Haven't seen this mentioned yet, but for most dealerships the buyer has to choose between the money-back guarantee option or a $500 discount on list price.
Even if the effort curve on this offer isn't steep, the customer has to give up a rebate for the type of car they usually expect to get a rebate for. Psychologically, why would they take the guarantee? That's what the warranty is for, right?
Seems awfully junior varsity of GM, but I guess good PR is good PR. #gm
The 1%er's. Those that will never be pleased no matter what you do for them.
You could pay them to take the car and they would still piss and moan about something.
That 1% makes up for a majority of your stress in the work place if you let them get to you. Throughout the business world it is that 1% that will take away from you giving your best to the rest of your customers who enjoy your service.
Best is to smile, look them in the eye tell them goodbye and to never return.
Even better is to fire them as a customer before they get a chance to walk in the door. #gm
@lilwillie: You just described my co-worker in a nutshell, the never being pleased part.
A while back her wealthy daughter gave her a BMW Z3. You'd think getting that as a gift would make my co-worker pants-crappingly happy. NOPE she sold it after a year or two of ownership because she doesn't like convertibles (maybe if she didn't DRIVE THEM IN THE RAIN all the time!)
She then got a Buick Lacrosse CXS with the help of the money she made selling the car (which she got as a gift) and wants to return it because she doesn't like the keyless ignition.
Also when she asked me what luxury brand I'd buy, I said "Porsche, of course" and then she nagged at me about how she doesn't like Porsche because all their cars are two seaters.
For some one who insists on buying luxury cars, she seriously misses the point of them. It makes my Jalopnik blood boil at times. Here I am telling people "I would kick your ass five times for a Porsche" and some one who can afford one tosses them aside like trash. #gm
These statements on "all the fine print" are some of the stupidest comments possible. I guess the policy should be "free 2 month rental of Escalade's and Corvette's" to satisfy these dimwits.
Seriously, be current on payments, within reasonable milage range, and no real damage and bring it back if you want. Do people really expect no clauses to protect from abusing this? #gm
want the car for any reason (it doesn't have to be a good reason), you can bring it back. But it has a few rules that you should be aware of before your purchase, notes the Associated Press.
The first one is that you actually only have a 30-day window in which to return the vehicle, because you can't bring it back within the first 30 days. This is to increase the chance that customers will get over any buyer's remorse and settle into accepting the car's flaws over the first month of ownership.
The second, and more dangerous, rule is that the car can't have more than $200 in damage, and GM gets to decide what constitutes damage. If you really decide you want to take it back, you'd better be extra careful with it during those first 30 days, and cross your fingers that GM won't nitpick and find a way to disqualify the return.
You won't get back any money you spent on add-ons, aftermarket equipment, or title and registration fees. Just the cost of the vehicle + sales tax.
The 30 day cooling off period doesn't sound that terrible, although it's mostly for GM's benefit and not the customer's. That the refund should only cover cost + taxes actually makes sense, because otherwise GM would be opening the door to unscrupulous retail renters.
What we find pretty alarming, however, is the $200 damage threshold. As the AP notes, "the cost of vehicle repairs - even small, cosmetic ones - can easily exceed $200," and since you're stuck with the car for 30 days even if you decide on day #2 to return it, you're going to have to hope nothing happens until the return window opens. The one saving grace to this rule is that repairs covered by warranty are excluded from the $200 cap, fortunately. Still, we'd park that new vehicle in a garage and not touch it for the rest of the month just to be on the safe side.
"U-Return? GM's refund promise has some stop signs" [Associated Press] #gm
@Alfisted: I don't know, but they can certainly argue that stone chips and tree sap stained trim are damage. Or what if you curb a rim parallel parking your new car? It certainly won't be at risk of becoming their car at that point. #gm
@CJinSD: How do you damage your brand new car in one month? If you're wanting to return it maybe, park carefully. Seriously, I can't tell if your cut and paste is agreeing with me or not?
GM should pay for your aftermarket CD player or faux vents?
If this was not being used because of the rules, wouldn't there be a story or two about people getting declined the return and bitching endlessly. #gm
@RLJ676-LS3 Commuter Car - for the environment: How do you damage your new car in one month? The first time I parallel parked my current new car, someone put a small divot in the back bumper. Less than a week after getting a previous new car, a friend of my sister spilled mustard on the cloth seat that resisted all attempts to remove it over a 2 year period. The first time you drive a car on the freeways of San Diego, the rocker panels get stone chips. My car has about 18K miles and looks like it has 150K miles due to chips from debris kicked up by other cars.
As for stories about unhappy customers, why do you assume they'd get press? I could write an encyclopedia of anecdotes about people burned by GM, but I don't see many stories in the press that say anything other than that there are statistical justifications for claiming GM cars aren't inferior. #gm
Get real. You trash the car, you can't return it. If you can't be careful for 1 month, then why even buy a new car. Buy used if you are going to trash it.
I live in Detroit, and I can keep a car nice for 1 month, so I'm sure San Diego's a real hell hole. You just can't please everyone...... #gm
The money-back guarantee is an option? What's the alternative? Please don't tell me you have to choose between the guarantee and whatever rebates/incentives are being offered. #gm
@GreenN_Gold: Yeah, I don't understand that either. If you ask for that option, isn't that a bit like telling the rental agent you want all the insurance you can get? #gm
I personally would've taken up this offer only if buying some expensive GM machinery like the CTS-V, a Camaro SS, a Corvette or something. I know all these cars looks awesome on paper but when you actually live with it for a month it might be a whole different issue. There might be this one little feature which ruins the whole experience for you.
That's the only scenario when this sort of thing makes sense. It might not work for a Chevy Aveo. In any case if you're buying an Aveo you probably don't care anyway.. #gm
Well, I suppose that's a success, then. We all hear tales of how cars are much worse than sales show, because few want to admit when they have buyers' remorse. Apparently, given a chance to act on that remorse, few do.
@Paul Y. don't drive too fast.: It's a 60 day return policy. If you have a problem significant enough to return your car within 60 days, there's a SERIOUS manufacturer's defect.
@How Wankelin' Got His Sig Back: Yeah, but serious defects are already covered by lemon laws. As I understood it, GM's thing was more about general satisfaction with your purchase -- lemon laws don't cover a car that you just realized you don't like, or the fact that you just bought a manual Corvette and can't drive stick. #gm
@How Wankelin' Got His Sig Back: Or you find out your leg doesn't fit right, or your wife doesn't like how the car tracks at 123mph, or you find that you're moving and don't need the car anymore, or you really can't live with bright yellow, or you went vegan and returned the leather-seated Impala LTZ...people could return it for a million reasons that have nothing to do with manufacturing defects. #gm
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
I disagree with your analysis. The Camaro outselling the Mustang for a month is indeed a very small, insignificant feat. GM has hyped the crap out of the Camaro for the past three years, and it's finally out. It will certainly sell well for the first year. But is it sustainable? The Mustang is an old,hoary, low-tech design which hasn't seen much R&D funding over the years. Strong Camaro sales for the rest of 2009 are a foregone conclusion.
The Mustang is an old,hoary, low-tech design which hasn't seen much R&D funding over the years.
Really?
I think that it has gotten quite a bit of R&D money over the years, unless the GT500 and the 2010 Mustangs came free of charge from the engineering department at Ford. The refinements made to the 2010 Mustang vs the 2009 Mustang alone cost quite a bit of dough. And despite the live-axle rear suspension, there is nothing old, hoary, or low-tech about the Mustang.
I think someone is just a little bitter towards GM.
As a Camaro fan (I've owned 4 over the years) I'm glad it's back and makes 100hp more than the Mustang! I really like the look of the Ford, but the lack of power is embarassing for them. Anyway, as much as I'd like to plunk down cash for a new SS, I can't believe people are paying premiums or even full MSRP for any car in this economy. What's the point of being the first on your block to have a Camaro when there will be so many around next year or two? I'll wait for some rebates or a nice used one.
I would rather bide my time and wait for the demand to cool a little so that I can get a reasonable price on one.
Also, if rumor is correct, and all goes well, the 2011 Mustang that we should start seeing stories on in a year or so is supposed to get the new Coyote engine, which should make things interesting. If that happens, I wouldn't be surprised if the base V6 also gets replaced by the Ecoboost V6.
When that happens, us Camaro guys might be in just a little bit of hot water. Hopefully the Camaro engineers are already cooking something up.
To be correct should'nt they compare the first months with the first months of the new Mustang when it came out in'05? As the current Mustang is more or less a refreshing.Comparing a totally new model to a refreshened model is'nt really honest.
10/28/09
10/28/09
Even if the effort curve on this offer isn't steep, the customer has to give up a rebate for the type of car they usually expect to get a rebate for. Psychologically, why would they take the guarantee? That's what the warranty is for, right?
Seems awfully junior varsity of GM, but I guess good PR is good PR. #gm
10/28/09
You could pay them to take the car and they would still piss and moan about something.
That 1% makes up for a majority of your stress in the work place if you let them get to you. Throughout the business world it is that 1% that will take away from you giving your best to the rest of your customers who enjoy your service.
Best is to smile, look them in the eye tell them goodbye and to never return.
Even better is to fire them as a customer before they get a chance to walk in the door. #gm
10/28/09
A while back her wealthy daughter gave her a BMW Z3. You'd think getting that as a gift would make my co-worker pants-crappingly happy. NOPE she sold it after a year or two of ownership because she doesn't like convertibles (maybe if she didn't DRIVE THEM IN THE RAIN all the time!)
She then got a Buick Lacrosse CXS with the help of the money she made selling the car (which she got as a gift) and wants to return it because she doesn't like the keyless ignition.
Also when she asked me what luxury brand I'd buy, I said "Porsche, of course" and then she nagged at me about how she doesn't like Porsche because all their cars are two seaters.
For some one who insists on buying luxury cars, she seriously misses the point of them. It makes my Jalopnik blood boil at times. Here I am telling people "I would kick your ass five times for a Porsche" and some one who can afford one tosses them aside like trash. #gm
10/28/09
Seriously, be current on payments, within reasonable milage range, and no real damage and bring it back if you want. Do people really expect no clauses to protect from abusing this? #gm
10/28/09
want the car for any reason (it doesn't have to be a good reason), you can bring it back. But it has a few rules that you should be aware of before your purchase, notes the Associated Press.
The first one is that you actually only have a 30-day window in which to return the vehicle, because you can't bring it back within the first 30 days. This is to increase the chance that customers will get over any buyer's remorse and settle into accepting the car's flaws over the first month of ownership.
The second, and more dangerous, rule is that the car can't have more than $200 in damage, and GM gets to decide what constitutes damage. If you really decide you want to take it back, you'd better be extra careful with it during those first 30 days, and cross your fingers that GM won't nitpick and find a way to disqualify the return.
You won't get back any money you spent on add-ons, aftermarket equipment, or title and registration fees. Just the cost of the vehicle + sales tax.
The 30 day cooling off period doesn't sound that terrible, although it's mostly for GM's benefit and not the customer's. That the refund should only cover cost + taxes actually makes sense, because otherwise GM would be opening the door to unscrupulous retail renters.
What we find pretty alarming, however, is the $200 damage threshold. As the AP notes, "the cost of vehicle repairs - even small, cosmetic ones - can easily exceed $200," and since you're stuck with the car for 30 days even if you decide on day #2 to return it, you're going to have to hope nothing happens until the return window opens. The one saving grace to this rule is that repairs covered by warranty are excluded from the $200 cap, fortunately. Still, we'd park that new vehicle in a garage and not touch it for the rest of the month just to be on the safe side.
"U-Return? GM's refund promise has some stop signs" [Associated Press] #gm
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
GM should pay for your aftermarket CD player or faux vents?
If this was not being used because of the rules, wouldn't there be a story or two about people getting declined the return and bitching endlessly. #gm
10/28/09
As for stories about unhappy customers, why do you assume they'd get press? I could write an encyclopedia of anecdotes about people burned by GM, but I don't see many stories in the press that say anything other than that there are statistical justifications for claiming GM cars aren't inferior. #gm
10/29/09
Get real. You trash the car, you can't return it. If you can't be careful for 1 month, then why even buy a new car. Buy used if you are going to trash it.
I live in Detroit, and I can keep a car nice for 1 month, so I'm sure San Diego's a real hell hole. You just can't please everyone...... #gm
10/29/09
10/29/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
If you took the money-back option but didn't return the car and aren't in the process of doing so..... Sweet! #gm
10/28/09
10/28/09
That's the only scenario when this sort of thing makes sense. It might not work for a Chevy Aveo. In any case if you're buying an Aveo you probably don't care anyway.. #gm
10/28/09
I say, good on GM. #gm
10/28/09
Wankelin' #gm
10/28/09
10/28/09
06/30/09
Dear Ray,
...one teeny little addendum...
NOT TO MENTION THERE'S NOT EVEN A Z-28 VERSION!
Thanks for instigating an outpouring of Autoblog-like commenting on my Jalopnik.
I like you.
ЯEGAЯDZ,
POLAЯ
06/30/09
OH HAI!
I forgets to turn off mai boldnessness!1!!1!!!1!
06/30/09
NOT TO MENTION THERE'S NOT EVEN A Z-28 VERSION!
I hold out hope that at some point, saner heads will prevail, and the Z28 shall be allowed to live.
But, then, I also hold out hopes for an AWD V6 Malibu coupe.
Yeah, I know. I'm weird.
06/30/09
Of course, the 4th gen F-body was supposed to be so much better, too, but the Mustang absolutely killed it in sales. Heh.
06/30/09
I disagree with your analysis. The Camaro outselling the Mustang for a month is indeed a very small, insignificant feat. GM has hyped the crap out of the Camaro for the past three years, and it's finally out. It will certainly sell well for the first year. But is it sustainable? The Mustang is an old,hoary, low-tech design which hasn't seen much R&D funding over the years. Strong Camaro sales for the rest of 2009 are a foregone conclusion.
06/30/09
The Mustang is an old,hoary, low-tech design which hasn't seen much R&D funding over the years.
Really?
I think that it has gotten quite a bit of R&D money over the years, unless the GT500 and the 2010 Mustangs came free of charge from the engineering department at Ford. The refinements made to the 2010 Mustang vs the 2009 Mustang alone cost quite a bit of dough. And despite the live-axle rear suspension, there is nothing old, hoary, or low-tech about the Mustang.
I think someone is just a little bitter towards GM.
06/30/09
06/30/09
I would rather bide my time and wait for the demand to cool a little so that I can get a reasonable price on one.
Also, if rumor is correct, and all goes well, the 2011 Mustang that we should start seeing stories on in a year or so is supposed to get the new Coyote engine, which should make things interesting. If that happens, I wouldn't be surprised if the base V6 also gets replaced by the Ecoboost V6.
When that happens, us Camaro guys might be in just a little bit of hot water. Hopefully the Camaro engineers are already cooking something up.
06/30/09
06/30/09
06/30/09
06/30/09
Thanks for the insult, though.
06/30/09
^^^^^psst! guys I found the mole!^^^^^