he's a joke  (by: agrees with confused  -   11/21/2008)

so yeah he has the money to buy another dealership yet he lets an employee go at the wauchula dealership and gives another employee the opportunity to go to the "new dealership", quit, or do grunge work. Oh wow what a great guy to work for. Self centered, money hungry, monopolizing jerk in my book. If he were any kind of a decent person he would consider what he has and take care of his current employees and not go in debt at the expensive of them. what a jerk.

Oh Boy, Again!  (by: sebring_resident  -   11/19/2008)

Two years ago, my wife and I went to Alan Jay Chevy to buy our first brand new car. We looked at a used car of the car wented BRAND new. We had done our research on pricing and such, they tried to sell us a 2005 used card for the price of a 2007 BRAND NEW CAR that we were looking at. We got up from the desk and just walked out. We told them we would go elsewhere. They told us we would not find a better deal. Well we went to Avon Park Chevy at the time and ordered a 2007 BRAND NEW CAR at a much cheaper price and almost the price of that 2005 USED CAR the Alan Jay Staff tried to sell us. We looked forward to going back to Plaza Chevy for our next car in 2009, but I guess I will be going out of town to buy my next car. I would not buy from an Alan Jay car lot for the simple fact of how we were treated that day. It was a great experience to buy a BRAND NEW car at AP Chevy and they were so nice to us. I just hope the people at Plaza Chevy stays with the Alan Jay Automotive Network.

Not Again  (by: sebring_resident  -   11/19/2008)

My wife and I bought our first brand new car at Plaza Chevrolet because Alan Jay Chevy tried to sell us a used car for the the price of a BRAND new one. We got up and walked out of the office and headed to Plaza Chevrolet and made a deal with them and got a very good car. I guess I will have to go buy my next car out of the county now. I will never buy a car from Alan Jay Automotive Network.

SLAVE LABOR KING  (by: LE PHUNT  -   11/19/2008)

As a retired GM of several dealerships and a Fortune 50 company I know that the majority of his salespeople have to be in the BUCKET, they barely make minimum wage. None of his management has a clue what a 6 figure income is, just a TITLE. With EMPLOYEE PRICING and his PACKS he is the only one making any money. I recommend that his salespeople/management find a different career or move to a real city where competition breeds success. DON'T BE SURPRISED IF ALL OF HIS DEALERSHIPS ARE NAMED AFTER "WITHAM" ESPECIALLY, THAT JOKE OF A ford store.

DEAR "CONFUSED" SUBSTANTIATE YOUR CLAIM PLEASE  (by: Tom Joad  -   11/19/2008)

Dear "confused",might you please elaborate on your "50 or more lay-off" comment.Im not doubting you,just would like to see a little back-up on the claim.Give us details.

  (by:   -   11/19/2008)

and why isnt he using any LOCAL contractors? Guess he doesnt believe in keeping his money local to help the county he lives in

Alan Jay  (by: confused  -   11/18/2008)

good thing my big a$$ he is buying up another dealership when he has layed off 50 or more employees. Maybe if they are lucky they can go to work there. Something is better than nothing now days. And as far as a christmas party he cancelled this years. Must not have the money, too busy buying another dealership, ignoring one and building a new house when others are in foreclosure. Got to love Alan Jay always helping the community ----- NOT. he needs to focus and worry on his current dealerships and hope GM or Ford gets the financial aide they are asking for. At one time he may have been the good guy but now money is friend. Why would you build such a big house with the market the way it is and he's not even married. I don't quite see how him buying another dealership is a benefit to our county.

GIVE DON E. A CHANCE  (by: Chad DuBose  -   11/18/2008)

I know for a fact that if any of you people have a legitimate concern,and it makes it to Alans desk,he will see that it is tended to.I know because I worked for him over ten years.Alan has provided many people with the security of a good paying job with benefits,and stability.It is the customers making that possible,and he will go out of his way to keep a customer.I know him to be a fair,and generous man with no ill intentions.His choice to own multiple dealerships has nothing to do with an attempt at a "monopoly",besides,the internet has all but crushed the possibility of monopolies in certain areas.He knows you can and probably will go out of town to buy if its to your advantage,so wouldnt it make sense to assume he will be willing to give a good deal?Give it a chance before you judge the situation.As for the submission by "pook",the independent that "fixed" your car for $300 probably did what I call a "band-aid" repair,and it sounds like what the Chrysler dealership offered you was a more thorough, professional replacement which despite the higher cost,is highly recommendable for safety reasons.Your wiring harness could have had multiple shorts that would be of a fire concern,and I know some of the harnesses have to be replaced as a whole,even if just the battery terminal end is bad.That wasnt the dealerships choice.

Hope it gets better  (by: Upset Plaza Chevy Customer  -   11/18/2008)

I recently bought a car from Plaza Chevrolet and it was a great deal but it got bad after purchasing the car. The car we purchased needed some paint/body work done . Plaza did not have a paint dept so they outsourced it and they ruined my car. I brought it back they had someone else "fix" it, yea they only fixed the hood of the car and not that great. I hope Alan Jay can make Avon Park Chevy a better service to the community.

For Bill . . . and others, as promised.  (by: Don E.  -   11/16/2008)

Bill, I can promise that there would be no arguing, if you reach the right set of ears . . . which I believe you have. Please feel free to give me a call at my direct line (314-5334) and I'll be glad to have somone take a look at th damage. If it is damage caused by our techs or serice work, I can promise you that it wll be fixed. The bottom line with any successful business is this: Treat customers right, just as you yourself would want to be treated. I can promise you that any customer that does business with the Alan Jay Automotive Network will be treated with that respect. That comes directly from the automotive network's owner, and I am just one of many AJ team members empowered to make sure every customer is truly 100% satisfied. I look forward to your call, and THANK YOU in advance for letting me know of your situation.

Don E...  (by: Bill  -   11/16/2008)

Alan Jay has some internal issues to work out for sure. I took my brand new vehicle for some work, which they said it didnt need, and gave me a FREE wash and cleaning... well, a week later I was looking inside my vehicle and see where the free wash and cleaning cost me a cut across my interrior. I am sure its an accident, but I would rather live with the damage then go argue with Alan Jay and his employees.

alan jay  (by: jason  -   11/16/2008)

i won't buy a car or a truck in highlands county again after the way i have been treated in town and never from alan jay. i have been here since 91 and have yet to have a decent deal from anyone other than dennis at warrens. who needs the hassle from the alan jay service idiots who will set there and tell you your car is fine when it runs like crap from the get go.

Plaza Chevrolet debts  (by: Lamonte Cranston  -   11/15/2008)

I wouldn't count on any debts to Plaza Chevrolet being paid. Bankrupcy for Plaza Chevrolet is far cheaper and the "Conservative" way of doing business. Advertising??? Why pay for advertising when the News-Sun will cover his business dealings as "News" stories? Shutt - are you crazy? "Stumpjump" has it right, when bankrupcy is so cheap and "News" stories are free, why pay for something.

From the Marketing Dep't.....on a Saturday, no less!  (by: Don E.  -   11/15/2008)

I can promise you that there is a 100% commitment to customer satisfaction, originating from the very top of the Alan Jay mountain. Alan himself would be more than disappointed to learn of ANY customer who was ever treated badly or even thought that they were. Pook's experience at Chrysler certainy bears looking into, and I will be glad to do so. Pook, please give me a little more info on it (314-5334, direct line), and I can promise you that I'll get to the bottom of things.....and get resolution as well. You won't likely find an organization more dedicated to operating honestly & ethically --esp. in the automotive sales business....lol -- than the Alan Jay Automotive Network, though occasionally that msg. gets a little mis-communicated when you've got so many employees working for you. But I can promise you one thing . . . there is no "monster", no ulterior motive to gather all the dealerships and then change the way we do business.....with the ease in which all of us can buy from outside Highlands County, that would be a formula for disaster. No . . . we'll just continue to operate as fairly and honestly with each and every customer we can. Anyone who EVER receives treatment any different than that can contact me and know with 100% confidence that they'll be taken care of. Thank you for the story, News-Sun and the forum in which to get our msg. across . . . . more to come, I'm sure. Have a great weekend!

No competition   (by: pook  -   11/15/2008)

The Alan Jay moster continues to grow. This is not a good thing, and I am concerned that when he has managed to buy up every dealer in the county he can then do whatever he wants. I will not do business with Alan Jay in any way, having been the victim of an attempted ripoff by his Chrysler dealership. They tried to sell me an entire engine wiring harness to replace a bad battery ground cable, wanting $2299.99 for this work. I got the car fixed at Economy Auto Repair for $300.00 which included a new battery. I can heartily recommend Nestor's shop to anyone who needs repairs, and have comp;ete faith in him.

Not making any sense, Joke  (by: Capt.Sensible  -   11/14/2008)

There simply ISN'T such a thing as a monopoly anymore, for practically anything....esp. car dealers. Get your best price from Tampa,O rlando, Lakeland, wherever, and bring it to any local dealer. I'll bet you money they can match it, and I'll bet you further tha they WILL match it. That would be the best scenario for us local Highlands Co. residents. We get to buy the car locally, at the best price. So, we don't have to worry about going out of town for the service or warranty problems. People who think there's a monopoly, and that we consumers are getting hosed, just aren't seeing the whole picture. Now, if a local dealership has lousy service, staff, or won't deal with you on a price, then I agree that we should boycott them -- but I doubt that's the case with any of our local dealers, including Alan Jay.

enough is enough  (by: What a Joke  -   11/14/2008)

I will not buy a car from Alan Jay. I think it is sad that he has to put his name on every car lot in town. Wells my hat off to you for not letting go of your business. I will go out of town to buy my car and find my deal since there will not be no competition here in Highlands County. I am sure he thinks it is smart to buy all of his competators. They the consumers are pretty smart too.

Should be no problems  (by: Treated Right  -   11/14/2008)

With the ability for folks to bargain over the internet, the days of a "monopoly" and successful "price fixing" are long gone. Simply put, if a better deal can be found an hour or two away, customers will drive that far to save the money. As I understand it -- especially in this economy -- each dealer is stretching as far as possible to sell a car, so I'm confident that this new Alan Jay dealership will match or beat any other Chevy dealer's price. They've been more than fair to me in my dealings with them, and I know that they're excited to now be in Avon Park too. All the warranties will be honored, by the way . . . . as long as GM stays in business, that is.....LOL!

no choice for purchasers  (by: GinnyH  -   11/14/2008)

As a former (long ago) owner of the Chev-Olds dealership in Avon Park, I congratulate Alan on his newest purchase. However, as a retiree, I wonder how this will affect the consumers when it comes to getting a good deal. With Alan owning nearly every franchise in the county, GM formerly would have frowned on this kind of a monopoly. With the internet it is easier to shop price, but most people would rather deal closer to home. I only hope that there will be some kind of competition between dealerships to help consumers get a deal. This is not a good situation for the consumer normally, since there will be little if no competition for their trades. It used to be that one dealer might see more value in a person's trade than another dealer. There is also more potential for price fixing. Now, with sharing office staff and possibly even appraisors, I wonder how this will affect customers. Twenty years ago this would have definitely been a "no-no" with GM. I know a great concern many people have in buying a new vehicle is whether or not their warranties will be honored. This bold step may help that. Service after the sale is important, but so is having a choice.

GOOD LUCK TIM AND JOE!!!!!  (by: WANDA  -   11/14/2008)

I know several long time Alan Jay mechanics that left in the exodus and ended up at Plaza.Say hi to your new/old boss fellas!!Good luck,but who needs luck in this wonderful economy!!!Your master skills(thats you Tim)will surely sustain you.Alan is a good guy,and if he knows you have value to him,maybe he will keep you.Picture it this way,the automotive industry is in distress according to the media,especially General Motors,so Alan must either have solid faith that his purchase will reward him in the future,or he is willing to run it "out of pocket".Such a bold move to buy dealerships at such a critical time is either the most tactfully brilliant business move ever,or the riskiest.Alan is a very smart businessman,as well as Michael Witham.Michaels choice to return to the Alan Jay Network must have been based upon faith that the economy will improve,which is a good sign.One good thing for Plaza employees that are kept,youre in just in time,Alan throws a heck of a Christmas party!!!.