Bullshit. In a recession, any place that doesn't haggle is foolish. Geez, some of you are so caught up in this "it isn't done like that anymore" mentality^A lot of places these days have "no haggle" policies as well. The sticker price is the price you pay, no exceptions.Pull out some green and watch salesmen and sales managers jump.
This is true. If one is into negotiating, you can still get a better deal that way. The "no haggle" approach tends to be for people who just don't want to go through that.
But I still don't see the logic in showing the green up front. It seems that if you say right away you're going to pay cash, you won't get as good a deal for the reasons I said above.
If I were paying cash (either from savings or a bank loan) I wouldn't say anything about it up front. Let them think I'm financing with them if they want to. Set a price, shake on it, then when they direct you to the loans manager, say, "That won't be necessary, I'm paying cash." Then see the look on their faces when they realize the money they gave up up front isn't coming back in interest payments.
But frankly, if I've got $20,000 cash in my pocket ready to be spent, I'm not spending it on something that depreciates. Regardless of my deal, that new car is worth $2000 or $3000 less than I paid for it the moment I drive it off the lot.
I'll take my $20,000 cash and put it into remodelling a kitchen or bathroom. Or I'll invest it. Get a return on it.