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Where's the money? Dealers wait for clunker rebates
By
Tami Osborne, WINK News
Story Created:
Aug 17, 2009 at 7:42 PM EST
Story Updated:
Aug 17, 2009 at 10:42 PM EST
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. - Three weeks into the "Cash for Clunkers" program, many dealers say they still haven't seen a dime from the government. Now, WINK News is learning that the government is tripling the staff working to file these claims.
At Bob Taylor Chevrolet, they've taken in close to 35 clunkers so far, but have not seen any rebates for the $3,500 to $4,500 they're expecting for each.
"Not a penny yet," CFO Sandra Taylor says.
Taylor says they expected to see rebates from the government within ten days of submitting paperwork, but so far, not one of their clunker deals has been accepted. It's not because they don't qualify, but because the government wants additional paperwork. Each time that happens, the dealer must re-submit the claim from scratch.
"Most of the paperwork's here and available to us. It would have been nicer if we'd known it in the first ten to 15 days, so we could start to get paid, rather than having to resubmit and now we're waiting another ten to 15 days to find out if all is well," Taylor says.
Bob Taylor isn't alone. Tamiami Ford's president tells us they've done 80 clunker deals, and they haven't seen a dime either.
The delay stretches far beyond Southwest Florida. The same is happening across the county, and in some cases, its much worse.
"I have read in some of the automotive publications, that its actually gonna cause some dealers to literally have to close, have to close their business," Taylor says.
Lawmakers fearing the same, called on the President to increase "clunker" rebate staff levels, saying carrying a loss for an extended period will put some dealers out of business and lead to more lost jobs.
On Monday, the Obama administration announced it will triple the number of workers processing claims by the end of the week, from 350 to 1,100.
Despite the long wait for rebates, the dealers we talked to here in Southwest Florida are all moving ahead with the "Cash for Clunkers program. They say its stirred up business. They're now just hoping to see the rebates sooner, rather than later.
