When having a car delivered using courtesy delivery, does the delivering dealer collect sales tax or do I straighten that out with the DMV myself (my preferred option)?

I know, preferring the DMV may sound sadistic, but I'm a military non-resident of California. From what I ASSUME, if I have the car delivered to Cali, I'm responsible for the 9% sales tax here. I know if I pick it up out of state, I'm only responsible for the 6% that Florida, my "State of Residence", will collect upon registry there. Anybody have any insight on this?

 

I am not sure why this question was posted in the "Audio/Electronics" section.

 

Yeah, I already PM'd the Mods... too many windows open.

 

You pay the tax when you register your car in your state of residence.

 

i did courtesy delivery and i took the paperwork to the DMV and paid the taxes myself. All the courtesy delivery did was inspect the car and put a sticker on it. (i live in Texas). I had to bring the inspection sheet to the DMV along with the Sales docs and a check for the taxes.

 

Thanks guys! Just the info I was looking for!

 

Personally, I think Veterans shouldn't have to pay sales tax on cars

Of course, I'm also a veteran; But that doesn't bias me in the least!

 

You need to get it smogged also since you are in Cali. Make sure the dealership installs the air deflectors on the bottom of your car. Some courtesy delivery dealerships just hand you the keys without knowing the full process of PDI.

 

I had just the opposite experience with my son's 08 coupe courtesy delivery and my 10 CTS Wagon courtesy delivery both in Houston. The delivering chevy and caddie dealers collected TT&L just like one of their own sold cars and ran it to the county courthouse to get the plates and windshield stickers for us. Of course there was a statutory fee collected for doing that as well.

 

Hey Guys, I'm also having a courtesy delivery done.
TPW is now 1/27/14 with estimated delivery sometime in February.
I would have preferred to purchase from the local dealer for several obvious reasons, but these guys decided to use their allotments for spec cars.

In any case like the OP I have few concerns. While taxes are not my concern, I knew from the start that I'd pay Nevada taxes at the DMV.

My concerns have to do with the PDI and taking possession of the vehical.
My guess is once you take possession you lose leverage.
But the other part is if you’re doing a courtesy delivery, is it typical that you make payment to the ordering dealer contingent upon an acceptable PDI from the receiving dealer.

Panerainovice mentioned the air deflectors.
I heard Tadge Juechter mention (in one of his many videos) that the air deflectors needed to be installed at the dealers because they hung too low for safe shipping.

For those of you that have done a courtesy delivery, or heard of anyone else’s courtesy delivery please chime in on anything that that should be double checked or even just noteworthy.

Lastly, my courtesy dealer is charging $350.00 this is my first courtesy delivery so is this a fair /typical price? I’m just trying to find out what’s the normal/typical range of pricing for this service.

 

No, you will pay selling dealer before it's delivered. Courtesy dealer will take care of car just like they were the one selling it. Most will even handle taxes and registration for you (along with inspection). $350 is about the going rate and more than fair.

Your wait is almost over.

 

I've seen people getting quotes between $300 and $1000. The low end of that is fine to me, but at $500 and up there better be a really good excuse with some perks from the delivering dealer for me to bite. Luckily I'm local to a forum dealer so I haven't had to deal with it.

 

Just remember most (not all) dealers don't like to do courtesy deliveries, they made no money off the deal and you are tying up their staff...simple as that...

read all the manuals before hand, have your checklist for inspection items and make it quick....try and meet the service manager and get an agreement you can service there if it's a good dealer CSI wise...

 

Why doesn't the dealer who you order the car from pay the courtesy fee to the dealer who takes delivery. If it were being delivered to themselves they would have to do the prep and paperwork and since they're not, why should one have to pay for something that was already built into the profit of the sale price?

 

GM separately pays the delivering dealer for the vehicle prep at the dealership prior to delivery to the customer. So the Courtesy Delivery Fee actually has nothing to do with the vehicle prep cost. The Fee is more a bribe to induce the dealership to use their staff to handle the delivery & paperwork. Both my son's 08 coupe and my CTS Wagon were $250 each which I thought was a fair inducement/bribe to provide the service since we were saving ton's of $$$ ordering from CF supporting dealers rather than the Houston area dealers.

 

The Caddie dealer closest to the house couldn't or wouldn't order the vehicle I wanted at a price approaching GM Supplier pricing I got from Les Stanford Dearborn Chevy/Caddy. Within 30 minutes of closing the deal with LS, LS was arranging the courtesy delivery with my Houston dealer. At delivery, I had a conversation with the Fleet Mgr. He knew who I was and that they screwed up not closing a deal with me. He said they do courtesy deliveries because they hope to get the service work later.

 

Bingo

 

Ok. So the accepting dealer is getting paid to prep the car. The "Fee" is to get the same dealer to do the paperwork. The dealer who made the sale is now not doing that same paperwork. In reality that dealer should be reimbursing that money to the accepting dealer? Sounds like a convenience fee paid by the buyer and in turn, less work/money saved by the selling dealer. And yes, the accepting dealer would likely get to do the service work. So be a no charge arrangement.

 

Yup, it's a rip, but dealers don't pay each other, in general......

 

Is this fee paid to the selling dealer? If so, how much of that money is given to the accepting dealer? If someone paid $500 for this convenience to selling dealer and they in turn paid something less to the accepting dealer, they pocket the rest? Therefore, saved the paperwork and administrative cost and collected a tip as well?