Question for you guys about dealership fees ect.......

[OldF7Guy_imp]

So I find a 13 at a really good price. I mean really good. So good I was ready to buy if it checked out and close to home to boot. I call this am and get the scoop on the bike and everything sounds good so Im ready to put down my deposit to hold it. No problem with test rides when I get there and a older guy owned it. Guy calls me back to go over everything. Price of the bike check. Tax check. Title check. Something else that was 28.50 for the state check. Documents fee 199.00 NO. Set up or some other fee 199.00 NO.

So I walked away from the deal because of principal. Its still at a very very good price. But I dont like the tactic of getting me to call and then play games. If they had added 400 to the price to begin with I may have bought it anyway but was aggravated they did this. Because I wasted my time and hopefully some of theirs.

What are you guys seeing with dealerships doing this?? I told him flat out I will find one from an individual and wont pay that BS. He of course said everybody has to pay it and I told him Im not everybody. Deal went down the drain. OH, I was paying cash also so no financing and yet another way to get screwed if you are not careful.

 

[kevbroce_imp]

So I find a 13 at a really good price. I mean really good. So good I was ready to buy if it checked out and close to home to boot. I call this am and get the scoop on the bike and everything sounds good so Im ready to put down my deposit to hold it. No problem with test rides when I get there and a older guy owned it. Guy calls me back to go over everything. Price of the bike check. Tax check. Title check. Something else that was 28.50 for the state check. Documents fee 199.00 NO. Set up or some other fee 199.00 NO.

So I walked away from the deal because of principal. Its still at a very very good price. But I dont like the tactic of getting me to call and then play games. If they had added 400 to the price to begin with I may have bought it anyway but was aggravated they did this. Because I wasted my time and hopefully some of theirs.

What are you guys seeing with dealerships doing this?? I told him flat out I will find one from an individual and wont pay that BS. He of course said everybody has to pay it and I told him Im not everybody. Deal went down the drain. OH, I was paying cash also so no financing and yet another way to get screwed if you are not careful.

When I was calling around for pricing I just asked for the out the door price. I don't care how they mark it up, what's my cost to take it home. My preferred dealer didn't have one, so I didn't care who sold it to me.

 

[OldF7Guy_imp]

So I find a 13 at a really good price. I mean really good. So good I was ready to buy if it checked out and close to home to boot. I call this am and get the scoop on the bike and everything sounds good so Im ready to put down my deposit to hold it. No problem with test rides when I get there and a older guy owned it. Guy calls me back to go over everything. Price of the bike check. Tax check. Title check. Something else that was 28.50 for the state check. Documents fee 199.00 NO. Set up or some other fee 199.00 NO.

So I walked away from the deal because of principal. Its still at a very very good price. But I dont like the tactic of getting me to call and then play games. If they had added 400 to the price to begin with I may have bought it anyway but was aggravated they did this. Because I wasted my time and hopefully some of theirs.

What are you guys seeing with dealerships doing this?? I told him flat out I will find one from an individual and wont pay that BS. He of course said everybody has to pay it and I told him Im not everybody. Deal went down the drain. OH, I was paying cash also so no financing and yet another way to get screwed if you are not careful.

When I was calling around for pricing I just asked for the out the door price. I don't care how they mark it up, what's my cost to take it home. My preferred dealer didn't have one, so I didn't care who sold it to me.

When I was calling around for pricing I just asked for the out the door price. I don't care how they mark it up, what's my cost to take it home. My preferred dealer didn't have one, so I didn't care who sold it to me.
Valid point. THe 13 I was looking at was used. Been a long time since I have bought a car or motorcycle from a stealership. And that is exactly what they are. Im in the process of sending them a nasty email right now to tell them what I realy think.

 

[kmoney_imp]

I paid a $256 "administration fee" when I bought my '13 CB1100. Wasn't really happy about it -- especially since it was a cash sale and probably 80% of the F/I and documentation work was negated when compared to in-house financing -- but it was the same at all dealers in the province. Our local Honda dealer has a flat no negotiation policy on price or fees (I half jokingly said I'd buy the CB if they gave me a t-shirt and they told me they couldn't do a shirt but would do a ball cap). It seems like a lot of motorcycle dealers -- at least the ones around here -- are stuck with very outmoded business models and have little understanding of the time-value of money or repeat business.

 

[Cormanus]

OldF7Guy, that sucks. Kev's right: you should ask for an OTD price, but dealers should be smarter and advertise the OTD price. I don't know anyone who doesn't get annoyed by the trick of advertising one price then jacking it up with extras.

 

[redbirds_imp]

I asked my dealer for an out the door cash price on my 2013. The price seemed high so I asked for a price breakdown which included prep fees, etc. I walked away, leaving my cell#. Dealer called me before I got home and agreed to forgo all the extra charges and threw in a discount. I picked up the bike the next day. I can't blame dealers for getting as much as they legally can for each sale as they have much overhead to cover. Any deal that both buyer and seller are comfortable with is a good one.

 

[ClassicVW_imp]

Hey, they have to at least TRY to get maximum $$ for the bike. They don't know if you're a newbie, or someone with a lot of cash that may just pay bust out retail, or if you're a seasoned buyer or negotiator when you first walk in. But, when we start balking at the extra fees and say what they are doing is unfair, etc, then they should get the hint we're not happy and they should by then also notice we are serious about buying.

My dealer explained to me right up front when I called to see if the bike I was looking at on the Internet was still available. He said agreed price, state tax, $100 doc fee and $100 something else. The bike was advertised kind of low to begin with so I thought, what the heck, what matters is OTD price and I drove to the dealer. We had a short back and forth. He said one price, I said something that I knew was too low. He asked what I could live with OTD. I told him that I was going to buy a CB that day whether it was at his dealership, another dealership, or a private seller and that I had five $100 bills in my pocket for a deposit somewhere. I said I had two days off for work and didn't care if I had to drive 300 miles to get a good deal. I also said I didn't want to pay the fees. He said the fees stay. We talked some more. At some point we were stalled only $200 apart on a $7000 + taxes deal. I got up, shook his hand, and started to turn toward the door. Then I said- "Do you know we are only about $200 apart? " He stumbled and seemed a bit confused and said he'd go talk to the manager. The manager came out, I told him if he could find a way to lose the $200 I would hand over a deposit. He sat at the salesman's desk and wrote on the pad and reconfigured some of the amounts. He then showed me the paper and said this is the absolute best he could do for me. He got rid of $115 of the $200. At this point, feeling like he really tried, and realizing that $7010 was a very good deal, _I_ wasn't going to walk away because of $85 and we did the deal.

Sometimes the sales people aren't all that bright, maybe they can't think on their feet, or maybe they just stick to a script the all-controlling sales manager tells them to?

 

[DGShannon_imp]

So I find a 13 at a really good price. I mean really good. So good I was ready to buy if it checked out and close to home to boot. I call this am and get the scoop on the bike and everything sounds good so Im ready to put down my deposit to hold it. No problem with test rides when I get there and a older guy owned it. Guy calls me back to go over everything. Price of the bike check. Tax check. Title check. Something else that was 28.50 for the state check. Documents fee 199.00 NO. Set up or some other fee 199.00 NO.

So I walked away from the deal because of principal. Its still at a very very good price. But I dont like the tactic of getting me to call and then play games. If they had added 400 to the price to begin with I may have bought it anyway but was aggravated they did this. Because I wasted my time and hopefully some of theirs.

What are you guys seeing with dealerships doing this?? I told him flat out I will find one from an individual and wont pay that BS. He of course said everybody has to pay it and I told him Im not everybody. Deal went down the drain. OH, I was paying cash also so no financing and yet another way to get screwed if you are not careful.

When I was calling around for pricing I just asked for the out the door price. I don't care how they mark it up, what's my cost to take it home. My preferred dealer didn't have one, so I didn't care who sold it to me.

Same here. Didn't matter what line items they felt they needed to put in as I was only interested in what it cost me to take it home. Using email and phone, I played three dealers against each other until I got a number I was happy with. It helped greatly that each dealer had a 2013 on their showroom floor that folks were not exactly stepping on each other to buy.

 

[rboe]

In Arizona, if you charge a doc fee then you have to charge the same doc to everyone. So some fees they simply have to charge so the advise on OTD is spot on. If they have not discounted too much on the bike there will be areas where they can take the hit on so the OTD price is still attractive; and they still charge you the fee. Last time I did this, they simply gave me a lot more for my trade in.

 

[emptysea]

I think most, if not all, dealerships will quote a price that is exclusive of the other fees, taxes, mark-ups, etc. I don't like it one bit, but as long as I know my OTD price before I am about to sign, I figure that's part of the game. I don't think it makes the dealer bad because of this...just typical. I wouldn't pass up a really good deal if, ultimately, the OTD price was in fact still a very good deal.

 

[ClassicVW_imp]

I think most, if not all, dealerships will quote a price that is exclusive of the other fees, taxes, mark-ups, etc. I don't like it one bit, but as long as I know my OTD price before I am about to sign, I figure that's part of the game. I don't think it makes the dealer bad because of this...just typical. I wouldn't pass up a really good deal if, ultimately, the OTD price was in fact still a very good deal.

Well said.

 

[CIP57_imp]

The dealer agreed to sell me the bike for 10K, i just looked at my commitment order and it breaks down like this:
Cash Price 9410.00
Shipping 395.00
Conveyance Fee 195.00

Maybe its to his advantage to break it down like this I'm not sure.

 

[Motogeezer1949_imp]

Some dealers do and some don't. The dealer we found for Eric's CB, besides having a significantly lower price, didn't charge for shipping or set up, which was another $850.00 in savings. They also had a very realistic fee for the title work. Shop around and don't hesitate to haggle even the lowest of prices. Plus - free or discounts on helmet, jacket, gloves, boots, accessories - AND/OR free oil and filter change or two. Worst they can say is no - AND - don't be afraid to start to walk. I had a sales guy run out and chase after me as my sons and I were getting in our car after what, up until that point, was an unsuccessful negotiating session.

 

[Powerdogg55]

On my 14 DLX the bill of sale had a base price,dealer prep, accessories, DOC fees, subtotal and sales tax. We had already settled on an OTD cash price and when I reviewed the invoice at first my blood pressure went up seeing a figure in some of these columns however, at the bottom of the document was over $700.00 in credits offsetting DOC, prep, freight, etc. with the agreed upon OTD price as quoted.

 

[flynrider]

OTD is the only thing that matters. I don't care if the dealer hass a $1000 doc fee as long as the the OTD price is acceptable. Most car and some motorcycle dealerships use these fee games to maximize their profit on the sale. They kind of hope the customer will question the fees, so they can give you a compelling story to justify them. The only way to avoid this (and keep your sanity) is just to refuse to play the game and make your decision based on the OTD price. The bottom line (literally) is all that should matter in the deal.

 

[Cormanus]

OTD is the only thing that matters. I don't care if the dealer hass a $1000 doc fee as long as the the OTD price is acceptable. Most car and some motorcycle dealerships use these fee games to maximize their profit on the sale. They kind of hope the customer will question the fees, so they can give you a compelling story to justify them. The only way to avoid this (and keep your sanity) is just to refuse to play the game and make your decision based on the OTD price. The bottom line (literally) is all that should matter in the deal.

Hear, hear.

 

[OldF7Guy_imp]

OTD is the only thing that matters. I don't care if the dealer hass a $1000 doc fee as long as the the OTD price is acceptable. Most car and some motorcycle dealerships use these fee games to maximize their profit on the sale. They kind of hope the customer will question the fees, so they can give you a compelling story to justify them. The only way to avoid this (and keep your sanity) is just to refuse to play the game and make your decision based on the OTD price. The bottom line (literally) is all that should matter in the deal.

I had two days to stew this over and knew or thought I knew what it was going to cost. They did try to justify the markups but it was a miserable attempt on their part. You guys are all right about OTD. This one was in state so taxes ect came into play along with all sorts of other BS.

Documents fee for 199. NO way that is part of doing business. SEt up fee for 199. How, this was a used bike that was traded in? They said that it was to go over it change oil blah blah blah which we all know is a lie.

OTD or private owner is the lesson learned here for me. Private owner is the way to go. I am an old man and I have never in my life bought a used car or motorcycle from a dealer. Never. And now I am reminded why. Always had better luck with individuals that tend to be truthful and forthright about things. Appreciate the imput here guys to get me back on the right track. I am going to redefine my search and cancel out all stealerships.

 

[Motogeezer1949_imp]

I'm 65. And I agree. If an individual has what you want, and it checks out ok, they're definitely the way to go.
Dealers are ok, but they have their quirks. I doubt if they spend much time if any, sales training their people.
I enjoy messing with them and I have lots of acquaintances that ask me to go with them when thinking about buying, either bike or car.
It's so much better to double team the sales person.
There are lots of approaches you can use to try to get what you want, but you always have to be ready to walk if things aren't going well.
If I know what I'm buying, I like Internet sales the best. It's easy to negotiate, you get every offer and counter in writing AND your in no hurry.
Plus, it gives you plenty of time to compare prices, services and product.
You can even be negotiating two or more deals at the same time.
My buddy had his heart set on a CBRR once and the sales guy wouldn't budge off full price. We eventually got a full face Shoei a pair of gloves and the first service included.
That made it juicy enough for my friend to pull the trigger.

 

[OldF7Guy_imp]

I'm 65. And I agree. If an individual has what you want, and it checks out ok, they're definitely the way to go.
Dealers are ok, but they have their quirks. I doubt if they spend much time if any, sales training their people.
I enjoy messing with them and I have lots of acquaintances that ask me to go with them when thinking about buying, either bike or car.
It's so much better to double team the sales person.
There are lots of approaches you can use to try to get what you want, but you always have to be ready to walk if things aren't going well.
If I know what I'm buying, I like Internet sales the best. It's easy to negotiate, you get every offer and counter in writing AND your in no hurry.
Plus, it gives you plenty of time to compare prices, services and product.
You can even be negotiating two or more deals at the same time.
My buddy had his heart set on a CBRR once and the sales guy wouldn't budge off full price. We eventually got a full face Shoei a pair of gloves and the first service included.
That made it juicy enough for my friend to pull the trigger.

Appreciate the advice. Im already thinking about add ons or other things I want as part of the deal. 13s are not flying off the shelf right now I sent yet another email willing to deal just a little bit but I dont expect a response. Dealers think of this stuff in terms of cost not sell so I may be able to get a bit more out of them. Winter is setting in hard here so lets just sit back and wait. I am in no hurry. My 750 runs perfect.

 

[Motogeezer1949_imp]

You did well man!