Car dealerships are among the most deceptive and underhanded businesses in America. I work as a salesperson at a local car dealership and I have seen firsthand the filthy tactics used by car dealers to rake in extra profit at the expense of the customer. And now, finally, after years of disgusting business practices by many car dealers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed new rules to make the car buying process more simple, transparent, and fair. However, the FTC will almost certainly face stiff resistance from car dealers and manufacturers across the country, and it's time that we let the FTC know that we need to transform the car buying process to make it more fair for the consumer.

The proposed rules by the FTC will:

*Prohibit false advertising and "bait-and-switch" tactics. Dealers must honor the online advertised price, and not include discounts and rebates in advertisements that not everyone qualifies for.

*Put a stop to "dealer add-ons". This is perhaps the most brazen and widespread scam that car dealers engage in. A dealer add-on is an accessory or other item added to the price of the car and not disclosed to the customer until the end of the transaction, if disclosure even happens at all. These add-ons have some of the highest profit margins of any product sold at the dealership and are not optional in most cases. At the dealership I work at, we add nearly $1,300 to the price of every vehicle that's not included in any advertised price. The dealership's cost on these products is a couple hundred dollars.

*Require disclosure of all vehicle financing costs and terms. I know from my experience as a car salesperson that the whole idea is to add extra products such as GAP insurance, an extended warranty, protection packages, etc. without the customer's knowledge or consent, then go through the paperwork as quickly as possible and hope the customer doesn't notice. This is one of the most profitable tactics used by car dealers, and by far the most costly to customers. Nearly all of the time, the customer doesn't see price or payments without these products and management will go out of their way to make sure the cheaper terms are not disclosed. 

Everyone deserves a transparent and fair car buying experience. Gone should be the days of junk fees, bogus add-ons, and finance tricks. It's time we all sign on and let the FTC know what a widespread problem that this actually is and urge them to end it. These horrendous tactics often target the elderly and younger buyers, and anyone less capable of understanding the complex process of finance documents and contract law. It's time we end the discrimination, transform the car business, and make car buying a straightforward and easy process for everyone. Signing this petition and getting the desired results from the FTC will make car buying easy and transparent like it never has been before! Share this petition with anyone who's ever bought a car from a dealership!

The full text of the proposed rules can be read here: https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/P204800%20Auto%20Rule%20NPRM.pdf