Car dealer credit card fee

j19

HouseHuntr wrote: »

Yes it is up to you !

Trading_standards wrote:

Credit Card Surcharges
It is legal to charge customers a surcharge for using a credit card to settle their bill. If you do this you must make the fact clearly known by:
displaying a notice near each public door and at your reception area telling customers on the phone before they commit themselves and book including the information in your advertisements.

:shrug: ...

Beast

The dealer has told you before you commit. You can now avoid the charges by paying with a debit card or cheque.

j19

Beast wrote: »

The dealer has told you before you commit. You can now avoid the charges by paying with a debit card or cheque.

I committed by paying a deposit (by credit card, by the way, with no surcharge), therefore entered into the contract. I was told after paying the deposit.

HouseHuntr

Your purchase has not yet taken place, you have an agreement to purchase only which is totally different.

If you had already paid in full and then an additional sum had been added to cover the merchant fee without your knowledge then yes, you would have recourse.

chattychappy

Just my opinion:

If the contract was done without any reference to paying by credit card, then the dealer can impose a charge if you wish to pay this way.

If you agreed a price and the deal was "done" by your slapping down your card and paying a deposit, then if nothing is said and the deposit is taken - then too late to come back for the charge later. It is implied that the credit card payment is as good as cash.

If there are VISA/MASTERCARD signs around the premises then it is implied that the dealer has the facility to process payments this way. It doesn't mean that he is obliged to take payment this way fee free in the case of a contract agreed with you unless this was explicitly agreed.

If there are terms and conditions or other notices displayed in the shop, then these may or may not be incorporated into your contract depending on their prominence etc. Even then, they maybe excluded anyway if the contract has a "whole agreement" type clause.

As for the trading standards issue, I think this is a reference to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (s5(4)(g)). However this doesn't give the consumer a private cause of action. Trading Standards can prosecute and this could be used a stick with which to beat the dealer.

jonesMUFCforever

Have you thought of haggling?
Tell him if he wants a fee for use of a credit card then you want extras such as a tank of petrol and car mats or mud guards etc etc.

noh

Most car dealers will take a deposit by credit card but will charge a fee on the balance simply to cover their card processing costs.
If they dont charge a fee on the balance then you haven't negotiated the price of the car down low enough.

kriss_boy

I feel sorry for the seller. Who doesnt expect a fee for CC payment on something as expensive as a car?

chattychappy

kriss_boy wrote: »

Who doesnt expect a fee for CC payment on something as expensive as a car?

It's not the amount, it's the profit margin that's the issue for a seller.

Backbiter

I buy cars as infrequently as possible, but the last two purchases I've made have been by credit card, and the dealer hasn't charged a fee. I did check this was the case first, though, as I was using a '0% for purchases' card in each case, so I knew I'd be saving a fair bit on the cost of finance for the next 9 months.
Noh's point above about not having negotiated the price down enough is valid, but in my case I saved more in repayments - and avoiing CC fees - than I would have by haggling the price down.