As far as I'm concerned the culprits are the big wigs that own and run the dealerships. They're greedy and screw their own employees as readily as customers.
Try to find a dealer owner just getting by - you won't.

 

Alright man, you've struck a nerve with me on this one! I am going to bite my tongue (hold my fingers back) and just say that if someone does not like the conditions they are working under, that person can quit.

If the conditions of a business are so "greedy and screwful", then ALL the employees and ALL the customers can just leave - you may find an owner "just trying to get by" at that point.

 

Here's my personal problem with fees such as the processing fees. When I purchase a vehicle, and I'm negotiating a price, I want to know exactly what price I am paying when I shake hands. If after the handshake I sit down and find an extra $300 added on top for "processing," then we weren't negotiating the same price, were we?

Here's an example, I was negotiating with a dealer a several months ago. I made is clear up front that I was talking about out-the-door price, before tax and tags. Yet every time the dealer mentioned a price, I would ask "are there any other fees?" The answer was always a resounding, "OF COURSE THERE ARE THE STANDARD FEES!"

To me this is BS. If we are to negotiate, let's to it one of two ways...

1) Give me all the fees up front. Then we can negotiate on the base price. No surprises to me in the end. For every base price thrown on the table, I know exactly how many green sheets will be coming out of my pocket.

2) Let's drop all of the extra fees that end up part of the dealer profit. It's BS. If they want $300 more in profit, then add it to their "lowest price." Again, no surprises to me in the end, and again I understand just how many bucks I will be spending.

In the end it's all the same isn't it? Profit is profit for the dealer. The idea of adding $300 or so AFTER negotiation is that who really is going to argue? Well, I WILL! Several months ago I walked away from the car because the dealer started giving line after line of BS. I called them on it. Walked away without the car, and walked away a happier customer.

Here's another one, and I'll name the dealership. I will NEVER buy a car from Pulliam Wray Mazda/VW. They're so fulla $#!+ over there. I am certain that they are all trained to screw each and every customer that steps on the lot. Multiple salesmen have lied to my face about the car we were looking at. The goal was to get me in the car and off the lot as soon as possible, while making me THINK I got a deal. I quote, "What do I need to do to get you in a car TODAY?" I said, "show me to the one I came in." In looking at a used Mazda, they would not quit trying to get me to trade in a car I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO TRADE THEM (I was driving a rental as my own car was totalled). Another time, I was negotiating on a new VW, and I had already had my credit checked and negotiated on a price. I wanted to know what interest rate I was going to be allowed (to determine if I needed to look elsewhere for a loan). Every answer was in the form of one question, "what monthly payment would you like sir?" BS BS BS BS BS BS. Give me the damn interest rate. I'm smart enough to do some calculations. Give me the interest rate for 36 months, 48 months, 60 months, with 10% down, 25% down, whatever. I'll make the call. I'll choose the terms. WE WILL NOT NEGOTIATE ON A MONTHLY PAYMENT. THAT'S BS! I got the answer, "If you write a check for the down payment now, you can talk to our financial people and find out what your interest rate will be." BS!!!!

Every salesman will HATE me. I WILL get the deal I want, or I will not buy the car. I don't care what the salesman makes. I only car about what I make and what I have to spend. It's a business transaction, and I'm a business man. If I smell the slightest hint of BS, NO SALE! If I wasted that salesman's time, TOUGH! My time is precious too, and yet they seem to waste it with all these tactics to take my dollar.

Flame away!!! I've never bought a car and regretted what I paid, and you can't argue with that.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 00CivicSi
Here's my personal problem with fees such as the processing fees.

 

[QUOTE]
Every salesman will HATE me.

 

You know, if I walked into a car dealer and said, "Give me your best deal on your S2000." and the salesman/woman said, "Well, I need to put food on the table to feed my kids and keep the lights on too, so I'll give you $1000 off MSRP.", I think I'd $%&T my pants and fall off my chair. I'd then get up and sign on the dotted line and say, "You've got yourself a deal.". At least I can respect that. It could be over and done with inside of 10 minutes. The last time I checked, car salemen don't get payed by the hour. Why would you possibly want to spend countless hours going back and forth with me with cliche-ish tactics like I'm an idiot and in the end, we get nowhere accept pissed off and you lose your sale.

Why does it have to be such a painful, head-butting process to buy a friggen car? There should be no reason a customer has to be swindled and lied to. There is absolutely no excuse. And... We shouldn't have to except this to get better service, as mentioned earlier. That's

Afterall, $65-75 an hour for labor costs should entitle me, the customer, who bought a $30,0000+ automobile from your dealer, the best service I can possibly get.

I would agree that an educated customer can run the show. I think the problem with the car sales business is the lack of educated customers who allow these dishonest tactics to continue. People who just go out and aimless spend money without a care in the world.

Kris

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Purple Haze
Landmark Honda wants to charge $289 for a "processing fee." Is this a legitimate part of buying a car? If I refuse to pay it, am I being churlish and unreasonable?

 

I wouldn't pay one penny of that fee. I understand that the dealers are in business to make a profit and certainly have no problem with that. It's the way they go about disguising it as a "processing fee" that I object to.

If the dealership wasn't going to make any money on the deal then they wouldn't sell the car.

IIRC - those bogus fees were the subject of investigation in the mortgage industry recently - it may come to that with cars at some point.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RazorV3

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PilotKD
You know, if I walked into a car dealer and said, "Give me your best deal on your S2000." and the salesman/woman said, "Well, I need to put food on the table to feed my kids and keep the lights on too, so I'll give you $1000 off MSRP.",