But entrepreneurs should not be prevented from offering alternatives, and consumers should not be prevented by law from seeking them out. In practice, franchise laws are just another way of denying consumers choice. Dealers should realize that protecting consumers means allowing the forces of competition to bring their industry to a new stage of innovation that improves consumers' buying experience. Competition from Internet companies will force lagging dealerships to offer even better local service, leading to an improved reputation for dealers as a whole. Government protection for dealers will only make consumers resentful, especially younger ones, who have become increasingly used to shopping for everything online.
Proponents also argue that restrictive franchise laws are necessary to protect dealers.
It is not written in the sky that one may buy bread only from a baker, or a house from a builder, or a car from a local middleman-dealer. Car dealerships do not own consumers. Those consumers should have a right to buy elsewhere if they choose. Regardless, the danger to dealerships posed by the Internet is speculative. Ford's Web site program had many willing dealer-participants who benefited from the arrangement.