Ahoy

Help me out here, I noted I am being charged a $550 fee by Mini for destination & handling AND a $499.95 fee by the dealer for pre-delivery service.

In my ignorance I thought the destination & handling from mini covered the whole ball of wax. Am I all wet??????

 

That's pretty much normal at any car dealer. If that's all they charge you, you've got a good one. Supposed to cover the full tank of gas, removing the shipping protection, cleaning the dirt and grime from shipping, etc etc.


...david

 

i am on my first mini and fourth bmw. never got charged more than destination fee. and of course with the bimmers, paid below msrp. but we all know that minis are still at, and above msrp.

you must be in california?

they will charge what they can get away with.

 

I only paid the destination fee at the dealer in Albuquerque, NM.

 

Same for me, and I am in Cali. For the MCS I paid MSRP, sales tax, doc fee of $45 and license/registration charge - that's it, not even a destination charge listed.

 

That charge is nothing more than additional dealer markup. There's a whole dealer group here in Houston that adds $495 to each car for "dealer services." I have not dealt with them but have heard from friends that if you tell them you'll go to the competition rather than pay that bogus fee, it mysteriously disappears. I would take my business elsewhere if I were you, too many Mini dealers around that are straight up.

 

i guess i am spoiled in upstate ny. keeler is a pretty strate shooter, but i understand the buffalo ny dealer adds a $500 motoring charge for floor mats and two key rings.

Just on prinicipal, i would fly or bus to a dealer that did not pull that crap.

 

well, they will have to prepare the car before putting it on the showroom anyways, and the dealership actually gets paid for that, as well as the gas that they are filling up before delivery. So they are litterally slurping that money. Refuse to pay it...

 

the D&H is pretty much automatic from MINI. The extra $499.95 for dealer services is something you should look into. I hope that includes the dealer's internal doc fees and State Registration and Title fees. Still too high for me, ask them to break it down for you.

 

They are ripping you off. If they insist of these ridiculous charges find another dealer.

 

It completely depends on the area. $500 is normal for Tampa. That's what my markup (called Documentation Fee) was. Tht's what our VW Beetle was. That's what two of my buddies here payed for Chevrolet trucks.

 

BTW did I mention that Freman is also tacking on A "Market Adjustment" of $500.00.

 

I think I paid about 230 documentaion fee here in CT.

 

IF you have not paid for the car yet, refuse to pay it and be willing to walk away. Also refuse to pay the dealer marketing adjustment. If more people refused to pay that maybe less dealers would tack it on.

I paid MSRP no more no less.

 

I just picked up mine (here in Ca.) and paid only the manufacturer's charges. Like most things, it's negotiable and I wouldn't take it without a "fight".
Mapman

 

Before I ordered my 2006 Mini Cooper I looked at the Toyota Prius. The Toyota dealer told me that there would be a $500 - $2500 "market adjustment".

I just looked at him and said, "If you want to sell me a car, you are not going to charge me a 'market adjustment'". He just made a stupid smerk grin. I was out of there and never looked back. Toyota lost a customer to Mini. At Mini I was able to get a better car for $4,000 less than a Prius - with no "market adjustment".

My advice, if any dealer mentions a "market adjustment" it is time to leave and go to another dealer.