Dealerships are such hot garbage and need to be taken out

[BillyGee]

Since I committed to purchasing a model Y last week I decided it would be a good idea to go to to a dealership and see what they say about my current work vehicle as far as a trade-in or even getting cash value. As expected, they low balled me and gave me an estimate for just the truck and none of the service attachments or any of the added features, basically 50% what the KBB value is before you even add in the extras. I expected that, so it wasn't too infuriating, but what was infuriating was what followed.

When I explained what I was intending to do with a replacement vehicle, which is drive my normal 150 miles a day plus longer trips, the salesman immediately started telling me how an EV would never be able to keep up with an ICE vehicle. He went on and on about how even if a car says it has 300 or more miles of range they don't really have that and until Ford starts making their lightning there won't really be a truck worth buying. I then threw him off his game by pointing at the Mach E that we were literally standing next to and asking if he thought that could do the job.

Something must have washed over him because his tune immediately changed and he started talking about how great the mileage on the Mach E was and how many free miles you'll get across a charging network, the name of which he naturally could not remember, and how it actually has tons of room for something its size and a self-driving system that blows everyone else out of the water. When I started asking him if he thought it would work in lieu of a truck he then went back to the gas engine argument and started trying to talk up the hybrid Maverick and once again told me that a BEV just wouldn't cut it.

I hate to think that this is a common experience, and I already expect dealership guys to be slimy, but it was just so comically duplicitous to me. Experiences like that are why car dealerships need to go. It's only a matter of time until everyone else fully embraces the Tesla model, people don't like when you treat them so condescendingly for something they could easily pull out their phone and look up.

 

[CyberGus]

Hopefully someone else will post with a personal experience, but I've read that dealerships have been scuttling EV sales for years. The EVs aren't as profitable (sales or service) so they hide them in the back. None of the salespeople are knowledgeable, and the cars are frequently neglected and left uncharged.

I understand why the dealerships fear the Tesla direct-sales model: it means their death. (When was the last time you were in a book store? Or a music store? Or bought a retail PC?) But IMHO they've got it coming.

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

Generally speaking, I hate generalizations. But I do think that dealerships are trash. They add nothing, but some money to the owner. Their very nature is to add as much cost as possible to your vehicle purchase, without adding any value. They have no other purpose for existing, and as such, they are all evil, even if all those working there or owning them are not.

 

[Crissa]

Last week. The week before. Last month.

I still need to ask someone where certain editions are. To trade old books for new. To give me suggestions. To hold readings, and a place to sample the items.

I still need instruments and recordings and old copies not available online. Like, half my collection isn't available online.

And I still need parts today. Not tomorrow. I need things fixed. I need specific parts. I need to get my 3090 without a scalper bot stealing them all.

I was even in three different video game stores on Saturday! I needed a cable today. They also carry the old games that no one else does. Have advice I can trust. They've gotten me parts when online failed to - and I'm pretty good with the Google and eBay-fu.

-Crissa

PS, and I'm going to my EV dealer next week to get new tires and the brakes checked out and new firmware because my hardware is too old to download it...

 

[Cyberman]

Since I committed to purchasing a model Y last week I decided it would be a good idea to go to to a dealership and see what they say about my current work vehicle as far as a trade-in or even getting cash value. As expected, they low balled me and gave me an estimate for just the truck and none of the service attachments or any of the added features, basically 50% what the KBB value is before you even add in the extras. I expected that, so it wasn't too infuriating, but what was infuriating was what followed.

When I explained what I was intending to do with a replacement vehicle, which is drive my normal 150 miles a day plus longer trips, the salesman immediately started telling me how an EV would never be able to keep up with an ICE vehicle. He went on and on about how even if a car says it has 300 or more miles of range they don't really have that and until Ford starts making their lightning there won't really be a truck worth buying. I then threw him off his game by pointing at the Mach E that we were literally standing next to and asking if he thought that could do the job.

Something must have washed over him because his tune immediately changed and he started talking about how great the mileage on the Mach E was and how many free miles you'll get across a charging network, the name of which he naturally could not remember, and how it actually has tons of room for something its size and a self-driving system that blows everyone else out of the water. When I started asking him if he thought it would work in lieu of a truck he then went back to the gas engine argument and started trying to talk up the hybrid Maverick and once again told me that a BEV just wouldn't cut it.

I hate to think that this is a common experience, and I already expect dealership guys to be slimy, but it was just so comically duplicitous to me. Experiences like that are why car dealerships need to go. It's only a matter of time until everyone else fully embraces the Tesla model, people don't like when you treat them so condescendingly for something they could easily pull out their phone and look up.

I sure hope a lot of the people working at stealerships are seeing the writing on the wall and starting to look for work elsewhere, because Tesla's model is the death of them. I predict by 15 years from now, half of new car dealers will be snuffed out. And Americans are going to have more of their money in their pockets.

 

[OneLapper]

I've never been to a dealership where the people selling the cars know more about the car (or cars in general) than me.

The average car dealership is really struggling. Revenue is decreasing on the cars (due to the OEMs), people can't afford to pay for repairs outside of warranty because the dealers have to charge huge labor rates, not because they want to put it to the buyers, but because they need to get the warranty reimbursements from the OEMs. And in many cases, the OEMs pay a percentage of the posted labor rate, not the full rate.

Honestly, the OEMs suck. They want one franchisee with 50 stores, instead of 50 franchisees with 1 store. So they will price out the small guys, to the point where they can't make money. It happened my dealership. Just like that.

 

[Ehninger1212]

Dealerships are beginning to change their tone. Starting to hear more of them talk about basically becoming "delivery centers" for the OEM's. They are starting to shrink cars in stock and focus on fixed pricing from the OEM. Things are changing guys and gals.. just hasn't caught up with reality yet.

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

Last week. The week before. Last month.

I still need to ask someone where certain editions are. To trade old books for new. To give me suggestions. To hold readings, and a place to sample the items.

I still need instruments and recordings and old copies not available online. Like, half my collection isn't available online.

And I still need parts today. Not tomorrow. I need things fixed. I need specific parts. I need to get my 3090 without a scalper bot stealing them all.

I was even in three different video game stores on Saturday! I needed a cable today. They also carry the old games that no one else does. Have advice I can trust. They've gotten me parts when online failed to - and I'm pretty good with the Google and eBay-fu.

-Crissa

PS, and I'm going to my EV dealer next week to get new tires and the brakes checked out and new firmware because my hardware is too old to download it...

To be clear I think dealerships are trash… not stores or repair centres. I love in person shopping. I have no use for a business that acquires a product and then tries to sell it to you with as much mark up as possible.

 

[lowpolypickupboi]

I generally feel that dealerships are trash and a huge scam. I completely understand it is their job to sell you their products but the products are upcharged. The scam is where you live in a decent sized town, like myself, of about 100,000 people and all but one of the 7 dealers in town are owned by the same “family”. They are a monopoly and can gouge the market because most people are too lazy or leave themselves in a bind when shopping for a new car. They’re sales pitches are all lies or half truths to get you into whatever. They’re service departments are a scam because you can usually fix your own problems for cheaper. I dislike the whole dealership experience and I’m looking forward to buying direct from Tesla and think it should be that way for all especially with all the lobbying interests. IMO

 

[CyberGus]

...They add nothing, but some money to the owner. Their very nature is to add as much cost as possible to your vehicle purchase, without adding any value.

If you've bought a Tesla, or seen the online complaints, then there's an obvious benefit of dealerships: they are expert detailers. They will fix any minor manufacturing issues (panel gap adjustment, missing/broken trim, etc.) and clean the vehicle inside and out. This has a significant impact on perceptions of "initial quality".

I agree this hardly justifies their markups or tactics, but this is something that is clearly missing from the Tesla delivery experience.

Also, dealerships have inventory, so there is no waiting for a build-to-order delivery; you can just take what they've got on the lot. However, I don't comprehend the value of making a spontaneous purchase of the the single most expensive item you will ever own, other than your home.

 

[CyberGus]

I still need to ask someone where certain editions are. To trade old books for new. To give me suggestions. To hold readings, and a place to sample the items...

That's fantastic that you have access to knowledgeable retailers, they are worth their weight in gold. But there's no question that once something becomes available to buy online, the associated retail operations decline. Tesla's sales model is a significant threat to the traditional dealership model, because many would choose to bypass the dealership if that option existed.

 

[Crissa]

I've attended readings online, and it's just not the same.

Although it's much healthier for the author to do it online.

-Crissa

 

[CyberGus]

I've attended readings online, and it's just not the same.

Although it's much healthier for the author to do it online.

-Crissa

Covid sucks.

 

[Crissa]

Covid sucks.

True!

But traveling long distances, staying up long hours, repeated public speaking... It all runs a toll even without a pandemic out there.

-Crissa

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

If you've bought a Tesla, or seen the online complaints, then there's an obvious benefit of dealerships: they are expert detailers. They will fix any minor manufacturing issues (panel gap adjustment, missing/broken trim, etc.) and clean the vehicle inside and out. This has a significant impact on perceptions of "initial quality".

I agree this hardly justifies their markups or tactics, but this is something that is clearly missing from the Tesla delivery experience.

Also, dealerships have inventory, so there is no waiting for a build-to-order delivery; you can just take what they've got on the lot. However, I don't comprehend the value of making a spontaneous purchase of the the single most expensive item you will ever own, other than your home.

I haven't bought a Tesla yet, but all of my friends say the experience was extremely positive, better than any dealer. Meanwhile, my personal experience with dealers has ranged from awful to "at least it wasn't bad". There is nothing special about an independent dealer being able to detail a car; if Tesla is lacking in this, they just need to hire the right people and prioritize it.