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How much were your Doc fees?

2K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  davemac 
#1 ·
A lot of discussion about price has gone on, but no one has discussed the 'Doc Fee' dealers charge. Here in AZ, $250-$300 is about the norm.

What is everyone else paying?
Were you able to negotiate the Doc Fee down?
Are there states where they don't charge Doc fees?
 
#2 ·
If doc fees = destination & handling fee, we paid $460 here in Virginia.

Threadhead said:
A lot of discussion about price has gone on, but no one has discussed the 'Doc Fee' dealers charge. Here in AZ, $250-$300 is about the norm.

What is everyone else paying?
Were you able to negotiate the Doc Fee down?
Are there states where they don't charge Doc fees?
 
#3 ·
Re: Re: How much were your Doc fees?

pjl56 said:
If doc fees = destination & handling fee
No, that is a charge from Honda to the dealer. Everyone pays that.
 
#4 ·
Re: Re: Re: How much were your Doc fees?

Threadhead - 250-300 in AZ ?? Here in CA, I paid $45. Didn't think about negotiating that down. The line item says "Document Preparation Fee (Not a governmental fee)" =====> $45

I would have thought CA would have been on the higher side, if you are saying its 250-300 in AZ. Oh well.. what am I complaining, then ?

Threadhead said:


No, that is a charge from Honda to the dealer. Everyone pays that.
 
#5 ·
Re: Re: Re: How much were your Doc fees?

I got you on the "doc fee" now. Here in VA all of the dealers called it a "processing fee." Of the 8 dealers I contacted during the research phase, it ranged from $179 to $199. They all spoke of it as if it were an absolute ("And, of course, there's the tax, tags, and processing fee.") to the point that I didn't think about it being negotiable. Fortunately, I guess, I bought from a dealer with the fee at the low end.

Threadhead said:


No, that is a charge from Honda to the dealer. Everyone pays that.
 
#7 ·
I know the 'Doc Fee' here in AZ covers the expense of filing for title with the state (about $40). So I would imagine that other state are similar. The balance is pure profit.

Here in AZ they usually have it printed on the sales agreement. Negotiable?, they just laugh.
 
#9 ·
Whatever works for ya!

I had three MSRP offers in hand and tried to play them off of each other to try to get some additional concession to "seal the deal." Even asking for increasingly minor things, each gave me the "I wish I could" speech followed by the listing of folks ready to buy if I didn't.

Obviously, two of them lost my business because they wouldn't budge.

dntsne1 said:
PROCESSING FEES????????????????????:3:
I would klubber someone,
Hell no I have never paid a processing fee. I would tell them to go fly a kite because they are making enough dam money off the pilot!
Later,
Pat
 
#10 ·
Georgia sucks

Some states regulate the max a dealer can charge for this. Georgia doesn't, so $195-$350. is everywhere. I did $195....
It also depends on the car. They won't budge on high demand and high profile vehicles, but it's usually negotiable on "invoice deals" of lesser vehicles.
 
#11 ·
Doc fees

I paid $198 Doc fee + $61 for tags & registration in North Carolina. Paid MSRP for a Redrock Pearl EX-L RES that I ordered back in March!
It was good to be the first one on the list, but I had to e-mail 6 Honda dealerships in the area to find one willing to work with me at MSRP.:3:
 
#13 ·
I believe the "docs" are subjectively set by the individual dealer. This is part of the trend where dealers make additional $ after the vehicle price is arrived at. Buyers are much more educated now on invoice prices (thx to Edmunds, etc). This leverage gives them a good idea how much the dealer is making on the deal. My experience is that dealers are now making much of their $ after arriving at the vehicle selling price (although not so much the case with cars selling >= msrp). The buyer has a tendency to "let his/her guard down" after haggling to what they think is the final price (and dealers know this). It is then that the vultures move in, pushing accessories, window vin etching, alarms, ext warrantees - all with well practiced sales pitches. The doc seems to be one of these practices.
You think you've sealed the deal, & now have your heart set on the car. Not many buyer are then going to nix the deal when then they learn of the doc and/or administrative fee, only when signing final paper work. An extra $100-$400 per car (for essentially 5 minutes of filling out paperwork) adds up quickly to a dealer.
Moral of the story: before haggling out final vehicle price, ask dealer what the admin costs, prep costs, etc. are. You want to know what your "out the door cost" is.
Two cars ago I was scammed (illegally I later found) by the finance guy. After offering a good rate of 6%, he told me he had one bank who would knock another point off- to 5% if I purchased the extended warrantee ($1000). Over life of loan, savings would be $650. Thus I was getting 100k warrantee for $350. A "no-brainer" but an illegal practice, and you know the slime got a good commission on the warrantee sale.
 
#14 ·
I paid 'em

My documents/processing fee was $169, and, yes, I paid it. Another dealership in town was charging $250, so I felt somewhat better about it. And, yes, I know we fought it -- and won -- on our last car purchase, but I didn't put up a fight this time (guess I was worn down or too eager to get out of there or something>>.)

Salesman discounted MSRP by $129, however, so it kind of evened out. He had told me he'd throw in splashguards (this was when I put down a deposit) and when it arrived with partial splashguards, he said he could either order and install the rear ones or give me credit and let me do it myself.

Credited $129...ordered from Tim for under $30. By the way, can I install these myself? I am in no way handy with cars or tools. :)
 
#15 ·
plenty of install advice on acuramdx.org site. Simple as 3 screws. Clockwise to tighten. Sound like the tire may restrict access to one screw . Thus, need either a "stubby" phillips, or remove wheel, or jack car to point where wheel is to leave ground- to allow additional access. Hoping to have my guards (along with trailer pkg) waiting for me when I get home tonite.
 
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