Consumer Rights Law Blog

Helping Consumers Every Day Since 1978.

Tesla's Roadster Compared to Han Solo's Millennium Falcon

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:35:43 PDT

The Tesla Roadster is here. And is it ever unique.

Electric power that is virtually unheard of, both in its pickup and its range. Deemed quirky by some because of its odd fit and finish, but beautiful to behold and quiet enough to hold a conversation in with no noisey effects.

The best review of the new car yet to be seen has just showed up on the Ward's Auto .com website here: http://wardsauto.com/testdrive/drive_tesla_acceleration_090904/

If you haven't heard of the Tesla Roadster, you will. And if the company makes the interior as nice to be in as it has made the outside as nice to look at, this will be the electric car for all the others to beat. And that won't be easy, although the $128,500 starting price can buy a lot of gasoline.

Drop dead looks, 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds, and a range of over 200 miles on a single battery charge --- that's what the price buys you. Oh, and the ability to feel what han Solo felt when he kicked the Millennium Falcon into warp speed. Okay, that just might be worth it.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers protect themselves since 1978.

Toyota Hid Evidence About Liability, Their ExLawyer Says

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:26:45 PDT

A lawyer who worked for Toyota says the manufacturer hid and destroyed evidence about accidents involving their vehicles from the courts, federal investigators and lawyers representing victims in lawsuits against the company.

Automotive News is reporting that Dimitrios Biller worked as an attorney for Toyota Motor Corp. for four years until 2007, including representing the automaker in accident litigation. In a lawsuit filed this summer in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Biller said Toyota did not listen to his urgings to disclose all the evidence it had in rollover lawsuits or for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulations.

The lawsuit, a public record, was quickly met by an effort of Toyota to get the judge assigned to the case to "seal' the record so no one would see what Biller is saying. But for now, the court documents are public. And the possible existence of evidence that could harm Toyota in accident litigation has caused Dallas attorney Todd Tracy to plan to refile 15 rollover, frontal-impact and rear-impact suits against Toyota.

Tracy, who fought against Biller in Toyota cases, has said he can not imagine Biller is making it up and he's not the only attorney who is getting ready to refile their cases.

Meanwhile, what is Toyota's response? Toyota spokesman Mike Michels said the company was "concerned" with Biller's breach of attorney-client privilege and contracts in disclosing information from when he worked at Toyota.

Notice that they didn't deny hiding evidence, they didn't deny destroying evidence, they just said he shouldn't be allowed to tell anyone about it. The whole thing sounds like a lawyer with a conscience and most people would be quick to say there's nothing wrong with that.

Courts will be looking to see if the allegations are true and if they are, Toyota may face some huge penalties and fines and dozens of new lawsuits on old cases that they thought they had won already. And rightly so.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers protect themselves from lemon cars, and lying manufacturers.

Every day since 1978.

Is it Identity Theft or a Bank Robbery?

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:49:35 PDT

Okay, so you get a call from the bank saying your identity was stolen and they took the money out of your account. Is it identity theft, or is it really just a bank robbery?

Of course, the bank says it's identity theft and it was your money that got stolen. On the other hand, your money is still in your pocket. The money you gave the bank to hold onto, though, is gone. So, isn't it really just a bank robbery? How did that get to be our problem instead of the bank's problem?

Here's a link (below) to a great comedy spoof explaining the whole thing. By the time you get finished listening, you just might wonder too.

Is it Identity Theft or a Bank Robbery? Click here. Then you decide.

Burdge Law Office

www.MotorcycleLemonLaw.com

Helping people protect themselves, even from the bank, every day since 1978.

The Cash for Clunkers Car Dealer Rip Off

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:30:42 PDT

Some car dealers are having consumers sign "waiver" forms that say if their trade in doesn't get "approved" for the Cash for Clunkers program, then the consumer will pay the dealer the difference. Well, now the government is telling consumers not to do it.

Bloomberg News is reporting that the U.S. Department of Transportation is advising consumers taking advantage of the "Cash for Clunkers" program not to sign contingency agreements promising to pay back up to $4,500 if dealers don’t receive payment from the government.
No contingency agreement is required to participate, the Transportation Department, which administers the $3 billion Car Allowance Rebate System, is reported to have said on its Web site.

To enable its dealers to get more money out of consumers, the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association apparently posted a form on its Web site that car dealers can use to make new car buyers reimburse the dealership the incentive amount if the dealer is unable to obtain the credit from the government "for any reason." The consumer can also return the car to the dealership and pay "a reasonable charge" for use of the new vehicle, according to the form.
Consumers signing the agreement also acknowledge their trade-in vehicle may have been destroyed and can’t be returned. The result? You sign and you're stuck. You give them back the new car and get zippo in return.

Be careful with this Cash for Clunkers program. We are hearing stories of car dealers getting consumers to sign everything and then calling the consumer up days later and saying their trade in wasn't "approved" for the program and now the consumer has to either come up with more cash or return the new car and (surprise, surprise) the consumer's trade in is already been sent off to the crusher and can't be returned.

The whole thing reminds us of the spot delivery yo-yo "your financing wasn't approved" rip off scam where the only thing that really wasn't approved was the amount of greed running rampant at the dealership.

The simple fact is that if the car dealer does it right, they should know immediately whether or not you will get approval and a credit. So don't trust any car dealer who calls you back and wants more money down, no matter what the excuse.

If you think you're the victim of a Cash for Clunkers rip off, call us. We help consumer protect themselves every day. It's what we do.

Burdge Law Office

www.CarSalesFraud.com

Because someone needs to be on your, side for a change.

The Rip Off Introductory Rate Scam

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:05:05 PDT

We've come across a Rip off Introductory Rate Scam that we are seeing several motorcycle dealerships using. Since several dealers are doing the same thing in different areas, the source of the problem is outside of the dealership itself. Maybe it's at GE Money Bank? Maybe they aren't the only ones doing it either.

Here's how it seems to work and what happens later because of it.

Dealers advertise a "come on" low monthly payment for a brand new motorcycle and maybe they say it's an "introductory" rate for 2 years or maybe they don't. The part they don't seem to tell the buyer is that the payments are paying interest on the loan balance only. Dealers seem to routinely give the same sales pitch. They sell the buyer on the idea with something like this: "most people trade their bike in every two years, which is how long your payments will be low, so you'll be able to afford it and come out okay when you trade it in before the payment goes up."

What they don’t tell you is that if all you pay is interest then after two years you still owe the same amount on your motorcycle that you started out with but your bike isn't worth the same amount any more. The result?

You can’t trade it in and break even because it isn’t worth what you bought it for, which is also what you still owe on it. But now you're faced with a sudden jump in your required monthly payment amount.

At end of two years, the interest rate jumps to a much higher rate and your payments can triple or quadruple, so you can’t afford the payments then either. You are stuck in a loan that you can't afford and if you try to trade in your bike you can't get enough to pay it off either.

This introductory rate scam virtually forces you to trade it in and either come up with a down payment you weren't counting on or else "roll" the debt off the old bike and onto the new loan for the new bike. In other words, you go deeper in debt on the next bike. Do that a couple of times and you can't get out of the loan alive. In other words you will be stuck in a debt rut.

If you are thinking of buying a motorcycle and your dealer tries to sell you on this rip off introductory rate scam, be extra careful. The paperwork we've seen is confusing and misleading and the dealer's sales presentation is slick and smooth. If you aren't careful you will never know what happened to you until two years later when reality sinks in.

And the worst part? The strongest consumer protection law that most states have (they are called "Udap" laws) usually has a 2 year time limit to file a claim in court. So by the time you find out you are really stuck, your legal rights have already expired.

Gee, does anyone think that's a coincidence?

If you are the victim of this rip off scam, don't wait to find out your rights. Talk to a Burdge attorney now.

Burdge Law Office

Helping bikers protect themselves since 1978.

Free Lemon Law and Auto Sales Legal Guides

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:06:56 PDT

What cars have the best resale values?

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:42:49 PDT

A good way to realize that the conomy is rebounding is when you start seeing more positive articles about car ownership again. Let's face it. Car sales are a major driving force in the economy, perhaps even moreso than home sales. Well, if that's true then there's good news coming.

The folks who determine automotive resale values have released a new list of the best car resale values by class. These cars and trucks are the ones predicted by the experts to be able to get the best resale value later, which can make them a good buy right now. The list is compiled by Automotive Lease Guide and here are the winners.

Compact car: Honda Fit
Mid compact car: Scion xB
Midsize car: Honda Accord
Fullsize car: Nissan Maxima
Sporty car: Mini cooper
Near luxury car: BMW 1 Series
Luxury car: Lexus LS 460
Luxury sports car: Nissan GT-R
Compact utility vehicle: Jeep Wrangler ties with Subaru Forester
Midsize utility vehicle: Nissan Murano
Large utility vehicle: Toyota Sequoia
Near luxury utility vehicle: Land Rover LR2
Luxury utility veicle: Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Compact midsize pickup: Toyota Tacoma
Minivan: Toyota Sienna
Hybrid: Toyota Prius
Full size pickup: Ford F150
Commercial van: Dodge Sprinter

If you're looking for what car can give you the best return on your money, one of these is probably it. The only sad part is how few of Detroit's models made the list. That's something they still have to work on.

Burdge Law Office

http://www.arbitrationsucks.com/

Helping consumers save money every day.

Is arbitration fair? Can I sue NAF? Is arbitration a ripoff?

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:03:01 PDT

We've talked before about how forced arbitration sucks and now it appears that maybe, but only maybe, someone is doing something about it.

The Center for Responsible Lending is reporting that Minnesota's attorney general may have scored a victory for consumers nationwide in the "forced arbitration wars." A Minnesota Attorney General lawsuit against the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) ended forced arbitration in credit card contracts in that state. You can read more about it here: Credit-Card Disputes Tossed into Disarray.

NAF had processed what is estimated to be 200,000 forced arbitrations a year so it clearly was the "king" of the forced arbitration game.

At the same time, the Minn. AG lawsuit was strangely settled almost immediately with a press release announcement that came out the Sunday after the case was filed in court and just days before a Congressional committee release its findings which scalded NAF's forced arbitration program. It appears that the lawsuit, and the settlement, may actually have been intended to take some of the "bite" out of the Congressional committee's report. It would be a shame if the Minn. AG was somehow party to actually aiding NAF's agenda, but we'll have to wait and see on that one.

Meanwhile, apparently the American Arbitration Association (AAA, another private group that, like NAF did, also claims to be independent) told the Minn. AG that they did almost no credit card debt forced arbitrations and had put their own 'safeguards' in place to try to avoid some of the obvious bias and self-interest problems that rampantly ran behind the scenes, suspected but unproven, to consumers. Still AAA said it would no longer handle credit card debt forced arbitrations.

Meanwhile a class action was filed in Illinois on behalf of Illinois consumers who lost their "rigged" forced arbitration cases since 2007, sueing credit card gian MBNA/FIA and the debt collection law firm Mann Bracken. According to allegations NAF had direct ties to both the debt collection industry and the Mann Bracken law firm, and even had special nick names for the debt collectors that it routinely favored with its arbitration decisions against consumers.

If you're a victim of the NAF forced arbitration game, contact us about your legal rights.

It appears that millions of consumers may have been forced to pay millions of dollars to debt collectors who had paid NAF handsomely to give them money judgments against consumers, in the NAF forced arbitration ripoff.

These forced arbitration companies aren't going away any time soon. There's too much money to be had, so you can expect the forced arbitration game to continue to be rigged in favor of big business. Like we have said many a time before, forced arbitration simply sucks.

Burdge Law Office

www.ArbitrationSucks.com

Helping consumers get even, since 1978.

Is Arbitration Fair? Proof that Arbitration is Unfair

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:42:22 PDT

The Minnesota Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against one of the big private arbitration companies, the National Arbitration Forum (NAF), alleging their arbitration process is rigged in favor of big businesses who pay it big bucks.

Minnesota-based NAF is the largest consumer credit private arbitration company which recently came under fire for its extensive "back room" relationships with the very companies that hire it to get favorable judgments against consumers. The AG alleges that NAF "secretly worked alongside creditors, and against consumer interests, in seeking to have mandatory, predispute arbitration clauses inserted in credit agreements signed by consumers" and appears to have good proof of it.

NAF has long claimed it was "independent and neutral" but it turns out that a group of New York hedge funds invested in the arbitration company and also acquired a majority stake in a debt collection agency which acquired the collection operations of the law firm Mann Bracken. So, it appears that the whole operation is run, from front to back, by debt collectors who, quite obviously, have a vested interest in getting money out of consumers and not in finding out whether or not consumers actually owe the money.

The case caption is State of Minnesota v. National Arbitration Forum, No. 27-09-18550, and appears to be filed in state court with claims that NAF committed consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and made false advertising statements.

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is to be commended for calling a spade a spade and going after NAF, which has been the target of consumer advocates for years with claims of bias and favoritism toward the debt collectors that hire it.

The whole NAF back-room favoritism and bias more clearly came to light when Deanna Richert, a former manager at NAF, filed a federal lawsuit against NAF claiming she was denied promotions and terminated last year because of her gender and age, which were, respectively, female and over 40. In the lawsuit she also revealed how NAF had a policy of favoring its big client companies and even had a nickname for them ("famous parties"). The lawsuit was picked up by the Wall Street Journal and consumer advocates quickly realized that the truth about NAF's arbitration had come out. NAF, of course, says it was doing nothing wrong.

Apparently that was the smoking gun that caused Swanson to go after NAF.

We've said for years that arbitration sucks and both Richert's lawsuit and Swanson's lawsuit are now revealing more of the truth that anyone ever did before. Maybe now people will realize that arbitration is like playing poker with a stacked deck --- and it isn't stacked in your favor, folks.

There are ways to fight back against unfair arbitration and you can read more about it here: http://www.arbitrationsucks.com/.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers fight back since 1978.

Madoff Gets 150 Yrs of Justice

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:53:51 PDT

Bernard Madoff, who ruined the lives of several thousands of consumer victims from all walks of life, will be spending the rest of his life in jail.

At his sentencing hearing on Monday morning June 29, 2009, he was given a 150 year sentence.

Madoff pulled off what is probably the greatest Ponzi scheme fraud in history and has been the subject of tons of press that you can read at your leisure elsewhere on the internet.

The scale of his fraud and deceit certainly seems to easily justify the harshest of sentences. Still, one has to wonder where all the money went and why others didn't get arrested too. It seems very hard to believe that no one knew what he was up to in his entire operation --- not even his relatives who worked for him. Perhaps that's another day's justice.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers protect themselves from fraud, and get their money back, since 1978.

New GM Promises to Honor Warranties

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:39:15 PDT

Good news for owners of GM cars and trucks --- reports are that the "new" GM which comes out of bankruptcy will honor the "old" GM's warranty on the millions of cars and trucks on the road.

That announcement, although a promise yet to be fulfilled, puts it ahead of Chrysler, which issued only an ambiguous statement of possible warranty plans for the millions of Chrysler vehicle owners who still don't know where they stand for sure.

If you've got a GM or a Chrysler vehicle, and you have any defects or problems, get it in the shop right away, while your dealer is still around and willing to try to help you.

For now, GM owners can breathe a sigh of relief.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers protect themselves since 1978.

Is Fraud Increasing?

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:48:10 PDT

The answer is yes according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). And, worse yet, it is expected to continue in the near future as the rescession takes its toll on jobs and wages.

The ACFE is the world's largest anti-fraud organization, dedicated to reducing business fraud. In their 2008 Report to the Nation, they found that nearly a trillion dollars of business annual revenues were siphoned off due to fraud. Now, their newest report indicates the level of business fraud is rising.

Rising faster than the Wall Street churning fraud of the late 80-early-1990's, that spawned Glenn Frey's hit song "I've Got Mine", the fraud investigators at ACFE said the expect fraud to continue to increase during the next 12 months too.

Their latest report is based on a survey of fraud investigators, who reported an increase in fraudulent activities in the last year over past years. The report, "Occupational
Fraud: A Study of the Impact of an Economic Recession", blames the increase on "intense financial pressures during the economic crisis." There mere existence of an opportunity for fraud to occur was not enough, according to ACFE.

As the ACFE President said, "Desperate people do desperate things."

These are tough times and they're right. The fear of personal disaster can cause many otherwise honest merchants and business people to consider and do things that might not occur in a normal economy. The result for you? Be more careful than ever. After all, the only thing that makes Bernie Madoff unusual nowadays, may be the sheer size of his fraud. The more ordinary acts of fraud may be happening all around you in ordinary small ways.

A fourth of the fraud discovered in the ACFE's 2008 Report was just plain overbilling. That could be as simple as bogus charge card billing or phone bill statement in small amounts of $15 or $20 which adds up to millions of dollars because many people don't look over their charge card bills carefully or just don't complain long enough or loud enough about the suspicious small charge on their account.

Don't waste your money. If you see a charge you didn't authorize on your account statement, call and demand that it be removed and don't take "no" for an answer. Then, report it to your state Attorney General's Consumer Fraud department and demand that they investigate.

Crooks will always be crooks, but these hard times are causing many near-crooks to turn the corner, costing consumers millions of their hard earned dollars.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers protect themselves since 1978.

Penske Buys Saturn

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:52:53 PDT

The Penske Auto Group has inked a deal with GM to buy Saturn. Included in the deal will be the brand itself, the parts inventory, and the right to distribute the Saturn vehicle line, which GM apparently will continue to build for another 2 years.

In addition to moving things along for GM, it also means a big sigh of relief for the roughly 360 Saturn dealers who General Motors had announced would be orphaned if a sale did not occur.

A Chinese company has announced its intention to buy the Hummer operation, But that still leaves Pontiac to contend with as GM keeps heading to a leaner operation that it hopes will be more profitable too.

There's no word yet on whether the sales would mean that the new owners would continue to honor the old GM warranties but under bankruptcy law the sales could occur in such a way that all old warranty rights were liquidated. Or not. We'll have to wait and see.

Burdge Law Office

Burdge Law Office
www.UsLemonLawLawyers.com
Helping Consumers Protect Themselves Everyday Since 1978.

Helping consumers protect themselves everyday since 1978.

Now, Let's Turn the Page

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:24:20 PDT

With GM having finally filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, maybe the auto industry and our whole economy can finally stop the dreading and nay-saying and move on. It's about time.

6,000 GM dealers received one of two letters from GM this week, the good one and the bad one. The bad one said "so long" basically. The good one, if you can call it that, set out new expectations for surviving dealers and new requirements too and gave a June 12 deadline to agree "or else" they'd find themselves being included in the bankruptcy and not invited along for the "survival ride" so to speak. Ok, so do it already, GM.

What this economy needs, we suspect, is for everyone to stop talking the doom and gloom trash and start getting over it and moving on.

At a concert in Dayton last night, the musician thanked the crowd for coming out and went on for another half minute or so to talk about the fact that we live in a resilient society in this country and that we will all survive the current economic mess and, perhaps, just keeping that in mind can help us to cope with the present and have more faith in the future. To be sure, we still need to be careful on this rocky road, but he had a good point about keeping in mind that the road does eventually lead us to a better spot.

It's time that Detroit, and the rest of us, turned the page. That starts with each of us. Then, maybe the media will realize that all of us regular folks have heard enough of the negative and tone it down too.

More GM Dealers to Get Chopped

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:16:37 PDT

Last month 1,124 GM dealers got their notice that they were being chopped. Now GM has come up with a plan to axe even more.

Seems that there are another 450 GM dealers whose franchises will expire within the next year that GM has decided will not be renewed. That has the same effect as shutting them down.

Reportedly, GM decided who to chop based on dealership profitability, its capitalization, its sales "effectiveness", and the dealer's customer-satisfaction scores. All of those are long-standing criteria used by manufacturers to score financially successful dealership operations.

All of this comes as GM is putting the finishing touches on what is expected to be the largest business bankruptcy ever filed in the US, which analysts predict will probably be filed Monday, June 1st, 2009.

On top of this new round of chop notices, when GM gets rid of Pontiac, Hummer, Saturn and its involvement with Saab, there will probably be several hundred other dealers that will be out of the picture.

The story now is the same as before. If you've got a lemon GM car, or any lemon car or lemon truck, you need a good attorney now more than ever. Don't put up with any repair shop run around either.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers get rid of lemon cars since 1978.

GM Predicted to File Bankruptcy Any Day

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:35:19 PDT

As of late afternoon on May 26, 2009, sources involved with the GM restructuring are saying it's all but over with.

GM had to get 90% of its bondholders to accept its "debt for equity" swap to avoid filing the largest ever industrial bankruptcy in US history by the end of the month and the final deadline is midnight. The tally? GM won't release the actual numbers but Reuters News is reporting that "a source" on the inside is saying the percentage is in the low single digits.

That means it's all but done for GM.

With no way to avoid reality, it seems it will now be impossible for GM to avoid filing bankruptcy any day now.

If you've got a GM built car, still under warranty, now's the time to get it in the shop, while the dealer might still honor the GM warranty work that you need. Pretty soon, that may not be the answer you get.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers protect themselves since 1978.

List of Chrysler Dealers Being Chopped

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:42:44 PDT

On May 14, 2009 Chrysler notified 789 of its dealers that they were being chopped. That's about 25% of the total Chrysler dealer network. Reports are that the list was created largely with instructions of Fiat, who is expected to be the new owner in the coming weeks.

Fiat understandably would not likely sell well in the rural US, which may explain why many dealers on the chopping block are located in rural areas of the country. By closing the nearly 800 stores, the vast majority of remaining Chrysler dealerships are stores that sell all 3 brands under one roof --- Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler --- and that has been the goal of Chrysler for years. Too bad it took financial collapse to get it done.

To find out if a dealer near you is on the "you've been chopped" list, check out the Wall Street Journal's list posted here: http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Chryslerdealerlist05142009.pdf

If that link doesn't work, try here: http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Sections/News_And_Analysis/_News/__EDIT%20Englewood%20Cliffs/ChryslerDealership.pdf

Meanwhile, if you've got a Chrysler with defects, a Dodge that won't run, or a Jeep that won't beep, you better get it back to your dealer right away and try to get warranty work done while they are still around.

The Chrysler Bankruptcy actually involves about 25 corporations that Chrysler "owns" and here's the list along with their bankruptcy case number, for the curious crowd:

Petitions:
09-50000 Chrysler Realty Company LLC 09-50001 Peapod Mobility LLC09-50002 Chrysler LLC 09-50003 Chrysler Aviation Inc.09-50004 Chrysler Dutch Holding LLC09-50005 Chrysler Dutch Investment LLC 09-50006 Chrysler Dutch Operating Group LLC09-50007 Chrysler Institute of Engineering 09-50008 Chrysler International Corporation09-50009 Chrysler International Limited, L.L.C. 09-50010 Chrysler International Services, S.A.09-50011 Chrysler Motors LLC 09-50012 Chrysler Service Contracts Florida, Inc.
09-50013 Chrysler Service Contracts Inc.09-50014 Chrysler Technologies Middle East Ltd.09-50015 Chrysler Transport Inc.09-50016 Chrysler Vans LLC09-50017 DCC 929, Inc. 09-50018 Dealer Capital, Inc.09-50019 Global Electric Motorcars, LLC 09-50020 NEV Mobile Service, LLC09-50021 NEV Service, LLC 09-50022 TPF Asset, LLC09-50023 TPF Note, LLC09

You can monitor the Chrysler bankruptcy filings in Court at this website here: http://www.chryslerrestructuring.com/

If you've got a lemon Chrysler or a lemon Jeep or a lemon Dodge, now's the time to cross your fingers and try to get your dealer to agree to fix defects for free, while they are still there and while Chrysler might still pay them.

Today it was 25% of Chrysler dealers who got chopped. And tomorrow? General Motors says it will release its list of GM dealers who'll be chopped and reports are the numbers are only going to be bigger.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers get rid of lemons since 1978.

Big Sam & Boxes on Wheels

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Sat, 09 May 2009 14:11:23 PDT

There was a time when cars were king. Every model was a wondrous work of art, styling, and powerful engineering. Maybe it was because we were young. Maybe it was because they were just a different kind of car.

Back then I had one of these. A '59 Chevy Impala that I modestly called "Big Sam." It wasn't new when I got it, not by a long shot. But it was something else.

The jet style fins jumped into a short-lived automobile fashion with the General Motors 1959 models, although hints of what was coming sneaked into a couple of concept cars and the subtle model lines of several mid and late 50's cars. But with the '59, GM just went wild, admirably so.

Big Sam was a car I had back in my college days. It had a trunk that was bigger than whole cars I would later own and an engine compartment that was so big and roomy that you could actually climb in to work on the engine and you actually could work on the engine too. And when you pressed on the gas pedal, there was no turbo hesitating to get up to speed and there was no 4 cylinders looking for the rest of the engine either. It just got up and went. Fast.

I named Big Sam after an old grizzled man who frequented a family neighborhood bar nearby, named Sam. His face was time-worn and his hunched over stance, leaning forward slightly, reflected his sixty some years of a hard struggling life that led to his then-current daytime job as a mechanic for a local family amusement park, at a time when there still were such things.

He looked older than his years, but every day he quietly left his small two room dusty cabin next to the park and walked over to start his day changing oil and tightening chains on kids' rides that were easily as old as him. At the end of each day he just as quietly left the park to walk to Andy's Bar, where he'd drink a small bottle of cheap red wine, or two, before the night air turned dark and damp and he'd start his walk home.

Sam was a tired man but he was kind too. He tried to be friendly with everyone and seemed to understand when occassionally his time-roughened appearance caused strangers to ignore his soft "howdy." It was a greeting that marked his exit from another place in time no one else remembered. He had a warm smile that he seldom found a reason to show, but when he did, you knew it was real. He was a lot like that big old lumbering 59 Chevy Impala I had. It was a remarkable aged icon of another, earlier time that still was unique with a well-worn sort of dignity too. It was so like him that I got some paint and painted "Big Sam" in small print just beside the door handle. I never named a car before that one. I never named one after that either.

A lot of things have come and gone over the years. Some have hung around. Honesty. People trying to do what's right. That still matters. Being proud of what you do, that does too. And doing your job right, that still matters too. The line workers in Detroit and elsewhere, they know that too. Somewhere along the way, though, the bosses became bean counters and the only thing that mattered was profit. When that happened, the Big Three started to slide. They've been sliding ever since.

What we need from GM, and Chrysler too for that matter, is some of what used to matter in Detroit. A sense that people matter --- more than profit or the cost-cutting machines that replace them. Efficiency matters, but quality matters more. And maybe not forgetting that quality is something that starts with the hands that work the assembly line. And we need cars that are a thing of beauty again. It has taken GM decades to realize that maybe we don't really need cookie cutter boxes with wheels on them that have interchangeable labels, some Buick, some Pontiac, some Chevrolet, some Oldsmobile.

Motor vehicles have aged in the last 100+ years from a thing of convenience and necessity, to Beautiful Art on Wheels and then back to convenience and necessity again. There is a place, I'm sure, where cars are still a work of art that stirs emotion. If GM and Chrysler can find where that is, they'll survive and probably prosper. If they don't, well they'll probably survive anyway.

That place is what made the cars of another generation fun to drive, amazing to just look at, and sell with excitement. And it wasn't all that bad either.

I still remember Big Sam. Somewhere along the way I went on to other cars and other bars. I never knew what happened to Sam. Not him. Not the car. Years later I went by the street corner where Andy's Bar had been and it was gone too.

My wife and I don't drive a GM or a Chrysler now. Sometimes I wish I did. Whether I will in the future depends on them more than me. Still, I'd hate to lose GM or Chrysler. They're sort of like that uncle that everyone in the family talks about but doesn't know what to do about.

I'm a lawyer who has spent his entire career representing consumers against motor vehicle manufacturers and dealers. If manufacturers just built them right in the first place, and their dealers were just honest folks, I probably would have spent my career doing something else. I still wouldn't mind it now, but I suspect neither of them will change anytime too soon. Unfortunately, hard economic times don't get rid of all the crooked car dealers or the bumbling manufacturers. In the meantime, consumers need to be careful out there. And if something bad happens to you, call us. Getting rid of lemons is still what we do. Everyday. Since 1978.

Burdge Law Office
http://www.newcarlemonlaw.com/

Because life is too short to put up with a bad car or a bad dealer.

GM Parties on Government Money

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:00:17 PDT

Literally weeks before a government deadline to avoid bankruptcy, GM threw a Resort Getaway party for 500 of its biggest customers. Well, it's good to see that last billion dollar bailout is being put to good use (sarcasm intended).

CBS' KPHO television station reported that GM paid for airfare and treated 500 guests to a two night stay at the Phoenix lux resort Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa.

The GM guests work for rental car companies, government agencies and businesses that buy GM vehicles. To help them get around during their stay, GM reportedly shipped in 150 vehicles for them to use.

But not all the sun, fun, games, golf, and spa time is on GM. Apparently golf and spa costs aren't being covered by GM. Well, that's certainly reasonable, folks (more sarcasm intended).

Local tv station CBS 5 News wanted to get on the property to ask more questions about the event but the resort would not allow media inside. Here's a link to the station's news piece about it: http://www.kpho.com/video/19400972/index.html

GM bleeds and borrows and then parties on taxpayer loans. And then DFO Ray Young said GM will need almost $3 billion more of government loan money now and probably $9 billion more during the rest of the year. It makes you wonder what these bozo's are thinking.

"We cannot cut costs fast enough to offset that revenue loss," Young is reported to have said. "People are concerned about bankruptcy, and that's the reason why we want to avoid it if at all possible." He might as well have added, "cutting those greens fees and spa treatments really helped, too."

Well, there's certainly nothing like a good party to chase away those bankruptcy blues, that's for sure.

Detroit auto workers need help and that means the company needs help, but luxury weekend resort time on the government tab is not a good PR move. It doesn't take a genuis to realize it either. Stunts like this are a good example of why GM is sliding toward bankruptcy and more and more likely to land smack dab in the middle of a bankruptcy courtroom.

Meanwhile, if you've got a GM product and it needs warranty repair work, you better get it in the shop quick. Some dealers are already reported to be refusing to do warranty work out of fear that they won't get reimbursed for it by the factory. Gee, I guess those resort weekends can get expensive.

Burdge Law Office

www.MotorcycleLemonLaw.com

Helping consumers protect themselves in tough times.

Best Buy to Sell Motorcycles

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:04:59 PDT

Motorcycles for sale at your local Best Buy? The deal has been inked and they are set to go on sale first in the West Coast's Best Buy stores. It could go national after that.

And if the quality turns out to be accurate, normal modest sized motorcycles will be up against some stiff competition. They're electric powered and not bad looking at all.

For a new company to create a network of dealers from scratch is a huge hurdle. Craig Bramscher, CEO of electric motorcycle maker Brammo, made a really smart move, though. He made a deal with Best Buy.

The Brammo Enertia model is a carbon fiber urban commuter motorbike with a top speed of 50 mph and a 40 mile range. What helps get past its small range is its cool looks. It doesn't hurt that the company founder is a "car guy" either, starting out at a parts store in Kansas City and building a media company that works with media industry giants now.

Later this spring, the first Brammo EV bike model (there are 3 models planned) will go on sale online, but you can pick up one at some Best Buy stores later this spring too. Details are sketchy at this early stage but the Best Buy models are set to include the Brammo.

Although Brammo started out to build super cars, the rage for electric vehicles turned his thoughts to electric cars but he quickly realized that the start up costs would be impossible. However, building an electric motorcycle from scratch was a whole different thing.

Brammo’s goal is nothing less than being the first profitable pure "EV" company, and the plan is that motorcycles will make that happen. The Enertia is priced at $12,000, and reports are that an upscale version is already sold out. A federal ten percent tax credit actuallly can take the price down to $10,000.

“This is a super-efficient motorcycle,” company founder Bramscher is reported by Bnet Auto to have said. “It can travel 7,500 miles on $50 worth of energy. Existing motorcycles can do, at best, 80 mpg. We are orders of magnitude more efficient—and 10 times as efficient as a Prius, too.”

Tax credits, a reasonable price, terrific mileage, and wide market availability --- these are the makings of success and Bramscher could have a terrific product on his hands. If you want a motorcycle that will get you around town at a modest cost and that'll let you just drive right on by every gas station, then this just might be it.

Burdge Law Office

Helping consumers get rid of lemons everyday. Since 1978.

GM Gets Surgical

Ron@OhioLemonLaw.com (Ron Burdge) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:09:53 PDT

Doubt continues to grow on whether or not GM can avoid bankruptcy very soon. GM is backed into a corner with its well-heeled bond holders not budging and too many creditors clamoring for cash while the feds while away the hours on the doomsday clock.

People's jobs are at stake, to say nothing for Detroit prestige, and money is all that seems to matter to the bond holders who could save it all.

GM and others are pushing for a "surgical" bankruptcy that could put GM into bankruptcy court on a "preplanned" approach that would go into court with the intention of getting, in advance, the agreement of enough creditors to quickly pull livable pieces of the corporation out of bankruptcy and leave unprofitable pieces to their bankruptcy fate. The goal would be to get the profitable pieces out of court control in a matter of weeks.

But bankruptcy experts are saying it likely wouldn't be less than 6 months before bankruptcy court lets go of any pieces of the GM pie. A good example? The musings of many when Delphi was headed into bankruptcy court just before it filed in October 2005. It's still there.

GM wants its monied bond holders to cut two thirds of the debt by swapping bonds for GM shares but they aren't buying it. Given the recent trading history of GM stock, no one can blame them. A buck sixty eight a share in the afternoon of April 20, 2009. Whoddathunk?

None of this is shaking out too good for GM or Detroit. It won't be pretty for GM owners either. If your car is still covered by warranty, and you've got defects, better get it to the shop pretty soon, while dealers are still willing to honor the GM warranty. Once a bankruptcy is filed by GM, it's anyone's bet on what will happen next.

Burdge Law Office