Unethical sales?

Sales of any item that is non-emergency in nature (i.e. bottled water after a hurricane) are not unethical, you have the no pressure, free market choice.

 

A high asking price for a used car is "unethical"??
Not in this world.

 

Gosh,
My 08 has 5,500 miles on it.
If someone offered me 30 grand I guess I would be of low moral character.
As the song goes,go on take the money and run.

 

I don't see anything 'unethical' in the ad.
All the selling info is already upfront, so it's a buyer's choice.

The dealer will be unethical if they agree to sell you a car at a price, and then turn to the next 'high' bidder without telling your car is gone.

 

It's border line. If the dealer was simply informing you that he had such vehicle and the price was x, then it wouldn't be unethical. But in this case, the dealer, through comments like "great news", "won't last through the weekend", "only x number of miles", are comments designed to try and sell on a deal that is a complete rip off. The comments are designed to convince you that this is the deal of the century but it isn't.

Since you are an educated consumer and can shop around and do your own research and arrive at your own conclusions, the dealer isn't doing anything illegal, but the message is misleading and if someone simply takes them at their word, which is dishonest, then it's unethical.

Gas prices have dropped 70 cents in the last weeks and dealer after dealer, even in this forum, are now saying they have excess inventory at MSRP. If gasoline keeps dropping in the short term, you will most likely be able to get a new one for less than MSRP without even trying hard. Even through the past few months, you could get one for MSRP or a little less if you were willing to wait a month or two.

 

This isn't much different than the dealers in our area. As far as I know they aren't sending out mailings or putting adds in the paper, but they are putting the used cars on the lot for $29K+. It's like everything else we buy -- if you think the price is too high for the product you go somewhere else and try to find it.

 

You know you could just click it into the trash bin and not pay attention. He is trying to be informative and proactive in getting new sales. If the price is an affront to your sensibilities then ignore and go to another dealer, but unethical I think not. Buy low sell high is the true capitalists method.

 

MSRP....suggested retail price.....if someone will pay more, they did not take the suggestion. While it is not unethical, if does piss me off as the dealers around here are doing the same thing.

I am all for free market and get what you can. Buy it and pay for the damn thing in pennies........1,2,3,4..........

 

OK, here is a confession from another idiot who needed it now. Duh!

Here is a Sacramento tale of being taken to the cleaners. They are located on Auburn Blvd if that matters to some of you.

After the $500 for permission to see one in 3 to 6 months, and even asking if they had any used ones in stock, was taken out to their lot and shown a 2007, with 16k miles, with zilch for add-ons, ugly black. Was told I could have it for $30,000.

I left with tears running down my face. They knew I had the hots for one and I was talking cash, (even dumber yet).

I get a call from them after a month wait and they have a gold one with Pkg#6 just in and wanted to know if I was interested.

To end this sad tale, I paid $33,500 out the door in cash (please note that vaseline would have been extra).

Did I mention that this was at a dealer here in Sacramento, California on Auburn Blvd, near Fulton Ave??? Oh!!! OK...

I really like the car, but they will never get my business again.

Did I mention that this was in the North Sacramento area? ;>)

 

Are you sure its not "Buy high, sell low, and ask for a Federal bailout"?

 

Being as the market is going crazy, maybe buy high and sell low is the new thing!!! lol

 

This would be really funny if it weren't happening all around us and no one seems to think its crazy.