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Came close to pulling the trigger today on a 2014 CB1100 Std. The dealer was advertising the bike at $9397 which, compared to all the other ads seemed like a really good price. I also learned that it included a Yoshimura RS-3 slip- on that was installed by the dealer. Sounds great, right? I get a finance break down and see the usual suspects: tax, license, doc, and freight fees. I also see a $575 "ADM" fee. I balk at the fee, not knowing what it is and am told it's an "additional dealer mark up" fee that covers putting the bike together (front wheel plus tightening bolts) and to "keep the store alive."
In the end, I called a time out. It just didn't feel right. Felt like I had been duped. Lured in by the "low price" only to have them add some arbitrary fee based on who knows what. I'd rather have seen the higher price up front without the fee that gets added on after the price is negotiated and agreed upon. Am I just naive? Is this what all dealers do? I looked at the paperwork for my VFR and there's nothing like this listed.
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Yes some dealers charge for shipping and set up. You may be able to talk them down. There not much mark up on a new bike. Perhaps they should have called it setup and freight. I don't think it's a bad deal plus you get a slip on. Harley charges crazy set up and freight perhaps they have them flown in by helicopter and have a well known celebrity put them together.
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(09-17-2014, 03:07 PM)Stealth128_imp Wrote: Yes some dealers charge for shipping and set up. You may be able to talk them down. There not much mark up on a new bike. Perhaps they should have called it setup and freight. I don't think it's a bad deal plus you get a slip on. Harley charges crazy set up and freight perhaps they have them flown in by helicopter and have a well known celebrity put them together.
Thanks. But these guys already had, in addition to this fee, a freight charge. And set up consists of putting the front tire on and tightening bolts. I don't know that they were including the time it took to add the slip- on (they didn't say that was part of it), but they took it upon themselves to add it. I didn't ask for it. So, if freight is already being charged (just over $300), and "set- up" is minimal, it just feels like a sneaky way to get deeper into my pocket. And at a point when you're so close to riding away with the bike, they know most people will just eat it. Maybe I should have too. Guess that's what I'm trying to figure out.
I do appreciate your feedback! Maybe they'll let me pick the celebrity I want to do the set- up if I go back! I wonder how good Kate Upton is with a wrench. Who am I kidding, I'll check the bolts later just to watch her fiddle around with my bike.
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(09-17-2014, 02:51 PM)metallyguitarded_imp Wrote: Came close to pulling the trigger today on a 2014 CB1100 Std. The dealer was advertising the bike at $9397 which, compared to all the other ads seemed like a really good price. I also learned that it included a Yoshimura RS-3 slip- on that was installed by the dealer. Sounds great, right? I get a finance break down and see the usual suspects: tax, license, doc, and freight fees. I also see a $575 "ADM" fee. I balk at the fee, not knowing what it is and am told it's an "additional dealer mark up" fee that covers putting the bike together (front wheel plus tightening bolts) and to "keep the store alive."
In the end, I called a time out. It just didn't feel right. Felt like I had been duped. Lured in by the "low price" only to have them add some arbitrary fee based on who knows what. I'd rather have seen the higher price up front without the fee that gets added on after the price is negotiated and agreed upon. Am I just naive? Is this what all dealers do? I looked at the paperwork for my VFR and there's nothing like this listed.
In any other business this would be called overhead and would be included in the price of the product. To this day, the "doc" fee still cracks me up. A dealer friend of mine refers to it as the "extra profit fee".
Don't get me wrong, I think dealers should make a profit on every bike they sell. I just take exception to the practice of luring buyers with a low price, then attempting to tack on all of their profit at the finance desk. When I shop I ask for an out the door price. They can include whatever fees by whatever name they want to call them, as long as the OTD price remains the same. That's really the only way to know the price of a bike before you sit down to sign.
While the fee game is almost ubiquitous in cars sales, thankfully most bike dealers I've dealt with choose not to play it.
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I guess I'm fortunate that in my neck of the woods there are alot of dealers competing for business and I've been able to avoid paying additional "freight or ADM" type fees...I've bought three bikes in the last three years and have never paid any added fees other than tax and title.
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Look elsewhere, bad dealer.
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I feel your pain. If there had been a CB1100 close to me, other than the one I have, I would have done it. Asking was something like $9200. After all the BS fees and taxes, $11900!!! I flipped out. Told him $10k out the door or I walked. Finally settled on $10.5k out the door. I said okay, I will talk to the bank. Next day the sales rep is texting me info about the bike and busts out with 'hey can your bank hurry, someone else is looking to buy your bike'. I lost it. The bank already approved my loan. I ripped in to the guy hard. He then said 'oh he left, I can pull it off the showroom floor'.
The fun didn't stop there.
My bank gets in touch, all work is done. I drive 1.5hrs in traffic to get there and pick it up and some 19 year old punk in finance is finishing my paperwork. He told my bank to book my loan for 10964. 464 over what we agreed. I, again, lost it. He starts getting an attitude with me and starts saying I'm full of crap and need to come back Monday to get the bike. No. You're fixing this and I'm riding this weekend. More talking. Finally he says I will come Monday for reimbursement check and I can take the bike. Picking up the bike and some service tech is asking how I want the throttle adjusted. Which is cool cause I asked early in the day if they would take the horrible lash out. Good to see it getting done now.
The fun still hasn't stopped.
I call Monday to let them know I'm an hour away and coming to get my check. Punk kid says 'yeah bro we will have it ready'. When I get there he tells the receptionist to go make it. She explains it takes a while and she will do it tomorrow. He makes her do it that day but only after I've arrived. How long does it take it get a check? 1 hour. How long does it take for his supervisor to walk over from next door cause he doesn't want to bother him? An additional 2 hours. I lost it again.
My intent was not to have a missing contest but to let you know, you're not alone. If you ever have the chance, find a dealer who is interested in taking care of you. And at least I haven't heard of anyone getting dragged through the mud like I did. Most unprofessonal place in the world. Honda of Houston.
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what was the total OTD price, that's what it comes down too?
If you're OK with it or not.
And if possible compare at another dealer to see if they are in line
Although it does seem odd a dealer adding aftermarket pipes on a Honda, never seen that before?
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We have a few dealer in the metro NY area the do the same thing. After years of buying bikes you weed them out. There is one dealer NEW YORK HONDA YAMAHA in Long Island City the owner name Darin, straight shooter the price advertised is out the door plus tax. I usually shop by phone and than go to my dealer with the lowest price.
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I guess I'm kind of with Flynrider on this, at least to the extent that it comes down to the OTD price. What difference does it make in the long run if you were lured in by one price, but get the bike at a price you are willing to pay?
I don't know of any vehicle type, other than possibly a riding mower, that advertises the out the door price. You go in, negotiate a price, and either walk out or ride out. In fact, having the ADM listed gives you power because you know that they can knock some or all of that off and still make money on the bike.
Still, though, I'm a big proponent of going with your gut and if you were getting a bad feeling about how the dealer was handling the transaction, then walking away is probably the right thing.
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