Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:08:28 -0800
Reply-To: Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: LVC Re: Long, Big Rant about a Crappy VW Dealership
In-Reply-To: <029A9D5C-C00F-4508-84B1-079AAF175337@knology.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
RE: Dealerships VW and otherwise
I guess we are lucky here in the Seattle area, at least one of our VW
dealerships has a very good reputation in the parts and service department
and that's Campbell-Nelson. I've used them very little but my experience has
been very good, the Service Managed drove a beautiful '90 Vanagon as his
daily driver until just a couple of years ago. BUT, I've never ventured onto
the showroom floor, I know better! BTW, Campbell-Nelson just expanded and
took on the Nissan line, a sign of the dwindling market share for VW.
Although 40 years ago the lessons I learned in the short eight months I
worked as a salesman for a family owned Chrysler Plymouth dealership in 1968
taught me some lasting lessons, the biggest being the extreme differences
that exist (or existed at that time) between what was called a 'straight
house' (translates honest dealer) and a 'California house' (translates buyer
beware'). But the changes that have occurred in the last 40 years in the
auto business seem to have eliminated the basic honest dealer that was in
business for the long haul and saw satisfied customers as future customers.
And , based on conversations I've had with people in the business over the
years, one of the biggest problems for any dealer, even the ones trying to
do a good job, is the relationship between the dealer and the factory on
warranty problems and recalls. The service department can have a hell of a
time getting paid for warranty work and then the allowance from the factory
is not enough to cover their costs. And today the competition between
marques and individual dealerships is so extreme (priced based competition)
that an honest dealer trying to pay a living wage to sales staff has a
really rough time making ends meet.
BTW, one of the lessons I learned and has stuck with me is I never even
think about buying a new car. For those that have the disposable income to
take the drastic hit in depreciation and need the perceived reliability they
get with a new vehicle that's great, but the total dollar cost in the long
run far exceeds the cost of buying used and keeping it running. That's why I
drive two 1990 vehicles, my '90 T-Bird and my '90 Westy. A friend and I
compared actual dollars out of pocket over the last five years, both of my
vehicles vs her leased Toyota. She had spent almost exactly twice what I had
during that time but I'd driven almost twice the miles.
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