GM offers refund to car buyers to win them back

Looking to regain consumers' trust, General Motors Co. said Thursday new car buyers will be able to return their vehicles within two months of purchase for a full refund, part of a long-awaited new marketing campaign for the biggest American automaker.

The effort is part of a major marketing campaign that will break next week seeking to make connections again with American consumers who may be leery of the company since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year.

There is a "monumental chasm" between the public's perception of GM's vehicles and the autos in its current line-up, said GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, who delayed retirement to head GM's marketing efforts.

The company stands behind its cars now and can offer full money-back guarantees, he told reporters on a conference call Thursday. As recently as three years ago, GM would have been faced with a huge risk if it made such an offer, but the company's current lineup is strong and can take on any competitors, especially foreign-made cars, he said.

"We really are in a position today where we can look anybody in the eye and say 'we are as good as or better than everybody else,'" Lutz said.

The program is part of a sweeping, new marketing campaign, called "May the Best Car Win," that pits the company's four remaining brands — Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC — directly against competitors.