Mercedes Benz

Despite the stigma that sometimes surrounds the dealership F&I office, most consumers surveyed find the F&I process to be transparent. More than two-thirds of consumers who recently bought or leased a vehicle said the F&I manager shared the numbers step by step throughout the process in a transparent way, according to a DealerRater-Automotive News survey of 12,755 sales and lease customers fielded July 9-15. Survey results from about 4,000 respondents who visited the dealership for service were excluded from the findings. About 20 percent of the sales and lease customers said the F&I manager presented the numbers at the end of the process in a way that seemed clear and concise, and only 2.7 percent said the process lacked transparency or was confusing or overwhelming. The transparency level varied little among new- and used-vehicle buyers. Among new-vehicle buyers, more than 70 percent said the F&I manager took them step by step through the process in a transparent...