My Gift to all the shady dealers in 2024!

[KnightMare]

Thanks to all you who made this story viral, I bring you guys the first domino to fall against shady dealers. I promise you, more will happen in 2024. It brings me much satisfaction to present you guys with a message from Dodge.

20 Days of Horsepower

20 Days of Horsepower

www.dodgegarage.com

 

[TedRex]

Stick it to them.

 

[BuckeyeROC]

The current dealership model needs to end. It's 2024, we should be able to get on the manufacturer's website to option out, order, and pay/sign a note for a new vehicle right from the factory and go pick it up at a dealership when it's done and shipped. Fewer and fewer folks can even afford a new vehicle and the dealerships make what should be one of life's most exciting purchases into absolutely miserable experiences.

Although, with V8 powered vehicles fading away, there is less and less worth buying now anyway.

 

[KnightMare]

The current dealership model needs to end. It's 2024, we should be able to get on the manufacturer's website to option out, order, and pay/sign a note for a new vehicle right from the factory and go pick it up at a dealership when it's done and shipped. Fewer and fewer folks can even afford a new vehicle and the dealerships make what should be one of life's most exciting purchases into absolutely miserable experiences.

Although, with V8 powered vehicles fading away, there is less and less worth buying now anyway.

After my discussion with Dodge, our target is politicians. These are the people dealership lobbies are pumping millions into, they are changings law to favor the dealerships, and every year the situation gets worse to purchase a vehicle.

If Best Buy can't auction a PS5 online for $2,000, a dealer shouldn't be allowed to auction a car for $200,000. If politicians don't want to change laws to allow for direct from manufacturer laws, time to vote them out and vote in those who will.

 

[Eighty]

I think we should be careful wishing for a direct manufacturer-to-consumer model. Yes, there's a middle-man markup built into the MSRP prices, but I seriously doubt that Stellantis would eliminate those costs from the sale price. They'll just pocket those dollars. So then what we're left with is ONE source for buying a vehicle at Stellantis' asking price. No shopping around for "who wants to sell a truck the most". No personal relationships with a local seller that you've bought from before. It will be "you are just a number, here's your online price - take it or leave it".

 

[ConroeTRX]

Tesla does fine selling direct, I’ve owned a few as daily’s and will buy another Tesla soon

 

[BuckeyeROC]

I think we should be careful wishing for a direct manufacturer-to-consumer model. Yes, there's a middle-man markup built into the MSRP prices, but I seriously doubt that Stellantis would eliminate those costs from the sale price. They'll just pocket those dollars. So then what we're left with is ONE source for buying a vehicle at Stellantis' asking price. No shopping around for "who wants to sell a truck the most". No personal relationships with a local seller that you've bought from before. It will be "you are just a number, here's your online price - take it or leave it".

Eh, I've never had a "relationship" with a dealer, and almost nobody does. I think some folks that THOUGHT they had a relationship see what happened with the Demons and other limited vehicles. 99% of the time, your relationship is meaningless when someone else walks in ready to pay $1 more on that vehicle you ordered than you. It's the complete douchebaggery of many of the dealers that has kept me from buying more vehicles more often. The entire process is gross and most of all, a time waster that's a PITA.

 

[Eighty]

Eh, I've never had a "relationship" with a dealer, and almost nobody does. I think some folks that THOUGHT they had a relationship see what happened with the Demons and other limited vehicles. 99% of the time, your relationship is meaningless when someone else walks in ready to pay $1 more on that vehicle you ordered than you. It's the complete douchebaggery of many of the dealers that has kept me from buying more vehicles more often. The entire process is gross and most of all, a time waster that's a PITA.

Agreed. But we will also lose the Mark Dodge type dealers as well. We'll be left with whatever Stellantis feels like charging at any given point.

There's also the service component. Would Stellantis open up a nationwide network of corporate service shops? I doubt many of the traditional dealerships will stick around if their only source of income is oil changes and repair work.

 

[KnightMare]

Agreed. But we will also lose the Mark Dodge type dealers as well. We'll be left with whatever Stellantis feels like charging at any given point.

There's also the service component. Would Stellantis open up a nationwide network of corporate service shops? I doubt many of the traditional dealerships will stick around if their only source of income is oil changes and repair work.

honestly if they operate the "Dodge store" like a traditional dealership in areas where markups are the worst... Mark Dodge will be just fine

 

[TRXNUT]

Dealers just have to have caps put on them from Stelantis to control them a bit better from being so greedy. The manufacturers also need to start penalizing dealerships for their behaviors and enforce a 3 strike your out system where if a dealer is caught doing shady things 3 times they loose their dealer license for good.

 

[1sickveilsidez]

Well I don’t ever recall going to a gas station and telling them I wanted to pay a lower price or the pricing from 1990. As such I’ve never gone to Walmart, Target or any other franchise retail store and tried to negotiate a better price like I can at a dealership.

It is pretty cool being able to go to a dealership and waste a salesman’s time though. Deprive them of any and all commission they could potentially earn to make a living by making them miss an actual customer that’s ready to buy.

Don’t like the price or can’t afford it, don’t buy it’s simple. Plenty of good dealers around if you search. I have no skin in the game because as much as I love my Mopars, I wouldn’t spend that kind of money on a Dodge even if I had it.

If we’re talking about targeting politicians they’re even worse than dealerships lol! These are the same people that want us to go full electric and kill the V8’s, forcing dealerships to sell us crap that nobody wants.

Just my opinion, carry on.

 

[@JC]

There's also the service component. Would Stellantis open up a nationwide network of corporate service shops? I doubt many of the traditional dealerships will stick around if their only source of income is oil changes and repair work.

More accurately, most dealership profit comes from Used and Service. Most of the profit in new vehicles comes from the F&I room but none of us are dumb enough to fall for that, right? .

 

[Crazynaclh20]

My parents told me when I was very young that the biggest waste of money was to buy a new car off the lot. Many people see that as "cant afford a new car." Now that I have ample income, what they said still rings true.
I'm now almost 50, 12 vehicles in my collection, multiple childhood dream cars. I have yet to have buyers remorse over a deal I've made.

 

[Eighty]

Holy cow, my phone can see into the future! I just checked my forum alerts, and apparently @Wscott002 is going to “like” a couple of my posts in 40-41 minutes!

 

[ConroeTRX]

One opinion I heard is that Stellantis is a European owned business and the Europeans have a totally different attitude on sales. They are more of a “ price it at whatever and people will pay it” thinking. Idk if any truth to it but one of my Italian friends told me this. He said “negotiating” and “give me a better deal” doesn’t exist in the European buyers vocabulary. But he is a wealthy dual citizenship guy who could pay $2 or $100 for a bag of chips and it wouldn’t affect him in anyway.

 

[Stefan]

Not sure about italian nature, but Germans pretty much run everywhere for the best price, most know shit about the product they want to buy (as do many dealers), but every retard can do numbers...
Also the concept of any form of dealer adm is completely unknown over here, MSRP is always the base line for neogtiations. But then again if someone with no Porsche history wants a GT3 he probably won't get one and if you have a Porsche history you eventually might have to sign for a Cayenne or Panamera in conjunction.

 

[UnloosedChewtoy]

Holy cow, my phone can see into the future! I just checked my forum alerts, and apparently @Wscott002 is going to “like” a couple of my posts in 40-41 minutes!

Must be those new AI upgrades they did to the forum's servers.

 

[Spottswoode]

I think we should be careful wishing for a direct manufacturer-to-consumer model. Yes, there's a middle-man markup built into the MSRP prices, but I seriously doubt that Stellantis would eliminate those costs from the sale price. They'll just pocket those dollars. So then what we're left with is ONE source for buying a vehicle at Stellantis' asking price. No shopping around for "who wants to sell a truck the most". No personal relationships with a local seller that you've bought from before. It will be "you are just a number, here's your online price - take it or leave it".

Doesn’t seem to be a problem to buy an iPhone from Apple directly. One price, they do the service and support quite well, no store relationship needed or considered. Could you imagine a world where you had to go to a dealer to buy a phone? Me neither.

Tesla forced the issue and good for them. Wish dealers would all be banned and go to hell.

 

[RedEyeTRX]

Doesn’t seem to be a problem to buy an iPhone from Apple directly. One price, they do the service and support quite well, no store relationship needed or considered. Could you imagine a world where you had to go to a dealer to buy a phone? Me neither.

Tesla forced the issue and good for them. Wish dealers would all be banned and go to hell.

Tesla wait times for simple warranty repairs is 5+ months. Something serious or problematic to diag could take over a year....it not a model you should be touting.
Your Iphone does not have the complexity nor the moving parts involved with a motor vehicle, especially one with a HC engine.....so the comparison is not valid.
We all wish for a better solution to vehicle warranty work, but until you can carry your TRX in your back pocket (like a phone) we are stuck with this imperfect model.

 

[Spottswoode]

Tesla wait times for simple warranty repairs is 5+ months. Something serious or problematic to diag could take over a year....it not a model you should be touting.
Your Iphone does not have the complexity nor the moving parts involved with a motor vehicle, especially one with a HC engine.....so the comparison is not valid.
We all wish for a better solution to vehicle warranty work, but until you can carry your TRX in your back pocket (like a phone) we are stuck with this imperfect model.

I disagree.

Just because Tesla might have delays in service doesn’t mean other brands don’t. How about the folks who have had their trucks at dealer lots for months getting ONE item addressed, like a blown engine? Does that count? Or related trips for the same issues. We have all dealt with that most likely.

How is it that Tesla and Rivian owners are some of the most satisfied? Must be something they are doing right. No they aren’t perfect.

Of course a vehicle obviously has more parts than a phone. That should not preclude the idea of getting rid of these scumbag dealers and their antiquated model.

And who says you must have a middleman to do repair work or have a repair shop? The dealer association and lobbyists and old school manufactures… screwing the consumer.