By Benson Ang

SALESMEN selling Kia Motors cars have had their commissions cut after the spike in COE prices last month.

A spokesman for Cycle & Carriage Kia confirmed that the commissions for sales staff have been adjusted in some cases since the last open bidding exercise.

About 75 transactions for Kia Motor cars were involved, but not all sales staff were affected.

The affected deals were finalised earlier this year.

But now, after the COE price hike, the company will have to pay more to get a COE and cut the sales staff's commission to make up some of the difference.

COE premiums jumped by unprecedented amounts during the last bidding exercise which ended on March 24, the final one before a significantly smaller quota is offered.

Four of the five COE categories experienced sharp increases not seen since open bidding began in June 2001.

The Cycle & Carriage Kia spokesman observed that there was a trend of sales staff committing to deals which could hurt the company's profit margin.

He said: "The adjustment is a symbolic gesture to ensure that sales staff are responsible for what they sell from here on."

The adjustment is the first since Cycle & Carriage started retailing Kia vehicles in Singapore 10 years ago.

The spokesman qualified that the amount of commission affected was decided on a case-by-case basis and was about 'a few hundred dollars'.

It is unknown if the commissions from selling other brands distributed by Cycle & Carriage - Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and Citroen - were affected by the adjustment.

Two Cycle & Carriage Kia salesmen told The New Paper on Sunday they were informed about the change during a group meeting last month.

They are not salaried workers, and their income comprises a $250 monthly transport allowance, and commission from the cars they sell.

Their monthly target is eight cars, and they claimed they got about $450 in commission for each car before the adjustment.

One salesman complained that the remaining sum he would get was 'pathetic', but he had no choice but to accept it.

He said: "There is nothing much we (as salesman) can say. We just follow what the management (says)."