Trading In Your Old Car When Getting Your Elio

[Jeff Porter]

Update: just noticed on a FB post, a person asked EM if we buyers will be able to trade in our current commuter vehicle. Response from EM: "We are looking into the possibility of having trade-ins available!" So who knows, maybe EM will contract out the trade-in process.

There's hope for us, Z!

 

[Jim H]

Hummmmm, another unidentified EM person. If we are going to ask the question we need to identify who we talked to. This is necessary for accountability and the only we will get truthful answers. Its starting to sound like government officials who want their comments "off the record". We must hold EM representatives responsible for what they say and ignore posts from those who won't.

 

[Hog]

Never trade your car in unless it has major problems and you just need to dump it. http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2...ership-and-how-to-use-them-to-your-advantage/

Most dealerships will offer you less than your car is worth. This isn't dishonesty, it's just good business: http://cars.about.com/od/buyingadvice/a/trade_in.htm

I intend to sell my Nissan, and buy two Elios with the proceeds, or at least most of two.
I understand people hate to get involved selling their car, dealing with lowlifes, shady characters, all all that stuff that goes with it. I hate doing it myself, although I have done it many. many times.

If selling your own car is not for you, here is an idea. Give some sharp energetic youngster a sales percentage. Let them sell it for you. You get the best of both worlds that way, top dollar for your old car, and no hassles dealing with nutty people.

I know of no one who got more at a trade in offer than they could have gotten selling the car outright, unless, as the first quote noted, the car has problems. In that case, by all means, dump it on the dealer.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Never trade your car in unless it has major problems and you just need to dump it. http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2...ership-and-how-to-use-them-to-your-advantage/

Most dealerships will offer you less than your car is worth. This isn't dishonesty, it's just good business: http://cars.about.com/od/buyingadvice/a/trade_in.htm

I intend to sell my Nissan, and buy two Elios with the proceeds, or at least most of two.
I understand people hate to get involved selling their car, dealing with lowlifes, shady characters, all all that stuff that goes with it. I hate doing it myself, although I have done it many. many times.

If selling your own car is not for you, here is an idea. Give some sharp energetic youngster a sales percentage. Let them sell it for you. You get the best of both worlds that way, top dollar for your old car, and no hassles dealing with nutty people.

I know of no one who got more at a trade in offer than they could have gotten selling the car outright, unless, as the first quote noted, the car has problems. In that case, by all means, dump it on the dealer.

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Good information and suggestions, Hog. My potential trade-in needs $2200 oil gasket work, car's not worth that much, so yeah, I just need to dump it. I've privately sold vehicles in the past, it can be done.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Hummmmm, another unidentified EM person. If we are going to ask the question we need to identify who we talked to. This is necessary for accountability and the only we will get truthful answers. Its starting to sound like government officials who want their comments "off the record". We must hold EM representatives responsible for what they say and ignore posts from those who won't.

Hi Jim, on Facebook, Elio Motors posts pictures and information. Their purpose is to generate publicity, get people talking, etc. The EM people that reply to questions, asked by the public, do a good job. Their answers at times are vague, but understandably so. The EM people that respond to the questions certainly don't need to identify themselves. It's not a court of law... it's a social medium to disperse information and to communicate. I was only passing along what I read. It's not meant to convince anyone of something that's not true.

Paul Elio himself could post a video tomorrow that says "we will definitely be accepting trade-ins", and then one month later post a video that says "we will not be able to accept trade-ins, and here's why...".

"Truthful answers" and "accountability" are not dependable in Facebook posts. The public can put anything on there with no fear of consequences. The EM people do their best to be accountable and truthful, but EM as a startup company, in my opinion, will change their stance and plans many times in the coming months. It's part of doing business. The truth on Aug. 5th, may not be the truth on Sept 5th.

Is it frustrating for us followers of the Elio? Absolutely. But we must make decisions based on what is good for us, with the information that we have at the time, considering the risks, etc.

We'll probably have to agree to disagree Jim. The Facebook answers provided by an Elio Motors marketing person are to be taken with a grain of salt. Heck, all marketing is misleading to some degree. I'm a big believer in accountability, so we agree there.

 

[carzes]

Hummmmm, another unidentified EM person. If we are going to ask the question we need to identify who we talked to. This is necessary for accountability and the only we will get truthful answers. Its starting to sound like government officials who want their comments "off the record". We must hold EM representatives responsible for what they say and ignore posts from those who won't.

While you are right, we do need to be mindful of sources and be sure these really are company reps, putting everyone strictly "on the record" is the fastest way there is of insuring they clam up and tell you nothing thats not already in the brochure.
If I have a conversation with someone and they are kind enough to give me a little of their insight I'm not assuming that's company gospel and if it doesn't pan out I'm not looking to beat them up over it. It was just a conversation, not a congressional hearing. Besides, under the Clinton rules we can lie at those too.

 

[CheeseheadEarl]

If selling your own car is not for you, here is an idea. Give some sharp energetic youngster a sales percentage. Let them sell it for you. You get the best of both worlds that way, top dollar for your old car, and no hassles dealing with nutty people.

There are some (mostly used car) dealers that are willing to sell a car on consignment. Granted, they won't have an overpriced POS cluttering up their lot, but if it's something that's got good demand at a fair price, it might work.

 

[Jim H]

While you are right, we do need to be mindful of sources and be sure these really are company reps, putting everyone strictly "on the record" is the fastest way there is of insuring they clam up and tell you nothing thats not already in the brochure.
If I have a conversation with someone and they are kind enough to give me a little of their insight I'm not assuming that's company gospel and if it doesn't pan out I'm not looking to beat them up over it. It was just a conversation, not a congressional hearing. Besides, under the Clinton rules we can lie at those too.

Dishonesty or misleading comments are not productive and in IHO are unacceptable. What distinguishes Elio is that they profess not to be the traditional car dealership with high pressure deceptive salesmen. To me distorting the truth is simply unacceptable. I'd rather they told me they didn't know or weren't permitted to release that information than lie to me.. I can find no substitute for honesty and integrity

 

[outsydthebox]

As an aftermarket "vendor", I have had a working relationship with dealerships for almost 20 years. One in particular sells "high end" Toy(ota)s. They have an agreement with several used car dealers. For the "high mileage" trade-ins, they make a phone call, and a rollback arrives in an hour or two, and picks it up. "No hassles." For the "lower mile" trad-ins, a different dealer is called. Same results. The car is bought & gone within hours. "No hassles." They have no need to send the trade-ins to auction, or use "precious space" to store them. I am sure they make a few dollars on each one (and they should), but they don't need extra employees, or transport trucks in order to "deal with the trades."

IIRC, I read (here) that EM would "buy" our cars & we could pocket the money. (once again, unverified) So it "may" very well be, as suggested, that EM would have local "partners" who will buy them outright. But, only time will tell.

Zelio, I can understand why you wouldn't want the anxiety of selling on your own. I have bought and sold using craigslist. But in recent years, that has gotten scary! A LOT of scammers are using the "site" now. The one thing that "sellers" know is, (if you are serious about buying) you are probably carrying CASH.
I remember contacting a girl who said her husband was in the military, and the car was at her uncles house, way out in the sticks. She called me (blocked phone number) and I arranged to follow her. She showed up in a different car than she had said in her e-mails, with two guys that "also wanted to see the car." Then, (way out in the country) she couldn't remember where her uncle lives! When she turned off onto this narrow & isolated road.....I SPLIT! She called me and said "come back, I found my uncles house!" I said "good for you, sell it to the other guys!" She said, " they said, they don't want it" ...It had only been 5 minutes from the time that I left, and my "spidey sense" was going crazy! I should have called the police.

 

[carzes]

Dishonesty or misleading comments are not productive and in IHO are unacceptable. What distinguishes Elio is that they profess not to be the traditional car dealership with high pressure deceptive salesmen. To me distorting the truth is simply unacceptable. I'd rather they told me they didn't know or weren't permitted to release that information than lie to me.. I can find no substitute for honesty and integrity

REALLY? I wouldn't want to have any conversation with you for fear that my information didn't meet your standards of absolute truth. It must be nice to live in a blabk-and-white world where everything is truth or not, faaact or lie. No room for opinion or informed speculation at all for fear of being called to task for it. What deception are you alledging anyway? The word was essentially, "we're looking into it". How is that decieving you? Do you think they're not REALLY looking into it? Maybe they just said that to mess with you. Perhaps you could give some examples of the deception you've noted from these dishonest reps. Since we're just speculating about a car that doesn't exist yet, oops, AUTOCYCLE, I'd even be interested in some good lies as opposed to the usual silence with occasional company blather about nothing. Lighten up dude! If you want you can send me questions and I'll respond with " no comment", and "I am not at liberty to say at this time..." Anything to help.