Keith Ervin relishes weekends spent golfing on a challenging course or biking along a scenic route, so when it came time to buy a new car, the prospect of being stuck in a dealer’s showroom made the OPEIU member feel worse than any triple bogey or blown-out gears ever could.
Fortunately, Ervin tapped into the Union Plus Auto Buying Service, a program administered by TrueCar, that can save union members thousands of dollars off the sticker price and hours of frustration haggling over the cost of a new vehicle. The program also rewards members with rebates of up to $300 – a benefit unmatched by any other auto buying program.
“Without question, I saved a lot of time and money by using the program,” says Ervin, of Takoma Park, MD. “It exceeded my expectations in every respect. I got the car I wanted – with the features I wanted – at a great price and I didn’t have to spend hours waiting for a sales manager to approve the deal.”
By using the Union Plus Auto Buying Service, car buyers like Ervin can obtain pricing from local dealers in minutes online, with a savings of about $2,503 off the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price(MSRP) on new cars and trucks. The program will also serve as an advocate if there are problems associated with the car buying experience. Moreover, union members could pocket up to $650 if they take advantage of the following rebates:
- Union-Made Vehicle Rebate – In addition to supporting union autoworkers, car buyers who purchase a new union-made car or truck receive a $100 rebate.
- Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Green/Union-Made Vehicle Rebate – Union members can help the environment and also receive a $200 rebate with the purchase of a union-made EPA Green vehicle.
To be eligible for the various rebates, union members must participate in the TrueCar auto-buying program through the Union Plus website. Click here to learn more >>
Ervin certainly took advantage of this program’s offerings, saving about $4,500 off the MSRP plus receiving the $200 Green/Union-Made Vehicle. Participation in the program also made trading in his 2001 car for a new Ford Escape much easier as well. “It’s not often that I buy a new car, so I wanted to make sure I selected the right one. I did a lot of research on my own, so I knew the exact features that I wanted. Using the Union Plus Auto Buying Service, I got the model, color and features that I wanted.” The new SUV has not only made Ervin and his wife happier, it has also provided his two Treeing Walker Coonhounds with more room to romp.
Union Plus was there for Ervin through every step of the car buying process, even helping him with his research. Ervin used ConsumerReports.org, the online version of the trusted product and services publication, to make sure he was getting the best car for him. ConsumerReports.org allows instant access to ratings and recommendations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through Union Plus, union members can subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for just $22 a year, a savings of 27 percent. Thanks to the research he did and the behind-the-scenes negotiating of TrueCar, Ervin spent only a few hours at the dealership. “The haggling, even for what I would get for my trade-in, was done by TrueCar. I basically just had to test drive the car and sign some paperwork,” says Ervin.
Though he’d rather be driving a golf cart, Ervin thinks being behind the wheel of his new Ford Escape is the next best thing. “I don’t drive much; I even bike to work,” explains Ervin. “But the Escape is exactly what I wanted and the car buying experience was the best one I ever had. The Union Plus Auto-Buying Service was a big reason why.”
The Union Plus Auto-Buying Service is just one of many ways that Union Plus saves union families money.