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Are Radar Detectors Legal in the US and in which States are they Prohibited?
A good number of the people with cars in the United States have their own radar detectors. Their reason is that they feel that the speed limit at present is very low. Most of the American people are not satisfied with moderate speed while driving. They want to be the fastest driver on the road as well as get to the places they re going in record time; they want to be always in the race. The radar detector serves as their alarm whenever there are police near them. Once the radar detector alarm sounds, they can ease on the gas and slow down their speed. Because of the radar detectors being known to every motorist, cops are hiding, in alleyways or behind bridges in order to avoid being detected by the radar detectors. Motorists on the other hand are being clever themselves, they are aware of these techniques from the police, so more enhanced, top-dollar detectors have entered the market. Though the policemen are always improving their chances of catching the radar detector users, they are unable to make the streets of the United States radar detector-free. Radar detectors are legal in many cities and states in the United States. But this does not mean that radar detector units are legal in all of the states in the US. Here are some of the states that deem radar detectors illegal: 1. The usage of radar detectors are prohibited in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They have laws banning the use of radar detectors. Not only are radar detectors illegal to use in Virginia, they are also illegal to have in the vehicle. 2. Radar detectors and radar jammers are illegal in the District of Columbia. The passing of their laws to ban the use of radar detectors was set in 1995. 3. In Illinois, radar detectors are only regulated in commercial vehicles of over 26,001 pounds. 4. On US military bases, they are legal to have but illegal to use. 5. Radar jammers are illegal in the states of Utah, California, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska. 6. Radar detectors are not specifically regulated, but things hanging from windshields are not permitted in the state of Minnesota. 7. For motor vehicles over 18,000 pounds and any other commercial motor vehicles over 10,000 pounds in New York, radar detectors are illegal. And other states that prohibit the use of radar detectors are the following: Alabama Arizona Arkansas Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri Montana Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey Mew Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Vermont Washington Wisconsin Wyoming The state of Connecticut on the contrary has cancelled its anti-radar detector law in 1998 which make this radar detector now legal in this state.Nicola Kennedy publishes articles and reports and provides news, views and information about <a href="http://www.radar-detecting.info">radar detectors</a> at Radar Detecting Information. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Radar-Detecting.info
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Changing the Adversarial Nature of Car Sales
Consumers have an adversarial attitude towards car dealers, and I can’t say blame them. The retail auto industry has done so many things to create an atmosphere of confusion and intimidation that many car buyers understandably dread the buying experience. Not only do some dealerships encourage their sales staff to engage in dishonest tactics to fleece customers, many have proven themselves to be sexist as well. I always wondered how the salesmen for those particular dealerships came home at night and looked their wives or daughters in the eye. Being a dealer myself, I have encountered the best and worst that the business has to offer. While my turnover is quite low compared to most, I have hired sales associates with prior experience over the years. I have also fired more than a few of these “professionals” within a week of hiring them. Why, you ask? I don’t mean to sound trite, but I do business by the golden rule. As a result, I won’t tolerate dishonesty on the part of my sales staff or the condescending attitude that I notice many dealers and salespeople take toward their customers. I also refuse to use the dubious tactics that many dealers use to nickel and dime more profit out of every customer that enters their showroom. Now, let me tell you what the results of following the golden rule are… I don’t have an adversarial relationship with my customers. Sure, more than a few have stepped into one of my sales staff’s offices ready to do battle, but we quickly alleviate their anxiety by doing something that I can wholeheartedly recommend for any business. We give them honest, fair and respectful treatment. I know this might sound like a novel approach in the auto industry, but it’s the only way to do business in my opinion. If more dealerships would stop trying to treat every sale as though it were the last one they will ever make and concentrate on building a good repoire with their clientele, they would enjoy the success that I do. I would bet that my profit margin is, on average, a bit below that of most other dealerships. Still, I never have a shortage of customers, most of which return for their next purchase. Many of my long term customers will wait for me to find the car they are interested in before buying from another dealership. Why? Because they know that when they drive off my lot, they have been treated fairly and have received a good value for their money. More importantly, I can go home at night knowing I run an honest business and that I can take pride in considering myself part of the community I do business in. That’s worth a lot more to me than a few extra bucks. I wish more of my competitors felt this way as well, because it would benefit our industry as a whole to change our sales philosophy for the better. To learn more visit Spanos Imports of Daytona Florida visit http://www.spanosimports.com/
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Trade'r in? Yup! Nope! Whaaat?
When trading a vehicle there are four categories that will clearly affect the value of your vehicle; (1) Current market value. This is an adjustment amount to the book value that is made by the vehicle appraiser and occurs when there are real time changes in the market that are not readily reflected in current book values. One powerful example is the energy crisis that came along in the fall of 1973. Many consumers panicked (mildly) and began trading their gas hogs for fuel efficient smaller vehicles. As the extent of the crisis and its duration were unknown, and there were no real predictions as to the short and long term effects, most dealers looked on the gas hogs with an eye of concern, specifically in relation to their dollar value. I counseled many buyers during that time, encouraging them to be patient and wait it out. Most of them, nearly all, traded anyway. They received as little as 50% of the book value for their gas hogs and paid over retail in many cases to purchase a fuel efficient vehicle. Many of those people returned to the market within a short period of time and traded their fuel sippers for gas hogs. Again, values were adjusted to allow for the glut of small vehicles on the dealers lot. There are always current market value adjustments whether just at a dealership, in a city, an area, a state, a region, or across the country. These adjustments may be as simple as a dealership being overstocked with used vehicles due to some internal problem; therefore the dealer has to pay less for vehicles currently being traded in. An area may be affected by an economical crisis that overall affects the consumers ability or willingness to spend money. Wars and rumors of war have a strong negative effect on vehicle values, as does the price of fuel. One major factor that affects the value of trade-ins are the deals being offered on new vehicles. The greater the deal on new, the less is paid for the trade. Why? Used vehicle buyers will step up to new vehicles and pass on the late model used vehicles. In many cases payments on a new vehicle may be roughly the same as a one year old used.  Additionally, consumers may determine that they are better off trading their current vehicle sooner than intended, taking advantage of the factory incentives, and driving off in a new vehicle with payments close to where they were, and offsetting maintenance expenditures in the process. (2) Dealership attitude. Vehicle values may be affected simply by some issue within a dealership. An inexperienced Used Vehicle Department manager, a poor cash flow in the dealership, a weak sales force not selling vehicles, and other situations. One thing learned when purchasing at an auction, talking with a wholesaler, or shopping a trade-in to another dealership is that prices vary widely across the board. Realistically I have witnessed value swings by as much as $2000.00. (3) Dealership wants. In some circumstances a dealer may not want your trade. You might have a very expensive trade, the dealer does not want to tie up money in a slow seller and the dealer cannot find a home for it with another dealer. Therefore to make a deal he will hit the trade low expecting to find a home for it at the auction, with another dealer, or attempt to cheap sell it on his own lot. Regardless, the vehicle may bring several thousand dollars below book, your loss. (4) Dealership need. The dealership may not need “another one of those”. Some vehicles are a glut on the market. An example would be the dumping of a rental car fleet at the auction, everyone buys them, everyone has one, and no one needs another one. Dealership want and dealership need may also swing in your favor. There were many times that I paid over book (more than $1200.00) to own a vehicle, knowing that if I did not, someone else would, and I would miss the sale on three vehicles; (1) my vehicle, (2) the trade-in, and (3) the trade-in on that one. Instead of missing business, I would make three profits. It should be clear that; (1) you must know the value of your vehicle to do business with it; (2) the book value is affected by other circumstances, some of which are beyond your control. However, because you know the value of your vehicle you have an idea of where you should be, and by shopping more than one dealership (if you don’t get the value up front) there is a very good chance you will get your money. It is absolute that you use a professional source to determine the value of your vehicle prior to shopping for your next vehicle. If you had a wad of $10.00 bills in your pocket, a big wad, and you wanted to trade them for $50.00 bills, and if you had never counted them, how would you possibly know how many $50.00 bills to get in return for your 10’s? Would you just throw them out there and take back whatever 50’s were offered? Or would you count them ahead of time, separate them in $50.00 packets, band all the packets together, and put in writing the total amount of all the packets, put that slip of paper with your packet, and put one in your pocket? Would you then watch as the other party counted your 10’s, and as the 50’s were counted out for you? Wise folks count their money first, record the amount, and observe while others handle their money! Chuck Norlin is a 41 year veteran of negotiating, a Cal U and General Motors University graduate, and 30 year career expert in the retail vehicle business.
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