Interesting article on AlterNet this morning. Why You Can't Buy a New Car Online | | AlterNet It's about the new car dealer lobbyists who require that we finalize the paperwork at the dealer before buying a new car. I used the Costco Car Buying Service when I bought my new Prius a year ago. I had to go to the dealer, of course, to have the papers drawn up. I was supposed to be shown the "special" Costco price but it was only on the sales person's computer monitor and I never saw it. I asked about it but then didn't insist upon seeing it in writing. I had previously had a horrendouse experience with the same dealer (Right Toyota) and I was just so glad to get out of there. The whole car buying process is just awful.
One advantage of starting online is you can work the dealers against each other. The prius was tough because of its demand but then again maybe those days are behind us. For my other recent car purchase, I finalized numbers via email before I sat down at the dealership's internet sales office. I don't think they can take that advantage away from us.
I should add there is some advantage to purchasing from a local dealership being it provides taxes to the community and provides local jobs. But there probably should be about half as many dealerships as currently exist.
The article also fails to note that a new car dropped off from shipment must be thoroughly checked to be sure that everything (e.g., brakes, accelerator cable, steering, tires) works as it should after shipment. Where online can you buy something that by merely using it after delivery, can kill you, kill several unsuspecting and unrelated other people, as well as cause thousands of dollars in property damage to your own and other peoples’ property? Having a car delivered to a qualified factory trained technician for a careful and thorough safety inspection before delivery will always be required. Dealerships are the only economically viable method to accomplish this.
That problem is easily solved by having pre-delivery inspection shops. For $250 they do the inspection, by the book. If those shops want to branch out and offer aftermarket options from a menu (pin strips, window tint, stereo add-ons, etc) that's fine. You order online, select the pre-deliver shop you want to use, select the after market stuff you want (note, no high pressure sales, just point and click what you want or zip to the 'complete order' section.
Not only that, but can you imagine, and want to pay, the UPS shipping charge. Your gonna give the UPS guy a hernia with that big of a box!!! Its RACEDAY, DT500 hoo rah Pat KK6PD
I'm not sure about this at all. What's the difference between having a new car shipped from a dealer elsewhere and the vehicle shipments that are completed every day by moving companies? When my Prius and Chrysler T&C were shipped from Maryland to Phoenix, there was no technician waiting in Phoenix when the driver unloaded the cars. Granted that a few of the electronic gizmos on the minivan never worked properly after the move (probably caused by baking in the August sun on a truck going 75MPH), but all the critical components worked as before.
