Cash for Clunkers, err "Clinkers"

The Cash for Clunkers program is indeed over, and I'm grateful to all of our customers who chose to purchase vehicles from Fitzgerald, and to all of my associates who are still trying to process the clunkers. It's been very successful at re-charging the new car business, but there are some people who were left behind. That's why we've introduced Cash for "Clinkers."

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Visit us at www.cash4clinkers.com

Grassroots Effort

What GM & Chrysler don't understand is that dealers are the very fabric of America. While Congress is in recess this week to celebrate Independence Day, dealers in cities, rural areas and small towns across this country are celebrating too, in spite of the challenges of today's economy. Dealers are sponsoring parades, little league teams, booster clubs, because we are America.

We have the support here in Maryland, and there is support growing across this country.

In Pennsylvania,

In Arkansas,

Thanks again for your continued support.

The Media Can Help

I think the more that Congress and the media learn about this, the more they see through the misinformation being spread by the manufacturers.
http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/22419007/let-free-markets-decide.htm

Senate Bill & House Bill

No one wants to believe that the truth is so different from the fairy tale being spun by the executives from GM and Chrysler, no one thinks we could all be fooled, let alone the administration or Congress. Unfortunately that’s exactly what’s happening

Dealers don’t cost manufacturers any money.
Fritz Henderson and Jim Press failed to convince Congress or demonstrate how reducing dealers saves money. Filling a car up with gas is a cost associated with selling a car, not how many dealers they have. Dealers pay the freight to get the car shipped. Dealers order parts and vehicles, and become the warehouse for their products. The factory offers no subsidy for dealers, in fact, the dealers pay fees to the factory, almost $40,000 a year, not including the purchase of inventory.

Too few dealers, not too many.
2 out of 3 cars on the road are Domestic. There were 13,000 domestic dealers at the end of 2008. At the end of their cuts, there will be 9,600. How will Detroit rise again if there are fewer domestic dealers than Import? There are already 10,000 import dealers. Dealers are not “branches”.
If you’re going to be like Toyota, build Toyota quality.
It’s the car, the product, that determines success. Dealers have established relationships with owners of vehicles, who remain loyal, despite the lower ratings in Consumer Reports. GM has lost market share for 30 years. GM has seen ratings in Consumer Reports go down for 30 years. This isn’t a coincidence, customers know quality. Toyota focused on the East and West Coast. On Rockville Pike there are three Toyota dealers, there will be 1 Chrysler Dealer. How does that match Toyota’s model?

Why would they do this?
They need a scapegoat for Wall Street to keep investing, to avoid blaming the very same managers who remain employed, to get their retention bonuses. This is the same management that drove both companies into bankruptcy. The dealers are not bankrupt, the manufacturers are.

Some of the material I've been researching is making it out into the web, and the public...the more information the better.

I created a message to all of my customers, and I'm asking you to act. Now that we've introduced the HR2743 we have something very specific to ask our members of congress to do: Support the legislation by co-sponsoring and voting for it. In the meantime, I will continue to support our employees and you, our customers.

Automotive News - Ed Lapham

Ed Lapham is reporting about the new legislation that's been introduced in the House of Representatives. This isn't about me, this is about customers. This is about making sure that customers can continue to get their vehicles serviced "just like always" as the President stated in his address to the nation. The argument that manufacturers need to eliminate dealers to save money is so far from the truth. Consider some very important facts:
1. Incentives are never paid in advance, meaning cars don't drop in value when a rebate is announced. The dealer paid the manufacturer when the car rolled off the assembly line, before it was every shipped. If the dealer sells the car, to a consumer, he passes a rebate on to the consumer, and then waits for the factory to reimburse him/her (the dealer) for the credit that the dealer gave the customer at the time of the sale.
2. Customers pay for "distribution." Every Federally mandated "Monroney" label or "Sticker" on a new car or truck includes a line item for "Freight". Freight means shipping, or distribution. For some cars, it's anywhere from $325 to $700.
3. Dealers are the "cost bearers" for the manufacturing of the parts too. Dealers order millions in inventory, that dealers pay for, to supply parts to customers at dealerships, gas stations and large chain service providers. Without the dealer warehouses, who are the customers, every day consumers are going to have a harder time finding parts too.
Write to your Representative...this is happening to you. It's in your home town.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20090609/BLOG01/906099991/-1

Facebook

I've been writing this blog off and on for a while but I've also been communicating with customers through Facebook. I started a new group on facebook called "Restore Dealer Rights". This is an open group, and I hope whoever comes across this post will join. We need everyone to stay informed, to contact their Representative and Senators and ask them to take action.

What does that mean? 1)Sign on to the letter from Congressman Hoyer & Congressman Van Hollen and 2) Sponsor and Support legislation to "Restore Dealer Rights" which is drafted and floating around Capitol Hill.

Find me on Facebook and ask to be my friend.