Comments - Is Your Job Worth Going To Prison For? - DealerELITE.net2024-03-28T23:16:07Zhttps://www.dealerelite.net/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=5283893%3ABlogPost%3A322489&xn_auth=noJim, thank you for a well wri…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3227402012-09-17T20:10:17.207ZRalph Pagliahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/RalphPaglia
<p>Jim, thank you for a well written and thought provoking article... For those that react with "That could never happen to me", let me attest from personal experience to the fact that over the 30 years I have worked in the car business, I have seen numerous cases where people I worked with have been prosecuted, arrested and served time in prison for actions they took OR SIMPLY ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. </p>
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<p>For example, I worked with a Sales Manager by the name of Dan Mourneau while…</p>
<p>Jim, thank you for a well written and thought provoking article... For those that react with "That could never happen to me", let me attest from personal experience to the fact that over the 30 years I have worked in the car business, I have seen numerous cases where people I worked with have been prosecuted, arrested and served time in prison for actions they took OR SIMPLY ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. </p>
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<p>For example, I worked with a Sales Manager by the name of Dan Mourneau while selling cars in San Diego. Dan "curbed" a used VW Beetle that he bought from a customer when the dealership would not provide an acceptable ACV... Dan and a salesperson resold the used VW and signed odometer statements that the mileage shown was true and original. The vehicle had been "rolled back" by the previous owner that traded it in at the dealership. Dan served 6 months in California State Prison for odometer fraud. </p>
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<p>On another occasion, I saw a Finance Manager create a second contract showing a much higher down payment than the customer had actually paid. This was to allow the customer to get a better loan rate from their credit union... John Downing, the Finance Manager was charged with bank fraud and was put on probation for several years and banned from working in a car dealership. I could go on and on, but let's just say that Jim's article is not an exaggeration, nor is it far fetched... People who do the wrong thing, or let those wrong things happen in dealerships can and will be held accountable. </p>
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<p>Two of the best car guys I ever met, the Daly Brothers (twins) came to work for me in Phoenix in 2005 after one of them was released from prison and both of them were banned from working in any car dealership in California for forging customer signatures on routine documents. These highly talented automotive professionals made the mistake of doing something that seemed harmless enough, and saved them the time of getting customers back into the dealership to sign ATFI, Demonstrator Statements and other routine documents, but ended up getting them convicted of Forgery, one of them going to prison and both of them basically run out of the highest car sales state in the country. <strong>Yes, it can happen to you if you DO THE WRONG THING!</strong></p> GREAT point Kevin.tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3225782012-09-17T19:14:54.113ZKeith Shetterlyhttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/KeithShetterly
<p>GREAT point Kevin.</p>
<p>GREAT point Kevin.</p> It is about time. Honest peop…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3225722012-09-17T18:44:32.535ZDoug Davishttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/DougDavis
<p>It is about time. Honest people should be pleased to see this and welcome more prosecutions. Since when should any segment of commerce be exempt from committing fraud? <br/> For those of us that insist on doing things the right way, it just levels the playing field. <br/>
I was at a store for over five years and left because the new GM initiated these kind of activities. I'm totally unsympathetic.</p>
<p>It is about time. Honest people should be pleased to see this and welcome more prosecutions. Since when should any segment of commerce be exempt from committing fraud? <br/> For those of us that insist on doing things the right way, it just levels the playing field. <br/>
I was at a store for over five years and left because the new GM initiated these kind of activities. I'm totally unsympathetic.</p> Thanks to all for your kind w…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3225542012-09-17T17:09:48.467ZJim Radognahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/JimRadogna
<p>Thanks to all for your kind words! Hopefully more folks will start to pay attention to these issues.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for your kind words! Hopefully more folks will start to pay attention to these issues.</p> Thank you Jim! I agree with…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3226302012-09-17T15:47:03.842ZTom Gorhamhttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/TomGorham
<p>Thank you Jim! I agree with Keith, "It's the best blog I've read all year!" It resonates with some of things we discussed together at AutoCon. Their are many who should heed your advice.</p>
<p>Thank you Jim! I agree with Keith, "It's the best blog I've read all year!" It resonates with some of things we discussed together at AutoCon. Their are many who should heed your advice.</p> Jim, thank you for sharing th…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3227092012-09-17T15:19:39.504ZMike Myershttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/MikeMyers
<p>Jim, thank you for sharing this on dE. We were happy to send it out yesterday for all to read. It's scary how a lot of what you said I've seen with my own eyes in the retail world. I would like to see a follow-up article to elaborate on some more specifics. Possibly how many other dealers, were there convictions, guidelines for safe practice, etc???</p>
<p>Jim, thank you for sharing this on dE. We were happy to send it out yesterday for all to read. It's scary how a lot of what you said I've seen with my own eyes in the retail world. I would like to see a follow-up article to elaborate on some more specifics. Possibly how many other dealers, were there convictions, guidelines for safe practice, etc???</p> We had suzuki for a while, an…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3225412012-09-17T15:09:31.083Zbryan w shufelthttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/bryanwshufelt
We had suzuki for a while, and they use to hold dealers like this up and say why arent you selling more cars like these guys, they would hammer dealers and say just give up your store so real dealers can sell cars. They would send letters out and tell you how weak you were! ... Suzuki had a bunch of guys out there doing bad business ( not to mention they were selling crap for product and they knew it!) ....This is what you get when you dont do it the right way.Suzuki wanted to hear nothing…
We had suzuki for a while, and they use to hold dealers like this up and say why arent you selling more cars like these guys, they would hammer dealers and say just give up your store so real dealers can sell cars. They would send letters out and tell you how weak you were! ... Suzuki had a bunch of guys out there doing bad business ( not to mention they were selling crap for product and they knew it!) ....This is what you get when you dont do it the right way.Suzuki wanted to hear nothing about it not being good business!!!<br />
Our rep always told us to punch cars that were not sold, we would not do it and that would upset them! This is not the only bk Suzuki dealer, there is a lot of them, and not the only crook either!! The guy in huntsville AL was selling 300 new Suzuki's a month...hes out of business too, Suzuki keep telling us he was smarter than the rest of us, I looked at his business talked to his people and told Suzuki he was selling cars at a loss and could not keep this up, they said agian I did not know what I was talking about, guess they were wrong!!! Guys like the one in this article are the ones who make it worse for the rest of us!! Everyone gets to play. The D…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3225382012-09-17T14:40:15.844ZDoug Davishttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/DougDavis
<p>Everyone gets to play. The Dealer, GM, GSM, two Sales Mangers, a F&I Manager, Billing Clerk, Funding Clerk and even the Factory Rep for fraudulent RDRs. </p>
<p>Everyone gets to play. The Dealer, GM, GSM, two Sales Mangers, a F&I Manager, Billing Clerk, Funding Clerk and even the Factory Rep for fraudulent RDRs. </p> Jim,
I like your post over th…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3226172012-09-17T14:01:32.995ZMark Hergerthttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/MarkHHergert
<p>Jim,</p>
<p>I like your post over the past 25 years of being in the retail end of the automobile business there have been multiple opportunities to color outside of the lines to sell a car or to try and get ahead financially by unethical conduct, so to answer your question is NO. every individual will have to have his own set of moral and ethical values when conducting business. Never think that the dealer will bail you out if your caught with your paints down because they will not back you…</p>
<p>Jim,</p>
<p>I like your post over the past 25 years of being in the retail end of the automobile business there have been multiple opportunities to color outside of the lines to sell a car or to try and get ahead financially by unethical conduct, so to answer your question is NO. every individual will have to have his own set of moral and ethical values when conducting business. Never think that the dealer will bail you out if your caught with your paints down because they will not back you up when the tough get's going. Just do the right thing and protect the integrity of the auto business. Happy Selling! <a href="http://autocreditdealermarketing.com" target="_blank">http://autocreditdealermarketing.com</a></p>
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<p></p> Another great article, Jim!!!…tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-17:5283893:Comment:3221712012-09-17T13:11:10.186ZAl Mosherhttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/AlanMosher
<p>Another great article, Jim!!! Thank you for sharing.</p>
<p>Another great article, Jim!!! Thank you for sharing.</p>