In 1990, General Motors capitalized on consumer’s intense dislike of the auto purchasing process and introduced the Saturn. Saturns were, and are still, sold at a flat price with no dickering, dealing or haggling. Today, almost 25% of car buyers purchase vehicles from flat price, or no-haggle, dealerships. But are they truly saving money?
At no-haggle dealerships, cars are priced at a flat rate that typically includes a standard options package and a built in profit for the dealer. Additional options may be sold in flat-rate packages or a la carte. At regular dealerships, cars are displayed with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price but everything including options, warranty, financing and dealer profit is negotiable.
Research has shown that educated consumers pay much less for cars at regular dealerships than at no-haggle dealerships. This is because regular dealers set average profit goals over time. For example, if they sell five cars, the average profit per car should be a certain amount, say $1,000. That means of those five cars, three could sell for $1000 profit, but the dealer could make $2000 and $0 profit on the remaining two cars and still...