Re: Not informed beforehand about Dealer's "Pre-delivery Service Charge"

HondaofLisle — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 21:03:18 GMT

Some dealers have these charges. They're called prep charges. Typically they're just there for added gross. I work for a Honda dealership in Chicago, Honda of Lisle. We also have a pre-owned lot, The Used Car Superstore of Lisle and we don't have this charge. Mercedes may be different because they're high line. I also have an Infiniti dealer and we do not have this charge. It should have been disclosed up front if he was honest. In the future. Get the sale price, all fees and taxes. That way you can't go wrong.

Any other questions I can be reached at www.hondaoflisle.com , www.theusedcarsuperstore.com or www.infinitioflisle.com

Not informed beforehand about Dealer's "Pre-delivery Service Charge"

jahopson — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:37:42 GMT

My husband and I just purchased a used car from the local Mercedes Dealer on Saturday. After agreeing upon a price, he said that there would be "plus plus plus" charges such as taxes and tag costs. We agreed, verbally. THEN, when he presented us with the offer form to sign, there was a preprinted section for $599 with a description which said, "This charge represents costs and profit to the seller for items such as inspecting, cleaning, and adjusting vehicles and preparing documents relayed to the sale." We didn't say anything at the time but we felt "ambushed," although we went ahead and bought the car. Still, we went home feeling angry that he had not told us about this"pre-delivery service charge" beforehand but waited until after we'd agreed on the price. When he called today to ask if we were happy with everything, I questioned hm about this charge and he said this was a standard charge for all the vehicles they sold, new and used, and it was non-negotiable. I said we should have been told about this charge prior to us making an offer, since there was no mention of it on the price tag pasted on the car's windshield and he did not mention it when he said "plus plus plus." He acted very offended and asked if I felt he was deceitful and I said, "Yes. It might have changed what we offered." He said we would have ended up at the same number. I said that might have been the case but I would have like to have been informed of ALL costs above and beyond the purchase price (not just taxes and tag). He said in his 30+ years in the business NO ONE had ever questioned this charge and he had never disclosed it and no salesman he knew disclosed it, that "everyone knows there are fixed dealer fees associated with a sale that buyers must pay." I told him the omission of these charges left a bad taste in our mouths after what would have been an otherwise very pleasant transaction.

Is he right about this? Am I wrong to feel as if we should have been informed? And are these fees the norm? Why aren't they simply part of the price of doing business?

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Re: Not informed beforehand about Dealer's "Pre-delivery Service Charge"

Not informed beforehand about Dealer's "Pre-delivery Service Charge"