Hello, I have some good news for those who got confused or feared my earlier comment about CA registration fee over 1k.

This goes back, way back to when I first bought my car in mid December. When I was at DMV to submit bill of sale and title transfer, I was told that I had to pay about 5k for used car purchase tax and would have to pay $1,100 for registration fee on March. I was shocked so I asked the guy that it is way too high. In fact, it was almost twice as much as what my family pays for S550. He just kept saying that it is correct and it's high because I’m buying an expensive car and that VLF is based on "MSRP" of the car; very first purchase price of original buyer. I was tired from waiting two hours to speak to him and I didn't feel like arguing with the guy so I just decided to put off paying that one.

In February, I received the notice to pay it so I went online and I put the code in and everything, it said "the status of car has changed since the notice, so call this number or come into office." So, I called DMV, and you guys know how it is. After 40minutes of bad music, I got to speak to a person and she told me that the record shows that I filed for a 'release of liability'! which changed the status of the car. I told her that I've never filed for such thing and it must be a mix up. At least she was very cordial and got the matters straighten up in relatively short time. When she asked me if I had anything else to ask her, I asked her why my VLF was so much. She said that my car's market value is showing up as $107,500!!! I mean I love my car but that's twice as much as what I paid for the car. So I asked her how it can be that high? and she said, "people at DMV must have done something wrong, you should go down there and have them correct it because it is based on what you purchased the car for." those words couldn't have sounded more sweeter and bitter at the same time. I was happy that I didn't have to pay ridiculous amount but I was angry at the person who told me that his way was right.

So I went to DMV yesterday, waited 2hours, and what do you know? I get the same guy! I tell him, "Hey, remember me? I'm here to fix this registration fee issue." He has no clue. I tell him $1184 is way too much for my car because I bought it for less than 60 grand. He says the number is correct and you have to pay 1.15% of your market value for VLF. HA! I asked him how is $1184 1.15% of 60grand. He wouldn't budge and kept saying that he's correct. I got tired and have him call his superior so she comes by and looks at the situation briefly. I tell her facts and she takes the papers and the guy to the back for about 2min and only she comes back with a smile. "Oh I'm sorry, there must've been a misunderstanding. I'll fix this up for you." yeah, so I don't know how or who screwed it up in the first place, but the type of my title was wrong so they had to change that, and they had to change the market value of my car according to my purchase price because it was clearly not right at $107,000, and I got a smile from a lady who was clearly not my type.

But in the end, I only had to pay $675 for this year's registration and even when I know there are guys out there paying only fraction of it, I am pretty happy that I got this straighten out before I was out 500 for no stupid reason. So next time you go into DMV and the people there tell you something, you better know your stuff. Ah, who am I kidding, you guys already know this stuff!

 

yikes ....i paid 50 bucks for my registration.

 

Just what I wanted to hear!

 

When I lived in California I used to use the appointment system where you schedule an appointment ahead of time. Usually I only waited 15 minutes, sometime less.

I hear you about the DMV. Seems like you have to be a dimwit and not know anything about the system in order to qualify for a job there.

 

Jesus... Almost $700 to register. Unbelievable. I bought my 996TT last year and paid $140 in Florida. California is completely insane with their fees.

 

I hate Communistfornia!

 

It's a great place to live but politics suck the world over.

 

I had fun at times the 9+ years I lived there. But the P/Cness and I agree, the politics... well they SUCKED!

 

What drama.... I'd have demanded a supervisor at the very first visit within a few minutes. I *NEVER* enter a financial situation where I don't first know where I stand and what rules apply....

I bought my car a few years ago from out of state- so I had to register it myself. They still remember me at DMV for being one of the largest checks they ever collected over the counter.



A

 

that typifies california beaurocracy....expensive, but at least it's also a hassle. dmv has been hit pretty hard by budgets cuts so what used to be simple is often now a real pain.

 

I've come to believe that there is a concerted effort to make DMV services that the public utilizes 'suffer' the most with cut backs... they want the public to suffer if the bureaucracy suffers.



A

 

Yup, if the state is broke, they want it's citizens to be broke as well!

They're doing a pretty good job of it so far.

 

i think it cost me something about 200

 

I would have used the appointment system but you can only get a date about a month and half later.

People over there or at least the one I talked to really got to take a 4th grade math class. I mean are they really smarter than 4th grader?

 

I had my car inspected for re-entering into usage. The inspector read and printed odometer as 23021 (which was correct). I then got the title 6 weeks later saying 231625! I don't think basic reading or concepts of understanding anything is a requirement with DMV so smarter than a 4th grader? I say no to that one, maybe the occasional employee is. Or very long nails made it difficult to type the right numbers, and also who cares about if the numbers are correct anyway...??