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Car dealer unfair price advertising.

I'm curious about the way car dealers in MA advertise a very good price but then they never seem to have the car at that price when you go to the lot to look. How can that be legal? That has to be an unfair and deceptive act. No?

Deceptive advertising?

Yes, the advertised bargains at car dealers never seem to last very long.  However, advertising the low price is legal as long as the dealer has clearly identified the vehicle in the ad and not misrepresented whether the car is actually available at that price.  Typically, if you look through the advertisements in the paper, you will see an asterisk next to the price.  The advertisement will then state that the price is for a specific car, identified by stock number.  If the price is good then, not surprisingly, the car does not last.  Is the dealer hoping the ad will get a bunch of people through the door who, when told the car is not longer available, will look at other cars on the lot?  Yes.  However, that marketing strategy is not illegal.  For more information about unfair and deceptive practices in general, visit our Massachusetts Consumer Law Discussion Forum.

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