I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you. Shocked to learn that dealers are ignoring Volkswagen’s now-former CEO’s strongly-worded caution for dealerships not to add additional dealer markup the already expensive ID Buzz.

Okay, well, maybe not that shocked. But it’s happening—dealerships are doubling down on Volkswagen’s egregiously-priced electric people hauler by adding markups as high as $15,000, effectively locking out consumers who were already stretched thin on their budget following the German automaker’s surprisingly high price announcement earlier this year.

  • madcaesar@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Car dealers need to go away. They are antiquated parasites. They can keep their service departments if they want, otherwise they can fuck off.

  • PonyOfWar@pawb.social
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    1 month ago

    So it’s a normal thing in the US for car dealers to add a markup? It’s pretty much the other way round here in Germany, car dealers give you a rebate on the listed price and you choose the dealership that offers you the best price.

    • Plum@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Now apply this model to basically everything, and that’s how you get to american capitalism. More is More. In More We Trust.

    • prodigalsorcerer@lemmy.ca
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      1 month ago

      That’s the same thing, but more profitable in America. Instead of trying to undercut each other, they just try to be second lowest, which results in markups instead of discounts.

        • prodigalsorcerer@lemmy.ca
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          1 month ago

          No, but it doesn’t really matter, as long as everyone is trying to be not the lowest.

          Whoever is lowest at the time will raise their price until they’re not the lowest, then repeat with the new lowest seller.

          The only losers in this race are the customers.

    • IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      It’s the same thing here. This is a new special model that’ll only be available in limited quantities of it sells as expected.

      The vast majority of models will be discounted. It’s pretty easy to find 15% off less desirable models.

    • Beacon@fedia.io
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      1 month ago

      Tesla fought for that many years ago, and that’s why in some states the company itself sells directly to consumers

  • taiyang@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    This is frustrating, as I’m getting more and more pressure from extended family for me to get a minivan for the kids to make trips to visit and junk. I refuse to get a gas powered one and in general I hate how virtually all of them look. This gave me a glimmer of hope but no, it’s already a high sticker price and a low range and now dealers are going to make it worse?

    Forget that. I’ll wait for the better batteries in a few years, I guess.

    • Yankee_Self_Loader@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      How about they come to you? If they want to see the kiddos so badly how about they make the effort rather than you having to buy a new car just so they can spend time with the babies? I understand if said family is elderly but I’d be pretty pissed if my able bodied family expected me to buy a new car for their convenience.

      • taiyang@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Weeeelllll, some are elderly, but in my dad’s case, he’s a raging alcoholic. I guess not wanting to drive when you’re always drunk is a positive. Honestly forcing him to go sober to see my kid is a good thing, lol.

        But yeah, I’m with you on this one. My sedan works just fine, it’s not like I’m taking my 2 year old to hockey practice or something.

  • bluGill@fedia.io
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    1 month ago

    This is relatively common for a new model car that is in demand charge a markup to people who cannot wait, then when those people run out lower prices. sometimes this lasts for a week sometimes for a month.

    the real question is how soon until they start making deals.

    • Mac@mander.xyz
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      1 month ago

      And sometimes on specific cars (usually enthusiast cars) the markup never goes away because the dealer knows that eventually someone will pay it.

  • MrMakabar@slrpnk.net
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    1 month ago

    Why is VW trying to force them to sell at a lower price? They could just add $15,000 to the car.

    • jonne@infosec.pub
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      1 month ago

      From what I’ve read, dealers hate electric cars because they make a lot of money off maintenance after they sold the car. Electric cars don’t require oil changes or anything like that.

    • kubica@fedia.io
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      1 month ago

      There must be some kind of marketing interest to grab popularity by selling it well.