| Car dealership fees questioned
Car dealerships are hyping sales this Presidents Day weekend; meanwhile, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs is warning buyers to beware of suspect charges that can be tacked on at the end of a sale. In the Berkshires, the agency found theaddad group of dealers, which includes a Toyota, Subaru andyundai dealerships, charged the most, tacking on a $250 fee they said was meant to cover the cost of office staff and preparing paperwork. "It is not made up," he said. e too said it simply covered the cost of keep registry equipment that saves clients and dealers a trip to the RMV. Still, Undersecretary of Consumer Affairs Barbara Anthony called the fees exorbitant. But Matt Quinn, the group's general sales manager, says the fees are far from "made up. In a statement, the consumer watchdog bureau said dealer's explanations of what the fees cover "appeared to be very questionable and literally made up by the auto dealerships. Jim Salvie, the owner of Berkshire Mazda and Signature Series Pre-Owned Cars in Pittsfield, echoed Quinn. e said it covers the cost of keeping the equipment and software the company uses to register vehicles and process titles. Bedard Bros. Calls for comment to theaddad group were not returned. "We found that many car dealerships are charging consumers very high fees for costs that are negligible and, in some cases, telling car buyers these are required charges by state or federal law, which just is not true," Anthony said. The agency said explanations for the fees ranged from 9/11 security-related issues to charges for document storage. She advised consumers to pay close attention to their final contract and shop around, especially "if a particular dealership tries to hit you with non-negotiable documentation fees. |
Saturday 18 February 2012
Car dealership fees questioned
