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TrueCar Scam on Dealerships - Transparency For ALL?

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#52
As a consumer, I use sites such as TrueCar because I am sick and tired of the manipulation received when I go direct to the dealer to buy.  I would much rather go to the dealer and strike a deal. But, when anyone attempts that we get the old sticker price starting point, "let me ask the manager", and gimmicks galore(tektor, scotch gaurd, (or other surface protections) extended warranty and on and on.
Additionally once I think I have a deal I see the $400-500 "DOC FEE" crap.
 
Want business without the PITA- Try honest advertising, honest pricing and no add-on profit centers. Advertise out the door pricing and watch the customers come back.
 

✨ AI Highlights

Dealers and industry professionals debate TrueCar's business model, focusing on how the platform uses dealership transactional data to benchmark and publicize pricing, ultimately pressuring margins while charging $300 per sold lead. A consumer commenter defends TrueCar as a necessary counterweight to dealership tactics like bait-and-switch pricing and add-on fees, illustrating the core tension: dealers see TrueCar as a profitability threat they inadvertently empowered by sharing DMS data, while consumers see it as rare protection against opaque sales practices. The key takeaway is a warning from Jeff Kershner that dealers must audit and restrict third-party DMS data access before these platforms gain further leverage.

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