PDA

View Full Version : A set of wheels may be within sight, even from ship



thedrifter
06-04-03, 06:26 AM
A set of wheels may be within sight, even from ship
By DENNIS O'BRIEN, The Virginian-Pilot
© June 3, 2003


ABOARD THE BATAAN -- Cpl. Adam VanLowe bought a 2004 Mustang GT Monday -- in the Mediterranean Sea, with no land, let alone a car lot, in sight.
Talk about your hassle-free zone.

The showroom was the amphibious assault ship Bataan's mess deck. There was no salesman, and no price haggling. And no need to haggle -- the price was fixed, at factory invoice.

``I was just walking by and figured I'd check it out,'' said VanLowe, of Waldorf, Md. ``I think I got a pretty good deal.''

VanLowe got his deal from the Navy Auto Source overseas sales program. The Department of Defense created the programs for all branches of the service almost a decade ago for American men and women at sea or stationed abroad.

Though his was a classic impulse buy, VanLowe said he had been planning to get a new car since he left for deployment in January. His decision to buy now was influenced mostly by a pile of tax-free combat pay in the bank, not a high-pressure sales pitch.

Those aboard the Norfolk-based Bataan had their pick of new Fords, Daimler-Chryslers and GM cars, as well as Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles.

Trucks, sport utility vehicles and Harleys were the big sellers, said Paul St. Pierre, 29, a contractor for the program. St. Pierre, a salaried employee, said he sees himself as providing a service, and considers the cut-rate prices a well-deserved benefit for the men and women in the military.

``These people work really hard,'' said St. Pierre, a British expatriate based in Dubai. ``It's not like the British Navy, where guys can get off the ship, pop an earring in and go have fun.

``The American Navy is always under the microscope when they get off the ship, and, in case you haven't noticed, they don't get off a lot. And there aren't really many perks around on ship, are there?''

The prices are well below what most civilian dealers can offer. In fact, they're guaranteed to be lower than any dealer in the U.S. -- and if the buyer finds a lower price within two weeks of taking delivery, the Navy Auto Source program will pay the buyer the difference between the lowest price and the price paid on the ship.

Marine Corps reconnaissance Capt. Grant Blevins of Austin, Texas, was one of many interested in buying a new bike because of the savings.

``All the Marines I've talked to pushed buying a Harley out here versus back in the states, because they're cheaper out here than at a dealer,'' said Blevins, ``and you kill part of the wait for a new bike from the factory by being deployed.''

In the end, Blevins decided not to buy -- yet.

St. Pierre and colleague Tracy Ramey came aboard the Bataan three days ago, and will leave today. They made 20 sales in the first two days, and stayed busy processing contracts and loan requests until 10 p.m. each night. The line of potential customers standing before their table never abated.

While waiting their turn, Marines and sailors flipped through automotive brochures and picked options. Most were ready to order once they got to the table where the contractors sat side-by-side, sharing a printer between their laptops.

Once ordered, the cars and motorcycles are built to buyer specifications at the factory and delivered within 60 days to a dealership within 100 miles of a military base picked by the buyer. Those who get their own financing are required to present payment in full when the vehicle is picked up.

Despite dreams of leather seats and power everything, young Marines and sailors sometimes found that their eyes were bigger than their bank accounts. Loan amounts are limited by pay grade, and those at the lower end of the military pay scale have to go through a budget worksheet before the contractors will process their loan applications and purchasing contracts.

The budgeting paperwork at sea is done on the honor system. The Navy Auto Source contractors do not have access to credit reports, so all sales are subject to approval by the automakers' financing companies of the Navy/Marine Corps Federal Credit Union.

Ramey gets a unit commission for each sale that sticks, but said one of her company's missions is to make sure buyers aren't buried under a pile of debt.

``We have to make sure they qualify,'' said Ramey, 36, based in Bahrain. ``You don't just let an E-3 buy a $30,000 car. We have to make sure they can afford it, so a lot of times you wind up with someone wanting something high, and they end up in a Cavalier, which is what they can afford.''

Ramey said she moved more than 300 units last year.

While Ramey and St. Pierre wrapped up their second day of sales on the Bataan's mess deck Monday, Capt. Pablo Cabrera, 30, was doing his own wheeling and dealing about a car sale with his wife via e-mail.

``We're debating about whether we should do it,'' said Cabrera, of Naples, Fla., who wants either a Ford Explorer or a Chevy Suburban. Buying either car at sea will save him about $5,000 and leave a $41,000 bottom line, including all the bells and whistles.

``She's back there trying to figure out the finance costs,'' Cabrera said, ``finding a good interest rate, figuring out whether or not we'll be able to afford the insurance, so she's multi-tasking.''

But even though there are no pesky salesmen, Cabrera discovered the shipboard process comes with its own pressures.

``I was hoping to wrap this up by now,'' he said, looking at a watch that told him there were three hours left to buy. ``At first, I was like, `I have to do this now,' and I talked to my wife and she said, `Go for it.' ''

But even with the tempting savings, Cabrera decided not to pull the trigger.

``I thought about it, and this would be just like buying a car out of a magazine,'' Cabrera said. ``And I'd rather drive two or three around before I throw that kind of money on the table for a car.'' Staff writer Dennis O'Brien is with the Marines and sailors of Task Force Tarawa on their way back from Iraq. He has been with the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based Marines since they left the coast of North Carolina in mid-January.

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=54952&ran=198194


Sempers,

Roger