Freewill
Active Member
They can and try, however they are optional items that the accounting or sales manager will attempt to add at the close to a buyer that didn't do their research before walking in. Window etching, pre-paid maintenance, paint protection, etc usually added at a significant markup to what you would pay outside the dealership, but they sell you the advantage of it being priced into your car loan.
Being optional though, simply refuse the add ons at the hard close, or have a good idea of what these things cost outside the dealership and negotiate a fair price if you want the service, and want them to do it. It's still buyer beware here, but it is easier to avoid paying for extras and still get the car you want if you do your due diligence before walking into the dealership.
One other "Canadianism" we see is you don't pay tax on the full price of your purchase but the trade in difference. This is used by dealers to get you to accept lower than full trade in value since if you sell the car privately and then use cash instead of the trade, you would pay the full tax based on the close. On a 20,000 dollar trade in, that means three grand in reduced sales tax on the new purchase. Hence the dealer will normally offer you 17,000 for your trade arguing that the tax savings justify it. There is always room to barter though, and often if you get the dealer to split the difference it can be worth it. The sales tax varies from province to province but it is normally around 15% except in Alberta where it is only 5%.
