Markups. A relatively quick and easy way for dealerships to make more money off of in-demand new models. It could be argued this is fair game because dealers are private franchises who are allowed to set final prices based on MSRP. It's also greedy, plain and simple. Unfortunately, automakers themselves can do little to prevent this and have gone on record discouraging the practice.

But now, Ford has directly gotten involved after a Twitter user posted an image showing a $10,000 markup on a new Ford Mustang Mach-E. A Ford dealer in Illinois figured it could snag that extra amount from a First Edition Premium model, and it was literally a first-come, first-served basis.

Prospective buyers are not even allowed to take the EV for a test spin; they can only sit inside. No one took the bait and no one ever will thanks to Ford's North American Product Communications Manager, Mike Levine.

A member of the Mach E Forum noticed that just one day after the post went up, Levine responded that "the markup has been removed from this Mach-E." No additional details were provided and it's fair to assume Levine, or someone else at Ford, picked up the phone and called the dealer requesting it to stop this nonsense. If only this could happen for every markup situation. This isn't the only Ford dealer jacking up Mustang Mach-E prices, as we recently reported.

Other instances of $10k markups elsewhere are not unusual and there have even been reports of up to $15k being added on. Fortunately, it's not impossible to avoid Mach-E markups. Ford's implementation of an online sales method allows buyers to conduct the entire transaction online without having to walk into a dealership unless they want to go for a test spin. These buyers can further arrange a trade-in price, arrange financing, and purchase extended warranties all from the comfort of their own homes.

Ford is committed to full transaction transparency. But for some (not all) dealerships, old habits die hard.