CHENANGO COUNTY – Local car lots have definitely seen an influx in traffic over the last week as area residents seek to take advantage of government incentives to upgrade their gas-guzzling vehicles for newer, more fuel efficient models. But whether Cash for Clunkers will indeed translate into the promised panacea for the struggling automobile industry is still up for debate.
“There has been a tremendous amount of interest,” reported Christman Motors General Manager Hank Scudder, who said the offer has brought a slew of prospective customers to the lot, some of which have never been in the market for a new car before.
While Scudder said the dealership has closed some sales because of the program, other potential buyers have left disappointed.
“They come expecting to qualify, and they don’t,” he explained, because either their vehicle doesn’t meet the miles per gallon requirements or they don’t have the necessary documentation. Buyers must have proof of insurance and registration for the last year as well as a clear title and identification.
Even for those who do qualify, the process isn’t necessarily an easy one.
“It’s a horrible application process,” Scudder said. “It’s just a nightmare.”
That process is the primary complaint of Jim Bleyle, co-owner of Chenango Sales, who said the bureaucratic nightmare has led to some customer dissatisfaction at his Ford dealership in Greene.
“(The government) wasn’t prepared,” he said. Even registering the dealership was a labor intensive process, and they are still waiting for confirmation that applications filed last week have been accepted. According to the website, he explained, those applications are “still under review.”
“We’re concerned whether we’re going to get the money or not,” said Bleyle. And he’s not the only one.
According to Trip deCordova of The Benedict Corporation in Norwich, it’s currently as if the government has taken a billion dollar loan from car dealerships, on which they aren’t paying any interest.
The GMC, Cadillac, Pontiac and Subaru dealership has sold a dozen vehicles already through the program, deCordova reported, a number he anticipates will double by the end of today, neither he nor any other dealership he knows has seen any money from the government. That said, he’s not completely dissatisfied with the program.
“It’s an administrative nightmare,” deCordova said. “But it does sell cars.”
Selling is something they’ve been doing a lot of at Norwich Dodge Chrysler Jeep, where customers have been receiving a matching rebate of up to $4,500 on some models.
“We feel very fortunate,” reported the dealership’s sales manager, Paul Cirello, who said the government incentive program has exceeding their expectations in terms of interested customers and new car sales.
The administrative process was “cumbersome to begin with,” he said, but he attributes this to a greater response than expected for the program. The government has since added a secondary website to handle applications, he added, which has helped streamline the process.
And while the dealership is already running low on inventory, they are waiting to hear whether the Senate will indeed authorize another $2 billion for the program which Cirello said has already provided a “shot in the arm” to the business.
Consumers who are interested in taking advantage of the CARS program can learn more about the government rebate program and determine whether their vehicle is eligible for the program by visiting www.cars.gov for more information.