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Bob Frederick to go out of business! READ and Take action asap!!

41K views 354 replies 95 participants last post by  MOPAR MERRY 
#1 ·
Dodge and Challenger seller Bob frederick is on the Chrysler BK list to be closed..Got this from the court records...A SAD day for Challenger fans
 
#162 ·
I just found out today that Bob was the guy in Ohio my brother in PA got a good price quote from. However, my brother waited to long to pull the trigger, and another buyer beat him to it. The point here is, my brother talked very highly of the guy in Ohio (Bob). He said this guy knew a lot about the cars, and MOPARs in general. You got to understand, my whole family are MOPAR freaks. When I was young (5 or 6 y.o.) we had a 1924 Dodge Touring. What I recall is my dad sold it to a museum in Ohio. I believe it is still sitting in that museum.

Back to Bob, he is a customer oriented car guy, and needs to keep his doors open. He is a big MOPAR nut, and should be selling their cars, not used cars, or Kia's.
 
#164 ·
Well if anyone else talks to Bob, ask him if there is anything else we or I can do to help? I am here for him and other dealers that do not deserve this treatment. I will go to bat for them, they have for me!

I could understand if he sold like 6 cars maybe a month, was a 2 star shop etc. But come on now, Bob is top notch, and it is not only him, but all those that work for him, all the vendors that deal with him, and all of us that buy cars, accessories etc from Bob's store.

Bob, I am sure you are smiling a little at least knowing that your great treatment of folks has us at your back.

I do live the phrase " What Comes Around Goes Around"

And you Bob are top notch, and so are so many great folks on this board that have helped so much make the car.

The info, the support, the caring, laughter, sad times and good times, the waiting pain to get the rides, even the disagreements are etc. all in good taste and most all always mean well and are just strong car folks that live what they feel.

Again thanks all and take a few minutes to please post to the Petition and to Red Letter Dodge - Official Dodge Blog covering Auto Industry News - Dodge Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Minivans, Wagons

Thank you all once again Dave :SM127:
 
#166 ·
Judge Arthur J. Gonzalez
One Bowling Green
Courtroom 523
New York, NY 10004-1408
(212) 668-2894

If all of us 1000s of folks wrote a quick note on the PC, printed it, put a stamp on it and sent it out to the above, it could not hurt. Hell take your car out on Sat, drive through the post office drive through and drop it in the slot, guys/gals this only takes 2-3 minuts to make a quick letter.

thanks again!:)
 
#168 ·
On May 16, 2009 at 1:16AM, Bob Frederick posted:
Everyone: I can’t believe the outpouring of support for my Dealership and me- it is truly amazing and heart-wrenching. We are fighting the decision that this crazy obvious oversight has resulted in. I can’t begin to thank you all enough for what you are doing.
My heart goes out to Fred Garza and all of the other affected dealers too.

Thank you all.

Your friend no matter what the final outcome is,

Bob
 
#173 ·
From an article in Detroit Free Press:

Dealers can contest process

Dealers no longer have protection from state franchise laws because Chrysler is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but they can contest the process by which Chrysler chose the survivors, said Scott Silverman, a Boston attorney representing four terminated Chrysler dealers in Massachusetts.

"What dealers need to do is look at the criteria Chrysler said it used and look at how you performed on those metrics," said Silverman. Those criteria included sales volume, customer service scores, local market share and average household income in the immediate area.
 
#176 ·
From an article in Detroit Free Press:

Dealers can contest process

Dealers no longer have protection from state franchise laws because Chrysler is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but they can contest the process by which Chrysler chose the survivors, said Scott Silverman, a Boston attorney representing four terminated Chrysler dealers in Massachusetts.

"What dealers need to do is look at the criteria Chrysler said it used and look at how you performed on those metrics," said Silverman. Those criteria included sales volume, customer service scores, local market share and average household income in the immediate area.

Does anyone know what the criteria is?
 
#175 ·
Chrysler Executive List- Please Get Going and Write!

Here's the list of executives to write so Bob gets his dealership back! If I have to take time off of work and take a trip to Detroit and protest in front of Chrysler I'm gonna do it!!!

Write a zillion letters to the following Chrysler Executives:


Mr. James E. Press, CEO, Chrysler Corporation
CIMS 4851530
1000 Chrysler Drive
Auburn Hills, MI. 48326

Mr. Michael J. Accavitti
Dodge Marketing
CIMS 4850547
1000 Chrysler Drive
Auburn Hills, MI. 48326

Mr. Steven Landry
CIMS 4851560
1000 Chrysler Drive
Auburn Hills, MI. 48326

Mr. Brian Schnurr
CIMS 4210000
Great Lakes Business Center
1272 Doris Rd.
Suite 100
Auburn Hills, MI. 48326
 
#177 ·
I just spoke to my aunt, who is in politics and she suggested that we reach out to the following individuals/organizations - these are local for Ohio/Boardman, Ohio:

-local representative
-2 senators
-governor
-Judge Gonzalez
-NY Times - most recent article on this case - look at referenced names - US Gov't agency - one of the executive branch agency
-Contact local media in Ohio - local affiliates for ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX - write on his behalf
-Print media - newspapers - large ones - Cleveland Plain Dealer (website also)
-Local radio stations
-Blogging/Online

My aunt said that this way we launch a campaign through all 3 branches of the government (executive, legislative, and judicial) as well as public relations media (print, broadcast, radio, online).
 
#178 · (Edited)
Sending USPS letters to:

Robert Nardelli

Thomas W LaSorda

Jim Press

Mike Acavetti

Mark Mallie


all at:
Chrysler Corporation
12000 Chrysler Drive
Highland Park, MI 48288


Judge Arthur J. Gonzalez
One Bowling Green
Courtroom 523
New York, NY 10004-1408


Printing today - in the mail Monday.....:

Dear Sir,
It has come to my attention that through the reorganization proposal of Chrysler Corporation's Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Petition currently before the Courts, a reduction of dealerships was initiated by Chrysler LLC via an impersonal and archaic formula. While I understand there are parameters for every step of a company to recover and reorganize after filing bankruptcy, there are also justifiable and necessary exceptions based on individual cases. Due in part to the enormous investment the American taxpayers have in the future of the American auto makers, and the huge number of jobs that would be affected if they fail, we all desire to see them succeed and become profitable again.
I sincerely believe that an exception to Chrysler's "blanket formula" for dealership reductions is Frederick Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge of Boardman, Ohio. While for some reason this dealership fits the target Chrysler's set for it's dealership reduction, logic dictates that it should most definately remain in business. Please allow me to expound on this.
Frederick Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge has been a "5-Star" dealership for quite some time, and has consistantly been one of the top 25 dealerships in the Nation. With Chrysler's reduction of dealerships to 2,392, how can Chrysler NOT keep one of the top 25 dealerships in that count?
I live in Eastern upstate New York, close to the Massachusettes and Vermont borders. There were a dozen Dodge dealerships within a half-hour drive of my home when I placed my order for a 2009 Dodge Challenger. I did not order that car locally. I chose to order my "car of a lifetime" through Frederick Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge of Boardman, Ohio for a number of reasons.
While Chrysler LLC has been known to be "on financial thin-ice" for quite some time, my local dealerships insisted to ignore that painfully obvious fact and add $5K to $25K "Dealer Market Adjustments" to the price of the new and popular Dodge Challenger. Chrysler exercised careful consideration in pricing this car competitively to help them recover from continual "red ink" on the ledger. However, the "gouging" the local dealerships implemented only lined their pockets on the few cars they could sell to those fortunate enough to have not been hit hard by a souring economy, and did nothing to help Chrysler increase their production numbers and improve bottom line. Additionally, these dealerships were intent on continuing to follow this practice since they would not accept my order for the specific options I wanted on my car. Instead, they placed my name on a list - so that they could notify me when they got a car in that they ordered and marked up - without entering into an enforcable and binding contract. To add insult to injury, the salespeople at the local dealerships knew less about the car than I did, regaling me with fabricated production numbers, availability, trim levels, options, and sticker prices. I try to be an educated consumer, and frankly felt insulted that these dealerships thought I was ignorant enough to blindly accept their "fertilizer" and couldn't see through what they were doing. Enter Bob Frederick Jr.

I read Chrysler's blog on their redletterdodge.com site with a desire to get all of the information on the new Dodge Challenger as it became available. A dealership owner named Bob Frederick Jr was posting information on Dodge's blog that only someone with inside information and a true passion for Chrysler products could do. I had previously joined several online forums, created when the Challenger prototype debuted, dedictaed to Challenger enthusiasts. Several members of the forums stated that they were ordering their Challengers through Bob at Frederick Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. With mistrust and insults from the local dealerships fresh in my mind, I called Bob Frederick Jr to discuss placing an order for my new car. Bob was friendly, honest, enthusiastic, but most importantly - knowledgable. There were no fabrications in our conversation, and Bob never asked for a "Dealer Market Adjustment" when I indicated I wanted to order my car through him. He asked for MSRP for the car (this was going to be a "cash deal" - no trade in) and I agreed to that. He changed an existing order he had placed for an "on the lot" car to match my order, and changed the order to my name (so the Maroney sticker would read "This car was specially built for Robert Moore"). He asked for a deposit on my credit card, and then mailed me "hard copies" of the agreement, the order status, and a Challenger brochure. Bob mailed hard copies of every status change as they occurred and sent me emails to let me know how my build was progressing.
During the wait for my car, my wife found out that she needed surgery, which would have to be scheduled as soon as possible. As it turned out, she had her surgery the week before my car was delivered to Frederick Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. I had a dilemma in that we were going to drive out to Boardman, Ohio from Bethlehem, New York together, and she would follow me back from the dealership - an eighteen hour round trip. But with her surgery, this wasn't going to be possible. After informing Bob Frederick Jr of our situation and proposing that I drive a car to his dealership (that I was trying to sell myself) and trade it in, Bob spoke with his Used-Car Manager and offered me a very fair price for my trade, sight-unseen. That solved two problems for me. Since my wife's recovery was going well, I drove my 2001 PT Cruiser out to Boardman in a snowstorm to pick up my car when Bob called to let me know the car had arrived. As always happens, traffic in Western Pennsylvania was at a crawl in the storm, and there was no way I was going to arrive in Boardman before Bob's dealership closed for the day at 9:00 pm. I cell-phoned Bob to let him know I wouldn't be there before closing. Bob offered to solve this problem for me as well by informing me that when I finally crossed the Pennsylvania-Ohio border, to call him again. In the mean time, he was going to head home to eat dinner, and would return to the dealership when he got my call. I called Bob when I got into Ohio and he said he'd be at the dealership when I got there. Sure enough, when I pulled onto the lot at 10:00 pm, Bob was standing at the door with a big smile on his face! Everyone else had left the dealership, but Bob was prepared to close the deal and get me on my way back home. He had all of the "build sheets" for the car and most of the parts stickers/labels packaged up for me. He gave me a demonstration of how the "unique" features of the car worked, we chatted for a few minutes, took a few pictures, and I was on my way back to Eastern New York. There were no "surprises" or small print to haggle over. Bob even ordered and mailed me a new "Maroney sticker" since the one that came on my car had a small tear in it. It was like buying a car from a friend, NOT a dealer. At age 48, I've bought a few new cars in my time, and this was the absolute BEST new-car buying experience I've ever had!

I am sure there are hundreds of similar stories that could be told that you won't hear about where Bob has extended himself time and again to satisfy a customer and make the car buying experience pleasant. Equally important is Bob Frederick Jr's willingness to help out ANYONE who asks him for help or information about a car, whether they're his customer or that of another dealership. I have heard nothing but excellent comments about the service department at Frederick Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge as well, although my only contact with them has been the outstanding "prep" of my new car on delivery.
In a time when car dealers are looked at in disdain - as sheisters, liars and thieves, Bob Frederick Jr and Frederick Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge stands as a model of what Chrysler should be aiming for from their dealerships, NOT a target for elimination through restructuring. I am a long-time Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge owner, and while my (and my Father's before me) loyalty held fast - even when the local dealerships failed to reward or remember it, I cannot conceive remaining loyal to a brand that doesn't recognize and reward the excellence consistantly demonstrated by a dealership such as Frederick Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. My wife and I have bought two new Dodge cars in the past three years. But if Bob Frederick Jr's dealership remains on the list of terminations through Chrysler LLC's bankruptcy and ceases to exist, I will NEVER buy another Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge again. That's the ONLY dealership I will buy my Dodge vehicles from. I can assure you that there are MANY more people that feel the same way. We were treated with dignity, honesty, respect and enthusiasm. I can't understand how a dealership like that can be closed and Chrysler LLC expect to remain in business for very long.

Thank you for your time and attention to my letter.

Sincerely,
 
#180 ·
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit. Two reporters have been writing articles on the Chrysler Bankruptcy. Lets get the power of the press onto of this issue.

You can contact both Tom Walsh and Tim Higgins at:

Detroit Free Press
615 W. Lafayette Road
Detroit, MI 48226
313-222-6600

Call and send letters. Bob Frederick’s situation will make for a great story.
 
#181 ·
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit. Two reporters have been writing articles on the Chrysler Bankruptcy. Lets get the power of the press onto of this issue.

You can contact both Tom Walsh and Tim Higgins at:

Detroit Free Press
615 W. Lafayette Road
Detroit, MI 48226
313-222-6600

Call and send letters. Bob Frederick’s situation will make for a great story.
 
#182 ·
Lets give this one more try....

The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit. Two reporters have been writing articles on the Chrysler bankruptcy. Lets get the power of the press onto this issue.

You can contact both Tom Walsh and Tim Higgins at:

Detroit Free Press
615 W. Lafayetter Road
Detroit, MI 48226
313-222-6600

Call and send them letters. Bob Frederick's situtation will make for a great story. He needs our help.
 
#183 ·
When we write these guys I think there are a few things we should try to keep in mind.

We need to be concise, if our letters are too long they aren't going to take the time to read very much of them. If you're letter is long, try to make your point very early on, and use the rest to support your point.

Also, be sure to be professional. These guys are high up in Chrysler and we need to at least pretend respect their position. Name calling etc will only hurt our cause.

Just some suggestions from past experience. Take it for what it's woth.
 
#185 ·
When we write these guys I think there are a few things we should try to keep in mind.

We need to be concise, if our letters are too long they aren't going to take the time to read very much of them. If you're letter is long, try to make your point very early on, and use the rest to support your point.

Also, be sure to be professional. These guys are high up in Chrysler and we need to at least pretend respect their position. Name calling etc will only hurt our cause.

Just some suggestions from past experience. Take it for what it's woth.
Excellent advice:bigthumb:

I'm one of the guys who had purchased a car from a local dealership and, after hearing of all the great feedback from others on this forum, wished I had gotten mine from Bob also. Even though I didn't purchase from him, there is a lot to be said about a car dealer whom has so much support from his buyers. You just can't find that kind of devotion anywhere.
 
#186 ·
Guys I would hate to rain on the parade here, but there is exactly 0 chance of a dealer being removed from the list. You are extremely limited with negotiations in bankruptcy. Once the list was submitted game over, no changes. I have enough experience in the area to have a more than high degree of confidence.
 
#187 · (Edited)
Under Chapter 11, the debtor can ask for relief from "burdensome contracts". All a dealer on the list has to do to be heard is file an objection and the Trustee is obligated to hear the objection. This can usually be done simply by having an authorized representative of the dealership show up at the Trustee's hearing and verbally objecting to a discharge. The dealer can then simply state it's case, provide supporting proof, and the Trustee can make a recommendation to the Judge before a final determination is made. If the dealer proves to the Trustee that the business relationship between them and Chrysler is not a "burdensome" one for Chrysler, the Trustee can deny discharge of the contract.
Chapter 11 is a "reorganization" bankruptcy, which enables the debtor to seek relief while continuing to operate. The purpose of a Chapter 11 is to alleviate a portion of the debt load the debtor claims in the filing. Likewise, a creditor has a right to be at the hearing and ask the debtor (filing party) to reaffirm the contract. If the debtor agrees, the exception is granted to the petition and it's back to business as usual between the two parties/companies unless the Judge imposes specific changes to the contract between them. Therein, Chrylser could "reconsider" terminating any dealer that appears at the hearing and appeals/contests discharge, BUT a representative of that dealer MUST appear in Court to file the objection.

In this case, it's not a done deal or zero chance until the case is given to the Judge after the Trustees hearing. With a filing of this size, the proceedings could conceivably last for weeks just in creditors' objections.
 
#189 · (Edited)
I should also add that it's not usually a wise idea to petition a Judge regarding a case since the appearance of compromise, impropriety and corecion is a concern. Considering the media attention to this case, it would be wise to appeal to Chrysler and the media to make an effective case for a particular dealership.
 
#195 · (Edited)
Oh, and another thing. Internet Sales could be directly, or tangently the reason for his termination.

I don't have the basic Chrysler Dealer Agreement in front of me, but many Dealer Agreements contain anti-internet clauses, or strict limits on Internet Sales Activity.

It may not be, though. Basic non-performance within his particular demographic area is simpler to enforce. All they have to do is track his customer sales for that.

LJB
 
#196 ·
So how does Chrysler know what was sold to go out of state and what stayed in his area ? My car was delivered to his dealership and was initially titled in OH. I took the OH title back with me to re-title in GA, but how does Chrysler have any clue about that ? From what I can see anyone who bought a car from Bob counts towards his sales numbers for his area.
 
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