Is there any room to negotiate doc fee's?

 

In short a doc fee is total BS. It's a way for the dealer to make more money. If you use Ford's A/Z/D plan, they limit it to $75. If you use X-Plan, they limit it to $100. I would never pay more than $100 regardless. When a dealer charges $499, as some do, it's time to walk.

I strongly recommend that people simply join an organization to qualify for Ford's X-Plan, like the Experimental Aircraft Association. No more games, no more wasted hours at the dealer, and everyone wins including the dealer because Ford provides a guaranteed profit. People brag about deals they got after days or weeks of work, traveling hundreds if not thousands of miles, and they paid $499 for a doc fee. I simply email my dealer, ask him to find what I want, show up and sign. Don't even go into the finance guy's office.

 

Thank you, I assumed the Doc Fee was just a profit ploy. Is Experimental Aircraft Association the cheapest membership for the X Plan?

Thanks

 

$40. I don't know that anyone is cheaper, but I can't imagine that you'd save more than $10. Many companies also belong - https://www.oxmoorflm.com/ford-a-x-z...ner-companies/

I wouldn't call it a ploy, they do spend time filling out forms / computer screens, and most then go get your title and registration and save you waiting in line. So they deserve $100 or less iMO.

 

I shouldn't have used the term ploy. I'am completely fine with them making some more profit but don't call it a Doc Fee and claim it's 500 bucks by law.

 

Doc fees are a joke. When I bought my truck the dealer that had it on their lot wanted nearly $800 for doc fees. There was another dealer about 45 miles away that advertises no doc fees. I had both give me a quote for the truck. Even though the no doc fee dealer had to dealer swap for it, they were able to sell it to me cheaper than the dealer that had it on the their lot.

 

Some states limit doc fees by law. Some require uniformity, i.e. the dealer has to charge everyone the same fee (but you can get the vehicle price reduced to compensate. Some have no limits.

And again - X-Plan and A/Z/D plans limit the fees.

 

To run a dealership, or any other large business, there have to be clerical staff to do paperwork and support the managers, sales dept., service dept, etc. There are people there whose job it is to prepare documents, which are required to sell and register a vehicle. It is part of doing business as a dealer, not some surprising and unexpected expense to the dealer. The "Doc" fee scam is just profit. It would be just as illogical to buy groceries and have a processing fee tacked on to pay the checkout clerk, or to have to pay the school a preparation fee to have my child's report card issued.

 

 

...or buy 100 shares of Ford for your retirement plan and enjoy X-Plan access after 6 months.