- get spammed by those dealers in a heartbeat, for 2-12 months after submitting the lead, even if you end up buying a car!
- have to manage the negotiations over email, with at least 3 dealers if you want to be sure you're getting a good price (clearly possible, but not easy)
- have to compare non-standardized "quotes", some of which are nothing more than a one-liner to the effect of "I'll sell you a 2011 Honda Accord for $22,390" with no mention of options
- convince each dealer that another dealer gave you a better offer
- go through a lot more back-and-forth than is necessary (to give each dealer the same feedback, to get them to lower their prices, etc.)
If you've never used the lead system for buying a car, I encourage you to try it with a fake email address and phone number so you can see how bad it is.
Some sites will sell your information not just to car dealers, but to mortgage companies, insurance companies, etc. It's not a pleasant experience.
At the end of the day, though, some people prefer not to pay for convenience and that's totally fine.
However, if you're hesitant because you think you might not get what you want, I encourage you to check out our 100% Happiness Guarantee:
We're very serious about making sure each customer is happy at the end of the day and if they're not, they get their money back. No questions asked. It's only fair.