How do you make car dealer refund a bogus fee?

February 2, 2007 5:23 PM

A relative of mine just bought a new car in Massachusetts and was blatantly robbed with bogus dealership fees. Example: $500 "registration fee" and of course the deluxe "extended warranty". Unfortunately the deal is done and it appears each bogus fee is perfectly legal in Mass and there's no "cooling off period". Is there is any recourse to persuade the dealer to reconsider these fees?
posted by StarForce5 to work & money (13 comments total)

Aside from asking them to reconsider, which seems somewhat unlikely to work, what could you do? As long as the fees are legal, and your relative wasn't coerced to accept them, and he/she signed the agreement, you have no legal leg to stand on.
posted by cerebus19 at 5:45 PM on February 2, 2007

Call the local police and see if they have had any complaints about this. Better yet. Walk into the dealer and ask to use their phone...even better have someone come with you and while you call the police he/she will be calling the local newspaper. Hilarity ensues.
posted by Gungho at 6:01 PM on February 2, 2007

Oh, and in MA they can only charge $5.00 above the registry fee for a title. So if they called it a registry fee you can wave this in front of them. http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:KFIR1CgX7AcJ:www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm%3Fpageid%3D1176%26cid%3D0%26ei%3DIKcnRf_ILZqGauT3mZAP+Mass+Attorney+general+auto+document+fee&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a
posted by Gungho at 6:08 PM on February 2, 2007

I don't really think there's much that can be done.

This happened to me with the first car I ever purchased. I had no choice but to chalk it up to a lesson learned. It really sucks, but going through that last stage of paperwork. You really need to keep your wits about you or the finance people will slip in anything and everything they can.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 6:10 PM on February 2, 2007

On post-view: Gunho may have a better way
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 6:10 PM on February 2, 2007

er..Gungho (sorry)
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 6:11 PM on February 2, 2007

The police? Are you fucking kidding me?
Massachusetts has a very robust unfair trade practices law. If you really care about your $500, you can read up on it. But so-called "profit margin fees" are industry standard.
Because the extended warranty won't kick in until the current one expires, you should be able to make a stink and get your money back.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 6:30 PM on February 2, 2007

Call the local police and see if they have had any complaints about this. Better yet. Walk into the dealer and ask to use their phone...even better have someone come with you and while you call the police he/she will be calling the local newspaper. Hilarity ensues.

That's the best way to ensure the dealer doesn't help you at all. I spent the better part of 3 decades in the car business and all those people ever got was no help whatsoever. The police can't help and the newspapers don't give a shit (not to mention they don't want to piss off the local car dealers who, as a group are most newspapers' single largest source of ad revenue).

The best method is to call up and ask to speak to the owner of the store if you think you were treated unfairly and make an appointment to come in and plead your case. The sales and management staff come and go at most dealerships and don't give a damn about the store's longterm reputation, while the owner probably has between 5 and 100 million of his hard earned dollars tied up in the place and us more concerned with the big picture than a few hundred dollars profit on any one deal.
posted by buggzzee23 at 6:38 PM on February 2, 2007

Also, read the fine print on the back of the extended warranty as they are fully cancellable in many states.
posted by buggzzee23 at 6:40 PM on February 2, 2007

buggzzee23 has great advice and insight into this. The print and TV media's primary/only remaining ad revenue comes from car dealers. The staff wants the $500 NOW. The owner may see this as a longterm decision. Mention that you plan on getting the car serviced at the dealer if he reconsiders.

(Congrats Buggzzee23 on your one year anniversary today.)
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:14 PM on February 2, 2007

the newspapers don't give a shit (not to mention they don't want to piss off the local car dealers who, as a group are most newspapers' single largest source of ad revenue).

it's more because newspapers write about the non-ordinary, and unethical car dealers are hardly that!
posted by Salvatorparadise at 8:14 PM on February 2, 2007

You might try Consumerist.
posted by IndigoRain at 4:22 PM on February 3, 2007

The police can't do anything. Call the Attorney General and ask them
posted by copa2007 at 7:03 PM on February 3, 2007