This is the problem with cutesy answers like “On the level, if inclined”. 
In a few States they still have Blue laws. I have no idea if “On the level, if inclined” is one of them. Or it could just be that the OP lives in a small town were the two dealers just don’t open on Sunday.
Yes, we do like to spend time with our families. My dealership is closed on Sunday, but I don’t think it’s because of blue laws in my area. Other dealers are open on Sundays here. Most salespeople are 100% commission, so if they aren’t at the store when it’s open, they aren’t making money. I know a lot who work open to close every day and would work 7 days a week if they could. I like that my store is closed on Sunday, because if it wasn’t I’d have to be there.
I wonder if part of the problem is that the government and insurance offices necessary to do title and insurance transfers are also closed Sundays? It seems like the government offices would also be closed Saturdays, though.
Well, you play mafia, so we already know you have no soul/life.
It’s the others I’m talking about.
#1 How are car dealers colluding to determine which days they’ll be open operating legally?
#2 How dp laws that dictate what a store can or can’t sell on a Sunday pass 1st amendment muster?
I am sure there are obvious answers to these questions since both have been going on for so long but it’s boggling that either of these practices are legal
I’ve had the same question as the OP. I always thought that the basis dated back to
Blue Laws but it’s amazed me that this hasn’t seemed to change over time. After all, all kinds of businesses that used to be closed on Sundays now operate because people, especially dual income families, can only conveniently shop on weekends.
As for the operation of the service department, that contention doesn’t seem to hold water. The chain drug stores, including places like Wal-Mart will close down their pharmacies even though the rest of the store is open. Presumably they do that because it would be too expensive to keep higher paid employees there at “off” hours. There is no reason why a car dealership can’t do the same thing.
My perception is that at some level it comes down to collusion, state laws or just the fact that management wants a day off. What else could it be?
A few years ago, I served on a Minnesota Legislative Commission to review & rewrite Minnesota non-felony laws.
One of the laws we considered was the old blue law which forbid car dealers from being open on Sundays. We on the Commission had decided to recommend repealing this law. But then we heard from the Auto Dealers association, and the union (sort of) for car salespersons. They were all strongly opposed to repealing this law.
None of them mentioned anything religious in their opposition. Their comments were all on the order of they wanted to be able to close at least one day a week, to give their salespeople a day off. And they needed a law to require this, so that all car dealers would follow it, and all be closed the same day. Otherwise competitive pressure would lead to some dealers opening on Sunday, and soon they all would have to be open. And the pressure of sales commissions would force salespeople to work on that day, even if they might have seniority enough to choose to take the day off.
So though it had originated as a blue law, it now worked to protect working conditions for employees.
And they made it clear that they would use all their lobbying strength at the Legislature to oppose repeal of this law, if the Commission recommended that in their report.
By the way, that law is still on the books here in Minnesota.
Back when I was a wee lad NZ had blue laws and my parents owned a “Four Square” dairy (something like a 7-11). Although allowed to be open all week certain parts of the shop had to be curtained off on Sundays, and some goods were not allowed to be sold. One oddity that I can recall years later was that newspapers and magazines were OK, but books were verboten… which led to the odd consequence that one could not buy a bible on Sunday, but could get a Playboy. 
Actually Bergen County still has the same blue laws as ever. Interesting because they effect some of the biggest malls in the state.
In some places without blue laws, dealers still close on Sundays based on informal agreements.
Formal agreements got challenged: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5037/is_198905/ai_n18319342
http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/955/955.F2d.457.89-3392.89-3388.html
I knew there was a reason we should get rid of Bergen County.
If I recall correctly, this was pretty much the same rationale the dealers in Illinois used years back to get Sunday sales banned.
I really don’t understand this reasoning. Almost every retail business operates 7 days a week. Are there no other businesses with 100% commission salespeople? Sure, everyone would like to spend more time with their families, but what makes car salesmen so special that we need laws to require their time off?
Car dealerships generate a lot of sales tax revenue. Sales taxes give state governments money to spend. State legislatures like to spend money.
Maybe I’m just dense, but I don’t understand how this answers my question in any meaningful way. Are you saying that legislators bow to the requests of car dealerships because they provide lots of sales tax revenue? If so, don’t other large retailers do the same? Also, what is the alternative for the dealership if the legislature refuses to acquiesce, quit selling cars so as to not give the state any more sales tax revenue? Does that make any sense?
I’m suggesting that you have a relatively small group of people (owners of dealerships) who are well organized. They’re able to influence the legislature to a greater degree to get a law they like since it isn’t a law that will cause the general public to scream and yell. People might be ticked off if Best Buy, Circuit City, and Wal Mart all closed on Sunday. But, Big Al’s Chevrolet?
Car dealerships do generate a large amount of sales tax revenue. Not only from vehicle sales but from $1000 repair bills as well.
I’m fairly certain that in most places (and 100% certain for here in Michigan) that sales tax is only generated for the retail price of the parts that are in that $1000 repair bill. With some exceptions, that majority of most repair bills should be in labor, which is generally not taxed.
On a side note, now I’m kind of curious about how many states/localities really do tax labor and other services.
It’s the nature of automobile sales. It’s a huge durable good that people buy once every few years, and that they absolutely have to have.
For most retail goods, if you make it more difficult to shop, people will buy a little less of the item. Clothing, for example–if every clothing store closed on Sunday, they’d lose a lot of impulse shopping and buying. They don’t want to do it.
But there isn’t much impulse buying of cars. Close the dealership on Sunday, and people will shop on Saturday instead. Therefore dealers support such bans, which make their lives easier and their customers’ lives more difficult.
Washington does: http://dor.wa.gov/content/DoingBusiness/BusinessTypes/Industry/auto/Auto_Repairs.aspx
http://cns.jrn.msu.edu/articles/2003_0314/SERVICETAX.html
Hawaii has a General Excise Tax that covers services, but technically the tax is imposed on the business and not the consumer (if that matters). The business is permitted to pass the GET on to customers. http://www.state.hi.us/tax/brochures/ge_bro.pdf