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Building a pontoon.should we shop dealers???

Benni Newbie

Benni Newbie

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My husband and I are going to build a 22SSRFBXP. Are prices the same among dealers for a build or should we shop our build with different dealers in our area?? How much off MSRP should we expect to pay??
 
It doesn't hurt to shop ,there are 2 dealers in my area . They are about the same distance from my house in opposite directions.
Price was about $300.00 difference between the 2. As soon as I walked into the lower cost showroom & service department .
I choose the higher priced dealer . To me it was not just about finding the lowest cost . Sales ,service and the facility matter .
I can also say that the owner is now a close friend .It was well worth the extra $300
 
It might be beneficial to you if you share with this forum your build. Something many have learned the hard, ie expensive way, is to “ build your last boat first.”
 
This has been a topic many times, and dealer competition, or lack thereof, seems to be a major factor in price flexibility. Dealer and them facing pricing competition, can greatly affect how much off MSRP you will get through negotiations on final price. Other factors matter too: time of year, dealer inventory and floor space, boat show pricing, motor and and boat incentives, etc... However, from a pure % of MSRP, dealer options/shopping/price competition are a MAJOR factor.
 
Also, if the “cheaper” dealer is much farther away, and you buy from them, then need service and or warranty work, don’t expect red carpet treatment from the closer dealer.
 
I shopped dealers and end up with one that is a couple hours farther than my "local" dealer and got a premium model cheaper than the base model quoted from the local dealer. So yes it paid to shop around to the tune of a few thousand dollars.
 
I actually shopped my local dealers and ended up purchasing from Miller Marine in Minnesota about 2000 miles from my house ,the price difference was such a drastic savings after my expenses driving to pick it up I was still ahead by a lot I've had no issues with warranty or servicing from the local dealer
 
Correct me if Im wrong but I always thought when you build a boat you are actually dealing/negotiating with the Bennington factory directly and not the local dealer.
 
In my case it was simple, I was seeking a dealer on the lake with easy access and a solid reputation. Not too sure if I get the very best price, but the experience was a very positive one and the process was simple.
 
BigKahuna said:
Correct me if Im wrong but I always thought when you build a boat you are actually dealing/negotiating with the Bennington factory directly and not the local dealer.
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BK, when I ordered my boat from Hoffmaster's we did various builds on the website, but I did all the price negotiating with the dealer on the couple models I was considering. The percentages off MSRP varied with the builds, and when the engine upgrade became available I did all that negotiating with the dealer as well.
 
BigKahuna said:
Correct me if Im wrong but I always thought when you build a boat you are actually dealing/negotiating with the Bennington factory directly and not the local dealer.
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I think when you finalize build, and enter your location info, it sends it to closest dealer. At least that’s what it did when I submitted our original build.
 
ugleeual said:
IMO you want to use a Boat or RV dealer near the area you will keep either of them... relationships are very important especially when you need repairs/service.
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Yes. When I purchased, I called my local dealer from another dealer (3 hours away) and talked through a deal. He explained that when they get busy - their preference is to service their customers first. Relationships matter. I drove back to my local dealer and purchased there. As a thank you, they gave me a $500 gift card for their store.
 
Yes when you build a boat they send to closest dealer. Fortunately for me that is dealer I like. The price on your build is totally dependent on your dealer. I took my build to another popular Bennington dealership. The price would have been 10% more. Much higher overhead dealership so they charge you a lot more.
 
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I saved over $5000 between dealers. That is a HUGH savings. You wonder how that is possible.
 
When I lived in MI I was a couple miles from probably one of the top two biggest Bennington dealers. Their prices were high and pushy. Boat #1 went with a small dealer and it was great. Boat #2, boat dealer #1 was going to kill me on a trade, and another dealer saved me $5000 all said and done. So I shopped around and saved.
 
We just purchased a 2019 25 QSB...

We live in Oregon and bought in Missouri...

The savings was more than worth it...

She was delivered this morning to Lake Havasu, where she’ll spend the winter before being brought home to Oregon in the spring...

Needless to say, we're super stoked about the boat and the net price...

G1lQQP.jpg
 
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SEMPERFI8387 said:
I think when you finalize build, and enter your location info, it sends it to closest dealer. At least that’s what it did when I submitted our original build.
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Yes, the price quote gets sent to the nearest dealer as ,at least in Canada, they aren't supposed to advertise in other territories. The funny / dumb thing is that I did a quote one time for a person and it sent the quote request to a dealer in the states, who 'technically' is closer. My dealer wasn't too happy about that!
 
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