What is it?
What does it include?
What does it not include?
Does it vary from Dealership?
Why is it needed?
Is it needed?

 

Dealer Prep means taking all the plastic protective stuff off the car and detailing it. Basically that's about it. If you read any "car buying tips" type of articles they will tell you never to pay this, but this is easier said than done.

 

It ranks in the top ten list of BS surcharges that dealers tend to tack on to the cost of your car. Apparently MSRP (emphasis on the R - retail!) does not pertain to a car which is actually driveable.

 

Dealer prep is really consumer gouging as it is passing what would be otherwise normal variablbe costs to the consumer. All negotiation for cars should start from the dealer invouce and not from the MSRP (thought with the Mini, supply is so low relative to demand that this is not possible)

 

To me it means doing what they need to do to get the car presentable for sale.
Remove the plastic and body protection thingys
Check it over mechanically- if we are lucky maybe it gets done.
Check tire pressure/fluid levels and fill the tank with petro.
Make sure the lights all work and are aligned
Make sure all the controls inside and out are working- check the remote function
Set the automatic settings such as for power door locks at a certain speed, etc
Wash the outside and vacuum the inside-maybe both esp if the car has been demo driven.
Install the floor mats/net/wheel locks/antenna or any other ordered accessories such as a roof rack/6 CD changer...
Remove the invoice paper/price list from the side window and fold neatly into the owner's booklet in the glove box
Apply the dealer ID badge on the rear of the car-or if lucky a license holder trim piece with the dealer's name on it.
Put mints in the car.
Kiss it goodbye.

Ask to see a copy of the dealer prep sheet checklist to confirm everything has been done and signed off.

 

Thanks for the answers, I greatly appreciate it.

 

Don't forget, Dealer Prep would also include all the state registration paperwork and licensing stuff too!
Yes, Dealer Prep can vary from state to state

 

I actually cringed at the dealer prep fee at Century MINI in South Carolina ($998). I told the dealership this was BS and it was a dealbreaker for me. They stated they really couldn't do anything about it, and I got up and started to walk out of the dealership. The manager stopped me and stated they could work on the dealer prep fee. I haggled them down to half price (around 490-something dollars) and then found out that Century throws in a nice program (which I got) called EN-TIRE. This covers all factory installed tires and wheels for 5 years if something should happen to them such as nails, scrapes, etc. Needless to say, at this point, I was a little less upset about the dealer prep fee.

With that being said, the delership stated that they do all of this fluid check, alignment, etc. THIS IS BS. Our facility in South Carolina does this before it ever reaches the dealership. The only thing the dealership does is take the plastic off and wash the car. I actually found out today that since i'm an employee here, i get a $1,000 rebate off of the purchase price of the car. Yippppeeee.

That is my official opinion on dealer prep.

 

dealer prep is taking the plastic wrap off, sending Hrach
(mini peabody) out to fill the tank with petrol and pick up
the sandwiches.

 

In Hawaii my dealer doesn't charge specifically for Dealer prep.
To get a car ready today on delivery of her new MCS, I helped a friend do the final inspection and found several finish blemishes. Some crud stuck on some trim and on the bonnet, some grease marks on the rear hatch and some assorted sized scratches on the doors and rear fender. The detail person was helpful and worked on restoring the finish to perfect shape. The car looked great in the end. Everything else interior and in the engine bay checked out OK as well.
Dealer prep- completed. A job well done. Every MINI and new MINI owner deserves it.

 

From what I understand, some MINI dealers can't even be bothered to take the plastic off. (see all those posts last year about the dealers forgetting to remove the shipping blocks from the suspension).

It's graft, I tell you! And yes, for most car buying experiences, if you employ the "push back the chair and start to walk out" strategy, that's worth at least a 50% discount on "dealer prep" fees. In my case with the MINI, there was no dealer prep charge...so the strategy didn't have to apply. I've used it quite effectively on every other new car puchase though.

BTW, cabbagetoe, I THOUGHT you'd get a company discount and was surprized that you hadn't mentioned it before!

 

>>BTW, cabbagetoe, I THOUGHT you'd get a company discount and was surprized that you hadn't mentioned it before!

Upon further investigation, I have found I DO NOT get a discount. The rebate applies to any BMW car expect the Z4 and the MINI. DRATS!! FOILED AGAIN!

 

How long does this usually take? I just called my dealer. My MINI is arriving today (woo-hoo!), but they're saying they'll need about a week until it will be ready for pickup.

I'm not getting any dealer-installed options. Is this normal? I've made it through the wait so far - but to have my MINI in the same state, and not be able to drive it over the long weekend - might just be too much!

 

I was told it would take 2 days... of course, they forgot to call me when it came in and so, by the time I called them, it had been prepped and ready to go. A week seems a bit excessive, though. Perhaps they're factoring in the time you'll spend waiting for them to call you?

 

Yea, I've yet to receive one phone call from my dealer since I ordered the car. Crazy! If it wasn't 50-something miles away from my office, I'd just stop by.

I'll just have to continue keep bugging them throughout the week.

In the meantime - I'm making my 'mini mix' CD. Thanks for the Rusted Root inspiration OmToast

 

Minidawn, you are buying from Schomp in Denver, right? They were certainly not in a hurry to finish prepping mine at all. I was on a job that required heavy travel at the time, so they called, I said work would keep me from getting the car for two to three weeks, plus I had to make a couple of cosmetic repairs to my trade to maximize value. This takes three weeks. I call up, say I'm ready and they aren't. Took another week beyond that. I'm certain they just let it sit until I was back in town. I hope your nudging gets them working.

 

I am shocked at how long it takes for some of you to get your cars!! Unless one has aftermarket items like a bike rack or aerokit to add (which DO take some time to install), we usually have same day pickups for our customers.

 

URGH! My MINI is so close I can taste it! It's been at the dealership since Monday. I called today, hoping to get more information from my salesperson. Turns out, she is no longer with the dealership. :smile: I asked, and the center is 'near the dealership on Federal'. Way to be informed

Not the way I'd planned on starting my motoring experience. BUT, on the flip side, I'll have the weekend to make my official 'MINI motoring Mix' CD.

 

my dealer wants to charge me $700 for clear tape-like bug protection which they stick to the front of the fender/hood and mirrors. when i initially rejected the notion he's like: "it's made by 3M."
it looks ugly and i fear it might start peeling after a couple of years. Is this also part of dealer prep?

 

So is dealer's prep the same as a Process Fee? On my buyers order, the salesperson wrote in a $199.00 Process Fee.