claude4

Good day,

I have my 8 on order since July. I ordered mud guards, rotary accents, strakes and the MP3 player at the same time.

My dealer calls to to advise the car has been released from Port NJ and that they can't find the strakes and that the MP3 is coming from the west coast. I am paying MSRP on everything.

He is also telling me that he is going to charge me labor to install the strakes and MP3. Is this correct? I thought the $355 for the MP3 included installation, especially since I ordered it at the time of my order for the 8 itself.

Have others, who also ordered the MP3 at time of their order for the 8, paid extra for installation?

BTW: I ordered just strakes from trustvillemazda and told my dealer he can charge me 1/2 hour to install them.

Believe it or not, I am dealing with the sales manager and he is telling me that his service dept charges the sales dept for installation of these "dealer options". I told hime that there was no small print in the brochure that says "*Installation cost extra".

I also told him to make a "command deciision" here and perhaps, as I am paying full retail, he should work it out and throw in the cost of installing these options. His reply "I have to talk to the owner of the dealership".

Uo to this point, the sales manager has been quite above board. Now I suddenly feel like I am dealing with just another gready sales rep.

Am I worng? Should I pay the $200+ labor to install the MP3?

Thanks,

Claude H.

pyrospawn

i don't think u have to pay for installation since it's pre-ordered, meaning they have to build as u paid for, including all the options.

spdspappy

I wouldn't pay it. If he tells you that you can walk away from the deal, I would search mazda's site for the car like you want it (minus the extra option which most don't have and can be added later), and go buy the car somewhere else for at least $1k off MSRP and order the extra's from Trussville... Just my $.02

claude4

I am unlikely to walk away from the deal as I have the free maintenance/$500 giveback on this order and that will beat any discount I could get from any new order I would place now.

I just can't believe he is trying to pull this kind of crap. Doesn' t Mazda have a position on this? Is it legal?

I hope that he will come to his senses and just put the MP3 in without a fuss after he speaks to "The owner". Just seems like such a waste of time and puts a sour taste in my mouth after what has been a pleasant exchange so far.

Do I have to feel like I need to wash my hands everytime I deal with a car salesman?

What a pain!

Claude H.

jtimbck2

Call Mazda customer service. The dealership should *not* charge you for installation on those accessories, since they were on your original order. In fact, I thought everything you listed except for the MP3 player were port-installed accessories anyway.

claude4

Mud guard are factory installed as are the rotary accents. Strakes and MP3 are, who knows.

I will call Mazda BUT I do want to hear from others who purchased the MP3 at time of car order.

Thanks,

Claude H.

eccles

I believe the dealer is entitled to charge for installation, though some may not actually charge it. The MP3 player is NOT listed in the brochure as a factory- or port-installed option - it has always been a dealer-installed option or accessory and the price is for the unit itself, uninstalled.

Why not take the middle ground? Accept the car and player, but have the dealer leave the player unopened in the trunk, and install it yourself once you get it home. It ain't hard, and there are instructions elsewhere on this forum.

brothervoodoo

The strakes and MP3 Player are not installed at port and are a dealer accessory, as such, they can charge an installation fee. Now regarding warranty, if you bought these items as part of the original purchase order for your car then the extended guarantee will extend to those items. If you purchased the items separately then a standard 1 year guarantee applies.

Claude, search this board on installing the mp3 player, we have very good instructions on how to do this. I did it myself and it was not so difficult.

B-Nez

Brothervoodoo is correct. The only things you are entitled to have installed free of charge are PORT-installed options. For any dealer-installed options, the dealer IS entitled to charge you additional for installation (as well he probably should). As for pricing, I paid $325 for my mp3 player + $20 for the unseless faceplate and instructions. I installed it myself, otherwise they wanted $611.97 + $20 for everything installed.

As for warranty, anything the dealer installs, the dealer warrants. Anything you install is not warranted. Don't let that scare you, though, unless you are a complete dolt.

claude4

Thans guys for clearing that up. Had my dealer explained this 2 me at the time of my order, I wouldn't feel so taken for now.

I did read the thread on self installationa and will now re-read it. As I recall it took some time and finess to do.

How long did it take you B-nez? and what tools did you need?

Thanks,

CLaude H.

B-Nez

It took me 1.5 hours, but that was mainly because it was the 1st time. It took an hour to remove the unit. 15 minutes to swap the CD for mp3, and 15 minutes to put it all back.

Tools: 10mm socket with extension handle for the bolt under the dash;
small, flathead screwdriver (of reasonable length) to pop the connector clips behind the head unit (in the blind).
Philips-head screwdriver for the short screws holding the audio components together.

Can't remember ALL of them exactly, but basically some screwdrivers and sockets. That's all.

8_wannabe

Claude, I get the impression from your post you signed a purchase order which specified a price plus the options you wanted on your car. Is this true? And, did you pay a deposit? If so, you and the dealership have negotiated a contract, they agree to sell you a car fitted to your specs at the agreed-upon price. Now they are trying to unilaterally change the agreement by adding on new fees. Too bad for them... they should have specified this in the written contract if they wanted to add extra charges.

Now, if you don't have a signed sales agreement that specifies price and options then shame on you. Instead of a legal decision you have to argue with them on moral grounds which is a much shakier position for you.

When I ordered my car, I insisted all the terms of sale be specified in writing, down to the point of saying the deposit was refundable if I didn't take the car. They wrote it all down, but got annoyed saying "We never add fees" and "our deposits are always refundable." It's easy for them to say, but hard for me to enforce if there's a dispute and it's not written down and signed by all parties.

claude4

Seems I am in the wrong then, 'cause the strakes and MP3 are NOT on my sales form.

I stand corrected and will ask them to waive installation costs as I was not advised that there was an extra charge for this. If they don't, I will get the MP3 elsewere and do it myslef with a friends help. I am already shipping them the strakes which I ordered from trussvillemazda.

Sly devils, these sales people.

Thanks for the feedback, it helps me understand.

Claude H.

Now to find a euro spoiler.

www.wooddash.com w/b offering dash kits soon. I have ordered from them B4 and their stuff is great and at the right price. Nothing there for the 8 yet though but I received an e-mail from them that soon they will have something on thier site.

Claude H.

VelocityRedRX8

I paid installation on my dealer-installed options, but didn't have them on as a pre-order. I wouldn't be surprised that they asked you to pay for them.

brothervoodoo

Please keep me informed regarding a decent deal for a euro spoiler, I want one too, thanks!

rael

All accessory prices given to us in the UK can be split into part cost, labour and tax totalling the quite for the unit.

rael

rael

Forgot to add that besides Leather, Sat Nav and moonroof firred at the factory everythinbg else is an accessory fitted by the dealer.

rael