Jalopnik Newsletter dated 7/25,16 on subject Tesla direct sales

[dgindio]

Just forwarding this on to enlighten our group about a challenge to direct sales in Utah. I find nothing wrong with the Tesla showrooms in Palm Desert, Ca. contrary to observations made in this article.

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Jalopnik · Kristen Lee
No, Tesla, You Aren’t A Special Special Snowflake
Tesla’s direct sales model versus nearly everyone else is old news. While I fully support a direct sales model, I...

 

[Boourns]

More importantly I think this impression is wrong:

Basically, this is Tesla saying that because its cars are so high-tech and advanced and wonderful, a traditional dealer that sells traditional cars is not properly equipped and/or informed enough to do it justice in order to properly pitch it to a potential buyer.

Um, no.

If you have ever shopped for a LEAF, you have probably encountered the salesman who wants to sell you just about any other Nissan before a LEAF. Some Nissan dealerships even only have one or two salesman who even sell LEAFs. This is before you even address the issue of what the salesman actually knows about the car, which is usually not much. I think Tesla's argument definitely has merit.

 

[TexasEV]

Doesn't any reporter notice that while the auto dealer cartel says they're opposed to direct sales for "consumer protection", no independent pro-consumer organization supports that position?

 

[TaoJones]

The stealership lobby saying they're looking out for consumer rights is analogous to the tobacco industry lobby saying they're looking out for the consumer's freedom of choice.

Let's see... what other commonalities come to mind... the stealership lobby promotes a product that uses a carcinogenic fuel and that bursts into flames with regularity. Tobacco industry lobbyists promote a product that is is carcinogenic and requires flame with regularity.

Hmmm.

This is the great fallacy of the GOP's mantra to "just leave it to the States". It would be nice to get this resolved at the federal level so that we could all just move on. That only took what, 4 generations or more for tobacco? And 3 generations and counting for seatbelt use?

Freedom of choice is great. Choosing to promote idiocy at the expense of others is not. Hopefully, they import some clear-headed thinking into Utah with a quickness.