Something Wicked This Way Comes

 

I have been busier the last few months than I have been in years over all. Right about the beginning of the scamdemic I was pretty slammed for a few weeks when the auto factories stopped producing emergency breathing machines and then switched back to vehicles and tried to cram about a years worth of production into three months before switching over to the next year models. YA that was pretty hectic. Some nights I would get deliveries of as many as 50+ vehicles over night that I had to sort out the next morning. It only lasted about a month total though before evening out and then it began dropping off steadily for a while.

Nothing has really been the same since. Between the emergency medical equipment foray, the chip shortage and then the government handing out free money to as many voters as they can the last two years has been a constantly changing roller-coaster of boom and bust. Some days it's a shortage issue in Indonesia the next it's a manpower issue with truck drivers. Then I am slammed again. Just take your pick. 

The worst was when factories which had been closed down and then reopened with new employees. I sometimes waste literally days on nothing but paperwork documenting damage and issues. Emblems missing, paint blemishes, half eaten turkey legs left in vehicles (OK I don't write those up but I do take pictures). 

Once I found a sexual toy in one vehicle. Wasted 45 minutes trying to steal a pair of gloves from a tech who I then had to explain why I was doing it and why I needed to remove the offending object before writing it up. 

One day I found a note in a vehicle from some quality control person that said "Unblemished". I was in a weird mood that day so I wrote on it "And Unstained - she was a good girl in College" I fully meant to take the note out and chuck it but completely forgot to. Two weeks later the couple who had bought that car brought the note in and had framed it they thought it was so funny. I breathed a sigh of relief I didn't get yelled at for it.

Along the way I have had to train a new warranty clerk on the intricacies of reporting transport damage over factory damage and why it is important. Put up with dozens of new salesmen in a panic because they couldn't tell the difference between a bug smear and an actual scratch. Show new delivery drivers that they are not as smart at hiding damage they caused themselves as they thought they were. Trained two new porters in how to check for damage before signing anything.

After all these years trust me I know all their little tricks.

The latest is now the factories are all in a panic to get vehicles delivered at the fastest rate possible. My intuition tells me they want these new vehicles delivered to a dealership faster than a money printer in Wiemar Germany wanted to get new bills into circulation. Every second those cars are not delivered they lose value I am betting  they want to stick the dealers with massive inventory to pay for before the price crash they see coming.

Every morning I have at least 12 or so vehicles already waiting for me by dawn and that is before I walk the entire complex of about 20 acres to find out how many undocumented vehicles have been left somewhere without paperwork or so much as a water bottle to keep em company.

I can't tell you exactly what is going to happen but I can say I have a lot of friends scattered about in the industry and this new development is not isolated. Some dealerships have already stopped taking new deliveries. The real problem is not that vehicle prices will crash the real issue is that most dealership do not really own the vehicles they have on their lot. Some bank/finance company owns them and they charge a fee to the dealerships to keep them as inventory. A fee that adds up quickly. 

Many people reading this might think this is a good thing and deals can be made. I can see their reasoning and a dealership might be swayed that direction but keep in mind a bank never will. A bank would rather scrap something and melt it down than see a consumer make a good deal and be happy 99% of the time.

It is very possible we could see a lot of dealerships going bankrupt if things continue to slide. It is also possible deals may be made and many will find a creative financial way around this problem too. All I am saying here is I see a potential issue that may effect us all. Not one I know will hurt us but could depending on circumstances.

I would also say if you have a vehicle from any manufacturer that came with a solid key that resides inside an electronic fob to get your key code (for making a new hard key in emergencies) checked immediately. With all these new delivery drivers, contracts and companies going bankrupt and factories hiring new employees I am guessing as much as 20% of new cars are driving around with the wrong hard key inserts in their fobs. Some models are more susceptible to this kind of mix up than others so just take em to a dealership and have em scan your code to be sure you know it in case you need new keys made or replaced. Trust me on this you don't want to find out there was a mistake made at a very inopportune time.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!