GM Eager To Keep Pontiac & Saturn Customers; 1.6m To Get Free Oil Change Coupon

[Perian]

Link: http://wardsauto.com/ar/gm_pontiac_saturn_091028/

DETROIT – General Motors Co. is entering the free-agent market.

The auto maker will reach out next week to some 1.6 million customers affected by the wind-down of its storied Pontiac brand. Susan Docherty, vice president-U.S. sales, calls these consumers “free agents” and says GM will attempt to steer them to Buick-GMC or Chevrolet dealerships by offering free oil changes.

GM also will distribute information about Buick, GMC and Chevrolet product portfolios as it tries to keep these customers “in the family,” Docherty says, adding a similar campaign is being planned to woo Saturn-brand customers.

Article continues at link.

[JeffInDFW]

Resale of my Saturn Sky drops like a rock because GM pulled the plug, and all they offer me is a free oil change? Dang! LOL! That's actually pretty funny.....

[Jedi]

Originally Posted by JeffInDFW

Resale of my Saturn Sky drops like a rock because GM pulled the plug, and all they offer me is a free oil change? Dang! LOL! That's actually pretty funny.....

You still have that sweet car! Lots better looking than a solstice. IMO

[CadiEldo67]

How is it not more than 1.6 million people that are affected by this?

[BerettaZ]

I got a $1500 voucher when Olds went out of business; now I get a free oil change???
Better than nothing, I guess.

[Uzzy]

What about GM Canada? Who does it affect? My mom bought a VUE brand new in 2005. Will she be getting one? My Dad leased a Pontiac SV6 in 2006 and still has it, will he (or his company) get one? I have a 2004 Silverado I bought used as a lease return 2 years ago...can I have one?

[TAMark]

I change my own oil. Susan you can stick that coupon in your ear.

[Plague]

This is laughable. Hopefully GM has some more plans for this.

[graycav56]

Man, that has got to be just the first salvo in keeping us.

The Chevy dealer that has sold me my last 10 cars is going out of business at the end of today...becoming a Honda outlet. They are just going out of their way to make it difficult for me to remain a customer....and before you all jump on me, I know, it's nothing personal, just business.

[montess2k]

Steer me to the other brands by building the cars I want, namely the G8= Impala, Ute= El Camino, Regal=wAWD V6 Turbo.....amongst others...

Joe

[cgriff]

Originally Posted by Plague

This is laughable. Hopefully GM has some more plans for this.

I agree! I am, like most here, a GM loyalist but am offended that this is all I'm worth as a Saturn owner. The lease on my Aura is due up in February and I am shopping now. I am beginning to feel less pressure to stay in the GM family. Maybe I should look at the other domestic OEM across town.

[ZvetteGuy]

Well, you all can nit-pic all you want... but, at least the General is trying some things to 'persuade' some to stay with them. If they did nothing at all... you all would still be complaining that not a single thing was done to keep the Pontiac and Saturn consumers within the family.

I give them props for trying 'something' instead of nothing!

P.S. I'm a GM enthusiast that posts on a GM blog site... surprise surprise... I see nothing but GM bashing. *sigh*

[ZvetteGuy]

Originally Posted by cgriff

I agree! I am, like most here, a GM loyalist but am offended that this is all I'm worth as a Saturn owner. The lease on my Aura is due up in February and I am shopping now. I am beginning to feel less pressure to stay in the GM family. Maybe I should look at the other domestic OEM across town.

As the new marketing slogan states... MAY THE BEST CAR WIN!

Good luck with your new car hunting.

[Tony's BlkGTP]

Originally Posted by TAMark

I change my own oil. Susan you can stick that coupon in your ear.

I change the oil and perform all the maintenance and repairs to my car. However, I'm probably not they will try to reach out to because I didn't purchase my Grand Prix new. It was 3 yrs old when I purchased it. As for GM trying to lead me to their current brands, well, I have absolutely no interest in anything that Chevrolet offers unless they will heavily discount a Corvette for me. Otherwise, the rest of the lineup doesn't appeal to me in the least bit. I would gladly take a new Acadia, but I can't afford that for now. Buick has a chance, if and only if they offer a Regal very similar to the Insignal OPC sold overseas with a manual and awd.

[graycav56]

Originally Posted by ZvetteGuy

Well, you all can nit-pic all you want... but, at least the General is trying some things to 'persuade' some to stay with them. If they did nothing at all... you all would still be complaining that not a single thing was done to keep the Pontiac and Saturn consumers within the family.

I give them props for trying 'something' instead of nothing!

P.S. I'm a GM enthusiast that posts on a GM blog site... surprise surprise... I see nothing but GM bashing. *sigh*

But this just reeks of a knee jerk reaction without any detailed analysis of what will REALLY work. A free oil change MAY entice me to keep using my local dealer for routine service, but I doubt it will do ANYTHING to convince me to purchase my next vehicle from GM.

And I'm not thinking that just throwing money at the problem will do it either, but if they made an honest effort to accomodate the losses incurred by Saturn and Pontiac owners (by the drop in resale value of their cars) it just may help a bit. It doesn't affect me personally because our Aura is a SmartBuy that will be turned in at the end of the term.