What to expect when picking up your vehicle

We live in a world where everything has been streamlined and convenience is king. Now we have drive through windows everywhere, even pharmacies. We can buy our groceries online, schedule flights and book hotel rooms, order pizza and, as you have probably noticed, you can get a lot of your car buying research done on the Internet as well. And while you can pick out a car online, get quotes and even submit financing information, it is important to know what you should expect when you make it to the dealership for the delivery of your new vehicle.

People are busier than ever and most dealerships will do whatever they can to make the delivery and vehicle orientation process as convenient as possible. You should know though, that the happiest and most satisfied customers are the ones who are able to take their time during the delivery process and are able to get comfortable with their vehicle before they leave the dealership.

When making plans to come and pick up your vehicle, we recommend you plan on spending 60 to 90 minutes at the dealership. Late afternoons and early evenings are usually when dealerships are the busiest and your delivery may take a little longer, so if you can, schedule your delivery in the morning or early afternoon since it may actually save you time.

If you have never purchased a car from a dealership before, or if it has been a while since you have gone through the process, a refresher on what to expect maybe helpful.

We will make sure we have all the information we need to make sure the vehicle is registered properly (a copy of your Driver's License, Proof of Insurance, registration for the license plate you may be transferring etc) and we'll go over any of the paperwork you'll need to fill out for the manufacturer and the dealership. If we have set up financing for your vehicle you'll sit down with one of our Business Manager's to discuss the contract and financing terms and have any of your questions answered.

After that we will register your vehicle through the Secretary of State right at the dealership and give you a tour of the dealership so you will be comfortable if you ever need to come back for service or body work.

Finally we will go over your vehicle with you inside and out to help you get comfortable with the features and controls.

As you can see, there is a lot more involved than just coming in and picking up the keys to your new vehicle and it is our goal to make sure you are completely satisfied before you leave the dealership with your new car.

Exciting Changes to the GM Certified Program

In a previous post we talked about the benefits purchasing of a GM Certified Pre-owned vehicle. Well those benefits just got better.

GM has increased the warranty associated with GM Certified Vehicles to 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. That's an increase of 9 months or 9,000 miles of coverage from the previous warranty. GM Certified Pre-owned vehicles are also covered with the 100,000-Mile/5-Year Powertrain Limited Warranty.

Now you can have even more peace of mind when purchasing a GM Certified vehicle.

To refresh your memory, here are a list of the benefits that come with buying a GM Certified Pre-owned vehicle -

• 100,000-Mile/5-Year Powertrain Limited Warranty

• 12-Month/12,000-Mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty Extension

• 117-Point Inspection

• Vehicle History Report

• Like-New Vehicle Financing for Qualified Buyers

• Vehicles with the latest generation of Onstar get 3 months of Free Onstar Safe & Sound Service

• Vehicles equipped with a factory installed XM System receive 3 months of Free XM Service

The party is still going! GMS To Everyone Extended and Expanded!

GM as announced that their GM Employee Discount to Everyone special has been extended until 9/30/08 and even better news - they've expanded it to more vehicles!

Here is a current list of Chevy's that are included in this program that can save you thousands!

• All remaining 2008 Chevrolets
• 2009 Chevy Cobalt
• 2009 Chevy Impala
• 2009 Chevy Malibu
• 2009 Chevy HHR
• 2009 Chevy Equinox
• 2009 Chevy Avalanche
• 2009 Chevy Silverado

Please feel free to contact us if you need any information!

Financing your next vehicle?

Researching and picking out your new vehicle is a big step and two of the questions that many people ask is if they will qualify for financing and how they go about getting financed. This can be a needlessly confusing issue because there hundreds of sites on the Internet telling potential buyers what they should watch out for if they have a dealership set up financing for them. Some of those sites are very helpful but some of them give information that is flat out wrong and can cause you unneeded frustration and anxiety.

First off, a couple of facts.

A vast majority of people who do finance a vehicle let their dealership handle the financing for them. It saves them the time of having to go back and forth between the dealership and their bank and also allows them access to better interest rates and programs since most dealerships, including Graff in Bay City, work with many different banks, credit unions and lending institutions.

Dealerships may also have access to special low interest rates from the manufacturer and most reputable dealerships will work their hardest to get the best programs available for their customers. Positive word of mouth and a good reputation are both very important to a dealership's success, so any dealership that wants to be successful and grow will do whatever it can to keep customers satisfied and happy.

Another common question people have is what the qualifications are for getting financed. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule to give a yes or no on vehicle financing. Your credit score will play a factor along with the vehicle you pick choose. There are a few things that almost all lenders require for financing. You will need to be at least 18 years old and be able to provide 2 years of address history, 2 years of employment history and need to have at least $1,200 a month in taxable income.

If you aren't able to meet those qualifications, a down payment or a co-signer on your loan are two things that can make things much easier for you.

Its Back- GMS To Everyone!

Now through September 2^nd GM is allowing everyone to purchase or lease a new vehicle at the price that is available to its employees and retirees. This discounted price can be used with available rebates and incentives and can save buyers thousands of dollars.

All remaining 2008 Chevy models and the 2009 Cobalt and HHR are included in this offer. The sooner you can take advantage of the offer the better since there are limited supplies of most 2008 vehicles. The earlier you take advantage of this offer the better your selection of vehicles will be!

You can get additional information on this great opportunity at WWW.GRAFFBAYCITY.COM

The All New Chevy Traverse is coming!

If you live in Michigan, Traverse is one of those names that might cause you to take a second look. Whether you say it like the city famous for cherries in Northwest Michigan, or how you'll probably hear it in the commercials, its a great addition to the Chevy line up.

The Traverse is built on the same vehicle architecture as the hugely popular Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook but has a design and available packages that are pure Chevrolet.

The Traverse adds something to the Chevy line-up that we get asked about every day, a crossover able to carry up to 8-passengers and still get great gas mileage. The Traverse will give all of that and more. With an estimated 24 Highway Miles Per Gallon it will have the best Highway Fuel Economy of any 8-passenger SUV. It also has more cargo space than any other vehicle in its class!

Available in Front Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive models and equipped with 6 standard air bags, the Traverse is expected to have 5-Star Safety ratings. It will also come standard with 1 year of Onstar Safe & Sound and Directions & Connections package.

We are expecting the Traverse to start arriving here at Graff in the 4^th Quarter of 2008, but you can contact us or visit the Chevy Traverse Website now for more details!

What is a GM Certified Vehicle?

One of the biggest benefits of buying a Pre-owned vehicle from a General Motors affiliated dealership is your access to GM Certified Vehicles. When a vehicle has been GM Certified, it can give you additional peace of mind and also add value to your vehicle.

To be considered for GM Certification, a vehicle needs to be a 2004 or newer and have less than 60,000 miles. It will also go through a detailed 117 point inspection and issues are corrected before it will be considered GM Certified.

A GM Certified Vehicle has some great benefits for the buyer -

• 100,000-Mile/5-Year Powertrain Limited Warranty

• 3-Month/3,000-Mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty Extension

• 117-Point Inspection

• Vehicle History Report

• Like-New Vehicle Financing for Qualified Buyers

• Vehicles with the latest generation of Onstar get 3 months of Free Onstar Safe & Sound Service

• Vehicles equipped with a factory installed XM System receive 3 months of Free XM Service

There is really no downside to a GM Certified vehicle, so keep these benefits in mind when you or someone you know is in the market for their next vehicle!

For complete information on GM Certified vehicles check out WWW.GMCERTIFIED.COM