You make a good arguement Lugnut


-Matt-

 

The mass recall itself is negative publicity. Once there's a mass recall, no one cares about all of the twists and turns leading up to it. That's another reason why they try to avoid it.

One final point. I'm talking about corporate entities. The conglomerate. I'm not talking about the individuals in the corporation. I'm sure the Board of Directors at M-B is made up of good people. They kiss their wife and hug their kids when they get home, donate to charities, maybe even go to PTA meetings, feel bad when they see an injured pet, hate taking their car in for repairs, and stuff like that. When they're looking out for corporate profits, however, they become cold and calculating.

 

U have too profit is the bottom line.

 

Yep. There are hundreds of MBAs waiting for those jobs. Executives are a dime-a-dozen. They've especially lost their allure since all of the bigwig scandals of the very recent past.

 

I've disagreed with you on this before, Lug, and I will again.
First, I'm not a mind reader so I really don't care why a business fulfills their business agreements- All I care about is "did they or did they not" fulfill the business agreement we had. period.
I comletely accept the fact that if a business extends a kindness to me, it is calculated to make me a repeat customer or to avoid a lawsuit.
Once again, why do I care why they come through-they are not my friends, or family-I am not their moral judge. My relationship with a business is based on value for my money-not friendship or love. That said, big bad corporations have found that if they want to continue making profits, they must extend customer service. Do they want too because they care about me? Heck no. They want to because they want to keep their jobs. As far as I'm concerned, that is a far better motivation than whether they care about me (if I'm concerned about them fulfilling their agreement with me). It is called enlightened self-interest. ( this is my edit:I don't operate this way with loved ones-then it's called manipulation, because that relationship is based on something other than value for my dollar)
My comments must be understood in light of a free market, capitalistic, system based in laws of fair business practice and legal recourse.
I know you disagree with me, but don't misunderstand me to be saying, I think corporations are "good" or even "neutral" entities. They are motivated by profits, as they should be, but if they play by the rules, that doesn't make them "bad" simply because they care about the bottom line. IMO.

 

I don't disagree with that. We're saying the same thing, essentially. Maybe I'm writing in Chinese or something? What I said is a corporation will be glad to extend what many people interpret as "feel good" actions their way if it's good for corporate profits. If it's not good for profits, they'll step on your face in a second. Sometimes they're forced to do good deeds and sometimes no one ever knows, even though the corporation addressed the problem in a positive way, but not the most expensive way--as in a mass recall.

 

i have both the ford f150 and the taurus (1995 and 2001)

i like the f150 ok (it's like driving a school bus) and i can't stand the frickin taurus. both have been trouble free tho so can't complain too much

also have a 2002 mazda millenia (now there's a car that is fun to drive!)

i'd take another milli in a heartbeat tho. of course i'd still keep the e320 for long trips and family outings.

 

The Maz Millenia was high on my list of lux used cars; when I was looking. I've read good things about it. I never test drove one, however, because, in the end, I was strongly motivated to have a German engineered car this time around.

 

actually got it by accident. test drove it to cross it off my list of cars i was looking at purchasing. one drive and i was hooked.

i actually begged my husband to let me get the car. he did, i had her for almost 2 years and then he gave her to our 16 year old son.

really made me mad.[:@] that's how i ended up with the E320. he promises not to give my new car away.

he likes this one better. it has a little bit more room than the milli did.

 

1983 Honda Accord
Bought it used.
Looked and ran fine when I bought it.
Withing two years began to rust, and kept rusting till one day a McPherson strut mount tore out while it was up on a hoist. Yikes.
Along the way I lost reverse in the thing only to find that I had a transition model, and there were no replacements to be had.
Drove the thing w/o reverse for a year and 5 months. Takes trip planning to a whole new level.
Finally my wife's cousin put in a 3-speed from the previous year. Reverse worked, but only the top two forward speeds were selectable.

--BM