Pictures from 2010 Dallas Auto Show

Attended the opening of the 2010 Dallas Car Show. There are some great new rides out there. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/autobidsonline/sets/72157623428937487/

Vehicle Leasing Rebounds

Great news on the indirect consumer leasing front. It's been a long way since the crash of July 2008.

Jim Henry reports some green shoots are beginning to show in an article posted at BankRate.com. On the heels of the Toyota debacle, this is certainly great news!

Something's Not Right

After Toyota's dramatic decision to halt sales on its eight biggest selling models, it announced yesterday that it would begin selling again - provided dealers have enough parts to repair existing customers vehicles first.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100205/RETAIL07/100209917/1290

Surely this is a smart decision for the manufacturer who has blundered its PR management heretofore.

However, a voice in the back of my mind is wondering how a postage-stamp sized metal shim is going to truly fix this problem.

Personally, I've used shims to shore up non-moving things like cabinets, dressers, etc... But an accelerator is a moving part, in a vibrating car that bumps its way down the road.

Am I wrong, or does this seem like the little dutch boy trying to plug the dike with his fingers?

2008 Carver 56 ft SE Voyager - Calista Ann

OK. This does not technically fall into "Everything Autos" but it is owned by one of my clients in Automotive Leasing.

I had the pleasure of taking her out last summer and she is the bomb. With just 30 hours on the Twin Volvo 675 Diesels, she's as close to new as you can get.

Combine that with a $500k savings off of a comparably equipped new model, and you've got a once in a lifetime opportunity on a truly seaworthy motor-yacht.

Sail the British Virgin Islands, make a trip from the California west coast, down to Cabo, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama. With this gal can do it in style.

AutoBidsOnline Rising - An Open Letter To New Car Dealers

Have a look at our new video - let's get the online new car buying craze started!

Seller Beware!

Long time away from the blogging scene. With the holidays and hunting season in full swing, it's been a busy December and January. Alas, my hunting seasons are mostly over and the corners of my mind are again filled with all things auto retail.

And with that, another disturbing online scam is surfacing as told to me by good friend David Ruggles of the Ruggles Report.

In short, DO NOT trust the validity of any bank cashier's check without first verifying the funds with the distributing bank. With current technology, even a cashier's check is easy to forge and it is YOUR responsibility to verify its validity prior to deposit.

The cashier's check scam can occur with any online sale. However, the inherently high price of a vehicle lends this to remarkable exposure for those wishing to sell cars online.

In the case told to me by Ruggles, members of his Mercedes owners club in Las Vegas, who have posted cars for sale online (i.e. Craig's List, eBay, etc...) have received emails from foreign buyer's saying they saw the car online and it is exactly what they've been looking for. They are willing to pay full price and arrange for transportation.

They state they will send a cashier's check for the amount of purchase plus shipping. All the buyer needs to do is pay the shipping agent upon pick up and deposit the cashier's check in their bank account.

This all seems easy and quite reasonable.

DON'T DO IT! At least without dotting your I's and crossing your T's.

Be very suspicious of someone willing to pay your price in full without ever seeing the vehicle. Be aware of complicated stories about why they are willing to buy the vehicle sight unseen or if they don't make any effort to confirm the car's condition.

Otherwise, you may find yourself without your car and out the money you paid to the shipping company.

North Texas Suzuki Dealership's Better Business Bureau Accreditation Dropped

Per the local CBS station, Suzuki Cars of McKinney has been dropped by the Better Business Bureau for unethical business practices. A large volume of customer complaints led to a BBB undercover investigation as CBS 11 reports:

http://cbs11tv.com/local/Suzuki.Cars.of.2.1379440.html

It is stories like this that give dealers everywhere a bad name. And it's a shame.

You would think some people would learn they need to do business the right way.