The price gouging has me quite upset. I really feel that this is a huge black eye in the face a brilliant design, design team, and end product.

 

Its a free market for a reason. Most dealers won't do it after a few weeks if they do it at all. Some customers LIKE to pay over sticker on new models, believe it or not, they brag about it when they do. I remember when PT cruisers got 10k over sticker.

 

True. My uncle paid a thousand bucks to have an early cd player. If you gotta have it now, you're gonna pay for it.

Not that I don't feel for you man...but he's right.

 

Funny you say that. I actually talked about the PT release period with my boss today. We agreed that we couldn't believe people would actually pay $10k over sticker for that car. I love this one and wouldn't do it.

Not sure what to make of those folks who brag about being totally ripped off.

 

If there are people willing to pay well over MSRP just to be the first guy in the town to have the car, that's their problem.

I'll wait a few months so I can get Xplan.

 

because they have the money and do not care, I had a customer that paid 20k over on a mercedes convertible and she LOVES it, she could care less. There are people offering that for Hybrid escapes(hov privleges) to get one they do not have to wait on.

 

Just wait it out. These things will be going for under invoice in a year. Do you REALLY need a car RIGHT NOW? If so, you should learn from this, as you should never allow yourself to be in the position of being desperate for a car.

 

Yea, I know it seems silly to a lot of us, but worry about what you end up paying, not someone else. It will calm down. That or go to more remote dealers in say, agricultural areas where no one really goes nuts for cars.

 

This has been discussed ad nauseum. Ford does not control dealer prices. Dealers own and operate their stores and set their own prices. Some will gouge while others will play fair. I think in the long run dealers who jack up the price alienate potential repeat buyers, but that's just my opinion.

I remember when the NSX came out. The closest dealer to me was asking and getting a 40K premium over MSRP. Insanity.

As kevin pointed out, some people just have to have the first one on the block and will happily pay over MSRP to be able to do that. I can't justify paying even MSRP so I'm obviously not in that camp. I guess you make your own choice and live with it.

 

Even Scion Tc's get 2k over sticker here. I looked at one the other day, what a crummy little car.

 

This is the single thing I like about Saturn. No guessing, no dickering. The number is what it is and that's it.

 

Come the begining of the new year, the hoopla would have died down a bit, and you'll see deals to back around MSRP and a little lower.

Think about it, who is harmed by this practice? The only people who will pay a premium are the ones who have the means to do so, and for some strange reason just have to be "THE FIRST" to have one. (Although I think Jay Leno about trumps everybody on that front)

Another way to look at it is this. Say a dealer tells you he's got a loaded GT coming tommorow. He tells you he wants no less than 5k over MSRP on this rare (at the moment) beauty.

You simply tell him I was thinking more along the lines of $28,500, leave him your card and tell him to call you when he's interested in doing that deal.

I guarantee you that in a couple of months time when he needs that little push to get him over some hump....he'll be calling.

Take your emotions out of the equation. That's the only weapon a dealer has up on you.

 

they make TONS of loot per unit, and carmax makes grotesque proffit on each used unit. People eat it up like candy. We usually underprice carmax by 2-6 thousand dollars on used cars.

 

Kevin-Don't bash the scion tC. Cool car. Got to be in one today I like it. it is no Mustang, but I was VERY impressed with it.

 

Let em charge whatever they want. It's MSRP remember. If you don't like a dealer that charges ADM for a hot car, go somewhere else and they won't get your business. While the service/parts departments are the cash cows, dealers still have to pay the rent and the salaries of the people that put up with customers like me.

 

I think it should be discouraged but I do agree that the dealers are free to do whatever they want. It is a SUGGESTED retail price. Maybe offer incentives to dealers who do not gouge?

 

To me its just a Toyota trying to be a Honda. I didnt like it much. Its just a candy-coated econo box.

 

I vote for capitalism. Artificial price controls only cause shortages by increasing demand above supply.

 

Simple Economics guys.....

Supply is less than demand then prices will be HIGH
Supply is more than demand then prices will be LOW....

But dealers should be allowed to set the prices to maximize their profit if people will buy them for the price they set. When the 04 F150 came out it went through the same thing in the beginning. Our S2000s still sell close to MSRP, and when they came out they were selling well over $5000k above MSRP.

 

they make TONS of loot per unit, and carmax makes grotesque proffit on each used unit. People eat it up like candy. We usually underprice carmax by 2-6 thousand dollars on used cars. [/b][/quote]
i guess the regular dealerships in VA are alot different than the ones in dallas. I work at carmax and 90% of our cars are under kbb. Part of the reason that carmax is successful is that the customer is aware that the salesman is on a fixed commission(only making $250 off each unit), and therefore cant blame the salesman for the price. Most customers get frustrated in the car buying process when they know that the salesman is making $600+ off of a car that sold itself.

just my 2cents, nothing against kevinb at all, like i've said in previous posts, if a salesman sells me the car and knows a good deal of information about the vehicle, i have no problem with paying msrp.