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never pay more than $75 document fee - or the same by any other name

3K views 15 replies 6 participants last post by  Trey T 
#1 ·
#2 ·
The fee is actually sometimes mandated by state law, or controlled by it. I used to have a list. I probably posted it here ages ago. Some states have no upper limit, some have a set price. Some have a range.

Some of the documentation fees cover real services paid through to the particular state, or mandated by the state.

I'd be aware of my particular state's laws and costs before I argue or haggle over documentation fees so I could do so in a more informed manner.
 
#3 ·
The only law I have ever read about is that all customers in the dealership within a state must pay the same. The issue is that the "service" the fee is supposed to cover is reasonably accomplished for $75. Any amount more is gravy to the dealership. The workaround is to deduct the amount over $75 from the agreed price of the vehicle. Three state dealerships do the work for $75.. the fee covers the same services others charge much more. The legislators did a poor job of writing these laws but thankfully it can be legally deducted off the bottom line.
 
#4 ·
Many states have different laws. And different requirements. My dealership had to send someone to DMV.
 
#5 ·
there is an actual service whose cost needs to be covered, but in NY, the cost is $74. why then should some other states charge 10+ times more for the same or lesser service? It is mandated by law so it will indeed show up as a fee in the contract but you can then discount the final price by that amount. My state of colorado is absurdly expensive and I can assure you, my next Subaru purchase this year will discount the sales price by an amount of the fee difference. Colorado charges $508 for the same service that NY charges $74, so I will discount the sales price $434.
 
#7 ·
$335 NJ, $75 NY, etc, etc. One state I checked had fees near a grand.
 
#10 ·
Actually, there are more expensive states, by far, when it comes to these things.
 
#11 ·
expensive as in what they charge but not the actual costs to the dealership for that same service. there is no legitimate reason it should cost $500 in Colorado or TX $150 or Florida at over $600 (actually Florida dealerships can charge up to $999) when in NY it cost $75. The law allows them to charge it on the contract but there is no law anywhere stipulating what you should pay at the bottom line price of the vehicle so just subtract the difference on the cost of the vehicle.
 
#14 ·
Agreed dealers will charge what they can get away with (for the most part), but knowing the fees up front and understanding how it works in your state is key. For example, in NJ the fees you'll always have are tax, dealer/doc fee, and title/registration fee. The only real variable is the dealer fee as they are not standard in NJ (contrary to the link above) and surprisingly they are required to refund any overpayment on the motor vehicle fees. Then there are the extras ( etching, true coat, etc etc) which you can absolutely decline and I have so far to date. Ask around and figure out how it works in your state, and use it to your benefit.
 
#15 ·
only talking about doc fee.
the issue remains the same, whether there is a state cap or not. any doc fee should not be higher than those states charging about $75 (they all are providing the same service so why would the cost to one dealership be so much higher than another?). Any more than that and you are simply plumping the dealership profit.
 
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