FARK.com: (6697769) Apparently telling customers that a rival car dealer is an Islamic militant who used the profits from his dealership to fund terrorists crosses the line from "agressive salesmanship" to "a $7.5 million libel judgement"

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		Apparently telling customers that a rival car dealer is an Islamic militant who used the profits from his dealership to fund terrorists crosses the line from "agressive salesmanship" to "a $7.5 million libel judgement" (reuters.com)		136
		More: Interesting, Islamic, Islamic militants, Eastern Shore, profits, funds, dealerships, sales managers, shahs

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6745 clicks; posted to Main » on 02 Nov 2011 at 1:21 PM | Favorite | share:

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chewielouie		2011-11-02 02:44:00 PM

Enormous-Schwanstucker: [criticalmassesmedia.com image 500x275]

See that other dealer over there? They're what we like to call ter-o-rists.

i232.photobucket.com

"Yessir."

Stile4aly		2011-11-02 02:46:11 PM

My name is Al Gezzera. I'm President of Al Gezzera Dodge-Plymouth Mitsubishi

vudukungfu		2011-11-02 02:47:03 PM

theknuckler_33: realted fiels.
eh?

Urbanites are wearing off on me.

Johnny_Whistle		2011-11-02 02:47:42 PM

theknuckler_33: SphericalTime: I wonder if anyone's going to argue that the sales guys from Bob Tyler's Toyota have a right to their beliefs in this case. Obviously this is religious discrimination, right?

I wouldn't go that far, but I do think it is wrong that the dealership should have to pay 7.5 million for what appears to be the actions of a single salesperson saying things to one potential buyer. Unless they showed that the salesperson's behavior condoned or at least tolerated, I think it is a pretty harsh penalty for the dealership to have to pay.

Right, because I'm sure they just happened to catch the one guy at the dealership on the one and only instance that he pulled something like this.

/isolated blah blah blah

EditorialSpace		2011-11-02 02:55:26 PM

That is going a bit too far with the whole terrorist thing. I do, however, have a story that may relate.

Once I had a horse racing team who contacted me and wanted to know if I wanted to have some free shares in one of their horses. The only catch was that I would have to provide a nominal fee for the upkeep of the horse. I politely declined, but the name of the business always stuck out to me as funny, Karakoram...which is of course the name of one of the mountain ranges in between Pakistan, India, and China which also happens to have one of the worlds most dangerous roads running through it.

Though they may have been legit, if there is one thing I know about horse racing, it is a rich man's sport; and I am one step away from a cardboard box. I was also wondering how they got my friends phone number and my name, but not my phone number. I cancelled my credit card(s) as soon as I got off the phone with them and put a fraud alert out...just in case. Like, what are the odds that I would be at that house on that day? We are no longer friends, either...just in case.

Enormous-Schwanstucker		2011-11-02 02:57:09 PM

chewielouie: Enormous-Schwanstucker: [criticalmassesmedia.com image 500x275]

See that other dealer over there? They're what we like to call ter-o-rists.

[i232.photobucket.com image 468x358]

"Yessir."

Was it wrong that the very first thing I thought about when reading the headline was that movie? :)

Do you know the way to Mordor		2011-11-02 03:01:56 PM

maliklockett: Would I be wrong for wanting to name my dealership "Taliban Toyota"?
It is actually starting to sound kinda cool

You can try, but as it might dilute the positive feelings in the marketplace for a well known trademark, the Toyota Corporation might have something to say about that

Foundling		2011-11-02 03:11:49 PM

My business competitor is using his profits to support Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Bunnyhat		2011-11-02 03:15:29 PM

Egalitarian: If the guy fled Iran after the revolution, he's probably not a Taliban type. Or at least his family wasn't.

He's probably not a Taliban type because the Taliban have jack shiat to do with anything Iranian.

Iran is Shi'ite while Taliban is Sunni.

Them having anything to do with each other would be like militant Catholic Irish helping the Protestants take over Ireland. It doesn't make any sense.

bidness		2011-11-02 03:17:30 PM

Johnny_Whistle: Right, because I'm sure they just happened to catch the one guy at the dealership on the one and only instance that he pulled something like this.

/isolated blah blah blah

So what you're saying is this appears to be the work of an overzealous staffer?

Non story.

I May Be Crazy But...		2011-11-02 03:18:33 PM

Foundling: My business competitor is using his profits to support Kaiser Wilhelm II.

No, sir, you don't want to go buy one of them German cars. You know the sort of crazy porn they have. Wouldn't want to risk them doing that sort of thing in the car, would you?

/Oh, you don't know. Come on over here, I'll show you.

JackieRabbit		2011-11-02 03:20:18 PM

Slartibartfaster: Im suddenly thinking maybe Alabama aint so bad. Congratulatios to the jury for doing the right thing.

It is so bad. The Bubbas will probably fire bomb "Taliban Toyota" now.

/sister lives in Ala-damn-bama. I can't stand visiting her. Luckily, she likes to come back to civilization to see me, so it works out.

theknuckler_33		2011-11-02 03:31:10 PM

Johnny_Whistle: theknuckler_33: SphericalTime: I wonder if anyone's going to argue that the sales guys from Bob Tyler's Toyota have a right to their beliefs in this case. Obviously this is religious discrimination, right?

I wouldn't go that far, but I do think it is wrong that the dealership should have to pay 7.5 million for what appears to be the actions of a single salesperson saying things to one potential buyer. Unless they showed that the salesperson's behavior condoned or at least tolerated, I think it is a pretty harsh penalty for the dealership to have to pay.

Right, because I'm sure they just happened to catch the one guy at the dealership on the one and only instance that he pulled something like this.

/isolated blah blah blah

While that may be true, it isn't worth much in the courtroom.

Joe Blowme		2011-11-02 03:45:20 PM

Wow, i feel sorry for farkers. So if we all sue each other can we just use all the awards on a massive fark party?

fifthhorseman		2011-11-02 03:58:25 PM

Joe Blowme: Wow, i feel sorry for farkers. So if we all sue each other can we just use all the awards on a massive fark party?

Actually I think we can blame Drew for enabling, and make him pick up the bar tab.

/Rule 1: Don't sue poor people

PsiChick		2011-11-02 04:05:42 PM

maliklockett: Would I be wrong for wanting to name my dealership "Taliban Toyota"?
It is actually starting to sound kinda cool

...That would be awesome, yes.

Big Man On Campus		2011-11-02 04:16:27 PM

Coffee is for closers only.

Canned Tamales		2011-11-02 05:10:54 PM

Delawheredad: My Ex-wife is moving to Alabama in June. She will fit right in. Religious, conservative, flabby, overweight and white. She does have all of her teeth though.

Congratulations on losing all that unnecessary weight!

Johnnyflash		2011-11-02 05:18:13 PM

I wonder what Amanda Harris thinks about all this? Perhaps she would be happy to talk to me, http://bobtylertoyota.com/Department-Ladies-only.aspx

mjjt		2011-11-02 05:40:20 PM

If you got to the end of the story ....

After reading this article, people also read:

"What are you doing here? - man asks wife at brothel"

From Jan 2008???

Ishidan		2011-11-02 05:51:50 PM

CptnSpldng: dryknife: 7.5 million - you could have 72 virgins at the same time with that kind of jack.

Is that the going rate in Alabama?

1.bp.blogspot.com

Damn, dude. I was only getting fifteen!

Johnnyflash		2011-11-02 05:51:52 PM

Best car lot commercial ever, NSFW language. Get out your F'ing checkbook! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Oc3WizIRg

Johnnyflash		2011-11-02 06:00:17 PM

Is it me or does this guy not look Iranian at all? http://www.easternshoretoyota.com/staff/dsp_staff_sj.cfm?ID=100

LesserEvil		2011-11-02 06:03:14 PM

CSB time....

I was in boot camp with a recruit named "Buick" in 1986 - the drill instructor asked him why he talked funny, and when the recruit revealed he was Iranian, the DI turned a dark shade of purple, getting a real mad on... and told the recruit that his brother had been an embassy guard in Tehran during the uprising, and had been killed by Iranians. Recruit Buick quickly responded his family had fled the same revolutionaries to come to America, and all he wanted to do was fight for America.

He became the DI's "most favored recruit" from that point on.

It would have been ironic if the Toyota dealership owner had been named "Buick"

Johnnyflash		2011-11-02 06:04:01 PM

Hmm, wish I could post a pic. I didn't know this guy worked there, he could have taken care of the problem. http://www.easternshoretoyota.com/staff/dsp_staffphoto.cfm?ID=129

Ishidan		2011-11-02 06:04:16 PM

Foundling: My business competitor is using his profits to support Kaiser Wilhelm II.

My business competior is using his profits to support Emperor Hirohito!

/some old farts tell me that when Mitsubishi started selling their cars in America, oh lord the jokes...

//ZERO percent financing! From the people who brought you Pearl Harbor!

chewielouie		2011-11-02 07:04:14 PM

Enormous-Schwanstucker: chewielouie: Enormous-Schwanstucker: [criticalmassesmedia.com image 500x275]

See that other dealer over there? They're what we like to call ter-o-rists.

[i232.photobucket.com image 468x358]

"Yessir."

Was it wrong that the very first thing I thought about when reading the headline was that movie? :)

Nope. First thing I thought of too.

"Uh, well, yes. As I say, Inspector, I heard this large explosion and I rushed out, I couldn't tell what was going on. I saw the car over there in flames and all these strange little characters, you know, with towels on their heads, weird little goatees and stuff, running around yelling: "Ayatollah, Ayatollah." Then they all got in a car and drove away. I guess it was Iranian students out to discredit the American way of life. I can't imagine who else would do such a thing."

Enormous-Schwanstucker		2011-11-02 07:24:39 PM

chewielouie: Enormous-Schwanstucker: chewielouie: Enormous-Schwanstucker: [criticalmassesmedia.com image 500x275]

See that other dealer over there? They're what we like to call ter-o-rists.

[i232.photobucket.com image 468x358]

"Yessir."

Was it wrong that the very first thing I thought about when reading the headline was that movie? :)

Nope. First thing I thought of too.

"Uh, well, yes. As I say, Inspector, I heard this large explosion and I rushed out, I couldn't tell what was going on. I saw the car over there in flames and all these strange little characters, you know, with towels on their heads, weird little goatees and stuff, running around yelling: "Ayatollah, Ayatollah." Then they all got in a car and drove away. I guess it was Iranian students out to discredit the American way of life. I can't imagine who else would do such a thing."

Ok, I chuckled a lot at that :) Well played sir!

[golf_clap.jpg]

Man On Pink Corner		2011-11-02 07:35:57 PM

Bunnyhat: Them having anything to do with each other would be like militant Catholic Irish helping the Protestants take over Ireland. It doesn't make any sense.

That's the amusing thing. These camel jocks hate each other more than they hate us or the farking Israelis. If they ever did get nukes, the first thing they'd do is drop them on their neighbors.

El_Swino		2011-11-02 08:13:05 PM

LesserEvil: CSB time....

I was in boot camp with a recruit named "Buick" in 1986 - the drill instructor asked him why he talked funny, and when the recruit revealed he was Iranian, the DI turned a dark shade of purple, getting a real mad on... and told the recruit that his brother had been an embassy guard in Tehran during the uprising, and had been killed by Iranians. Recruit Buick quickly responded his family had fled the same revolutionaries to come to America, and all he wanted to do was fight for America.

He became the DI's "most favored recruit" from that point on.

It would have been ironic if the Toyota dealership owner had been named "Buick"

Fascinating, since no US embassy guards were killed during the crisis.

Moquary		2011-11-02 08:56:31 PM

El_Swino: LesserEvil: CSB time....

I was in boot camp with a recruit named "Buick" in 1986 - the drill instructor asked him why he talked funny, and when the recruit revealed he was Iranian, the DI turned a dark shade of purple, getting a real mad on... and told the recruit that his brother had been an embassy guard in Tehran during the uprising, and had been killed by Iranians. Recruit Buick quickly responded his family had fled the same revolutionaries to come to America, and all he wanted to do was fight for America.

He became the DI's "most favored recruit" from that point on.

It would have been ironic if the Toyota dealership owner had been named "Buick"

Fascinating, since no US embassy guards were killed during the crisis.

...did you read the part where he said the man's brother was Iranian, not American?

Moquary		2011-11-02 08:57:44 PM

Oh fark I overreacted with snark, only to make the same mistake I accused the gentleman of... that's what my hubris gets me I suppose.

LesserEvil		2011-11-02 09:04:49 PM

El_Swino: Fascinating, since no US embassy guards were killed during the crisis.

Yet that was what he said.

I'm not saying a DI is above making stuff up to mess with a recruit.

I just think it's related to this story, since the recruit was ALSO an Iranian who's family fled the revolution and his name is the make of a car.

yagottabefarkinkiddinme		2011-11-03 01:04:39 AM

Link (NSFW but reeeally funny)

Logical next step if it continued...

Aulus		2011-11-03 01:46:12 AM

Esfahani is just following an established tradition.

Back in the early Sixties, my dad was the district sales manager for Standard Triumph of America for the SE US. (cars---TR-3 and such)

One of his favorite dealers was the guy in Huntsville, Alabama. The guy was a German immigrant and a personal friend of Werner von Braun. He was a very successful car dealer.

He also took a shine to Dad. I guess it was due to the fact that we have a very German family name. Dad's grandfather was a German immigrant in the late 1800s. Dad got to route a lot of cars through that dealership over the years. The dealership owner took him around to meet Werner von Braun and off to a high end men's clothing store, also run by a German immigrant and got him some damn good deals on shoes and suits.

Dad liked the guy a lot and was amused by his odd accent, a combination of German and American Southern. Back then, there was still a good bit of anti-German feeling left over from WW II, so I wouldn't be surprised if the dealership owner didn't catch a bit of similar shiat as this Iranian.

TheVeryDeadIanMartin		2011-11-03 03:21:44 AM

The first clue that he was lying should have been the fact that a true Muslim would not be able to lease out cars because of the whole charging interest is against God's rules thing.

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