How to remove dealer add ons "protection packages"

With the limited inventory you just have to play the best hand you got. On my kids 2022 Trax they had door edge guards for $395 and some security system for $995, plus $4000 over sticker. I offered actual sticker, $195 for the door edge guards and $500 for the security system. They took it, I'm sure they made a small fortune in profit on all three "wins" they got. In better times I'd have kept shopping but inventory at the dealers is horrid and she needed a car.
 
Most of them do that now. Here's what you do IMO.

Say the car is $25k. The add one add up to $500, $300, $200, and $300. Paint sealant, tint, alarm, nitrogen, whatever. So $26,300. After taxes and title the car is $30k (I'm just making up numbers).

Instead of saying you want all that removed, work on the OTD price. Say you want it for $28,500 OTD. They'll discount the whole car's price rather than removing the add-ons.
 
I just ignore that stuff when negotiating the price. I like to work off of a pre-tax number I’ve calculated beforehand from the internet sources. I’m not afraid of being laughed off the lot. If I need to recalibrate my target then so be it. I’m also open to financing, especially if they can get me a better rate than my bank. 0.0% with $0 down is nice.

This label was on my 4Runner tacked onto the Monroney sticker to make it look all official. They weren’t even nice door edge guards :p
19D983BC-D897-4BFC-9A70-693677B1200F.webp
 
Most of them do that now. Here's what you do IMO.

Say the car is $25k. The add one add up to $500, $300, $200, and $300. Paint sealant, tint, alarm, nitrogen, whatever. So $26,300. After taxes and title the car is $30k (I'm just making up numbers).

Instead of saying you want all that removed, work on the OTD price. Say you want it for $28,500 OTD. They'll discount the whole car's price rather than removing the add-ons.
Ahhh I usually work on the selling price. Not otd
 
Ahhh I usually work on the selling price. Not otd

OTD is the way to go, I bought a Tiguan a few years ago that had all these worthless addons but the OTD price was where I wanted to be. Ended up removing some of them as soon as I got home. One thing they added were these hideous scratch guards behind the door handle, one had already fallen off at delivery! I'm still getting notifications to have Zaktek reapplied, and they want you to wash your car before you bring it in to have it reapplied :oops:
 
OTD is the way to go, I bought a Tiguan a few years ago that had all these worthless addons but the OTD price was where I wanted to be. Ended up removing some of them as soon as I got home. One thing they added were these hideous scratch guards behind the door handle, one had already fallen off at delivery! I'm still getting notifications to have Zaktek reapplied, and they want you to wash your car before you bring it in to have it reapplied :oops:
Cars listed at $23,575. Just 13 days ago, it was listed at $23,995. Fair purchase price is 20,000~. I'll offer $22,500 otd. I'm not driving an hour away if we don't agree on anything
 
Cars listed at $23,575. Just 13 days ago, it was listed at $23,995. Fair purchase price is 20,000~. I'll offer $22,500 otd. I'm not driving an hour away if we don't agree on anything

One trick they'll use is agree to a price and change it once you get there thinking that since you already drove an hour you'll suck it up...and if you don't it's your time they wasted not theirs.
 
Cars listed at $23,575. Just 13 days ago, it was listed at $23,995. Fair purchase price is 20,000~. I'll offer $22,500 otd. I'm not driving an hour away if we don't agree on anything
If this is the BMW. Sit tight. That is a specialty sale. I would hold out for 20k.

I sold my Wife's in showroom condition 2008 BMW 335i (couple, loaded) last fall, with 32k miles for 17k. Exclusively BMW dealer maintained, very desirable color, the coupe just had 3k of preventative maintenance to include new OEM tires. I had a hard time finding a buyer that wanted to pay 17k. Likely six weeks. The car was an awesome deal at 17k. But very limited prospective buyer pool.

Unless the BMW you are interested in is being marked nationwide... sit tight. You are in Chicago, not Tampa, Miami, Los Angelos, or Phoenix.
 
When buying a new car and assuming it’s at MSRP, have them print the vehicle info sheet out for you. Model, vin, color, trim package, extra features. If anything else minus tax is added, it’s worth asking about IMO.
 
I mean, a detailer charges anywhere from $1200-$1500 for a ceramic coating

Yeah and if I'm ceramic coating a brand new car you're still getting an honest 5+ hours of labor from me and $100 - $150 in materials.

Dealers are quickly washing and laying down $65 worth of Xzilon or Simoniz and telling you it's a "ceramic protection package" with a "great warranty." And the "coating" will fail in months, not years.
With this new car shortage and what have you, a lot of dealers are charging for add ons like "ceramic coating" or "interior protection". That either they don't even apply or cost them half of what they charge customers. What if I don't want it?

How do you guys go about this? How do you get them to take that bs off?

Be prepared to walk. Tell them it's non-negotiable. Most people cave, so don't.

Send out a ton of emails and requests. Get a dealer somewhere, anywhere, to put a selling price, on paper, of a real car (include VIN) without the addendum and use that to negotiate.
 
Last edited:
One trick they'll use is agree to a price and change it once you get there thinking that since you already drove an hour you'll suck it up...and if you don't it's your time they wasted not theirs.
I'll slap em with a bad CSI/Review if that happens
 
If this is the BMW. Sit tight. That is a specialty sale. I would hold out for 20k.

I sold my Wife's in showroom condition 2008 BMW 335i (couple, loaded) last fall, with 32k miles for 17k. Exclusively BMW dealer maintained, very desirable color, the coupe just had 3k of preventative maintenance to include new OEM tires. I had a hard time finding a buyer that wanted to pay 17k. Likely six weeks. The car was an awesome deal at 17k. But very limited prospective buyer pool.

Unless the BMW you are interested in is being marked nationwide... sit tight. You are in Chicago, not Tampa, Miami, Los Angelos, or Phoenix.
It I'd a E46 M3 coupe in imola red.

I think it's overpriced at $23,575. Well, realistically $24,575 if you add the $998. Fair purchase price is $20,336+TTL. Typical listing is $21,711 or something
 
With this new car shortage and what have you, a lot of dealers are charging for add ons like "ceramic coating" or "interior protection". That either they don't even apply or cost them half of what they charge customers. What if I don't want it?

How do you guys go about this? How do you get them to take that bs off?
I just tell them that I don't buy dealer pack. Sometimes you have to tell them repeatedly, but I do not yield.
 
Back
Top Bottom