Long story short: car dealers want to sell the car above sticker price and will do everything they can to get you to buy it at that price. Also, use websites about invoice prices to know where the upper bound is and negotiate over the phone. Apparently, car dealers hate the "internet" so car buyer should love it.
I agree, it is a long story. But it's the details that really make the story of going undercover as a car salesman what it is. For instance, a salesman might ask a prospect the price they're willing to pay every month. After the prospect comes up with a number ("uh, $300"), the buyer says, "Up to?" ("Well, up to $350."). It's all about the insidious little details.
Furthermore, the concepts here can be applied to protect oneself against rent-seekers in general, including salesmen of all kinds, lobbyists, marketers, and some VCs. It's a three-hour read, but I found it was worth it.
I really enjoyed this article. Yes it's long, but too many of the articles posted here are too short (really, too lacking in content). This isn't another flashy title with three paragraphs behind it.
