In the first instance, besides Washington Mutual failing, of myself actually seeing an example of the economic meltdown, today's news brought word of another business, with which I had done business, failing.The Alan Young GMC dealership in North Richland Hills was shut down on Monday after General Motors Acceptance Corporation cut Alan Young's credit, stopping him from being able to buy and finance cars from GMC.
Alan Young is the first dealer in the Fort Worth, Tarrant County zone to go under since cars sales dropped hugely following the Wall Street Meltdown.
I feel a bit sorry for the 55 employees who have lost their jobs. But not all that badly. Because among those 55 are likely Alan Young mechanics who incompetently "fixed" my van on more than one occasion.
Alan Young had to replace the fan control switch for the heater/AC 3 times. Alan Young fixed something to do with the fuel pump, only to have it fail again within a short time, with Alan Young not assuming responsibility for making the repair. Alan Young messed up my transmission and then tried to claim it was already like that.
I complained to GMC about the Alan Young dealership. I do not believe it was an "honest" shop. An employee of Alan Young's told me that there were a lot of problems with repairs.
I really am not a fan of the auto maker bailout.
In 2 of 2 used car purchases since 1996-7 at Alan Young Buick, I caught the F&I office final figures larger upon delivery than when we made the deal on the car..
ReplyDeleteOnce, when I had my own financing they attempted to get me to sign an installment contract with the same lender but through the dealership for 1% higher. A couple years later I would go in on a Saturday afternoon, and after I insisted, they took a check for the car's asking price in full and I made them give me a copy of the deal sheet. I'd go back Monday afternoon to settle up, tore up the check, and wrote another one for the adjusted amounts. When I got home and compared it to the Saturday receipt, magically $199 is added to the price of the car somewhere in no obvious line item.
They quickly gave it back when I put them on notice, claiming that was window etching (I never asked for that.). And it was always an oddity why none of the sales staff is ever there a couple years later when you're looking at buying another car. In the case of the second purchase, the used car manager that assisted the sale on Saturday no longer works for the dealership when I came back Monday afternoon to pick up my car!?!?!?
I wrote Alan Young expressing my displeasure that there’s never anyone there you’ve seen before twice in a row. I did get a response that side-stepped the issue offering no explanation why everyone gets fired or quits at blistering speeds..