Niblets

Auto Dealerships Using You for Advertising

Originally Posted Tuesday, 21 August 2018 at 04:20 PM
Updated Tuesday, 21 August 2018 at 05:17 PM

We just saw a newsgroup thread complaining about dealers applying promotional/identifying stickers or badges on their customers' new cars, proudly proclaiming the dealership's identity.

We’ve always taken the position that, if the dealer wants to place badging on the car — decals or embossed and glued — he should pay us for advertising. On our most recent new car purchase, one already had been applied when we first saw the car. We asked that it be removed before we completed the purchase, and it was neatly and quickly done.

Maybe we’ve just been fortunate, but we’ve never had a dealership argue the point.

About The Author

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR, is well-positioned as CornerBarPR's Chief Curmudgeon; he's our version of Andy Rooney -- loves words, particularly loves to complain about idiocy.

In his spare time, Rich runs the inventively named Barger Consulting, where he conducts strategic communications planning and research, and gives people advice whether they want it or not.

Through the years, Rich has tricked unsuspecting folks into giving him positions as managing editor of the public relations division of a 180-person agency, and as a wire service editor, an economic analyst, a federal investigator, and, bless his little muddy boots, a farmer. Really. He fancies himself a pretty fair country editor and at one time was famous among about half a dozen people as "The Voice of IABC."

At various points in what passes for a career, he's done time as a member of IABC, PRSA, and NSPRA, as well as the Gifted Association of Missouri, the University of Missouri Alumni Association, the Council of Better Business Bureaus (as a Senior Arbitrator), and a handful of church choirs.

Known as "Boom-Boom Barger" in Marching Mizzou, Rich refuses to answer the phone during University of Missouri football or basketball games, plays a hard-edged game of bridge, and is married to a woman he doesn't like to talk about much, because she's smarter and much nicer than he is.

Barger's motto: "Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once."