Lone Wolf:
One suggestion that I think MOST Autopians would make on taking delivery of a new vehicle is asking the dealership if you can forego their pre-delivery new-vehicle preparation and YOU do it yourself. Depends on how much you trust the dealership, but many new vehicle exterior and interior cosmetic "imperfections" are the result of less-than-careful and unacceptable (IE, not-to-Autopian "standards") vehicle cleaning and prep detailing methodologies.
Part of the "problem" is YOU paid for this service already. I do not know of any dealership that does not have an "Added Dealership Fee" included to the purchase price of the vehicle on the window sticker sheet for their "additional" services. Services as I was told like the fore-mentioned pre-delivery cleanup, state licensing and title paperwork processing, and, as one dealer told me, inventory expenses (snow removal, test-driving vehicle insurance, car lot lights and security, and now COVID clean-up after test drives; things I would expect are part of car dealership business overhead and built into the "normal" Manufacturer`s Suggested Retail Price (Vehicle Sticker MSRP), but apparently not because they want YOU to pay or it.)
I would definitely negotiate the pre-delivery thing to allow you to do it. If you cannot do this because of requirements by the manufacturers and their dealership for liability reasons and last-step quality control (IE, they absolutely refuse you to do this) , then "negotiate" a pre-delivery customer inspection which will allow you to carefully look over your new vehicle of dealership-installed cosmetic "problems`. Things like swirls from improper washing, or scratches from protective plastic wrap removal (the car lot jockey wore their BIG Invecta watch or some cosmetic rings or bracelets and snagged it on the leather seats or fender panel). Don`t be afraid to bring a bright hand-held LED flashlight to inspect everywhere. If they balk at that, then ask to be present when they do their pre-delivery prep and go through the dealership inspection and pre-delivery sheet with them.
One way to negotiate this "Added Dealer Fee" is to charge them the SAME amount for the display of their dealership name on YOUR vehicle, usually in the form of a rear sticker or placard and/or license plate frame with their name on it. Since you are driving around with this on, it is like advertising for them. Nothing is "free" anymore and if they balk at that, ask them to "kindly remove" their name from YOUR vehicle. They want to play ball with you, play by the rules.
