Tom Austin(These comments are my personal opinion and are not an attempt to depict any Gartner position or consensus.)
This is such a positive move if it opens the door to something far more intelligent than the stupid haggling that most auto dealers put people through.
With gm.ebay.com, you can make an offer on-line and not have to put up with the "OK but … uh, now I gotta take this deal to my manager and see if he will approve it" nonsense. Or will you?
Let’s see how this really operates. If it brings transparency, efficiency and professionalism — and GM and its dealers stick with it for the long run — then this is likely a great move.
Will eBay post all transaction information (buyer anonymized) so the world can see the results of the process and the cost (and frustration) of the process can drop?
What about ratings by buyers of dealers? And of buyers by dealers? How transparent is that going to be?
The US auto industry needs to make its own breaks. This could be one, if they handle it correctly…
Personal notes: The purchase process for the last two new cars I bought (in 2002 and 2006) was a pleasure! I bought them from a dealer who posted significant discounts right on the windshields of the cars so you’d know what they were going to sell for. Both were in-demand autos (a 2003 Ford Mustang GT Convertible and a 2007 of same) and the dealer was selling them, haggle free, at 13% off list. The sad news is that the dealership has since changed hands and the new owner insists on stupid sales tricks. The good news is I’ve moved to a new state so I won’t have to deal with them…
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