The General deep sixes the nation's biggest dealer

OK, so it's not directly, but close.

Bill Heard Chevrolet, the nation's largest dealership (13 locations, 2700 employees) is declaring bankruptcy after GMAC finance refused to extend them more credit.

Their lots are full of SUV's and trucks they can't sell, and they can no longer carry it.

So, as I see it, GM builds way too many of these tubs, dumps them in their dealer's lots, but they don't really give a rat's pitooee since they make their real money on financing these boats, not building them, anyway.

Then the financial sector goes haywire, GMAC is probably tied up in it somehow, they tighten their lending practices, and put their biggest dealership out of business.

Doesn't the General now get back all those unsold SUV's? That should help their bottom line!

Am I oversimplifying things too far?

I seem to have heard n the not too distant past that Bill Heard had a HORRIBLE reputation. Maybe the buzzards have come home to roost?

Possible. I bought a truck from them once. Paid $7000 less than any other dealer would take, and got great service.

Auto dealer Bill Heard Enterprises Inc. will shutter its 13 stores on Friday, the Columbus [Ga.] Ledger-Enquirer reported Sept. 24.

Bill Heard also is looking to sell its Columbus Chevrolet dealership, the paper said citing unnamed sources familiar with the negotiations.

The company began in Columbus in 1919, founded by W.T. Heard Sr. It developed into the country’s biggest Chevrolet dealer for years and runs dealerships in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Texas and Nevada. But the souring economy brought less demand for new cars and GMAC recently eliminated Bill Heard’s credit for inventory, the paper noted. As Atlanta Business Chronicle reported 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.

It closed a store in Arizona earlier in September.

According to its Web site, Bill Heard sells “around $2.5 billion” a year and employs more than 3,500.

Hm... they were huge. I had one bad experience where they wouldn't honor their own ad in my opinion. Needless to say, I left directly after

WAAAAAYYYYYY off on why "Big Bill Heard" closed there fellas...

Seriously spend 30 damn seconds on Google and you will find the literally HUNDREDS of news stories about them SCREWING people. GM and SUV's had jack to do with it.

The Arizona STEALership was closed by the STATE.

Come ON people, GRM'ers are smarter then this! Wake up and READ a little!!!!

http://plantcity2.tbo.com/content/2008/sep/24/bill-heard-enterprises-folding-dealerships-nationw/

"In AZ they opened a brand new dealership 2 years ago. After they were fined 225K by the state for shady sales practices they closed up and left."

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/038/ripoff0038266.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/371/RipOff0371895.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/373/RipOff0373959.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/368/RipOff0368574.htm

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkic.SNxIMCMA4YVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEycjhkOGNmBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMwRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA0gxODdfODY-/SIG=142jkrim3/EXP=1222482366/**http%3a//www.pissedconsumer.com/consumer-reviews/auto/bill-heard-chevrolet-reports-%2511-auto-2007032293751.html

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkic.SNxIMCMA5YVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyaXEzdm5hBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA0gxODdfODY-/SIG=12dmsm764/EXP=1222482366/**http%3a//www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/bill_heard.html

http://consumerist.com/consumer/scams/georgia-sues-infamous-bill-heard-dealership-276927.php

^Yes, that's the STATE OF GEORGIA suing Bill Heard!

http://www.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,5426814_38710370_120959768,00.html

^More for Georgia.gov

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkiccSdxInDwACs9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzdm11bXNmBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMTMEY29sbwNzazEEdnRpZANIMTg3Xzg2/SIG=130qdum3d/EXP=1222482588/**http%3a//www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp%3fS=5681375%26nav=menu374_6_1_4

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkiccSdxInDwAFM9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzcW1wdnNrBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMTgEY29sbwNzazEEdnRpZANIMTg3Xzg2/SIG=1210mldfk/EXP=1222482588/**http%3a//www.wftv.com/news/14543745/detail.html

^Yes, that's the State of FLORIDA suing them too!

http://myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/D0C5EDFF3E00D36E8525738D0054FAE4

^ To the tune of $400,000

COME ON GUYS, WAKE UP!!!

I live right down the street, work across the street from a Bill Heard here in Central Florida. It is by possible one of the worst dealership experiences in the world.

I applied for a job there once and the people were total a-holeees. Went to look at a car there and they used a ton of whacked out tactics to try and get me to stay, try and get me to sign papers, as if I were some freakin moron. It's amazing they stayed in business for as long as they did, the only thing that sucks is all the people who lost their jobs and have families to support.

Does it really suck if they were the a-holes perpetuating those tactics or enabling those who did?

Probably more philisophical than necessary, but you choose your profession and your employer.

Good riddance. I've heard more horror stories about Bill Heard than any other dealership.

OK, so they sucked.

But GM's turning down their financing probably had very little to do with that.

Perhaps it is good riddance. But it's also 3000 jobs lost, another big blow to the auto industry, and a very bad sign of the current economic times.

GMAC no longer has anything to do with GM. It is it's own entity and their largest investment pool is... Real Estate!

The way dealerships work, you have a guy in each unit ordering vehicles. We are not forced to take Touaregs, we keep 1 or 2 on the lot.

Dealerships make their money in service, these guys had TERRIBLY RUN SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, they did not improve and went under.

A large local Ford dealership was closed here recently. The reason? THEY SUCKED! Ford gave them a choice of becoming a Ford owned and operated store or closing up-and they chose to close down.

The big 3 have way too many stores too close to each other and are looking to close the bad ones however they can. Shutting off credit lines is just one tactic they can use.

I've worked in 10 different dealerships in the last 20 years and I can tell you that even if you're building the best cars in the world if your dealerships treat customers badly it doesn't mean squat. People will equate bad experience to bad cars and never buy one again. Even at a different store.

It does raise an interesting question about SUV's. I see so many dealers, especially in smaller rural markets, that sell 90% trucks and SUV's. How are these dealers going to survive ont he slim margins of the Aveo?

SVreX wrote: OK, so they sucked. But GM's turning down their financing probably had very little to do with that. Perhaps it is good riddance. But it's also 3000 jobs lost, another big blow to the auto industry, and a very bad sign of the current economic times.

GM has nothing to do with GMAC. So again, it's not GM's fault. This dealer sucked, was sued by at least three states (and completely kicked out of one), and had their financing pulled over shady tactics.

It wouldn't have mattered what kind of cars/trucks Bill Heard sold, they still would have shut down. And GM is much better off without the pond scum.

SVreX wrote: Am I oversimplifying things too far?

Yes, as well as not understanding the dealership/OEM/financing/customer relationships and business practices.

Bryce

Service, parts and F&I are the three moneymakers for a dealership. We make squat on new cars but used cars can be lucrative if handled properly.

I think you'll find that the more the dealership sucks for the customer, the better it is for the company. Over the years I sold for Ford, Chevy, Buick, GMC, Volvo, Saab, and Honda. The training was the same for all of them, and it was ruthless psychologically-chosen words that are most likely to invoke sales.

You know those "GM service excellence" plaques on the wall at your GM service department? Do you know what they're for? They are awarded to dealerships that have a higher percentage of warranty turnovers. That is to say, the more a dealership is able to convince a customer that their problem isn't covered under warranty and get them to pay out of pocket, the more of those plaques they get. We had weekly meetings about them. I was very close to suing the dealership WHERE I WORKED because they wouldn't cover a known Dexcool problem at 14,000 miles. There were TSBs describing the warranty proceedure, it was clearly a warranty issue, but the company I worked for... my CO-WORKERS wouldn't cover it. I fortunately played them against another dealer and got it covered, but shortly after that I quit.

This is the same place where I worked that we were under investigation for fraud and had actually suckered TOO much money out of people. We had to call people up and tell them, "congrats, we found a way to save you more money on your car and lower your payments." Of course the alternative was to close the dealership and the owners potentially go to jail.

They're all varying levels of the same BS. Even the nice calm backwoods dealers will shaft you.

I also have a Bill Heard right down the street, and they easily have the worst reputation in town. A friend with a shop wouldn't even buy parts from them, but used another GM franchise instead. They had a multitude of lawsuits against them for various reasons, some of which should be criminal in my opinion, one that happend to a family member that I won't repeat here.

I also believe it was USA Today that listed them as the absolute worst dealer in the nation a few years ago. If GM is ever going to clean up its act, it has to have a dealer network that's trusted more by the general public. I know people that might like to look at the new Malibu, but won't set foot on the Bill Heard lot. Instead, its off to the Honda or Toyota dealer where they buy a Camry instead for more money.

I have a friend that used to work for an owner of quite a few dealerships across the country (various makes). He said the owner commented frequently, "The best dealership general managers are hired right off the prison bus".

I live near their biggest dealership. The stinkbomb reputation they've built around is legendary. Apparently they were taking deposits and trade-ins right up to the end - people showed up to take delivery of their cars to find the place locked up tight.

I work for a very large dealership chain, you'd recognize the name immediately.

I have also worked for some fambly owned smaller setups, one similar to the Heard chain. The smaller backwater stores will screw you hard. That's a given.

Around here, that kind of crap better not happen. I know of one F&I manager who was escorted off the premises over some stuff he was doing which reflected poorly on the company.

Hell, you can actually win year end awards for integrity that include trophies and cash rewards. They are called 'Eppies'.

I thought reedman was the biggest dealership

Maybe in the local area, the group I work for has a West Coast operation as well. Big enuf for ya?

I meant single location...

The reedman has its one internal test track and is 123 acres 1 site and only one site