Do dealers get paid from factory for PDI time?

Old-Biscuit wrote:
When we bought our 5vr we ordered it and had an agreed upon out the door price.
When 5vr was delivered to dealer-------MY PDI took over 4 hours

Same here with my park trailer...in fact, the dealer delivered and installed it (including bringing his tractor to do a little gravel work) and didn't charge me an extra cent over our agreed upon price.

I don't care what they charge me or how they write it in. The bottom line price is all I care about. They could give the camper for free and charge me $21K in PDI.

Compare price from one dealer to the next. If one is outrageously higher, find out what the extra charge is and determine if it is worth paying. If not, move on to the next guy. RV dealers are all over the place. If one isn't worth your money, the next one is worth a shot!

My requirement, whatever the vehicle: "bottom line price, please, no add-ons except sales tax. Get back to me when you have it." They have to know you are serious.

In this case the dealer is just trying to keep his margin as high as he can.

I was at my local CW. Found a trailer I was mildly interested in. Asked for bottom line. She gave me a price, and then told me that she had to add "half of the cost they paid to ship the trailer to the CW", and "half of the cost for preparing it for me to take ownership (aka PDI)". Before I could even say a word, my wife jumped in and say no way in this earth will I pay for you to prepare the TT for me to take delivery, and I **** sure won't pay part of your "delivery charge" when it is sitting right outside the door. The salesperson then said "well, I have to start somewhere", to which, she replied, "you can start that with the next person who walks in"... Wife got up, and I didn't say a **** word, and we walked right out.

Went to the other dealer we had been talking to. Smaller dealership, got a great deal on a lightly used TT they had just taken in. No hassles, none of the BS. I made an offer, price wise, and they countered, to which I said toss in the WD hitch and the brake controller, and we're good. Done deal. No added BS.

Mike

I've walked away when buying cars; refuse to pay add-on dealer fees. Haven't had to yet on an RV.

Ed_Gee wrote:

swburbguy wrote:
I was out trying to make to make a deal on a 5th wheel and salesmen was trying to include a fee for the PDI. We didn't make the deal price was too high besides the PDI fee.

More idiots in the sales departments! Next they'll want to charge for talking to you by the half-hour like lawyers. Idiots! This stuff is what profit margins in their sales is for!

I would think the idiots are the ones PAYING the fee, not receiving it. ;)

It's all part of negotiating. It's a profit center just like undercoating, sealants and stain proofing the furniture. I had one dealer tell me it was like the Documentation Fees they were required. They tend to get added on at the end when you're excited to get your new keys and go home. $300 here, $150 there and it begins to add up. When I bought my last used car I shook the guys hand on an out the door price, when they tossed in the Documentation Fees I told him that wasn't part of our deal. Wasn't worth losing my sale for $75 and they waived it.

They tried to charge us $1500 for the PDI. I told then there's not a chance I'm paying that and that they need to show me the bottom line. They quickly abandoned the ploy and gave me a total number.

swburbguy wrote:
I was out trying to make to make a deal on a 5th wheel and salesmen was trying to include a fee for the PDI. We didn't make the deal price was too high besides the PDI fee.

I think you made a good decision by not dealing with that dealership.
Who was the dealer? Maybe a forum member will have some input.

Contact a 'Representative' of RV mfg. and inquire IF dealer is allowed to charge for PDI.

I have never been charged for PDI......as an actual listed fee.

When we bought our 5vr we ordered it and had an agreed upon out the door price.
When 5vr was delivered to dealer-------MY PDI took over 4 hours