Cash For Clunkers - A Dealership Perspective

I'm not a political person so this blog entry is going to be simply about how the Cash For Clunkers worked from my perspective as a car dealership employee.

First off, we were not very big players in the Clunker deals as Acura only had one sedan that even qualified. (The 2009 RDX SUV also qualified but nobody inquired for that one) The 2010 Acura TSX was the vehicle we had the only action on. We ended up doing about ten Clunker deals and, from my perspective, that was more than enough.

I seriously don't know what the dealers that were doing hundreds of these deals did. Each deal, when the computer system was working correctly, took about two hours to submit. Our last deal took almost ten hours with the system down and continuing to try to get it in. I finally took the paperwork home and got it submitted at 1am EST. For the dealers that did the hundreds, did they have to send all their employees home to each do five deals or did they have to work through the night?

The main problem, I feel, is that they rushed to get this program out and had no time to set up the infrastructure to get it done correctly. I know from my years of experience working in dealerships and on the web that websites take time to develop and implement. There's also glitches and problems with any new website. How did they expect a website this detailed, with hundreds of thousands of submissions, to be able to handle the flow in just thirty days. It was never realistic from day one.

Our first deal was submitted in July and we still haven't been paid on any of it or any others. Again, we only did about ten. What are the dealers that did hundreds doing with what could be hundreds of thousands of dollars outstanding. It seems like a lot to ask a business owner to accept especially with all the responsibility falling on the dealer and not the consumer. What if a dealer who did 100 Clunker deals gets rejected on 30%. That's an awful lot of money to risk losing. Was it worth it to him? I can't imagine how!

What are your thoughts? How did Cash For Clunkers effect you as consumers or dealers?

Thank You,

Mitchell Brenner
e-Commerce Manager
Precision Acura of Princeton
www.precisionacura.com

We are looking to purchase high quality used cars

Our Pre-Owned manager, Curt Brown, just informed me that he needs quality pre-owned vehicles for his pre-owned inventory. Does your vehicle fit this description? Now would be the perfect time to come in to have a professional appraisal done on your Vehicle and let one of our senior product consultants take you on a no obligation test drive on the new Acura of your choice.

With my Pre-Owned Manager's need for quality Pre-Owned Vehicles, maybe we could lease or sell you a new Acura for less than you're currently paying per month?

Even if you don't choose to purchase or lease an Acura, we need your vehicle!

Please contact Curt Brown directly at 800 644 2813 or email him at cbrown@precisionacura.com. No walk-ins. By appointment only! Top dollar paid for the right vehicles!

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Welcome To The Premier Issue Of The Precision Acura eNewsletter

Image by mrmatt via Flickr

Welcome to the first edition of our Precision Acura of Princeton eNewsletter. This monthly e-newsletter is another example of our continuous efforts to provide our customers with the latest and greatest information surrounding our dealership.

http://www.imninc.com/precisionacura/

Quick Drive: 2010 Acura MDX gets new nose, powertrain improvements — Autoblog

Quick Drive: 2010 Acura MDX gets new nose, powertrain improvements — Autoblog

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Car Allowance Rebate System

CARS - Cash for

Clunkers

Information

"CARS" (Car Allowance Rebate System), also known as "Cash for Clunkers", or "Cash for Guzzlers" is a Government program operated by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) to offer U.S. drivers an incentive to purchase a new, more fuel-efficient, vehicle. This will get more new cars on the road, and get old gas-guzzling models off them.

There are a few requirements to receive the $3,500 or $4,500 credit. These include:

* Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date
* Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify
* Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)
* Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in
* You don't need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase
* Program runs through Nov 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
* The vehicle that you are trading in is required to be destroyed. Therefore, the value you negotiate with the dealer for your trade in is not likely to exceed its scrap value. The law requires the dealer to disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in vehicle.

There are other stipulations for work trucks.

We are a participating dealer of the

Cash for Clunkers

program!

We are happy to be a participating dealer in this program! You may use this program to receive credit on either a purchase or a lease of a new vehicle through us if you are trading in a qualifying model. We are happy to answer any questions you may have, so please call us with any concerns!

When you stop in, we'll take a look at your vehicle and determine which cars on our lot will qualify for the CARS credit. Because of our wide selection and large inventory, you should have a number of vehicles to choose from. You can browse our current inventory of new cars here. Call us today or visit us in person. We'll make the entire process easy for you!

If you would like us to contact you regarding the Cash for Clunkers program and help you determine if your vehicle is eligible, just fill out our contact form and we'll be in touch.

http://www.precisionacura.com/car-allowance-rebate-system.htm

Not Even For a Minute Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

07/13/2009

Precision Acura of Princeton, NJ CAR Partner with DCF on "Not Even For a Minute" Campaign

Safety campaign reminds parents, caretakers to never leave a child unattended in a car
Lawrenceville, N.J. - Precision Acura of Princeton and various members of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR) are partnering this summer with the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) to promote New Jersey's "Not Even for a Minute" public awareness campaign, which urges parents and caretakers to never leave children unattended in a vehicle, where temperatures can rise to dangerous levels, especially in warmer summer months.

"Thanks to this partnership with car dealerships all across the state, we can reach more families than ever before. Parents and caregivers must know that an unspeakable tragedy can happen in a manner of minutes," DCF Commissioner Ricketts said. "The message is simple - no matter how busy you get, you must never leave a child in a vehicle unattended."

DCF has partnered with the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR) to help spread this lifesaving message to families all across the state. Through this partnership, 90 dealerships - including Precision Acura of Princeton - have stepped up to participate in this campaign and offered to distribute posters, strip cards, and newly developed car window clings in both English and Spanish. A list of all participating dealerships can be found here: http://www.njcar.org/.

"We are very excited about this opportunity to help DCF reach families with this lifesaving message," Drew Sciaulino, VP of Precision Acura of Princeton, said. "The safety of the families we serve here at Precision Acura of Princeton are paramount, and we are glad to help in this effort to prevent children from being harmed."

Precision Acura of Princeton will be spreading the word with e-Mail blasts, on our website, Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and articles in our eNewsletter.

"New car and truck retailers throughout New Jersey have always been among the first to lend their support when a community needs to promote an important message and none is more important than the safety of our children," James B. Appleton, President of NJ CAR, said.

"Dealers want consumers and their families to enjoy their vehicles and there is no better way than to promote car safety, from proper car-seat installation and wearing seatbelts to the dangers of intense temperatures that an enclosed vehicle can reach during the summer months. NJ CAR is very proud of the dealers participating in this very important program."

A child left alone in a vehicle, even for a short time, is in danger of abduction, injury, dehydration and even death. Approximately 40 children die each year in the United States, and hundreds more are injured, from hyperthermia after being left unattended in a vehicle, according to a study published Pediatrics, the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. One child died in New Jersey after being left in a vehicle last summer.

That same study noted that the temperature in a call can rise upwards of 19 degrees in just 10 minutes. The temperature inside a car can get dangerously hot, even in moderate weather with the windows slightly down.

"Not Even For a Minute" outlines tips for parents to help keep kids safe around cars, including:
Never leave a child unattended in a car. Not even for a minute.
Always lock your car and secure the keys so that your kids can't get to them.
Warn your children about playing in and around cars.
Install a trunk release mechanism so that kids can't get trapped inside the trunk.
Get your kids out of the car first, and then worry about unloading the groceries and items out of the car.

For more information on Precision Acura of Princeton and how you can access materials available at this location, please contact: Mitchell Brenner the e-Commerce Manager at Precision Acura of Princeton.

For more information on the state's "Not Even for a Minute" campaign, please contact the DCF Office of Communications at 609-292-0422 and visit the DCF Web site at: http://www.nj.gov/dcf/safety/campaigns/car.html.

Precision Acura of Princeton Goes Mobile

Image by SheepGuardingLlama via Flickr

Precision Acura of Princeton has joined the millions of people who use their phones to surf the net. On our brand new Mobile site you can search our new and pre-owned inventory, request a quote, contact us, and much more. Check out our website at www.precisionacura.com on your Mobile Device!

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