Friday, February 20, 2009

LOL @ "Market Adjustment" charges


People aren't spending.

The auto industry is in the shitter.

The market has hit an 11-year low.

So what should a dealership do to make some cash? How about tack on a "market adjustment" cost of $2,000 onto new cars. Yeah, that'll encourage folks to buy!

The Honda dealer I went to today had, I kid you not, about 25 brand-new Honda Fits on the lot (their Web site claims to have 60 in stock). However, every damn one of them had a "market adjustment" of nearly $2,000, IIRC.

A Kia dealer I went to today had the all-new Soul for sale (about four of them), and each one of those puppies had a similar "market adjustment," too.

The Suzuki dealer I visited today had a "market adjustment" on its SX4s, too.

A note to dealerships/manufacturers: You know just as well as I do that that the economy isn't great, and that sales are way down. Perhaps now is not the time to be tacking on BS market adjustments to scam buyers out of a couple thousand extra dollars.

/rant

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Say what? No dealer incentives? Surprised you made it off the lots in record time, 3 dealerships in 3 hours or so? Congrats on that.

Andy Lilienthal said...

Well, I went pretty early; I think a lot of sales departments hadn't opened yet.

Anonymous said...

Stealerships will be stealerships, even when they really need the consumer to be their friend they will try to scam you.

SpaRky said...

That's just more Haggle room. LOL.

Srsly, go used, avoid that crap.

Andy Lilienthal said...

I'd go used when possible. However, on some cars, such as the Yaris and Fit, a new car actually within $100-$200 of the used ones. It's kind of crazy, actually. That was the way it was with my 05 xB, too.