heat010

This fee seems so bogus, because they aren't using it if the car just comes off the boat. Just another phantom charge. Were you guys able to waive, void or negotiate down on this fee?

nboyd

Luguna Niguel have said there is one on my car. Did any other Laguna Niguel buyers pay this?

I also feel this is a bogus charge. Especially on a car that has been built to order.

Any car buying guide will tell you not to pay this. My father in law has bought a new car every three years for 40 years and says he has never paid it, even though they always ask.

I saw a black C-Coupe at the North Berkeley Bart yesterday from Laguna Niguel. Is it anyones on this list?

Nathan

Flashman

I would not pay it. They have 10% margin on the car (at MSRP) to cover their cost of doing business. That is where it comes out of. When I ran a computer store in College, I never tried getting peole who bought a $5,000 computer to pay a $25 advertising fee. Think about it.

renncpe

The fee is charged by Mercedes not the dealer. The dealer pays the fee off the invoice. It is not an option for the dealer to pay or not pay the fee. It does appear on the factory invoice as a separate line item. It is different depending on the market that the car is being shipped to.

Randy

pixmation

I did pay the $400 ad fee at Laguna Niguel. That's the reason you negotiate your out the door price itemized so you know what are you paying for.

Instead of trying to have the salesperson taken off the ad fee. I asked for discount on the car itself to offset the ad fee. That way, they will feel better and to me it's the same.

DrMike

I didn't pay the advertising fee, but the dealer did add in a $250 "conveyance fee". I had figured that into my offer, so it worked out ok. The issue is not what fees the dealer adds in or does not add in, but what your out the door cost is before tax and license. If the dealer wants to discount the sales price more so they can show some other fees on the sales agreement, fine with me. Again, the bottom line number is the only important one.

MarkL

Are you guys talking about an ad fee over and above MSRP? No way. If you're talking about a complete "deal" w/ a negotiated discount from MSRP, then maybe. Also, a "conveyance fee" of $250 is outrageous. My dealer charged $25 for doc prep or some other nonsense.

KWiK

I bought from Laguna Niguel and my salesman never brought up any advertising fees. The only things included in my "Out The Door" price were: the car, DMV, sales tax, & Doc. (~$50). Be firm in your offer, they will eventually take it, sales are slow for them.

edvpt

No. No Fee.

vadim

No such fee paid. Everything was negotiated via email, no funny fees had ever been mentioned + free CD changer offered w/o asking. Other local dealers tried to add it, though.

galaxygrrl

Heat!

Every dealer in the Bay Area has this charge -- it is very tacky to say the least. I fought back so hard on this charge, so then the Sales manager actually came over to me, showed me the invoice of the car, the ad. fee was on it. When I pushed backed, the manager pulled the BofA wire transfer document and the ad fee was included in the payment from the dealer to MB.

You will need to pay it one way or another -- either directly or you will pay more for the car-- since the dealership pays it. Choose your poison.

This is very tacky of MB.

And, I have yet to see the commerical for the c-coupe, which I would like to point out, I paid for -- ugh!

Beth

nboyd

Vadim, did they give you a free CD changer at Laguna Niguel?

Was this additional to any other discount from MSRP?

I only heard of the advertising fee when I asked why the out of the door, with 700 over invoice, came to more than my estimation.

Maybe if I had not challenged this I would never have found out it was being charged.

Nathan

vadim

No... I'm in DC area. And - no, it was MSRP + free changer. No advertising fees, other fees were very minimal... some $25+$40... Something like that... Plus 4.5% VA sales tax, of course.

MarkL

Again, I hope you guys are talking about dealers adding this advertising fee to a discounted vehicle "deal" price. Ad fees should NEVER be added, or acceptable, for a car purchased at MSRP!

nboyd

I'm talking about invoice plus 700 plus advertising and doc fees. Only found out these were added once the maths didn't work on 700 over invoice according to Edmunds for the out of door price.

renncpe

Mark,
They are talking about a charge on the invoice called IRG. Not over MSRP! It is part of the cost of the car.

Randy

gtypecanare

Yup I picked up my C230 silver/c5/c7/auto and free changer from Laguna Niguel MB , this month, for MSRP and that was it. But I have been waiting for the car since November 2000, but well worth it!

SoCal240/6

I think there is some confusion here.

Are you talking about a "fee" that does not appear on the factory window sticker??

If so, you shouldn't pay it. At least not here in So. Cal.

None of the dealers that I went to added anything to the bottom line of the factory window sticker, other than of course sales tax and the DMV license fee (which totals a little less than 10% in Calfornia).

nboyd

What people are saying is that MSRP includes a advertising fee. I don't think anyone is suggesting you pay that over the MSRP.

The question that remains is: should you pay the advertising fee when you have an invoice plus X deal? Dealers claim the advertising fee is included in MSRP and when they state X over invoice you also have to pay that fee.

Another question is why pay this fee on a car that has been built to order?

Nathan

SoCal240/6

Oh, ok.

As far as whether you should pay it when you have an invoice plus x deal (which I assume comes to lower than the MSRP on the sticker), the question of whether you pay it or not seems like semantics.

The dealer has a price he will sell it at. Whether the advertising fee is included in that price or not makes no difference. If you don't include it, he will just give you a discount off sticker that is $400 less.

So, if he tries to include the $400, and you say "No, our deal was invoice plus X," he will just say "Fine, we consider the Advertising Fee to be part of invoice, which we factored into our quote. If you don't want to pay it, our best price is invoice plus X plus $400."

The way to avoid all of this is to, after you say "invoice plus X," get him to confirm exactly what that number is. Because the reality is until you have an actual-bottom-line-number, you don't really have a firm, solid deal (instead, you have one subject to interpretations and misunderstandings).

galaxygrrl

Almost, but not quite.

Invoice definately includes this ad fee, so you could talk percent over invoice. I think percent over invoice is losing battle. Figure out invoice and then talk cash. The difference in 2 or 2.5% over invoice on this car is about $125. Negociating in $250 chunks(one percent) is not the smartest approach.

Find out invoice (this includes the ad fee) add what ever you feel is fair and then negociate from there. Of course, this is all IMHO

nboyd

I asked for the invoice but Andre at Laguna Niguel said they could not give the final price until they take delivery of the car. Prices can fluctuate between then and now.

Therefore I got the price over invoice inclusive of the extras. It did not include the advertising fee.

Nathan

nboyd

I just know that when I go down to Laguna Niguel this is going to be a contentious issue.

I consider invoice to be whatever Edmunds says it is. I hope am not told that Edmunds Invoice is less than Lagunas Invoice inclusive of ad fee.

Nathan

snoopy_dog

I bought a C320 about two weeks ago in the San Francisco Bay Area and did NOT have to pay this ridiculous fee. One dealer tried to slide it in, but two others did not.

I paid $450 over invoice plus $45 doc fee, $5 tire fee, and legitimate California sales tax and registration. That's it. No Conveyance, ADM, IRG, or other XYZ fees. NEVER pay the advertising fee.

That's why it is SO important to negotiate an out the door price, rather than over invoice price. Punch all of this into a spread sheet and bring your laptop into the dealer if you negotiate in person.

LK

Lynn

Tire Fee? What is a tire fee? I've haven't heard of that one.