Location: A simple man leading a complicated life....
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Vehicle Protection Packages:
Dealers offered several applications under this umbrella. These include:
Stain protection for the upholstery ($195-$495): most cloth seats are treated with a stain repellent at the factory. You’re duplicating the factory fabric treatment and adding a warranty. Cost to the dealer is $60.
Invisible paint shield ($495-$698): similar to car wax, it will protect the paint for a few months after the purchase. The APA has learned that because it is “invisible,” the application is frequently incomplete when the service department is busy. Cost to the dealer is about $125, for the labour to apply it and a warranty.
Undercoat ($295-$495): a tar-like substance applied to the underbody that can trap moisture. Cost to the dealer is $50 to $75.
Rustproofing ($495-$698): dealer-applied rustproofing is overpriced and of uneven quality. The APA believes you will obtain better value from an independent rustproofer. Cost to the dealer is about $125 with the warranty.
Electronic rust protection ($495 to $1,195): the technical claims made by some dealers visited by the APA about their electronic black boxes were debunked many years ago. Estimated cost to the dealer is $75 for the box alone, to $250 for the box with a warranty.
I watched the video yesterday so maybe I missed something, but how is offering the $2,000 rust protection warranty as OPTIONAL misrepresenting the price?
Good stuff. I worked there for a year about 10 years ago. I found them a very solid dealership in an industry that's not fantastic. Also Honda doesn't monkey around too much with pricing incentives and other wonky stuff that make things misleading. The price is pretty much the price with the normal negotiated discount of a few hundred bucks and some accessories thrown in.
We recently bought a Subaru, and it went well. Sure, at the end they offer all the undercoating and stuff, but their was no other nonsense. Even got an extra set of floor mats and winter tires/rims thrown in, on top of a discounted price. I like that they have 4 trim levels you can pick from, each including more luxery and options, and with a price you can compare.
I understand it's law to not misrepresent the price in the ads, but they're making it seem like you go and buy a car and don't know what the total price is before you sign on the dotted line. You know exactly what the total price is before you agree to anything. I agree that the dealerships are misrepresenting in their paper ads, but if you search online they put the total price as well.
The same thing could be said of lots of other things (though it may not be law). TVs for example could be advertised for $799.99 but there's also an environmental handling fee (fairly low in AB but $39.50 for TVs >46" in BC) which is only listed in fine print, or maybe only at the till. Might be comparing apples to oranges but I think the principle is similar.
Having a price with an asterisk next to it and then some fine print isn't misleading and is pretty darn clear. Saying that due diligence should not be required on the buyer's part has to be a joke.
The whole point of the paragraphs of fine print flashing buy in a 30 second TV spot is that it is intended to be unclear.
The last time I shopped around, the "MSRP" sheets on vehicle windows were hilariously higher than the "invoice" price those websites like car cost Canada pull for you. Truck prices especially move around to an insane degree.
^Invoice price is supposed to be considerably lower than MSRP. I'm confused as to what you're saying here.
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Originally Posted by rd_aaron
Might be comparing apples to oranges but I think the principle is similar.
Very much apples to oranges, as that environmental fee doesn't go in the retailer's pocket.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
I've actually considered posting my car up on Autotrader just to see if I could get a good price for it even though I'm not terribly anxious to sell it.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Bought every car I have owned, and sold everyone off Kijiji. 15 in total. From 2,000 - 45,000. Never had one problem, just got to know what your looking at, inspections, records etc.
