Confusion Over Cash For Clunkers?
August 13th, 2009
With the trouble in the auto industry, the government take overs of Chrysler and GM, and all the incentives the government is putting out to get folks to “upgrade” to a more fuel efficient vehicle, there is bound to be some confusion. In an effort to alleviate some of the confusion, several blogs and websites are addressing the issue. Cars.com has a very helpful article that sorts through all the eligible cars, as well as detailing the type of car you can use for trade and how long it needs to be in your possession prior to trading it to receive the government freebie or your share in the redistribution of wealth.
Another site, actually titled Cash for Clunkers allows the user to search for a dealer that offers the program, as well as detailing for the consumer what regulations are in place to qualify.
The Cash for Clunkers, of CARS program is having some strange effects on dealers, and not all good. Dealers have been inundated with calls for the program, with many folks ready to buy a vehicle. Many dealers are expecting this window of opportunity to create a brisk business. However, because of the need for so called “clunkers” to use as a trade, the supply of used cars is low, driving the auction and selling prices up, and therefore making it very difficult for the folks that are actually in the market for these vehicles for their transportation needs.
The government site for the CARS program can be found at http://cars.gov.
Putting politics aside is difficult, so I guess it’s possible to say that this coercive effort to force feed more fuel efficient cars to the American public may have an upside, perhaps for the sake of just getting the economy moving a little, and that it may put some folks in cars nicer than they could ordinarily afford does have an up side. The down side being that we are using money we don’t have to give freebies to purchase cars using money borrowed from China to try and change the way Americans shop, drive and live.
In addition, we are moving people from American made cars to foreign made cars. So, who are we really helping?
