I am getting charged 249.00 for "processing fees & customer benefits package". Sounds like a crock to me but I was just glad to find a dealer who would allocate me a Hot Lava so I didn't complain.

 

What is offered with the customer benefits package?


Doc

 

dealer "documentation" or "dealer service" or "customer benefits" fees are generally to cover the cost of filing, legal docs, title work, paperwork, office staff and so forth. some dealers send that money directly to the bottom line profit. it all depends on your market. i am right outside atlanta where most dealers are charging $399-$599. i just got a guy from florida an xB cos where he lives the fees are higher than mine. remember that pure price is on the financing and vehicle pricing, not on trade or fees, which are market dependant.

 

I've never heard of a customer benefits package or fee?

 

i asked specifically about a dealer processing fee with my salesperson. he had never heard of it. There was a 50 dollar documentation fee, which is them basically getting the license plates. ask about it upfront, you should be doing that anyway before agreeing to sign.

 

Right, and I'll add that (reading my edited post above) My dealer had added these fees originaly, but after I started calling these fees by my OWN names (can't repeat them here) They were all removed. You do not need to pay these fees and not paying them should not be a deal breaker.. Just ask them about it, making sure to mention that there are other dealers that do not add profit like this, they may remove it.

 

I have no idea what is in this "benefits package", but I am pretty sure it only benefits the dealer! I did not complain yet but I might mention it when I actually go to the dealership (I had to order out of state). It just doesn't seem right to me to have "one price" pricing but then dealers are adding these 50.00-600.00 fees on to the total. I have no problem with a doc fee of 29-49 dollars but these fees are rediculous.

 

These fees (document fees, processing fees, whatever the scammers choose to call them) exist only to generate extra profit. Dealers charge, or try to charge, these fees for all the vehicles they sell, not just the no haggle Scions. My dealer said they charge around $250, and sell about 250 vehicles per month, so they are generating an additional $62,000 of pure profit revenue every month!!! The attempted justifications of processing paperwork, etc. are simply bull because they have office staff who's sole purpose is to handle administrative duties, and we all pay hefty dealers prep fees anyway which more than cover delivery costs, vehicle prep, and administrative expenses. They are making a profit on every sale, or they sure wouldn't agree to even make the sale, and this is just one other method to rake in some bucks. Always try to bully or bluff your way out of paying this if you can - it's a ripoff no matter how you look at it.

P.S. We're already getting raped on the accessories prices, but hey no one is forcing us to buy them, and that's probably how Toyota is making real money on these relatively cheap little boxes.

 

Here in Southern Connecticut dealers charge between $249 to $399 in dealer fees.

This is in addition to the Scion delivery charge listed on the web site.

According to Scion, dealers can charge whatever Dealer Fees they want, provided it is visibly posted in the showroom.

Needless to say, I went with a dealer who charges $249.

regards,
Paul

 

Its amazing to see what the difference in pricing is between dealer's processing fees.

 

Thats just disturbing.... yet i am strangly drawn to and forced to chuckle.... and I am not talking about the dealer fees

 

Pay tax and title. No doc fees, processing fees, customer benefit (biggest BS i've ever heard) fees. It's all PROFIT. The dealer makes something like $900 for every BASE xB they sell, they don't deserve to make any more money off of you unless they treat you like god and give you tons of free stuff.

Andrew