Car Dealer "Badges"

[Deleted]

It always annoyed me that when you buy a car the dealer acts as if it's their right to slap their badge on the car for some free advertising. I've always told them not to and they complied. I had to take my car in for some work the other day to my original dealer, usually a no no for me but it was convenient in this case and they told me they provided loaners. Being they charge 70 bucks as a diagnosis fee I figure the loaner isn't actually "free". As I'm getting ready to leave with the loaner they ask me "sticker or plateholder for my car", I said neither, then they said that's a requirement since the owner is giving you a free "loaner". I said if I come back and one of those is on my car it's getting ripped off before I go and I'm never even considering buying a car there again. They said there would be because the owner required it.

Yeah yeah, first world problems, but it really irritated me they think they can slap free advertising on everyone's car.

[Abby Normal]

I think I'm confused.  Is the sticker going on the loaner car?  If so, who cares.

Are they wanting to put it on your car, just because you had it serviced there?  Then yes, I would be pissed and would take my business elsewhere. In fact, they wouldn't even be allowed to service my car.

[Deleted]

They want to put it on mine because I had it serviced there. I'm ok with it being on the loaner.

[HoneyBBQ]

Nobody puts shit on my car. I agree with you completely. And I would throw an enormous fit if anyone defaces my vehicle on some "policy."

[siralynn]

Fortunately the "sticker" doesn't seem to be a thing on the west coast and I didn't have to deal with it for my last car purchase. (I just removed their license plate holders and replaced with my own.)

We had to raise hell with a dealership in NJ and refuse to take delivery of DH's car about 8 years ago until they removed the stupid "sticker" from the trunk. He had told them ahead of time not to put it on, but they did anyway.

Haven't heard of a dealership trying to do it to a non-new car though. That's completely ridiculous!!!!

[Deleted]

Not sure of validity but I read in a couple comments on another message board it's illegal for dealers to add those in California.

I remember my parents cars growing up had badges bolted on which really caused damage to the body/paint.

[justme]

Hmm I never thought to say don't put it on. Haven't bought new yet though.

[Bob Ross]

You should create a badge for a "business" that you "own", and slap it on the loaner before you return it.

Might I suggest "aj's sex emporium"?

[Deleted]

Feb 3, 2015 11:58:56 GMT -5 Bob Ross said:

You should create a badge for a "business" that you "own", and slap it on the loaner before you return it.

Might I suggest "aj's sex emporium"?

Actually that's a great idea, DW has a plate holder for a different car dealership and I should swap em on the loaner, competing brand as well.

[billisonboard]

I remember years ago a shipmate buying a new sports car. He was so proud of the big light across the back that said "Porsche".  He said it only cost him $700 - yeah, to be a rolling advertisement.

[kent]

Most of you are to young to know about this but, back in the old days, dealers would actually drill holes in your trunk lid to mount their "emblem." The routine back then was to tell them if they did that, the sale would be off.

[tskeeter]

Feb 3, 2015 10:55:14 GMT -5 @aj said:

It always annoyed me that when you buy a car the dealer acts as if it's their right to slap their badge on the car for some free advertising. I've always told them not to and they complied. I had to take my car in for some work the other day to my original dealer, usually a no no for me but it was convenient in this case and they told me they provided loaners. Being they charge 70 bucks as a diagnosis fee I figure the loaner isn't actually "free". As I'm getting ready to leave with the loaner they ask me "sticker or plateholder for my car", I said neither, then they said that's a requirement since the owner is giving you a free "loaner". I said if I come back and one of those is on my car it's getting ripped off before I go and I'm never even considering buying a car there again. They said there would be because the owner required it.

Yeah yeah, first world problems, but it really irritated me they think they can slap free advertising on everyone's car.

I'm with you.  The dealer is not entitled to make you their personal rolling billboard.  You could tell them sure, fine.  My fee for using my car as your advertising tool is $25 a month.  Can I have the name and office address of the owner so I can send him my invoice?

We had one car purchase where the one of the dearship employees pulled a fast one and ticked me off.  The car was delivered with a dealer logo license plate frame, which I would normally just replace.  The deal also came with lifetime car washes (I bet the salesman wished he hadn't shot off his mouth about washing the car.).  By the time the car went back to the dealer for the first weekly car wash, I had painted the license plate frame so that you were not able to see the dealer information from more than a couple of feet away.  And I kept that license plate frame on the car for years.  Even when I had to repaint it.  Every week I had an opportunity to demonstrate that I was less than satisfied with that dealership.  Even as I held them to their commitment to provide weekly car washes.   Yeah, I can get kind of pissy some times.

[Abby Normal]

Feb 3, 2015 11:17:08 GMT -5 siralynn said:

Fortunately the "sticker" doesn't seem to be a thing on the west coast and I didn't have to deal with it for my last car purchase. (I just removed their license plate holders and replaced with my own.)

That must be it because I haven't seen it much.  The license plate holders yet- stickers no.  But I've never noticed it when I've traveled to the east either.  Now I'm going to have to look for it.

No way would I let them.  Just because I'm having them work on it, does not give them the right to vandalize my car. And that is what I would consider a sticker. Nor would I want them to replace my " agility" license plate holder for a dealership one.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

LOL!

A friend of mine had some really cute license plate holders that she had purchased.  She took her car into the dealer for service, and they replaced them with their dealer ones.  She was PISSED as all get out, and when she noticed went storming back to the dealer to get her old holders - that they had discarded.

She went on the warpath and it wasn't pretty.  I think she finally got them to reimburse her for them, but they were unique and she wasn't able to easily replace them.

[Sam_2.0]

Feb 3, 2015 13:22:29 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

LOL!

A friend of mine had some really cute license plate holders that she had purchased.  She took her car into the dealer for service, and they replaced them with their dealer ones.  She was PISSED as all get out, and when she noticed went storming back to the dealer to get her old holders - that they had discarded.

She went on the warpath and it wasn't pretty.  I think she finally got them to reimburse her for them, but they were unique and she wasn't able to easily replace them.

I would be mad too!

This makes me wonder, though, for those that lease cars. Can the lease stipulate that you will keep their licence plate frames & dealer badge on the car?

[Wisconsin Beth]

The company DH works for has around a dozen company cars, all plastered with the company name in large fonts on the doors, trucks and front of the vehicles.  The owner has a Corvette which has an extremely TINY decal on the back of the Corvette.    I'm assuming that the tiny decal and that he drives it to and from work in summer = some kind of business expense. 

Hey swamp - maybe you can do that - get a Corvette w/ a small sticker on it for your law firm.  Then you have to drive it enough to count as an expense and your DH can drive it the rest of the time! 

[siralynn]

Feb 3, 2015 11:29:41 GMT -5 @aj said:

Not sure of validity but I read in a couple comments on another message board it's illegal for dealers to add those in California.

California may be expensive as crap, but there are some benefits to living here.

[Deleted]

I don't advertise any business for free and if you put anything on my car without authorization, surgical removal of the object will be required.  I would be happy to display a discrete and aesthetically pleasing decal for say, $1.00 per mile per month.  I'll even drop it to $.50 if it says, "don't like my driving? Call 111-000-))))" with their number  .  

[tskeeter]

Feb 3, 2015 15:58:02 GMT -5 siralynn said:

Feb 3, 2015 11:29:41 GMT -5 @aj said:

Not sure of validity but I read in a couple comments on another message board it's illegal for dealers to add those in California.

California may be expensive as crap, but there are some benefits to living here.

But that takes all the fun out of it.  It removes an opportunity for you to beat up on a car dealer.  I like those oppportunities!

[Deleted]

Are you guys talking about those metallic emblems with the dealer's name that they stick on the car?

I don't care one way or the other. I get free car washes at the Toyota dealership because I bought it there. I'm guessing that if I removed it, then they would have to look up my purchase before giving me the free car wash. 

When the yellow rain falls in Alabama in spring (pollen), you want your car washed every. single. day.

They can advertise for free in return.

[Deleted]

DW gets free care washes at her Toyota dealer for the same thing.

The conclusion of my story is anticlimactic, they put the plate holder on, I took it off when I got there and left.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

siralynn, it does happen in the PNW, must just not be in CA. There's one on DH's truck right now, and it annoys me. 


@aj, I don't understand how they can get away with putting the sticker on as that's not easily removable. Did you at least stick the plate frames on a plant like a hat or something?

[andi9899]

I have never seen this before. I have bought a car and had the dealership put the plate holder on that I have replaced, but never had one tell me that I had to have it there. I think I would have left and gotten my car serviced elsewhere. I have my car serviced at the same dealership every time and no one has ever said that they have to put anything on my car.

[Willing Sniper]

I've seen license plate surrounds. I saw badges when I was a kid

[msventoux]

If you wanted to raise a fit you could ask to speak to the owner or lodge a complaint with the manufacturer office.  If they won't tell you the owner's name you may be able to look it up on your state's department of corporations website.  You might not be able to find a phone number for the owner, but at the very least you could find a mailing address.  You could mail the owner back their plate holder.  

I haven't gotten a loaner car before so I don't know if they'd try to do that here.  I know when you buy a car they'll put on a dealership plate holder.  I installed my own so I wouldn't have a dealership plate holder.  I just find those type of things annoying.  I don't wear any other type of logo clothing or whatever, so I certainly don't want to advertise for their dealership. 

[tractor]

It's the first thing I take off whenever I get a new car. I don't like to advertise for them either. Never had one try to put it on when I bring one in for service though.

[zibazinski]

The Car I'm driving now is leased. Yes, it has a very cute metal emblem on it in the shape of a fox and it does entitle me to $1 car washes. In this crappy weather, it's a godsend.