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Is it not possible to buy a car online?

BrunoPuntzJones

BrunoPuntzJones

Lifer
I mean you can go to different places like carsdirect.com, etc. but in the end you still get quotes from dealers.

It seems like someone could come up with a way to sell them online just like a hard drive or baby wipes or tv antennas.

Find the one you want, add to cart, calculate tax and shipping. No trade in negotiating, no finance negotiating.

After you submit your order you get financing elsewhere, and have the approval sent to the seller and in a few days/weeks your car gets delivered.

It seems like there is at least a niche market for folks who don't want to deal with the hassle of dealers and just want to see a price and buy.

But I guess the dealer racket doesn't want that.

Or are there any places where it's just as simple as buying from Newegg?
 
Why in the world would you buy a car without seeing it first?

Maybe for restoration projects, but that's it.
 
You guys have never ridden or driven a friends car? Or wanted the same car your dad drives?

Or like Newegg says. Go to the store and handle them, then go online to buy...
 
It would help if a lot of so called "smart consumers" actually understood the stipulations required by most lenders. Additionally, many if not most consumers have negative equity, and numbers have to be played with in order for the banks to accept many deals. People think that there are thousands of dollars that the dealerships are ripping people off for. While that does happen from time to time, in today's age it's a lot more difficult to do so when everybody has access to the internet and rival dealerships are in direct competition with each other.
 
Originally posted by: slimrhcp
It would help if a lot of so called "smart consumers" actually understood the stipulations required by most lenders. Additionally, many if not most consumers have negative equity, and numbers have to be played with in order for the banks to accept many deals. People think that there are thousands of dollars that the dealerships are ripping people off for. While that does happen from time to time, in today's age it's a lot more difficult to do so when everybody has access to the internet and rival dealerships are in direct competition with each other.
Click to expand...

That is not what they mean by see and touch the car. They mean THE car, not A car.
 
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
You guys have never ridden or driven a friends car? Or wanted the same car your dad drives?

Or like Newegg says. Go to the store and handle them, then go online to buy...
Click to expand...

There is a difference between a $200 processor and a $25000 car.
 
Originally posted by: Leros
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
You guys have never ridden or driven a friends car? Or wanted the same car your dad drives?

Or like Newegg says. Go to the store and handle them, then go online to buy...
Click to expand...

There is a difference between a $200 processor and a $25000 car.
Click to expand...

Cost isn't the issue. There are plenty of things online for over 25k you can put on a credit card.
 
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Originally posted by: Leros
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
You guys have never ridden or driven a friends car? Or wanted the same car your dad drives?

Or like Newegg says. Go to the store and handle them, then go online to buy...
Click to expand...

There is a difference between a $200 processor and a $25000 car.
Click to expand...

Cost isn't the issue. There are plenty of things online for over 25k you can put on a credit card.
Click to expand...

You fail to grasp the concept of buying a car.
 
ebay has tons of cars. There is even a drop down for condition (new, used, certified, etc.) and other things.
 
The manufacturers probably don't allow it. If it was cheaper in the end, then people could simply go to a dealership, see the car, then order from this website. As soon as this started to catch on and get even a little bit of media, the manufacturer would step in because they'd get heat from all the dealerships.

Sure, a car sale is a car sale and on paper the manufacturer might not care, however they would get a lot of heat from the stealerships.

What I want to know though, is how much of the profit margin that a dealership operates on is from the sale of the car? IIRC, it's a very small amount, and most of their money comes from doing repairs and maintenence on cars. If that's true, then they can stay in business without selling cars, however then how will people test drive them and get a feel for them before buying? If they went into a stage where they weren't making a profit selling cars, it would just become mostly another shop that works on cars because they could get rid of salesman, cars for test driving, etc.

Basically, I don't think the manufacturer would allow it. It's part of the reason why many speakers are only sold in stores and they restrict it from being sold online.
 
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
I mean you can go to different places like carsdirect.com, etc. but in the end you still get quotes from dealers.

It seems like someone could come up with a way to sell them online just like a hard drive or baby wipes or tv antennas.

Find the one you want, add to cart, calculate tax and shipping. No trade in negotiating, no finance negotiating.

After you submit your order you get financing elsewhere, and have the approval sent to the seller and in a few days/weeks your car gets delivered.

It seems like there is at least a niche market for folks who don't want to deal with the hassle of dealers and just want to see a price and buy.

But I guess the dealer racket doesn't want that.

Or are there any places where it's just as simple as buying from Newegg?
Click to expand...


It's called CarMax.
 
Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Originally posted by: Leros
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
You guys have never ridden or driven a friends car? Or wanted the same car your dad drives?

Or like Newegg says. Go to the store and handle them, then go online to buy...
Click to expand...

There is a difference between a $200 processor and a $25000 car.
Click to expand...

Cost isn't the issue. There are plenty of things online for over 25k you can put on a credit card.
Click to expand...

You fail to grasp the concept of buying a car.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't hesitated to buy a NEW car online that had a full manufactures warranty. Hell, my last car I bought used online without ever hearing it and I have no regrets. If you know what you want in a car why would this be a problem? As hard as the dealers try to screw you over in person I fail to see how doing it online could be any worse.

 
Originally posted by: Thorny
Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Originally posted by: Leros
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
You guys have never ridden or driven a friends car? Or wanted the same car your dad drives?

Or like Newegg says. Go to the store and handle them, then go online to buy...
Click to expand...

There is a difference between a $200 processor and a $25000 car.
Click to expand...

Cost isn't the issue. There are plenty of things online for over 25k you can put on a credit card.
Click to expand...

You fail to grasp the concept of buying a car.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't hesitated to buy a NEW car online that had a full manufactures warranty. Hell, my last car I bought used online without ever hearing it and I have no regrets. If you know what you want in a car why would this be a problem? As hard as the dealers try to screw you over in person I fail to see how doing it online could be any worse.
Click to expand...

I agree. I just bought my car from ebay. I got a remote inspection done and then flew to pick it up, but it was already a done deal.
 
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
The manufacturers probably don't allow it. If it was cheaper in the end, then people could simply go to a dealership, see the car, then order from this website. As soon as this started to catch on and get even a little bit of media, the manufacturer would step in because they'd get heat from all the dealerships.

Sure, a car sale is a car sale and on paper the manufacturer might not care, however they would get a lot of heat from the stealerships.

What I want to know though, is how much of the profit margin that a dealership operates on is from the sale of the car? IIRC, it's a very small amount, and most of their money comes from doing repairs and maintenence on cars. If that's true, then they can stay in business without selling cars, however then how will people test drive them and get a feel for them before buying? If they went into a stage where they weren't making a profit selling cars, it would just become mostly another shop that works on cars because they could get rid of salesman, cars for test driving, etc.

Basically, I don't think the manufacturer would allow it. It's part of the reason why many speakers are only sold in stores and they restrict it from being sold online.
Click to expand...

I believe it was Edmond's that did an article on this a few years ago. Many dealerships do sell cars bypassing the salesman, usually for minimal profit. They don't advertise it of course, but if you call and speak to the sales manager they will order the exact car that you want for much less than MSRP. The dealership knows that other dealers are doing it and will sell to you a car cheap to boost their numbers rather than have you go elsewhere. Thanks to the internet bringing valuable info about the dealers actual invoice amount to the masses, you can (according to the article) get a new car without the dealer getting as much of your money.

This of course leaves alot of legwork to the buyer to find the exact car that they want and find out how much to actually offer for the car. The buyer has to take complete control of the sale and my have to call many different dealers to make it work. It's not for the timid, and it will make salesman hate you for screwing them out of a chance to screw you over.
 
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