The American car-buying experience has been shaped, for decades, by deliberate opacity. Documentation fees appear at signing without prior disclosure. Add-on products are bundled into monthly payments rather than priced individually. Out-the-door numbers are quoted differently to different customers based on who the dealership thinks it can charge. None of this is necessary. All of it erodes trust in an industry that ought to depend on it.
We, the dealers whose names appear below, believe that transparency is not a marketing claim. It is a discipline. It is the willingness to publish what we charge, to itemize what we sell, to invite verification of our practices, and to live with the consequences when we fall short.
The commitments that follow are specific and measurable. They are not aspirational. They define what a transparent dealer does, monthly, and what happens when they don't.
- 01
Publish documentation fees upfront
We will display our documentation fee, the full current dollar amount, prominently on our website and in every quote we provide. We will not adjust this fee based on customer demographics, financing choice, or negotiation posture.
- 02
Provide out-the-door pricing on request, before the sale
We will provide a complete, itemized out-the-door price (including all fees, taxes, and any optional add-ons) in writing, before any customer is asked to commit to a purchase. We will do this within one business day of a request.
- 03
Disclose every add-on before signing
We will identify every dealer-installed product, service contract, accessory, and protection plan associated with a vehicle in writing, with its price, before the customer signs any document. We will not bundle add-ons into a single line item or obscure them in monthly-payment math.
- 04
No mandatory add-ons
We will not condition the sale of a vehicle on the purchase of any add-on, accessory, package, or service contract. Customers may decline any optional product without penalty, price increase, or refusal of sale.
- 05
Maintain an A grade on the Dealer Transparency Index
We submit to monthly independent mystery shopping by the Dealer Transparency Index. We will maintain an A grade. If our grade falls below an A, our signature is suspended until our grade is restored.
- 06
Support transparent-pricing standards
We support the principle that federal and state pricing-disclosure regulations should apply to all dealers, not only signatories. We endorse rules that require advertised prices to reflect what consumers actually pay.