Americans love their cars. Even as the average cost of a new car inches closer to $50,000, 14 million new vehicles were sold in September 2022.
Looking at these figures, you’d be forgiven for thinking that people love shopping for cars. After all, they drop tens of thousands of dollars to own the latest, shiniest model on the market.
But nothing could be further from the truth. Americans hate buying new cars… Well, the process of buying a new car. They love their purchases but detest going through the motions to acquire one. Why is that?
The blame falls on the experience that consumers endure with outdated dealers and their, dare I say, unscrupulous and exploitative marketing and sales practices.
The Lions’ Den
Walking into most car dealerships is said to be the equivalent of walking into a lion’s den. You can almost feel the sales rep salivating and already planning a vacation with the hefty commission they’re about to make. Most even brag about how they are sharks or could “sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves”.
See, car dealerships have polished and trained their staff on high-pressure sales tactics, turning it into an art form. To some extent, it is quite impressive but imagine the buying experience had those training processes been optimized with value and customer centricity in mind. Instead, it seems like many dealer sales models have perfected the art of profiteering off unsuspecting motorists. Now-a-days, buying a car is comparable to running a marathon – you can’t show up unprepared.
You’ll be devoured alive if you can’t easily spot sales “tactics.”
Since the pandemic disrupted the supply chain in 2020, some dealerships have adopted a new business strategy. They keep a lean inventory and use thinly veiled markups to pad their profits. This approach enabled them to double the new car sales profits in 2022.
This master plan is nothing short of genius. Say you walk into a dealership to purchase your dream truck – an F150 Lightning. The dealership has only one in stock. It lacks some of the amenities you’d prefer. Heck, even the color is wrong. And it’s priced about $6,000+ above the MSRP.
It also features dealership add-ons such as VIN etching, paint protection, and seat-fabric protection. These unnecessary extras tuck $800 into the final sales price.
Here’s the kicker. You don’t like the car or the price, but you’re short of time. You needed the truck yesterday for your personal, or professional, life.
And so, you concede and comply. You’ve just dropped megabucks for a car you don’t even really like. And the cycle continues.
Car shopping has been reduced to a high cost but an unrewarding experience.
Worst- Practices
Car shopping shouldn’t be a painful money grab that leaves you feeling out of your depth.
Push back against worse-practice dealers. You can buy the car of your dreams with all the amenities you love without overpaying for it.
Traditionally, shopping for a car entailed looking up the model you want online and then calling the dealership or driving there to inquire about the price.
Dubious dealerships thrive on surreptitious advertising to get you to walk through their doors or collect your contact info in their lead-gen funnels.
Once there, they can pull the good ol’ classic bait and switch, while wearing you down with high-pressure sales techniques. Not anymore.
A Super Chill Car Shopping Experience
Markups.org puts a creative and helpful spin on the car shopping experience. Now you can shop for a new car based on MSRP, above or below.
You can search for the best-practice dealerships that have a track record of pricing transparency and offer the best deals on new cars. You no longer need to spend hours calling and driving around to various dealers to get the actual out-the-door price.
Search and run custom reports on dealerships’ proven track history – but also view a birds-eye look at the dealership’s overall practices! Does the dealer have a markup on every listing? Is it only particular models, particular cities, or particular states marking up?
That’s right. Markups.org maintains an extensive database of car dealerships across the US, US Territories, and Canada that do and do not mark up their cars. No more high-pressure sales techniques, exorbitant yet unnecessary dealer add-ons, or falling for scummy advertising.
Buying your dream car can be a simple, straightforward, and enjoyable experience.
Merely decide the make you wish to purchase. Check markups.org for reputable dealers in your region. Confirm your car model’s availability, arrange financing, and then you’re off with your brand-new purchase (or at least have it ordered worry free of hidden markups). No hassle. No drawn-out negotiations and back and forth. No finding out after the fact that you have indeed been taken for a ride… Just a smooth and rewarding shopping experience.
Ready to shop based on MSRP for your next car?
Spare some time and visit the dealership near you:
And make sure to share your experience by posting new markups listings: