Viking Dodge Window Etching Fee and claim of insurance savings Crystal Lake Illinois
I purchased a new vehicle form Viking Dodge on January 11 2008. During the signing of the contract I noticed a fee that I was not comfortable with. It was a Anti Theft Security Window Etching fee for $400.00. I told them I didn't want the windows etched. They told me the windows had already been etched and they had to charge me for it.
Then they proceeded to tell me it was a security feature, that they do it to all their vehicles, and I would save at least $50.00 on my Auto Insurance. I told them I didn't want to pay for etching I had not asked for. They told me they didn't know what the problem was, that I had paid for it when I purchased my last vehicle from them. I told them if I paid for it then, it was because I didn't catch it on the loan papers.
I negotiated a lower price of $175.00 which I was not happy with either. I called my insurance company today to find out what my savings would be. My savings for this expensive Anti Theft Secuirty Window Etching is $0.00. I'm insured with State Farm. They said I would receive a discount for the Anti Theft Ignition Key, but there was no discount for window etching.
I strongly urge everyone to throughly read over your loan information before you sign anything and discuss all items you are not comfortable with. I have contacted the States Attorney's office and I'm filing a complaint with them. Hopefully, if enough people complain they can proceed with a class action suite.
This charge was listed under Fee's. So watch out for those "Fee's"!
I wonder how many other Dealerships are doing the same thing?
Marty
Poplar Grove, Illinois
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Tom
Crystal Lake,Illinois,
U.S.A.
VIN ETCH AND MISCELLANEOUS FEES
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, March 24, 2008
I'm sorry to hear you were another victim of the "VIN ETCH"
Here's the deal, Viking Dodge uses "No Dicker Sticker" advertising to get you down there (especially those of you who are looking to "save a lot of money"). When they figure the prices they put onto the vehicles, they figure all the current incentives, and dealership cash (that the dealership doesn't have to use on your vehicle to be purchased), and I believe some of the holdback. They use all of this to get the price down to the NO DICKER STICKER PRICE. But that's never the price you pay- and I have documents to prove it.
You see, if they sold you the vehicle without adding the vin etch and other fees, then they would be losing money. I mean come on people, the dealership sold maybe 60 cars total for the month of February, they have the worst reputation in the Midwest Zone, and word on the street is that Chrysler may be shutting them down (maybe). The VIN ETCH is sometimes not on all the vehicles, so while you are in with Finance a PORTER will take the carbon copy paper the "number" is printed on and a special pen (it's like an acetone based pen) then they proceed to rub the pen over the number until it is "etched" onto the window. It takes abot 30 seconds, but some of you have paid $495 (standard charge now-a-days), some people have paid $2000 for it, heck some people have been charged over $5000-7000 for the VIN ETCH (again, I have documents that can prove all of this). Sometimes these fees are wrapped up together in the "misc. fees" And any legitimate insurance company cares nothing about a "vin etch" it's a ploy to get you to pay more money for a vehicle they have advertised at "1 low price."
Hey, why do you think they only ask you to focus on payment and never once do they get into details about vehicle price, terms, rates, etc. THEY ARE NOT A FULL DISCLOSURE DEALERSHIP FOR A REASON!
And should you not qualify for some of the rebates, then they will jack the price of your vehicle up, again only making you focus just on the payment. Even though they have prices advertised on every vehicle as that being the price (there is no fine print that states any of those advertised prices have rebates or discounts applied).
Lastly, if you or anyone you know is currently working with an attorney or going to be, I would be more than happy to supply you with any information or documentation needed.