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Stewart contends all car dealerships are advertising prices for which a buyer can not actually buy that vehicle, due to hidden fees and added dealer profits that are not shown in ads.
Stewart's Open Letter to DeSantis:
"Dear Governor DeSantis,
You probably don’t know me, but I’m a native Floridian, born in Ft. Lauderdale in 1940. I’ve owned and operated Earl Stewart Toyota in North Palm Beach since 1975, after beginning in the car business as a Pontiac dealer in 1968. For about the last 20 years I’ve evolved into a consumer advocate for car-buyers, advising them how to buy a car in Florida without getting ripped off.
I became a consumer advocate for car-buyers because I came to realize that my chosen profession as a car dealer was regarded by the public as the most dishonest and unethical of all other professions. Governor, did you know that the Gallup Annual Poll on Honesty and Ethics in Professions has ranked car dealers at the bottom or next to the bottom for the past 48 years? The honesty and ethics of car dealers in our state, Florida, is the worst of all 50 states. Florida is the beast; South Florida is the “belly of the beast”.
Governor DeSantis, I challenge you to find one price advertisement for a new vehicle in Florida that is honest. In other words, one that allows you to buy the car for the ad price (excluding only the government fees of sales tax and license plate). If you can do this, I’ll write an apology to you and the car dealers that advertised those prices.
Only car dealers are allowed by Florida’s regulators to get away with this. All other retailers comply with Florida laws to advertise real prices without hidden fees or extra, undisclosed options. The two largest retailers in World, Walmart and Amazon comply. Check Florida Statute 501, section 976, actionable, unfair, or deceptive acts or practices and you’ll confirm that virtually all Florida car dealer price advertisements are illegal. They’re illegal, not only by Florida law but federal law, the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission prohibits any fine print that will serve to increase the advertised price.
Your Attorney General, Ashley Moody, should be acting against all car dealers violating Florida and federal laws. Other AGs in many other states are acting, including against Florida car dealers. Why do Floridians need to rely on an Attorney General from Arizona to discipline Ed Napleton, a Florida car dealer?
By the way, Governor, I’m a realist and pragmatist. I understand how politics work and I know what it takes to get elected. I have my problems with politics and politicians, but our system is the greatest on the Planet and every day I’m thankful to be an American. I think you’re missing a huge opportunity by not coming down on dishonest, unethical car dealers. Most voters’ own cars and must do business with car dealers regularly. Most voters also fear and/or despise their experience…” I’d rather have a root canal than buy a car”. If you became a champion for the car buyers of Florida and the nation, you’d garner a lot of admiration and thanks, maybe resulting in the casting of their votes for you for he next President of the United States."
Stewart's Open Letter to DeSantis:
"Dear Governor DeSantis,
You probably don’t know me, but I’m a native Floridian, born in Ft. Lauderdale in 1940. I’ve owned and operated Earl Stewart Toyota in North Palm Beach since 1975, after beginning in the car business as a Pontiac dealer in 1968. For about the last 20 years I’ve evolved into a consumer advocate for car-buyers, advising them how to buy a car in Florida without getting ripped off.
I became a consumer advocate for car-buyers because I came to realize that my chosen profession as a car dealer was regarded by the public as the most dishonest and unethical of all other professions. Governor, did you know that the Gallup Annual Poll on Honesty and Ethics in Professions has ranked car dealers at the bottom or next to the bottom for the past 48 years? The honesty and ethics of car dealers in our state, Florida, is the worst of all 50 states. Florida is the beast; South Florida is the “belly of the beast”.
Governor DeSantis, I challenge you to find one price advertisement for a new vehicle in Florida that is honest. In other words, one that allows you to buy the car for the ad price (excluding only the government fees of sales tax and license plate). If you can do this, I’ll write an apology to you and the car dealers that advertised those prices.
Only car dealers are allowed by Florida’s regulators to get away with this. All other retailers comply with Florida laws to advertise real prices without hidden fees or extra, undisclosed options. The two largest retailers in World, Walmart and Amazon comply. Check Florida Statute 501, section 976, actionable, unfair, or deceptive acts or practices and you’ll confirm that virtually all Florida car dealer price advertisements are illegal. They’re illegal, not only by Florida law but federal law, the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission prohibits any fine print that will serve to increase the advertised price.
Your Attorney General, Ashley Moody, should be acting against all car dealers violating Florida and federal laws. Other AGs in many other states are acting, including against Florida car dealers. Why do Floridians need to rely on an Attorney General from Arizona to discipline Ed Napleton, a Florida car dealer?
By the way, Governor, I’m a realist and pragmatist. I understand how politics work and I know what it takes to get elected. I have my problems with politics and politicians, but our system is the greatest on the Planet and every day I’m thankful to be an American. I think you’re missing a huge opportunity by not coming down on dishonest, unethical car dealers. Most voters’ own cars and must do business with car dealers regularly. Most voters also fear and/or despise their experience…” I’d rather have a root canal than buy a car”. If you became a champion for the car buyers of Florida and the nation, you’d garner a lot of admiration and thanks, maybe resulting in the casting of their votes for you for he next President of the United States."
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