# how much should it cost for a dealer to ship a car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883 "2013-02-10T15:53:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883/21 "2013-02-12T01:27:27Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Says the guy with no experience at doing this kind of thing. > If you do fly to get the car you will have a few extra expenses over and above airfare > Sales tax in the state you buy the vehicle > License and reg fees for that state > Use tax in your state of residence ( you might get a credit from state 1 good luck) > Registration from your state of residence. (Again good luck) > Fuel, food and rooms for the trip > Time off/ lost income. That’s not how sales and use taxes work (generally–each state has its own laws, but generally they all work the same way). Generally you don’t have to pay use tax in a state if you paid sales tax on the purchase of the item in another state. So, the relevant consideration is the sales/use tax rate in the two states. ---
**Author:** ![JJnul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@JJnul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JJnul)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883/22 "2013-02-14T02:20:13Z")
Dealers usually get better rates in the auto shipping industry as they have connections with the actual trucking companies. If you are not sure if he is trying to ‘pad’ in some extra costs, you should get some quotes from auto transport companies to make sure his price is within reason and not more then what other auto transport companies are charging. [auto shipping](http://autolinetransport.com/) ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883/23 "2013-02-14T05:27:31Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Says the guy with no experience at doing this kind of thing. > If you do fly to get the car you will have a few extra expenses over and above airfare > Sales tax in the state you buy the vehicle > License and reg fees for that state > Use tax in your state of residence ( you might get a credit from state 1 good luck) > Registration from your state of residence. (Again good luck) > Fuel, food and rooms for the trip > Time off/ lost income. Yeah, this is wrong. I’ve done this numerous times. You fly in, you complete the sale, you call your insurance company and add the car (or use their website), you drive back. Once in your home state, you register the car and pay taxes. If you’re buying a new car, the dealer takes car of those shenanigans; mine even called the insurance company. I usually shoot for a weekend, but I’ve done epic road trips where I flew out, drove all night and went to work the next morning. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883/24 "2013-02-14T18:57:58Z")
Well good luck flying into California and driving it home without paying tax and registration. If we sell a car and load it on a transport no tax no reg. you drive it you pay period. But hey I just work at a dealer, what do I know. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883/25 "2013-02-15T17:21:39Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Well good luck flying into California and driving it home without paying tax and registration. > If we sell a car and load it on a transport no tax no reg. you drive it you pay period. > But hey I just work at a dealer, what do I know. That appears to be a weirdo California rule. In most, if not all 49, other states there is zero problem buying a car in another state, driving it home on a temporary plate, and paying all the taxes and fees on it in your home state. There’s some dealers where almost all of their business is out of state “fly and drive” deals like this. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883/26 "2013-02-15T17:26:16Z")
I’m on the east coast.If you’re interested in saving $100, I’ll pick it up and drive it to you for $900. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883/27 "2013-02-15T17:32:14Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > That appears to be a weirdo California rule. In most, if not all 49, other states there is zero problem buying a car in another state, driving it home on a temporary plate, and paying all the taxes and fees on it in your home state. There’s some dealers where almost all of their business is out of state “fly and drive” deals like this. Shhh, don’t tell him we don’t do California Emissions everywhere either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-should-it-cost-for-a-dealer-to-ship-a-car/649883.md?page=1)