Vashta.Nerada

That makes sense, though I would pick Mondays instead. People shop on the weekend.

Not picking on Vashta, as there were several others who expressed the same idea, that it seems to make more sense to be open on a day that people like to shop.

But not car dealers. Car sales are based on a model. Once the customer walks in the door, you do all you can to keep them from walking out the door without making a purchase. They don’t want you to get a quote and take it to another dealer, and other dealers don’t like you walking in with someone else’s quote. Salesmen create a sense of urgency using a bagful of tricks. Very popular is the “One Day Sale”, in which the salesman lets you know, just because he likes you and wants to help, that his manager needs to unload inventory, today, to make room for a shipment coming in in the morning. This creates the illusion that, a)the manager is very motivated and the price they’re offering is a steal, and b)that same price won’t be available tomorrow. They set up dealership hours to make it difficult for customers to go elsewhere to check prices, and still make it back when they realize what an awesome deal* they passed up.
*(the awesome deal is rarely a deal, but sometimes awesome in other ways – like audacity)

Badger40

But for car dealers, let them get together & police each other.

Hoo boy. That may sound reasonable to most, but where I’m from it would be greeted by laughter. The fault doesn’t lie with Badger40, but with the idea that car dealerships are ordinary honest businesses that follow basic rules of decency.

Periodically a new dealership opens in the Detroit area with an owner that is either unfamiliar with the way things work, or really cocky. (Some might be motivated by a stubborn revolutionary streak, but that rarely changes the outcome.)

New dealership announces extended evening and weekend hours, and the buying public responds with enthusiasm. Sales are good, dealer is happy and making money, and the free market wins.

Except that that dealer is usually out of business very quickly. All of the profit is quickly eaten up by the cost of rising insurance rates, as the dealer is subjected to a rash of vandalism. There are headlines, people are irate, but the dealer eventually gives up and either closes their doors, or changes their hours to the “agreed” schedule.

Things are certainly better than they used to be. I remember absolute mayhem breaking out among competing dealers, with hired thugs from all sides running rampant.

Here’s a link to a Detroit News article from 2005 that gives a pretty decent overview. They mention a particular Saturday ban pact that was designed to block a union, but the motivations are usually more primitive.

Detroit News Article

I’ve heard of this same kind of thing in other states, and actually kinda thought it was common knowledge, but obviously it’s not as widespread as I’d believed. That’s actually a good thing.

Liquor stores have to close by 8 pm every night, and they must remain closed on Sunday, for instance.

Not true, Ed. Depends on local law, but most (if not all) liquor stores are open until 10pm on Friday and Saturday, and in the past couple of years some locales are letting them stay open till 10pm Mon-Sat.

Still, it’s annoying that you can’t pick up a sixer for the game on Sunday, or after 8pm during the week in most cities. Also, only non-alcholic or 3.2 beer in grocery stores.

Control the customers because we can’t control ourselves.

What a bunch of wimps.

MayBee on December 9, 2008 at 11:38 AM

Sorry for the delay. DADA got in trouble with the FTC for an agreement to reduce operating hours.

They now offer guidance to their members on how to stay clear of the FTC prohibitions.

I hate when people go to church on Sunday then immediately go out to eat or shopping. It’s crappy.

It reminds me of a story that gets passed around in my church about one of our leaders (I have no idea whether or not it’s true). He ran low on gas on a Sunday and stopped in to get a fill up. While the guy was pumping his gas, the leader said, “Brother, it’s a shame you’ve got to work on the Sabbath.” The gas station attendant replied, “Sir, if gentlemen like you would remember to fill your cars on Saturday, I wouldn’t have to be at work on Sunday to pump your gas.”

When I was in NYC, they modified the liquor store blue laws because many Jewish retailers argued that being forced to be closed on Sunday meant they either had to be open on their own Sabbath or lose out on two days instead of just one. The city switched the law so that every liquor store has to pick a day that their store is closed, but the city no longer mandates which day it has to be.

At this point, I’m not sure what point the blue laws serve since there is always at least 1 liquor store in an area open each day. Seems like the government ought to get out of mandating business hours altogether.

2nd Runner Up: A car dealer

’nuff said.

As for labeling it a “green initiative” that would probably work. Idiots out here would heat their homes with coal-fired nuclear whale blubber if you tell them it is “green.”

On topic, Oregon car dealers closing on Sunday would help one stricken car dealership group the most: SW Washington state car dealers. Because we have no sales tax, people come down to Oregon and use friends and relatives addresses to avoid paying sales tax on car purchases. Closing on Sunday may encourage some of those Washington folks to pay sales tax for the convenience of shopping on Sunday :) .

Why only car dealers? Why not all retail? Make WalMart shut down on Sunday; restaurants too.

No sunday pizza delivery? Oh no!

Skandia Recluse on December 9, 2008 at 10:25 AM

I think blue laws are silly-living in East TX years ago, everyone just went across the county line for booze (not only a Blue county, but a dry one, too).
In Bismarck ND Hobby Lobby is closed on Sunday so their employees “can enjoy a day off with their families”.
I don’t think this should be mandated, but I think it’s wonderful when places do this. I in turn try to frequent them more often bcs of their respect to their employees.
I hate when people go to church on Sunday then immediately go out to eat or shopping. It’s crappy.

But for car dealers, let them get together & police each other.
I would think the OR legislature has better things to do. Like voting on how to kill unwanted & sick people.

Nationalization of capitalist businesses – its the new fad coming to a town near you!

This is good for hyper-liberal Oregon anyway, in fact they should get rid of all car dealerships in the state to save the environment.

Although if they were in Illinois I imagine giving the Governor an Escalade every year might get it passed.

Buford on December 9, 2008 at 11:57 AM

Jasper Jeep just filed for bankruptcy…

Best thing to do is buy a 2 year old car with warranty left from a private party and let that sucker take the 35% depreciation hit.

angryed on December 9, 2008 at 10:24 AM

Good advice…
Really though, does anyone really care about a used car salesman?
They will be closed on Sunday, and open late on Monday…the only cool thing, is that you get to look at cars without being hassled.

I remember a dealership saying they will price the car at a drop down low price, no haggling.
They lasted for about 6 months. The car dealer said it was the strangest thing…People would rather pay a higher price, but negotiate, then to pay a lower sticker price and not negotiate.
The buying public has a pattern, don’t interrupt that pattern.

right2bright on December 9, 2008 at 10:19 AM

Then they weren’t doing it right, or people weren’t convinced they were offering the “lowest price.” Jasper Jeep north of Atlanta sells more jeeps than anyone else in the country because they truly offer the lowest price with no haggling. People come from all over the Southeast in order to buy from them. Both because they know they will get the lowest price and because they know they won’t have to go through the process of trying to talk the price down. This concept does work, but the customer has to be convinced that you really are putting the lowest price on the car.

Or…they can all continue to play the prisoner’s dilemma and lose out.

Oddly enough, it’s called free enterprise.

I know Detroit dealers are closed on Sunday.

I am re-reading Atlas Shrugged right now. Can the “anti-dog-eat-dog” rule be far behind?