New PlugIns with HOV stickers

Considering that these HOV stickers cost virtually nothing and allows dealers to mark up their PiPs by several thousand dollars, I don't blame you. Karma will be when the current bill passes and is signed, and HOV stickers become available once more. I suspect they will no longer allow dealers to do what they've been doing to take a state-sponsored perk and turn it into a dealer profit center.

 

...that's why we have Prius Chat as a resource. We had a very similar thing in 2012, when many Californians and out-of-staters were going to Maryland to buy PiPs at low prices with the Toyota 0% discounts etc. But apparently not all Maryland dealers were participants in the discount program, so they of course advised prospective buyers that the discounts did not apply for out-of-staters, when in fact it did if you went to the right places..

 

The alternative to the dealer getting them was for the buyer to wait for the plate numbers to be assigned before they could apply for the decals. Acquiring the decals ahead of time provided a valuable service to the customer, and lessened overhead at the DMV, since the dealers applied for multiple decals in one application. I don't see what is wrong with a business making a wise decision and being rewarded by the market. All of the California dealers had access to the same information about the decals, so it's not like there was some sort of evil insider conspiracy going on.

 

Again, you miss the point. Dealers were taking advantage of something that was not intended to reward them thousands of dollars of profit for a government program that cost them nothing.

The solution became clear - stop the abuse and return to the old HOV issuance method. The one that was in effect in 2005-2007. Somehow, we all survived the couple of weeks to get the stickers. Look, I don't think waiting two weeks is worth $2,000. If you do, well…

 

I think the point is this situation you mention about rewarding them thousands of dollars of profit didn't exist before the stickers ran out. When the stickers were plentiful, it was a service any and every thoughtful dealership was providing to its PiP customers. Buy a car today and get a sticker. There was no price gouging or any extra markup. It was simply a way for some dealers to differentiate their service from the other dealers who couldnt care less about your sticker after you signed on the dotted line.

Now that the stickers have run out, some dealers may be charging MSRP for a car with a sticker. But I would argue that this was not the original intent. Additionally, I also suspect that because you see Dianne still has a good number of stickered cars available, well after the stickers ran out, that it somehow shows that she took advantage of the situation. However, Carson Toyota has ALWAYS had a ton of PiPs in stock. I believe Toyota even confirmed to Dianne that she was the number one seller of PiPs in the country.

 

I think that if we are not careful, we are going to get into an off-topic philosophical argument here. I don't consider it an abuse for a business to make a profit if they have something that the market values. You do. So be it. If people didn't value the stickers at at $2000 markup, they wouldn't pay the price. For me the "markup" is not an issue. In our economy, the price of an item is (theoretically, anyway) determined by what people will pay for it, not how much the item costs to produce. If and when the limit for green decals is raised, the premium for having them at the point of sale will disappear.

 

Let's agree to disagree.

 

Don't worry another 45000 stickers will be available soon.

The bill passed the transportation committee today.

 

Is that the last committee it needs to go through?

I was looking over the reg1000 FAQ and it sounds like only the people who have the cav ID can drive in the the hov lane? Is it not based on the vehicle with the sticker? If I get the sticker, am I the only one who can drive in the carpool lane? What if I loan my car to my sister?

 

The sticker allows the car in the HOV lane with any licensed driver, just as though you loaned your non-stickered car to your sister and she took a friend with her.

 

It seems like the total has been dropped from 85k to 70k. So the bill will add another 30k. But the bill is moving along still.

Source: California One Step Closer To Issuing Green HOV Stickers Again

 

....sounds encourgaing now for more green stickers!
>>I am putting my guess on passage of the hedge "back-up bill" allowing just a few more stickers 2014.

 

Hi rogerv, I thought the person driving my vehicle will also need the cav ID? From the looks of the form, we can probably put 2 names?

Thanks for the response.

 

You are overthinking it- put the name(s) of the registered owner(s) on the form, just as the instructions say. The application has to match the registration exactly. There is a list of FAQs on the DMV website if you need help. Look up "Ca HOV stickers" and you'll find the link. Once you have the stickers, put the document that comes with them in your car with the registration. It is proof that the car is eligible and the number on the document and on the stickers match, along with identifying the vehicle. DMV does not care who drives the car, as long as he/she is licensed. The likelihood of a CHP officer asking for the document is pretty slim, I'd wager.

 

You're right I'm over thinking it. Thanks for answering my questions though, much appreciated.

 

Calm down. HOV stickers will be back real soon, probably before the end of the month.

An increase of 15,000 was in a budget trailer bill that passed the legislature June 15. If I understand correctly, it will take effect as soon as the governor signs it.

 

And plenty of PiPs for Dianne to stick them on.

ANDROMEDA LEADER
Destination: US LGB to BNC
ETA: 2014-06-18 10:00 (UTC)
PYXIS LEADER
Destination: US LGB
ETA: 2014-06-22 13:00 (UTC)
HEIJIN
Destination: US LGB
ETA: 2014-06-24 18:45 (UTC)

 

Is the DMV allowing dealerships to pre-order the stickers for this new 15,000 stickers?

 

I haven't heard that they are reviving that dealer pre-sale program and would bet dollars to donuts it won't be brought back.

(Since a donut these days costs about a buck, it's a no-lose bet.)

 

I agree with you. The dealer program was terminated during the rush when the stickers were almost gone. If the 55,000 figure holds, that'll happen again in 6 to 9 months, so why start up the program again?

Also, a number of those who bought cars with dealer stickers didn't particularly care about the stickers, and wouldn't have applied on their own. So those stickers, which were supposed to be an incentive, were wasted; they could have gone to a later purchaser for whom it was a factor.