Dealer Fraud: Useless Fees and Charges in the Carbuying Process

You can avoid car dealer fraud by learning what to look for when it comes to these useless and fraudulent fees.

Window etching. For a fee anywhere from $200 to $1150 the dealer will etch the VIN number onto the windshield of the vehicle. The dealer makes a huge income for something that you can do yourself with a kit for $30.
Rust proofing, fabric protection and under coating. These are all pretty worthless. It can cost you hundreds even thousands of dollars. Don’t bite. Salesman have been trying to push these on their buyers for years.

Dealer prep. This is a great example of automobile dealer fraud. You’re purchasing a new car right? This cars preparation has already been done by the manufacturer. Any other preparation tneeds to be done by the dealership not by the buyer. If you see this fee in your contract tell the seller that you are not paying for it. If they try to tell you that this is a necessary fee tell them goodbye. At this point you probably have their attention. They will not want to lose your business. Make sure they take it off the sales contract.

Market adjustment fee. This is a fee that the dealer charges for a hard to get popular vehicle. Yes it’s true that sometimes you should pay more for a popular car, but if the vehicle is in stock and on the lot don’t fall for this car scam.

Extended warranty. It is a own decision whether you’d like to buy an extended warranty or not. Be careful though sometimes dealerships will tell their buyers that they can only get financing if they take out an extended warranty. If this does happen simply refuse. If you still get nowhere tell the salesman to put it in writing in the sales contract. At this point they will find a way to take it off the contract.

Environmental fee. Some dealerships try to clarify that this fee was put into place by the government. There is no such thing. This is another good example of automobile dealer fraud.

Transportation fee. This is a legitimate fee. Make sure you’re not being charged for it twice. Some salesman will try to do this. Just beware.

Be suspicious. It is true, as no one is going to look after your best interest except you, especially in a car dealership. Use your own judgment too. If something doesn’t sound right, maybe it’s not. Avoid automobile dealership fraud anyway you can.