If I knew how to skip the dealer and order directly from the factory, I would. I wish I could do it for almost everything I buy. Example, DVDs get shipped to Blockbuster and Hollywood for $12-17 each, those places sell them for $20-25+ regularly. Has anyone seen the markup on candy? It's rediculous.

Anyways, I do think that it's "fair" to sell new "hot" cars at MSRP, but not when you're providing little or no service to selling the product. Dealers should get paid based on the amount of "work" they have to do to sell a vehicle, not get payed because they placed the order and called you when it got there. To those who "walk-on" the lot, looking for a vehicle, and need information that the dealer will provide them, then by all means sell at MSRP.

... When I used to work at video stores and a customer special ordered a movie of some kind, chances are they got it cheaper than if they bought one off the shelf (unless it was used... but we arent talking about used cars)... People should be paid for the work they do for the customer, not for just "being there"...

my $0.02 (I hope I have enough left to afford the car now)

 

"Dealers should get paid based on the amount of "work they do."

That is the stupidest thing I have read. If a dealer wants to sell a car for over MSRP they can and should be allowed to. If and only if someone is willing to pay that for the vehicle. Again, they aren't signing the customers name on the contract. Never in the history of the car business has a salesmen/saleswoman forced a customer to sign his/her name for a vehicle. Last time I checked the customer was in control of that.

By the way I admire the lawyer who represents dealers. Keep up the good work.

 

One last thing. The bottom line in this discussion is the fact that buyers have the final say. A vehicle is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. If someone wants to pay more than MSRP for a vehicle then it must be worth it to them and the dealer shouldn't be presented at a crook. More power to the dealership for being smart enough to put it on EBAY. You people really have no clue, not one single ounce of business knowledge about the car business.

 

So you think that a dealer should get paid for sitting on his a** until someone buys a car they know nothing about? You really think ANY salesperson should get paid for just "being there"? If you went into a repair shop, would you pay the person working there if they couldn't tell you what was wrong with your car, but they could "guess" and go from there? If you went to an appliance store that works on commission and the employee you talked to couldn't tell you anything about what you were looking to buy except the price on the sticker (which any literate person could read anyways) should get paid for making a sale? This is what I dislike most about some people. They think that just because they finished so many years of school (HS, College, etc) they're entitled to a paycheck just for being there.

 

Only problem with that scenario is that the factory would charge "Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price". They aren't going to give you a discount for buying 1. They give the dealers a discount because they agree to buy thousands of units a year, including the slow sellers like Crown Vics, Excursions and some others.