Automotive Forums

Don't waste three hours of negotiating invoice price to get into the finance office to find out that there is a $400 doc fee (documentary fee) a dealer prep fee, etch, paint products, etc.  I worked at a dealership in Phoenix that had a $400 doc fee, and had a dealer prep fee of $398.  This prep fee was bogus!  It was actually a package that should have been offered to customers as an optional package instead of being forced on them.

Now, you can insist that those fees be removed and they'll take them out, but you'd be surprised that probably 95% of people would just sign away, because their payment didn't go up.  That's called payment packing and it's illegal.

By the way, a doc fee will never be removed from the contract.  All they can do is lower the sale price by an equivalent amount.  This is do to the fact that everyone that's paid a doc fee over the last 3 years would have a right to file a class action lawsuit.

Make sure you know all these fees either before going to the car dealership, or while your negotiating so there are no surprises in the Finance office.  Read my car buying tip Car Dealer Fees - Gonna Getcha for more info.

In the mean time...

Take care and beware,
J the Car Guy
www.insidercarbuyingtips.com  

What works well for me is to negotiate an "out the door" price. I make an offer and make it clear that it's all inclusive. When we come to an agreeable total price, we have a deal and I don't care how the dealer breaks it down. Unfortunately, too many people only worry about their monthly payment and either don't know, or don't care, what the total cost of the deal is. When a salesperson asks me what kind of monthly payment I would like to see, I politely indicate that topic is between me and the lender and that we will be discussing an out the door price.

Happy dealings,

G the Auto Dude    

I work at a car dealership and we charge a $250 doc fee that even employees pay.
 

I've had Toyota dealership in New Orleans try and charge me several hundred dollars for courier fees and the like. When I told the Finance guy he was about to kill the deal and got up to walk out they backed off. Most folks don't read through the sales contract thoroughly enough to catch these EXTRA fees.

Our local Nissan dealer (Murphy Motors) doesn't charge ANY fees as part of the purchase. The buyer goes to the revenue office to pay sales tax and pick up the plates. No extra fees and no pressure to buy GAP insurance etc.. VERY easy transaction and competitive pricing. Love living in a small town!  

If you want a good selection id try a parts locator. One place that can find you a good short or long block for a Audi A4 engine is TEXAS Junkyards, Junk Yards in TEXAS TX salvage recycler. They have a link somehow to multiples of thousands of recycling centers and will locate the best one for you.  

If you want a good selection id try a parts locator. One place that can find you a good short or long block for a Audi A4 chrysler transmission is TEXAS Junkyards, Junk Yards in TEXAS TX salvage recycler. They have a link somehow to multiples of thousands of recycling centers and will locate the best one for you.  

Even car dealer employees pay the doc fee.  I personally just paid my car dealers $385 doc fee when I bought my Expedition.  It stinks, but that's the way it is.

The only people not paying the doc fee are those people with dealers licenses.

Take care and beware,
J the Car Guy
Insider Car Buying Tips.com  

Good call G.  Even if you're financing, work on the OTD price.  If you work on payments, it can get very tricky trying to lower the sales price.  I also like what you said about being polite.  It makes for a better experience for all when customers don't treat sales people like something on the bottom of their shoe.  

Take care G and beware,
J the Car Guy
Insider Car Buying Tips.com  

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Many dealerships will have no problem selling a car below MSRP if they haven't sold many cars that day.  It's no game. Dealers HAVE to sell cars and have A goal to reach each day.  Now if many reasonable customer's came in during the day and made reasonable offers such as purchasing the car at MSRP or no more then $500 dollars below MSRP then they probably won't sell you a car below MSRP because there are alot of buyers out there.  But when only one car has been sold all day even the sales manager gets worried and just wants to get a car sold.  So next time you walk into a dealer and want invoice ask them how many cars were sold today and if they say none...good news may be around the corner.