Dealerships and their fees...

"Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras" (jegoingout)
12/18/2018 at 09:30 • Filed to: None

Fees suck, we all know that. We all also know it’s bullshit profit for dealerships they try to justify. I always though NJ was insane with their fees, I’ve see everything from $495 to $895...and then I started my job and in places like Florida and Texas, you guys get fucked. There was a dealer in Texas I tried dealing with, their online price is without a $149 5 dealer prep fee, taxes, title, and tags. What the fuck??? One in Florida had over $2,000 in fees...

For Oppos in those states, how the fuck do you buy cars with those fees? What’s the most outrageous dealership related fees have you ever heard of?

DISCUSSION (18)

Sovande > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 09:40

The dealer fee for the used car I just bought was $700. I knew what I wanted to pay for the car and I coincidentally offered exactly $700 less than that. They wouldn’t budge, I walked, they called me back and I picked the car up the next day. I understand the dealer has to make money, and that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean I am going to pay the fee.

Ash78, voting early and often > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 09:41

In theory, that gives them more negotiation room on the price of the car. The dealer is trying to hit a certain margin, and at the end of the day the consumer shouldn’t really care if the fee is $1,500 as long as they got a commensurate discount on the car.

It’s still shady as hell on the surface. Here in AL, I’ve never seen anything over $500 because so many people would balk at that just on principal alone. Most places stick to something like $199 or $299.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 09:47

Yeah I don’t get it. The REASON sales prices are naturally higher at dealers is because the customer expects fixed costs, reconditioning, and risk to be priced into it. That’s why trade in values are lower than sales prices for the same car.

Now because of CarGurus and other sites with a “great price” vs “average price” model, dealers have to stick fees in weird places to get the clicks.

nermal > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 09:49

It varies by state. FL is the worst when it comes to fees and advertising.

They do it for two reasons - First, everybody is is doing it. Second, it works.

404 - User No Longer Available > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 09:54

My F30 was all-in, actually. Listed price plus sales tax, lot was a Carmax type lot.

No wiggle room on the price though, I tried pointing out scratches to try but didn’t work, they ended up “fixing” them, which I really regret. The respray already had clear coat failure right at the 90-day mark.

ateamfan42 > Sovande
12/18/2018 at 10:00

I understand the dealer has to make money, and that’s fine.

Right. And that profit is already built into the higher book price for a car at a dealer vs. private party. Tacking on extra fees is just an attempt to pad the profit margin.

Chariotoflove > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 10:09

I’ve been pretty lucky and haven’t had to deal with that so far.

Sovande > ateamfan42
12/18/2018 at 10:17

Understood. The dealership’s job is to sell the car at the highest price they can. My job is to get the lowest price I can. If you understand those rules going in it’s a fair game. The dealership, in my mind, isn’t playing dirty pool by adding a fee, they are doing their job. And I am not obligated to buy the car, so as soon as they put the final number in front of you it’s either fine or it’s not. If it’s not, because of the fee or because the wind direction changed, you can simply walk out.

If you know the value of the car, the original sticker, the residual (in the case of a lease that was returned) and comps, then you have all the information you need to get the car at a fair price. I certainly knew all that going in and I got the remainder of the manufacturer’s warranty, a 90 day full warranty from the dealership and $1400 of work done to car a week after I bought it - at no cost. I would have none of that peace of mind had I bought the car from some guy who listed it on a forum or Craigslist for a little less money.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 10:21

There are the “fees” then there is the: protective treatment of the cloth interior, undercoating, ceramic paint coating, and lets not forget gap insurance.

cbell04 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 10:23

D amn . These really should be regulated. We paid 599 at a dealer in NC for our recent purchase. According to all our research and activity on the forms where everyone shares what they paid we got one of the best out the door prices in the US fees included Ob viously somebody is out there getting a special deal and not talking about it kind of makes these fees goofy when they just knocked the price off the car when pressured anyway. I have some friends that work at dealerships and I know a lot of people on Oppo rely on them for income but p ersonally I’d love to see them go away. I’m sure there’s some things that would negatively impact me if that were to happen but I sure can’t think of any off the top of my head.

Jay, the practical enthusiast > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 10:50

Not all dealerships here in Florida have those fees anymore . When buying a car you either find a dealer that advertises no fees (my Mazda dealer has no fees) or negotiate it into the sale price. I'm noticing more and more dealerships advertising no fees and with so many choices I don't know why anyone would buy from a dealer that still has those fees.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Jay, the practical enthusiast
12/18/2018 at 11:23

Even with the no fee dealers though, their prices are nuts for what said car is worth on my end. I paid $10 at Metro Ford Miami awhile back, i happily do business with them again

Tripper > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 11:25

Those fees are the first and sometimes the only negotiating that I do. My go on a used car is “I’ll pay the sticker price, but you pay the tax, title, tags, and whatever fees you normally tack on.” If it’s a new vehicle there are usually enough incentives to make it all a wash.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Tripper
12/18/2018 at 11:26

I approach it as i either steal the car and dont care about the fees, or do what you do and say fuck the extras

Tripper > Sovande
12/18/2018 at 11:26

“They wouldn’t budge, I walked, they called me back and I picked the car up the next day.”

This is the way to do it. I remember my father telling me to be patient when I bought my first car... “S on, they will do anything to get you to buy a car. You just have to be willing to walk away and wait it out”.

Tripper > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 11:29

Yea I’ve never managed to steal one from a dealer, so I have always had to do it another way...or not buy the car. This is all more difficult when buying a truck.

Mid Engine > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
12/18/2018 at 11:49

I turned that into a game when I bought my Taco..

Finance lady: Gap insurance is highly recommended

Me: Why? The sales guy told me these trucks don’t depreciate. Hard nope.

Fin ance lady: This is an expensive vehicle, you need paint and interior protection

Me: I can wax the truck and clean my farts out of the seats. I’ll never pay for this

Fina nce lady: Tint?

Me: Comes with a tint from the factory. Is there something wrong with the truck I bought? Did they forget to tint it?

Finance lady: We’ll etch your serial number in multiple places on your truck for a nominal fee.

Me: Et ch away, it devalues the car and you’ll be liable for diminished value

MUSASHI66 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
12/18/2018 at 12:58

Granted, a portion of the dealer fees is for the mandatory state paperwork here in Colorado, but most dealerships want $600+ these days. Nope, not happening. Also, your nitrogen-filled tires, fabric protection, paint protection, rust protection and pinstripe kit for $2000 is a big nope as well. Then, to top it off, price of the car includes delivery fee from factory/port to dealership. It used to be $850 (not even close to actual cost), and now they want over $1000!!

Fuck all that with a 10ft pole.