AM and touting it as highly collectible, and then saying my car just had a decal package :confused: :rolleyes:

Market price for a "collector edition" vehicle is a fickle thing...and often non-existant. However, in the case I cited above, it took months for me to get my new '79 delivered and the dealer actualy gave me more for my trade in than we origionally agreed upon because the value of the car had risen in those months I was waiting. Needless to say, I wish I still had the '76 even if the engine was a dog!

Check out the story about Camaro deposits - http://www.camaro5.com/

Never good to attract the attention of GM's big whigs :eek:

OMG! :rolleyes:
Site dedicated to the fifth generation (LS2 / LS7) Camaro (concept, forums, wallpapers, news, rumors, etc..)

LS2?

LS7?

:lol:

Hmm... standing by my prediction that there will be at least one dealership with a 5th gen and C6 on the same lot where the C6 will be the cheaper of the two. Looks like we have a front-runner for which dealership that might be.

And as if this needs to be said, but all of this will get worse before it gets better. They were just the first ones. They won't be the last. First deposits, then the waiting lists, then everyone will be up in arms about how dealerships are selling "slots" (not the actual car) on eBay to buy these. These won't be deposits, but money laid out to put yourself on a waiting list to even have the opportunity to buy one.

All this is coming, that's why it looks more and more likely I will be waiting until the second year to buy mine.

OMG! :rolleyes:


LS2?

LS7?

:lol:
Yeah, our rumors are better than their rumors ;)

We'll get one as soon as we can get one w/ GMS:D

I'm surprised Stanford put that in his ad. His place and Kerbeck's are always two of the biggest Vette places around and always have the newest vettes due to their high volume and relationship with Chevy. I know sometimes that they are in the know about things comming down the pipeline but this is a little too much.
People comming into dealerships and wanting to put money down on concept cars is more common than you think. At our dealership we had people come in wanting to put down deposits when the solstice and velite concepts came out. We kindly told them to hold on to their cash because they're just concepts. It's a shame and unethical that a dealer would be taking deposits on a car that we aren't sure 100 percent is comming out with a timeframe

GM really needs to do something about their 'manufacturer suggested retail price' and follow the japanese companies. I really dont want to see the msrp on a new z28 be at around 30K, which I can afford, and then a dealer markup of 8 grand, which takes me out of the running to own one. If Lutz and the rest of the gm heads dont do something about that, there will be many supporters and enthusists who wont be able to afford one.

Fry

If Lutz and the rest of the gm heads dont do something about that, there will be many supporters and enthusists who wont be able to afford one.

Fry

Until the hype goes away. ;) After that the rebates/incentives will kick in.

But, since there's always people who are willing to pay the "market adjustment" or what ever each dealer calls it, the markup will always be there in the beginning.

Not that I agree with it at all, but I doubt GM will do anything about it. I'm sure they could, if they wanted, though.

good point

Not that I agree with it at all, but I doubt GM will do anything about it. I'm sure they could, if they wanted, though.


actually, we can't -- it's against the law. It's called Anti-Trust. Any employee of any manufacturer (at least in automobiles) is strictly prohibited from telling a dealer what they can or cannot charge for a new car or truck.

If the dealer wants to sell a $30,000 car for 1 dollar or $50,000, we cannot have anything to do with affecting the selling price.

I know that sounds foolish, but trust me -- the day I went to work for GM, I had to sign a pile of papers a mile deep......this law was one of them that I had to acknowledge by signing a paper saying thus.

That said? We don't like it any more than you do....it gives EVERYONE a bad reputation....including the dealers (and there are many more good dealers than bad) who conduct their business in a fair and gracious manner.

actually, we can't -- it's against the law. It's called Anti-Trust. Any employee of any manufacturer (at least in automobiles) is strictly prohibited from telling a dealer what they can or cannot charge for a new car or truck.

If the dealer wants to sell a $30,000 car for 1 dollar or $50,000, we cannot have anything to do with affecting the selling price.

I know that sounds foolish, but trust me -- the day I went to work for GM, I had to sign a pile of papers a mile deep......this law was one of them that I had to acknowledge by signing a paper saying thus.

That said? We don't like it any more than you do....it gives EVERYONE a bad reputation....including the dealers (and there are many more good dealers than bad) who conduct their business in a fair and gracious manner.

Yeah, forgot the Anti-Trust... :o I will stand corrected. :bow: :D :cool:

You guys really need to find a way to at least somehow slap those dealers in the face when they do that. Maybe you are even doing that already :shrug: , but those dealers just screw it up for the Average Joe. :rolleyes: AND since the Average Joe can't necessarily distinguish between the dealer and GM, they make GM look bad to him, too. :rolleyes:

Oh well... I guess it's one of those matters which will never be resolved... :(

They can't tell them to sell it at MSRP, but on the flip way I'm sure GM could offer incentives to dealers that do sell at MSRP.???

Dealer A sells all his vehicles at MSRP and has a nice full lot.

Dealer B rapes his customers and mysteriously his shipment of new Camaro's never showed up?!?! (Diverted to Customer A) ?

The camaro won't be out until 2011

I cant believe people are DUMB enough to put money on a concept. I mean the actual car will probably look totally different. I HOPE NOT THOUGH

GM really needs to do something about their 'manufacturer suggested retail price' and follow the japanese companies. I really dont want to see the msrp on a new z28 be at around 30K, which I can afford, and then a dealer markup of 8 grand, which takes me out of the running to own one. If Lutz and the rest of the gm heads dont do something about that, there will be many supporters and enthusists who wont be able to afford one.

Fry
30k for a Z28? Maybe you'll be able to buy it for 30k used, but not new.

BTW, when are one of you folks gonna start a dealership reviw site?

The camaro won't be out until 2011

Care to make a bet?

GM High Tech Performance claims the Camaro has been confirmed for production and will come out in 2009. :cool: If this is true i'll start putting money back now.

GM High Tech Performance claims the Camaro has been confirmed for production and will come out in 2009. :cool: If this is true i'll start putting money back now.

See other threads about the subject.

Also, listen to our CamaroZ28.Com Podcast #33, we talk a bit about it:
http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=446223

You have to understand that, with very few exceptions, when you are dealing with a car salesman, you are not usually dealing with intelligent life. They usually have no significant knowledge of the auto industry in general or of the brand of vehicle their dealership sells…most of them are just passing time until they find a real job or car salesman (or Credit Card collector) is the only job they can qualify for.

It’s very likely that if GM does announce that they are building the next Camaro, people on boards like this will know the details long before most salesmen bother to become aware of it!

In late 1978 I was ready to order a brand new, Black/Gold 1979 TransAm and went to the largest Pontiac dealerships in the Seattle area to order it. At the time, I owned a 1976 50th Anniversary Black/Gold TransAm, of which there were less than 3,000 made (only about 600 with T-Tops). The idiot SALES MANAGER of this dealership argued with me for 20 minutes claiming the GM never produced the car I owned and had with me that night.

Needless to say, I left that dealership and ordered my 1979 from a much smaller dealer closer to home (in Bremerton, WA) who had a salesman that actually knew something about the cars Pontiac made.

Never underestimate the stupidity of a car salesman and if you happen to find a good one, don’t loose his business card or cell phone number!


Hey Rob, there's a 1976 Black and Gold T/A sitting at a wrecker here. I was going to ask him what he wanted for it. It's just sitting there waiting to be restored. It's rough, but the paint is original and the body is all there. wonder what it'd be worth if I restored it?

actually, we can't -- it's against the law. It's called Anti-Trust. Any employee of any manufacturer (at least in automobiles) is strictly prohibited from telling a dealer what they can or cannot charge for a new car or truck.

If the dealer wants to sell a $30,000 car for 1 dollar or $50,000, we cannot have anything to do with affecting the selling price.

I know that sounds foolish, but trust me -- the day I went to work for GM, I had to sign a pile of papers a mile deep......this law was one of them that I had to acknowledge by signing a paper saying thus.

That said? We don't like it any more than you do....it gives EVERYONE a bad reputation....including the dealers (and there are many more good dealers than bad) who conduct their business in a fair and gracious manner.

Yeah I had to sign a ton of the same paperwork, and probably more when I started working at ***cough cough*** NISSAN ***cough cough***... My job has enough interaction with dealers on a daily basis that I know very well these laws Scott speaks of.