[Chris]

Market theory aside, price gouging always seemed like a penny-wise, pound foolish policy to me. Say a customer comes in looking for a Challenger. Joe Blow Dealer says, "Pay me $50,000". Customer leaves. Maybe he finds another dealer selling at MSRP, maybe he waits until 2009, maybe he gets something totally different. Fact is, when that customer is looking again, for a Durango or a Charger, that customer is never coming back to Joe Blow dealer and he's telling his friends, "don't ever go to Joe Blow Dealer". So maybe Joe Blow Dealer lost 4, 5, 6 sales and maybe cost Dodge as a brand some customers. So maybe gouging isn't the best policy in the long run, even if the dealer is entitled to get as much profit as he wants.