thank you, lawmakers.

[crinkles]

thanks to them you can no longer do comparative car price shopping online. it's called component pricing and they can't advertise a price if it is not the final price you'll pay.

it used to be that you could see the RRP's and work out the other charges on your own. now, you're flying blind and need to send in for a quote if you want to know the price of a car... dumb dumb dumb.

http://www.aar.com.au/pubs/comp/focompmay09.htm

"Industry specific issues: ACCC-issued guidelines
Motor vehicle industry

A common advertising technique that motor vehicle manufacturers and retailers use is to indicate a particular price for a motor vehicle and include in a disclaimer 'plus dealer delivery and statutory charges'. This form of advertising will no longer be acceptable under s53C, according to the ACCC's Pricing manual for the motor vehicle industry. Even where the component prices ' for example, the amount of stamp duty or registration payable ' are specified, unless a total price incorporating all component prices that a consumer will need to pay to acquire the particular motor vehicle is displayed as prominently as any other price, the ACCC's view is that the advertisement is likely to breach s53C. The ACCC pricing manual also indicates that 'dealer delivery' charges are not considered to be 'sending' charges exempted under s53C(2). The fact that dealer delivery and statutory charges may vary from region to region must also be taken into account when calculating the single total price."

 

[CivicFan]

What's wrong with knowing what the exact price of the car is?

 

[eljefino]

Do your dealers charge an extra, unadvertised $375 to print out a one page bill of sale so you can register the thing?

 

[RacerE7773]

That's probably next.

 

[mechtech2]

Are you trying to tell us that occasionally you get a lawmaker as silly as our current horde??

 

[Tempest]

I think Oz has it worse than we do in that regard. Hard as it is to believe.

 

[crinkles]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan
What's wrong with knowing what the exact price of the car is?


nothing, it is great! the problem is, as per my OP, you can no longer do comparative price shopping online but have to ask for a quote. Therefore, they're pricing system is so obscure, that they can't publish a price because of all the bits they tag onto the end. They can't play straight with us... so you have to write them to ask for a quote.

 

[CivicFan]

So it's not the law that's a problem but it's the way the dealers operate/set their prices that's the problem? In that case, your fury is misguided at best.

 

[crinkles]

everyone knows the advertised prices are RRP only and that things go on top of that...

now there are no RRP's available because of the law.

 

[Shannow]

They'll adapt.

What they are worried about at the moment is that a consumer in (let's say Bathurst) will know that he can get a car cheaper in Sydney, and goes there...old way, they gave a price "plus on road extras", which varied dealer to dealer.

So they make it look like the law is stopping them from voluntarily posting prices, and you have to ask for a quote, knowing that you'll ask for one or two.

When their sales are down because people can't be bothered, they will start showing their prices, the regional dealers will get cheaper cars, or more bonus vehicles to sell, and the world will start working again.

The dealers and manufacturers are playing this to maximum advantage at present.