It's been the same way for years. Way back when I worked for a Ford store we had a "doc fee" of $575. My job as the salesman was to explain the fee up front before the customer entered the business office. This fee covered the title, all paperwork, and charges the bank or Ford Credit may charge us for their own fees. 90% of customers had no issue and paid the fee, 10% raised hell and we'd waive it before letting the whole deal go down the tubes over it. And its true that all other big purchases carry a documentation fee, my last mortgage carried a $795 fee charged by my broker.
So those fees were not ALL profit, they do in fact pay for some necessary items the dealer provides for the customer. Our store would sell ~100+ units a month, so that $575 adds up to be a decent amount of revenue for the dealer. Take that away and they'll get it elsewhere, those fees are not going away anytime soon imo, one way or another you're going to pay.
If it were my sales department ALL FEES would be included in the price. A F150 for $39,995 would be just that plus tax. Trouble is that Joe Bob Ford down the road is going to advertise his truck for $38,995. He'll get all the uneducated customers (mostly all car shoppers) in the door, and then they'll surprise him with the fees....now he's submissive, so close to the truck he want's he'll just pay the fees and go home.
pretty clear AMVIC does not care so this practice will continue.
