Negotiating Dealer Fees

[Anonymous]

I am going to buy a car this week and saw that dealers in VA can charge a lot more than those in MD.

I am all for paying for services - but the website lists what the processing fee covers and I am not using most of those services (The only service is getting the car registered in DC)

Anyone successful negotiating these?

[Anonymous]

Dealers dont like negotiating their fees. You can negotiate the price though. (Big difference right?)

Best thing is to negotiate on Out-the-door (OTD) price.

[Anonymous]

They have so many fees. If they lower one, they will add another one.
Seems like I paid $29,700 for the car. $500 doc fee whatever that is. $940 tax, $400 non tax fee.
DC registration cost them ca $1300 which they paid out of the above money.
They started negotiations $5k higher.
The car starts at $28,800 on manufacturers website.
I did get 0% finances.
I live in DC and had to go to DMV to figure out where my tags where as the dealership had no idea. DC DMV printed out the paper stating when the dealer got the tags two weeks ago. I emailed them and they found the tags two minutes later from the pile of DC tags.
I will never have a decent car buying experience. This was just one thing out of ten mess ups.
Good luck.

[Anonymous]

the doc fee is generally non-negotiable. it's a bs fee and pure profit. you can complain about it, but focus on negotiating MSRP and other add-ons as the off-set

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dealers dont like negotiating their fees. You can negotiate the price though. (Big difference right?)

Best thing is to negotiate on Out-the-door (OTD) price.

+1 This!

Don't focus on all the fees. Focus on your out the door or off the lot price = total price all in on everything (taxes, tags, fees, car price, etc).

Easiest way to negotiate is not to physically go to a dealer. Once you know the make, model, and trim of the car you want, send an email to multiple dealers in the area nothing what you want, and any specifics like color, etc and ask for their off the lot price. Then compare the offers and play them off of each other. Someone will be willing to make a deal that you will find acceptable. If not, its easier to ignore an email than be stuck at a dealership.