Just walked out when buying a truck, because of $995 for 'ceramic paint coating'.

[TimeFlies]

There's reasons why only a select few work in auto sales. Not saying you have to sell your soul... but I'm guessing it doesn't hurt.

But in your example, you left out what I think is called "burden" cost. That employee making $22 costs more like $30/hr, maybe more. Benefits add up. Plus it costs money to have a roof over them while working. So the cost of that labor total might be more like $50/hr.

Plus... in the end... most people just pay the cost and move on. Dealerships have learned that. They can bend a bit more on the upfront cost, knowing that they can make up for it on the backend. Sometimes (often?) they win on both accounts, and then they do really well.

It's easy to throw stones at them (and I think they deserve all of 'em) but in sales, there are times when sales goes to nothing. One economic downturn and nothing is to be had. Their fault if they don't stockpile during good times, but its the nature of their business, they have busy times and slow times.

True.

When I bought my F150, it wasn't ceramic coated, or a bunch of other items added. It had undercoating, and mud flaps, I believe that I negotiated them down to half of their asking price on those, it was long ago so not positive on the amount. I did for sure negotiate half off the document fee, and $2500 off the price of the truck.
Then asked them to either remove the license plate bracket, and stick on dealership advertising they applied, or give me $5,000 cash for doing their advertising. They took the stickers, and license plate bracket off, which looked tacky at best.

 

[loneryder]

The question to ask is what the dealer associations are paying the lobbyists to do. Almost every FTC ruling of the past few decades has been about paying "juice" from one organization to another organization to receive a favorable ruling. Over the past few decades, the only significant ruling I am tracking that was "shot down" was the ATT merge with T mobile.

This is one of the big problems we have today...Anti-Trust monopolies not being enforced. Organizations are allowed to get so large that they can and do buy government. In your example T Mobile turned around and bought Sprint, AT&T is already too large.

 

[zzyzzx]

Its the markup that annoys me.
They hire someone cheap to do the labour,

Why do you assume that stated alleged ceramic coating is actually applied?

 

[Donald]

Why do you assume that stated alleged ceramic coating is actually applied?

Can one assume a car from the factory needs no paint correction or other prep work? Beyond washing?

 

[CKN]

Why do you assume that stated alleged ceramic coating is actually applied?

A cup of water poured on the hood and I could tell..............

 

[puellarum]

I got a ceramic coating on my new car and I'm a big fan of the technology. It's amazing. It renders carnauba wax totally obsolete.

That said, $1,000 is a little bit high but not terribly much. More standard is the range of $700 or 800 for a really nice pro job that is warrantied for at least 5 years and maybe seven.

That said, I would not want the dealership to do it. I want to take the car and select the shop or service myself. I think it's safe to assume the dealership would have some mass purchased fleet vehicle deal, and you wouldn't get the quality of work that you would if you selected your own shop.

 

[totegoat]

Sounds like the movie Fargo.

 

[mrsilv04]

Sounds like the movie Fargo.

Except I walked out and left.

 

[mrsilv04]

Sadly, they probably could care less that you walked. Go back on the last day of this month, if they still have the truck I bet they might move on it. Always shop new cars at the end of the month.

I couldn't care any less if it bothers them that I walked out or not. They had their chance and blew it.

I don't go back

 

[B6_Dolphin]

When I was looking at ordering a '23 Audi last fall, Audi of McKinney (TX) had the model I wanted already on-order, but was adamant about adding their protection package once it was delivered to the dealership from the factory:

*This vehicle is equipped with the following dealer installed options: Sewell Protection Package including door cup guards, window tint, and paint protection on rear bumper. The price of this package is $990. Please see Sewell Audi McKinney for details.

I ended up buying from a different Audi dealer - one that didn't impose any dealer add-ons for completing the sale.

 

[puellarum]

When I was looking at ordering a '23 Audi last fall, Audi of McKinney (TX) had the model I wanted already on-order, but was adamant about adding their protection package once it was delivered to the dealership from the factory:

*This vehicle is equipped with the following dealer installed options: Sewell Protection Package including door cup guards, window tint, and paint protection on rear bumper. The price of this package is $990. Please see Sewell Audi McKinney for details.

I ended up buying from a different Audi dealer - one that didn't impose any dealer add-ons for completing the sale.

Car dealers obviously got very used to sticking it to consumers, jacking up prices over msrp, charging for all kinds of goofy add-ons like the ones you list. I'm pretty sure that just ended or is ending right now, and a lot of those dealers are very upset about it. I drove past maybe a dozen dealers to buy the car I bought in October. I found the one I wanted at MSRP. Called my local dealers, they all wanted $5K over. I drove 7 hours, picked up new vehicle, drove it home.

 

[B6_Dolphin]

I found the one I wanted at MSRP. Called my local dealers, they all wanted $5K over. I drove 7 hours, picked up new vehicle, drove it home.

Yup, the local dealers wanted $5k over MSRP, so I drove only 4 hrs to get my Audi from an OR dealer and drove it back home.