Originally Posted by
chris_in_sunnyvale
However, pressing the issue won't get you very far because the sales division can live without taking CC payments, unlike restaurants and retail stores whose business increases by taking such payments. If you manage to get MC or VISA to pull their agreement with the sales division because you could't charge the full amount, it's really no huge deal to them.
Even if the parts & service dept's are separate from sales, I don't think a sales dept. would risk losing the ability to take credit cards (MC/Visa). In these credit obsessed times too many people use them for down payments, deposits, partial payments etc. (like if they don't have enough cash for the down on their already jacked up dealer financing). They wouldn't be able to do business.