Trading In Your Old Car When Getting Your Elio

[Jim H]

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.

I believe your read more into my response than was intended and overlooked the comment about "I don't know or can't say right now". I do not advocate suppressing opinions but I have no use for anyone who willingly lies to me or distort the facts for their own purpose. I never accused any of the EM representatives of deceit or dishonesty. We have all witnessed comments and distortions from postings on FaceBook that try to discredit EM. Too many people are unwilling to challenge intentional deceit and dishonesty but I am not one of them. I am confident with Elio and its staff. No Elio employee should be afraid of telling the truth. We have been on this journey for quite awhile and Elio will only build a reputation and customer base by being honest with them and giving them the news - good and bad.

 

[Jeff Porter]

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.

Holy cow, that's an amazing story! Did you contact the girl through craigslist? It's good you got out of there when you did.

 

[outsydthebox]

Holy cow, that's an amazing story! Did you contact the girl through craigslist? It's good you got out of there when you did.

Yes. "used cars for sale" section. No phone number listed, just e-mail. I can't tell you how many adds I have sent e-mail inquiries to, NEVER to get a reply back! Not even a "I'm sorry, the car is sold." Now, If i can't CALL and get a real person, I ignore the add.

 

[carzes]

I believe your read more into my response than was intended and overlooked the comment about "I don't know or can't say right now". I do not advocate suppressing opinions but I have no use for anyone who willingly lies to me or distort the facts for their own purpose. I never accused any of the EM representatives of deceit or dishonesty. We have all witnessed comments and distortions from postings on FaceBook that try to discredit EM. Too many people are unwilling to challenge intentional deceit and dishonesty but I am not one of them. I am confident with Elio and its staff. No Elio employee should be afraid of telling the truth. We have been on this journey for quite awhile and Elio will only build a reputation and customer base by being honest with them and giving them the news - good and bad.

I hope you know I'm just kiddin' around. I can't help bein' kind of an @$$ that way. But I've been around the corporate world enough to know that very little information of any use is on the record. And the part about "no Elio employee should be afraid of telling the truth" is HILARIOUS! All companies I EVER worked for were the same: Lie all day and you get promoted, as long as it makes the company money, but NOTHING will get you fired faster than telling the truth. I can tell you from personal experience that personal ethics and integrity are poor substitutes for a paycheck. If there were a problem they wouldn't tell us, and I wouldn't expect them to. It's a lie of omission, but that's their job, giving us the mushroom treatment and going through the talking points. Only when people go off-script do you maybe get a sliver of reality, and yes you do have to take it for what it's worth.
If all you REALLY want is the company line I can make it up for you right now. "Working hard...blah-blah.... best product possible, yada-yada.... greatest talent, team effort, whatever-whatever....". Put it to a catchy beat and you can even dance to it, but they're all pretty much interchangable, and with minor modification it's the same spiel as you get from nascar drivers and CMA winners. (nothin' against nascar or CMA though). You can change whatever you want, but if you have the same PR firm you get the same PR

 

[outsydthebox]

I hope you know I'm just kiddin' around. I can't help bein' kind of an @$$ that way. But I've been around the corporate world enough to know that very little information of any use is on the record. And the part about "no Elio employee should be afraid of telling the truth" is HILARIOUS! All companies I EVER worked for were the same: Lie all day and you get promoted, as long as it makes the company money, but NOTHING will get you fired faster than telling the truth. I can tell you from personal experience that personal ethics and integrity are poor substitutes for a paycheck. If there were a problem they wouldn't tell us, and I wouldn't expect them to. It's a lie of omission, but that's their job, giving us the mushroom treatment and going through the talking points. Only when people go off-script do you maybe get a sliver of reality, and yes you do have to take it for what it's worth.
If all you REALLY want is the company line I can make it up for you right now. "Working hard...blah-blah.... best product possible, yada-yada.... greatest talent, team effort, whatever-whatever....". Put it to a catchy beat and you can even dance to it, but they're all pretty much interchangable, and with minor modification it's the same spiel as you get from nascar drivers and CMA winners. (nothin' against nascar or CMA though). You can change whatever you want, but if you have the same PR firm you get the same PR

I'm glad that EM has a different philosophy

 

[2.ooohhh]

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.

Trading isn't always a bad move financially, for example if your state takes the "trade value" off the sales amount before paying sales tax. I can trade in a car worth more than the elio and not have to pay any sales tax on the purchase if I agree with the value they are assigning my trade.

 

[carzes]

I'm glad that EM has a different philosophy

Do they? I hadn't noticed. I can't think of one problem Paul has been forthcoming about. Do you really think there have been none? That would be remarkable! I have nothing but support for Elio, but it IS still corporate America after all. Some things just don't change much, mainly because it WORKS. Can't blam 'em for that can we?

 

[Jim H]

All companies I EVER worked for were the same: Lie all day and you get promoted, as long as it makes the company money, but NOTHING will get you fired faster than telling the truth. I can tell you from personal experience that personal ethics and integrity are poor substitutes for a paycheck. If there were a problem they wouldn't tell us, and I wouldn't expect them to. It's a lie of omission, but that's their job, giving us the mushroom treatment and going through the talking points. Only when people go off-script do you maybe get a sliver of reality, and yes you do have to take it for what it's worth.

I spent 12 years following my military retirement working in a large national company. I guess I was pretty fortunate to work for a company with values, ethics, and integrity. Those who violated these values were escorted out of the company. I feel sorry for anyone who has to sacrifice their personal ethics and integrity for a paycheck.

 

[AncientOne]

I would like to know, and I think I heard, but will Elio be taking trades on our current cars? I have a 2011 Ford Focus with some really good equity in it that I would obviously, no longer need. A trade-in is the obvious solution but I didn't know if Elio was taking trades on their cars or not.

Just off the cuff I'd say most trade-ins would be worth more or equal to a new Elio. How they manage that aspect will in all likelihood come out in the future. For this family the primary selling point has been: "it will be a great commuter for mom who has to travel long distances to and from work. Also she will look cool in it." I will get to zip around in it on week ends. That being said, I am already maneuvering towards the purchase of a second Elio.

 

[Chris F]

Since the value of my car doubles every time I fill up the gas tank, I'm not too concerned. My 1995 GEO Prizm doesn't owe me anything. As Z said earlier, I'll probably donate to a local charity for the deduction.