Yes. Absolutely extra profit for the dealer. Do you notice a "shop supplies" charge on your service invoices? Mechanics started that one to up their profits about 15-20 years ago. Burns my ass up. Perhaps I should charge my patients for the drops, tissues, paper towels, alcohol swabs I use during their exam. Hell why not just charge them for the Rx pads as well?
I never understood why people do that in the billing rather than lumping it into the pricing? Why make the nickel and diming so obvious to the customer? Is it to make the prices falsely low when advertised to get people in then tack it on?
I went to look at the first Alfa Guilas that arrived at my dealer. He claimed they were selling them at "MSRP". So I look at the sticker and it loaded with stupid "dealer options" that no one would want, including nitrogen in the tires for like $500. All in all, about 3 grand added -- but it was still MSRP! What a rip off.
In Illinois, they are "documentary fees". They are about $175.00 and they are on EVERY new and used vehicle from any dealer. Do you want to hear the best part? They are taxable!
Florida is the king in this category. $600 is pretty standard for the "Dealer Fee" However, when you push, they'll shave it down to about $175.00, and you think you're getting a deal. Last time I leased a car, it had about $2K in dealer junk added, including the dreaded nitrogen in the tires fee of about $200. I told them to take it out of the tires and put regular air in. They told me the $200 included filling the tires for life when the pressure needed adjusting. I reminded them that nitrogen is much less likely to need adjusting. Eventually we settle on $50 for that. Pin stripes, window tint, they even tried to charge for a tank of gas. Told them to leave it empty. I hate dealer fees that are BS, and there are a lot of them. The local Ford guy I lease from understands me now and just strips out the BS on the car price before we even get started. D
The "dealer fee" in Switzerland is Swiss Francs 1'000 (=US$ 1'100, one thousand one hundred). Marcel Massini
Cool. Because I love making an appointment at the dealer and driving across town to add a bit of air to my tires, instead of going to the gas station 3 blocks away.
The Documentary Fee was explained to me by a salesman as contributing to the Dealer Principal's 401(k) Plan.
I guess the joke could be taken one step further. How about Helium filled tires to make a car "lighter" and better handling?
The earth's atmosphere is 85% Nitrogen anyway. Unless you are racing, nitrogen filled tires are a joke and a rip-off. Alden
And dealers wonder why they have a crap reputation.....On second thought they don't wonder about it. They don't think about it at all.
Of course you charge your patients for these things, you just don't itemize them on the bill. Never saw a business not incorporate operating expenses into their costs for running a business. I'm sure you also don't deduct them from your revenue to figure your profits and taxable income.
I asked if he'd come to the house if I had a flat and fill it up. Sales guy said, "Nope." So did I. D
It's all a matter of supply and demand. If the car is in enough demand they will tack on as much as they can. If the reverse is the case, you can get them down until they say "uncle".
It is actually, "By volume, dry air contains 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1% at sea level, and 0.4% over the entire atmosphere."
They're just blissfully ignorant of such things. Ever ask a doctor what a test or procedure costs? They will look at you like a deer looks at the front of the car right before it is struck.
When I was a contractor and told the client it would be $1200 for a door installed, they would balk. But if I quoted them $600 for the door, $100 for removal and hauling of old door, $100 for framing alterations, $150 for moulding, and $250 for install all was well. It just depends on your type of business and the perceived value of your goods and service.
My granfather was an MD in rural PA and helped with establishing Geisinger Medical Center. I think he took a couple chickens and a loaf of bread as payment for service back in the 30s & 40s, my how times have changed.
It's not just demand. It's people not knowing what it is and just thinking it is an actual expense or work provided by the dealer. They call it administrative fee here. I have even seen it on used cars dealers. It is as if you went to whole foods and saw a stocking fee because they have to pay employees to actually put the food on the shelf.