Re: New to Boating, is my local dealer WAAAAY overpriced?
This was my thought exactly!! Often you don't find out until after the fact if a business/dealer is not the sort that want to be dealing with. You should give the first sales guy a slap on the back and a big thank you for clearly demonstrating why you should not have anything to do with that business either during or after the sale! The big bonus is that it didn't cost you any money to find out this valuable info!! Often the front end sales guys are smooth enough that you think everything will be good, only to find out AFTER that their after-sales service is a nightmare. Basically they told you pay what we're asking or $$$$ off! Any business that I get that vibe from as a potential customer won't get a nickel from me.
Whatever brand I bought, I wouldn't darken that dealer's doorstep again... if using a local dealer is important, you should pick a different brand.
Given your budget, I'd think you should be able to find a really nice and cherry used boat! Boating is not cheap, so lots of folks are likely purging their relatively new boat to reduce their debt load. You'd take a big hit on depreciation of a new boat if you decided in a year or two that it wasn't your cup of tea. Especially on a bayliner. Pretty easy to find yourself upside down on the loan I think.
that's my $.02.... good luck.
I see what you are saying, but if I can get them down to my price, I will buy local. I know they are trying to rape me on the price. If I don't let them, and I get a price I am happy with, what does it matter. I'm sure there are folks that walk right in there and plop there $$ down at the outrageous prices. That's how sales works. You try to make a bunch off some and a little off others. It doesn't make sense to me to drive 3 hours down south at the same price as local. Just because the guy down South has a lower price, that doesn't mean the service will be any better or worse.
It's weird that I am defending my local dealer, and I may end up going down South. I have heard nothing but good from local folks about the local dealers service.
I really don't mind playing the game as long as I win in the end. If they don't match the Southern price or come within a couple hundred, I'm driving.
As far as finding a really nice, used boat, I have looked and looked. You guys forget this is California and the folks selling there used boats aren't discounting them as much as other area of the US. Plus, I am new to boats and don't have a knowledgable friend to take with me to check the used boat out.
Lets say I find a 2002 175 Bayliner for like $11K (that's the kind of prices we have here). Then you add tax and tags which would be approx $1000. Now we are looking at $12K OTD for a 6 year old boat with no guarantees it will even work. Once financed (at a higher rate than a new boat), we are looking at $184 month used and $222 New. The New boat comes with $1000 worth of add-ons plus the Bimini, Wakeboard Tower, Stereo Plus the Warranty and service provided.
There may be a better used deal out there, but within 250 miles this is the pricing I am finding. I know folks in different parts of the country are seeing 2006/7 175's for like $9000, but not around here.
I would be willing to take the risk of a used boat if there was significant savings, but $2-3K more and I get exactly what I want, brand new, with all new accessories and piece of mind with the warranty.
Sorry, I may be crazy, but it's worth the extra $40 a month to me.
