Avoiding the new car delivery fee

[robby]

@boytyperanma

Suprisingly enough ‘dealer incentives’ Generally discounts the are currently offering only apply to current inventory. If you order a new car you are likely to pay actual msrp.

Not in my experience. I’ve custom-ordered my last two vehicles (a Subaru and a Toyota). You can certainly negotiate the price of a vehicle is ordered, and I did.

Not only did I not pay MSRP, I also got every dealer and factory incentive that was available. I negotiated firmly and fairly, and got a great price.

My starting point for all negotiations is the dealer invoice price. The MSRP is irrelevant.

[Dewey_Finn]

In short, I think the answer is to ignore the delivery fee, dealer prep, etc. and just negotiate for an acceptable out-the-door price for the car. Whether that includes a delivery fee or whatever is irrelevant.

[Orwell]

@steatopygia

Like the rest of the new car price, it is totally negotiable. That is the first thing I take off the price of a new car.

You may be negotiating the bottom line price, but you are not taking this fee off the price of a new car. Every car sold in the US has a “destination” or “delivery” fee that is paid by the dealership to the manufacturer, and included in the price paid by the consumer. And the fee is the same for every unit of a particular model at every dealership, whether the store is located 10 or 2000 miles from the port or assembly plant. And, no, you can’t go to the factory and avoid this fee, which is right on the Mulroney sticker.

Now, as pointed out above, some shady dealers try to add on “delivery” or “dealer prep” BS fees on their own window sticker. Some are even so bold as to add on “market adjustment” or “processing” fees. These are BS. If it’s not on the Mulroney sticker, the dealer is trying to trick you.

But in the end, you pay the price you negotiate, and anything other than taxes and registration fees goes in the dealer’s till. What he pays the manufacturer isn’t really what you should be concerned about.

[bump]

@Dewey_Finn

If the dealers charge a delivery fee whether you order a car or pick one off the lot, what incentive is there to choose a car off the lot?

It’s probably discounted on the ones on the lot by the dealer, in hopes of moving those in favor of customers ordering cars.

[GreasyJack]

@andrewm

The page I linked about BMW European delivery specifically says the savings (can be around 10%) is due to cutting out the local dealer, not import duty savings.

Hmm, ignorance fought on the import duty thing. However, you’re still buying the car through the dealer. There’s manufacturer incentives, and various reasons why a dealer might cut you a better deal on a tourist delivery car, but you’re definitely not cutting the dealer out of the equation.