[AnthonyMouse]

> The difference is that dealers at least have -some- competition. Tesla just tells you what you must pay.

So does Dell or Samsung. That doesn't mean they have no competitors.

And the carmaker is ultimately deciding what the dealer has to pay, so what's the difference except another middle man wanting a cut?

[rootusrootus]

It's pretty much the same argument you can make for any store. Why don't we do manufacturer-to-consumer sales for everything?

[AnthonyMouse]

Because avocado farmers don't want to set up a retail store selling exclusively avocados in each and every little town, they want to sell them in bulk to grocery store chains.

Manufacturer-to-consumer sales make the most sense for big ticket items and things that can be easily sold over the internet. Retail stores can make more sense for perishable goods and things you might want to inspect before purchasing and convenience purchases and things with a high ratio of shipping cost to price etc.