Dealer Documentary charges BS?
#21
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
Originally Posted by nimbus2k
Well there IS some clerical/notary stuff involved that's outside the actual transaction of buying the car - power of attorney for transferring the title, all the paperwork filing, etc. ..... It's a ton of paper, and somebody has to crunch it.
#23
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
I just stopped into our local honda dealer to check on pricing on the HCH II and to really look it over. At first I was overjoyed to see only MSRP on the sticker... then I moved to the front of the car to find a big red tag. "Regular $27,400 SALE $26,800". Next to it was a little sliver indicating a $2500 market adjustment. erm right. not document fees but another example of dealers bumping the price for increased profits. I've not negotiated with them yet to see if they're willing to drop their 10+%markup but I'm kind of doubting I'll even try.
#24
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
Don't bother. If they are doing markup then obviously they just have $$ in their eyes. If you show interest they think they are right. The more people that walk away from these kinds of "adjustments" the less they perceive the demand.
#25
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
"Documentation Fees" are (obviously) not standardized and will vary from dealer to dealer. WAY back in 1990 I was a salesman for Acura. There were two in the city. After a while we learned that the Acrual dealer across town would sell an Integra for $295 less than ours (minimum deal). Turns out they also had a documentation fee that was - you guessed it - $295 more than ours.
I don't care what dealer you're talking about, they all buy the same cars and the same price, and all have the same thresholds for what a "minimum" deal is. There is no "Wal Mart" of Hondas where they buy Civics in bulk and pass the saving on to you. What they reduce in one category, they'll get you in another.
My advice to everyone is to simply find out what the fees are before you make a purchase decision - don't wait until you're in the "finance office" to find out. That smoking deal you got on your car can be erased with a $400 doc fee. Sure you can walk out, but do you really want to do that after 3 hours at the dealer?
Some dealers will use that money to guarantee themselves a least some profit. Dealers that have a $0 will take it out of you another way - rest assured. It's all the same game - just depends on how directly or indirectly the dealer wants to get your money.
I don't care what dealer you're talking about, they all buy the same cars and the same price, and all have the same thresholds for what a "minimum" deal is. There is no "Wal Mart" of Hondas where they buy Civics in bulk and pass the saving on to you. What they reduce in one category, they'll get you in another.
My advice to everyone is to simply find out what the fees are before you make a purchase decision - don't wait until you're in the "finance office" to find out. That smoking deal you got on your car can be erased with a $400 doc fee. Sure you can walk out, but do you really want to do that after 3 hours at the dealer?
Some dealers will use that money to guarantee themselves a least some profit. Dealers that have a $0 will take it out of you another way - rest assured. It's all the same game - just depends on how directly or indirectly the dealer wants to get your money.
Last edited by Tim; 12-26-2005 at 07:21 PM.
#26
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
Originally Posted by zamafir
I just stopped into our local honda dealer to check on pricing on the HCH II and to really look it over. At first I was overjoyed to see only MSRP on the sticker... then I moved to the front of the car to find a big red tag. "Regular $27,400 SALE $26,800". Next to it was a little sliver indicating a $2500 market adjustment. erm right. not document fees but another example of dealers bumping the price for increased profits. I've not negotiated with them yet to see if they're willing to drop their 10+%markup but I'm kind of doubting I'll even try.
#27
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
Originally Posted by Tim
"Documentation Fees" are (obviously) not standardized and will vary from dealer to dealer. WAY back in 1990 I was a salesman for Acura. There were two in the city. After a while we learned that the Acrual dealer across town would sell an Integra for $295 less than ours (minimum deal). Turns out they also had a documentation fee that was - you guessed it - $295 more than ours.
I don't care what dealer you're talking about, they all buy the same cars and the same price, and all have the same thresholds for what a "minimum" deal is. There is no "Wal Mart" of Hondas where they buy Civics in bulk and pass the saving on to you. What they reduce in one category, they'll get you in another.
My advice to everyone is to simply find out what the fees are before you make a purchase decision - don't wait until you're in the "finance office" to find out. That smoking deal you got on your car can be erased with a $400 doc fee. Sure you can walk out, but do you really want to do that after 3 hours at the dealer?
Some dealers will use that money to guarantee themselves a least some profit. Dealers that have a $0 will take it out of you another way - rest assured. It's all the same game - just depends on how directly or indirectly the dealer wants to get your money.
I don't care what dealer you're talking about, they all buy the same cars and the same price, and all have the same thresholds for what a "minimum" deal is. There is no "Wal Mart" of Hondas where they buy Civics in bulk and pass the saving on to you. What they reduce in one category, they'll get you in another.
My advice to everyone is to simply find out what the fees are before you make a purchase decision - don't wait until you're in the "finance office" to find out. That smoking deal you got on your car can be erased with a $400 doc fee. Sure you can walk out, but do you really want to do that after 3 hours at the dealer?
Some dealers will use that money to guarantee themselves a least some profit. Dealers that have a $0 will take it out of you another way - rest assured. It's all the same game - just depends on how directly or indirectly the dealer wants to get your money.
The one point that I found works best (this from being a professional buyer by trade) is to walk into an office "ready to make a deal" and not "ready for a fight." THEY gots to make money, and YOU gots to hit a budget (selling price, monthly payments, whatever the goal you have for the deal is. Mine was very easy: buy 15 grand worth of MORE car, and make my monthly payments LESS than they were for the trade. At the end of the day, everybody won.)
Until somebody comes up with the concept of the Not-for-Profit organization that's also a new car dealer, SOMEbody, SOMEwhere in the deal is going to have to pay for the new carpet, the free internet connection in the waiting room, and the cool wavy blue awning out front. If you don't want to donate [sic] funds to their New Awning Fund, then the best thing to do is NOT buy the car. You're happy that you've beaten the Capitalist Pigs at their own game, and they're happy that they have fewer ulcers from dealing with another customer that my father refers to as "a blowhard."
#28
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
I must say there is a lot of good information or power of knowledge here to take into the dealer when the time is right to make a deal. Thank you all for the great insight!
#29
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
I've seen advertised "doc fees" as high as $400. In some states, like AZ, they can charge anything they want for that, and you can't say a thing about it in most cases. That's what they charge, and they charge EVERY CUSTOMER that fee, and if you don't like it, you can buy your car somewhere else. It's generally non-negotiable.
I have purchased 6 cars in AZ since 1996 and have been told this almost every time.
PS
Just looked at my last two vehicle purchase contracts. Paid $239 for the oldest one and $289 for the HCH in "dealer document fees." Incredible.
I have purchased 6 cars in AZ since 1996 and have been told this almost every time.
PS
Just looked at my last two vehicle purchase contracts. Paid $239 for the oldest one and $289 for the HCH in "dealer document fees." Incredible.
Last edited by lars-ss; 12-28-2005 at 11:20 AM.
#30
Re: Dealer Documentary charges BS?
Originally Posted by lars-ss
I've seen advertised "doc fees" as high as $400. In some states, like AZ, they can charge anything they want for that, and you can't say a thing about it in most cases. That's what they charge, and they charge EVERY CUSTOMER that fee, and if you don't like it, you can buy your car somewhere else. It's generally non-negotiable.
I have purchased 6 cars in AZ since 1996 and have been told this almost every time.
PS
Just looked at my last two vehicle purchase contracts. Paid $239 for the oldest one and $289 for the HCH in "dealer document fees." Incredible.
I have purchased 6 cars in AZ since 1996 and have been told this almost every time.
PS
Just looked at my last two vehicle purchase contracts. Paid $239 for the oldest one and $289 for the HCH in "dealer document fees." Incredible.