GM Offers $2,000 For Closed Dealers' Customers

Believing that even if the some dealerships will be closed as a result of this year's bankruptcy the customers of the respective stores don't have to switch to Toyota or such, American manufacturer GM plans on offering, for the next 45 day, incentives of up to $2,000, based on the customer's "likeihood to purchase a GM vehicle and the relative distance to the next closest dealer," according to a GM letter quoted by Autonews.

“This is our way of trying to keep our current customers in the GM family by making it easy for them to get back into a dealership," Jordana Strosberg, GM spokeswoman told the source.

GM is offering in between $1,000 and $2,000 to those coming from areas where dealerships will be closed, based on the aforementioned criteria. The incentive is on the table for all of the manufacturer's remaining brands.

The incentive has somewhat displeased the dealers, who are still hoping for a reversal of the manufacturer's decision. In the dealers' opinion, this move is a clear indication that GM has no intention of reassessing its position.

“This is an inappropriate time to take such an aggressive measure,” Tamara Darvish, a leader of the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights told Autonews “If in fact dealer rights are to be restored, why would GM go in and move all those customers?”

At this time, GM operates through 5,860 dealerships, a number which will be reduced to between 3,600 and 4,000 in the long run, as stipulated in the bankruptcy filing.