[mom2a]

My daughter has just purchased a new 2002 with leather and DVD. She paid the MSRP price of $29750.00 as listed in Edmunds. However there was also a $440.00 delivery charge than a $270.00 dealer prep and another $6.50 to add battery fluid.
I believe the $440.00 as stated in Edmunds should be all that is required. These other charges are just dealer mark-up's. Any one encounter this?

mom2a

 

[adam1991]

Dealer prep is paid for by the manufacturer. If it needed "battery fluid" of any kind, that is a warranty or dealer prep issue. (But these are sealed batteries, so they don't need and can't take any fluid at all....)

Your daughter got ripped off for $276.50. Hey, it happens. That's less than 1% of the price of the van.

Other than that, she did just fine. She'll love it. But she shouldn't go back to that dealer for anything.

 

[darelldd]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by adam1991:
But she shouldn't go back to that dealer for anything.</font>

...except the $276.50 they owe her.



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-= Darell =-
2001 Civic EX (ULEV)- currently the BIG car.
1997 EV1 (ZEV) in process - "This is NOT your father's golf cart"

 

[Ken W]

I believe Adam means she should not go back to the dealer for any service (find another dealer). She should, however, go back to her dealer to demand her 270 dollar dealer prep and her $6.50 for battery fluid. That battery fluid trick hasn't been used since (Peter) Frampton Comes Alive was released. (that's about when sealed batteries were becoming standard. I have heard of a $60 dollar paperwork fee or documentation fee which most people just pay because it's only 60 bucks and they have you over a barrel. But 270 bucks is just getting greedy. have your daughter talk in person with the sales manager about how she was lied to about the battery fluid and also feels the dealer prep was just a way of inflating the cost of the van. She will most likely get half or more of her money back. By the way, tell her that when the dealer bribes her to give them a glowing customer survey that she should take the bribe, and then give the dealer the marks they deserve. By the way, this is not a huge offense on the dealers part, Adam has a point about how small the dollar amount is. Its just the principle of the thing when a person (especially a woman I hate to say) walks into a dealership and the sales dept. treats them like a lamb being offered up for slaughter. (end of rant)

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'91 Sentra SE-R
'57 Chevy Belair Sport Coupe.
If at first you don't succeed...so much for skydiving.

 

[adam1991]

Actually, mom2a should go here:

http://www.odyclub.com/customer.html

and find the Honda zone office for her area. She should explain, in writing, exactly what her dealer did. She should ask innocently about "dealer prep" and how she thought that was something that Honda paid for--and for Honda to put it back to her in writing if indeed that's the case.

Then she should take that back to her dealer. Maybe she does it directly with the dealer owner, maybe she does it through small claims court.

 

[PD55]

Local newspapers also like to write stories about how women are treated at car dealerships - make a call and find out which reporters cover consumer affairs.

 

[cmt4]

I agree with everything posted thus far. Let me rant some more... It is completely inexcusable that Honda's dealerships (or ANY make, for that matter) try to tack on additional "charges" to the Ody. This vehicle is selling for MSRP or above, for Pete's sake! They're already taking the consumer to the cleaner's with the profit margins on the Ody. Demand/Supply at work, I know... but this is criminal.

There is a force that helps make a dealership successful... and it's not just advertising. It is word-of-mouth. Pass along the info about this situation to others.

 

[Gettin'AVan]

Write a letter to the consumer affairs reporter at each local paper and tv station, copying the head of Honda US. Bring it to the dealer and ask the sales manager if he wants you to send it. It's certainly worth $270 to them. It's a lot faster than small-claims court.

As for the $6.50 I think the greed coupled with the insult ("let's see if she's dumb enough to pay it") of hitting a customer for battery fluid in 2001 is worth a cargo mat or at the very least a spare programmed key. No joke.

My bank wouldn't accept "Hey, it happens" if I missed a $276.50 payment. Sorry for so much spleen but this pushes a button.

 

[dkinne]

Gillman Honda in Houston will try and pad their profit with a $895 Paint Sealant add on. When you complain, they only reduce the rippoff to $185.
Our finance guy added $165 for RoadSide Assistance. We found that out later when the numbers did not add up on the final loan papers. They hid the charge in the final price of the 2002 ODY. Nowhere on any of our paper work is the $165. All this is is towing for gods sake. My car insurance already covers this. I am demanding a refund.
Also got the Dealer in trouble with Honda. Honda called asking for some rating info after the sale. I gave them an earful.

 

[ColoradoCowboy]

Well, I bought my Ody from local dealer and they charge the prepping fees for all their contracts. In fact all the dealers that I talked to in Colorado, told me that they charge the Dealer Prep fees

So I am not sure how can you explain here that they waive the charges for one of the customers that found out that the dealer prep should be paid by the manufacturer?

Tushar

 

[adam1991]

Dealer prep *is* paid for by the manufacturer, as part of the contract the dealer has with the manufacturer.

 

[Lawrence]

I paid 33,600 for My Ody. In Ontario CA. My includes DVD, Leather, Mudguards, Fender Flares. That price is out the door Includes tax and License. How Much did you other's pay for. Im curious. Hoda starting to rip people off in a bad way.

 

[Lawrence]

It also Includes paint and leather protection. The MSRP here in California was $30,900.. I wonder it's is dofferent arounfd the country. I think it is, Since here in Los Angeles, car market is very competitive. that my 2 cent worth.

 

[SoFlaOdyssey]

What exactly does it say next to the
$6.50 battery fee??

If I'm not mistaken, there is a $6.50 "battery disposal fee" that is charged whenever you buy a battery...or a new car, too, it seems. I'll have to check my invoice and see if I paid the same.



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Nelson
2001 Odyssey LX - Silver
2001 Civic EX Sedan - Silver
1990 Mustang LX Coupe - Titanium