LeaseTrader Press

LeaseTrader Index June

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:09:33 GMT

LeaseTrader Index June

For Immediate Release

LEASETRADER.COM RELEASES TOP-10 INDEX FOR JUNE

Index Monitors Most Popular Lease Vehicles in America

MIAMI – (July 22, 2008) – LeaseTrader.com, the company that helps consumers with Car Lease transfers, announces its monthly Top 10 Index for June, with the BMW 3 Series reclaiming the top spot on the list of America’s most preferred leased vehicle.

“The BMW 3 Series is one of those vehicles that is still attractive to a lot of people, even during a slow economy with high gas prices,” said Sergio Stiberman, CEO and founder of LeaseTrader.com. “It comes at an affordable monthly payment, BMW is extremely customer friendly, and people can get in and out of the lease on their terms providing for optimum flexibility.”

LeaseTrader.com publishes a monthly Index of America’s most preferred vehicles for lease transfer. The Index is based on user activity on the Web site, which includes thousands of today’s vehicles in almost every brand, make and model. LeaseTrader.com users enjoy taking over someone else’s leased vehicle because they avoid paying a dealer down payment and have shorter lease terms.

Following are the top-ten most popular transferred lease vehicles in America during June, according to user activity on LeaseTrader.com:

1. BMW 3 Series

2. Mini Cooper

3. Mercedes C Class

4. Toyota Camry

5. Cadillac CTS

6. Mercedes SL Class

7. Land Rover LR3

8. Lexus IS 250

9. BMW X Series

10. Mercedes GL Class

About LeaseTrader.com

LeaseTrader.com is an innovative provider of auto lease transfers that easily and affordably matches people looking to transfer car leases. Available to users nationwide, the service helps to match individuals looking to get out of their Car Lease early, with people looking for short-term leases. Privately held and founded in 1998, LeaseTrader.com is headquartered in Miami. For more information visit www.leasetrader.com, or call 800-770-0207.

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This news announcement posted by LeaseTrader.com, the automotive service company that lets people transfer out of their Car Leases early. If you're looking to swap a lease or transfer out of yourCar Lease, please visit www.leasetrader.com.

Buying Habits Changing?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:28:27 GMT

Buying Habits Changing?

Consumers change buying habits, but will it last?

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO – AP

July 21, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) — Adrienne Radtke plans to keep riding her bike to work even if gas prices drop. Steve Pizzini got rid of his Cadillac Escalade in favor of a 16-year-old Acura and doesn't expect to have another gas-guzzler.

"I had a paradigm shift," said Pizzini, a financial analyst. "I spent the money on a nice car. But to me, it's not worth it. I don't think I will go that route again."

Every economic downturn changes shoppers in some way. But this time, experts say the new behavior — fueled by higher gas and food prices, tightening credit and a slumping housing market — are the most dramatic and widespread that they have seen since the mid-1970s.

So retailers, marketers and investors are all trying to figure out which habits shoppers will keep and which will they drop when the economy recovers. Will the people who switched to store-brand ice cream go back to Breyers or Edy's? Will shoppers return to department stores or keep looking for labels at T.J. Maxx?

"We are looking at stuff that reminds me of the 1970s," said Patricia Edwards of investment manager Wentworth Hauser and Violich. "Americans have seen a huge amount of their balance sheet evaporate. The effects will be more lingering."

Wendy Liebmann, president of WSL Strategic Retail, says people's new spending patterns are forcing companies to change the kinds of products they sell and tweak their marketing to appeal to cost-conscious shoppers. She points to the last big recession of the early 1990s that helped trigger a fundamental shift in retailing as affluent shoppers started buying at discounters as well as upscale stores.

Radtke, 31, who holds down two jobs — at a veterinarian's office and at a flower shop — recently picked up shoe glue to fix the soles of her worn sneakers. She's buying store-label soups and crackers and bought a bike for her commute after not having ridden one for five years.

"We weren't big spenders, but now we are watching our money more," said Radtke, of Manitowoc, Wis., whose husband works in construction. "Even if I fell into a pile of money, I still wouldn't be spending a lot."

According to a survey released Thursday by market research company Nielsen Co., which tracks consumer habits, about two-thirds, or 63 percent, of consumers are cutting spending due to rising gas prices, up 18 percentage points from a year ago.

According to the study, which queried nearly 50,000 consumers by e-mail during the first week of June, 78 percent of them are combining shopping trips and 52 percent are eating out less often. Consumers are also cutting more coupons, doing more of their shopping at supercenters and buying less expensive brands, the survey found.

A rebounding economy may let some consumers revert to their old ways — like people who switched to smaller cars when times were hard in the 1970s but flocked to sport utility vehicles when gas got cheap again. But with more economists believing that the current woes will last well into next year, many think the underlying frugality will linger. Some Americans say their parents or grandparents affected by the Great Depression are still hoarding buttons and squeezing out several soup meals from ham bones.

"I shop cautiously," said Edna Sott, an 88-year-old resident from Berkeley Heights, N.J. "I would say that is a hangover" from the Depression.

Marian Salzman, chief marketing officer for public relations agency Porter Novelli, cites a "Depression mentality" that's making people "rethink their optimism in the economy."

The widening gap between discounters and mall-based apparel sellers was evident in monthly retail sales figures released last week. The International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS tally of 38 stores found that same-store sales at discounters rose 5.1 percent in June and 9 percent at wholesale clubs. Discount giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. posted a robust 5.8 percent, its best June performance since 2002.

At department stores, though, same-store sales — or those at stores opened at least a year — dropped 4.1 percent.

"People are spending money on food and the products they need to sustain life," said Todd Hale, senior vice president at Nielsen.

He noted sharp declines in visits to clothing, office supply and hardware stores. He also pointed out that sales of store-brand products in grocery items are up 9.1 percent for the year ended April 19, while sales of branded products rose a more modest 3.9 percent. More than half the sales growth from store label grocery items is now from dairy like milk and cheese, an area that has seen soaring inflation.

Liebmann says Americans are trying to take "control of the little things" like mending socks or buying more store-brand food because they can't control the big things like gas and food prices.

Their little changes, though, are forcing some companies to respond in big ways.

Auto executives predict that consumers' newfound appreciation for smaller cars will be permanent, causing major pain at auto plants. Toyota Motor Corp. was among the latest to announce a product overhaul, saying it will shut down truck and SUV production to meet the changing consumer needs.

Pizzini, 29, of Eagleville, Pa., says his elderly Acura gets almost three times as many miles per gallon as the Escalade, whose lease he got out of through a company called LeaseTrader.com. Since last October, LeaseTrader.com has seen a 24 percent increase in the number of people who want to downsize to a smaller car, spokesman John Sternal said.

Fred Clements, executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers' Association, said consumers stung by $4-per-gallon gas are shifting toward utility bikes and away from recreational versions. That's forcing bike shops to change their inventories and offer more training for consumers who may not have ridden a bike in years, he said.

Plenty of stores that have benefited from shoppers' woes are hoping to retain them when the economy rebounds.

Andrea Thomas, executive vice president of private brands at Wal-Mart, thinks that many shoppers will stick with store labels since the quality has improved so much. Overall, Wal-Mart expects to retain the affluent customers when the economy recovers because it has made improvements in its stores and customer service.

Edwards, of Wentworth Hauser and Violich, agrees that new fans of discounters will keep buying at discounters as long the products measure up. And she sees lower-income shoppers switching back to meat from beans and rice before going back to name-brand food.

At the Alexandria Shoe Repair and Leather Service in Virginia, sales have increased 18 percent since February.

"I am seeing a younger crowd who lives in the disposable world," said owner Barbara Steube. "They are learning an economics lesson. They will see the benefit of the savings and how much money they walk away with when they fix their shoes."

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This story posted by LeaseTrader.com, the automotive service company that lets people transfer out of their Car Leases early. If you're looking to swap a lease or transfer out of your Car Lease, please visit www.leasetrader.com.

LeaseTrader in Pasadena Magazine

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:24:48 GMT

LeaseTrader in Pasadena Magazine

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LeaseTrader.com on The View from the Bay

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:00:39 GMT

Dating and Cars

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:17:44 GMT

Dating and Cars

What your man's car says about him

Monday, July 14, 2008

KGO TV San Francisco

It may be what's on the inside that counts, but it's what's outside that attracts. LeaseTrader.com and dating coach DeAnna Lorraine give insight on what women really think of the cars men drive.

Ms. Lorraine says a man's vehicle sends messages about his character that women immediately pick up on. "A man's car reveals a lot about his personality and values, and may determine a woman's attraction toward him," states Ms. Lorraine. "Women pay attention to more than just a man's personal looks."

So what's your car saying about you?

LeaseTrader.com shared with Ms. Lorraine the five most popular leased vehicles men drive, according to user data on the site. Ms. Lorraine then created a profile that represents the vehicle's personality traits:

Chevy Suburban: These men like travel, adventure and spending time with friends and family. These vehicles attract women that are family-oriented, down-to-earth and easy-going.

Mercedes S-Class: These men are classy, successful, stylish and "Sugar Daddies." These vehicles attract women that are in their late 30s and 40s, sophisticated, and enjoy being taken care of.

Ford F-150: These men tend to be insecure and overcompensate on a tough, macho level. These vehicles attract women that prefer to be protected by a man so they can feel safe.

Corvette: These men are conservative but are trying to satisfy a mid-life crisis by displaying their wild side through their car. These vehicles attract women that are attracted to the bad-boy image, and are typically "hot," bad girls themselves that are impulsive, wild and rebellious.

Toyota Camry: These men are solid, reliable and committed. These vehicles attract women that are sweet, level-headed, uncomplicated and undemanding.

For help with exchanging your current lease for a different vehicle, visit: www.LeaseTrader.com or call 800-770-0207.

For advice on enhancing your dating life, visit: deannalorraine.com | TheSanDiegoDatingCoach.com or call (866) 694-4722 | (858) 405-0210.

About DeAnna Lorraine

DeAnna Lorraine is a San Diego-based Dating Coach and Certified Life Coach highly trained and specialized in the areas of Dating & Relationships. With degrees in Gender Communication & Psychology, she has studied and researched heavily relationships and social dynamics, male and female psychology and communication. She helps successful adults who are looking to settle down identify what's been keeping them single, and putting them on a track to accelerating the dating process and meeting compatible, quality partners. She has worked with and provided results for software developers, engineers, attorneys, real estate agents, and other industry singles.

About LeaseTrader.com

LeaseTrader.com is an innovative provider of vehicle lease transfers that easily and affordably matches car shoppers with people wanting out of their leased vehicle. People often want out of their lease contract but don't want to pay the hefty fees associated with early lease termination. Available to users nationwide, the service matches individuals wanting out of their lease with people seeking short-term leases with attractive payments and no money down. Privately held and founded in 1998, LeaseTrader.com is headquartered in Miami.

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GM Makes More Cuts

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:10:37 GMT

GM Makes More Cuts

GM announces more cuts to North American workforce

CTV.ca News Staff

With shares hitting their lowest value in half a century, struggling North American automaker General Motors announced Tuesday it will lay off salaried workers at its North American facilities.

GM will also cut truck production, suspend its dividend and borrow between $2 and $3 billion in response to a slumping U.S. market, GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said during an announcement to workers in Detroit, Mich.

The steps are intended to to save the company $15 billion in a desperate measure to boost its flagging North American operations.

Wagoner, calling the cuts "tough but necessary," said GM had no other choice in the face of falling U.S. sales and the market shift towards smaller, more fuel efficient cars in response to record-high fuel prices.

Three years ago, GM sold 17 million vehicles in a 12-month period. This year, the company predicts sales of just 14.7 million vehicles.

BNN's Michael Kane told Canada AM on Tuesday that GM had to take action.

"Today's restructuring announcement by General Motors, the second in six weeks, is expected to stop the bleeding and restore investor confidence after the company shares fell to a 54-year low," Kane said.

"They closed yesterday at 9.38, down almost 5.5 per cent."

In June, GM announced that four truck and SUV plants would be closed as consumer demand for the gas-guzzling vehicles shrunk in response to high fuel prices.

Among those closures was the truck plant in Oshawa, Ont.

"The elimination of high paying jobs started in 2000 and since that time we have seen GM's salaried workforce fall from 44,000 down to 32,000," Kane said.

General Motors has announced it will now concentrate on building fuel-efficient vehicles in response to changing market demands.

The GM Oshawa truck plant's closure will be complete by the end of next year, the company has said. The facility employs 2,500 people but it is not clear exactly how many jobs will be affected.

At the time the four plant closures were announced, Wagoner said it was unlikely the production facilities would be reopened and no new products were slated for production in lieu of the trucks and SUVs.

In addition to adding more small, fuel-efficient vehicles to its roster, GM also has plans to have the Chevrolet Volt -- a plug-in electric car -- in dealers' showrooms by the end of 2010.

The cuts announced in June should save GM $1 billion a year, Wagoner said, in addition to earlier cuts worth roughly $15 billion.

The Canadian Auto Workers were shocked at the June cuts, which came just weeks after a new three-year agreement reached in mid-May between the union and GM.

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Your Car As The "IT" Accessory

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:22:23 GMT

Your Car As The "IT" Accessory

For Immediate Release

STYLE EXPERT & TV PERSONALITY DAISY LEWELLYN TEAMS WITH LEASETRADER.COM TO MAKE YOUR VEHICLE THE ULTIMATE “IT” ACCESSORY

Daisy Lewellyn Matches Popular Styles with the Right LeaseTrader.com Vehicle for your Look

MIAMI – (July 8, 2008) – LeaseTrader.com paired up with style expert and television personality, Daisy Lewellyn – The Queen of Effortless Chic –to match today’s hottest styles with the ultimate “It” accessory – your vehicle.

“Today’s popular styles are always evolving to reflect different tastes,” says Ms. Lewellyn. “Cars are no longer only boy toys. LeaseTrader helps turn your car into the ultimate accessory and embrace your style moments from season to season.”

Style & Vehicle Pairings:

Amanda, The Green Glam Goddess: Going green is beyond a trend; it has now become a fashionable way of life. This style is all about organically grown and nurtured wide-leg trouser jeans with a fantastic day-to-night clutch filled with loads of green goodies. Vehicle pairing: Driftwood Pearl Toyota Prius.

Anastasia, The Social Factor: This socialite is known for appearing at all evening events drenched head to toe in her estate jewels stepping out in fall’s latest and greatest. Jewel-toned floor-length gowns, polished in black on black, and metallic moments are definitely required for her social lineup. Vehicle pairing: Over-sized Carbon Black Metallic Denali.

Chloe, The Love Child: Chloe’s bohemian rhapsody wraps her in fall’s hippest, coolest trends that unite girls that reign as the greatest looking gypsies, hippies and stylenistas. Flowery printed chiffons and long tresses with layered bangs are must haves for this Love Child. Vehicle pairing: Palladium Silver Metallic Mercedes SL 500 convertible.

Lola, Petal to the Metal: Always in love with anything printed with a flower petal, it’s time to put Lola’s petal to the metal in her deep-colored floral pencil skirt and cashmere-fitted solid turtleneck. And for day looks, Lola opts for her classic belted trench in khaki, with a screamingly wild fall floral lining. Vehicle pairing: Montego Blue Metallic BMW X3.

If you want a different vehicle to match the latest styles, www.leasetrader.com can help you exchange your current lease for a different vehicle. For advice on anything related to the fashion world, seek Daisy’s assistance at www.daisylewellyn.com.

About Daisy Lewellyn

Known throughout the glamorous fashion world as “The Queen of Effortless Chic,” Daisy Lewellyn empowers celebs, real men, women, & children with expert style advice for all occasions, seasons and budgets, and waistlines too. Daisy is regularly seen on networks, such as Style Network, E! TV, The CW Network, FOX, CBS2, TLC, Discovery Channel, and more. She has combined her fashion background from In Style & Glamour Magazine, The View, Good Morning America, & Today Show with her style expertise pulling out everyone's inner celebrity for multi-media outlets including, news, editorial, online, television, & film. Visit http://www.daisylewellyn.com for more information.

About LeaseTrader.com

LeaseTrader.com is the nation’s leading authority on vehicle lease transfers. The company facilitates automobile lease transfers and easily and affordably matches car shoppers with drivers wanting out of their leased vehicle. Visit http://leasetrader.com, or call 800-770-0207.

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Despite Fuel Prices, Some Hold Onto Gas-Guzzling Icons

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:54:35 GMT

By RHONDA SWAN

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, July 07, 2008

Debi Preston-Jarvis' two-year lease was up on her Hummer, so she bought another one. And anyone who has a problem with that is just a hater.

Preston-Jarvis, an Ocean Ridge resident who owns a plumbing company, was at the Schumacher Hummer dealership on Okeechobee Boulevard on a recent Monday test-driving an H3. She left with it that afternoon.

Arthur Ventre, a disabled Vietnam vet, says his Hummer 'drives like a tank,' but he wishes the seats were more comfortable.

When Claudette Lattie bought her Hummer, gas was less than $3 a gallon. Now, she says she's paying an extra $40 every time she fills up the tank, and she wouldn't buy another one.

Tiffany O'Brady, 23, says she's had a Hummer, a Toyota Corolla and a Lexus. She gets some ribbing for driving an H3, but it's her favorite of the three.

This time she wanted one with a manual transmission because it's better on gas.

In the era of $4 fuel, the Hummer is hurting.

A 60 percent drop in sales is one of the reasons General Motors Corp. announced early last month that it will close four production plants and start making more small vehicles.

GM also is considering whether to revamp the Hummer or sell the line to another auto manufacturer.

The Detroit automaker is under increasing pressure to adjust to the change in consumer demand from trucks and sport utility vehicles to cars and crossovers.

In fact, the ailing company's GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave — which are built on smoother-riding car chassis — are two of the hottest-selling vehicles in the nation.

All that does little to sway Preston-Jarvis.

She is fine with her Hummer just the way it is. And her H3 is the line's smallest and least gas-guzzling truck.

Her response when first asked whether she owned a Hummer was, "Why, are you going to shoot me?" She noted she'd heard a comedian joke that people should have a right to shoot Hummer owners.

In fact, Hummer haters have their own Web site, FUH2.com.

But unlike the many Hummer owners who have been yelled at, flipped off and cut off by angry environmentalists, Preston-Jarvis says she's managed to avoid becoming a target.

"They all want one," she says. "Everybody that says something, they just can't get it."

Fuel concerns

Future California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the first person to get one in 1992 after persuading manufacturers to make Hummers for nonmilitary purposes.

The design is based on the Humvee, a multipurpose vehicle used by the U.S. military.

But the former star of the Terminator movies reportedly was worried enough about the Hummer's environmental impact that he has retooled two of his to run on alternate fuel.

Claudette Lattie of Loxahatchee is more concerned about the extra $40 she is spending to fill up her tank.

The Realtor owns an H2, a 4-ton vehicle that she says gets from 9 to 12 miles per gallon. She's all for GM revamping the truck.

"That's exactly what they need to do and then they won't have to close the plants," Lattie says. "They designed it that way, so I'm sure they can make the vehicle to give you better mileage."

When she bought the truck a year ago, gas hadn't yet reached $3 a gallon and she and her husband had planned to convert the engine. That never happened.

Would she buy another Hummer?

"Hell, no!" she says. Her next car will be a hybrid.

"The gas mileage is terrible," Lattie says. "I'm hanging in there for now, hoping that we either convert the system or that gas prices will go down."

Tax savings

On the bright side, Hummer owners enjoy a tax break most other drivers don't.

They can write off up to $100,000 as a business expense because of a loophole originally designed to give farmers a tax break on their trucks.

The legislation defines the vehicle by weight, not use, and Hummers are among the biggest trucks on the market.

Even the H3 weighs in at 5,000 pounds, or 21/2 tons.

Still, tax savings don't seem able to compete with gas spending.

Sal Delgreco is general sales manager for Schumacher Hummer, the only Hummer dealership in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.

He says sales dropped from about 1,500 in 2006 to about 1,000 in 2007.

However, he's only slightly worried about the dealership's future.

Hummers are getting better on gas.

The H3, which starts at $33,000 and tops out at $42,000, gets up to 20 miles per gallon.

And Hummer customers, like Preston-Jarvis, are loyal and the demographic is expanding, he says.

The truck is no longer limited to the rich and famous.

Tiffany O'Brady, a 23-year-old part-time student at Palm Beach Community College who works at Sprint, says it's her favorite vehicle.

She's had a Toyota Corolla and a Lexus.

"I like it a lot. It's one of my better vehicles I've ever had," she says.

O'Brady says she's gotten her share of ribbing for driving an H3, but nothing she can't handle.

Her parents own an H2. They don't drive it, though. Instead, they carpool to work in the Lexus because of gas prices.

Arthur Ventre, a disabled Vietnam vet who lives in Delray Beach, says gas wasn't his top priority when he bought a used H3 six months ago.

"I was looking for stability, strength. It drives like a tank," Ventre says. "I've had other trucks, many trucks — Ford pickups, Expeditions — this one seems to ride the sturdiest."

Will he buy another one?

Yes, if they make the seats a little more comfortable.

What about the gas?

"That's the way life is. Gas prices are what they are. You can't fight city hall."

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