Some dealerships are truly horrible scum-of-the-earth enterprises. Some dealerships are ethical and transparent. Many are somewhere in the middle.
Lumping them all together under one label is probably not wise. There are tens of thousands of independent franchised dealerships in the US alone. They run the spectrum.
Bad dealerships deserve to be run out of business. Should we run the good ones out of business as well? Or reward them with our dollars to starve out the rest?
The role dealerships play in the retail distribution chain in the US isn’t going away. It needs to change, but the change simply is not going to be that automakers burn it to the ground and start over by taking on the risk and expense themselves.
Choose to do business with non-negotiating best-price-forward transparent dealerships. There are thousands of them in the US. Let the rest starve.
Should we run the good ones out of business as well?
Yes.
The role dealerships play in the retail distribution chain in the US isn’t going away
And what role would that be? There’s nothing qualitatively different today about the automotive (and farm equipment) market from others that demands a middleman.
It made sense back in the day before the internet. Not anymore.
Some dealerships are truly horrible scum-of-the-earth enterprises. Some dealerships are ethical and transparent. Many are somewhere in the middle.
Lumping them all together under one label is probably not wise. There are tens of thousands of independent franchised dealerships in the US alone. They run the spectrum.
Bad dealerships deserve to be run out of business. Should we run the good ones out of business as well? Or reward them with our dollars to starve out the rest?
The role dealerships play in the retail distribution chain in the US isn’t going away. It needs to change, but the change simply is not going to be that automakers burn it to the ground and start over by taking on the risk and expense themselves.
Choose to do business with non-negotiating best-price-forward transparent dealerships. There are thousands of them in the US. Let the rest starve.
Yes.
And what role would that be? There’s nothing qualitatively different today about the automotive (and farm equipment) market from others that demands a middleman.
It made sense back in the day before the internet. Not anymore.