How to find dealer add-ons in the paperwork
Add-ons can appear in the vehicle price, a separate product list, or the amount financed. The task is to find each line and follow it through the total.
What the official record says
The Federal Trade Commission says add-ons are optional products and services, gives examples such as gap policies, service contracts, and etching, and recommends asking for the price and coverage of each one. The FTC also advises reviewing the contract and comparing it with what the dealer said you agreed to. The CFPB’s auto-loan worksheet notes that optional add-ons increase both the amount borrowed and the total cost when financed.
What to check on the document
Use the buyer order, retail installment contract, and any product enrollment pages. The same product can appear under an abbreviation, package name, or monthly amount.
- Identify the cash price and provider for every service contract, protection product, insurance product, or accessory.
- Confirm that a signed selection or decline matches the amount carried into the contract.
- Calculate the amount financed with and without each optional product, without treating the difference as promised savings.
How to use the result
If you do not recognize a line, ask the dealer to write out the product name, price, coverage, cancellation terms, and whether it is required by the lender. Do not rely on a verbal description. The review flags the line and gives you the question; it does not accuse a dealer of misconduct or promise that a product will be removed.
Read the buyer order as arithmetic. Start with the agreed vehicle price, then identify taxes, registration, the documentation fee, and every optional product. Market-price ranges are estimates from public data. A line can be expensive without being unlawful, and a state disclosure rule does not make a charge mandatory.
We do not contact the dealer and we do not negotiate for you. You take the review to the desk. We do not sell cars, arrange financing, or take referral fees from dealers or lenders. Not legal advice. Not tax advice. Not financial advice.