Date:         Mon, 29 Mar 2004 12:37:03 EST
Reply-To:     THX0001@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Ebay Warning
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 3/29/04 11:47:11 AM, Steve@EUROCAMPERS.COM writes:

<< This is standard throughout the industry.  $200 does seem quite high.
Around here $100 is common on a new car and $45 or so for used.

I'm not defending the practice.  I think they have a right to charge it, >>

You guys are too easy!  The only rights they have is to TRY to charge a
"documentation fee".  I would only pay a "documentation fee" if it were for the
cost of the state title and registration with NO extra amount tacked on.

It has been a while since I bought a brandy new vehicle, but the last time I
bought a new bike, the dealer tried to extract a fee for the title and
registration.  I cut him off at the pass by telling him to forget the paperwork and
to just give me the title of origin.  The choice was his: show me the courtesy
of sending in the paperwork after I dropped a wad of cash into his lap, give
me the title of origin or watch me walk through his door with "EXIT" painted on
it.

This is like all the "mandatory" charges dealers try to tack on.  Once, a
dealer tried to charge me several bills for a "paint and upholstery protectant
package".  I told him that I didn't want it.  He countered with, "ALL the cars
get it as soon as they are unloaded."  As I started to say, "Good-bye," he said
he would talk to the manager about making an exception.  The fool and his
manager (I guess his nametag read Fool's Manager) came back with giving it to me
for "cost".  They let me get almost to the door on that one before they
decided to eat the cost of a pint of ArmorAll and the 45 minutes a pimply faced
technician spent applying it.

If a dealer wants to play these stupid games, you have to learn to play
hardball.

George