Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Wal Mart gets into used car business... sorta]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/23/wal-mart-gets-into-used-car-business-sorta/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/23/wal-mart-gets-into-used-car-business-sorta/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/23/wal-mart-gets-into-used-car-business-sorta/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Wal-Mart offers a closely-targeted audience: buyers looking for the best deal. Other companies have tried to piggyback on that and grab a slice of the immense Wal-Mart fan base. A used car company called Live X Auto Exchange could be the latest: it has set up portals in two Phoenix-area Wal-Marts that provide used car listings from local dealerships, banks, and private sellers.

You don't actually buy the car at Wal-Mart, and Wal-Mart has no interest in Live X other than providing it space. All you do is set up a Live X account at the store and browse the listings. If you see a car you want, Live X will help you get financing. Should you want to make a deal, you will arrange for the seller to get the car ready for you to see it in person. That's it. Although Live X is set up at Wal-Mart, we would imagine you can also set up an account at home.

Patrick Dial, the man behind Live X, was formerly a promoter for Garth Brooks. If you check out the Live X site, it's set up like a concert entertainment site -- you can even buy a Live X hat and there's a Live X Lifestyle section. It's a neat idea, but we're not sure why you'd create a Live X account at Wal-Mart unless you bought some Little Debbie snack cakes and then suddenly remembered you were looking for a used car, too. A company in Houston tried to sell used cars in Wal-Mart parking lots a few years back and lost $6 million. But for all of you bargain shoppers, it's just another thing you can get at your local Super Center. If you live in Phoenix, that is...

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Wal Mart gets into used car business... sorta originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car buyingcar shoppingCarShoppinglive xlive x auto exchangeLiveXLiveXAutoExchangeused carswal martwebsitesTue, 23 Dec 2008 08:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Would you buy American if your boss gave you $1,000?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/13/would-you-buy-american-if-your-boss-gave-you-1-000/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/13/would-you-buy-american-if-your-boss-gave-you-1-000/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/13/would-you-buy-american-if-your-boss-gave-you-1-000/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Chet Czaplicka doesn't own one of the Big 3's suppliers or run a car dealership. Instead, he is the chief executive of a blood-processing firm in the Detroit suburb of Livonia, Michigan. But like most people in that part of the country, he has several autoworkers in his family. And, perhaps more importantly, he understands how extensively the overall US. economy is enmeshed with the production of automobiles.

"I live here. My business is here. My Ma draws a pension from Ford," Czaplicka says in a recent Detroit News article. "If these companies go down, I'm screwed."

But instead of just bitching about it, Czaplicka is doing something. He's offering each of his employees $1,000 if they'll buy a Ford, GM or Chrysler vehicle. He's looking at a $92,000 payout if every one of his workers take him up on the deal before it expires Jan. 5.

At least one of Czaplicka's company's employees has been inspired to go shopping for a Ford. The story says Sean Murtha is considering a new Ford Edge for his wife. "A thousand bucks, that's like three months of payments," says Murtha, who is with the company's Fort Lauderdale office. "We're a bit removed from the Detroit scene but it's nice we can contribute."

[Source: The Detroit News]

Would you buy American if your boss gave you $1,000? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bailoutbig 3Big3car shoppingCarShoppingcash backCashBackincentivesrebatesSat, 13 Dec 2008 18:02:00 EST<![CDATA[GM "Not At All Satisfied" with dealers tampering with customer surveys]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/10/gm-not-at-all-satisfied-with-dealers-tampering-with-customer-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/10/gm-not-at-all-satisfied-with-dealers-tampering-with-customer-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/10/gm-not-at-all-satisfied-with-dealers-tampering-with-customer-s/#commentsFiled under: ,

General Motors is throwing out the results of some recent customer satisfaction surveys because it says some of its dealers cheated. GM won't say how many surveys were tampered with or how many dealers are accused of doing it, but they are taking it seriously. A GM spokeswoman told Automotive News (sub. req'd.) the tampering was not widespread.

GM sends the surveys to customers' homes to reduce the chance of tampering, but some dealers have been known to offer customers incentives if they are allowed to fill out the surveys themselves. Customers can find it hard to pass up a free tank of gas in exchange for a 27-question survey they may not care about.

While customers should be upset that their dealer opinions might not be recognized by the company, but dealers accused of this have a lot more to lose. Automotive News says dealers are awarded bonuses according to their customer satisfaction scores and can make as much as $420,000 each quarter depending on the dealership's sales volume. With that kind of money, some GM outlets may find it hard to resist cheating.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

GM "Not At All Satisfied" with dealers tampering with customer surveys originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car shoppingCarShoppinggeneral motors customer satisfactiongeneral motors customer satisfaction surveyGeneralMotorsCustomerSatisfactionGeneralMotorsCustomerSatisfactionSurveyGM customer satisfactionGmCustomerSatisfactionMon, 10 Sep 2007 18:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Bored? Try the automotive version of Card Sharks]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/04/bored-try-the-automotive-version-of-card-sharks/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/04/bored-try-the-automotive-version-of-card-sharks/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/04/bored-try-the-automotive-version-of-card-sharks/#commentsFiled under: , ,

So you think you know your cars? We all try to be price savvy when shopping for a new car, and those of us immersed in the car business assume we know what they are worth. Here is a quiz that will test your knowledge of vehicle values worldwide. The premise is to decide if the second vehicle shown is more or less expensive than the one before it. There are five vehicles in each round and five rounds in the quiz. Kind of like the '80's game show "Card Sharks" for cars. Go to Parker's Play Your Cars Right and have some fun!

[Source: Hemmings Auto]


Bored? Try the automotive version of Card Sharks originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car shoppingcard sharksCardSharksCarShoppingquizused car valuesUsedCarValuesvehicle valuesVehicleValuesMon, 04 Dec 2006 12:06:00 EST