Automotive

Showroom model and dealer fees

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  • Oct 22nd, 2019 10:59 pm
Newbie
Sep 9, 2018
30 posts
22 upvotes

Showroom model and dealer fees

I've looked through a number of old threads for both topics here and it seems people are a bit divided on the first and not on the second.

I'm looking to buy a new car that the manufacturer is currently clearing out. The deal from the manufacturer is pretty good; a decent rebate and no interest financing. I was ready to pay close to the advertised price and then a dealer offered me the showroom model in a different color and missing one option than the one I wanted but at a good price - not great, but good. They are also charging a dealer admin fee but are offering all the accessories I asked for for free. I was going to go back asking for the dealer admin fee to be waived and to keep the free accessories however I'm curious to know what type of rebate is considered acceptable to buy a showroom model?

Thanks in advance,
10 replies
Deal Fanatic
Jul 26, 2007
7579 posts
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Toronto
Did you turn the car on and check the kms? If the dealer wants to get rid of it bad, maybe something is up. It could be a used or a demo, not new.
Newbie
Sep 9, 2018
30 posts
22 upvotes
peteryorkuca wrote: Did you turn the car on and check the kms? If the dealer wants to get rid of it bad, maybe something is up. It could be a used or a demo, not new.
55km. My guess is it's been used for a few test drives.
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Feb 17, 2015
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Is this the 2019 VW Tiguan?
Deal Expert
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Oct 5, 2008
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despite what was mentioned in a separate, recent thread, the car is still new, and the fee would apply
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Oct 6, 2010
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I bought showroom. The dealership kept the doors locked. Car was strictly for viewing. It's still a new car even if people were able to sit in it. If that is the case with the vehicle you are interested in, I would suggest you go over the interior, mostly seats, steering wheel due to buttons on jeans. It may scratch the seating or wheel with tons of people getting in and out.

But based on your description, car is still new. I don't think it was used for test drives. It does take a few kms to get it out of factory, onto trailer, into parking lot, into show room, etc... 55kms is not unusually high. Mine had 14km.
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Member
May 30, 2011
265 posts
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North York
OP you are better than mine.
Mine is a test drive 2019 car, with 998 km on clock, they will not regard it as demo, so PDI and fright fee applied.
Try not to argue with them the terms of admin fee, etc, but at the end tell them to give you a lump sum of discount,
say $3,500 discount on top of what they offer.
You should try, as this is your own money, if they refuse then keep negotiate until you are satisfy, if you can wait.
For me I could not wait for some good reasons, but buying at close to end of month is one trick,
sometime they need the sales number to close the month end and model year end.
But not all the time it works, depends on the car model and dealer, one dealer will not give me the same discount,
no matter what time of the deal.
Good luck.
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Dec 21, 2013
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Pchiu wrote: OP you are better than mine.
Mine is a test drive 2019 car, with 998 km on clock, they will not regard it as demo, so PDI and fright fee applied.
Try not to argue with them the terms of admin fee, etc, but at the end tell them to give you a lump sum of discount,
say $3,500 discount on top of what they offer.
You should try, as this is your own money, if they refuse then keep negotiate until you are satisfy, if you can wait.
For me I could not wait for some good reasons, but buying at close to end of month is one trick,
sometime they need the sales number to close the month end and model year end.
But not all the time it works, depends on the car model and dealer, one dealer will not give me the same discount,
no matter what time of the deal.
Good luck.

+1 What he said.


Work backwards from the "Out the Door" price. For example, who cares if you have to pay for the PDI charge on paper when they are waiving equivalent charges elsewhere?
Newbie
Sep 9, 2018
30 posts
22 upvotes
koffey wrote: I bought showroom. The dealership kept the doors locked. Car was strictly for viewing. It's still a new car even if people were able to sit in it. If that is the case with the vehicle you are interested in, I would suggest you go over the interior, mostly seats, steering wheel due to buttons on jeans. It may scratch the seating or wheel with tons of people getting in and out.

But based on your description, car is still new. I don't think it was used for test drives. It does take a few kms to get it out of factory, onto trailer, into parking lot, into show room, etc... 55kms is not unusually high. Mine had 14km.
It's still considered new but was used for at least a couple test drives. The doors were left unlocked and battery disconnected.
Newbie
Sep 9, 2018
30 posts
22 upvotes
Pchiu wrote: OP you are better than mine.
Mine is a test drive 2019 car, with 998 km on clock, they will not regard it as demo, so PDI and fright fee applied.
Try not to argue with them the terms of admin fee, etc, but at the end tell them to give you a lump sum of discount,
say $3,500 discount on top of what they offer.
You should try, as this is your own money, if they refuse then keep negotiate until you are satisfy, if you can wait.
For me I could not wait for some good reasons, but buying at close to end of month is one trick,
sometime they need the sales number to close the month end and model year end.
But not all the time it works, depends on the car model and dealer, one dealer will not give me the same discount,
no matter what time of the deal.
Good luck.
Will have to double check the mileage when I pick it up. Ended up satisfied with the deal they offered; the admin fee applied but was offset with some free accessories and I walked away with some extras that were only going to be added as part of a promo to end the month (starting later this week).
georgecantstandya wrote: +1 What he said.


Work backwards from the "Out the Door" price. For example, who cares if you have to pay for the PDI charge on paper when they are waiving equivalent charges elsewhere?
That's basically how it was handled. I knew what the current promotions were and what else I needed to be satisfied. Went in more aggressive than that so that we could hopefully end up where I wanted it to be.

Thanks everyone!
Newbie
Sep 9, 2018
30 posts
22 upvotes
Swerny wrote: despite what was mentioned in a separate, recent thread, the car is still new, and the fee would apply
I wasn't going to argue delivery or regular new car fees. It was more the "dealer admin fee" as I did not have this when I bought a car of the same make a few years back.

The car is still new. I was more curious about showroom deals as the cars are less new (or more 'used') then a brand new one off the lot with plastic covering everything.

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