# Buying a new vehicle, negotiating question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-new-vehicle-negotiating-question/1014749 "2025-02-24T22:43:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 11
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2025, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-new-vehicle-negotiating-question/1014749/11 "2025-02-25T17:48:19Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “doc fee” - do you mean the fees associated with the dealership registering the car and getting plates and so on? A doc fee is frequently a scam/inflated/pure profit line added by the dealer. The state will charge some amount for registration/plates & there is some _nominal_ cost for the clerk filling out said paperwork. If the clerk makes $50,000/yr that is $25/hr, & if it takes them ½ hr (but probably only 15 mins or less) to fill out the paperwork, the cost is $12.50, but then they don’t have lines on the invoice for electricity, or their property taxes, water, sewer, vending machine operator, etc. so why do they have a separate line for just one of their other support employees. Call an independent tag place (where you’d go if you bought a used car privately) & see how much they charge; any “doc fee” should be at or less than that (unless they break it out for state fees & their costs whatever they’re charging you has some profit in it for them to stay in business). Don’t pay a penny more than that amount. If they won’t budge tell 'em you’ll do the paperwork at Joe’s House o’Tags. I’ve also seen Notary fees of $50 or $100, or more; again, tell 'em you’ll provide independent notary services for significantly less than they are charging. Someone else who was looking at a lease earlier this month & their associated [fees](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-good-lease-deal/1014288/4) - $589 to fill out paperwork??? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-new-vehicle-negotiating-question/1014749)._