INDIANAPOLIS — “No bartering, no bargaining, no blustery backroom brainstorming,” that’s how longtime WRTV reporter Derrik Thomas described Saturn’s no-dicker sticker pricing in a report filed 30 years ago this week.
Thomas visited Saturn of Indianapolis where customers were greeted by a nearly empty lot. The dealership struggled to keep up with demand selling nearly 14 cars a day to Hoosiers hungry for a fair price.
One of those customers was Sharon Armstrong, who was looking to replace her car that had more than 100,000 miles on it.
“I’ve had problems with salesmen raising up the rates because I am a woman,” Armstrong said. ”I can come here and see the prices [and pay] whatever it says on the door.”
“They can clearly make their own decision based on the facts and not changing numbers,” said a Saturn of Indianapolis employee. “Our numbers never change.”
The no-haggle sales tactic didn’t sit well with more traditional car dealerships like O’Brien Toyota.
“I still think the customer wants to make sure they’re getting the most car they can for their money, and paying the least amount of money for it,” said an O’Brien employee. “Negotiating is part of buying cars and I think it always will be. I think the no-dicker sticker is just a fad that will come and go pretty quickly.”
