One-fourth of U.S. drivers have trouble paying for auto repairs, AAA says

People are delaying car repairs to save money.

By: Joseph Lichterman, Automotive News on 8/04/2011

Americans have difficulty paying for costly vehicle repairs and are driving older cars longer, according to a survey released by AAA.
One quarter of American drivers said they would be unable to pay for repairs to their vehicle of more than $2,000, and one in eight said they would be unable to pay for repairs of more than $1,000, the survey said.
More than half of drivers said they are still driving an older vehicle “because they do not want the financial burden of a new one,” the survey said. And 25 percent of drivers said they have put off repairs in the past year because the repairs would cost too much.
By neglecting repairs, drivers increase the odds that they will need a costly repair, Marshall Doney, AAA vice president of automotive and financial services, said in a statement.
“Economic conditions have taken their toll on many Americans resulting in them neglecting their cars and leaving them at increased risk for very expensive repair bills,” Doney said. “Many Americans rely on their cars for their livelihood, and losing access to them could be financially devastating during an already troubling economic time.”
This is the first time AAA has commissioned such a survey, spokeswoman Christie Hyde said.
A recent J.D. Power and Associates study showed that consumers are spending less on repairs.
In 2005, the average driver spent $181 on maintenance and repairs. This year, the total has dropped to $169.
And while drivers are spending less, they're driving more, auto service consultant Lloyd Schiller said. In late 2008, cars going to dealership service departments had an average of 61,000 miles on the odometer. Early this year, the average climbed to 78,000 miles.
Still, it's important for drivers to have a plan in case they need to pay for emergency vehicle repairs, Doney said.
Thirty-eight percent of the AAA survey respondents said they would pay for $2,000 in repairs with money from their savings account, but 20 percent said they would pay with a credit card.
Another 11 percent said they would have to borrow money to pay for a $2,000 bill, according to the survey.
The figures were somewhat higher for a hypothetical $1,000 repair bill: 46 percent of Americans would pay with savings, 22 percent with a credit card and 14 percent said they would need to take out a loan.
Typically, according to AAA, transmission repairs can cost between $2,000 and $4,000, engine repairs are likely to top $5,000 and the cost to fix a set of brakes can be between $350 and $1,000

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110804/CARNEWS/110809939#ixzz1ZNXnAtnN

OnStar Is Watching (Even After Your Subscription Expires)

General Motors' OnStar

 

UPDATE: OnStar has issued a video clarifying the TOS. It's embedded below. 

Every day, it seems the world gets a little smaller, and like a slowly shrinking dormitory, it becomes harder to get any privacy. Sadly, the latest Terms of Service agreement from OnStar isn't making things easier for subscribers -- or non-subscribers, for that matter.

OnStar's new TOS will roll out this December, and to OnStar's credit, it's doing the necessary due diligence by notifying consumers in advance. However, in this case there's a fine line between upgrading the terms of service and completely changing the rules of the game.
For most consumers, the biggest stumbling block with the new TOS is the fact that OnStar now has the right to record your location, speed, safety belt usage, whether the car is running or not, and other factors as it sees fit -- and it can share that data with "any third party, provided the information is anonymized". (Read the full PDF here.) By "third party" we assume OnStar means advertisers, app developers, and anyone else who's willing to pay for the data.
The second stumbling block is that OnStar gives owners the opportunity to deactivate the service -- but only if they contact OnStar and opt out.
And the third stumbling block is that OnStar will continue collecting all the aforementioned information, even if owners cancel their subscriptions. That's frustrating for everyone but GM, which can keep making money off of inactive hardware.
The good and the bad
In a way, the resistance that many folks feel to these Terms of Service is the same resistance that consumers experienced when telephones became widespread in the early part of the 20th century, or when mobile phones became commonplace 80 years later. Do these things represent an invasion of privacy? Sure, but they're also just another sign of our changing world -- and change isn't all bad.
For example, as OnStar tracks the location and speed of vehicles, it can share that data with traffic services that can, in turn, make our travels simpler and more enjoyable. This sort of data collection also enables partnerships like the kind we saw the other day between Ford and location-based coupon service, Roximity. Not everyone will want to make use of such services now, but in the future, chances are good that we'll wonder how we ever got along without them. (Much like mobile phones.)
On the downside, this puts OnStar subscribers one step closer to fulfilling George Orwell's "Big Brother" fantasy. Yes, OnStar says that the data it collects is meant to be anonymous, but all it takes is a couple of clever hackers to change that. And even if the data remains anonymous, drivers must still contend with the creepy feeling of being watched.
The backlash against OnStar is muted at the moment, overwhelmed by the backlash against Netflix and Facebook (though Facebook is supposed to announce something big and mind-blowing later today that might change consumer sentiment). Still, OnStar's roll-out of these Terms of Service might've been smoother if the company had made data tracking opt-in. Just a suggestion for next time.
UPDATE: Here's a video of Joanne Finnorn, vice president of OnStar's Subscriber Services, clarifying the new TOS (h/t Kurt):

World's Oldest Running Car Goes on the Block

1884 DeDion Runabout set many early records

Image from DetroitBureau.com

The 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout has had only four owners, the last family holding onto it for 81 years.

By Paul A. Eisenstein

TheDetroitBureau.com

 

updated 9/27/2011 3:39:51 PM ET

DETROIT — The name alone might explain why they didn’t sell more.

The world’s oldest running automobile carries a name that would almost wrap around its tiny body. But expect that someone will be writing a check with nearly as long a price tag when an 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout goes on the RM Auction block next month in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
And it will get there under its own power. A total of just 20 of the tricycle-style De Dions were produced in 1884, of which only six are known to survive. And the one being auctioned off is the only copy that can still run under its own power.
At 127 years of age, the Runabout raises a question about who actually created the modern automobile. Mercedes-Benz, which is generally given credit, is just celebrating its 125th anniversary. But the German marque’s first offering introduced the idea of using petroleum to power an internal combustion engine. The De Dion was a steam-powered cruiser.
Nonetheless, it delivered impressive performance for its day, achieving a claimed top speed of 38 miles per hour with a range of 20 miles on a 40-gallon tank of water.
Nicknamed “La Marquise,” in honor of Count De Dion’s mother, the 9-foot-long steamer seats four, front and rear passengers sitting back-to-back, which is why it was known as a dos-a-dos. The Runabout uses a tiller-like spade handle for steering. The boiler is located under the seats. Using coke or coal it takes 45 minutes to build up the necessary head of steam to get it moving. Two independent engines are used, one for each of the front wheels.
It won what is claimed to have been the world’s first automobile race; and though it was the only entrant it nonetheless reached a top speed of 37 mph and averaging 18 mph over the 20-mile course.

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The 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout has had only four owners, the last family holding onto it for 81 years.
RM estimates it will command a winning bid of anywhere from $2 million to $2.5 million.

Online Car-Buying Scams — Are You At Risk?

Posted on September 22nd, 2011 by Dealer in News

IRVINE, Calif. — Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com the leading provider of new car and used car information warns online car buyers of a scam using a fake Kelley Blue Book website.  The scams look to solicit funds from buyers via an escrow-based, guaranteed buyer-protection program, which Kelley Blue Book does not offer.  Kelley Blue Book has received a small but increasing number of inquiries over the last few months regarding the protection program.  The FBI claims that every 90 minutes a complaint is filed and an auto shopper loses $1,000 every hour due to fraudulent websites and phony vehicle listings.
Kelley Blue Book warns that any escrow-based consumer-to-consumer service or Buyer & Seller Protection Program offered under its name is a scam. Car shoppers should be aware that imitation websites have a similar look-and-feel to the actual kbb.com and they should be cognizant of the domain name (URL) and email address (view the actual address, not the display name) provided by the seller.  Car shoppers that encounter this type of offer from online sellers are strongly urged to report the seller to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
How the Scam Often Works:

1. Typically, a seller will list a car that they do not own on a reputable vehicle listings website.  Emails from the seller often provide a story about a quick divorce or military deployment that requires fast liquidation of the vehicle at a low price and the inability to execute the sale in person.
2. The next phase of the scam includes the seller moving the transaction to a fraudulent website other than where the car was listed, making it easier to conduct a crime.  The alternate site may include guarantees that are backed by reputable companies, promises for the return of funds should a vehicle not be delivered, and may look similar to Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com website by using logos and similar fonts and colors.  The majority of these sites are often poorly written with multiple spelling errors.
3. The seller then instructs the potential buyer to wire a partial or full payment to a third-party, such as Kelley Blue Book and fax the seller proof of payment.  By the time the buyer realizes what has happened, the money and the seller are long gone.

“Recently, criminals have added sophisticated technology to their scam by adding 800 numbers and offering live chat with potential buyers in an effort to ease their concerns about online car buying and detailed information on the fraudulent buyer protection programs,” said Shayne Brown, associate general counsel, Kelley Blue Book.  ”Kelley Blue Book is working diligently to have these sites removed from the Internet, but in the mean time, car shoppers should know that any type of online consumer escrow service backed by our company is a scam.”
For tips on how to protect yourself from phony online car-buying scams or fraudulent buyer protection programs, visit the FBI website at http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/august/car_081511/car_081511.
For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), or like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb.
About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry.  Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week.  The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies.  Kbb.com provides consumer pricing and information on minivans, pickup-trucks, cars, hybrids and SUVs.  Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader.com.

How to transport children safely

Facing the rear: Children are five times safer facing the rear until they are two years old and should ride in that position unless they exceed the maximum rear-facing weight or height allowed by the seat maker. Rear-facing child seats provide the best protection for the head, neck and spinal cord.

Child seat technician and crash surivor Anne Hamilton says it's typical for babies in rear-facing seats to get fussy when they are 7 to 9 months old, but that they get through it and can adjust well to the position for many more months.

Facing the front: Children aged 2 or older (and those younger than 2 who have outgrown their convertible safety seats) should ride in forward-facing safety seats with harnesses until they reach the maximum weight or height allowed by the manufacturer. All models can be used up to 40 pounds, but many newer harness designs can be used until children weigh 50, 65, or more pounds. Front-facing harnesses spread force over wide areas of small bodies, reducing injury risk.

• STORY: Most parents fail child car safety seat test, study says

• VIDEO: Child seat expert on how you can improve your child's safety

Make sure child seats are attached snugly. And don't forget to use the top tether strap to keep the child's head from flying forward in a crash, says Marc Cohen, who became a child seaat technician after his 2-year-old grandson died in a crash. He was in a child seat that was not properly installed.

In a booster: Children who have outgrown the weight or height limits of forward-facing safety seats should ride in belt-positioning booster seats until the vehicle lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. This is usually between ages 8 and 12. The lap belt should fit flat across a child's upper thighs and the shoulder belt should cross snugly over the middle of a child's shoulder. Booster seats keep belts on body parts that don't injure as easily as internal organs.

In a belt: A seat belt fits when a child's back and hips are against the vehicle seat back and their knees bend naturally over the front edge of the seat; the lap portion of the seat belt stays low and snug across the upper thighs; the shoulder portion stays snug across the mid-chest and shoulder; and this position can be maintained for the ride.

In the back seat: Children under 13 are 40% safer in the back seat, whether or not there are air bags. And never place a child in a rear-facing child seat near an active frontal air bag.

Source: Traffic Safety Projects; USA TODAY research

Nielsen’s “State of the Media: The Social Media Report – Q3 2011

• Posted by Joseph Little on September 13, 2011 at 10:27am in Websites/SEO/SocialMedia
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Social media’s popularity continues to grow, connecting people with just about everything they watch and buy. Whether it’s a brand icon inviting consumers to connect with a company on LinkedIn, a news ticker promoting an anchor’s Twitter handle or an advertise-ment asking a consumer to “Like” a product on Facebook, people are constantly being driven to social media. The latest Nielsen insights provide some answers on exactly how powerful this influence is on consumer behavior, both online and off.In the U.S., social networks and blogs reach nearly 80 percent of active U.S. Internet users and represent the majority of Americans’ time online. The value of the time consumers spend online and on social networks and blogs continues to grow, most visible through the influence on purchase decisions. For instance, 60 percent of people who use three or more digital means of research for product purchases learned about a specific brand or retailer from a social networking site. Forty-eight percent of these consumers responded to a retailer’s offer posted on Facebook or Twitter.As the influence of social media – and those using social media – continues to grow, it’s crucial for traditional media, retailers, brands and advertisers to understand how different consumer segments use and share content. Nielsen’s “State of the Media: The Social Media Report – Q3 2011” presents a snapshot of the current social media landscape and audiences in the U.S. and other major markets.

Key Findings:

• Social networks and blogs continue to dominate Americans’ time online, now accounting for nearly a quarter of total time spent on the Internet
• Social media has grown rapidly – today nearly 4 in 5 active Internet users visit social networks and blogs
• Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other U.S. website
• Close to 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their mobile phone
• Social networking apps are the third most-used among U.S. smartphone owners Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social network-ing through the Mobile Internet
• Although a larger number of women view online video on social networks and blogs, men are the heaviest online video users overall streaming more videos and watching them longer
• 70 percent of active online adult social networkers shop online, 12 percent more likely than the average adult Internet user
• 53 percent of active adult social networkers follow a brand, while 32 percent follow a celebrity
• Across a snapshot of 10 major global markets, social networks and blogs reach over three-quarters of active Internet users
• Tumblr is an emerging player in social media, nearly tripling its audience from a year ago 

Survey: 28% of American adults use mobile and social location-based services

Posted on September 8th, 2011 by Dealer in News

WASHINGTON – More than a quarter (28%) of all American adults use mobile or social location-based services of some kind. This includes anyone who takes part in one or more of the following activities:

• 28% of cell owners use phones to get directions or recommendations based on their current location.
• A much smaller number (5% of cell owners) use their phones to check in to locations using geosocial services such as Foursquare or Gowalla. Smartphone owners are especially likely to use these services on their phones, with 12% doing so.
• 9% of internet users set up social media services such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn so that their location is automatically included in their posts on those services.

Taken together, 28% of U.S. adults do at least one of these activities either on a computer or using their mobile phones—and many users do several of them. These figures come from a new national survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and represent Project’s most expansive study of location services to date.

 

“Americans are not currently all that eager to share explicitly their location on social media sites, but they are taking advantage of their phones’ geolocation capabilities in other ways,” said Kathryn Zickuhr, Pew Internet Project research specialist and co-author of the report. “Smartphone owners are using their phones to get fast access to location-relevant information on-the-go.”
Several groups have higher-than-average rates of location service usage, including:

• Smartphone owners – One in ten smartphone owners (12%) have used a geosocial (“check in”) service such as Foursquare or Gowalla, and 55% of smartphone owners have used a location-based information service to get directions, recommendations, or other information based on their current location.
• Almost six in ten smartphone owners (58%) use at least one of these services. These are all well above the average for cell owners as a whole.
• Younger users – Smartphone owners ages 18-49 are more likely than those over 50 to use either geosocial or location-based services on their phones. There are no significant differences among social media users by age in regard to automatic location-tagging.
• Non-whites – Geosocial services and automatic location-tagging are most popular with minorities, continuing a trend of mobile connectivity that has been seen in other Pew Internet surveys. Hispanics are the most active in these two activities, with a quarter (25%) of Latino smartphone owners using geosocial services and almost a third (31%) of Latino social media users enabling automatic location-tagging. However, though only 7% of white smartphone owners use geosocial services, 59% get location-based information on their phones, compared with 53% of blacks and 44% of Hispanics.

About this survey

• This report is based on the results of a nationally representative telephone survey of 2,277 American adults (age 18+) conducted April 26-May 22, 2011.
• Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish, by landline and cell phone.
• For results based on all adults, the margin of error is +/-2 percentage points.

Click here for more information: http://pewinternet.org/Press-Releases/2011/Location.aspx

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