Can a dealer tack on extra fees to an advertised price?
Asked by Guru9TCB8K Mar 20, 2021 at 07:36 PM about the 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage ES FWD
Question type: Shopping & Pricing
I saw your add for a 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage at Bomnin Homestead. When I got
to the dealer, the dealer wanted to charge for an advertised car of $10490,
14100 out the door!
2 Answers
Some of that is taxes and DMV fees, the rest is dealer fluff. Only pay the mandatory taxes and state fees.
Brandybild answered 3 years ago
This is a trick that works in favor of the dealer. It does several things for the dealer: By advertising a lower price (and adding the fees later) it raises the "ranking" of that dealer's car VS other cars, and for instance, may earn the listing on the web "GREAT DEAL" when in fact if all charges were known, it would not even rate "Fair Deal". Second, it gets you into their showroom, where they can sweet talk you or just plain wear you down and you accept the fees. And, it pushes the dealer's financing bonus up. Call the dealership and ask. The fees are indeed legal...but, then, so was slavery....legal but not right in both cases. However, if you stand firm, the dealer may reduce the price of the car by the amount of the fees, then add the fees back in. They will tell you they are "legally Obligated" to charge the fee, which is true in only once sense. It is true that if they charge one customer the fee, they must charge al the sustomers the fee. But, the dealer could opt to be open, hones, transparent and not charge any buyer the fee. So in that way, they are NOT legally obligated to charge the fee. No state mandates the fee, only "allows" it. Good luck.