In some cases, salespeople simply don't offer women the same deals they offer men because they think they can get away with it. But women are less likely than men to bargain on car prices, partly because they are less knowledgeable about the process. Salespeople perceive that women are not comfortable about dickering on prices, and they take advantage of the situation. There is little reason to believe that salespeople will automatically knock their own prices down just because the customer is unwilling to ask for a deal. Tom Gruber, vice president of AutoNations USA, believes that his company's no-haggle posted prices for warranteed used cars will appeal to both men and women.
Women pay more for gender-specific items, too.
Although it's impossible to make a direct comparison between bras and T-shirts or pantyhose and socks, it's clear that women pay more for their underclothes than men do. In fact, American women spend twice as much as men on clothing. On the other hand, American society exerts enormous pressure on women to look good and stay in fashion. This same pressure is what drives women to spend more than men on all types of personal-care products and cosmetics, not to mention cosmetic surgery. It may also be much of the reason why women make up 94 percent of Boise, Idaho-based orthopedic surgeon Michael J.Coughlin's foot surgery patients.