It Just Keeps Getting Worse

[ancrdave]

Just found out that Bill Heard, Inc. has closed all of their car dealerships including the big Chevy store in Sanford... 300 people there now without a job...
I was driving hiway 17/92 from Longwood back to Orlando last Saturday afternoon and was amazed at the number of businesses along that stretch of road that had shut down... Numerous restaurants, car dealerships etc.. Even Gould Industries which has been in Longwood for ages has gone under...
I read an article on MSN a couple of days ago that perhaps neither Obama or McCain may want to become President considering the mess they will inherit...
The company I work for is now down to 4 full time employees (at a 40% pay cut)... We had 16 just a year ago...
I guess you have to keep your chin up... I have a car with a broken transmission, a busted refrigerator... but I still have some semblance of a job, plus of course my post at Speedworld... The only bad thing is those 300 Bill Heard people now out of work will not be able to spend money to go to the races, a movie etc.
Let's hope and pray things get better...

[Rick Anges]

Dave read up on it this isnt anything to do with the economy. It's called GREED.

[Rick Williamson]

Yea, GM removed their credit line a few weeks ago. They had shady loans. In other words.....they did this to THEMSELVES!

[JackTripper]

I don't believe their little PR spin about blaming the economy. The facts are that Bill Heard dealerships are (were, now) some of the most fraudulent auto dealerships going.

In July 2007, Bill Heard faced a $50 million deceptive advertising lawsuit and was bombarded with a litany of complaints from consumers in the states where it operated.

In Nashville, Bill Heard was hit with multiple lawsuits for identity theft when they would use alternate family members (without consent) to finance a car.

The Bill Heard dealership in Kennesaw, Ga., lied to third-party lenders about customers' incomes to increase the likelihood that the vehicles would be financed. Same dealership also inflated the loaned value of vehicles by telling third-party lenders the vehicles carried extra features and options that they did not — an illegal practice known as "power booking."

Bill Heard's flagship Chevrolet store in Columbus, Ga., forged consumers' signatures on agreements without their knowledge or permission.

In September 2007, Heard subsidiary Tom Jumper Chevrolet sent a direct mail advertisement informing recipients they might receive financing at interest rates as low as 3.9 percent. The ad went only to people with low credit scores who were unlikely to qualify for such terms.

One could go on for days about the deceptive practices of Bill Heard dealerships. I think he shut them down because the lawsuits were catching up with him and it was easier to declare bankruptcy than face the music.

[modracer22]

I agree Bill Heard is not the place to buy a car they've been in trouble a bunch but It's sad to see so many people loss there jobs because of a few that where way to greedy.

[AB195]

Might not be true, but I also heard that Courtesy Pontiac in Longwood just closed thier doors today, too.

[dd38]

True about Courtesy Pontiac

[Benny The Mule]

I bought an 08 chevy 4 dr truck about 3 months ago and got a $4500 rebate.

Now the same dealer is giving a $10'000 rebate on the same trucks and they're almost sold out............wish i'd waited now LOL.

[Frasson118]

I went by Courtesy about 5:00 yesterday, and the Fox-35 crew was out there filming. I figured something was going on.

By 8:00 this morning, every car on their lot was GONE. They moved everything out, and put a chain across the driveway... all in the span of about 15 hours.

[Edm]

Everybody keeps buying these "Made in America" jap cars. Yes some are made in America, some are pretty nice and it gives Americans jobs but where do you think the parts come from and the profits go?
Sure some of these dealerships are closing because of greed and coruption but there is alot more to it.
I dont care what anybody says, I test drove every truck with an un bias opinion a last year and my Dodge and my wifes Chevy are just as good if not better then any tin can with a foreign name on it. Our 05 1/2 ton Chevy with the 5.3 pulls just as good as any other and gets better mpg then most doing it, averaging almost 15 mpg pulling a 3000 lb trailer EVERY day in the city only (almost no hwy what so ever) through 65000 miles and she is not easy on the gas pedal. If I stay out of the gas and do the speed limit with my 3/4 ton 04 dodge with the hemi I get around 21 mpg w/o a trailer. 75 Mph I average almost 18 Mpg. Not bad for a 7000 pound truck. My brother in law pulled a 24' travel trailer 4300# with his big V8 Titan and he got less then 5 mpg. He sold the truck the first month he had it. LOL bought a Tundra, wasnt much better and sold the travel trailer.
I know its difficult people but BUY AMERICAN, OUR COUNTRY DESERVE IT.

[SeminoleWind]

Our problem is that we don't make anything in the USA anymore, therefore all of our cash goes overseas as the imports come in. The only way many American companies can make money is to fleece the American people themselves. We are becoming a nation of money exchangers.
Every city in america has miles of roads full of commercial and retail spaces, problem is, they are all selling a product, but none of those buildings are actually making any products.
What few manufacturing or construction jobs we do have left in this country are heavily populated by illegals who send a large portion of their paycheck back to the home country, more cash going out, none coming in.

[JackTripper]

For a truck, I agree, American trucks are best. For cars? Not so much so.

I'd love for Ford to build a 4 door car I would actually want, but they don't. The GM cars picking up all of the magazine awards right now are based off the german Opel platform. That speaks volumes.

I like the new Ford Flex, but at that price there are tons better vehicles, most of which are Japanese. American car companies just need to build more reliable and better looking cars and people will start buying them. It's as simple as that.

Besides, how are those Canadian and Mexican plants going to stay open?

[roundtracker]

Union Ruined American Car Builders

Pretty much what every body is saying is true. Just you are leaving out the fact that the unions are what put the American Car manufactures at such a disadvantage. They also pretty much ran the steel producers out of this country. They have put the American manufactures at such a disadvantage they cannot possibly compete with the world market today! The greedy unions are as much or more responsible for this debacle than all the other factors combined!

[Todd McCreary]

What few manufacturing or construction jobs we do have left in this country are heavily populated by illegals who send a large portion of their paycheck back to the home country, more cash going out, none coming in.

amen, brother.




The greedy unions are as much or more responsible for this debacle

+ minimum wage laws
+ oppressive enviro regs
+ congress trying to get their thumbs ( they don't have any fingers, they're all thumbs ) into everything else

[ovalracer44]

+ oppressive enviro regs

This is one thing I disagree with. We need enviro regs, as oppressive as they may seem. I for one enjoy clean water and decent air. Without the EPA we would all be wearing masks and be on our way to a serious problem with water supply.

Its like speed limits, no one likes them but they are necessary.