A Deafening Silence

Doug Miller has a great series about Controlled Business Arrangements (let’s all start calling them what they are). As Doug points out the sole defense of the arrangement is the consumer’s need for “one stop shopping.” I have yet to hear another rational explaination for their existence. And while rational, the one stop shopping argument isn’t very persuasive. We need to look no further than the actions of the supposed beneficiaries.

If one stop shopping is so imporant to the consumer, where are the consumer advocates singing their praises? Where are the legions of consumers demanding the protection for one stop shopping? Other than self-serving and manipulative surveys, there is absolutely no evidence that consumers care or are even aware of “one stop shopping.”

More damning: Why do so many Real Estate Agents who regularly work with CBA’s use our services for their personal transactions when the “one stop shop” is right down the hall?

The only beneficiaries of one stop shopping are those who are directly associated with the CBA. When CBA’s come under pressure in the future, look carefully at who rushes to their defense. They are the true beneficiaries of one stop shopping.