…state variety.
North Carolina is moving a bill along that would protect automobile franchisees in the state from competition.
Tesla says it is cutting out the middleman by allowing people to view different options in a showroom, but then ordering the car direct from the company online rather than buying from a salesman. …lobbying groups say franchise dealers invest more locally and provide customer service that Tesla cannot.
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The North Carolina law…prevents customers in the state from making electronic purchases directly through manufacturers….
The premises may or may not be true that franchise dealers invest more locally (probably true) or provide better customer service (possibly true), but these are business decisions, and performance in these two areas should be assessed by the buying public in a competitive market. Government has no business regulating this; this law is solely to protect government-favored enterprises from competition.