Car buyers in New York and across the country rushed to beat yesterday’s Cash for Clunkers deadline — but many were frustrated by government snafus when they tried to seal the deals.
“I’ve been here for three days to get approval,” complained John Calchi, 55, of Middle Village, Queens. “I should be home in my new car.”
Calchi and other car buyers at Long Island City Hyundai-Mitsubishi found that the federal Cash for Clunkers Web site was down again, delaying their efforts to finalize the paperwork.
Sales manager Dominick Montello had 20 customers waiting to complete deals made in the last few days. “But nobody can get into the [computer] system,” he said.
Among his nearly 250 Clunkers customers was Pamela Quintiliano, 35, of Manhattan, who traded her 1995 Cherokee for 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe.
She said she came in more than a week ago to look around, but after the feds announced last Thursday that yesterday was the deadline, “I came right down and made a deposit.”
Four hours before last night’s sales deadline, the US Transportation Department announced that dealers would have more time — until noon today — to file paperwork for reimbursement.
Under the monthlong program, dealers gave credits of up to $4,500 to customers who agreed to send their efficiency-challenged cars to the junk pile. More than half a billion dollars in sales were run up just in the final four days.
But, said Montello, “I’m sure the scrap yards are gonna make all the money.”
{NY Post/Matzav.com Newscenter}
