European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 b the stars and stripes tuesday March 24, 1992 cafes from Page 1 about $16,000, including shipping fees and options. That Price reflects about a 6 percent markup Over the wholesale Price of the car according to the broker he used. That is about the same As the markup on the american made cars sold through cafes. Had Sirizzotti purchased an american made car he probably would have saved even More Madden said. The markup on imported cars is generally More than what dealers ask on Domestic models he said. Also the Honda Accord is a High demand vehicle. It has been the top Selling Model in the United states for three years. �?o1 think we could deliver a Domestic car to a . Port for $450 to $500 Over the invoice Price a Madden said. A the customer would have to pay the shipping costs which Seldom run More than $1,000.�?� Madden a brokerage operates out of Detroit. A broker closer to Abl. A port probably would charge less he said. Sirizzotti said that when he went to the Auto Exchange an off base Dealership he was quoted a Rock Bottom Price including transportation of $17,600 for an Accord. The Auto Exchange is one of a handful of companies in Europe that target american military car buyers by Selling japanese and German cars with . Specifications. The Auto Exchange a which Sells hondas Mazda Nissan and Volkswagen a is the largest distributor of imports to the military in Europe according to sales figures released by the companies. Toyota car world is the second largest. Together the companies sell 7,500 cars a year. Americans in Germany also can Purchase .-specification cars from european dealers. People have reported saving Money by purchasing european models Here and shipping them Back to. The states. However the amount of savings on these cars has fallen in recent years As the Dollar has weakened against european currencies. Also the military does not extend its free transportation to cars that have never been on american soil. Customers who Purchase a european made vehicle overseas must pay to ship it to the states. Unlike military car sales agents the off base dealers will negotiate on Price. But they also operate without the 7 percent Price Cap that exists for cafes concessionaires. These unregulated dealers generally begin with a markup around 15 percent said Eddie Rivera a Toyota car world Salesman in Darmstadt Germany. Some sales agents will Start the process at a much higher amount he said. That is what happened to Susan Harris a civilian employee in Darmstadt who purchased a 1992 Toyota pase from an off Post dealer in november. According to consumer Cost guides the wholesale Price of a la Asco with All options is about $10,600. But Harris paid what the company was asking $14,895, excluding transportation and dealer preparation. That is a markup of More than 35 percent. Officials for both companies claim that their prices reflect the costs associated with operating on the German Economy. A your prices Are slightly higher than the companies on base because they done to face the overhead we do is amps Effle Bathen staff sgt. Steven Fletcher and his wife Joan examine a minivan on the cafes lot in Furth Germany. The Fletcher said they arc satisfied cafes customers. They bought one car through the system and would do so again they said. Cafes worldwide sales by car maker ---1 i average cafes earnings per car m is Himi ii m a v if Tif 1968 i a ii source cafes a amps Wes Boohoo source cafes a amps Wes Booher said Colin fish sales manager for the Auto Exchange. A we give the military person a Choice a a Chance to buy a Quality import if that a what he wants a fish said. A and we can put a customer in a car in a Day sometimes. If he buys from on base he might have to wait weeks or  in Sirizzotti Scase his Bank in Germany paid the stateside dealer for the car april 24. The car was delivered to Sirizzotti in Frankfurt three weeks later a less than half the time it takes military concessionaires to deliver a car from the states. But using a broker still leaves a middleman in the picture Washington a Gillis said. Customers can Deal directly with . Dealers and save the brokers fee. A i Tell people in the . Never to buy a car through a broker a Gillis said. The military a car Sale program and brokers serve the same purpose he said. A Why pay $250 for someone to order a car for you when the dealer will do it a but most stateside dealers establish minimum profit margins and customers May have to shop among several dealers to get the lowest Price said James Ross a Veteran Auto Salesman and author of three books on the ins and outs of the car business. In the end the Cost of calling several stateside dealers from Europe might be More than a brokers fee Ross  car found sitting on display lobby Luke Brut staff writer Donald Kehrn did a double take when he saw the convertible on display Al the military shopping Center in Frankfurt Germany. He had a sinking feeling that it was More than just coincidence that the 1991 Dodge Shadow was exactly like the one he had bought and pair for a month earlier but never received. Kehrn was right. It was his ear the one he had paid nearly $14,000 to buy but had not received because the company could not find it. Kehrn a civilian employee in Wiesbaden Germany had ordered the Shadow on May 13 from the military car sales Chrysler agent at the Rhein main a. The car was already in Europe he was told and would be delivered to him in two weeks. But it Wasny to and no one he talked to seemed to know where it was Kehren said. When Kehren saw the Shadow at the Frankfurt Exchange two weeks later and found his name on documents in the Glove compartment he was irate. A it was really a charade a Kehren said. A you should have seen the look on the face of the Frankfurt Salesman when 1 showed him the Bill of Sale. 1 can t for the Itle of me understand How a situation of this nature could  Kehren was with his wife when he happened upon the car. A my wife said right off the top of her head that was her car a Kehren said. A i told my wife. The company would not use someone a personal property for their own  according to Jeff Gardner general manager of military car sales a trucking firm was supposed to deliver Keh rents car to Rhein main but dropped it off at the Frankfurt Exchange by mistake. The agents in Frankfurt were expecting a new display car and assumed the Shadow was that vehicle Gardner said. Quot they done to normally background a vehicle to make sure it Hasni to been sold a Gardner said. I he car had been on display for 10 Days when Kehren found it. The Interi or was dirty there was rust on the trim and there were holes in the cover for the convertible top Kehren said. The car was taken to a Dealership in Frankfurt for cleaning and repairs Kehren said. The car was delivered to Rhein main a week later and Kehren picked it up. A i have purchased two Chrysler before through the new car system and had no problems a Kehren said. A my conclusion is that there is a problem w Ith some agents in the Field. They done to communicate or done to care or  Kehren asked to be reimbursed $2,000 for a rental car he used while waiting for the car and for the a a trouble the company caused him. Military car sales refunded the $250 Kehren paid to have the car delivered to Rhein main and paid him $540 for the rental car Gardner said