IP: internet car sales

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> From an IPer


My parents(they live in Texas) just bought a new car using Auto-By-Tel and
really enjoyed it..they'd never go back to the old way.


(below from Edupage)
INTERNET CAR SALES ERODE TRADITIONAL MARKET
Car dealers are finding out they have more to worry about than just the
super car lotsthat are popping up around the country.  Chrysler is
predicting that within four years, 25% of its sales will be online, up from
1.5% last year, meaning that the local dealer is going to face some stiff
competition from dealers across the country, as savvy buyers use online
resources to comparison shop beyond traditional geographic boundaries.
"There will be significantly fewer dealers than today, with larger
territories and higher sales per dealer," says a spokesman for the Boston
Consulting Group.  California-based Auto-By-Tel has already signed up 1,600
dealers across the country who pay up to $4,000 a month for their
information to be listed on the company's Web site.  The referral service
typically brings a 30% rise in sales, all at the expense of non-Auto-By-Tel
dealers.  (The Economist 8 Mar 97)