If you're determined not to let a fast-talking car salesperson sucker you into buying extras you don't need, stay attuned to common add-on's paraded before unwary new car buyers. Many extra options are superfluous and overpriced and you could do the job yourself for less -- or do without them completely.
Your salesperson may play on your fears by offering an extended warranty, but you don't have to bite. Because you are getting a new car, which presumably comes with a built-in warranty that will last a number of years, an extended warranty is not necessary, notes car buying resource Auto Trader. Instead of paying upward of several thousand dollars for that, use the money on maintenance, says financial publisher Bankrate. The exception would be luxury vehicles with a reputation for difficult or expensive repairs. In those cases, an extended warranty with comprehensive coverage might serve you well.
A disingenuous dealer may just convince you that options, such as car preparation, rustproofing and fabric or paint protection are vital to your car's well-being. However, such features are strictly optional and should not be padded onto the price by default. According to Bankrate, if done by unauthorized parties, rustproofing can void your warranty, but dealers have an incentive to offer it because they receive a markup for the service. As for fabric-protection, modern car interiors should already incorporate stain-resistant technologies. Paint protection essentially uses paint sealant, which is not recommended for new cars.
New car buyers are full of anxieties, and fear of theft is no exception. If your dealer offers Vehicle Identification Number etching to quell these fears, you don't have to accept their exorbitant rates. VIN etching involves creating a permanent acid-induced imprint of your car's unique identifying code on a window or windshield. While car insurance companies and the police endorse this as a theft-deterrent, you could do the etching yourself with a kit for a fraction of the cost.
A sneaky move by some dealers is to charge you an advertising fee to defray the auto manufacturer's advertising costs -- even though you've already paid it. While the advertising fee is one you're required to pay and cannot negotiate, it may already have been added to the invoice as part of routine billing. If it resurfaces again later in the finalization of the sale or seems exceptionally inflated, the dealer could be padding the tab. A legitimate advertising fee should be similar to what other dealers are charging.
