Looking to regain consumers' trust, General Motors Co. said yesterday that new-car buyers will be able to return their vehicles within two months of purchase for a full refund, part of a long-awaited new marketing campaign for the biggest American automaker.
The effort will begin next week and run through November, trying to make connections again with American consumers who may be leery of the company since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year. Chairman Edward Whitacre Jr. will appear in the initial burst of ads, telling consumers in a folksy, Texan accent that he too had doubts about GM when he joined on this summer. But he likes the cars he found, and consumers should, too.
The company's bid to win back customers is a last-ditch effort to survive. GM received $50 billion in government aid to keep operating earlier this year and it has to pay that back to continue operating. To do that, it must sell cars.
The company stands behind its cars now and can offer full money-back guarantees, he told reporters on a conference call yesterday.
To prove that, GM is putting its four remaining brands -- Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC -- directly against foreign competitors, focusing on quality, performance, fuel economy and design.GM will allow customers who purchase a new vehicle starting Monday and running through Nov. 30 to return it, no questions asked, for a full refund within 31 to 60 days from the date of purchase. The vehicles must not have more than 4,000 miles on them and the drivers must be current on their payments. Cars will also be under GM's 100,000-mile five-year powertrain warranty.
The offer applies to Chevrolet, GMAC, Buick and Cadillac. The Pontiac brand, which GM is phasing out, is not eligible. Leased vehicles are also ineligible.
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