10 Questions to Ask the F&I Manager at a Georgia Dealership (2026)
The F&I sit-down is where most Georgia auto deals go from “reasonable” to “expensive.” The F&I office is trained to add products to the deal. Coming in with 10 specific questions changes the conversation and reduces the average add-on line-item cost. Here are the ones that matter.
TL;DR
- The 10 questions cover: TAVT, doc fee, add-ons unbundled, free-look windows, VSC vs warranty, GAP true cost, financing rate vs buy rate, negative equity roll-in, TILA disclosures, and Manny’s floor rule.
- Ask them in writing.
- Record the F&I meeting (Georgia one-party consent) — see Georgia F&I Recording.
- These questions have real answers. If the F&I office cannot answer them, that is a signal.
1. “What is the doc fee and what does it cover?”
Under Georgia FBPA § 10-1-393(b)(14), the doc fee must be disclosed. Ask what the fee covers. Ask if it is negotiable. Compare against nearby dealers. See Georgia Doc Fees 2026.
2. “Show me the MV-1 TAVT calculation before I sign.”
TAVT is 7.0% in 2026 under O.C.G.A. § 48-5C-1. Verify the MV-1 shows: fair market value (with trade credit subtracted), TAVT rate 7.0%, and dollar amount. See TAVT Calculator.
3. “Please unbundle the F&I menu — I want to see each product priced individually.”
The F&I menu is often bundled at a “discount.” Unbundled pricing reveals the true cost of each product and lets you decide item by item. See F&I Add-ons Ranked.
4. “What is the free-look window on each product I might buy?”
Most Georgia F&I products have 30-60 day free-look windows with full refund. Get the specific window in writing for each product you consider.
5. “Is this a warranty or a service contract?”
Under Magnuson-Moss (15 U.S.C. § 2301), a warranty and a service contract are legally different. The “extended warranty” the F&I office is selling is almost always a service contract under Georgia O.C.G.A. § 33-33. This matters for cancellation rights, refund rules, and disputes. See F5 Magnuson-Moss.
6. “What is the true financed cost of this GAP / VSC / add-on including interest over the loan term?”
When add-ons are financed, you pay interest on them over the loan life. A $2,000 VSC at 7% APR over 72 months has $463 in interest. Ask the F&I office to show the true financed cost, not just the sticker.
7. “What is the buy rate on my financing and what is the sell rate?”
The buy rate is what the funding lender charges the dealer. The sell rate is what the dealer charges you (buy rate + dealer reserve markup). Under ECOA (15 U.S.C. § 1691), fair-lending framework applies to markup. Get the sell rate in writing. Compare against pre-approvals from your credit union.
8. “Is any negative equity from my trade being rolled into my new loan? Where is it disclosed?”
Under TILA (15 U.S.C. § 1638), negative equity roll-in must be disclosed in the Amount Financed on the Federal Truth in Lending Disclosures. If your trade payoff exceeded your trade credit, you have negative equity. Verify the disclosure. See Trade-in Negotiating.
9. “Please walk me through the Federal Truth in Lending Disclosures — the five numbers.”
Amount Financed, Finance Charge, Annual Percentage Rate, Total of Payments, Payment Schedule. These five federal disclosures are the legal reference for your loan. The APR box overrides any verbally quoted “interest rate.” See F3 TILA.
10. “What is your dealer’s editorial policy on protecting me if something on this deal goes wrong later?”
This is Manny’s floor rule. Almost no F&I office will have a formal answer to this. Ask anyway. The answer (or lack of one) tells you what happens when there’s a dispute. Compare against Real Talk’s public editorial policy: written, published, and enforceable.
The bonus question: “Can I record this conversation?”
You do not need to ask. Georgia is one-party consent under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-66. You can record legally without notification. Recording preserves any verbal promises for later FBPA claims. See Georgia F&I Recording.
Applicable statutes across the 10 questions
- O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393 — Georgia FBPA (disclosure, discrimination, fraud)
- O.C.G.A. § 48-5C-1 — TAVT (7.0% in 2026)
- O.C.G.A. § 33-33 — Georgia Service Contract Act
- O.C.G.A. § 16-11-66 — one-party consent recording
- 15 U.S.C. § 1638 — TILA disclosure
- 15 U.S.C. § 1691 — ECOA fair lending
- 15 U.S.C. § 2301 — Magnuson-Moss (warranty vs service contract)
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Retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (SFC, Ret. 2016)
Senior All-Source Intelligence Analyst
Dealer-side career: sales floor through sales manager
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About the Author
Manny Ruiz is the founder of Real Talk Media Group, publisher of Car Real Talk and RV Real Talk. A retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (SFC, Ret. 2016) and Senior All-Source Intelligence Analyst, Manny worked the dealer side of the desk — sales floor through sales manager — before building Real Talk to publish what buyers should know before they walk into a showroom. Real Talk is backed by a network of current and former sales and F&I managers with 20+ years of combined dealership experience. No sponsors. No dealer kickbacks. No filter.
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