Faiz Merchant

My C2S cab just came in. Price was negotiated when I ordered the car four months ago. Now the contract includes $497 for "dealer services" and $259 for "phantom footprint". Has anyone else experienced these charges? The salesman says that every car this dealer sells has these charges.

sfo

tell the dealer to take a running jump into the nearest lake and procreate ..

mtbscott

Let me guess, it's a Sonic dealership?
If you balk enough they will remove the Phantom charge, but good luck on the Dealer's Services charge. I was told years ago by an insider that the DS charge is part of the store management's bonuses so it's sacred. Just try to negotiate your sales price to accomodate it.

Faiz Merchant

It is a. Sonic dealer.

rijowysock

you can get the phantom charge removed w/ ease.. the only way you'll opt out the dealer fee is to reduce the car cost to "consume" it..

since the car was special order, if you dont have a non refundable deposit i would explain the price was to include these costs and you are not going to pay it.. play hardball because the ball is in your court..



remember, the worst case scenario is you pay the original amount you're about ready to pay anyways.. play hardball and you could get them both removed.. just plead ignorance and remind them that your wife did want that new cayenne.. (even if she didn't)

BED997

What is phantom footprint slang for? You might not get out of the $497 ( I can relate) but ask them to throw in some goodies like a battery charge o mat.

duxsi

"phantom footprint" - Seriously?

What the heck is that?

rijowysock

"dealer upcharge"

another term for "why not add more if we get away with it"

duxsi

Are you sure its not this useless "security" feature?

https://pictures.dealer.com/glencove...c0f5932f99.pdf

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...ton_north.html

mtbscott

That's it. For better or worse, all Sonic Group dealerships put this on all their cars then want $259 for it. I have been successful twice now getting them to remove this cost but they did it by reducing the sales price by the same amount. The $497 is sacred as I noted before.
Sonic owns two of the three Porsche dealers in my town, two of the three Audi's, three of the six BMW stores, the list goes on.
Your choice buying here is take it or leave it, or go somewhere else. They will sell the car to the next guy that comes along, because they can.

rijowysock

next theyll be adding the "pin striping" and "door guards"

fester

Ridiculous. Don't pay a dime.

mtbscott

Then he won't get the car from Sonic. It's very easy to advise people on how they should negotiate a car based on your own experience. I have already stated mine, having dealt with Sonic dealerships here in town several times already. In my market, they have a near monopoly on most premium brands and if Buyer A won't pay their charges, Buyer B will. Maybe the OP's market is different but I doubt it. I hope we hear back from him with an honest appraisal of how things went.

WCE

$259 bucks for 6 labels - nice little profit center! My local dealerships used to force acid-etching the windows with the VIN but seemed to have stopped that practice, although in that case at least you got something for your money.
Another common bogus charge is the "bank fee" on financing and leases - crept up to $800 bucks last time I checked, and the "disposition fee" where they charge you for returning the car as agreed even if in perfect condition.
You wanna play these days you gotta pay!

aamersa

Some one in Sonic dealership area should contact a class action lawyer, a class action law suit will set them straight for good if their practice is illegal in any way. Many of you who have paid these charges may get refund checks in the mail as part of a settlement.