A New Era of Car Buying
Imagine a car-buying experience where everything is transparent, tailored to you, and completely stress-free—no haggling, no hidden fees, no dealership markups, no wasted time.
Right now, outdated regulations kept in place by car dealer lobbyists force South Carolinians to go through franchised dealer middlemen, limiting your choices and inflating costs. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
South Carolina consumers, like all Americans, deserve freedom in choosing how to buy a car.
Get involved today and help drive the future of car buying by supporting H.3777, the South Carolina Consumer Freedom Act.
Empowering Choice. Driving Innovation. Expanding Opportunity.
The SC Consumer Freedom Act (H.3777) is a vital step toward ensuring that South Carolina remains open to innovation and competition. The current system prohibits direct-to-consumer vehicle sales, limiting consumer choice and forcing a one-size-fits-all model that doesn’t make sense.
By passing H.3777, South Carolina can:
Increase Consumer Choice – Allow consumers to buy vehicles in the way that best suits their needs, whether through direct sales or traditional dealerships.
Support Free Market Competition – Remove outdated restrictions that hinder fair competition and limit innovation in the automotive sector.
Strengthen South Carolina’s Economy – By embracing new business models, we can boost local economies and position our state as a leader in advanced manufacturing and technology.
Why Direct-to-Consumer?
For some brands, as well as for some consumers, a traditional network of franchised dealers will continue to be the preference. But here are some of the benefits you could experience if given the freedom to purchase directly from automakers that don’t have existing franchised dealerships:
Breaking Up the Car Dealer Lobbyist Cartel
If you didn’t realize car dealer lobbyists have created a system that blocks you from choosing an alternative and more efficient car-buying experience, you’re not alone.
Polling finds that most South Carolina voters don’t know this antiquated and unconstitutional law exists, but when informed about it, the vast majority support a change.
The South Carolina Consumer Freedom Coalition represents the interests of thousands of everyday consumers, business and community leaders, economists, free market advocates, and new car manufacturers advocating for policies that enhance consumer choice and economic growth.
Our mission is simple: to modernize South Carolina's vehicle sales laws to reflect the evolving automotive marketplace and give consumers the freedom to choose how they want to buy their cars, including by purchasing directly from innovative new automakers.
F.A.Q.
What is a direct-to-consumer model?
A direct-to-consumer model, also known as a direct sales model, is a distribution model in which the manufacturer of a product sells a product directly to their customers without utilizing middlemen. The franchise model, in contrast, uses independent third parties to distribute and sell a product.
Direct-to-consumer models are used across all industries and are often leveraged to lower prices and to provide more integrated customer experiences. In car buying, direct-to-consumer models are used in markets across the globe, in many US states, and by a multitude of auto manufacturers.
Direct-to-consumer models have proven to be an effective option for car buyers, introducing competition, innovation, and choice into the marketplace. Economists, academics, consumer protection groups, free market advocates, and federal agencies have near-universal agreement that consumers and competition are benefitted when a direct-to-consumer model is permitted for car buying.
Does a direct-to-consumer model reduce prices for customers?
A direct-to-consumer model has the potential to significantly reduce the price of products to consumers. Because middlemen are not adding one or more mark-ups during distribution—something that economists call “double marginalization”—it’s often easier for manufacturers to maintain lower prices in a direct-to-consumer model.
Does a direct-to-consumer model mean that there are no retail locations?
No. Companies employing a direct-to-consumer model often build both online and in-person experiences.
With a direct-to-consumer model, can I test drive a vehicle?
Absolutely! We plan to have demonstration fleets at most retail locations so that you can try the product! These will be supplemented by test drives at other events and short-term locations.
With a direct-to-consumer model, how do I service my vehicle?
With a direct-to-consumer model, servicing your vehicle remains easy and convenient! Many automakers that sell directly to consumers offer multiple service options, including mobile service that comes to you, dedicated service centers, and partnerships with trusted local repair shops. This means you can enjoy flexibility and choose the option that best fits your schedule and needs. Additionally, direct-to-consumer manufacturers often provide seamless online scheduling, over-the-air updates, and responsive customer support to ensure your vehicle stays in top condition with minimal hassle.
Does the direct-to-consumer model harm existing franchised car dealers?
The franchise agreements that existing car dealers have with their manufacturers would not be impacted by the proposed change to South Carolina law. In fact, the proposed update does not permit auto manufacturers with existing franchise dealer networks to sell direct, thereby protecting the investments of those dealers currently holding franchise agreements.
Ultimately, permitting new manufacturers without dealers to choose a direct-to-consumer model introduces new competition and innovation into the marketplace. New competition is something we welcome and believe is in the best interest of all consumers.