Categories 4 Wheels

“You Should Bring Your Husband Back” Is Not The Way To Sell A Car

RusFlipsWhips offers car-buying tips to consumers, all with a touch of humor.

But this TikTok clip, although funny, hits home for many women as shown in the comments. The “bring your husband back” narrative is still alive and well, but we wish car dealers would put it to rest. 

@russflipswhips

Women influence over 80% of car purchases in 2023 and its more common for them to be the top income earner in the house, so you better treat them with respect if you wanna do well in sales! #carsales #cardealership #carbuying #carsalesman

♬ original sound – RussFlipsWhips

According to CBT News, women make 80% of all car-buying decisions. Car salespeople everywhere should note that women buy 62% of cars and spend 30% more on them than men. 

With statistics like these, auto salespeople should be rolling out the red carpet. Instead, many choose to make women feel like second-rate citizens. 

As a woman, I’ve had my share of experiences like the one depicted in the RussFlipWhips TikTok video. In 2019, I was in the market for a new car and settled on a Honda Accord. I arrived at the dealer where I test-drove the car, fell in love, and uttered the words every salesperson dreams of hearing, ‘I’ll take it.’ 

The salesperson responded, “Great, will you bring your husband back?”

I remember the pain of my jaw hitting the floor. It was at this point that I walked out of the dealership, never to buy a Honda again. I wound up with a Ford Fusion, a no-hassle experience that resulted in me acquiring a car for a better price with more standard features. 

While women’s lack of equal treatment is not a brand problem, it is up to the brands to ensure salespeople treat everyone equally. Even in 2024, there are many reports of women facing inappropriate treatment at dealerships. 

Data reinforces the negative stereotypes.

While many women experience these stereotypes, they affect more than egos. They can also hit the pocketbook very hard. 

Research by a pair of Chicago-based economists revealed a disturbing pattern of gender discrimination at car dealerships. Their study found that salespeople consistently quoted higher prices to prospective female buyers compared to male counterparts, despite the women being equally informed and following identical negotiation approaches as the men. 

This blatant price discrepancy exposes an unsettling bias, where women face unfair disadvantages when undertaking major purchases, even when equipped with the same knowledge and strategies as men.

It also revealed that women paid higher auto loan interest rates than men.

Another study found that companies applied a “pink tax” markup to products specifically marketed to women. This tax could add 1% to 39.4% to the cost of the product. In a concerning twist, this tax was often lower in areas where women had higher education levels. This would make cars even less affordable to the middle class than they already are.

We wonder if this means cars like the Volvo Concept car for women would have been higher priced just because it was made for us?

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