Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Smart Shopper Documentation Fees
667 messages, Last post on Sep 18, 2009 at 3:24 PM
You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester
|
We were $300 apart due to doc fees. … I heard some ridiculous things like it was illegal to not charge them… That would have been enough for me right there. I don’t agree with doc fees and to be insulted as to their validity would have me out the door, now!! Not that $300 or my time doesn’t mean anything to me, but trying to deal with someone you can’t believe…well, I’ve already voiced my opinion about that. jmonroe
|
|
|
Replying to: jmonroe (Sep 17, 2007 4:06 pm) JM, in a perfect world.... I have learned to let some things slide when people are under pressure and have no logical way to validate their position. I do believe that they were trained to say this, but the delivery was bad. When I cornered him on this, I learned that the dealership would not waive the fee as a matter of policy as to not risk a discrimination suit (you can judge the risk yourself). It's a stretch to say it's illegal not the charge the fee, but, then again this is a consumer auto purchase. It's an easy way for them to try to get out of discounting the price the equivalent of the fee. I would have had more respect if they said, "I'm sorry we always factor in the fee in our pricing and we can't meet that price point". However this is not the first dealer I have come across that considers doc fees part of TTL and I suspect it won't be the last. But I have other stories on how they try to roll it into TTL as a mandatory fee levied by government or other regulatory bodies. Yes, perhaps on principle I should have walked, but I wanted to buy a car and it was close enough. And no, I won't ding them on the survey, because of the way the survey system is set up. This was really not that bad, I have experienced much worse. I will say that what I have learned here has not only allowed me get a better deal, but increased my patience with the sales folks and made a smoother all around.
|
|
|
Replying to: epiney (Sep 17, 2007 6:57 pm) Ok I will judge this. It seems like we’re going from one lie to another here aren’t we? If it is discrimination to charge one person doc fees and not charge another, then I think the same court would find the dealer guilty for not charging everybody the same price for a car and I know you know this so you should have said this when you got this, even more, ridiculous answer to justify the first. Did they offer any other untruths before you told them to stop insulting you? I realize they are probably trained to say what ever it takes to make a sale but at some point the BS has to stop especially when they know the buyer didn’t just fall off the turnip truck out in front of their store. Anyways, enjoy your new wheels until they fall off.  jmonroe
|
|
|
Replying to: jmonroe (Sep 18, 2007 4:17 am) Did they offer any other untruths before you told them to stop insulting you? I realize they are probably trained to say what ever it takes to make a sale but at some point the BS has to stop especially when they know the buyer didn’t just fall off the turnip truck out in front of their store. To serve what end JM? So I can feel better knowing that I pointed out every error and untruth in a car purchase? I won't argue with your point because you are right in principle. You know the old saying, if I had a dollar for every time I was fed a line of BS in a car dealer ... However it doesn't buy cars, so I decided to close the deal and move on. They are trying their best to make a deal, sometimes they reach and slip over to the dark side. If I conduct business they way I want and efficiently, then I'm OK with it. It's only a car after all. Like I said, I could post other stories about internet managers and fees and the like and scream about it as moral offences, but as we have learned here, customers aren't always pure either. I've said this before, autos seem to bring out the worst in both buyers and sellers alike. I have talked to people that would not put any effort into saving hundreds on other purchases but will go to great lengths for fifty bucks on a car. It's irrational. Money is still money no matter where you save or spend it.
|
|
|
Replying to: jmonroe (Sep 18, 2007 4:17 am)
|
|
|
Replying to: epiney (Sep 18, 2007 5:54 am) Only so you can get down to serious negotiations and buy what you came to get without having to listen to every line that they were taught ! When I hear stories like this it only confirms that I like the way I do it better; give them a price, let them take it to a higher authority for the yea or nay and I’ve either bought their car or I’m on my way to the next guy. All done in 30 minutes or less. Yep, I like my way better but like I’ve said before, that’s why they make chocolate and vanilla. jmonroe
|
|
|
Replying to: lrguy44 (Sep 18, 2007 5:59 am) Nothing like playing the sympathy card if you can get away with it, but you know that won’t work with me or a lot of the posters here. You should be happy about that otherwise you’d be selling ‘T’ shirts (not the 'tidester' kind), or you’d have to get a real 40 hour a week job like the rest of the working stiffs that hang out here.  jmonroe
|
|
|
Replying to: epiney (Sep 17, 2007 6:57 pm) |
|
|
Replying to: jmonroe (Sep 18, 2007 6:52 am) Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age. The bottom line is still the final deal. Like I said, it wasn't that bad. Their mistake was to either by neglect or deliberate ommission assume that the documentation fees were part of TTL. They really should have negotiated this when we were talking price before TTL. I would have split it with them in the negotiations anyways so my bottom line was not affected. I just think most dealers try to treat it as automatic and sacred to deter negotiations on it. At the end of the day, I got my car, they got their mini sale and hopefully it will be minimal effort and smooth for both of us.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: jmonroe (Sep 17, 2007 4:06 pm) What the heck. In many states it is ilegal for a dealer NOT to charge the EXACT SAME Doc fee to ALL their customers. Stupid as it sounds, it's considered discrimination if they waive it for one customer. I have let people walk and killed deals over this. |
|
You are here:
Forums
Smart Shopper Documentation Fees
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
