Originally Posted by
tgmcmonigle
Deny it all you want, it's the exact same thing. The dealer that you test drive at first has cost associated with that as well. It's not ethics, it's business. A lot of your on-line retailers have brick and mortar presences as well. Lots of Amazon retailers are shops that have branched out into the on-line world and increased their sales.
The fact that you can't grasp this shows the level of your hypocrisy. It seems that you have bought into the "group-think" that poor businessmen have been perpetuating since public access to the internet has been allowed. That's okay, as it's your money to spend, just don't criticize people who are more discerning with their money.
If you go to two or more dealerships I see nothing wrong with letting each one know that you are comparing multiple opportunities, then ask for each one's best price so they know you are not trying to play them off of one another.
I typically do this process by email with the dealership's internet sales manager so that no salesperson on commission spends time on me that they don't get a commission for.
Likewise if I'm going to comparison shop online bike parts vs a brick and mortar store I'm going to tell the salesperson there exactly what I'm doing, that I'd love to support the LBS but not at a huge price premium.
I wouldn't pay more than a 10-15% premium just to support the LBS and also not if that percentage amounts to more than $20 extra or so.