I can relate. Many states have laws that regulate how much a car dealer can charge for certain fees, like doc fees. Florida doesn’t and it is the wild wild west. Doc fees on used cars range from $999 to $1,599 plus other dealer fees they want to charge in addition to tax, tag and title. One dealer was charging $4,000 before tax, tag and title in dealer fees and was using a ‘discounted’ internet price to hook you, i.e. bait and switch tactic. Some car dealers charge up to 25% of the car value in dealer fees in addition to the price so your out the door cost is outrageous. Or the price on their website or car site like autotrader.com looks really good then when you read the fine print the ‘price’ is after a minimum trade in value and financing through approved dealer financing. It’s worse for new car buyers they really gouge them in extra fees.
Been looking for a used car since late November and with the new rules set to take effect at end of July will probably wait until then to see if it curbs the shady car sales dealing that is currently prevalent.
That's like the "resort fee" that many big hotels now charge. If you get a discounted stay in Vegas, the "resort fee" can be bigger than the room charge.
Do you have something against buying a used car privately? Just find a seller who kept records of everything, and get him/her to let your mechanic look it over first. I’ve bought vehicles, among other things 😂, privately over the years with good results.
I’m hoping to wait until PDJT is back in office before buying another car.
Reasons:
1. I want a car that doesn’t spy on me or track my location.
2. I want a car without a kill switch that the goobermint or manufacturer can use to shut it down.
3. I want a car that can’t be hacked and used to kill me (like accelerating into a tree, for example).
4. I want a car without jacked up dealer fees.
Many more reasons, but those are the top ones that occur to me.
Last 3 cars I’ve bought were negotiated through email.
I sent my requirements to 3-4 different dealers that had a version of the vehicle I wanted and asked their best price.
I let them know that I was working with the others.
At one point I had a dealer tell me he could ship out of state and sell for more if I was going to ask for such a low price. I said good luck with that and dropped him.
Got best price and bought from that dealer. They tried to upsale me, of course, when I got there; but I was clear that I wouldn’t be doing any of that.