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LeaseTrader.com and Crash Text Dummies

Leonor Vivanco — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:58:49 GMT

After riding shotgun with her text-happy former roommate, Jinny Yi couldn't take it anymore.

"She would be texting while driving with her knees," said Yi, 31, who lives on the Gold Coast. "It was really scary."

Yi eventually stopped accepting rides from her friend and started offering to drive.

"Texting is probably one of the worst things to do while driving because it's so distracting," she said.
It's not just distracting. Starting Jan. 1, texting while driving will be illegal in Illinois. The state will join 18 other states, including California and New York, that have texting bans. In late September, President Obama signed an executive order banning federal workers from texting while driving on the job or in government-owned vehicles.

Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to get in to a crash than drivers who were not distracted, according to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study released in July. That's more of a risk than dialing or talking on a cell phone. Drivers texting had their eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds, equal to the time it would take to drive down a football field at 55 mph, the study showed.

Despite these and other studies that show the dangers of texting while driving--a test by Car and Driver Magazine found texting was worse than drunk driving when it came to drivers' response times--the behavior ranked surprisingly low in a recent poll about distracting car behaviors.

In a LeaseTrader.com survey of more than 3,000 drivers released last month, men ranked road rage frustration, eating and drinking and checking out other drivers more dangerous than texting while driving. Women listed kids in the car, putting on makeup and messing with the radio as the top dangers.

"That's weird. I think texting is way more dangerous," said Caroline O'Hare, 24, who lives in Old Town. "You're not looking at the road, you're looking at your phone."

Meanwhile, the use of texting continues to skyrocket. More than 740 billion texts were reportedly sent in the first half of 2009, nearly double compared to last year, according to CTIA, an association that represents the wireless telecommunications industry.

Drivers don't need new technology to be distracted, said John Sternal, spokesman for LeaseTrader.com, an online marketplace for Car Lease transfers. Sternal said he's seen drivers use electric razors in the car and knows drivers look at other drivers.

"Let's face it, I'm guilty of this too," Sternal said. "I'm a guy; guys like to look. You take your eyes off the road to send a text message and see who the pretty girl is--the bottom line is, your eyes are off the road."

Driver distraction was reported to be involved in 16 percent of fatal crashes and
21 percent of injury crashes in 2008, according to statistics released in September by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The under-20 age group had the greatest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes followed by drivers between the ages of 20 to 29, NHTSA stats showed. Specific distractions were not broken out.
"Texting right now is perhaps the most egregious act of distracted driving that involves technology that is occurring on our roads today," said Henry Haupt, spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State's office. "When an individual has their hands off the steering wheel, their eyes are off the road and they're busy composing a message, the question is, 'Who's driving the car?'"

Despite the number of studies that show the dangers, despite the growing bans, texting is just too tempting for drivers like Paul Lescieux, who says he can't resist checking messages.
The 18-year-old Hinsdale student said he's aware he gets distracted from driving when he reads and responds to texts in the car, but, "It saves time and sometimes you need to give an immediate answer."

"I know it's bad," he said. "There's no real excuse to do it." lvivanco@tribune.com

The other phone offense

In addition to the upcoming statewide texting ban, Chicago has had a law on the books since July 2005 to ticket drivers on cell phones not using a hands-free device.
But this year, the number of tickets issued for using cell phones while driving is down drastically compared to the past few years. From January to Oct. 30 this year, 2,403 tickets were written. That's down from the 7,584 tickets in all of 2008, 17,413 in 2007, and 13,433 in 2006, according to statistics compiled by the traffic division of the Cook County circuit court and provided by the Chicago Police Department.

LeaseTrader.com and Three Ways to Get Rid of Office Equipment

Raymund Flandez — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:48:50 GMT

They are the unattended items that get left behind when employees get laid off: desks, chairs, computer screens, even cars. Small-business owners looking for extra dollars in the budget should turn attention to those unused supplies or equipment gathering dust. You might bring in extra cash, or even trim costs if you're still carrying insurance or paying them off. Certainly, keep some items in storage if you expect business or hiring to pick back up soon. Otherwise, it's time to clean house. Here are the three best ways to get rid of office equipment:

Ashley Yvonne Photography

Carnahan Group transferred the lease on its Lexus IS 350 by using LeaseTrader.com.

1. Find others who really want them. For starters, try to sell them to your employees. After rounds of staff cutbacks, Tri-Lite Builders Inc., sold two company cars to remaining workers and another one to a client. The Chandler, Ariz., general contractor, which owned the extra vehicles, arranged a payment plan and charged no interest. Another way is to look for third-party companies that match sellers and buyers. There's eBay for general goods, ITTradeOnline.com for used computers and laptops, RockandDirt.com for used construction equipment, MedMarketplace.com for used hospital and medical equipment, or SurplusEquipment.com for manufacturing machinery. Carnahan Group Inc., a healthcare consulting firm in Tampa, Fla., used LeaseTrader.com to shed a Lexus IS 350 that was sitting idly in its parking lot. The company transferred the lease, which still had 13 months left, in three weeks and saved about $5,000 in monthly payments and early termination fees. LeaseTrader, which charges sellers a minimum of $89 to list vehicles and collects a $150 commission fee, has seen small-business car-lease transfers jump 28% since January compared to the same period a year ago, says Chief Executive Sergio Stiberman.

2. Try bartering. In mid-March last year, Gail Haight was at wit's end trying to sell a trove of high-end office furniture – cherry-wood desks, high-back leather chairs and mahogany bookcases – after her mortgage company, Pinnacle Lending Group of Boca Raton, Fla., decided to close. She came upon NuBarter.com, an online bartering company that offered to facilitate the sale. Two and a half months later, Ms. Haight had sold almost all of the office furniture and banked $13,000 in the company's NuBarter account. Ms. Haight has used that money to go out to dinners at participating restaurants and to hire a lawn maintenance company. "It gave me some peace of mind to know that someone else has benefited from a part of our company," she says. NuBarter of Savannah, Ga., has seen the number of transactions rise to about 850 transactions per month this summer, up from about 600 transactions per month in the spring. Other barter sites include BizX.com, FloridaBarter.com, and BarterBrokers.com. Search a directory at International Reciprocal Trade Association's site. Keep in mind, barter transactions need to be recorded for tax purposes

3. Donate to charities that can use them. Contributions have slipped this year, many charities say. Gifts In Kind International, of Alexandria, Va., which brokers donated computer and office equipment to about 3,000 partner organizations across the country, says it has seen a 10% decline this year in small-company contributions. So, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give away your extra printer or desks to a nonprofit that could really use the help. Bonnie CLAC, a nonprofit group that helps low-income people finance vehicles, says it would love to be a beneficiary of a vehicle-donation program. The Claremont, N.H., group currently has 70 cars with a waiting list of weeks for clients who need transportation for work, says Terri Steingrebe, president and chief executive. An added benefit for these donations, of course, is the tax deduction, a percentage of the wholesale cost of the item as determined by the Internal Revenue Service, says Patrick Tufts, president and chief executive of Heritage United Way, of Manchester, N.H., which recently launched a new program to distribute donated goods from companies to local charities. Another charity to consider: The National Cristina Foundation, of Greenwich, Conn., which has a database of pre-screened charitable organization that could use computer or technology-related items.

GM will return to leasing with luxury vehicles – LeaseTrader.com

Jamie LaReau — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:42:52 GMT

DETROIT -- General Motors Co. will return to the leasing business focusing on luxury vehicles, but not on a broader basis, Vice Chairman Bob Lutzsaid today.

"We will get back into leasing, but we are not going to use massive subsidized leasing to drive volume because it's volume without profitability," Lutz said in an interview with Automotive News. "We'd rather sell less at higher profit than sell more at lower profit."

Lutz said it still would make sense for GM to do more leasing on its luxury vehicles.

"The luxury end of the market is very heavy on leasing and as credit frees up, it would be very logical to get back into the portion of the market that we currently don't compete in, which is the lease market," Lutz said.

"If we lease, it is going to be a lease rate that truly reflects the value of the car or truly takes into account the true depreciation level of the car in the first two or three years."

According to reports Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News, GM and its lending affiliate GMAC are expected to resume leasing cars as early as Aug. 1 after a year-long hiatus from the leasing market.

Lutz would not comment on the reports, saying he is unsure of when GM might return to leasing. But he emphasized it will be a limited program because it is very expensive for a carmaker to subsidize leasing and leasing tends to erode residual values.

GM spokesman Pete Ternes said GM is still discussing leasing options and no announcement is planned yet.

Demand for leases on a several GM models has increased over the past year, according to statistics from LeaseTrader.com, which tracks activity in the secondary lease market.

"It has always been imperative for GM to reintroduce car leasing programs for the millions of people that see leasing as the best fit for their automotive needs," Sergio Stiberman, CEO of LeaseTrader.com, said in a statement.

"Many of the brands and models in the GM family have increased in popularity in the secondary lease marketplace because leasing remains desirable for so many individuals.

"We're confident GM's decision will result in higher inventory turnover because more options are always beneficial to the consumer and to the health of the industry."

According to LeaseTrader, demand for leases on the Cadillac Escalade has risen 22 percent over the past year. The Buick Enclave was next at 18 percent.

LeaseTrader.com Grows During Recession

Niala Boodhoo — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:30:35 GMT

The Lease Trade Connection: LeaseTrader.com has seen the need for its services grow during the downturn in 2009. LeaseTrader is driving sales and helping customers escape BMW car leases and Mercedes car leases. Lease Trade is growing at over 30 percent increase compared to 2008. Here's how it works - The car leaseholder pays a flat fee of $79 and a lease transfer fee of $150.

Cuando el mercado de autos flaquea, el arrendamiento florece

Bertha Velasquez — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:54:37 GMT

La rebaja econ�mica no tiene un final predecible y entonces algunos tratan de decidir cuales son sus mejores opciones al tratar de comprar un veh�culo y qu� pr�stamos hay disponibles. Para mucha gente que no califica para comprar un carro, la mejor opci�n es la siguiente, arrendar uno.

Un arriendo de vehiculo, que no se debe confundir con la compra de un veh�culo, incluye un contrato en el cual una persona arrienda un vehiculo por cierto periodo de tiempo, al terminar el contrato, quien arrienda debe devolver el auto al concesionario de quien se obtuvo el arriendo o la compra del veh�culo.

Algunos piensan que ellos sacan mas de arrendar un vehiculo que en comprar uno. La gente que prefiere un arriendo puede arrendar diferentes veh�culos peri�dicamente con menos pagos mensuales � arriendos separados. A diferencia de los que compran un veh�culo, los que arriendan no tienen que preocuparse del valor del veh�culo ni de la venta del vehiculo al final del contrato de compra. Los cargos, sin embargo, se pueden acumular debido al desgaste del veh�culo y tambi�n hay restricciones de millaje que se estipulan en el contrato del arriendo.

Aun cuando muchos ven mas beneficios en arrendar un vehiculo que en comprar uno, otros han tenido dificultades financieras para finalizar el contrato sin mucha diferencia a los due�os de carro.

Una tendencia bastante notable que esta creciendo es el cambio del arriendo a otro comprador calificado que quiere tomar el resto del arriendo. Muchos que arriendan han buscado a LeaseTrader.com para hacer esto.

Los servicios proporcionados por LeaseTrader.com, permiten a los que arrienda, y que no pueden continuar con los pagos, traspasar el resto de su arriendo a otra persona. Los individuos que quieren salirse de un arriendo pueden hacer la transferencia sin castigos financieros � los cargos de terminaci�n se aplican cuando

los que arriendan terminan r�pido el contrato � otro motivo por el cual muchos est�n cambiando su arriendo.

�Hoy los concesionarios se han cambiado a contratos de arriendo a plazos mas largos y hacienda mas dif�cil que la gente cumpla con sus contratos de arrendamiento,� dijo Sergio Stiberman, presidente y jefe ejecutivo de LeaseTrader.com. �Nuestro servicio ayuda al consumidor a adaptarse a los eventos impredecibles de la vida y salir de su vehiculo arrendado. Esto les permite seguir adelante y escoger el vehiculo que mas se ajusta a sus necesidades financieras y recreacionales.�

LeaseTrader.com, que fue fundado en 1998, vio cerca de 45,000 transacciones nacionales el a�o pasado y espera ver cerca de 60,000 transacciones nacionales este a�o. Las tendencias de arrendamiento en Colorado han sobrepasado los promedios nacionales. Los n�meros muestran que en promedio, los arriendos de Colorado tienen un balance m�s alto en sus contratos, lo que indica que los arriendos locales se est�n saliendo de sus contratos antes que el promedio nacional. La informaci�n refleja actividad en el portal desde los 8 a los 10 meses pasados.

El promedio nacional del balance que queda en el arriendo de un carro es de $9,260 con cerca de 16 meses restantes en el arriendo. En Colorado, hay un balance promedio de $10,700 y 19 meses restantes en el arriendo. La marca de veh�culo que hace que las marcas mayores en trasferencias son BMW X3, Chevy Avalanche, Chevy Trailblazer, Jeep Grand Cherokee y el Toyota Tacoma.

Los que est�n buscando intercambiar su arriendo ponen la informaci�n del vehiculo en LeaseTrader.com y pagan $49 al frente. El servicio busca entonces compradores potenciales que est�n interesados en el veh�culo y tomar el arriendo. No hay una cuota de entrada para el comprador. La transacci�n se hace completamente en-l�nea y la transferencia tiene lugar en 3 a

6 semanas y da un total de algo m�s de $200 en cargos de transacci�n.

Es importante anotar que la compa��a arrendadora que autoriza el arriendo original decidir� si el comprador potencial califica para tomar a su cargo el restante del arriendo basado en cr�dito que tenga la persona y la pol�tica de la compa��a. Tambi�n, aun cuando la transferencia de arriendos se hace posible por medio de los servicios proporcionados por LeseTrader.com, el vendedor y comprador son los responsables de coordinar la transferencia actual del veh�culo.

Auto-lease trading business is booming for LeaseTrader.com

Sara Castellanos — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:35:44 GMT

Auto-lease trading is becoming more popular among those who can't afford to pay off or purchase long-term leases in the midst of economic uncertainty.

In the past 10 months, Miami-based Leasetrader.com has seen a 29 percent increase in auto-lease trades in Denver. Cincinnati-based SwapaLease .com has seen a 54 percent increase in traffic on its website in Denver.

Lease trading allows a leaseholder to get out of an auto lease if that person finds someone to take over the monthly payment.

The new owner is responsible only for the remainder of the lease contract — not a down payment as with the original lessee — and can choose to purchase the car at the end of the lease.

Glenn Davis of Westminster used Swapa Lease.com in April because he wanted to get out of his monthly payment and purchase a less expensive car.

The lease was on a 2008 Mercedes- Benz GL450 with 14 months left on the contract and a payment of $850 a month.

"I didn't think in this economy anyone would want to take over my payment," Davis said. "But in this age of instant gratification, somebody can now drive a more expensive vehicle for a lesser period of time than they normally could (afford)."

Within a week of posting on the website, he received about 20 inquiries, and by mid- May the car was off his hands. Mercedes charged the new lessee a $595 transfer fee.

For Denver resident Grant Kirsh, Leasetrader.com helped him take over a 2007 BMW X5 4.8i. He will pay $500 monthly for 12 months.

"It makes so much economic sense," he said. "People may not want to drop $30,000 on a car and get tied to a three-year lease."

The original owner had made a $15,000 down payment, Kirsh said. Swapalease.com expects nationwide growth to be 30 percent from last year, projecting 100,000 transactions for 2009. Leasetrader.com projects 60,000 nationwide lease transfers for 2009, up 24 percent from last year.

John Sternal, vice president of marketing and communications for Leasetrader.com, said the company has a waiting list of people interested in picking up short-term leases.

"In this economy, people are really hesitant to sign up for a long-term financial commitment," he said.

Although the Better Business Bureau of Denver reported no complaints about lease-trading companies, Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, urged caution.

He said the original lease owner could still be obligated to make lease payments if a new lessee for some reason refused to.

Downshifting on auto leases

LeaseTrader and Lease Trades on The Rise

Peter Marcus — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:31:02 GMT

More people trying to get out of payments they can’t afford

The economic downturn has left some consumers stuck with car leases they simply can’t afford.

Littleton resident Jeff Ross is one of many to represent a 29-percent spike in the number of Colorado families using the LeaseTrader.com trade program to escape a lease they can no longer afford. The online service connects lease holders with thousands of buyers looking to adopt the lease, and allows consumers to downsize into something less expensive.

Having been recently laid off from his job as an engineer — a casualty of the recession — the last thing Ross wanted to do was pay as much as $8,000 to get out of his leased 2007 BMW 335i. So, like many other Coloradans, Ross turned to LeaseTrader.com.

“I used the money that I would have spent on paying off the lease to get a new vehicle for me,” he said, noting that he is now saving money having purchased a used Ford Explorer.

Similar to a classified posting, users post pictures and descriptions of their vehicles, hoping to find a consumer looking to adopt their lease. For this service, sellers pay a $79 service fee. If a transaction is successful, then both parties pay a final $149 transfer fee.

The benefit to sellers is obvious — they save a lot of money. But John Sternal, vice president of marketing for LeaseTrader.com, says the “untold story” is the benefits to buyers.

“Everybody knows us as the company that gets you out of your lease, but believe it or not, the benefits are actually greater to the person taking over,” said Sternal.

He points out that people adopting the lease benefit by not paying a down payment, as well as being able to customize their search by looking for vehicles based on mileage and lease expiration dates, to name a couple.

Buyers also benefit from being able to adopt a short-term lease, said Sternal. If someone wants a 10-month lease, they can find a 10-month lease; if a consumer wants a 14-month lease, they can find a 14-month lease, he said.

“In today’s economy, where people are really not interested in locking themselves into a 60-month lease, or a 48-month lease, that’s a pretty big benefit,” said Sternal. “A lot of our customers tell us, ‘I just want a car for a year, I don’t know what’s going to happen after that.’”

People looking to take over a lease pay a $39 sign-up fee, which covers necessary credit checks.

Not everyone, however, uses lease transfer and assumption services because of financial difficulties. Highlands Ranch resident Cristina Julia needed to give up her 2008 Lexus IS 350 because the family was expecting a second child. Becoming a family of four, it was time for them to get into a larger vehicle.

“We just decided that we didn’t like the car we had and that we wanted to get into a larger vehicle,” said Julia.

Sternal stopped short of calling the business “recession-proof,” but said it certainly is “recession-resilient.”

He said when times are good, people use the service to upgrade, but that when times are bad, people use it to downsize. While a year ago consumers said they used LeaseTrader.com because of mortgage worries, today the biggest concern is employment.

“I guess you’d call us the middle man that glues all the different parts together,” said Sternal.

LeaseTrader.com What They're Thinking

Tue, 26 May 2009 19:21:48 GMT

LeaseTrader.com What They're Thinking?

According to LeaseTrader.com women are now interested in driving their BMW car lease, Mercedes car lease, Range Rover car lease, Infiniti car lease, or Lexus car lease. The survey shows that 18 percent of women now prefer driving on a first date. Women, what are you waiting for, take a look at LeaseTrader.com and call a LeaseTrader specialist. The Lease Trade specialist will help you transfer your car lease or help you get into a car lease with no money down and with a low monthly car payment on your car lease.

LeaseTrader Wheels and Deals For The Graduate

Dana Hunsinger — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:30:52 GMT

Wheels and deals for the graduate
In a season of incentives, this is one market segment that hasn't slowed down
By Dana Hunsinger

Every grad dreams of the ultimate gift: a new car.

These days, thanks to the sluggish economy, many are in luck.
Advertisement

With deals abounding on car lots -- including buy-one-get-one-free at the Hyundai dealer, Dodge employee pricing, cash rebates, zero-percent financing and no down payments -- if the kid has to have a car, now may be the time for parents to buy.

"This is as good as it gets," said Merle Bettenhausen, advertising manager with Ray Skillman Auto Centers, which has five locations. "It's as good as it's ever been."

The time was right for Mike McCall, whose daughter Madison received a new Jeep Liberty after graduating from Ball State University. With all the deals combined, McCall estimates he saved $8,000 to $9,000.

"It was very fortuitous that the timing fell when it did," said Mike McCall, Carmel.

Madison McCall is ecstatic over her new wheels.

"I've been looking forward to it for a very long time," said the business major.

Not all grads, of course, are lucky enough to get the dream gift. But in the middle of a recession, just when you would expect car buying for graduation to be down, some dealers say it is picking up.

Even at lots where sales have not risen, people purchasing cars for grads have helped the bottom line.

"I wouldn't say there has been a big increase, but there certainly has not been a decrease," said Rick Haeick, Internet sales manager at Champion Chrysler Jeep Dodge on West 96th Street.

Perhaps even more popular than a new car for the grad is the purchase of a used car or taking over a lease.

LeaseTrader.com saw a 16 percent increase in March and April for its lease takeover program, compared with the same months a year ago. One of the major reasons customers indicated they were leasing was for a graduation gift, said John Sternal, a vice president at LeaseTrader.

"Not every dealer offers big incentives with no down payments, plus you have to qualify for them," said Sternal.

At LeaseTrader, a buyer who wants no down payment and a short-term lease takes over the car from a person who needs to get out of the contract.

"You are able to get a car still in very good condition under warranty with no down payment," Sternal said.

The most popular car this graduation season has been the Mini Cooper. But Honda Civic and Toyota Camry ranked at the top of Forbes .com's list for best cars for college grads.

Jane Smeltz, who lives on the Westside, has been searching on the Internet and at used car lots to buy a Civic for her son, who will graduate from high school in a few weeks. She has held off because "every time I turn around, it seems like a better deal is being thrown out there."

"At some point I'm just going to have to take the plunge," she said. "I don't want the deals to dry up before I buy it."