Not to mention the fact that I almost failed the computer test (more on that later).

I did the smart thing prior to getting in the car and driving to the NC DOT offices. I looked online and determined all the information I would need and stuck all that information in a folder.  The required information includes proof of residency, proof of age and identity, proof of liability insurance (huh?), and an original social security card.

To gather all those documents, I had two utility bills from my new home, my Virginia drivers license, a certified birth certificate, my dog-eared social security card, and an expired passport.  I had just bought a new car the previous weekend and hadn’t contacted my insurance agent yet (in the State of North Carolina, you have 30 days to update your insurance company). My insurance company (USAA) took all my information and sent me a link in e-mail to a PDF which is my proof of insurance. It was August the 25th and the insurance certificate said the policy was valid August 26th through March of 2010. Of course the nice ladies at the NC DOT license office in Fuquay-Varina were the ones to point this out.

I arrive at the NC DOT office in Fuquay-Varina at a respectable 9am. There is no line but rather a sign-in sheet.  I see several other folks in the lobby, sign my name, and proceed to wait. Just in the 20-30 minutes before I got called, I could already see some serious process issues that the NC DOT seems to be suffering from.  The computer where people take their tests is not linked very well with the back office, the last step in the process when you get your picture taken is not linked to the back office (and if so, it’s not linked very well). I can see the opportunities not only for someone to get a license with someone else’s picture on it, but can see some serious bucks for some process consultant to come in and fix several issues.

I get called and take all my documentation up to the desk and have a seat. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the person helping me was rude, but she wasn’t courteous in the least. When she asked for my proof-of-insurance, I hand over my newly minted policy on my shiny new car. She kindly points out that it isn’t active until tomorrow (the 26th of August). I explain that I just bought the car and that under North Carolina law, my old policy is valid for 30 days. She reponds saying that, “this doesn’t prove you are insured today.”  Not to mention the fact that I’ll be using the license in the future (including tomorrow), or that I could have easily just created a fake proof-of-insurance certificate in any old word processor (hint hint) as they don’t actually validate the policy. Basically, there are many many ways I could have circumvented the proof part, but I digress.

Why do you need to have insurance to be *able* to drive? If you can take the drivers school and pass the test shouldn’t you be able to be licensed to drive? What if you don’t own a car? There is an exception where you can get a license for fleet vehicles if you don’t have insurance, but what if you want to borrow your brother’s car every once in a while? I understand having insurance to get a title or to register your vehicle, but to obtain a drivers license?

We eventually figure out that I can contact my insurance company and have them FAX a copy of my current policy on my car that I just sold to the offices there in Fuquay-Varina. However, that policy was just cancelled by me on the phone a few hours ago. This ended up working, but in my opinion in no way provided “proof” in fact, it was a cancelled policy!

While we’re waiting for the FAX, I am allowed to take the computer test. Let me preface this by saying that I’m a pretty good and safe driver. I know most if not all of the rules and haven’t had a ticket in years (knock-knock). I knew all the signs (even the ones where they just indicate the shape and color (like a yellow circle, which I happen to know is a rail-road crossing)), knew when to stop for school busses, etc. I also graduated from high school before “No Child Gets Ahead” so my testing skills are probably not up to par (even though I seemed to have graduated from college with an engineering degree). The test questions on that test were totally bogus. In fact, it’s stated on the state website that MOST DRIVERS FAIL the test on their first attempt.  There is even one company that will provide you with sample test questions … for a fee (take a sample test here for free)! It’s not because these are bad drivers that don’t know the rules, it’s because the questions suck!

I passed the test with 5 incorrect answers (missing 6 out of 25 is a failing score) and on my last question I was guessing and crossing my fingers.

While waiting, my insurance arrives and I go up to finish the process. There is some issue with submitting my record. Some system they keep referring to as “Social Security” is down and my record is failing to go through. It’s been over two hours already so they suggest that I go to lunch and hopefully when I return the system will be back up. I’m not stupid enough to think that the “Social Security” system went down. Rather, some system that the state runs was having issues. I go to lunch, do some shopping and return. The system still won’t process my record while others are going through fine (including other renewals, other out-of-state changes (which mine is)). They are on the phone with tech support for good 30 minutes and the decision is to start over and go through the process from scratch, which happens to work.

I get my picture taken, and am told I can expect my license in the mail in two weeks. However, if I don’t receive it, I’m to call a number they give me (I’m not holding my breath).

Here’s my beef. The system isn’t designed to ensure that people *can* drive. All these other checks and balances would be easy to circumvent and don’t really prove anything.  What was that “Social Security” system anyway?  What is it accomplishing and does it have ANYTHING to do with my ability to operate a car?

While shopping for the new car, I wanted something with good fuel economy, but didn’t want to sacrafice on cargo space.  As I told every salesman that I visited, “My three dogs go everywhere with me.” I didn’t really need the 4WD, even though it had come in handy a few times. I also didn’t need the gas guzzling that came along with the 4WDs.

I did a lot of research on the internet and looked at the following cars:

• Jetta Wagon TDI – 40+ MPG!
• Mazda 3 Hatchback
• Subaru  Impreza
• Scion XD
• Nisan Versa
• Ford Focus

I had pretty much settled on the Jetta Wagon TDI, the Mazda, and the Fit. The Ford just seemed boring, the Subaru not big enough, and the Versa too new. Admittedly, there were others in the class and a few others to boot (like the Mini Cooper) but you can drive yourself crazy (like my brother-in-law who spent months deciding on which car to buy) if you start with too big of a selection.

Personally, I didn’t want to use CARS (Cash for Clunkers) as my Jeep would make a great 4WD for someone living up where the salt the roads as it was in good shape and with some transmission work will provide several years of service. However, I did want to use the leverage that CARS allowed me during the negotiations.

I was dead set on a manual transmission as I just don’t feel like driving a golf cart around. I did drive the Jetta TDI, but there were no more 2009 TDI manual shift cars anywhere, and very few of the wagons at all. I also drove the Mazda and the Honda.

The Mazda was a fun little car with more horsepower, and very nicely appointed, but:

• the seats didn’t lay flat
• less cargo room
• more expensive
• so-so gas mileage
• visibility (Granted, it was much better than most Pontiac rental cars I’ve driven. I’m short and I felt I couldn’t see the front right quarter and after driving a SUV for years I felt unsafe.)

The Honda dealer wasn’t accepting CARS (Clunkers), but I was able to show them what the Mazda dealer had put in writing to help negotiate the price of my trade up to the same I would have received with the Clunkers deal. I also liked:

• the lower price (2/3s the price of the Mazda)
• the better gas mileage (combined 29 vs 25 on the Mazda)
• more cargo space (significantly so)
• the seats that lie flat (and the magic seat deal)
• the front seats recline all the way
• higher crash rating (in fact, even significantly higher than my Jeep)
• visibility (there are no discernible blind spots and the small windows in front of the external mirrors are great)
• the USB attachment for the stereo (they both had AUX input, but with the Fit the iPod can be controlled via the stereo and you can use the steering wheel controls)
• Honda resale
• Honda brand loyality (my (other-)brother-in-law loves his and they do have the highest satisfaction surveys and highest percentage of return buyers.)

I was a bit conflicted about the sportiness of the Mazda 3 vs. the Fit, but I had to remember that I was in this for the efficiency. We’ve (at least I have) become more humble since 2000 when I bought my gas guzzler.  I sort of like the fact that I spent less than half on this car as I spent on my last new car (and in that same vein, the Fit was 2/3 the price of the Mazda 3).

I’ve had it for a few days and have put a few hundred miles on it to date. I’m very happy with it.  So far, the meter says I’m getting 42 MPG as I am driving pretty conservatively. I’ll post a comment below when I start filling it up and calculating actual mileage.

Let me start (again) with some background. People like to shop on the Internet. Many times, they are just looking for information to see what the current prices are, compare items, look at rebates or deals, do product research, etc. One particular reason they don’t visit a brick-and-mortar store is because they don’t want to deal with sales people and in some cases might not be ready to purchase something.

I’ll also say that I do not like car sales people. I think they are pushy, rude, and try too hard to push what’s on the lot rather than listen to what a customer wants (don’t get me started about the time we asked for a standard transmission on a truck which was to be used for pulling). I know that’s what a sales person’s job is, but I am the customer and I know what’s right and if you don’t like it, I will shop elsewhere.

Back to the point. I was checking out VW dealers as I am toying with the idea of buying a VW Jetta TDI. I looked on Edmunds, read reviews, and browsed for a few hours just checking what was available. I hopped over to my local VW dealer’s website and they had a convenient link to check the value of my trade-in. They also had “an Internet price” that you entered in what you were looking for and they would mail you a price. After I entered in several items on their page, I had to provide my contact info to get the “Internet price.” There was a check-box on the page to indicate how I wanted to be contacted and the selections were either phone or e-mail (and you couldn’t leave it blank). I checked e-mail so I could get the value of my car and figured that I’d just ignore/delete/spam the additional messages. Maybe it’s my fault for putting my phone number in the website….

Within 5 minutes or so, I had received the “Internet price” from Henry Meador. Not even 10 minutes after that, my home phone rang (even though I didn’t indicate I wanted to be contacted by phone). When I didn’t answer the phone, I got another e-mail message asking me to set up an appointment. That afternoon, yet another call to my home phone. The next day another phone call and when I didn’t answer, another e-mail.  All in all, my home phone was called over a dozen times and I received as many e-mails. When I finally happened to answer the phone on a Saturday morning, I informed Mr. Meador that I did not want to be contacted at home any more.  I received this follow up e-mail that afternoon:

You contacted us about internet pricing. This will be my final email to you to get an answer to what time you would like to schedule an appt to come by? I did email you 4 times, you havent responded to those or my first voice mail. We’re very busy and I apologize that we don’t have time to study everyones contact preference.

Regards,

Henry Meador
Leith VW
Internet Sales
919-465-3360

Maybe I shouldn’t read too much into the “tone” of an e-mail, but this one to me seems a bit snooty. If you don’t have time to study my contact preferences you don’t deserve to get my business (maybe you are just too busy bothering people in their homes).

I’m still on the fence about the new car, but I do know that I won’t be purchasing it from Leith VW in Raleigh!

My advice to brick-and-mortar sales folks trying to drum up sales over the internet, don’t be pushy and if you have an indication on your Web site for potential customers to indicate their contact preferences, respect those preferences.