In a program that may start as soon as April 1st, it is an attempt to convince buyers to try GM vehicles and see for themselves that the quality is better than is typically assumed.

And yes, before you go get in line for a Vette for the weekend, you're going to have to be considered a serious buyer to get this option!! Nonetheless, I think it's a good idea.

Story

 

I always thought it would be a good idea to even rent cars for the night to people considering buying one. I'd pay $30 to drive a car for 24hrs if it was a car I was interested in buying.

 

I think it is an admirable idea, but it is full of fatal flaws.

1) The program (and vehicles) will be abused by at leats some people.

2) What determines 'serious buyer'? They have the potential of losing customers because some bone head dealer allows one person to take a car, and not the next...

I hope it works out though.... in a perfect world, it's a great idea.

 

do they get to test the one they want or do they get to test a "community" test drive car. Im not too crazy about buying a new car that has already been taken home and abused by several people already.

 

Well, it mentioned increasing the dealers allowance for demo cars, so that makes it sound like there would be a "community" test car.

 

Before I bought the Ranger, the dealership allowed me to take it overnight. The salesman even told me that when I brought it back, they'd expect me to sign something. I brought it back and would not sign. No matter how many times I told them I wasn't signing, they came back with a better deal. I spent 2 hours in there while they worked out better deals. I still didn't sign until 7 days later. With a better deal.

Conclusion. Taking it overnight was a great way to get a feel for the vehicle. I was quite impressed, and that led to the sale.

And yes, I did beat it pretty good.

However, I agree that there will be flaws to this system.

Jeff

 

Uh?Jeff?I dont think anyone wanted to hear what ya do with your spare time?

 

"Dealers would have to be careful to qualify potential buyers, says Brasher, owner of Brasher Motors in Weimar, Texas. Otherwise, the program could attract frivolous shoppers who just want a free car for a night or weekend. He says: "That's who it could turn out to be if the dealers aren't diligent in checking out who's getting the cars."

This just sounds like a clever ploy to extract credit applications from reluctant consumers. Knowing car dealers the way I do, they'll run the test-drive candidate's credit, send them out in the car, and then send the application to 10 seperate banks. When the customer brings back the car the next morning, their credit score will have dropped 50-points(!) from all of the unsolicited inquiries.

If a person is just shopping around, they'd have to be retarded to participate in this program.

 

um, when my dad and i were shopping fot a t/a, a dealer let us take a black one home for the night. we ended up getting the SOM one from another dealership, so we took the black one back and told the salesman "sorry." he ended up getting half of the commission on it anyway. this was in october - i didnt think it was that new of a concept...

 

My mom took a new Rendevous for the night back in Aug. (but she went to high school with the dealer) She have to leave her van at the dealership for the night. Customer should have to leave their car at the dealership for the night. That would stop a lot of people just looking for a free rential.

 

What a start date.

 

I believe its a individual dealer thing, because there are a few dealer around here that allow overnight testdrives for years now. One time my dad was looking at a car and they let him have it for the weekend and he ended up not buying the car.
I guess GM is now trying to incourage more of their dealers to adopt this policy.

 

I think you summed it up nicely.

Basically, it sounds like GM will offer more compensation to dealers who do this in order to get more to do it (when warranted).

 

Uh...

Wha....

But I.....

Damn.

I've been burned!

Jeff

 

ROFL!

You, my friend, have been