You find the RV you’ve been looking for. The advertised price is better than anything else you’ve seen. Then it’s time to talk numbers.
Dealer preparation. Freight. Required accessories. Financing conditions. Suddenly, the bargain doesn’t look quite so good.
A recent warning from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to automobile dealers is a reminder that hidden RV fees deserve a closer look. The FTC sent its warning letters to automobile dealers—not RV dealers. But many of the pricing practices the agency highlighted are ones RV buyers may recognize.
For many people, buying an RV is one of the largest purchases they’ll ever make. Ask which fees the advertised price covers before you visit the dealership. Doing so could save you hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars.
Why this matters to RV shoppers
The FTC recently sent warning letters to 97 automobile dealership groups, reminding them that advertised vehicle prices generally should include every mandatory dealer-imposed charge, excluding only government-imposed charges such as taxes, title, and registration fees.
The agency also warned against advertising prices that:
Leave out mandatory dealer fees.
Depend on rebates many buyers don’t qualify for.
Require financing through the dealership to receive the advertised price.
Require mandatory add-ons that aren’t reflected in the advertised price.
The warning letters don’t create new consumer protection laws. Instead, they signal that the FTC intends to enforce existing laws against deceptive vehicle advertising.
Although the FTC sent its warning letters to automobile dealers, the concerns it raised about hidden mandatory charges and misleading advertised prices aren’t unique to cars.
In other words, if every customer has to pay a particular fee to buy the RV, it’s reasonable to ask why that charge wasn’t reflected in the advertised price.
The price that catches your eye isn’t always the price you’ll pay.
Pricing disputes have reached the RV industry before
The FTC’s warning does not mean RV dealers are under federal investigation.
However, disputes over advertised pricing have surfaced in the RV industry before.
Oregon’s Department of Justice reached a settlement with Camping World after alleging the company advertised discounted RV prices and later added freight and dealer preparation charges that the state said should already have been reflected in those advertised prices.
Camping World denied wrongdoing but agreed to a settlement that included refunds for eligible Oregon customers who purchased RVs during a specified period. It also included changes to how certain prices and fees would be disclosed going forward.
The settlement illustrates that disputes over advertised RV prices have reached the industry before. It does not suggest similar practices are widespread among RV dealers today.
When the advertised price isn’t the whole price
An advertised price isn’t automatically misleading simply because additional charges appear on the purchase agreement.
Government-imposed charges such as taxes, title, and registration are legitimate additions. So are optional extended service contracts, accessories, or protection products a buyer voluntarily chooses.
The more important question is whether the advertised price already includes every charge every buyer must pay.
Examples include:
- Dealer preparation fees
- Freight or destination charges
- Required paint, fabric, tire, or protection packages
- Dealer-installed accessories
- Financing requirements tied to the advertised price
- Rebates available only to certain buyers
None of these automatically indicate a problem.
The key is understanding exactly what’s included before deciding which RV offers the better value.
What counts as a mandatory fee?
Here’s a simple rule of thumb:
If you can’t buy the RV without paying the charge, ask why it wasn’t included in the advertised price.
That one question can quickly tell you whether you’re making a fair comparison between dealerships.
If you can’t buy the RV without paying the charge, ask why it wasn’t included in the advertised price.
Five questions to ask before you sign
Before agreeing to purchase an RV, ask:
- Is this the actual selling price before taxes and registration?
- Are there any mandatory dealer fees not included in the advertised price?
- Which accessories or protection packages are optional?
- Does this advertised price require financing through the dealership?
- Do I personally qualify for every advertised rebate included in the price?
Answers to those questions can make it much easier to compare competing offers.
The bottom line
As mentioned, the FTC’s latest warning letters were directed at automobile dealers, not RV dealers.
But the questions they raise about advertised prices are worth asking before making any major vehicle purchase.
A low advertised price can be an excellent deal—or it may simply be the starting point for additional mandatory charges you’ll encounter later in the buying process.
Before comparing dealerships, ask exactly what’s included in the advertised price, whether any fees are mandatory, and whether advertised rebates or financing offers apply to your situation.
Buying an RV is a major financial decision. Spending a few extra minutes asking those questions could prevent an expensive surprise—and make it much easier to compare one dealership’s offer with another.
Sources
Federal Trade Commission
Warning letters to 97 automobile dealership groups regarding deceptive pricing practices.
National Association of Attorneys General
Consumer Protection Journal summary of Oregon settlement involving Camping World.
RV News
Oregon settlement requiring freight and dealer preparation charge disclosures.
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RVT1269b
Thank you for the reminder to be as circumspect as possible by asking lots of questions of ones salesperson and, more generally, of the dealership itself, Russ and Tina. Your timing is impeccable, as we plan to order RV #3 early next week. Have a great day and safe travels!
I shocked a dealership by threatening to walk out if a number of fees didn’t disappear – even offered to directly pay several government fees that I KNEW were inflated, and countered paying cash only to have other fees appear. Even more shocked when I did walk. This was in MN in the fall. They still had not found another buyer by prime spring selling time.
They picked on the wrong guy. I’m a former community banker who had lending authority. I knew certain fees were illegal and others that were if not illegal, wholly immoral.
Another unit will come along (ours did). Don’t be strong armed into buying with suggestions the deal is one of a kind.
Way to go, Jim!👍 Thanks for the good advice! Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane
When we were in the market a few years ago, nearly every dealership had an unadvertised 10%+ add-on for cash purchases. We didn’t buy from any of them.