Fletcher Jones Toyota in Las Vegas sent me some junk mail about a liquidation sale. It's got a scratch off thing on it, with three stars. Under each one is a football, soccer ball, basketball or baseball. If you get a basketball, football and baseball you get a free oil change. Replace the baseball with a soccerball, you win $200. Three footballs nets you $2271.32.

Well, I scratched off three footballs. I haven't called the hotline yet, since I'm thinking that everyone got three footballs and this is a scam to get people on the lot.

Thoughts?

--T.J.

I received something like that for a Ford dealer around here. It had a code and if it matched the scratched code you either won a plasma Tv/Money/ or a cheap tool set. Mine matched of course and I am pretty sure it's the tool set that's the prize. It probably is also in limited quantities which will have convienently ran out when you go to claim it.

That kind of marketing tool is the latest big thing. You can be pretty sure that everyone/almost everyone got the same "prize" as you did.

yeah maybe they'll give you $2271 off a new car or something.

The weird thing about this is that the prize part of this doesn't even say anything about cars, just "must redeem prize at Fletcher-Jones Toyota June 26th-July 1st during sales hours."

But yeah, somehow I doubt I'm the only one with three footballs and that they're going to hand me two grand and change and let me go on my merry way.

--T.J.

I'm wondering why the "grand prize" is some odd number like $2271.32? If it was legit, why wouldn't it be either $2000 or $2500? On the vague chance that you've really won a cash prize, I'd call them and see what they say, but I have a hunch its like "up to $2271.32 OFF the list price of some car they haven't been able to move.

I got one of those too. Acutally, two. Some dealer here actually sent two to me, exact same name, exact same addy. When I had two identical "unique codes" I tossed 'em in the shredder. Stupid marketing...

I bumped into this the other day. The wife and I are looking into a new car, figured we would stop in. It appears that these are repo cars that the banks are trying to liquidate, the different dealers are just hosting. From my understanding you go down with the card that offers some kind of discount (which seems to equal around $4000-5000) off the current pay off on the vehicle that has been repo'ed. Then theres a negotiation with the bank between what ius still owed and what you are willing to pay. Theres a registration process and pre approval process if you plan to finance thru the bank.

It sounds like a good way to get a vehicle fairly inexpensively but I don't know what you would do with warranty work and as my wife said, if the people couldn't afford to keep the car, what kind of maintanance could they afford.

You'll also find that the cars have been detailed but cosmetic damage has not been repaired. The Grand Cherokees we looked semed very nice, one had a split rear bumper cover, the other had a broken grill. A newer Ford Explorer was missing some trim pieces down the flank of the vehicle.