No sticker prices on used cars on dealer lots why?????

[Ontariodriver]

Rant...Moan and winged and stamping of my feet. 

Another thing that bugs me. Why don't dealers put prices on their cars. I been to so many dealer lots and there is not a single price on their cars. Why whats up with that?

I think it is to screw people over. You can quote what you like with in reason. There is no price. I walk away from used car dealer lots like this. I simple won't buy and I wonder how many people must feel the same and walk.

Spoiler Alert......Country phoebes keep out.

Oh dear warning I going to mention the UK.....Quick leave now if your offended.

Where I come from. Car dealers proudly display the prices in giant numbers for all and sundry to see. So why don't they do it here. I can only think it is to screw over the ill inform. Because it seems very dumb. If I had a car lot. I'd have giant price all over the cars I'd want people to know I have the greatest prices and the cheapest cars in town.

/Rant over phew I feel better. 

[Cord]

I walk away from used car dealer lots like this. I simple won't buy and I wonder how many people must feel the same and walk.

Obviously not many or these used car dealers wouldn't continue to do it.

[initial_D]

... change on fly!

[Thinking Out Loud]

What I don't get are used car ads that leave out such critical information as colour and km's, but include such information as "PB" and "PS".  What cars come without power brakes and power steering?  

Colour is normally a preference people want to know, and I assume no km information = 'over the average', likely justifying the cheap price they are advertising.

Ads may cost money, but hey - when you 'use up' ad space saying "very low kms" (12 spaces) when you could have put in "35,500 km" (9 spaces), that's making some sense, or, in reality "very low kms" = bullship.

As a kid, pre-licenced, I would get the Auto Trader ~25 years ago and with that rub-off ink they used to use, stare at the single B&W photo each of the cars.  I actually got pretty good guessing the colour at one point.

[Cord]

What I don't get are used car ads that leave out such critical information as colour and km's, but include such information as "PB" and "PS".  What cars come without power brakes and power steering? 

Yes, mentioning pb and ps is pretty dumb isn't it.

And yes, it is pretty safe to make the assumption that no mention of kms means they are high.

Of course, it should be remembered that from the business's point of view, an ad is to get you to make contact with the business, not provide a catalog to help you buy elsewhere.

When placing an ad for your own car, do you think about how you can get the most response; or do you think about providing all the info necessary to help readers cross your car off their shopping list?

[Thinking Out Loud]

When placing an ad for your own car, do you think about how you can get the most response; or do you think about providing all the info necessary to help readers cross your car off their shopping list?

I get the dealer-business side of it, and I've sold privately several of my vehicles over the years.  I place an ad thinking like a consumer, and it works both ways: 

1. I don't get a phone call from people asking what the colour is 27 times a day to get a hang up cause it's "X"

2. People don't waste their time having to call to find out that it is not the colour they want, or ignore it cause it doesn't say.

The difference is in a private sale, my personal time is as valuable as the people I'm trying to attract, and I respect that. Call it a pre-qualifer system.  Call me if it floats your boat, I'll share what it's got up front.

In a business environment, your time is all about telling people that it's purple all day long, but that you have a lavender one if they prefer.  Lack of info = traffic.

I ignore the Autotrader ads that say 'Contact Owner/Dealer'.  Too little time to call in for a number to get baited into a sales pitch, too many ads that have prices and specifics on them.

[Cord]

In a business environment, your time is all about telling people that it's purple all day long, but that you have a lavender one if they prefer.  Lack of info = traffic.

That pretty much answers the original question.

[Ontariodriver]

I walk away from used car dealer lots like this. I simple won't buy and I wonder how many people must feel the same and walk.

Obviously not many or these used car dealers wouldn't continue to do it.

How do you know. Surely you want to increase sales. How many sales have car salesman missed over the years with this dirty practice. How many people drive a car until it is on its last legs afraid to go to a car lot and buy a car, if they could see the price maybe they would change thinking I can afford it. How many are bored of there car might be tempted. We can but speculate. I know there are lot of people just like me who simply won't shop because of the is no price policy. Nobody wants to shop in a store with no prices. If Walmart adopted that practice nobody would shop. I think it all about car dealers not being honest. Because if they were. They would put there prices and would have no need to be sneaky and make up prices base on how foolish people are, within reason. I think we have to change this practice. I'm going start to write to as many people who will listen and see if I can make a change in this practice of no pricing on cars.

If anybody else wants to join me and change this practice of no prices on cars please start sending emails out to anyone who will listen. We need to make a stand here and together we can do it.   

[Cord]

How do you know.

Because I have some understanding of how small businesses work. Everything they do is about increasing business. Competition demands it. While any business has a certain amount of inertia, individual small businesses like used car lots can change pretty quickly. It seems like a lot of people presume that all businesses operate in the same monolithic, slow moving manner as the typical government agency. How do you know that a particular store will increase its business by doing what you want?

First of all, your "issue" is flawed right from the start. It simply is not the case that every used car dealer never displays prices. The dealership I work at has prices on every used vehicle. And I highly doubt that every store in your area does that either. Some do and some don't. If nobody ever bought from the places with no prices they would disappear pretty quickly wouldn't they? But instead, these places seem to flourish. It would seem a pretty simple fix to the "problem" if you and all the other people similarlay affected just bought from the places that price their vehicles. Oh sure, it might be a little inconvenient and a little effort might have to put in, but if the issue is important enough that shouldn't be a problem.

[initial_D]

Makes no difference to me if there is price sticker or not on a used car lot, it is not like I am walking into a Dollar Store. I won't walk out with a new purchase on the first visit, there will be research and research before I start to show an interest to buy. I am sure there are lotsa people shop for cars that way.

For those that are attracted by a price stick when shopping for a used vehicle, good luck! Will need it 

[toolatecrew]

I agree with Cord. Dealers (some not all) do this becuase they are sucessful doing it. I agree its not convienient but they do not care. There may be some people who will not shop there becuase of it but its esentially impossible to measure "lost sales" becuase of it. It is possible for them to measure the average transaction price of sales made when there is a stickker vs none. A price sticker is nothing more than a first offer by the seller.

If you put a sticker on and someone comes onto the lot and  sees 20 K figures "too high" and walks away you've lost any chance of selling that customer ANYTHING.
If you put no sticker a customer sees a car they like and they have to come into the showroom to ask the price now you have an interested prospect. If you say 20 K and they say too high you can counter. They have already shown interest in the car. If they say "too high" you have an opportunity to say "What price range did you want...we have several cars in that range lets go look"

Is it nice to be able to windowshop on a sunday and see prices? Sure but with today's technology if I saw a car I wanted with no price I'd call and ask or send an email. There simply is no incentive to change.

I'd say a very small % walk away. If they are interested they will ask.

[Ontariodriver]

How do you know.

Because I have some understanding of how small businesses work.

I'm pretty sure your right on this one. You're in the business and it would be foolish of me to say your wrong. But I going keep writing to as many people as possible and try to get this practice change. Dealers who put prices on cars are in minority. I think dealer should be putting prices on there cars and be transparent. To me it strikes as being dishonest and not being 100% up front although I have no proof and probably one of the many reason why people Feel uneasy with dealerships.   

[Cord]

I'm curious, who do you plan to write too?

[safristi]

..Larry & Moe...................

[Ontariodriver]

I'm curious, who do you plan to write too?

So far all I can think of is Market Place, Ministry of consumer protection, UCDA <--there more perhaps. My local MP. I got some spare time tomorrow to come up with a rational form letter. 

[airbalancer]

While you at it, tell them I want to pricing for houses on the for sale signs

[Cord]

I'm curious, who do you plan to write too?

So far all I can think of is Market Place, Ministry of consumer protection, UCDA <--there more perhaps. My local MP. I got some spare time tomorrow to come up with a rational form letter. 

I thought you were going to call all the businesses that you've walked out of to tell them why you cannot buy from them. But if you get any traction with your MP, put in word about Sears for me. I went to buy a Shop Vac last week and had to ask for the price because they were not labelled. How do I know that the price I was quoted was the government approved price or was just a number that Sears came up with on that day? The clerk was nice enough to tell me it would be on sale in a few days, but refused to sell it for that sale price. Surely my rights as a consumer have been trampled somewhere in there. I ask you to check with your MP for me because at the time I just drove down the street and bought one from Canadian Tire so I'm really not that motivated to do it myself.

[Ontariodriver]

LOL. You are so cynical. I'm sure my sending out letters will get me no where but I will feel I made an effort and that all that counts and it will be off my chest. 

[toolatecrew]

LOL. You are so cynical. I'm sure my sending out letters will get me no where but I will feel I made an effort and that all that counts and it will be off my chest. 

Not cynical just realistic.

I will give you props becuase at least you are going to do something (even if we all know it will have no effect). Its easy to whine. It takes effort to do something ..anything about the issue (even if its futile)

MPs or anyone else can and will do nothing. There is no law that requires pricing on used goods ...any used goods that I can see. Want to put a for sale sign on a used car in front of your house with no price? Go ahead. Used lawn mower? No problem. Want to have a yatd sale where people ask what you'll take for every item and then bargin? Knock your socks off. You have no "right" to asking price discolsue. Its not even an issue of transparency. Since people are free to take less than the price they list on a paper on a car, are free to add additonal fees...heck they are free to say yes the sign says 20K but I've already had 5 people ask so I won't take less than 25.

It boils down to nothing more than your own personal preference  regarding prices on cars. There is no legal precedent anyways to base an issue on. I can't tell you the way fou FEEL is wrong. I can say that that's essentially all it is. A personal feeling that you don't like it. You are free to vote with your pocketbook by not buying from those dealers. Anything other than that is simply killing needless trees or wasting bandwidth (if you send emails).

[hoperrs]

I think it's more common than the dealers realize.  I've always ignored those who do not list prices.