Frustrated! Save $1,100 with terrible local dealer or go farther and spend more?

[Timmer92]

Hi all,

I've been working with a Nitro dealer for a week straight trying to get the right features and quantities, and associated pricing. I started the process in-person. I arrived with a clear list of add-ons and quantities what I wanted. After sitting down with a sales guy and going over my list, the guy gave me a verbal price. I went home to think it over. The next day I asked for the details via email with the intent of getting paperwork to seal the deal. He came back at over $10k more. I then went round and round with the sales guy, and he repeatedly kept adding and omitting options. At best he was a terrible communicator and had no attention to detail. At worst he was playing games by including add-ons I didn't want while at the same time reducing package inclusions. I finally called the dealer and ended up working with the GM. Since that time the GM has cleared up items and quantities. It's still $9k more than what I was told verbally. What I'm most frustrated about is the GM is holding his line that they are a "no haggle, best price guarantee" shop and he can't do anything for me on price. He isn't doing anything for me to make up for the shenanigans and poor experience. He said the best he could do is wave $200 in install charges.

This dealer is 20 minutes from my house. I really hate to give them my business, but the next dealer is 1 hour away and $1,100 more. Further, even if I bought it elsewhere, I'd be inclined to still go local for service. My fear is they wouldn't treat me as well if I didn't buy the boat from them. Do I swallow my pride and go back with my tail between my legs and just buy the darn thing and save $1,100?

[Hot Runr Guy]

That $1K is what, less than 2% of the purchase price? Spend the extra grand and buy from the dealer that wants your business.

40 minutes further away is nothing compared to the aggravation that you are setting yourself up for.

HRG

[Timmer92]

Originally Posted by Hot Runr Guy

That $1K is what, less than 2% of the purchase price? Spend the extra grand and buy from the dealer that wants your business.

40 minutes further away is nothing compared to the aggravation that you are setting yourself up for.

HRG

My emotional response is not far from yours, thus the dilemma. My opposing logical argument is that the frustration has already happened, and that's a "sunk cost" in financial terms. The extra $1,100 comes out of my pocket book, so that hurts me and doesn't solve anything.

Maybe what I should have added is that the GM has been clear, attentive, followed up, etc. He just states he can't budge on the price because they are factory owned. If it were a buyers market maybe I'd have more pull and we could prove whether this statement is wholly true. Unfortunately the seller has the power these days.

[Snowking]

How sure are you that the salesman didn’t just screw up pricing out the boat the first time. Calculator error. When he added everything up the second time if found his error. With the pricing nitro has. I doubt they would be around 10000 or 11000 dollars less then the other nitro dealer. Plus did both quotes include sales tax and registration fees. I could see the salesman verbal quoting the first time. Without all the taxes added in.

[Timmer92]

Originally Posted by Snowking

How sure are you that the salesman didn’t just screw up pricing out the boat the first time. Calculator error. When he added everything up the second time if found his error. With the pricing nitro has. I doubt they would be around 10000 or 11000 dollars less then the other nitro dealer. Plus did both quotes include sales tax and registration fees.

I'm referencing pricing before licensing, document fees, tax etc. Both have the same pricing for the factory package inclusions. The differences are variations in dealer option pricing.

In my opinion, the sales guy sat back and said "ok, one of these, ok 2 of those, ok, that size" and then just responded with a base package price with none of the things we spoke of. He was on the computer while doing it. Maybe he was really playing solitaire! That part was unfortunate, but the real frustration was in the follow up communications. He dropped graph size, he added suspensions to the seats, stuff like that. I kept correcting it, and he came back with other variations with the same issues.

[Snowking]

Well it’s kind of like car salesmen. Some are very good some are not. Do not know if the salesman’s been working there along time or not. I think allot of car dealers and boat dealers have allot of employee turnover. Personal story when I bought my Lund crossover. I went to the local dealer. That’s still maybe a half hour away. I knew they had a reputation about pricing high. Got a price and it was way high. Like at least four grand high. Went to a different dealer a couple hours away and got the four grand less price. I bought from the farther away dealer. I do some fishing up that way anyways. When I had some winter work done. I dropped the boat off on the way up north deer hunting. I just bought boat, trailer, and main motor. So I did not have a bunch of extras added in to the price. Some time later thinking about it. To be that much off I think the guy messed up pricing it out. Or used the base price for a tyee. Instead of 1875 crossover.

[Snowking]

You do not have to buy suspension seats from the dealer. I would for sure get them on any boat I would buy. Unless your talking about someone buying a little 14 foot boat for a small lake.

[7 Mag]

I agree with HRG, spend your money at a dealership that wants your business. Don't sweat the drive, it's not like you're going to visit them every week or two.

[Dixiedawg]

My previous boat was bought from a dealer 3 hours away, rather than the local dealer because he would not budge a nickel on the price of a new boat. That was nine years ago and the situation certainly would be different in todays market. I saved $3K for traveling 3 hours. Weeks later I was in the local dealership and the owner recognized me and offered the boat at a reduced price. I told him that I had bought one from another dealership. He said if I had come down $100 would you have bought the boat and the answer was yes. I had the cash and wanted to spend it.
I took my boat back to the local dealership every year for the fall service, and there was no problem with the service. The service manager was just happy to have the work and could care less where the boat was bought. So I totally understand your frustration with your local dealer not budging on the price. Cheers, Dixiedawg

[That Minnesota guy]

Call the competing dealer. Tell him your preference to to purchase from them however they are $1,100 higher. Ask if there is anymore they can do. No matter what the answer stay away from the closer guy. BTW, I have dealt at some point with most of the metro dealers. Who is your closest dealer? I'm guessing the one a hour away is Westre out of St.Cloud.