MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — Walking into a car dealership can be nerve-wracking enough. Add in supply shortages leading to minimal options and long waits and you might not walk out with what you expect.
'Usually when a car carrier comes in, I'd say 90 percent are pre-sold already," Chad Mayer, Chief Operating Officer of Nick Mayer Auto said.
At Nick Mayer Auto's Mayfield Heights location, they currently have just 6 new cars on the lot. One just sold, and another is a luxury car well outside the spending limit of the average consumer.
"If supply is limited and you can't find the vehicle you're looking for, you may have to pay a higher price," Mayer said.
With limited supply, that means fewer sales, so Mayer says they've tacked on a market adjustment fee. They aren't alone. You can see these fees even in your online hunt. They can range from a few hundred dollars, to as much as $20,000 depending on the car.
Now, General Motors and Ford are calling for this practice to stop.
"They don't want dealers to take advantage of price gouging, but I don't think any dealer wants to. But at the end of the day, you've got to find a way to keep your lights on and keep your employees employed," Mayer said.
It's hard to sell cars if you don't have any in your showroom or on your lot to sell. Mayer says the extra fees are keeping him in business.
His suggestion to buyers is focus on cars that are more available and order it months before you actually plan to drive it.
"Our Ford Escapes and EcoSports, we don't have to worry about those as much, a limited vehicle right now like a Ford Explorer, F-150, Super Dutys, mustangs, those are very limited where we may only see one every three or four months," Mayer said.
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