[Slapshot28]

This recent article caught my eye:

http://www.bnet.com/blog/electric-c...ampant-on-the-chevy-volt-and-nissan-leaf/3709

It certainly contrasts to forum posts here that seem to help dealers "see the light" with respect to charging MSRP. I already wrote the author at BNET; however, to confirm our beliefs, maybe it's worth collecting real data here on what we all actually paid for our Volts.

Thank you for participating!! ...and sorry that the title of the poll spells Volt(s) with a small "v"

Chris

 

[adamsocb]

A poll on this Forum is likely to be skewed towards MSRP. The membership is well informed and not as likely to pay over sticker as the general public.

 

[Marc Lee]

I would be interested to know what the typical "dealer fee" or "processing fee" was. I paid $299 at my dealer in VA.

 

[Slapshot28]

A poll on this Forum is likely to be skewed towards MSRP. The membership is well informed and not as likely to pay over sticker as the general public.

Hi Adam-- I agree with you. That said, wouldn't it be true that the vast majority of Volt purchasers would do plenty of research prior to purchasing? It's a very technology-oriented vehicle, and we are very early adopters.

I've heard only three stories of paying over MSRP: the charity auction in Michigan, the Consumer Reports car (what does that tell you about them), and one member here (who is an incredibly nice gentleman). Perhaps the other MSRP+ stories are just going unmentioned?

Chris

 

[bronco7TX]

I would be interested to know what the typical "dealer fee" or "processing fee" was. I paid $299 at my dealer in VA.

I paid $374 at Atlantic Chevrolet on Long Island, NY. Then a mandatory NY state $12.50 "tire disposal fee" for a new car...

 

[hamchief]

I paid no dealer fee at Cars Unmlimited in Medford LINY.
Do any of you dealers out there know the answer to the following question:
Is there a difference in what the dealer and salesman make on selling a Volt at MSRP versus another Chevy (same price) at MSRP?

 

[PatsVolt]

I also paid $10 for the NY state inspection in addition to the admim fee and tire/fed tax.

 

[Cari]

Paid no dealer fee when leased. We had tags and licenses fees that totaled about $150 plus taxes on full sale amount a 6.25%. I thought it was cool that no doc fee was charged. Paid MSRP (minus $2k rebate on national lease).

Paul (Cari's husband)

 

[N Riley]

There was one salesman in Irving, Texas blogging yesterday about his dealer had Volts for sale a 5k over MSRP. I told him I would NEVER pay over sticker price for a car. I would keep my money in the bank and wait it out.

 

[N Riley]

There was one salesman in Irving, Texas blogging yesterday about his dealer had Volts for sale a 5k over MSRP. I told him I would NEVER pay over sticker price for a car. I would keep my money in the bank and wait it out.

That salesman has now posted saying his dealership has done a 180 and thinks this site was the cause of the decision. Great!

 

[YoSePpI]

Seeing as how this is a mass produced car, I simply wouldn't pay over MSRP for one. I'd just simply wait till they were available. No point in paying excessively more to a greedy dealer unless you absolutely can't live without it.

Seeing as in reality these are just going to be looked at as commuter cars that will not hold any real collector value in the future, what is the point? I'd rather save the $5,000 and modify my vehicle to my liking than to just give it to a dealer.

Plus by then, more refinements should have made it to the future models. I've got enough cars, and weekend toys that I can wait.

That's how I look at it.

 

[voltowner]

I am one of the suckers that paid over MSRP $4,500 less the 240 volt charger when the dealer refunds that.

I did email Angie at GM who I saw listed here when I was trying to get information about the pricing thing, but never heard back from her. Will try again now that I have purchased.

I learned a lot about new car purchasing and how different dealers work along the way. Paid more than I should have and feel bad I didn't help GM fight the gouging dealers. But the car was available, I was ready to buy, and if I didn't buy it someone else would have. That is why the unethical dealers can get away with it. If there was an abundance of cars the dealers couldn't be gouging. So hope that GM gets production increased soon.

Did hear that the dealer I am using for service has changed his mind and will be selling at MSRP when he can get them (he only had 2 in his allocation and they went to friends) Roy #1019

 

[lcvolt]

There was one salesman in Irving, Texas blogging yesterday about his dealer had Volts for sale a 5k over MSRP. I told him I would NEVER pay over sticker price for a car. I would keep my money in the bank and wait it out.

That salesman has now posted saying his dealership has done a 180 and thinks this site was the cause of the decision. Great!

I had a dealer in Plano TX listed on its web saying MSRP price, topped with an email confirmation for the MSRP price as well as a phone confirmation in person. But when I was going to write him a cash check, he immediately added $5K!! Even though the dealer was listed as a 3-year receiver of Consumer's Choice Award for Excellence Business?? I wonder why 22 reviewers only gave this dealer a "2.5 star"??

Oh, they also play double-hands as well. One salesman failed, the another will call and say "I am the manager, etc..." But on their website, everyone is titled "manager". Why are their cell # area code 6.5 hour away from each other? Get them call you using their office phone.

Buyer be aware! Never trust a salesman!!! Of course, he gets no sale from me!!

PS: CamaroTracking.com data showed the car was Code 1SZ "discount option package"?

 

[ChuckR]

I would be interested to know what the typical "dealer fee" or "processing fee" was. I paid $299 at my dealer in VA.

I paid a $100 dealer processing fee at Criswell Chevrolet in Gaithersburg, MD.

 

[lcvolt]

A dealer in MI was selling one $5K over MSRP price; another in MD was selling one $3-4K over MSRP price as of 03/30/2011.

 

[Rusty]

Did hear that the dealer I am using for service has changed his mind and will be selling at MSRP when he can get them

Yeah, funny that. I've heard it's oddly difficult for dealers who want to charge over MSRP to get additional allocations. Seems dealers who charge MSRP find it somewhat easier to get allocations (not that it's easy anyway). Go figure...

 

[apeweek]

Sadly, I paid $2k over MSRP at Tennyson Chevrolet here in Livonia MI. I went ahead and paid it rather than wait another month or two to get my car. I have complained to GM about it.

 

[adamsocb]

I would be interested to know what the typical "dealer fee" or "processing fee" was. I paid $299 at my dealer in VA.

My Document fee on the US Bank lease was $55. Anything more than $75 for the dealer F&I processing is profit for them. They are compenseted for the Pre Delivery Inspection in the invoice price of the car.

 

[adamsocb]

Yeah, funny that. I've heard it's oddly difficult for dealers who want to charge over MSRP to get additional allocations. Seems dealers who charge MSRP find it somewhat easier to get allocations (not that it's easy anyway). Go figure...

This may be an indirect effect. My understanding is that GM has a "turn and earn" policy on dolling out the allocations. In other words, the more you sell the more you get.

In practice this means that if a dealer started with five allocations and quickly sold them all they can get more, while a dealer that only has two and doesn't sell them right away will be denied additional allocations.

The effect of this policy seems to be that dealers who have lower allocation to begin with try hard to get over MSRP because they don't have the volume. I discovered this phenomenon several years ago with Corvettes, in the 1997-2002 years demand exceeded supply. Some dealers only had two or three allocations all year and let the cars sit in their showrooms for months above MSRP waiting for a buyer to come along who wanted the instant gratification of driving the car home same day. Other dealers did the math on volume and catered to the sell-to-order customer who was willing to wait 6-10 weeks for their car. On a sell-to-order the dealer has a for-sure buyer and no floor carrying charges. The volume dealers sold their allocation as quickly as they could and got more in that year or the next year. Some of them got to the point they were selling hundreds of Corvettes per year at only a small profit each. The volume equation being that 200 sales at $1,000 profit each is more total than 2 sales at $10,000 each.

I do have a cynical thought about this. The dealers who are adding the “market adjustment” are out of the mainstream and to some extent are pawns in the marketing strategy. While the masses are getting the product for MSRP, and and some point it will be less than MSRP, a few sales at mark-up hit the media and generate buzz and hype for the product. The Consumer Reports article where they paid $5k over MSRP for a Volt is a great example of this. The masses read that and believe “Wow, if CR had to pay over sticker, these things must really be hot!”

 

[marlow]

and the one I remember talking to Tennison about was Fully loaded brining the total cost to over $50,000, that was out of my price range