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87% of Consumers Dislike Dealership Experience, Survey Finds

Conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of online retailer Beepi, the study revealed an apparent distrust and negative opinion of car dealerships among consumers polled. In the survey’s findings, 61% of respondents felt like they were taken advantage of at some point in the dealership.

by Staff
July 21, 2016
2 min to read


LOS ALTOS, Calif. — Beepi Inc., an online marketplace to buy and sell cars, released results of a study that looked at consumer perceptions of auto dealers. It found that 87% of American consumers disliked something about the process of purchasing a vehicle at a traditional car dealership.

"The stereotypical used-car dealer is a caricature Americans have had to deal with for far too long," said Alex Lloyd, Beepi's senior automotive editor. "People don't want to waste their weekends and be upsold when there is an easier, more transparent way to do things. This study helps us better understand what people want, so we can continue to improve the experience of buying, selling and leasing cars."

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The survey found that there was an apparent distrust and negative opinion of car dealerships among its respondents. In the survey’s findings, 61% of respondents felt like they were taken advantage of at some point in the dealership.

Millennials expressed their disdain for the dealership experience, respondents indicating they would rather clean their homes, wait in line at the DMV or do their taxes instead of visiting a dealership. Nearly a quarter of Gen X respondents, ages 35-44, said they would rather get a root canal than negotiate with a car dealer.

Sixty-two percent of Millennial women and 52% of Millennial men said they feel pressured by dealership salespeople to buy something right away. Fifty-four percent of respondents reported that they would love the ability to buy or sell a car without ever leaving their home. About 42% said they would be comfortable buying a car online if they were offered an assurance of quality, like a money-back guarantee.

The survey was conducted online by Harris Poll from April 25-27 and includes responses from 2,135 adults ages 18 and older.

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