How about we just call it 'roller coaster pricing'?(News)(Brief Article)

Our 2005 Flop of the Year is value pricing - specifically, the version of value pricing practiced by General Motors and Ford Motor Co.

In the fall, GM and Ford cut sticker prices on most cars and trucks in an effort to bring them closer to the actual transaction price paid by the consumer. The goal: Reduce the need for heavy incentives.

Both companies wanted to break out of the marketing rut that typecast their cars and trucks as commodities. It was a laudable goal, but rebates are like drugs - it's easy to get hooked and tough to quit.

The automakers' current pricing quandary dates back to 2001, when GM triggered a huge buying spree …