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Bargaining tips?

lostpacket

lostpacket

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I sent off a request via the Bennington website and got a (fast) response from the only local dealer. They gave me 13.5% off so my question is...Is this decent and how should I go about bargaining? It sucks they are the only one around because I have very little leverage in this respect. I also have very little reason to pull the trigger since summer is over and if I did order it now I'd end up getting it in November then it would just sit all winter. Is there any harm in pricing in just waiting until Feb/Mar to order which should land it around when I can start using it in May? Basically, would I get a better deal now vs waiting? Any other tips/tricks you can suggest? The trailer is another $4k which I wasn't expecting which kind of hurts too.
 
Also, what should I expect as far as timing from ordering to getting it? I've read 2-3 months it normal.
 
There will be a price increase before the end of the year. You might order before that time and ask for a later delivery.
 
Or wait for boat show pricing. Good luck.
 
Not sure what you're looking for. 13.5% on a 16' S series is not to shabby. But if it's on a 10' beam twin 400 Q, that's not good at all! Not sure where you're located either. If you're in Iowa or the midwest I'd wait until boat show season (Jan/Feb).
 
We ordered ours in October 2016, delivered 2nd week of March 2017 (2016 pricing). Your discount can vary depending on dealer distance, model, dealer promos, inventory levels, etc.... Near in mind, the boat industry will probably explode this year due to the hurricanes. There's probably thousands of boats destroyed, not to mention repair parts that will be needed. I wouldn't wait around if you find a really good deal. It may not be around a week from now.
 
I'm in the northeast so boating season is just about over. I'm looking at the 21 SLX, 150 Yamaha SPS package. There is a boat show in Feb just not sure if I should wait and hope for a better deal then or snap something up now.
 
We bought a 2015 boat show boat that was ordered in November before the price increase. It was a marvelous price. It was what we would have ordered but a very lucky find. If the boat is at the show, it probably was ordered before the price increase but it being right for you is slim. Our dealer had the boat for 5 months and gave a very fair price on the sale.
 
My thoughts would typically be you need to wait a bit longer into the fall, towards the end of the year, to get a bit better discount. At least in the north, there is that tipping point late in the year when winter is coming (or already here) where they are a) trying to get rid of current year inventory to make room for new upcoming model year orders (floor/warehouse space); b) trying to guarantee spoken for orders for the upcoming year in advance to secure next years revenue streams and sales numbers; and c) a gray period in which they sometimes combine discounts for previous year models with discounts for the upcoming boat shows...maximizing discounts.

In a normal year, and if you were in the north, I would advise you to look around, continue pricing and planning, but hold off for Nov/Dec. Normally I wouldn't cut a deal for anything less than 20%.

However, this is not a normal year. I agree with Semper. I think the Hurricanes are going to blow up new orders in the boat industry, drive up demand on used boats that are for sale, and blow up the demand for replacement parts. All of these factors put the advantage with the manufacture, dealers, and sellers...not the buyers. You might want to just settle for that 13.5%, an amount I would not otherwise consider a good discount whatsoever on msrp for a new pontoon.
 
Is this true only if I buy something they have in stock and not a custom order? I'm assuming if they have it that I could drive the price down but since I have to custom order it they're not really getting much (besides the off season sale) right? I think starting the search now is better (vs waiting until end of year); if I counter to 20% off now and he says no I can try back in Nov and then in Dec to see if they're ready to work with me. I'm not in a huge rush since I can't use it now anyway which is a big advantage to me.
 
Interesting, looks like the Find Dealer page doesn't work that well. I went in and now I've found five dealers within about a 2 hour drive and still finding more (depends on how I move the map etc). So maybe I do have options if I'm up for the drive, but 2 hours for thousands of dollars seems worth it.
 
Bear in mind, you are probably on the low end of the price spectrum, so there's not as much meat on the bone (profit) so there's probably less wiggle room (if any). Also be careful on the "longer drive to save money" as it may bite you on the arse if you need service or warranty work. If you look back through threads, there are posts about this. Some dealers will put "their" customer as the priority (can't exactly say I blame them). You may be at the back of the line waiting ........
 
SEMPERFI8387 said:
Bear in mind, you are probably on the low end of the price spectrum, so there's not as much meat on the bone (profit) so there's probably less wiggle room (if any). Also be careful on the "longer drive to save money" as it may bite you on the arse if you need service or warranty work. If you look back through threads, there are posts about this. Some dealers will put "their" customer as the priority (can't exactly say I blame them). You may be at the back of the line waiting ........
Click to expand...

I understand the priority thing....but my local "big dealer" won't even let you make an appointment for Yamaha recall work if you did not buy it there. I was told to drop it off and they would get to it when they get to it. I think that is really lame. The other local, smaller dealer appreciates the business and even though I did not buy this boat from him, I purchased my prior boat from him. Plus, I have referred others to him who have purchased through him. We have a pretty good relationship. The boat purchase dynamic is so different than the auto dealer experience. I still scratch my head at why some marina's take it so personally if you don't buy from them. The reality is I'm buying a boat, not a club membership.

And to the OP, I think you can do better than 13% off. I've ordered both of mine in the fall to capitalize on current year's pricing on a next years model. You can also play it right to include additional time on the motor warranty.

Good luck!
 
"I understand the priority thing....but my local "big dealer" won't even let you make an appointment for Yamaha recall work if you did not buy it there. I was told to drop it off and they would get to it when they get to it. I think that is really lame. The other local, smaller dealer appreciates the business and even though I did not buy this boat from him, I purchased my prior boat from him."

This is the approach taken by many RV dealers also.
On one hand I can understand they are swamped and need to take care of those that purchased from them, but on the other hand it tends to alienate you from buying from them in the future.

Many of the RV companies will authorize warranty work from many small shops so you don't have to go back to the dealer. All you need to do is call the manufacturer and find out who is on their approved list.
I wonder if Bennington does something similar.
 
Lostpacket, about where in the north east are you? I would call my area the same but it a BIG area! I ordered in march and delivered at Memorial Day. We got an exceptional deal on just an “S” series boat and didn’t actually beat the guy up, I took the price he offered. The additional price on the trailer is a bummer but if you don’t buy something decent there you’ll regret it!
 
I just placed an order for a 22SSRXP and was told by a dealer that if I did not order by the end of October, he could not guarantee me a boat. I agree that 2018 may be a tough production year due to the hurricanes. The only other thing I would say is that 13.5% is a little light on the discount. I would expect more like 20%.
 
What are other dealers saying? Either he is brutally honest or the others are telling you what you want hear
 
I'm at ~20% now and that's as low as they can go without losing money. :rolleyes: Can't complain about 20% since if it wasn't for this forum I probably would have paid MSRP. :oops::)
 
If you are pleased with the boat, and OK with the price. Go for it an don't look back.
 
20% off msrp is solid. Getting more than that off often requires other factors: excess inventory, special purchase incentives/discounts out of the dealers control, seasonal or boat show timing, regional competition, etc...

Other things worth considering as an aspect of negotiations that are sometimes overlooked are extended engine warranties, or maintenance program deals, or fabric protection deals, boating equipment, etc.... Frankly, sometimes those are things they may be able to wheel and deal on if their margin on the actual boat is slim...

That said, 20% is solid, and likely to negate much wiggle room with these other items. Congratulations on the new boat order!
 
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