Setup fee?!!!!!
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 565
From: TX
After 'pandemic paralysis' settled down and vehicle sales were raging (combined with very low output) I personally saw dealers asking $10,000 above msrp for certain trucks. Some of them got it too. When a person has the funds and wants what they see, dealers bet on their ability to turn a looker into a biter. This definitely isn't how I roll, but there are plenty of people with enough disposable cash to burn some excess to get what they want when they want it. Weird though it may seem, I think some buyers actually like how it makes them feel to not be quibbling over above-msrp prices. I guess I just don't let it bother me. If a dealer asks for it, I can try to deal or move along. If a buyer pays it...not my business.
I have a longtime friend who budgets $30,000 per year to hunt. And I know guys who paid over $50,000 to go on one specific hunt in North America. The money is out there, and all dealers of vehicles, bikes, RVs and so on know it.
I have a longtime friend who budgets $30,000 per year to hunt. And I know guys who paid over $50,000 to go on one specific hunt in North America. The money is out there, and all dealers of vehicles, bikes, RVs and so on know it.
Found a z71 semi local for retail and pounced on it. Only thing that sucked is I wasn't able to use my supplier discount but at the time practically no one was honoring those
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,328
Likes: 2,205
yup it was crazy shopping for a tahoe last year for my wife. One local dealer wanted 5k over, I thanked them for their time. One in austin wanted 10k. I was really hoping to get a Yukon at4 and called all over texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana and some dealers were up to 25k over. So that's 95k for a suv that retails for 70. I shoulda jumped on the one in East Texas, it was 2k over and included some extras which I'd never be able to take advantage of but at least they included something besides bending you over.
Found a z71 semi local for retail and pounced on it. Only thing that sucked is I wasn't able to use my supplier discount but at the time practically no one was honoring those
Found a z71 semi local for retail and pounced on it. Only thing that sucked is I wasn't able to use my supplier discount but at the time practically no one was honoring those
I would absolutely NEVER pay over MSRP for anything. I have been in a few dealerships lately on a road trip and all they could ask is whether I wanted to "trade in" my motorcycles so I could look at their overpriced crap.
I told him as long as there's a surcharge above MSRP, I am not even looking at new motorcycles. I am not a sucker and I would not ever pay over sticker price.
When I bought my truck, a long time ago, I paid 20% under sticker for it. If I'd really been desperate and really wanted it, I would consider paying sticker price. But more than sticker price with tens of thousands of new motorcycles sitting in dealerships unsold? Not in a million years.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,316
Likes: 2,387
From: Jackson, OH
yup it was crazy shopping for a tahoe last year for my wife. One local dealer wanted 5k over, I thanked them for their time. One in austin wanted 10k. I was really hoping to get a Yukon at4 and called all over texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana and some dealers were up to 25k over. So that's 95k for a suv that retails for 70. I shoulda jumped on the one in East Texas, it was 2k over and included some extras which I'd never be able to take advantage of but at least they included something besides bending you over.
Found a z71 semi local for retail and pounced on it. Only thing that sucked is I wasn't able to use my supplier discount but at the time practically no one was honoring those
Found a z71 semi local for retail and pounced on it. Only thing that sucked is I wasn't able to use my supplier discount but at the time practically no one was honoring those
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 32,934
Likes: 36,027
From: Carlsbad, CA
Set up fee, is just dealer added margin. As I’ve said before, or local dealer is MSRP, delivery, tax, doc…and still all negotiable. I haven’t been there for a while, but they still advertise MSRP, Although I’m sure MSRP includes the factory inflation adjustment.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 565
From: TX
If you think $2k over sticker is okay, you're not solving anything, you're just adding to the problem.
I would absolutely NEVER pay over MSRP for anything. I have been in a few dealerships lately on a road trip and all they could ask is whether I wanted to "trade in" my motorcycles so I could look at their overpriced crap.
I told him as long as there's a surcharge above MSRP, I am not even looking at new motorcycles. I am not a sucker and I would not ever pay over sticker price.
When I bought my truck, a long time ago, I paid 20% under sticker for it. If I'd really been desperate and really wanted it, I would consider paying sticker price. But more than sticker price with tens of thousands of new motorcycles sitting in dealerships unsold? Not in a million years.
I would absolutely NEVER pay over MSRP for anything. I have been in a few dealerships lately on a road trip and all they could ask is whether I wanted to "trade in" my motorcycles so I could look at their overpriced crap.
I told him as long as there's a surcharge above MSRP, I am not even looking at new motorcycles. I am not a sucker and I would not ever pay over sticker price.
When I bought my truck, a long time ago, I paid 20% under sticker for it. If I'd really been desperate and really wanted it, I would consider paying sticker price. But more than sticker price with tens of thousands of new motorcycles sitting in dealerships unsold? Not in a million years.
or maybe you missed the part where I said they included what I thought was a fair amount of crap for the 2k. I just wouldn't have been able to take advantage of it bc the dealer was like 5 hrs away. they included I think a life time warranty on tires, dealer would fix any paint chips/dings under the size of like a half dollar or some ****, tinted windows, and I swear it was something else but I don't recall. either way all of it, other than the tint, required going to the selling dealer to take care of and that wasn't an option. I told the salesman thank but no thanks as I wasn't paying over msrp. it was a better deal though than the dealers who charge 5, 10 or more over and you get zilch. I remember which dealers, local anyway, which did that and I won't even take the truck to get serviced there much less will I consider for any future purchase. I also remember the local ford dealer who low balled me about 6k on my mustang when I sold it, they also will never get business from me.
I paid msrp for the Tahoe. I paid msrp for my road glide ST I bought last year. crazy times that that's where we're even at with things. though it does seem with trucks, prices are starting to come down. Tahoes are still hard to find. even if you see one listed on a dealer site, if you call and inquire, chances are it's sold and was probably ordered/bought before ever hitting the lot
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 565
From: TX
I understand your pain. I got lucky in 2020 early in the pandemic. I bought a $74k truck for $12k under msrp. Nobody was spending money and dealer lots were jammed with great vehicles they wanted to sell badly. Just 2 years later a dealer offered me the same money I paid for it, and I ordered a 2022 Denali 1500 with the baby Duramax. I got it for less than the cost of the same truck with a gasoline engine. There are still fair deals and dealers out there, but it's not like it was when there was a glut of cars, trucks and bikes that needed sold.
though there still are some specific manuf/models that are not. I think I saw for instance with the new Nissan Z that Nissan is struggling big time with delivering. like less than 1000 have hit the US so far. I know Infiniti was struggling for a while getting the new QX60 to the lots but that might have changed now
Advanced
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 89
Likes: 28
From: NC
and when I told them wasn't interested in blue and wasn't interested in abs...
things started to change... and then next day they found a new black with abs
for 23000 out the door... which I paid....
so, yeah, got screwed a bit , but been without a bike for a couple of years because of covid 19 supply issues,
finally got tired of waiting and bit the bullet.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
The Best and Worst Harley-Davidson Moves of 2025
Verdad Gallardo
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,316
Likes: 2,387
From: Jackson, OH
It occurs to me that dealerships probably can claim certain deductions apply to fees like freight & destination, setup, doc fees, etc. If the dealer can claim labor or other expenses against (even if no additional work or expense happened) a service fee, they keep more after-tax money. Straight markup profit on the other hand is simply additional income and fully taxable. I think this is part of the reason some dealers love all the various fees. Even if they come down to your buying price, the contract often shows those fees still exist and are listed on it. They'll simply drop the selling price of the bike lower and then add the fees on to create the final price. I've seen deals like this.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 4,798
Likes: 5,889
From: Knoxville
dealer wanted 27000 out the door !
for blue and abs 2023 fatboy ...
they listed - roughly
doc fee 399
freight 1499
setup 779
tax 809
non tax fee 95
theft 499
plus the blue fatboy with abs...
didn't buy it ... instead ordered a black abs fatboy
and got it for 23000 out the door... which I was happy with
for blue and abs 2023 fatboy ...
they listed - roughly
doc fee 399
freight 1499
setup 779
tax 809
non tax fee 95
theft 499
plus the blue fatboy with abs...
didn't buy it ... instead ordered a black abs fatboy
and got it for 23000 out the door... which I was happy with
Off HD site