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got a Dear John letter from Pontiac


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So I got a dear John letter from the VP (I forgot her name) of the Buick-Pontiac-GMC division letting me know that they were killing Pontiac and the letter acknowledged the fact as a fan of Pontiac that I probably already had heard the bad news. She went on to say that GM acknowledged the fact that I was a loyal customer and that would assure me that my vehicles would continue to be serviced at the dealerships and how they were working hard to keep me as a customer.

As soon as I get a chance I will reply for what it is worth. I will let them know their idea of keeping a loyal customer is by closing down his favorite marque even though it is the number three selling division in GM. That I was considering a G8, but now will pass because the resale value will suck ( I won't tell them I keep my cars for a long time, so resale value does not mean much to me) and that in another cost cutting measure will probably terminate producing parts much earlier for said G8 so now Pontiac is off my shopping list. In fact I will let them know that GM is OFF my list for my NEXT car because I believe GM is now irrelevent and no one will buy their cars now that they are in bed with Obama who is telling them what to do as a company. It looks like Ford will be the only American company left for me to consider. And if Ford goes away...then BMW will be on my list. As far as Chrysler, thsi whole Bankruptcy and Fiat bull$h! Obama was spewing last week means utter disaster for Chrysler and they will not survive either.

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Awaiting for me, well actually my wife since she owns the G6, was her Dear Joan letter from Pontiac. Here's the contents of the letter, in case anyone cares/wants to know:

Dear Sylvia,

I wanted you to hear direcetly from General Motors about an important announcement we made recently to phase out the Pontiac brand by year end 2010. As a Pontiac owner, you are part of a rich heritage and tradition that had its inception back in 1926. Pontiac has some of the best-looking, best-driving and best-engineered cars int eh U.S., and this was a particularly difficult business decision for us to make.

As a valued Pontiac and General Motors customer, I want to assure you that we are very sensitive to your concerns and needs. Pontiac will continue in operation through the end of 2010 and, following that date, you will continue to be able to receive service on your Pontiac vehicle at any Buick-Pontiac-GMC Dealer. Your Pontiac vehicle warratny coverage is unchanged. Please refer to your vehicle warranty booklet for specific details on your vehicle's coverage.

As GM reinvents itself for you and our future customers, we want to thank you for your business. We will work hard to keep you in our family, providing some of the finest quality vehicles in the world.

If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to call our Pontiac Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-762-2737.

Sincerely,

Susan E. Docherty

North American Vice President

Buick-Pontiac-GMC

I will say that having been a GM fan all of my life (if you've read any of my posts about my grandpa's '55 GMC and how it was my childhood playground as it sat in his backyard since '80, you'll understand where I'm coming from as I declare myself a GM fan since '80 - at a mere 5 years old!), I can't say that I will not look to GM for my vehicle needs in the future. Depending on what they are, mainly the wife and her needs and how Chevy or Buick can handle them, I may stray from GM but I feel it's very unlikely (her new favorite GM vehicle is the all-new 2010 Buick LaCrosse, and the GMC Trucks brand for now has been spared death's grip). The news - including this sad letter confirming it to current Pontiac owners - doesn't help soothe the pain that Pontiac enthusiasts feel, but Pontiac was GM and GM was Pontiac, so my love of GM will go on.

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Well, old Sue did send me a letter after all.

Maybe I should give her a call?!!

Cold blooded ripping is your forte, go for it.

But it will be banging the head against granite. :)

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I might call just to see what they say.

Do it. Just let it out and get over with it and move on. Life is too small and precious to be venting about mistakes others have made consistently. It is their loss.

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Here is the response I got from GM:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for contacting the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center. We appreciate you taking the time to write us regarding your comments on the news of Pontiacs closure.

We are grateful for your faith in Pontiac. Anyone who has been associated with the Pontiac brand knows that this was a difficult decision. Pontiac has had a rich and storied history, but unfortunately, despite the efforts of all concerned, the brand has been unprofitable over the past several years. We had hoped in our February 17 Viability Plan to convert Pontiac to a niche brand within the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel. However, the Viability Plan as submitted was not acceptable. GM was further challenged to take more significant restructuring actions which would allow the company to be viable even in these unprecedented market conditions and in any future cyclical market downturns. These restructuring actions require further sacrifice by all stakeholders: GM employees, suppliers, investors and dealers.

As part of these renewed restructuring efforts, we spent considerable time formulating Pontiac portfolio scenarios that would allow the brand to be sustainable and profitable long term. Unfortunately, after careful evaluation, none of these scenarios proved viable.

In the meantime, your warranty coverage is safe and sound, and GM dealerships remain open for sales and service. GM values its customers and we appreciate your loyalty. And, we are more committed than ever to making every car and truck we build a winner and to providing the best ownership experience in the industry. More information about the contents of the viability plan is available on www.gmfactsandfiction.com.

One of the best things about America is that we have the freedom to openly discuss our personal values, ideas and beliefs. At GM, we recognize that individuals have many different views. Thank you for letting us know how you feel.

We hope this email has been most helpful to you. If you should need to contact us in the future, simply reply to this message or call our Pontiac Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-762-2737. Customer Relationship Specialists are available Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, Closed Sunday.

Again, thank you for contacting Pontiac.

Sincerely,

The Pontiac Consumer Support Team

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A loyatly incentive program to current Pontiac owners - especially those within the last 5-10 years who've stuck around - would have been a nice gesture on Pontiac/GMs part. It would help encourage those Pontiac enthusiasts to maybe get their last new Pontiac while they still can, and every little incentive would possibly motivate these specific buyers to do so quickly (make it only available to Pontiac owners, especially to the people receiving these letters, so that it's targeted to a select number of people and not every Tom, Dick or Harry).

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A loyatly incentive program to current Pontiac owners - especially those within the last 5-10 years who've stuck around - would have been a nice gesture on Pontiac/GMs part. It would help encourage those Pontiac enthusiasts to maybe get their last new Pontiac while they still can, and every little incentive would possibly motivate these specific buyers to do so quickly (make it only available to Pontiac owners, especially to the people receiving these letters, so that it's targeted to a select number of people and not every Tom, Dick or Harry).

I just don't see that happening...

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A loyatly incentive program to current Pontiac owners - especially those within the last 5-10 years who've stuck around - would have been a nice gesture on Pontiac/GMs part. It would help encourage those Pontiac enthusiasts to maybe get their last new Pontiac while they still can, and every little incentive would possibly motivate these specific buyers to do so quickly (make it only available to Pontiac owners, especially to the people receiving these letters, so that it's targeted to a select number of people and not every Tom, Dick or Harry).

This would be a great idea!

Chris

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