Honda fighting below-invoice online pricing deals

Let's face it, nobody pays MSRP anymore. In fact, the most savvy car buyers among us don't even pay invoice price. Thanks to Internet pricing sites like TrueCar.com, it doesn't take negotiating skills or friends in the business to get dealers to sell you cars at deep discount. And that fact has Honda ticked off.

According to Automotive News, Honda has issued an ultimatum to its dealers: Stop selling cars below invoice price through these websites, or lose the per-car marketing spiffs that the factory gives dealers. Since Honda corporate turned the screws on its dealers in October, TrueCar says Honda sales through its service are down.

While many dealers do opt to play ball with TrueCar, offering guaranteed discounted prices up front and hoping to make more money on other aspects of their business, some are not thrilled with TrueCar. AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson has called TrueCar's pricing transparency a "death spiral" for dealers, according to AN.