Free dealer tool

Where does your dealership stand on FTC pricing?

A free, 2-minute self-check. Answer 13 questions and see how your store lines up with the six pricing practices the FTC cited when it warned 97 dealer groups in 2026 — with links to the official sources so you can read the rules yourself.

Runs in your browser. Educational only — not legal advice.

1. Advertised price = price paid

The FTC’s core expectation: the price you advertise is the total a shopper will actually pay (minus only government taxes and registration).

Your advertised online prices include every mandatory fee — doc, dealer prep, electronic filing, reconditioning, "market adjustment" — excluding only government taxes and registration.

The FTC’s test: if a customer can’t walk out without paying it, it belongs in the advertised price.

The first price a customer sees in-store matches your advertised price — no mandatory fees appear later that weren’t already shown.

Compare a sample of online listings to the first pencil at the desk.

Your advertised prices are available without requiring the customer to finance through the dealer.

A price that only applies "with dealer financing" must say so — and generally shouldn’t be the headline price.

When an advertised price includes a rebate or discount, any qualification (military, college grad, conquest, etc.) is clearly stated — not presented as available to everyone.

2. Fees & add-ons

How mandatory fees and optional products are presented across the deal.

Add-on products (nitrogen, etch, paint/fabric protection, tint) are genuinely optional — never pre-installed and presented as required.

Each fee is described consistently across your ads, worksheets, buyer’s orders, and F&I menu.

Advertised prices and payments account for any required down payment — nothing material is left out of the math.

3. Inventory & advertising accuracy

Whether advertised vehicles and claims hold up to scrutiny.

Every advertised vehicle is actually in stock and available — no sold units left live, no bait listings.

Disclaimers are legible and placed next to the claim they qualify — not buried in fine print.

4. Process, handoffs & proof

Whether the deal is explained consistently from the floor to the desk to F&I — and documented.

Your BDC, phone, and chat staff can state any price conditions clearly and consistently.

The deal is explained the same way at every handoff — sales floor, desk, and F&I.

Trade, payoff, and negative-equity conversations are documented consistently.

You keep a training/attendance log for pricing and advertising compliance.

0 of 13 answered

The six pricing practices the FTC cited

In its March 13, 2026 warning letters to 97 auto dealer groups, the FTC listed these examples of illegal pricing. This check is built around them. (The CARS Rule was vacated in January 2025; the FTC now enforces case-by-case under Section 5 of the FTC Act.)

  1. 1Advertising a price that does not reflect all required fees.
  2. 2Advertising a price that reflects rebates or discounts not available to all consumers.
  3. 3Advertising a price that fails to account for an additional required down payment.
  4. 4Conditioning the advertised price on consumers using dealer financing.
  5. 5Requiring consumers to buy additional items not reflected in the advertised price.
  6. 6Advertising unavailable or non-existent vehicles.

Read the official sources

This tool is educational and is not legal advice. It helps you understand where your store may stand relative to publicly stated FTC pricing expectations and points you to official sources. It does not certify compliance and cannot account for every state rule, lender requirement, or store-specific practice. Consult qualified legal counsel or a compliance adviser before changing pricing, advertising, or disclosure policies. Reflects FTC guidance as of June 2026.