Fishing for a Living!!

[Pegstr]

Well, if any of you has been paying attention to the news, internet, or other that gives bad news, you know approximately 1100 letters were sent out by GM Friday telling dealers bye bye. The dealership I work at, got one of those letters. Huffman Pontiac

Buick GMC Inc. will no longer be, within a year. This place was built to GM's "specs" by my boss in 1998. Now GM can tell him they no longer need him. Welcome to the NEW WORLD. We are small dealership and there are several others in the area that got the letter also. It looks like they want the big dealerships left. Get rid of the little guy with hometown service and no pressure atmosphere. Well, I guess I'm thru venting now......for a minute or 2 anyway. It seems like the only good people left are the VentureRiders.

Now for the "hopefully" good news is the boss is thinking about turning it into a used car lot, so that means I can keep my job, hopefully. If not, I think I'm going to fish for a living. I know I could lose some weight doing that, but my NEW wife is not so sure about that LOL!! I sold my house so that has taken a load off. Now we only have one house payment instead of 2. I am as happy as I have ever been with my life, so it would take quite a bit to get me down. I've always said if a man is looking for work, he can find a job. It might not be what he wants to do, but he can find a job. I've signed up for unemployment twice in my life and thank goodness I never had to draw the first check. If things go south with the car lot, I hope I can say that for the third time. Y'all have a great summer and ride safe. I'm gone fishing!! It's that time of year I sure miss my bike.

[Yammer Dan]

Hope it works out for you. Good Luck!!

[Paul]

I sold cars and did F&I for over 10 years and losing the franchise is the best thing that could happen to your dealership. There hasnt been any money in the new car market for years. Your paycheck should get a lot bigger if you are selling nothing but used. Thats where the money is. The internet ruined the car business as you can get on and see what a dealer pays for a new vehicle, and thats big ammunition to take with you when you are looking for a new car. They dont have a clue what you paid for your used car, sure they can look at Kelly Blue Book but you want them to because that is just a guide and the market is so below that now. You can buy cars at auction right now 3-4 thousand under Blue Book and NADA. Thats where the money is, the only draw back is losing the Warranty work and the parts end of it. But you will make it up on the sales end of it on used and that will bring the floor plan with the bank down as well. It will all work out I am sure.

Paul:mo money:

[Snarley Bill]

Well, if any of you has been paying attention to the news, internet, or other that gives bad news, you know approximately 1100 letters were sent out by GM Friday telling dealers bye bye. The dealership I work at, got one of those letters. Huffman Pontiac

Buick GMC Inc. will no longer be, within a year. This place was built to GM's "specs" by my boss in 1998. Now GM can tell him they no longer need him. Welcome to the NEW WORLD. We are small dealership and there are several others in the area that got the letter also. It looks like they want the big dealerships left. Get rid of the little guy with hometown service and no pressure atmosphere. Well, I guess I'm thru venting now......for a minute or 2 anyway. It seems like the only good people left are the VentureRiders.

Now for the "hopefully" good news is the boss is thinking about turning it into a used car lot, so that means I can keep my job, hopefully. If not, I think I'm going to fish for a living. I know I could lose some weight doing that, but my NEW wife is not so sure about that LOL!! I sold my house so that has taken a load off. Now we only have one house payment instead of 2. I am as happy as I have ever been with my life, so it would take quite a bit to get me down. I've always said if a man is looking for work, he can find a job. It might not be what he wants to do, but he can find a job. I've signed up for unemployment twice in my life and thank goodness I never had to draw the first check. If things go south with the car lot, I hope I can say that for the third time. Y'all have a great summer and ride safe. I'm gone fishing!! It's that time of year I sure miss my bike.

hey mike, sorry to here that news. sure have miissed you on here. wish you would bring the new missus to the 09 rally. all your old freinds would love to see you again and meet your wife. hope you get a new job and the world takes a big upturn for you. love ya buddy. bill

[utadventure]

One of the dealers that received "the letter" from Chysler has decided that they are going to fight it in court. I hope more dealers decide to join them.

 

Dave

[Skid]

Good luck, hope everything works out for you, although fishing doesn't sound bad.

[Sailor]

Onward and upward! I quit the airlines in 76 after 11 years. I moved to Saltspring with a wife, two kids and no job. When I applied for work on the ships they asked what I wanted to do, deck, engine room, galley, shore. I said " anything that puts a dollar in my pocket" I wound up working all departments and have never looked back. It is all in the attitude and you have a good one. You will be OK.

[Eck]

Mike,

So good to see you on the site again. Been a long time for sure. Sorry to hear about the loss of your job and the mental anguish your going through.

Come back soon and see us..take a coule days in August and show up at the Vogel rally.

I'll buy you a cold one.

Sounds like you definately have the right additude...go fishing......

[MiCarl]

I sold cars and did F&I for over 10 years and losing the franchise is the best thing that could happen to your dealership. There hasnt been any money in the new car market for years. Your paycheck should get a lot bigger if you are selling nothing but used. Thats where the money is. The internet ruined the car business as you can get on and see what a dealer pays for a new vehicle, and thats big ammunition to take with you when you are looking for a new car. They dont have a clue what you paid for your used car, sure they can look at Kelly Blue Book but you want them to because that is just a guide and the market is so below that now. You can buy cars at auction right now 3-4 thousand under Blue Book and NADA. Thats where the money is, the only draw back is losing the Warranty work and the parts end of it. But you will make it up on the sales end of it on used and that will bring the floor plan with the bank down as well. It will all work out I am sure.

Paul:mo money:

 

The other problem with new is it's a commodity. There are a dozen dealers within a days drive that can all sell the identical car. The few times I've bought new I decided what I wanted and just dialed the phone for the best price. When I sold cars I often got similar calls.

 

Every used car is different. Makes it really hard for the shopper to just dial for $$.

[Grandpagak]

our thoughts and prayers are with you... i can relate to your thoughts, i was let go after 30 years of faithful service..

[Pegstr]

I agree with you Paul. As long as the boss keeps it a car lot, we will be better off. He is thinking of downsizing from the dealership lot to a smaller lot. The dealership utility bills would be tough on the used car side. As for being on the sight, I still get on quite often. I just don't post. I read what others have posted. Good to hear from you Bill. Are you still behaving./?! I might have miswrote the post, but wanting you to know, I have NOT lost my job. I hope I am just going from new cars to used, which I have sold used cars in the past and did make more . Only time will tell. GM products have come so far in the last 10-15 years. They are great products. I have faith in the product, but don't have much faith in GM itself. I would love to come to one of the ride ins but I've been working 6 days a week, 10-11 hours a day. I am the only salesman left here at the dealership. I laugh and tell everybody that if you want a bad salesman, you're looking at him, if you want a good one, you're looking at him. So much for choice of looks LOL!!! Take care all. I'll be lurking in the background.

I have been in the car business for 20 years, so it would be hard to do anything else.

Edited May 22, 2009 by Pegstr

[Redneck]

Mike it's good to see you on the board. I'm sorry to hear the bad news but when one door closes an other will open. Good luck.

[Patrick46]

One of the dealers that received "the letter" from Chysler has decided that they are going to fight it in court. I hope more dealers decide to join them.

 

Dave

 

I really don't understand how they could possibly fight this in court.

If the market for a product is gone....then IT'S GONE!...nothing in a court's ruling is going to change that.

It's like the UAW striking for 'job security'(?????) wha???????? How can you go on strike for something based on what the future may or may not produce!...I don't get it.

 

just my own opinion.

 

(I'm self employed if yer interested)

[Squidley]

Good to see you on Mike

I just sold my '08 due to the uncertainty of the economy and wanted to free up the payment. My job too is linked to GM so I am lightening my load in case it goes very bad with GM and DTE decides to cut it's losses. I have already told Lonna that if I get laid off to stop paying the house payment and start packing. This job is the only reason we are still in Michigan, otherwise it's Texas or Tennessee....a job loss might not be a bad thing for us