Isn’t this illegal?

It’s mind boggling how many people are sympathetic to these shady car dealers.

 

The only people that are, are likely in the business.

 

I see where you guys are coming from for sure. Maybe you’re more optimistic than me? Maybe I’m jaded enough to think things like this just don’t matter.

If they were concealing a markup within the “base price” or something like that I’d be inclined to harumph with you. But if the law is that clear (lol) and this dealer is doing it everywhere, sounds like you have your case to take to the DA!

 

So the FTC doesn't make "laws", they make "rules", which are enforceable by civil penalty only, and don't typically involve a District Attorney, but occasionally a State's Attorney. The FTC also bases many of the cases that they take on on a wave of consumer complaints. If you want these rules to be enforced more stringently you need to start a complaint campaign, write letters and call your congressional representatives, and basically anything you can do to make noise and be heard. If there is enough complaints and chatter about a given rule not being enforced that can sometimes be enough to get their attorneys to bring a case together, but would likely work best if a connected network of dealers were consistently and systematically advertising prices that were not the drive-off-the-lot price, AND if we could find a relatively easy way to prove that they're doing it.

To be sure, enforcement is weak for many FTC rules, but a lot of good also comes from them. The reason why you see the full price for a flight, hotel, sports ticket...etc, when you make a purchase online today is due to FTC rules on drip pricing, which in years past dominated those types of transactions. They would all advertise a low price, and then hit you with myriad fees and expenses (other than gov't mandated taxes and fees, which they are allowed to leave out of their advertised price) at the checkout stage, frustrating many consumers.

Back in 2016 the FTC successfully fined VW over $15 billion over the diesel emissions scandal, most of which was returned directly to affected consumers. So, while I understand your frustration at the lack of efficacy in the CARS Rule, my suggestion is to complain loudly to someone who can get things going, which would be your congressional representatives or FTC leadership.

No one is more jaded than me lol.

 

Like I said in my post above, I think I’m jaded about this kind of stuff. I’ve never really had any respect for sales people anyway, they’re just a necessary bureaucratic evil in this system were stuck with. I think one of Hank Hill’s biggest character flaws was his adoration and respect for salesmen, but I digress.

 

Most of them do the same on their websites. Give the best price with every discount available that no one qualifies for. You have to really look closely or click another option to see the stack of discounts applied.

 

It's worth mentioning that whats on the sticker isn't even the end of the deception and gouging. If you pay MSRP, there is margin built into that for the dealership, plus a dealer holdback that they receive a few months after you purchase the truck. But the real money is made in the finance office, by the finance officer, the highest payed salesman in the dealership. BS cost and fees like dealer prep fees, advertising fees, delivery fees (that already in the MSRP), nitrogen tire fills, credit life and gap insurance, enhancement packages, extended warranties, and the list goes on and on and on. If you walk into a dealership uneducated on their tricks and tactics, you're gonna get got.

 

I don’t know if this shit company still exists, but when I lived in the deep south, there was a company called Fidelity, who I think partially or completely owned Southeast Toyota as well as offered all sorts of crap extended warranties, like tire and wheel protection and other bullshit that could easily make you overpay an extra 5-6k back in 2007.

 

It's only illegal if you get caught.