GM is going to offer a money back guarantee? Ok

September 14, 2009 – 10:04 am – No Comment

GM really wants to draw in customers. They didn’t do as well through the cash for clunkers program as their competitors did and now it looks like the company is actually doing something about sluggish sales to help draw in customers that are wary of the company.

GM will begin offering a money back guarantee on all their cars. The terms are that anytime up to 60 days after you purchase your new car, you can bring it back in for a full refund.

The program is called “May the Best Car Win.”

So, you can expect a barrage of advertisements no doubt about people who have been wary of the company in the past and since it filed for bankruptcy protection. GM already has one that is going to start going into rotation with the new GM Chairman Edward Whitacre Jr. where he tells viewers about his doubts in the company and how his opinion has changed over the summer.

The program is only set to run through November 30th.

Of course, there are a few stipulations to the refund. First, the purchasers have to be current on all the payments on the vehicle and secondly, the car can’t have more than 4,000 miles on it. It also only applies to the four brands that are still standing after the bankruptcy filing: GMC, Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac. It also only applies to new cars.

GM has a lot of work to do to catch up with Toyota and Honda. I believe that the company offering a money back refund is probably one of the better things it can do. The only problem I can see coming about from the program is that many of the people who go to return the car for the refund will find themselves being pressured to keep the car. I, like I have said in the past, am not a huge fan of high pressure sales tactics and this is something that would likely keep me away from GM.

I do applaud GM for trying though. At least the company is attempting to do something besides offer more money off the price of a car. I like that they recognize and are attempting to do something about the fact that many potential customers still view their cars as unreliable and cheap.