This’ll be a short thread.
In California, car dealers typically advertise their dealership on the license plate frames; not on the car itself.
When I see cars from other states, they more often than not (IME) have chrome plaques on them, usually on the deck lid. Does someone at the dealership drill holes in my brand-new car and put this gaudy thing on it? Or are they applied with adhesive? Can you have them not put it on? Why does this unsightly practice seem not to happen in California?
I think most of them are with adhesive, still, I don’t think you’ll get it off without ruining the finish.
I have a good one. My car is leased, but I got it through a broker, who found me the price I wanted. Well, the broker got the car through a dealer in New Jersey. I’m in New York, So I have the Jersey dealer’s plaque on the trunk lid, and my service dealer’s plate frames.
If it jams, force it; if it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.
This has been covered extensively before. It developed into a “I’m not getting paid to advertise for that bastard” opinion, countered by “My dealer gave me excellent service and value, I feel OK refering him business based on that experience” by a few generous folks. The search engine is kapput at the moment, so I can’t track it down for you, sorry. Maybe a moderator or more lucky soul could find it for you.
I know the cars in Chicago have a combination of methods for doing this. The license plate frame is around, but isn’t permanent enough for most dealers. It might be a California ordinance the prevents the permanent methods. The dealer my parents and I use uses a type of white reflective paint on the trunk lid. Not terribly attractive, but it isn’t overbearing. The chrome/plastic siver emblems seem to be the stadard for higher end dealers.
My guess would be that the dealers like to use the most permanent method possible. That leads me to believe that your state may have taken special steps to limit that. I’m sure every dealer uses its own method including all the ones you mention. I do know that the dealer will (and maybe must) remove it if you request it. I suspect many would either warn that they can’t or are unable to remove it to disseude you. Try explaining that you’ll go to the dealer down the road and buy it, he’ll make arrangements.
It does - or at least did - happen in California.When my family bought a new '91 Volvo in southern California it had a dealer’s emblem above the Volvo logo.
JohnnyL.A. asked “? Can you have them not put it on?”
Well my dad a few years back bought a new car and asked them not to put that silly little dealership tag on his new car. On the day that he took delivery of the car he checked and it wasn’t there, so he was happy. I drove him to the dealership and followed him home. To my surprise the dealership craftily put their name on the 3rd brake light. You could only see the dealerships name when the brakes were being used. My dad was pissed.
The chrome insignias are affixed by drilling holes in the deck lid. If you tell them in advance not to add one, and they do so anyway, demand that they replace the entire deck lid at no charge. Be insistent.
Some dealers use decals. Here in Texas, lots of dealers etch their name and city in the bumpers of pickup trucks.
You could insist that the dealer pay for the privilege of advertising on a car that you buy. But don’t do so while wearing an Old Navy shirt, Guess jeans, and Nike sneakers.
Has anyone else noticed that used car dealers will remove the original decal (from when the car new) and replace it with one of their own? Am I making this up? How come we never see the damages to the paint/finish from when one of those things is removed?
Oh, and another thing - when the dealer put his logo on my current car, it was put on CROOKED. Of course I didn’t notice it until a few days later and by that time it was “too late” for them to do anything about it. What kind of glue do they use anyway?
No reads the fine print but me, I guess. In the fine print, you are signing expressed permission (consent) for the dealer to do so. Because everything is negotiable, you can arrange to not have the dealer nameplate placed on your new car.
What really puzzles me, though, are cars without any make or model names appearing on the car. Maybe I need a finer-toothed comb!
“They’re coming to take me away ha-ha, ho-ho, hee-hee, to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time… :)” - Napoleon IV
We have a local [California] dealership called BUTTS.
They put their name on it all the time. Its sort of funny to see them:
Butt’s Pontiac, Butts GMC etc.
If it jams, force it; if it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.
I generally hate giving free advertising but the dealer I bought my truck from did it in a discreet enough way I really don’t mind. The license plate frames came off in a day but they put the dealer name on the tailgate with a small discreet decal the same color as the factory lettering. If it had been any more than that I would have complained.
I bought my topper shell from a dealer in Phoenix that is known for a big gaudy plaque pop rivited to the window frame. I told the salesman they could not put one on but they snuck in a decal on the window itself when they installed it. Not worth bringing it up as a single edge razor made short work of it.