Guess thats why we call them "stealerships".

 

Usually it's the stealership that will back down and absorb the cost rather then risk loosing a sale.

 

and really, whats the doc fee for anyway?

For a dealer employee to go to motor vehicle and get the registration done?!

And most motor vehicle agencies I've seen have a dealer only window, so no waiting for them either...

Bunch a crap......

 

Just another way to get more money!

 

Simple, tell them "NO". Let them steal money from someone else.

 

I agree with most of what has been posted. Am in the process of looking for a used vehicle and have found a few dealers using the non-negotiable price. What's on the sticker is what you pay plus the doc fee. No haggling. Needless to say I have walked out several times.


Gene

 

Doc fees are the least of concerns in my neck of the woods. The dealers here have started with the the add-on stickers for paint sealant, fabric sealant, blah, blah,blah to the tune of $2000.00 over and above the factory sticker. I don't know why they want to **** me off before I ever talk to a salesman. I guess there are enough suckers who don't know better to make it worth while. Oh and they still have their doc fee's.

 

Since I work in Auto Finance I can say that as long as it's fully disclosed its legal. You can and should attempt to waive or negotiate that fee. If you are paying cash you could also request to do your own MV paperwork & processing. While its not totally profit its still a profit for the dealer for easy money. Thats what pays the MV clerks and people in the back office who do all the hard work in the bank once the car is sold. Dont let it stop you, negotiate a lower price and get your car.

 

The easiest car purchase that I ever did was by far the most complex. I bought my '07 from Les Stanford Chevrolet in Dearborn, MI(Forum sponsor). I never set foot in the dealership. I got GMS price which I'm entitled too, did the R8C Museum Delivery and I was living in S. Calif. at the time. All communication was via email, two phone calls and Fedex for the documents. I arrived at the Museum where I did the R8C which was fantastic, drove away in my new car and all the way back to S. Calif.. The only issue was getting it smogged since I drove it over the state line rather than it being trucked or railed and at that time, none of the smog test places there had the ability to talk to a CAN enabled data buss. So I had to go through the state smog referree system which took an extra couple of days to arrange and appointment with.
It was still easier than sitting in a dealership for many hours waiting on this or that approval, salesman, sales manager, finance and etc...all designed to get more money out of us. In my case, I new precisely what the bottom price was before I picked up the phone to order it and the dealer matched it to the penny...lol. I didn't have to haggle in the slightest and there was zero attempt from them to get more money out of me. My next Corvette order will be a C-7 and I'll be calling them.

 

In Michigan and some other states (Minnesota for one) a new system is being used that allows the dealer to pass on a $12.00 charge for digital license and title transfer. By law the dealer can tack on another $12.00 for a total of $24.00. However, the customer must agree to this fee and procedure. You indicate this with your initials on the form. When I bought my Vette the dealer used the digital system and never told me and went ahead and initialed the forms on their own. Since I had negotiated the price down considerably I let it pass but, with all the new and added paperwork it would be in your own self interest to double check everything on the vast amount of paperwork buying a vehicle now generates. By the way, using the digital process, I drove off the lot with new plates (not temps) and had the title in my mailbox in less than a week so the new system works well..

Scott