Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Never said it didn't happen. The point was that there was a comparison to Walmart margins vs Car margins. Sure, there might be 5 or 10 percent margin on a vehicle itself, but how much "margin" is in all the other stuff?
I would guess that Walmart is making close to 50% profit on the ancillary items they sell you.
Because if you want a new car there simply isn't any other option. All of the dealers are the same. That's why I raised the point about dealers and car salesmen really being nothing more than an artificially propped up (by laws and regulations they lobbied for) segment of the market. I think GM, Ford, Toyota, etc...have every right to make a profit. What I fail to understand is why they should have to share that profit with "BIG BOBS CAR-O-RAMA!!!" and why I should be forced to pay extra for it. Auto manufacturers actually produce a product, spend billions on R&D, and then commit to support in the form of OEM parts after the fact. Car dealers/salesmen point out where the cupholders are and tell the customer "Feel how it hugs the road..." The manufacturers ought to maximize their profits by getting rid of the dealership model and selling direct. Even if I end up paying the same price, I'll feel a lot better that the profit is going to a company that, at the end of the day, actually produces something useful.
All dealers are not the same. None of the ones I worked at would pull crap like that. There are plenty around here that would though, but why would you give them your business? Go to one that doesn't pull crap like that and reward them.
Gas stations produce nothing. You should have to drive to Texas or swim out to an oil rig to get your gas. I don't want to have to pay them for getting their product somewhere near me.
Yes, I understand that the car has to be loaded onto a cargo ship/freight car, transport trailer to get to the point-of-sale, but that cost would be built into the price whether it was sold through a dealer or a simple store. What is your point?
Quote:
Originally Posted by brantleygilbert
you're complaining that you have to pay a salesperson a commission when you never pay dealerships any profit so what's the issue? You are paying the same price you would pay buying direct so it is an efficient market to you.
Because my time is too valuable to waste sitting in a showroom arguing, threatening to walk out, getting stopped at the door by the sales manager, then sitting in a waiting area while they huddle in the back room, come back out again...
Quote:
Originally Posted by LeagleEagleDFW
All dealers are not the same. None of the ones I worked at would pull crap like that. There are plenty around here that would though, but why would you give them your business? Go to one that doesn't pull crap like that and reward them.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I couldn't care less if dealers "pull crap." The point I'm making is that no matter how low a price I negotiate (first of all I don't WANT to negotiate, I just want to walk out with a car), I'm paying for services I don't want or need. I mow my own lawn, should I be forced to pay a landscaper for the right to pull my lawnmower out of the garage?
Yes, I understand that the car has to be loaded onto a cargo ship/freight car, transport trailer to get to the point-of-sale, but that cost would be built into the price whether it was sold through a dealer or a simple store. What is your point?
A dealer is a simple store. What is your point? Bring cash and pay MSRP. You won't be pushed around, I promise.
Quote:
Because my time is too valuable to waste sitting in a showroom arguing, threatening to walk out, getting stopped at the door by the sales manager, then sitting in a waiting area while they huddle in the back room, come back out again...
Because my time is too valuable to waste sitting in a showroom arguing, threatening to walk out, getting stopped at the door by the sales manager, then sitting in a waiting area while they huddle in the back room, come back out again...
So don't do it. Walk in, tell them what you want, tell them what you're willing to pay, and if they won't do it, leave. No one is holding you hostage.
You guys all cry about this like someone is forcing you to use only one dealer and you have no options.
I, too, have had a bad experience shopping for cars - you know what I did instead of wasting my time? I got up and left. The world did not explode, and life went on. Why be miserable? Get up and leave. But if you sit there and don't speak up or leave, then you have no right to complain at all.
Because my time is too valuable to waste sitting in a showroom arguing, threatening to walk out, getting stopped at the door by the sales manager, then sitting in a waiting area while they huddle in the back room, come back out again...
So you're that arrogant to think that not only dealerships should make 0 profit, they should give you that blower ass price the second you walk into the store?
Quote:
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I couldn't care less if dealers "pull crap." The point I'm making is that no matter how low a price I negotiate (first of all I don't WANT to negotiate, I just want to walk out with a car), I'm paying for services I don't need. I mow my own lawn, should I be forced to pay a landscaper for the right to pull my lawnmower out of the garage?
you're not paying a landscaper to pull your lawnmower but you did pay the lawnmower store to sell it to you
how are dealerships different? Nothing is really sold direct from manufactuer
A dealer is a simple store. What is your point? Bring cash and pay MSRP. You won't be pushed around, I promise.
If MSRP was not an artificially inflated starting price to begin with that would make sense. If manufacturers sold direct, MSRPs would come waaaaaaay down because people would simply comparison shop and buy the configuration they wanted from whoever was offering the lowest price. Manufacturers would quickly find out what they market would bear for any given car. Try reading a little Adam Smith and maybe you'll catch on to what I'm talking about here:
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The manufacturers ought to maximize their profits by getting rid of the dealership model and selling direct. Even if I end up paying the same price, I'll feel a lot better that the profit is going to a company that, at the end of the day, actually produces something useful.
