Green Ford, what are you doing?

I received this this in the mail from Green Ford.. Ooooh, boy! I got three $25,000 circles, which the mailer tells me means"YOU WIN!*" (Circled in red.)

WOW! What did I "win" exactly though? Read the fine print and it is not $25,000 necessarily or even the "New 2010 Ford Fusion Sel!" I might be the one out of 900,000 to have won $25,000 or I might have won an ATV, $1,000 in cash or "3 Gold Coins."

So even if I haven't won $25,000, any one of those prizes still sounds worth going to the dealership to collect, right? Well, those "Gold Coins," are not gold at all. They are $1 US coins -- golden in color -- "gold" the way a dime is "silver." It's three dollars.

Sheesh!

I can understand the reason why Green Ford might have thought this was acceptable. When competing with ethically dubious dealerships that advertise a ridiculously low price and obscure the detail that said price is after a $4,000 down payment, it must be tempting to stoop to their level. But I've always thought of Green Ford, and the Greens, as pillars of our community. This advertisement diminishes that reputation. It suggests to me that Green Ford doesn't mind deceiving people, and that is not the kind of business practice I imagine most people are looking for from a car dealership.*

[ *The words displayed here are strictly and solely for the purpose of expressing the opinions of the author after only one cup of coffee. They do not reflect the opinions of his employers, affiliates, associates, family, friends or enemies. Things may or may not be as they seem and author makes no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of what may appear to be a representation of fact. Corresponding with the author on this subject other than in the comments on this blog will obligate correspondent to consulting fees of $160 per hour, $160 minimum per contact, plus $99 customer set-up fee and $40 pajama charge and correspondent acknowledges that contacting the author constitutes acceptance of these terms and agreement to pay author said fees within 3 days of contact. Cash only. Your mileage may vary.]