Dealer surcharge nightmares?

[ecyfoto 0]

Spoke with a colleague today who owns a Mini and she enlightened me about the added fees and surcharges some dealers attached to the sticker when the car was released Stateside a few years ago. She went so far as to configure her car and then place her order with a dealer in Ft. Lauderdale rather than the local one. Even with hiring a transporter to ship her car she saved $1000. The glaring difference between the Mini early reservations and the Smarts is that the dealer network had already been set up and announced for the Mini. The Smart network has yet to be officially announced and I'm wondering if we will have to swallow whatever dealer prep charges are pulled out of the air or is Smart USA going to dictate the fees that will be added to sticker on the original reservations. I'm sure any configured car on the lot that fails to be purchased by the original reservation holder will have a substantial markup added depending on demand. I have no problem with that. I'm just concerned that we'll be nickeled and dimed to death at an even greater than normal level from the one single area dealer without any recourse. I mean we are already slobbering all over the floor for these cars. The concept of screwing us for another 2-3-400 bucks would fall right into line for most dealerships, wouldn't you think? Just thinking out load here.

[gotwavs 0]

Smart has said that they will not allow dealers to price gouge. The price is the price.

[mkt 0]

Toyota said that about Scion when they first came out. That didn't stop dealerships from asking $25k for an xB then.

[propes 0]

I talked to my dealer (official unannounced yes, but their building a smart center - it's going to happen), and she said there would be a destination fee (unknown at this point), and didn't know if there would be additional fees, beyond title and registration. I plan on asking again late December, so I can budget appropriately.

[Guest kwaldron]

Ah yes, a destination fee. Definition: If your dealership is a long way from the port of entry it is the high cost they charge for transportation to the dealer. If your dealer is real close to the port of entry its the high cost they charge for an average transportation charge, because after all it wouldn't be fair to charge people more just because they live farther from the port of entry.

[saronian 0]

In my experience Toyota did a good job keeping Scion dealers from overcharging. When I bought my xA the dealer was adding a high document fee, and I asked them to show where the fee was posted. (All Scion charges are required to be posted up front and on their website) They agreed to remove the fee.Additionally, when I take the car in for service the dealer always quotes a high price, so I bring a copy of the website price schedule and they honor it. It's unfortunate that you have to bargain against little markups here and there, but the Scion experience has been better than expected. I'm hopeful smart USA will try and follow Toyota's lead.Scott

[gotwavs 0]

Well, that bodes well for me then since my closest dealer is in Portland. The woman who is heading up the new smart dealerships for Kuni in Portland and Denver also headed up the launch for the Scion in southern California.

[dancote 0]

This is a cross-postI was concerned about this so I wrote to smart and got this reply: Quote: Dear smart Enthusiast, smart USA is dedicated to superior customer service! Therefore, no authorized smart USA dealer will be allowed to charge over the sticker price for a new smart fortwo. The Pure is set at a base price of $11,590; the Passion is set at $13,590; and the Passion Cabriolet is set at $16,590. The prices do not include taxes, license, destination charges, and other fees that come standard whenever purchasing a new vehicle. If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact us via email or by phone at 1.800.smartusa. Thank you for your interest in smart USA. You will be hearing from us soon! Jamilette Serna Customer Service www.smartusa.com 1.800.smartusa

[VinceS. 0]

Why stress over this? Just have your 1800 smart number handy before you sign the papers at the dealership. No biggie. If dealer insists on the markup, let Smart USA deal with them.