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What should I do if I'm blocked in and feeling pressured to buy a car?

7/24/2018

 
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When I started practicing, I heard about car dealers wanting to appraise someone’s trade in. When the dealer got the keys to the car, he would throw the keys on the roof[DC1]  of the dealership.  The idea was to make the customer feel helpless to the point he felt he had to buy a car. 

In a yo-yo transaction, the dealer will require the return of the car if it cannot sell the retail installment sales contract. If a customer comes back to discuss the matter, the dealer may try to block in the car to keep the customer from leaving with it. In this situation, remember, the dealer may be the wrong doer. 

Do not become the wrong doer. Don’t start yelling, throwing punches, or damaging cars. The first thing you could do is politely request that the dealership move the cars blocking you. If that does not work, move up the chain to a higher manager. If that does not work, keep moving up until you get to the general manager. I would expect all the managers to support their employees; however, you don’t know until you ask. 

The next step might be to call the police. Understand that the police usually do not want to get involved in what they call “civil” matters; however, taking your property might be considered a theft. Hopefully, the introduction of the police will cause the dealer to do the right thing, but it is not guaranteed. If you still can’t get your car, you need to leave and contact a lawyer.
 

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How do green cars work, and are they worth the price?

7/12/2018

 
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​It wasn’t so long ago that “green” cars were still a novelty. Now, you probably see several of them every day. It’s not really fair to lump environmentally-friendly cars into one category – there’s such a variety. You can purchase a battery-powered electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle that uses both battery power and gasoline, compressed air vehicles, and even natural gas vehicles. While it may seem overwhelming to navigate through all the information that exists on these cars, it can be extremely worthwhile – eco-friendly cars can get a fuel-economy of up to 650 miles per gallon (or the equivalent for non-gas vehicles). Remember that old Ford sedan you drove ten years ago that got twelve miles per gallon if you were lucky? This isn’t that.
 
Less fuel means more money left over in your pocket, which is a good thing considering these cars don’t come cheap. In the lower- to mid-range, you can pick up something like a 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV for about $29,500, and on the high-end, there are cars like the all-electric BMW i3 ($44,450) and Tesla Roadster ($200,000+). If you’re not a big spender looking for a luxury vehicle, you can expect to pay about $30,000. Because these cars are much better for the environment, many states offer generous tax credits to people who buy them – so you can expect to get about $2,500 to $7,500 back that way. In the long run, you’ll probably pay as much as you would for a gasoline-powered vehicle, but at least you’ll do less damage to the environment.
 
Do you drive a clean energy vehicle? How much did you pay, and did it save you money long term?

What Ditching Diesel-Cars Will Mean To Those Who Currently Drive Them

7/5/2018

 
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If you own a diesel fueled car, you may be shocked that automakers are now phasing out the once popular fuel system. Toyota, Fiat, Volkswagen, and Porsche are among the most noticeable manufacturers to announce diesel phase outs, mainly due to the emissions testing scandal that hit the industry hard in 2015.

Many diesel drivers chose their vehicles because they were touted as low emission cars that were less polluting. When tests later revealed that emissions-test cheating software had been installed, these owners realized the vehicle they chose was, in fact, causing more pollution than their gasoline-fed counterparts.

What does the end of diesel vehicle production mean to those who currently drive them? In a word, nothing except for the knowledge your car isn't as ecologically friendly as you believed when you bought it. Several manufacturers, including General Motors, Mazda, Jeep, and Mercedes Benz, still plan on producing diesel engines so, as a whole, they will be available in the foreseeable future.

Even if diesel vehicles do become a thing of the past, diesel fuel will still be available for the foreseeable future as the demand for the fuel remains strong. A 2017 annual consumer fuel survey conducted by NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) indicated that 45% of car owners said they would considering purchasing a car powered by diesel fuel, citing better fuel economy.

​Although diesel drivers must come to terms with the fact their car is spewing far more emissions than they originally believed, they can look ahead for a much cleaner technology. Fiat Chrysler plans to have most of their offered vehicles to be either hybrid or fully electric by the year 2025, and the auto industry projects the cost of electric vehicles to be the same as gas powered cars by that year. Due to technological advances and falling battery costs, by the year 2040, a full one-third of the world is projected to have electric vehicles so, possibly, gas-powered cars will be quickly joining diesel cars as vehicles of the past.

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