re: Warning letters sent: FTC Warns 97 Auto Dealership Groups About Deceptive Pricing

Without looking at the dealer list, I imagine Sonic is on there.

A bit of a separate topic but I’d like the sales tax to be paid at the dealership and not at the DMV.

ADM is a real thing.

I dont like it, but I get it.

The fee bullshite and "required add-ons" are straight up dishonest and deceptive trade practices.

During Covid when inventory was low I could understand some of the ADM. But now with lots full of vehicles, that excuse is bs and is just pure profit for them.

And people pay it. They would rather just pay it, because its only $35 more a month or whatever, than walk away from that fresh new ride.

I saw it posted somewhere here recently - vehicles are what keep middle class people in the middle class. I dont think that's the whole truth but man there are a lot of brand new very expensive vehicles around me in this poor arse state.

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I know someone that spent 9 hours at a dealer recently.

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frick that...

For used vehicles, Texas Direct Auto was the king. Too bad they sold out to Vroom and then as far as I know, folded in the Houston area.

The price was the price, no hassle from sales people, could walk in and test drive any of the hundreds of cars on the lot with no pressure and once you decided, it took less than an hour for them to prep the paperwork and you to sign. Often the hold up in getting out was the detailing team.

I believe there is a book written about the guys that started it.

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I'm not paying any dealer add ons after the fact.

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You should get those dealer add on fees itemized before the fact too. You probably don't want to pay them then either.

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only $35 more a month

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Which adds $2500 to the OTD at the end of a 72 month note which has no value whatsoever to the customer.

I like to tell the salesmen (when they are obviously a shite head) that my time is 10x more valuable than theirs so the longer they keep me there the more they will have to drop the price.

Always results in me leaving within the next 10 minutes or so.

Treat them like shite. They deserve it.

After buying my kid her first car last year I found out about the Certified used gimmick

The car online would say CPO and say the price

We would get there, drive it, and then he would bring the final paperwork and say that the CPO is $3000 on top of the advertised price

I immediately said no way I’m buying that. I told the guy I’ve been in sales 20 years and he was my age and he basically said they’re not making any money anymore because everyone can find a deal online. He said they are all getting people in the office and then tacking on the extra fee for CPO.

I told him thanks for explaining it but no way in hell I’m paying it. They took 1k off and still said no.