Imagine yourself doing your weekly grocery shopping. You're in the fruits and vegetables section, and you stop in front of the red grapes to see how much they cost. They're on sale this week at $2.14 a kilogram. Under the price, however, there is a paragraph that's so small you need a magnifying glass to read:
"Weight calculation includes branches. Administration fees not included. Customs fees not included. Fees for placing items on the stands not included. Seedless grapes are extra. Bag not included. Taxes not included. The number of grapes in each bag, in each bunch, or both, can vary. This grocery store is not responsible for damaged or rotten grapes in the bunch that could be hidden by other grapes. This offer is for a limited time and is subject to change without notice. Cannot be combined to any other offer. See your fruit and vegetable section representative for more details."
Huh? At the cash, your kilogram of grapes ends up costing you 3 bucks.
Right before heading to the cash with your grapes, you pick up a box of cereal. On the price sticker, however, you can read this: $4.99 or 2.9% purchase financing for up to 6 months! There is also some text beneath:
"Box not included. Plastic bag not included. Sugar not included. Administration fees not included. Contract subscription fees not included. Box printing fees not included. Price negotiation with wholesalers not included. Sugar-free version of cereal is extra. The number of units in each box may vary. Taxes not included. This grocery store is not responsible for the gain in weight caused by the ingestion of this cereal. This offer is for a limited time and is subject to change without notice. Cannot be combined to any other offer. See your cereal and cookies section representative for more details."
Now, you're asking yourself how much that box would cost if you were to finance it over 6 months (84 cents a month in this case, plus all the additional fees). Again, you can't understand why that cereal is costing you $6.25 at the cash.
We wouldn't tolerate such confusion while grocery shopping, so why should we tolerate it when purchasing a car? Honestly, can't manufacturers and dealerships announce a final price or monthly payment that includes all fees, on which we would just have to add the sales tax?
"Weight calculation includes branches. Administration fees not included. Customs fees not included. Fees for placing items on the stands not included. Seedless grapes are extra. Bag not included. Taxes not included. The number of grapes in each bag, in each bunch, or both, can vary. This grocery store is not responsible for damaged or rotten grapes in the bunch that could be hidden by other grapes. This offer is for a limited time and is subject to change without notice. Cannot be combined to any other offer. See your fruit and vegetable section representative for more details."
Huh? At the cash, your kilogram of grapes ends up costing you 3 bucks.
Right before heading to the cash with your grapes, you pick up a box of cereal. On the price sticker, however, you can read this: $4.99 or 2.9% purchase financing for up to 6 months! There is also some text beneath:
"Box not included. Plastic bag not included. Sugar not included. Administration fees not included. Contract subscription fees not included. Box printing fees not included. Price negotiation with wholesalers not included. Sugar-free version of cereal is extra. The number of units in each box may vary. Taxes not included. This grocery store is not responsible for the gain in weight caused by the ingestion of this cereal. This offer is for a limited time and is subject to change without notice. Cannot be combined to any other offer. See your cereal and cookies section representative for more details."
Now, you're asking yourself how much that box would cost if you were to finance it over 6 months (84 cents a month in this case, plus all the additional fees). Again, you can't understand why that cereal is costing you $6.25 at the cash.
We wouldn't tolerate such confusion while grocery shopping, so why should we tolerate it when purchasing a car? Honestly, can't manufacturers and dealerships announce a final price or monthly payment that includes all fees, on which we would just have to add the sales tax?