A Sea Of Red

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/200 ... ealer.html

Letter from a Dodge dealer

letter to the editor
My name is George C. Joseph. I am the sole owner of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu, a family owned and operated business in Melbourne, Florida. My family bought and paid for this automobile franchise 35 years ago in 1974. I am the second generation to manage this business.

We currently employ 50+ people and before the economic slowdown we employed over 70 local people. We are active in the community and the local chamber of commerce. We deal with several dozen local vendors on a day to day basis and many more during a month. All depend on our business for part of their livelihood. We are financially strong with great respect in the market place and community. We have strong local presence and stability.

I work every day the store is open, nine to ten hours a day. I know most of our customers and all our employees. Sunshine Dodge is my life.

On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them. My new vehicle inventory consists of 125 vehicles with a financed balance of 3 million dollars. This inventory becomes impossible to sell with no factory incentives beyond June 9, 2009. Without the Dodge franchise we can no longer sell a new Dodge as "new," nor will we be able to do any warranty service work. Additionally, my Dodge parts inventory, (approximately $300,000.) is virtually worthless without the ability to perform warranty service. There is no offer from Chrysler to buy back the vehicles or parts inventory.

Our facility was recently totally renovated at Chrysler's insistence, incurring a multi-million dollar debt in the form of a mortgage at Sun Trust Bank.

HOW IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CAN THIS HAPPEN?

THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS NOT A GOVERNMENT ENTITY

This is beyond imagination! My business is being stolen from me through NO FAULT OF OUR OWN. We did NOTHING wrong.

This atrocity will most likely force my family into bankruptcy. This will also cause our 50+ employees to be unemployed. How will they provide for their families? This is a total economic disaster.

HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?

I beseech your help, and look forward to your reply. Thank you.

Sincerely,

George C. Joseph
President & Owner
Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu

okie dokie.

who was this a letter to?

RubberMallet wrote:okie dokie.

who was this a letter to?

I'm not sure. I saw this posted somewhere else and wondered if anyone knew of this dealership and/or lived nearby. Is it really as successful as the dealer claimed? He claimed they were "financially strong", but why would they force them to close if that were the case?

<-- moron

RubberMallet wrote:okie dokie.

who was this a letter to?

It's to you. He's looking forward to your reply.

LUconn wrote:

RubberMallet wrote:okie dokie.

who was this a letter to?

It's to you. He's looking forward to your reply.

i should...

Mr Joseph,

Sorry to hear about the situation you've been placed in. Life sucks, get a helmet.

Signed,

Rubber Mallet.

There is a government takeover of the private sector taking place. Is there no outrage?

Sorry, but this is not a "Life Sucks, get a helmet" situation. This is something that would happen in Venezuela under the direction of a raging lunatic socialist leader. In this case, it is being orchestrated by the administration of the President of the United States.

its also not a "lets write a letter to the internet" type situation either...

RubberMallet wrote:its also not a "lets write a letter to the internet" type situation either...

I'm not sure what the American Thinker is, but if it is a news outlet, than he is basically writing a letter asking a news organization to broadcast his concerns. Perhaps he sent this same letter to other news outlets, but the American Thinker is the only one to publish it?

I'm thinking that they are consolidating dealerships, and his only sold Dodge. Perhaps a local Chrysler dealership had multiple makes (Jeep, Chrysler, etc.) and he got the short end of the stick. It still is foolish to just dismiss a thriving dealership, especially in today's market, but I question whether he was doing as well as he claimed. I wish I knew someone who lived by or knows about the amount of business this dealership does.

belcherboy wrote:

RubberMallet wrote:its also not a "lets write a letter to the internet" type situation either...

I'm not sure what the American Thinker is, but if it is a news outlet, than he is basically writing a letter asking a news organization to broadcast his concerns. Perhaps he sent this same letter to other news outlets, but the American Thinker is the only one to publish it?

I'm thinking that they are consolidating dealerships, and his only sold Dodge. Perhaps a local Chrysler dealership had multiple makes (Jeep, Chrysler, etc.) and he got the short end of the stick. It still is foolish to just dismiss a thriving dealership, especially in today's market, but I question whether he was doing as well as he claimed. I wish I knew someone who lived by or knows about the amount of business this dealership does.

Why do you have to be the voice of reason? And I was just getting ready to write him and ask if he wanted to join me in an armed overthrow of the Pres, uh, Teleprompter of the United States.

they aren't going to just get rid of a thriving busines.s....AND if they are good at their job they'll innovate and figure something out. they aren't "stuck with the inventory" they just can't sell it for what they want and have no negotiating power with the other dealership. this isnt' the gvts fault. this is chryslers fault for making such a crappy product that they've put their entire industry in jeopardy.

chrysler going into bankrupcy is what is needed. they should of never gotten any bailout money and they should of cut the fat earlier.

isn't that what capitalism is about? survival of the fittest....now who knows, he may have been a better dealership than the other and the other paid chryslter off...who knows and until we know we can only speculate.

pass your inventory onto the other dealership and pick up another brand or sell used cars....

i have a hard time feeling bad for a car saleman...

RubberMallet wrote:they aren't going to just get rid of a thriving busines.s....AND if they are good at their job they'll innovate and figure something out. they aren't "stuck with the inventory" they just can't sell it for what they want and have no negotiating power with the other dealership. this isnt' the gvts fault. this is chryslers fault for making such a crappy product that they've put their entire industry in jeopardy.

chrysler going into bankrupcy is what is needed. they should of never gotten any bailout money and they should of cut the fat earlier.

isn't that what capitalism is about? survival of the fittest....now who knows, he may have been a better dealership than the other and the other paid chryslter off...who knows and until we know we can only speculate.

pass your inventory onto the other dealership and pick up another brand or sell used cars....

i have a hard time feeling bad for a car saleman...

Well according to him, they are getting rid of a thriving business:

We are financially strong with great respect in the market place and community. We have strong local presence and stability.

Perhaps he isn't being truthful, but his whole complaint will be easily dismissed if he is a dying business. My gut tell's me he has a really good relationship with his customers and community, but ONLY sells Dodge. There is a local Chrysler/Jeep dealership that is struggling, and they've got to close one. So they are going to take his Dodge license from him and give it to the dealership that sells multiple products.

I have a feeling he doesn't just sell Dodge.


Since.................... the name of his dealership is Sunshine Dodge-Izuzu.

Speaking of Dodge - does anyone remember the K car and how the government - in the 80s - infused cash into Dodge/Chrysler by purchasing those pieces of junk for federal government vehicles.

I have a feeling that Chrysler isn't interested in supporting dealers who don't have a totally Chrysler dealership. In their mind, the Isuzu part of the equation here implies that the dealer's loyalty is split, and they want to concentrate their efforts on supporting dealers that are selling only Chrysler products.

My idea would be to sell the Dodge inventory wholesale to the new dealership (they're going to need it) and start pushing Isuzu and used cars. You won't make as much money, but it will keep the dealership open. Long term, I'd look at getting a Toyota franchise or something like that to complement the Isuzu sales.

One of the problems is that Chrysler convinced all these dealerships to take on EXTRA inventory recently, convincing them that everything was fine. Then they turn around and cut these dealerships loose, telling them they only have so long to sell the vehicles with Chrysler's backing. If they can't sell the cars in that time-frame, they're pretty much screwed.

Speaking of the Chrysler backing, I think it's funny that they sold all of those cars with a lifetime warranty on the drivetrain. I guess it's true but the customers thought it would be the lifetime of the car, not the company.

this is why people fight to become toyota and honda dealers....the local honda dealership here said their incentives, their guarantees are so much better than their chevy line.

Car dealers and polititians.....if thier lips are moving......they are lying!

olldflame wrote:I have a feeling he doesn't just sell Dodge.


Since.................... the name of his dealership is Sunshine Dodge-Izuzu.

There is a reason why you don't see Isuzu dealerships by themselves. This guy is screwed without Dodge. So in reality it would be like a bar being told they couldn't sell beer or liquor, but can still sell wine coolers.

belcherboy wrote:

olldflame wrote:I have a feeling he doesn't just sell Dodge.


Since.................... the name of his dealership is Sunshine Dodge-Izuzu.

There is a reason why you don't see Isuzu dealerships by themselves. This guy is screwed without Dodge. So in reality it would be like a bar being told they couldn't sell beer or liquor, but can still sell wine coolers.

Good analogy. You could be a guest-host on The Herd and make more logic than the current host.

I for one think he should file suit against Chrysler and/or the US Gov't. Heck, maybe the UAW as well, seeing as they are now a major stockholder.

And he has a very valid point. Perhaps he can take one of those shiny new cars and stick it up the teleprompter of the u.s.'s arse. im quite sure some citizens would be very happy to donate money to pay for it - gas money too.