cartechboy writes
It's no secret that the National Automobile Dealers Association has been trying to block Tesla from selling cars directly from consumers, but to date, it has been defeated countless times in many states. Now NADA put out a release and promotional video touting the benefits of dealer franchises, something Tesla has shunned. NADA mentions price competition, consumer safety, local economic benefits, and added value.
Re:My Anecdotal Evidence
By brunes69
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2014-Jun-18 20:54
• Score: 5, Insightful
• Thread
You are looking at this from the wrong point of view. The way you should be looking at is, if you ALSO had the option of calling up Ford or GM or whoever your car maker was directly, and asking THEM if they could beat the dealer's price, could they? Of course they could, they make the damn car.
The idea that dealers create pricing competition for cars is total baloney because dealers don't make cars in the first place, they just mark them up and sell them. Ford competes with Honda and GM, they don't compete with Honda dealers and GM dealers. The thing that keeps the features and functions progressing for Ford while keeping costs low is not their dealer network, it is competition from other auto makers. The only competition dealers are having is who can mark up your car the least.
Re:We should have a choice
By Trailer Trash
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2014-Jun-18 20:55
• Score: 4, Informative
• Thread
They are only crying because this a market they don't have cornered.
Actual competition is terrifying to "free market capitalists".
No it's not. It's terrifying to cronies who use crony capitalism to keep a grip on their markets through government "regulation".
Re:We should have a choice
By PopeRatzo
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2014-Jun-18 21:18
• Score: 4, Interesting
• Thread
when tesla has a car that can go coast to coast
How often do you think most people drive "coast to coast"?
My wife's car is four years old and has never been more than 100 miles away from home. And since she shares a birthday and ethnicity with Nikolai Tesla, she's bugging me about wanting to get one. She'd be the perfect customer for one if we had that kind of coin to throw around. Which we don't. And if we did, I'd be angling for an Audi R8. Say, do they make a hybrid Audi R8?
Re:My Anecdotal Evidence
By roc97007
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2014-Jun-18 22:20
• Score: 4, Insightful
• Thread
'Everyone' hates the car dealership, and I do too. But, in my recent, personal experience, they have provided me the benefit of price competition. I needed to lease a car and found the lowest price I could find. I then simply called the 'Internet Department' at each of the local dealerships for this particular model, and just asked if they could beat that price. One guy said he could, and I went to him. I don't know if this is possible with purchasing a Tesla. Can different dealerships set their own prices, or, since the dealership is the manufacturer, is the price the same across any 'dealership' within a given geographical area?
The problem is, all the different prices you got were different amounts of markup from the manufacturer's price. You settled for the least amount of markup you could find. I suspect that all of them would be more expensive than buying directly from the manufacturer, which in the case of Tesla, you essentially are.
It only seems like a good deal in comparison to worse deals, not because it's actually a good deal.
"You paid WHAT!!" "But it's ok honey, it was 50% off! Think of the money we saved!"
Re:Speculation...
By Immerman
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2014-Jun-18 23:04
• Score: 4, Funny
• Thread
But without the sliminess of dealerships, how will we keep the engines lubricated? Sure, we can change the oil regularly, but we all know that even many years later it's still mostly the final remnants of salesman slime that really keep your engine running smoothly. Just look at how many cars, and other goods for that matter, break down as soon as the warranty expires and the last traces of salesmanship finally evaporate. Coincidence? I think not.