I ve been hearing a lot about internet car-buying services. What can you tell me about them?
Unfortunately, for the unsuspecting car buyer, internet car-buying services are nothing more than another “kindler and gentler” way for the retail automobile industry to sell more cars. Clever marketing is designed to appeal to (and take advantage of) consumers who would not otherwise visit a car dealer’s showroom because they want to avoid sales pressure or they do not want to haggle for the price of a new vehicle. It is a fact that car dealers pay these internet services (who are also known as “lead generators”) a referral fee to sell them your name (they call you a “sales lead”) so the dealer can quote you a “special” internet price. (Remember, CARS, Inc. does not accept fees or any other compensation from any car dealer.) This “special” price that you are quoted is pre-negotiated and is not generally or necessarily the lowest price available. (Remember, only market competition can determine the right price.) For these and other reasons, internet car-buying services have failed to d
