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Old 03-22-2017, 07:33 PM   #1
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Dealers and Final Offers

Just brought home a 2017 22' Sport. I contacted 5 dealers in four states and got 5 very different offers. We purchased the unit for 19.87% below retail, and got front lower segment protectors included for free. (I admit-I drove a hard bargain). I was amazed at the differences between the 5 offers. One dealer, who is often touted as a "great" dealership here on air forums, only offered 4% off retail and challenged me to "find a better offer". I did. So my lesson and encouragement to anyone looking to buy new is; keep shopping and looking until you find the deal you can't turn down! It took us about a month of negotiations to nail down an offer we could accept. Best wishes to all who are seriously looking and don't give up!
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Old 03-22-2017, 07:40 PM   #2
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Hmmm...
How did that bendy-hitch thingy work on the way home? Did it flex or deflect any more than it was?
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Old 03-22-2017, 07:45 PM   #3
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The key is being prepared to walk away from the deal. People get emotionally invested and the salespeople can sometimes smell it. Like blood in the water for a shark.
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Old 03-22-2017, 08:31 PM   #4
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Bendy hitch?

I'm one of those people who says to myself that I will NOT get emotional about a deal. Then I will inevitably fall in love with the vehicle. In the case of our International Signature, it was a lot easier over the phone an we settled on a dealer with what we considered a great deal within a day's drive (5 hours)

I agree with the above posts about shopping around.


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Hmmm...
How did that bendy-hitch thingy work on the way home? Did it flex or deflect any more than it was?
What does this mean ?
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Old 03-23-2017, 11:54 AM   #5
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I shopped from New Jersey, through the midwest, and into Calif for my FC 27 FB and got quotes from $79K to slightly above $70K. Wouldn't you know it, but my local dealer gave the $79K quote (phooey on them!). I drove from Seattle to central CA (Toscano RV) to get the AS, saved a bundle, and got an unexpected vacation doing it.
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Old 03-23-2017, 12:02 PM   #6
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pricing

care to share where you purchased?
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Old 03-23-2017, 12:34 PM   #7
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That sounds like a pretty decent deal SilverLife, but I don't know what the AS cost them to sell.

However, I think you should tell the other dealers what you ultimately got yours for, so that they know that they're not the last stop for ASs, & same for you others commenting on your better deals!

It helps to know what the dealer's invoice price is, so that you know that your best offer, isn't still a great profit for the dealer.

I know that Consumer Reports & some other sources offer the dealer's cost or wholesale price from the factory for cars/trucks/suvs, but I don't know if there is a comparable source for trailers.

I also don't know if the AS dealers get a "hold back" payment, like some car makers give their dealers, which is basically another 10-20% of the price paid/refunded back to the dealer after the sale. Most car dealerships which advertise that they're selling their cars for "$195 over dealer invoice" etc. - are actually still getting another 10-20% profit back + the $195 or whatever, due to this faking of the true dealer cost of the vehicle. And if you paid full sticker price to one of those (usually the Big 3), then you've just given them a huge profit on your car/truck/suv!

I think it's safe to assume that the AS dealer profit off of "sticker price" is probably in the range of 30-60% - & since the OP got nearly 20% off retail, it's probably at the high end of that range. So they're still making a decent profit for what is very limited service & work on their part nowadays at most dealerships - judging by the follow-on service complaints from the other new AS buyers on here.

I agree that you must be wiling & able to walk away, to tell them that you will do so, & to do so if they won't meet your needs. Many won't even start negotiating until you "push the chair back to walk out"!

And don't fall for the ole "I'll have to check with the manager" ploy! Just say: "Fine .... let's both/all go talk to the manager right now & bang this deal out" or similar, & walk out if they say no to that, & keep walking until & unless you hear the magic words!

Don't be afraid to play hardball with them, cuz they certainly are with you!

Good Luck to Others!
Tom
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Old 03-23-2017, 01:02 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverLife View Post
Just brought home a 2017 22' Sport. I contacted 5 dealers in four states and got 5 very different offers. We purchased the unit for 19.87% below retail, and got front lower segment protectors included for free. (I admit-I drove a hard bargain). I was amazed at the differences between the 5 offers. One dealer, who is often touted as a "great" dealership here on air forums, only offered 4% off retail and challenged me to "find a better offer". I did. So my lesson and encouragement to anyone looking to buy new is; keep shopping and looking until you find the deal you can't turn down! It took us about a month of negotiations to nail down an offer we could accept. Best wishes to all who are seriously looking and don't give up!
Thanks for passing along your experience, SilverLife. The list price of a new AS is atmospheric to begin with, so giving a near 20% mark-down was probably not all that painful for them. Did you have to go to SoCal for the best price?
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Old 03-23-2017, 01:45 PM   #9
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The proposal I give every seller is

GIVE ME THE VERY LOWEST PRICE
HAVE ME BUY IT AT THAT PRICE OR WALK AWAY

NO NEGOTIATIONS


END OF STORY

IT WORKS FOR ME
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Old 03-23-2017, 03:07 PM   #10
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Sounds like you got a great deal! Congrats on the purchase. My take on it is buying local will establish a relationship with the dealer for service and future purchases. The service tech spent nearly 3 hours with me going over every single component of the AS. I've also already been back with additional questions. I too shopped around and just got lucky as I'm pretty sure we both purchased at the same dealership. As much as getting a good price is important, I try to remind myself it is a business and dealerships need to pay lights, the salesman, service, etc.

Post some pics of the set up and safe travels!
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Old 03-23-2017, 04:09 PM   #11
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"We don't negotiate Airstreams. We don't have to."

We walked. Won't be back.
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Old 03-23-2017, 04:20 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by overlander63 View Post
Hmmm...
How did that bendy-hitch thingy work on the way home? Did it flex or deflect any more than it was?
Care to let the rest of us in on this?
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Old 03-23-2017, 04:27 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OttawaValleyGuy View Post
The proposal I give every seller is

GIVE ME THE VERY LOWEST PRICE
HAVE ME BUY IT AT THAT PRICE OR WALK AWAY

NO NEGOTIATIONS


END OF STORY

IT WORKS FOR ME
I took something of the same approach, without the all-caps. I told the sales guy I was looking at a new leftover 2016 at another dealer (which was true) but I liked some of the features of the 2017 he was selling more, and that the new 2016 was at a very favorable price so he (the salesman with the 2017) had a challenge.

The end result is that I'll be leaving for NJ on 1 April to get our 2017 26A (26U with twin beds).
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Old 03-23-2017, 04:58 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverLife View Post
Just brought home a 2017 22' Sport. I contacted 5 dealers in four states and got 5 very different offers. We purchased the unit for 19.87% below retail, and got front lower segment protectors included for free. (I admit-I drove a hard bargain). I was amazed at the differences between the 5 offers. One dealer, who is often touted as a "great" dealership here on air forums, only offered 4% off retail and challenged me to "find a better offer". I did. So my lesson and encouragement to anyone looking to buy new is; keep shopping and looking until you find the deal you can't turn down! It took us about a month of negotiations to nail down an offer we could accept. Best wishes to all who are seriously looking and don't give up!
Where did you end up buying from, just curious as we will be going down that same road very soon. TIA
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Old 03-23-2017, 05:37 PM   #15
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Just going to chime in here. I personally don't find the "what is your lowest price" approach to be productive a majority of the time. Why would a seller ever tell you that? And often if they do, then the buyer still will walk to shop that deal. So the seller is just giving up the cards so a buyer can then walk out and use it against the first seller by shopping it somewhere else.

How about instead deciding (with research) what your highest price is, offer less, and at the end of the day, walk if they don't meet the highest price you'll pay?

I know if I were a dealer/salesperson and someone came in and bellowed "What is the lowest price you'll take?" my response would be "What is your highest price you'll pay?" If that buyer walked out I'd wave and say "buh bye." Or I'd say, "Tell you what, go to Dealer "X" and ask them THEIR lowest price--then come back and I'll beat it if I can." Because that's what this type of buyer will do anyway. Few buyers are going to whip out the checkbook if they ask what the lowest price is and the dealer just tells them. Why should they go right to the bottom line when more often than not the buyer might likely walk out anyway to shop that price somewhere else "just to be sure"?

I know on my last purchase, which was used, but from a dealer, I knew my number for that specific size, model and year, and the negotiations where very short. They had, their listed price, I said (on the phone) I'm interested, it just depends on what you guys need to get out of it. He called back in 10 minutes and said they would take "X". We chatted a bit and I said "If you take "Y", including any dealer fees etc, total bottom line, I'll send a deposit today. Ten minutes later they called and it was a deal. I was happy. They were happy. When I picked it up, salesman woefully admitted he could have sold it 10 times over at full ask price over the last week. Which I believe, because the ask price was a really good deal to start with, which is why I jumped on it. Then the negotiated deal was a flat no-brainer and made it worth my time to drive 1,700 miles to get it. I can only think that whoever traded it in on a new one must have gotten slaughtered on the purchase price of the new one, the trade-in value on the old one, or both, for them to have sold the trade to me for they did

The GOOD news is that Airstreams are negotiable, some dealers can sell them for less based on other factors of their business (volume, number of brands, service and parts volume, etc.) So do your research, know your price, and go in and negotiate, with as many dealers as you care to. The good deals are out there.
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Old 03-23-2017, 05:39 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DKB_SATX View Post
I took something of the same approach, without the all-caps. I told the sales guy I was looking at a new leftover 2016 at another dealer (which was true) but I liked some of the features of the 2017 he was selling more, and that the new 2016 was at a very favorable price so he (the salesman with the 2017) had a challenge.

The end result is that I'll be leaving for NJ on 1 April to get our 2017 26A (26U with twin beds).
By 'somewhat of the same approach, do you mean you asked the NJ dealer "what is your best price?" and they told you? Or you negotiated? I'm going to guess it was the latter...
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:10 PM   #17
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Although from the west coast, we are back on the east coast renovating some properties in preparation for selling (everything) and starting a year of travel. We will eventually stop rolling and come to a wheel chock probably in WA or OR. We decided it didn't make sense to wait and buy in Seattle like we planned but to buy here now. [emoji6] (What kind of censorship should I expect for such a bad pun? 'Course some younger folks may not be affected...)
So we looked in SC, NC, TN and VA, (oh, I forgot NJ) eventually​ buying from the Colfax NC dealer. (NJ was the worst offer we had.) But I imagine there's a whole lot less profit on a Sport than a Land Yacht, so I wasn't surprised at some of the offers. My apologies if this is too far off the topic.
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:13 PM   #18
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Where did you end up buying from, just curious as we will be going down that same road very soon. TIA
Sorry- I responded to your question but it posted at the end... See my comment on where we bought.
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:30 PM   #19
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Quote:
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By 'somewhat of the same approach, do you mean you asked the NJ dealer "what is your best price?" and they told you? Or you negotiated? I'm going to guess it was the latter...
I warned them they were competing against a very nice price on a new 2016 fairly close to me, so their initial offer was reasonable (especially compared to other dealers I'd spoken to) and we negotiated from there.
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Old 03-23-2017, 06:53 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pcskier View Post
Just going to chime in here. I personally don't find the "what is your lowest price" approach to be productive a majority of the time. Why would a seller ever tell you that? And often if they do, then the buyer still will walk to shop that deal. So the seller is just giving up the cards so a buyer can then walk out and use it against the first seller by shopping it somewhere else.

How about instead deciding (with research) what your highest price is, offer less, and at the end of the day, walk if they don't meet the highest price you'll pay?

I know if I were a dealer/salesperson and someone came in and bellowed "What is the lowest price you'll take?" my response would be "What is your highest price you'll pay?" If that buyer walked out I'd wave and say "buh bye." Or I'd say, "Tell you what, go to Dealer "X" and ask them THEIR lowest price--then come back and I'll beat it if I can." Because that's what this type of buyer will do anyway. Few buyers are going to whip out the checkbook if they ask what the lowest price is and the dealer just tells them. Why should they go right to the bottom line when more often than not the buyer might likely walk out anyway to shop that price somewhere else "just to be sure"?

I know on my last purchase, which was used, but from a dealer, I knew my number for that specific size, model and year, and the negotiations where very short. They had, their listed price, I said (on the phone) I'm interested, it just depends on what you guys need to get out of it. He called back in 10 minutes and said they would take "X". We chatted a bit and I said "If you take "Y", including any dealer fees etc, total bottom line, I'll send a deposit today. Ten minutes later they called and it was a deal. I was happy. They were happy. When I picked it up, salesman woefully admitted he could have sold it 10 times over at full ask price over the last week. Which I believe, because the ask price was a really good deal to start with, which is why I jumped on it. Then the negotiated deal was a flat no-brainer and made it worth my time to drive 1,700 miles to get it. I can only think that whoever traded it in on a new one must have gotten slaughtered on the purchase price of the new one, the trade-in value on the old one, or both, for them to have sold the trade to me for they did

The GOOD news is that Airstreams are negotiable, some dealers can sell them for less based on other factors of their business (volume, number of brands, service and parts volume, etc.) So do your research, know your price, and go in and negotiate, with as many dealers as you care to. The good deals are out there.
Excellent advice on all your points. This is how good/fair deals get done.
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