Dealerships or No dealerships? POLL

[TonyaE]

I’ve been thinking about do we really want the dealership model to go away, hear me out before you chop off my head. I know right now it’s a seller’s market, but not forever?


Pros of dealerships:
More options for the customer.
Built relationships with local dealers, better deals?
In normal times, may save you money

Cons of no dealerships:
Flat pricing ( no room for negotiation) we all pay the same
Less choices for service?
Less 1:1 interactions, more chatting online?

I go back and forth on whether getting rid of dealerships is the right idea. If dealerships should be restructured, how? What do you think?

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[MrRossKeys]

Isn't there a way for you to make this an actual poll with votes tabulated?

My answer: C

Make it like the Apple retail experience. We can buy devices from multiple retailers, online and brick-and-mortar. The Apple Store is a place for community. You can buy, sell, and learn about Apple products and get support.

Dealerships should be like that. You can buy, sell, learn, and get support... but the vehicles come from the mothership and can be sold online or in-person with no difference in cost.

Dealerships should be an extension of the brand and not separate franchises.

 

[TonyaE]

Isn't there a way for you to make this an actual poll with votes tabulated?

My answer: C

Make it like the Apple retail experience. We can buy devices from multiple retailers, online and brick-and-mortar. The Apple Store is a place for community. You can buy, sell, and learn about Apple products and get support.

Dealerships should be like that. You can buy, sell, learn, and get support... but the vehicles come from the mothership and can be sold online or in-person with no difference in cost.

Dealerships should be an extension of the brand and not separate franchises.

I thought it was? This is my first poll. I may need some assistance.

 

[TonyaE]

Isn't there a way for you to make this an actual poll with votes tabulated?

My answer: C

Make it like the Apple retail experience. We can buy devices from multiple retailers, online and brick-and-mortar. The Apple Store is a place for community. You can buy, sell, and learn about Apple products and get support.

Dealerships should be like that. You can buy, sell, learn, and get support... but the vehicles come from the mothership and can be sold online or in-person with no difference in cost.

Dealerships should be an extension of the brand and not separate franchises.

Fixed. I think

 

[TonyaE]

Isn't there a way for you to make this an actual poll with votes tabulated?

My answer: C

Make it like the Apple retail experience. We can buy devices from multiple retailers, online and brick-and-mortar. The Apple Store is a place for community. You can buy, sell, and learn about Apple products and get support.

Interesting, we don’t have that here. Are stores different as far as deals?

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I live in a place where there's no more than one dealer per brand, so the idea that there are "more options for the customer" isn't true (here).

I'm not convinced that the legally-protected monopoly that dealers have helps customers save money. In my region, every dealer adds ADM to almost every vehicle. They stock a far smaller selection. Special ordering from many of the dealers is as much of an ordeal as it has been with the Mustang. And the dealers recently banded together to lobby the City Council to spend taxpayer money to pay the dealer markup (as a "rebate") so customers would stay in town. People who can still travel several hours away to try to find better shopping experiences. What they don't pay in cash on the local dealer's ADM, they pay in time and travel expenses.

The turnover rate of salespeople is so high that I've never had any relationship building with the dealer.

I don't think the loss of dealers would create fewer choices for service. In fact, I would expect that service options would grow because the legally-protected monopoly that dealers have stifles small service centers from having a chance.

I think it's a positive not to have to waste my time with a salesperson, so fewer 1-on-1 interactions is better for me.

For my shopping experience, I cannot think of any negative to not having dealers.

That said, I voted "C" because I would prefer choices be available. Some people actually like dealers and I wouldn't want to stop them from having that choice. I would personally prefer to never have to interact with another dealer.

 

[Electric Goat]

The dealership purchase experience was OK. The dealership service experience was terrible. My service advisor lied to my face multiple times about various things just because she was busy or didn't know the answer so perhaps she thought it was in her best interest to make things up. Nothing changed until the Ford people on here got involved. Thank you Ford social media crew.

My vote is let them die

 

[TonyaE]

I voted for C.
I like the online ordering. Quick and easy buying process. Possibly having the car delivered to your home.
Dealerships for service and test drives.

 

[MrRossKeys]

The dealership purchase experience was OK. The dealership service experience was terrible. My service advisor lied to my face multiple times about various things just because she was busy or didn't know the answer so perhaps she thought it was in her best interest to make things up. Nothing changed until the Ford people on here got involved. Thank you Ford social media crew.

My vote is let them die

This was my experience also. Decent dealer experience, terrible service experience so far.

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