Tax, License and ¿Document Fee?

[DesertCanyons]

Has anyone been charged a "doc" fee before?
My 4Runner is in the port. I'll probably pick it up from the dealer on Friday.
The costs and fees are as follows:
4Runner Trail Edition with KDSS - $35447
CA Sales Tax at 9% - $3197.43
License (annual CA license, a highway tax) $369.75
DOCUMENT FEE (doc) - $80
The total is 39,170.00 (check my math)
I had to ask the sales rep twice by email what the doc fee was and who it was paid to before I got an answer. He said "The doc fee is for the dealership to process all your documents including DMV".

The price of the vehicle is good. I bought through Costco and got $800 below Invoice ($36,247). KDSS but no other accessories except for the Entune with Nav, which was the only way Toyota could build it when I ordered it on June 3rd. I haven't been able to check invoice for this particular model but based on other searches I've done I think it's about right.

I just wonder if any of you have been hit with the "doc" fee after negotiating the price of the vehicle. They quoted the cost of the vehicle a while back. I just never asked for a breakdown of tax, license and fees until now.

Another dealer told me today that he didn't have any 2015 available (on his lot or in So Cal, I didn't ask?). He said the 2016 will begin production on Tuesday, August 18. That's 3 days from now. He also very optimistically predicted the first 4Runners would hit the dealers at the end of September. No word on MSRP but he said it would be virtually unchanged from 2015 models. No 30 Year Anniversary, $500 discount either. If so, the price automatically goes up $500.

 

[Z0MBIEproof]

Yeah that infamous doc fee...

The Taxes, Title, Doc Fee are all standard here in AZ...but when I negotiate the OTD price I get very specific with them and tell them once we have that number I won't go a dollar over it..

But yes Doc Fee is a charge the dealerships use....and it's a rip ;-)

 

[winston70]

A Doc fee is just extra profit for the dealer but I think that you have pretty good price. I bought a 2015 TE exactly like yours in Jan for $35,800. Good luck

 

[DesertCanyons]

doc fee

Thanks. I consider document processing to be part of the cost of doing business. They didn't tell me about it until I asked for the tax and license fees this week.
I got an $800 Costco discount off of invoice but they added 10% of that discount in a hidden (until now) fee.

 

[SKP-4R]

Given how difficult it is for dealers to make money off of the actual vehicles, they have to make a profit somewhere.

Usually that's through the parts and service dept.

 

[wanderMT]

Just another way for dealership to make money. They tried to charge me $207. in Doc fees. I told them I would finance elsewhere if they insisted on fee (already arranged at my bank at same interest rate). They dropped fee without much pressure. I knew this fee was coming but they never mentioned while talking numbers and it just 'appeared' on contract - it just disappeared also!

 

[philsey]

It sounds like you had already agreed to a price to get the 4R ordered - yes?

If so, because you didn't ask for a breakdown at the time, well, that's on you. Seems to me you made an agreement.

Sure, Doc Fees are trumped up horsepuckey, but most are higher than that. You got a decent deal - Pick your battles wisely.

 

[Be_Original]

Florida doc fees at dealershits range from $400-$600, consider $80 a drop in the bucket. I paid $206 for my wifes vehicle in doc fees at an independent.

 

[cutty01]

1) Very good price
2) I even got charged the $80 "document" fee for a used 4runner
3) It doesn't seem you are being charged the $700~$900 "Dealer Destination" fee which is something almost every dealer passes on the the buyer.

If you are paying what you say you are, it appears you got a good deal!

 

[Phoenix4R]

Florida doc fees at dealershits range from $400-$600, consider $80 a drop in the bucket. I paid $206 for my wifes vehicle in doc fees at an independent.

They got so out of hand with the doc fees here in AZ that they had to pass a law limiting the amount they can charge for them(I think it's $450 or something similar max...)

 

[DesertCanyons]

Doc fee not quoted up front

Thanks for all of the replies. It sounds like most of you have experienced the doc fees, except for a couple of people who negotiated it out of the deal.

The original 3 page Toyota quote for the specific car, with VIN#, accessories and price, shows my basic 4Runner Trail Edition with an MSRP of $38,665.00 - including a "Delivery Processing and Handling Fee" of $885.00. It sounds like the fee is part of the original package and they are trying to charged me for it again at the tail end, as an added fee.

Granted, they marked that MSRP down to Invoice price of $35,447 and then deducted $800 for the Costco discount, but that only reduces the $885 fee by about 8.32%, to $811.37. I don't know what normally makes up the diff between MSRP and Invoice. The Delivery amounts to trucking the car about 20 miles from the Port to the dealership.

This dealership got my business without any other marketing, from the Costco program, out of more than a dozen that are within the same distance. I had already decided on the vehicle by the time I got the quote and was directed to them by Costco. I didn't need a test drive or hours of salesmanship to make the sale. After a couple of phone calls to confirm the price and an appointment, I drove 30 minutes, walked in, filled out their basic agreement and paid a $500 deposit for them to order the vehicle from Toyota.

Tax and license were not included and the doc fee was not listed or talked about. It was only when I asked about the fees and out-the-door-cost that the doc fee was mentioned. I asked about total costs so I could get a cashier's check for the car before driving 40 miles to the dealership to pick it up.

BTW, without any discussion of my credit worthiness or better interest rates, they also quoted 2.9% financing on the balance, 95% of the total. The payments for that loan would be $692, or nearly $700 per month. I'm paying cash to avoid these kinds of payments because my income is highly variable.

I ordered the vehicle on about June 6th. By the time I pick it up it will be 2&1/2 months or 11 weeks.

 

[delloro]

I paid it, it's part of the total cost. I don't care if I pay $30,000 in doc fees for a 2015 TEP if my OTD final all-in cost is $35,000. that's a great price.

 

[1000MPH]

Max in CA is $80. You can tell it's not a real govt charge because it's taxable.
Here in NV there is no limit. We also pay DMV fees separately so you need to include that stuff if comparing to a purchase over the hill in CA.
I usually negotiate for a pretax total. I'll also ask them what their Doc fee is up front.

What New Car Fees Should You Pay? on Edmunds.com

 

[DesertCanyons]

Trail Edition with KDSS & NAV

I paid it, it's part of the total cost. I don't care if I pay $30,000 in doc fees for a 2015 TEP if my OTD final all-in cost is $35,000. that's a great price.

Thanks [MENTION=122831]delloro[/MENTION]

I'm not getting a trail edition Premium at that price. Just the TE. I didn't want the sunroof and the upholstery is not really leather in the premium. The Premium model adds about $1500 to $2000 to the price, plus they overload these with expensive accessories I'd just replace with aftermarket gear.

Yes, I think my price is a good deal. I haven't seen many deals for the same or less.

 

[DesertCanyons]

Max in CA is $80. You can tell it's not a real govt charge because it's taxable.
Here in NV there is no limit. We also pay DMV fees separately so you need to include that stuff if comparing to a purchase over the hill in CA.
I usually negotiate for a pretax total. I'll also ask them what their Doc fee is up front.

What New Car Fees Should You Pay? on Edmunds.com

Thanks for that link 1000mph. It's comforting to know the average buyer pays this double charge anyway. :rockthrow: I won't try too hard to negotiate it out of the deal.

Looking forward to receiving my first 4Runner and first Toyota in almost 40 years. I kept the last Toyota, a 2.2L pickup for 20 years.