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Documentation Fees at your dealer?

Sitnbull

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Could some of you guys furnish your dealer’s fixed “documentation fee”? These fixed fees seem to be going up with every car purchase I have made. They used to be around $399 - $499 in my area. My local Ford dealer is now at $799. What are you seeing at your local dealership?
$499 in southern Maryland
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2022EOW

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I’ve complained about the fee before and managed to get some extra off the selling price, but they will not change the documentation fee on the paperwork.
In the long run, it's better for you that the selling price is reduced as you will pay less sales tax (if you pay vehicle sales tax in your state) as the selling fees are not taxed (at least in my state anyway).
 

motoretro

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$250 is max that be charged in my state, that said, it seems to hover around $200
 

AbbatheHutt

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My local dealer in southern Indiana offers no doc fee and a free lifetime power train warranty with the ecoboost engine.
 

Packer Bill

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I am going thru Granger...$180 doc fee and $45 transit tag fee.
 

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thosw

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So far, the dealer documentation fee has a range of $0 to $999!
 

vezpa

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$200 doc fee.
 

Xtreme Thunder

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New York, capped at $75!
 

JASmith

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I never concern myself with any fees or line items when making a vehicle purchase, I simply negotiate the "out the door" price, and they can put as many fees as they like into that price however they want. Otherwise its a constant game of surprise fees left and right, some of which don't even show up until you're sitting in the finance room and they'll even try to throw in $50 here and $50 there, and it can make it almost impossible to shop numerous dealerships otherwise (and we have always shopped at least 5 dealerships within a 100 mile radius). When you've already agreed to say $28K out the door after all taxes and fees, their hands are tied except on getting a lot of profit from you for add-ons like extended warranties and financing, and those are easy to decline in the finance room after you've locked in a price.
 
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thosw

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Excellent strategy.
 

Xtreme Thunder

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I never concern myself with any fees or line items when making a vehicle purchase, I simply negotiate the "out the door" price, and they can put as many fees as they like into that price however they want. Otherwise its a constant game of surprise fees left and right, some of which don't even show up until you're sitting in the finance room and they'll even try to throw in $50 here and $50 there, and it can make it almost impossible to shop numerous dealerships otherwise (and we have always shopped at least 5 dealerships within a 500 mile radius). When you've already agreed to say $28K out the door after all taxes and fees, their hands are tied except on getting a lot of profit from you for add-ons like extended warranties and financing, and those are easy to decline in the finance room after you've locked in a price.
Or you can be like me and say if they try to sell me anything in the finance department, I’m walking away. Effective strategy. I tell them if they waste my time, I’ll waste theirs. Usually 10 mins in and out of that chair.

I also always negotiate trade and new as separate transactions. If hey even think about giving me that little piece of paper with the four corner bit, I rip it up in its sections and start with new purchase square. They can only move on to the next one, trade in amount (if applicable) if the previous is agreed. I’m nice, yet no BS when it comes to vehicle buying. I know what I want before I even walk in, it’s not like they are actively helping me choose like back in the day.
 

millertyme15

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$199 in St. Louis
 

UberGadgetFreak

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Ford Maverick Documentation Fees at your dealer? 1626445697595


Welcome to the Charlotte, NC area... Poking around, you can find one or two dealerships at $699+$189. The thing I hear a lot at work is that "If you don't get X-plan, don't buy it around here"
 
 




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