Feb 11
GM - Export Policy & Suspected Exporters!
GM is really clamping down. Refer to the attached letter issued by a regional General Manager. They even maintain their own list of “Suspected Exporters”.
With the pending recession coming, I wonder how many American jobs will be lost as they try to protect the overpriced, gluttonous Canadian Market. Why should Canadians pay up to 35 % more for the same car than their American cousins??
February 11th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
There is a flip side to the GM (U.S.)policy. My local GM Canada dealer (near Montreal)
told me he had been penalized after a car he had sold was found in U.S. market. That was
when americans were faced with higher prices than in Canada.
Americans have reacted. Alleged anticompetitive practices are described in a class-action
against GM, GM Canada, several other car makers, and CADA. You can read about this here:
http://www.bermanesq.com/Antitrust/CasePage.asp?caseid=464
So if you examine carefully, it appears my local GM dealership paid twice: Once to GM Canada
for selling for export, disobeying GM policy. And a second time for obeying that same
policy, assuming his dealership is a member of the Canadian Automotive Dealers Association,
It looks like part of the dealer’s membership dues went to an agreed settlement in that U.S.
litigation. So from the dealer’s viewpoint as regards obeying such policies, he is
“screwed if he does, and screwed if he doesn’t”.
I wonder how many sales staff at franchised dealerships throughout Canada can relate to
the above?
February 11th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
When Americans were buying vehicles from Canadians,Ford kept a dirty list, on their controlled access website. If an independent Canadian dealer, broker, or even a private individual was known to have resold a new Canadian sourced Ford vehicle to an American, then his name would be put on the dirty list. Once his name was on the dirty list,no Canadian Ford dealer was allowed to sell him a vehicle. In Europe, the vehicle manufacturers were fined millions of Euros, by the governing body of the E.C. for doing the same thing in Europe. Here in Canada, our government participates in and assists this corrupt practice. Mr. Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, is able to keep it going, all on his own. If he would simply harmonize the standards and shut down the completely unnecessary RIV, all of this nonsense would evaporate, overnight.
February 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Now that GM is down sizing in USA. They will tighten their grip further on their US dealers and force them to stop selling to Canadians.
This enforcement by GM in USA will allow them to continue selling their vehicles in Canada on a substantially higher prices and compensate the losses they are facing in USA due to slowing of their economy.
Seems like a clever move ! But at the expense of robbing the Canadians of their hard earned money and all with the help of our own corrupt and sold government.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Is it possible for the source who provided this letter to
obtain a copy of the January 11, 2008 letter written by a
Mr. LaNeve? This letter may be provide more insight.
I have first hand experience on this topic, in that I had a
deal essentially done on a vehicle only to be told that the
contact I was using to purchase the vehicle was on GM’s
“suspected list”. Incidentally, the dealer wanted to sell
me the vehicle, but must have had to review the purchaser
against a list they had.
All of this occurs without even a hint from our government
that they even care that Canadians are being ripped off.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
It’s hard to believe, but our government just sits on the sidelimes and watches these things go on - and not carinq one iota. It is very obvious now as to who is in who’s back pocket. A national shame and disgrace!!