Car Dealer's Accessories

Sometimes vehicle accessories are sold by the "F&I" Manger. These can be items like ski racks and wheel upgrades.  Most of the time, these accessories are included by the customer before they reach the finance office. Also, if they are factory accessories, they will have a small profit margin and are not worth the trouble to sell.

 

However, there are accessories that are created for this office that will have big profit margins. These are items from are sold to the dealer by third party vendors. Commonly, they will be alarm systems, stolen vehicle recovery systems and scratch resistant paint applications.

 

The most popular accessory that is sold during the customer visit to "F&I" are theft protection systems

The most popular accessory that is sold during the customer visit to "F&I" are theft protection systems. The most common is LoJack. LoJack is a company that will fit a customer’s vehicle with a hidden transponder that can be turned on by remotely and alert the police to the vehicle's location.

 

LoJack is sold through their dealer network only, so the only place to buy this product is at a car dealership. Because there isn’t an independent retailer of this device, you can not compare the prices and the “F&I” manager can charge what ever they want. That being said, if a customer has concerns about there car being stolen this system works very well. It will lower your car insurance premium a little but it is definitely a luxury product designed to assure the customer that their car isn’t stolen. In other words, the cost of LoJack is far more than what it saves the buyer in insurance rates.

 

Also, the customer should be aware of any factory theft protection systems that are already installed on their new vehicle. For instance, some vehicles could have the “On-Star” communication system already included in their vehicle and LoJack may be somewhat of a duplication of services.

 

This product cost the dealer less than fifty dollars and many times is included in the payment for several hundred.

Another theft protection system widely sold by car dealers is window etching. This is a process where the vehicles identification number (VIN) is secretly etched on to the windows of the vehicle. This would allow the vehicle to be identified even if the thief were to remove the VIN number plate from the vehicle. It is sold as a theft deterrent, meaning a car thief would be less likely to steal a vehicle that has this product.  Also, that the customer’s insurance rates will be less if it is included on the vehicle. Some insurance companies will give a small discount for this protection, however compared to what the “F&I” manager charges is negligible. This product will cost the dealer less than fifty dollars and many times they will include it in the payment for several hundred.

 

Another accessory is that has been sold in the finance office in recent years is a protective plastic film that will cover the portions of the vehicle that are susceptible to paint chips. This “invisible” film is really not invisible at all. Customers should make sure they see an example of this product already applied to a vehicle before they agree to include on their new car. Usually, it will cover the front of the vehicle's hood to prevent rock chips as well as door-edges to prevent parking lot chips.   Buyers should also be aware that this product is not applied to the front and back portions of the bumper. Many time the “F&I” manger will allude to it preventing bumper scrapes.

 

 

 

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