While the jury is out to determine the success of General Motors’ guerrilla marketing effort to gather owners of recalled cars, the automaker is complementing the effort with a way to entice stronger response: gift cards.
The gift cards are a “part of the outreach that we’re doing to try and get people who haven’t taken action yet to get their cars repaired,” says a GM spokeswoman, referring to the fact that GM has fixed only 1.27 million of the 2.2 million recalled cars due to underwhelming owner response.
Indeed, Automotive News is reporting that GM began mailing letters to about one million owners last week to remind them that parts are available to replace their defective ignition switches and they can make an appointment at their local dealership. Owners whose cars are repaired by December 1 will get their choice of a $25 gift card for Amazon, AMC, Applebee’s, Bass Pro Shops, Red Robin, Starbucks, or Wal-Mart.
The ignition switch recall involves several compact cars from model years 2003 to 2010 including the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion.
Comments
I don’t care what GM does, I’m not replacing my key on my car. I’m not stupid (or tall) enough to have my knee hit the thing while I’m driving. This is so ridiculous!
You don’t understand what this is all about. I just had mine done with no problem at all. First of all, it is not that you would hit the switch to cause it to move. It will move on it’s own. And you don’t have to get your keys replaced. All they do is put a little thing inside the opening of your key to make the hole smaller. (You keep your same key). Please don’t risk your life or the life of others
I assume you have a Camaro?
This is not the Camaro deal this is for the Cobalt, HHR and others who have a light spring in the ignition.
If you have a Camaro you will not get a gift card and you will get back a broken switch blade fob and I would not take it in either.
As for the rest why the negs for him?
I posted this GC offer in a thread a few days ago. This is the first news I have seen of it. The media likes to not show anything proactive GM is doing do they?
I responsibly got my recall completed as soon as my dealer said parts were available for my 2008 Saturn Sky.
I would like to receive the $25 gift card from GM.
Are they only going to reward the irresponsible people?
That was the first thing I thought of when I got my card, What about all those who already had it done should they not be treated for the inconvenience?
@ Will.
You don’t understand what this is all about. I just had mine done with no problem at all. First of all, it is not that you would hit the switch to cause it to move. It will move on it’s own. And you don’t have to get your keys replaced. All they do is put a little thing inside the opening of your key to make the hole smaller. (You keep your same key). Please don’t risk your life or the life of others.
@Marilyn
I think you misunderstand Will.
The knee thing is a problem someone came up with in a Camaro. How they can hit it with their knee is a wonder to nearly all Camaro owners as it is not easy to get your knee up to the key.
They use a switch blade design key and to fix it GM is cutting the key out of the FOB and sticking it on a key end. They then give you back the Fob with a gapping hole where the key used to store.
The fact is this was an over blown deal and generally few Camaro owners are or will participate in this as they have no issue with a knee coming even close to the ignition.
As for the other recall. The fact is not all cars are in danger of shutting off. The vast majority really have no issues as the key rings are not over loaded and the ignitions are not worn with age. Case in point mine you can hang a hammer from it and the key will not shut off.
The media has taken this recall to levels that are almost as irresponsible as GM not making the thing right in the first place.
Also you must factor in that of the original 12 deaths nearly all has mitigating circumstances that also contributed to the deaths. Things like 7 of the 12 had no seat belt on. 3 of the 12 were 1-2 time the legal limit drunk, 1 of the 12 had a driver impaired by drugs, 1 of the 12 had a seizure and the car crashed, 1 of the 12 was unbelted in the back seat and the air bag had nothing to do with her death but yet they got a big settlement.
The fact is yes all these should be fixed and if you have one that has low tension in the ignition the sooner the better. But he fact is the dealer till recently just finally got the parts to do this and if there really was nothing wrong waiting till the rush did not hurt a thing.
If you listen to the media you would think people were dying on every street corner but you have to ask yourself have you heard of one death since this story hit that has happened after the first report? No you have not. You can bet the media would have had it as the lead story if it had happened but it has not.
While I agree GM should fix this and they cheaped out I do not believe this was as bad as some have tried to make it. I have seen much worse situations come and go in the auto industry but they go unreported due to the media not finding them controversial enough.
Many more died in the Crown Vic fires most police officers but yet you heard very little. Fords own test even proved there was an issue. But there was no controversy there post bail out.
In deals like this you need to keep perspective.
I’ve been trying to get mine done but my dealership’s service department won’t let me make an appointment for it. They said I would just have to come and wait and if they can get me in they will. I can’t take all day off work to sit around and hope they can get to me.
It’s not a matter of being an irresponsible owner…I was on the wait list since the beginning of the recall. The dealership just got the parts to repair my Cobalt the 3rd week of November! I am sure that if something had happened while on the wait list somehow it would have been my fault as the owner verses Chevy!
Had the switch replaced in November …still waiting for the gift card….have called 3 times….each time they say…watch your e-mail…………so tired of being lied to by GM. All they do is lie…..Received a new letter about the new switch….it is also faulty…having trouble again…….First….when will GM make new dependable switches for us? Second….when will I receive the gift card? I am so sick of being lied to……my dad worked for GM for 38 years…..he would roll over in his grave if he knew hoe customers are treated today……………will buy either a Ford or Toyota for my next vehicle……
I received a letter from GM on 1/10/15 thanking me for completing the ignition switch safety recall repair. The letter gave me simple instructions to receive my $25.00 gift card on its website. After I registered, there was no place available to type the unique gift card code and pin number. I was not able to select the gift card as the instructions directed me. This should have been tested by GM before they sent out the thank you letters. I hope that this isn’t a SCAM!!
Had mind done now trying to get my 25:00 gift card with no luck they make it so you can not get, it wath do I need to do to get it.
Jack, you won’t get one, I got a recall in November 2014 and in a week’s time I took my car to the dealership and was there 1/2 day while they fixed “my recall problem”. Now, GM will not validate a gift card for me for me having to take a day off from work so I could fix my car for…. “just a new key”.
SCAM! Clever ploy to positively identify the owners that are aware of the recall and choose not to get the repair done, thus eliminate GM’s responsibility and compensation to those customers in the event of an accident. There were never enough parts at dealerships to make the repairs. I tried 2 dealers about a month before the gift card deal expired. Both told me that they would have to order the part, and one told me January and the other could get me in between Christmas and New Years (impossible during the holidays). No gift card for me, but GM now has proof that I know about my ignition steering locking up.
Got the repair done on Nov. 6, 2014 at Freeway Chevrolet in Chandler, AZ. I was told that the dealer would send in the paperwork and I would be contacted by GM within 8 weeks and could then choose which gift card I wanted. After 8 weeks I called Freeway Chevrolet and was told the same story. I called a second time a few weeks later and was told there was “nothing the dealership could do. It’s GM’s fault.” It’s either a scam or just plain lousy service. Take your pick.