Buy a car from us- and we charge you admin
Discussion
If I really wanted the car I’d probably negotiate. But it irritates me on principle. I don’t go in to John Lewis to buy a new TV and get charged an admin fee. It’s just daft, make every car £xxx more expensive rather than charging an admin fee. No-one wants to pay a fee for the privilege of being able to buy something.
Yeah but just watch them add it on after.
I agree with the OP. I bought a car last year and told them straight off not to take the piss with their stupid admin fee b
ks. It's just another way to milk money from customers. It's as bad as having a service charge when you're out for a meal. Honestly if it's not part of the main bill just let me know and I'll pop into the kitchen and get it myself. Everyone sort of accepts it even though they hate it.
I agree with the OP. I bought a car last year and told them straight off not to take the piss with their stupid admin fee b
ks. It's just another way to milk money from customers. It's as bad as having a service charge when you're out for a meal. Honestly if it's not part of the main bill just let me know and I'll pop into the kitchen and get it myself. Everyone sort of accepts it even though they hate it. The reason is so they can quote a lower price and be closer to the top of the autotrader listing.
Suggest you ask them if they comply with the 'motor industry code of practice'
https://www.themotorombudsman.org/wp-content/uploa...
1.3 Any advertisements will objectively promote vehicle models based upon relevant and verifiable features, including the purchase price.
1.4 The price quoted for a vehicle should be the ‘on the road’ price for which you can buy the vehicle.
Suggest you ask them if they comply with the 'motor industry code of practice'
https://www.themotorombudsman.org/wp-content/uploa...
said:
1.3 Any advertisements will objectively promote vehicle models based upon relevant and verifiable features, including the purchase price.
1.4 The price quoted for a vehicle should be the ‘on the road’ price for which you can buy the vehicle.
jjr1 said:
You can't have been very serious about buying from them as the admin charge is a non issue. You negotiate a price that you are happy with, regardless of the admin charge and just buy it. Simples.
But why do they conduct their business in such a way that it pisses off a potential buyer from the outset? Seriously, I see a car that catches my attention as a possible purchase, then notice they charge an ‘admin fee’ which immediately irritates me. Why don’t they simply screen price the car that would normally include their ‘business costs and profit’?ajap1979 said:
If I really wanted the car I’d probably negotiate. But it irritates me on principle. I don’t go in to John Lewis to buy a new TV and get charged an admin fee. It’s just daft, make every car £xxx more expensive rather than charging an admin fee. No-one wants to pay a fee for the privilege of being able to buy something.
Exactly!I've never really understood routine ''admin'' fees in many forms business.
The latest one I've come across is builders charging ''Preliminary Fees''... I can understand the concept of prelims if there are any one off, upfront costs the builder has to incur prior to commencing work on an individual project, costs which are specific to that project, but charging prelims just on the basis of covering their fixed costs for being a building firm (i.e. office, van, phone line, tea bags, daily copy of the Sun etc)... nope sorry, I just can't get my head around that.
The latest one I've come across is builders charging ''Preliminary Fees''... I can understand the concept of prelims if there are any one off, upfront costs the builder has to incur prior to commencing work on an individual project, costs which are specific to that project, but charging prelims just on the basis of covering their fixed costs for being a building firm (i.e. office, van, phone line, tea bags, daily copy of the Sun etc)... nope sorry, I just can't get my head around that.
I agree too. See an admin fee in the small print and it just pi**es me off thinking about sneaky ways they’re trying to get more money from you. Get you interested in the car go through finance and it’s affordable etc then when it’s totalled up sneakily add in the admin fee.
I don’t think I’d get away with doing a job for someone, giving them the price then saying that’s plus admin fee! I know it’s psychological and it’s the total payable etc that counts but imo it’s sneaky. I’m paying their wages and overheads via the cost of the car not as an extra. If I was buying a car and happy with the price then they tried to add an admin fee then I’d walk unless it was removed.
I don’t think I’d get away with doing a job for someone, giving them the price then saying that’s plus admin fee! I know it’s psychological and it’s the total payable etc that counts but imo it’s sneaky. I’m paying their wages and overheads via the cost of the car not as an extra. If I was buying a car and happy with the price then they tried to add an admin fee then I’d walk unless it was removed.
ZX10R NIN said:
It's simple negotiate the Admin fee off the price or in some cases I've reused to pay it & they wave it when they see money walking out of the door.
It wouldn't stop me buying a car though.
Depends upon the car being sold, if it were a rare difficult to find car maybe I couldn’t care two hoots about an admin fee. But, as in my case, it’s a common everyday chariot, then I will move onto It wouldn't stop me buying a car though.
the next car lot to find the self same vehicle model with zero admin fee attached. As said by a previous poster ‘it’s a matter of principle’.
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