How much should Doc Fees cost when purchasing used car??
In my opinion, $0. The dealer’s paperwork should be part of his cost of doing business.
I agree they should be zero. However I tend to believe that it is best to tell the dealer to only give me the final price. That is the price I am going to pay so I could care less how he want to break it up on his books. Don’t do the deal and then allow the dealer to nickel and dime you to death at closing. The first time they quote a price, ask them if that is the out the door price. If not ignore that price.
I have purchased all my cars that way with one exception. That one they reduced the price $500 when I went to pick it up. It appears that the manufacture had added a rebate. Nice.
http://www.carbuyingtips.com/car3.htm
Go to the above link. It explains all the things to watch for when purchasing a new vehicle.
Tester
There used to be no such thing as “documentation fees.” As Ranck mentioned,the dealer merely absorbed his paperwork expenses. But they have appeared and now every dealer imposes these fees, charging whatever they like. Fees of $250-$500 are not uncommon.
Such fees are often not negotiable. You are dealing with a salesman who is under strict orders from the owner that the fees cannot be waived or reduced, not for any reason. But the salesman might be able, if you insist most strongly, to take a few hundred off some other item such as the base car price or the option package. Bargain hard, see what you can get.
Just say what it would be worth it to you to buy the car today, and walk if they won’t negotiate. They are making way too much money to pay their people $7 an hour for almost no work. When you walk ask how much it would cost for the paperwork to be done right.
There are state fee’s for processing/creating the title and temp plates if applicable etc. However simply negotiate with the delivered price(eg not fees etc) and no worries.
In Kansas and Missouri “Doc Fees” have no relation to any state-imposed fees. They are for the “services” of the dealer in providing a title to you (which is required to complete the transaction, anyway). Some dealers insist on charging them, and my car price offer is reduced dollar for dollar if they do not agree to bring them to zero. This was the tack used in my last used car transaction, so that the salesman can always say that this dealer charges everyone the same doc fees…So be it; I got my truck; they got their money.
It doesn’t matter, the only number that matters is the total cost to you. Ask for the bottom line cost and ignore the other BS. Find the best deal based on the total cost.
The tax and title amounts are listed separately from “documentation fees.” At least they were last time I purchased a car. It’s a fee the dealer charges to fill out all the forms and send a lackey to the DMV to pick up the plates, etc. When I bought my car I said, “take it off” and they deducted that amount from the purchase price instead. The bottom line was what I agreed to, so how they list it is not my problem.